Antilogie 1 HE that should reade Cardinall Wolseys stile thus writing Ego Rex meus I and my King would thinke that this vaine craker trode in his steps saying here and in other places My Catholike Queene c. And whether for this or other of their proud tricks the secular Masse-priests haue well matched them together these are their words Neuer shall the Catholike Church or commonwealth of England find so wicked a member as a Wolsey a Parsons a Creswell a Garnet a Blackwell But if this suger-toonged fellow would haue had her Highnes then and his Maiestie now thinke that he wisheth so well vnto them let him tell vs whether he were not brought vp in the Ignatian schoole of treacherie and if he be not of Parsons mind that it is treason if the Pope should inuade England to beare armes against him or agreeth he not with the Ignatian brood of Salamanca that resolued it was no rebellion for the Queenes subiects to fight against her in Ireland or what thinketh he of Parsons Walpooles Giffords Allens attempts against their countrie and their suborning and exciting of trayterous Parry Lopez Squire Sauage Yorke with the rest of those detected parricides for all these wicked conspiracies were forged in the Ignatian ignited and fierie shops These were the actors but they the inuentors as it was sayd of Laelius that he was the deuiser and Scipio the performer of diuers actions And yet for all this we must beleeue this dissembling Frier that is by all likelihood consorted and confederate with the rest of that crue that he wisheth her Highnes then and his Maiestie now as well as if they were of his religion 2 Concerning the vow made in baptisme I haue answered before that the vow is made to Christ not to the Pope and therefore baptisme receiued in poperie doth not bind the partie baptised to maintaine and receiue poperie It was the heresie of Petilian the Donatist whom Augustine confuteth that Conscientia dantis attenditur quae abluat accipientis That the conscience of him that giueth baptisme doth cleanse him that receiueth it Against whom Augustine sheweth that it is the baptisme of Christ if it be giuen in his name whosoeuer is the minister thereof Baptismum Christi nemo Apostolorum ita ministrauit vt auderet dicere suum The baptisme of Christ none of the Apostles so ministred that he durst call it his much lesse may the Pope or popish Priest challenge the baptisme which he giueth in the name of the Trinitie to be his It was Cyprians error confuted by Augustine that Baptisme and the Church could not be separated Si baptisma saith he in baptizato inseparabiliter manet quomodo baptizatus separari ab ecclesia potest baptisma non potest If baptisme remaine inseparable in the baptized how can he that is baptized be separated from the Church and not baptisme with him Concerning the Princes stile to be called Defender of the faith I haue likewise said enough before Now because he doth so often inculcate the Princes oath that all men may see his false dealing I will set downe the same before omitted as it is in Magna charta expressed This oath then is prescribed to be taken by the Prince at the Coronation and to be ministred by the Metropolitane or other Bishop Seruabis ecclesiae dei Clero populo pacem ex integro concordiam in deo c. You shall keepe peace and concord in God to the Church of God the Clergie and people according to your power he shall answere I will You shall cause to be done in all your iudgements right and equall iustice and discretion in mercie and truth according to your strength he shall answere I will You shall graunt iust lawes and customes to be held and promise them to be protected by you and confirmed to the honor of God which the people shall choose according to your strength he shall answere I do graunt and promise All these things pronounced let him confirme that he will keepe them all Sacramento super altare protinus praestito c. By an oth presentlie taken vpon the altare c. What is there now in this oath that bindeth the Prince to the defence of the Popish religion there is not so much as one word tending to any such thing conteyned in the oath it selfe only mention is made of the altare which was so called in time past though it were made of wood because it represented the true altar which was Christs bodie for so Hesychius interpreteth the Altar And Augustine speaking of the violent outrages of the Donatists saith Effractis altaris lignis Hauing broken the boords of the Altar Their Altars which were no other but Communion Tables were then of wood the making them of stone is but a late deuice as Beatus Rhenanus testifieth Araerum superaddititia structura nouitatem prae se fert This building of Altars added to the rest doth shew noueltie And it is most euident that when the name of altar was first vsed as in Augustines time there was no opinion in the Church of the carnall presence or of the sacrificing of Christs bodie but onely spiritually as it is euident by these sayings of Augustine Christ is our priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech which offered himselfe a sacrifice for our sinnes and hath commended the similitude of that sacrifice to be celebrated in remembrance of his passion that the same thing which Melchisedech offered to God now wee see to be offered in the Church of Christ through the whole world But Melchisedech offered not Christs flesh but onely bread and wine Againe he saith The flesh and bloud of this sacrifice before the comming of Christ was promised by sacrifices of similitudes in the passion of Christ it was giuen by the truth it self after the ascension of Christ it is celebrated by the sacrament of remembrance therefore now Christs bodie is not sacrificed verily and truly but only sacramentally non rei veritate sed significante mysterio not in veritie but in mysterie And I pray you what kinde of argument is this the Prince at the Coronation taking his oath laieth his hand vpon the Altar Ergo she sweareth to maintaine the Popish sacrifice of the Altar as though hee that prayeth or taketh his oath in the Churches which haue been consecrate to idolatrie thereby giueth consent to maintaine idolatrie Naaman though hee kneeled with his master the King leaning vpon his hand in the house of Rimmon yet gaue not consent to that idolatrous worship yet this example is very vnlike and not to be imitated onely I alleadge it to shew the weaknes of this argument 3. As for the signe of the crosse wherewith you say her Maiestie vsed to signe her selfe or women with child c. as you speake here but vpon hearesay so if it should be true as
suam conatur implere voluntatem Because Sathan cannot perswade his religion vnder his owne name by another colour he worketh his will So doth this Sophister vnder this cloake of vttering some trueth seeke to shrowde and hide an heape of lies and vntruths that follow and seeketh to winne credit and insinuate himself by speaking the truth that he may be beleeued when hee telleth a lie So well hath he learned Democritus lesson that it behooueth a man either to be good or to dissemble In this first section I finde some contradictions betweene this popish champion and other writers of that side I note also some errors Contrad 1. He affirmeth that by Adams fall humane nature is left to it selfe naked and disabled among so many enemies Herein he speaketh truly yet otherwise then some of his fellowes for Bellarmine saith that man is of freewill now si fuit ante lapsum if he were before his fall He thinketh that man hath freewill in good things as well since his fall as before He also affirmeth that mans freewill with the helpe of grace and without it if it be not vrged by some tentation Suis viribus bonum aliquod morale ita perficere c. by it owne power can make perfect some morall good thing that no sinne therein be admitted If mans will can bring foorth of it selfe without the helpe of grace a vertuous and good action without sinne as Bellarmine saith then is not mans nature left naked and disabled as our countrieman here saith these speeches agree not Contrad 2. Touching sinne and iniquitie he saith no spirituall law promulged by Adam Noe Lot Iob Moses could weede it out p. 3. and Christ Iesus c. that had beene both able and worthie to haue washed away not only the malice and venome of sinne c. yet it pleased the diuine wisedome to leaue them as a penitentiall memoriall of our former demerite c. p. 4. Here the Apologist affirmeth that sinne by no law is weeded out no not by the law of Grace vnder Christ but that the venome and malice of sinne still remaineth Wherein he thwarteth the Rhemish Doctors who teach that good men keepe all Gods commandements Luk. 1. sect 6. and that the commaundement of louing God with all our heart may be kept and fulfilled as farre as is requisite in this life Luk. 10. sect 5. They seeme also to be of opinion that some in this life may be so iust that they neede no repentance for they vnderstand that place Luk. 15. ver 7. of iust men in deede not of those which are so in their owne iudgement such as the Pharisies were if some men neede no repentance then it followeth they haue no sin for where sinne is repentance is needfull and if all the commaundements are kept of good men then none are transgressed and where no transgression of the law is there is no sinne for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinne is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transgression of the law 1. Ioh. 3.4 But their euasion here will be this that though euery sinne be a transgression of the law yet è conuerso the contrarie is not true that euery transgression of the law is sin and though the Apostle say euery iniquitie is sin 1. Ioh. 5. vers 17. yet there the Greeke word is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as before but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which he meaneth mans actuall and proper transgression Rhemist annot 1. Ioh. 3. v. 4. Ans. 1. Your Latine text translateth both these Greek words iniquitie shewing thereby that in effect they signifie the same thing so that euery iniquitie or transgression of the law is sinne And let it here be noted that they refuse in this place their owne Latine text 2. That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iniustice is all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iniquitie or transgression of the law it may bee prooued by S. Paul Rom. 7.12 where he saith the commandement is iust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoeuer then is against the law is vniust if euery keeping of the law be a point of iustice euery breach of the law is a point of iniustice 3. Where the Apostle defineth sinne to be a transgression of the law and according to the rule of schooles definitio definitum the definition and thing defined are conuertible it followeth that euery transgression of the law is sinne And if it should be doubted whether the Apostle doe here set downe a definition of sinne both Augustine and Ambrose doe follow the same definition the first defineth sinne to be Omne dictum factum vel concupitum contra legem Dei Sinne is euery word worke or thought against the law of God Ambrose saith Quid est peccatum nisi diuinae legis praeuaricatio What is sinne but the preuarication of the diuine law ex citation Pet. Lombard lib. 2. distinct 35. a. Contrad 3. He calleth sinne and other infirmities remaining the penitentiall memoriall of our first demerite p. 4. The Rhemists affirme that the motions of the flesh in a iust man doe not any whit defile the operations of the spirit but often make them more meritorious for the continuall combat that he hath with them Rom. chap. 7. sect 10. If they be the occasion of greater merite how are they a penitentiall memoriall they are rather to be reioyced in then repented for as occasioning and furthering meritorious works Thus well doth this regular Frier and those seculars of Rhemes agree in their doctrine As he runneth into contradictions so hee lasheth foorth at the first into diuers errors Err. 1. He seemeth to thinke that originall sinne was onely deriued from Adam in these words The transgression of the first law-breaker was so venemous a seede to bring foorth wickednes pag. 3. Whereas it is certaine that originall sinne taketh beginning from the transgression of both our first parents Adam and Eue for as the Apostle saith The woman was in the transgression 1. Tim. 2. vers 14. therefore the man onely transgressed not and so consequently was not the author onely of sinne and transgression to his posteritie Thus Ambrose witnesseth Adam Eua primi illi vt generis ita erroris parentes Adam and Eua the first parents as of our generation so of our error in Luc. 13. And whereas it is said By one man sinne entred into the world Rom. 5.12 that is so spoken because man is the principall in the carnall generation as Origen saith Non enim ex muliere posteritas sed ex viro nominatur non enim est vir ex muliere sed mulier ex viro For the posteritie is not named of the woman but of the man for the man is not of the woman but the woman of the man Origen lib. 5. in epist. ad Roman Err. 2. The least drop of his immaculate and vnualuable blood or the meanest of his so many infinitely meritorious operations
are as much magnified by Protestant Historiographers as by any or because they were disposed to iustice personallie sate in iudgement c. pa. 56. li. 26. made good lawes that therefore in matters of religion they might not erre and be deceiued The mercie of Antoninus Pius that said he had rather saue one Citizen then destroy a thousand of his aduersaries the charitie of Adrianus that neuer saw poore man whom he did not relieue the gentlenes and clemencie of Titus who neuer dismissed any man from him without hope to obtaine his suite the iustice of Alexander Seuerus who when he met any corrupt iudge was readie to thrust his fingers in his eyes Iulians liberalitie which built Hospitals for strangers gaue great store of wheate and wine for reliefe of the poore people These noble vertues much to be commended in Princes do not therefore iustifie Pagane idolatrie to the which they were addicted And to exemplifie this matter in Christian Emperours Constantius was a iust and temperate Emperour yet an Arriane Anastasius otherwise a good Emperour yet erred about the Trinitie who published that men should worship not three but foure persons in the God-head Iustinian a wise and iust Emperour yet infected with the heresie of Eutyches who held that Christ had two persons and so in effect made two Christs In like manner might diuers auncient Kings of England be men of noble and excellent vertues and yet carried away with the errors of those times in matters of religion 3 Neither were they the freer from error because they were assisted with Dunstones Anselmes Lanfranks Beckets they were so much the more like to be deceiued because they were ruled by such superstitious deceiuers for if the blind leade the blinde they are both like to fall into the ditch As for Cedde who is numbred with the rest as he was some hundred yeares before them so in iudgement he was vnlike them as shall euen now be shewed Neither was vertuous King Alured wholie for them or of that faith which the Church of Rome now holdeth as followeth presently to be declared 4 We do not thinke that the whole Christian world can be or was euer deceiued but God alwayes therein in some part or other had his Church which held the truth though the same not alwayes glorious and visible to the world and so we doubt not but that in all ages and times since our Sauiours ascension there haue beene that professed the Gospell Neither can it be shewed that euer Poperie possessed the whole Christian world But concerning Generall Councels we know they haue erred and may erre againe As the generall Councell of Antioch where Athanasius was condemned Another at Antioch wherein the heresie of the Macedonians was confirmed the Synode Arriminens concluding for Arrius the second Ephesine that fauoured Eutyches and diuers other generall Councels haue erred as is confessed by our aduersaries And not only those assemblies of heretikes and their fauorites but euen of Catholikes by the confession of the Papists themselues haue erred as the generall Councels of Constance and Basile which decreed that Generall Councels had authoritie aboue the Pope which the Ignatian Diuines hold to be an error For ought then that hath yet been alleaged the auncient Catholike Kings of this land were not priuileged from error and therefore in matters of religion they might be deceiued So then though Abimelech sayd to the people What ye haue seene me do the like yet in religious affaires it is no sufficient warrant to do as others haue done afore But like as sayth Ambrose in militarie affaires the sentence of men therein exercised and experienced must be expected Quando de religione tractatus est cogita Deum So when religion is treated of thinke vpon God God in his word must be consulted with Mens errors in faith are no more to be imitated then their faults of life for herein should we be like Dionysius followers who because he was dimme-sighted they fayned themselues to be so stumbling one vpon another The Apologie THe supernaturall signes and miracles written as is confessed by the Protestants themselues in the liues of Saint Oswald S. Edmunds S. Edwards Lucius Kingylsus Offa Sigebertus c. testifie the truth of their religion whereof some for the sanctitie of those Princes are hereditarie to their posteritie not by any desert of Protestants as the miraculous curing of the naturallie vncurable disease called the Kings or Queenes euill obtained by the holines of S. Edward pag. 66. lin 12. deinceps The Antilogie 1 TO this argument of miracles I haue answered before that they are no certaine demonstration of a true religion because the Paganes also boasted of miracles done amongst them And whereas the heathen are supposed to haue forged many things so it is not to be doubted but that many of these miracles giuen in instance were the dreames and fictions of idle and fabulous Monks as Berinus walking vpon the sea hauing not one threed of his garment wet and how Aldelmus caused an infant of nine dayes old at Rome to speake to cleare Pope Sergius suspected to be the father of that child and how he drew a length a piece of timber that went to the building of the Church in Malmesburie The like tale goeth of Egwine who hauing fettered both his feet in yrons fast locked and cast the key into the Sea to do penance vpon himselfe for certaine sinnes committed in his youth a fish brought the key to the Ship as he was sayling homeward from Rome Of like truth is that fable of Bristanus Bishop of Winchester who as he prayed walking in the Churchyard for the soules of men departed whē he came to these words requiescant in pace a multitude of soules answered againe Amen I report me now to the indifferent reader whether we haue not iust cause to suspect the credit of these legend miracles 2 But these miracles which he sayth were wrought by those Christian Kings being admitted he shall neuer be able to proue that these were of the Popish Church or beliefe Lucius Oswald Iua Ceolulfus with others as in the next defense in the answere to the probation of the assumption shall God willing be made plaine 3 Whereas he nameth Offa and Sigebert among the miracle-makers he hath committed a great ouersight or vsed a cunning sleight to face out the matter with bare names for Offa by the entisement of his wife was accessorie to the cruell death of King Ethelbert who came peaceablie to sue for the mariage of his daughter and therefore it is not like that God would endue a murderer with such a miraculous gift But the cause is soone coniectured why the Popes Clergie doth so much honor the memorie of Offa for in part of penance and satisfaction for that wicked acte he gaue the tenth of his goods to the Church builded the Monasterie of S.
was the holinesse and meeknesse of these proud papal Archbishops 3. For their miracles they were meere forgeries such as are reported of Dunstane that he caused an Harpe to sing and play alone hanging on the wall how he held the diuel by the nose with a paire of tonges tempting him with women such were the fained miracles of Thomas Becket which were condemned by the great men of the land as fables Magnates interdixerunt ne quis martyrem Thomā nominaret ne quis miracula eius praedicaret the great men forbad that no man should call Thomas a martyr or speake of his miracles 4. Neither were many of them such learned Clarkes though some of them I confesse had more learning then true pietie or honestie as Lanfranke Anselme yet for the rest what were they Was not Augustine the founder of that Sea a great Diuine that must needs send to Gregory for resolution in these profound questions Whether a woman great with child may be baptized after how many dayes the infant ought to be receiued to baptizme and such like And it should seeme that learning in their Archbishops was not greatly requisite when Robert Burnell Bishop of Bath and Thomas Cobham two reuerend and learned men being elected were refused and Peccham a gray Frier and Reinald Bishop of Winchester an ambitious man better acquainted with suites of law being Chancellor then questions of Diuinity were appointed in their stead 5. But as I hold Bishop Cranmer in true learning and sound Diuinity to be equall to any his prodecessours so in godly constancie to go before them for he was the first and onely Martyr of that Sea that died for the truth Elphegus the 26. Archbishop was stoned to death for denying tribute to the Danes Simon Sudbury was beheaded of the rebels because he gaue counsell that the king should not come at them to heare their complaints But neither of these died in the cause of religion 6. Neither did the truth want witnesses from among these auncient Archbishops Cuthbertus the 11. Archbishop forbad all funerall exequies to be made for him after he was dead Elfricus the 26. did write certaine Sermons against transubstantiation the authenticals thereof are yet extant in the libraries of Exceter and Worcester Simon Islip forbad vpon paine of excommunication that no man should abstaine from bodily labours vpon certaine Saints dayes Therefore euen amongst them the Lord left not himselfe altogether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without witnesse as the Apostle sayth Wherefore he hath gained nothing by this mustering of his Popish Archbishops of whō we may say as our Sauiour of the Pharises They are blind leaders of the blind Math. 13.14 Hierome sayth well of such Quòd me damnant episcopi nō est ratio sed conspiratio quorum authoritas me opprimere potest docere non potest In that the Bishops condemne vs it is no reason but treason their authority may impeach me but not teach me Metellus because he was blind was forbidden among the Romaines to exercise his Priesthood and they had a law that no Augurs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hauing any soare or disease should execute their office As litle regard is to be had to these blind prelates lame and diseased in iudgement as in the same place it is expounded that it is not fit for them that are corrupted and diseased in their soules to handle Diuine things The third Inuectiue 1. IN the lawes of Henry the 8. Edward the 6. and Queene Elizabeth I will ouerthrow them 2. If they alleadge Vniuersities they are ouer-matched Oxford hath had in Catholike times thirty thousand students all euer of the same mind with vs. 3. For other Clergie men we haue had an hundred thousand more Synodes two to one in number two hundred to one p. 116. 4. If they vrge Scriptures by resorting to the Originall tongues the Greeke and Hebrew c. the victory is ours We vse more Scriptures for numbers of bookes more for diuersitie of tongues Our expositors of Scripture professed students in Diuinity c. excellent linguists many naturall borne Greekes and Hebrewes Their expositors of Scripture neuer were to be compared to those In the Parliament where their religion was decreed there was no person present that vnderstood either Greeke or Hebrew p. 117. The Defensatiue 1. THis is as like to be so as if I should say that by the Popes lawes now in force at Rome the faith of Protestants is maintained and yet I will shew twenty Canons amongst them that giue testimonie to our faith to one decree that he can alleadge amongst vs making for them this I haue already performed in Synopsis throughout Wherefore in this so shamelesse and vnreasonable assertion I will vouchsafe him no other answer but say with Augustine Non inuenio quomodo te refellerem nisi vt aut iocantem irriderem aut insanientem dolerem I know not how else to answer you then either as a iester to scorne you or as a mad man to pity you 2. The most famous Vniuersities in the world as of Herdelberge Magdobing Wittenberge Basile Geneua Vtricke Lepden Cambridge Oxford with manie more are with the Protestants King Henry for his diuorce had the consent of the most famous vniuersities in Europe Oxford was not wholly yours no not in the grossest times of popery for they cleared vnder their common seale Iohn Wickliffe and his doctrine of the suspition of heresie 3. We confesse Papists haue bene and yet are more in number so did the Pagans in multitude exceed the Christians but the Scripture hath taught vs not to follow a multitude to do euill Eccles. 23.2 Synodes both generall and prouinciall Protestants haue more on their side then Papists I referre the Reader for the truth hereof to Synopsis 4. If you would as ye say be tried by the originall Scriptures the controuersie would soone be at end but your sayings and doings agree not Why should ye be afraid to preferre the Hebrew and Greeke text before the vulgar Latine making this onely authentike in Sermons readings disputations as it was concluded in the Tridentine Chapter why did they not amend their vulgar Latine according to the originall reading still Genes 3.15 She shall breake thine head for he or it Genes 8.4 for seuenteene seuen and twenty Psal. 68.13 for liue among the pots sleepe betweene the lots and in diuerse hundred such places they swarue from the originall Ye vse indeed more Scriptures for number as all the Apocryphall workes which were neuer recorded of the Church of God vnder the law neither written by Prophets or approued by Christ and his Apostles but not for diuersitie of tongues For the Canonicall Scriptures are extant in the Hebrew Greeke and Latine the Apocripha some in the Greeke and Latine some in the Latine only You haue litle cause to brag of your popish expositors such as