decrease a confirmation not alteration renouatiō of religiō not innouation For ech thing receiueth increase is properly increased which is amplified enlarged in it selfe remayning one thinge notwithstanding and the same still But vnto permutation alteration or innouation it belongeth that somethinge in substaunce be altered conuerted from one into an other Wherefore I gladlie admit and allow the increase of religion that is I will and I thinke meete that the churche do increase growe and prospere in all ages and at all times verie muche in knowledge vnderstanding and wysedome But in one onely kynde sense and vnderstandinge Let the religion of soules imitate the consideration of the bodies For although the bodyes in processe of yeres are inlarged in their membres yet doe they remaine the same bodies that thei were There is much difference betwene the flower of youthe and the ripenes of age Yet be they made olde whiche were before young That all if of one and the same man the stature and habit dothe alter and varie as time tunneth yet the same nature substaunce and person is stil Tender and smale are the membres of younge infantes stronge and greate are the limmes of growē men Yet al one in euerie of them as many The infante hathe as many partes as hath the man And if there be any thinge that showeth not it selfe but in the ripe time of age the same notwithstanding was in the consideration or dissposition of the sede so that no newe thinge afterward appeareth in mā being stept in yeres whiche fofore was not hidden in him being but a childe Wherfore there is no doubte but thys is the laweful and right rule of proffeting this is the most perfecte and goodliest ordre of growing and increasing if the num bre of yeres the course of age the processe of time do resemble and alwayes showe the same partes and formes in the aged which the wisedome of the creatour had tofore formed in them being litle ones Nowe if the shape or forme of man be afterwarde turned and altered into any other figure vnlyke it selfe or if the iust numbre of the partes and membres be either diminished or increased then of necessitie the bodie must either perishe or become mōstruous or at leest wise be greatly wekened Euen so sitting and meete it is that the Christian riligion be increased and dilated according to the lyke ordre maner That is to wit religion oughte to be strengthened in yeres dilated in times auaūced in age but soo that it remaine euermore one and the same vncorrupted vnaltered in the measures of all her partes and as it were in all her propre membres senses and qualities full sounde and perfitte neither admitting any permutatiō in the substaunce ne suffering any dāmage in the proprieties nor allowing any varietie in the sette diffinitions sentences or censures As for example Our forefathers haue sowen in thys ecclesiasticall agricolation the cleane seede of whetie faieth It were surely very vnsitting and vniuste if we theire posteritie shoulde chuse cockle for whete and admit the counterfeit and deceitefull error of the one for the germaine and naturall veritie of the other Rather righte and consequent it is to th ende no discrepance or contrarietie be founde betwene the first and the last that of the encrease of whetie institution we reape the croppe of whety doctrine That when anye parte of these good seedes sowen by oure auncetours shall by accesse of tyme springe and blade vp the same by vs bee cherished mainteined and defended vnto the most desired haruest not altring or chaūging any parte thereof either in qualitie or in substaūce although we adde bewtie fame distictiō therto For god defed that the rosy plātes of their catho lyke determination shoulde be cōuerted into branbles thornes God defend that in the spiritual Paradise of the pleasaūt graftes of Cyunamome vitious raye or darnel shuld spring of the wholsome slyppes of balsamum pernitious wolbane should issue Whatsoeuer therfore the aunciēt fathers the faith full laborours in thys Agricolation husbandrie of Christ hys churche haue sowed and plāted mete it is that the same by vs thyr children and successours be diligentlye and faythfullye tylled garnished and obserued that the same doe prosper increase and augment the same doe styll floure and sede and atteyne to perfect ripenes For decent and fitte it is that the auncient preceptes rules and lessons concernynge the christian religion in processe of time be fyned polished and confirmed But a curssed and a destetable dede it is to detruncate mangle or violate them or anye parte of them It is lawefull that throughe our diligence industrie and labour the auncient presidēces of our fathers doe receyue euidencie light distinction But it is also necessary that they styl retaine their auncient fulnesse integritie and proprietie For yf this licentious libertie of impious fraude shal be permitted to alter and chaunge the auncient censures of the vniuersal churche I am afrayde to saye how great daunger shoulde ensue of breaking and abolishyng the amiable concorde of Christ hys vniforme religion within short tyme. For anye one parte of the catholike institution beynge once broken and abdicate the Leprisie wil so crepe from part to parte that at length the whole wyll be the least parte and vtterlye refused Agayne if they beginne to myngie newe tryckes with olde and auncient lawes straunge forayne deuises with accustomed and familiar preceptes prophane fantasies with sacred and holye ceremonies no doubt it will grow to suche a custome in the whole that euer after it wyll be the practise of euerye lyght brayne to alter and put downe olde religion and to set vp new fangled toyes deuised by theyr owne witte In so muche that nothing shal be left in the churche vnspotted vntouched vndefiled but where the churche heretofore hathe been estemed and accompted the precious vesture of chaste and vncorrupte veritie from hencefurth it may be rekened the sincke of impious and foule errours But God of hys mefureles mercye forbyd any suche detestable enterprise to entre into the myndes of hys people But let it be as it hath been alwayes and stil is the furious and peuish practise of the wicked impious and cursed Let the church of Christ euermore be as it hathe been euer and shal be for euer the diligent warye and faythfull keper of suche determinations decrees and ordinaunces as haue been lefte by our auncetours and vniuersallye receyued in consent and vnitie This true and faythfull churche permitteth nothinge diminisheth nothyng addeth nothynge cutteth not away necessaries and supplieth superfluities omitteth not her own and vsurpeth that whiche pertayneth not vnto her But with all diligence studieth to preserue maintayne and continewe suche doctrine as hathe descended vnto her from the auncient fathers by general cōsent And what hath been lefte vnto her only begon and not settled the same she endeuoreth to publishe fine stablishe What hath ben fully
Gospell Prophetes and Apostles yet none of them can saye as Paule the Apostle saied Our exhortacion was not to bringe you to error nor to vncieanes neither was it with gyle our conuersation was not at any time with flatteringe wordes neither in cloked couetousnes neither sought we praise of mē Ye are witnes and so is God howe holy and iustly and vnblameable we haue behaued our selues emouge you This said S. Paule What can our new Apostles say Out of all doubte the verie contrarie as truly as euer S. Paule said the other But for feare of Hypocrisie they dyd all their good workes in corners that mē might not se them Yet Christ said Let your lyght shine before men that they may se your good workes But thoughe they were not men of manye good workes yet had they many pretie Aualities though I saie it For I may lykē them well to the beast called Camelopacdus chiche being but one resembleth yet many beastes as by hys necke the horse by his feete the oxe by his head the Camell by his spottes in his skinne the Tygre So these late preachers in their stoute countenaūce they seemed warriers in their lighte apparell courtiers in their familiar talke rybawdes in their gesture wantons in their liuinge ryotous in the pulpyt lying preachers in their bokes spiteful railers If they haue not been suche as I report them then showe me what they were and howe muche ye that haue been their disciples and schoters haue profited vnder them and by their example in godlynes of lyfe in honestie of behauiour in charitie towardes your neighbours sins ye first wēt frō your mother the church left the auncient orders and customes of religion and became gaye Gospellers after the gyse of your newe teachers Beholde your selues in the glasse of your owne cōsciences tel me trueth Ye say that they were godly teachers and that through them ye haue attayned to a great knowledge of Goddes word The more knowledge ye haue the more godly ye ware of lyfe For wher the true knowledge of Gods worde is ther is the true spirite of God which euermore sterreth moueth mā to liue wel according to his knowledge the pleasure of God whose knowledge he doth professe But in Englande I am perfecte none of you cā sai nay saie truth but that ye haue growen in al wickednes as ye haue growē in this newe religion in somuche that there was neuer suche vnthriftines in seruaūtes suche vnnaturalnes in children suche vnrulines in subiectes suche feircenes in enemies suche vnfaithfulnes in frendes againe suche beastlynes of myndes such disdainfulnes in hartes finally such falshood in promises such deceitfulnes in bargaines suche gredy extortiō such insatiable couetousnes such itollerable pride as therfore ye are becōe a fable amōgest al natiōs How saye ye is not this true whiche of you can denaie it And be these the fruites of true knowledge yea do not these behauiours and vngodlye maners of you declare manifestlie that ye haue of late yeres geuen your selues rather to errors then to trueth rather to haue forsaken the catholike and pure faieth of our mother the true churche and folowed the fonde fansies of a fewe vngodly and false teachers to the highe displeasure of God Will God thinke ye reforme his churche if they were in error or call his people to knowledge if they had been in ignoraunce by the ministers of the deuil by the preachers of Antichrist Or can ye sai that thei be the ministers of God that liue so vngodlye that they be the preachers of righteousnes whose dedes are so full of vnrighteousnes that in comparison of them other whom ye called papistes might be saintes for the honestie of their liuinge and sobre behauiours as ye your selues haue saied many times euen in my hearing Be not these worthie Prelates to be folowed haue ye done a noble fete trowe ye to forsake the vniuersall vnitie of all christianitie to be at defiaunce with your louing mother the catholike churche whiche hath fostred you from your infancie and without whose help furtheraūce and succour ye cannot be saued for to folow suche blinde guides suche grosse maisters as whose doctrine hathe brought you in errors to the high displeasure of God whose example of vnclene lyuinge hathe ledde you into all wickednes to your great ignominie shame and rebuke with all godly people what good haue they done in this realme either by their preachinge in wordes or with their teaching by example Haue thei not brokē many good and godlye ordinaunces and set vppe none Haue they not caused for greate concorde and vnitie great tumult and rebellious sedition for godly fastinge ryotous feasting for deuout praiyng peuishe prating for due obedience vnlawfull libertie for peace Gods plentie and inough warre dearth famine more then inough I write and wepe in my harte to considre what maye be writen of the wretched condition and state that our countrie hath been in of late yeres Which of you al yea which of your preachers whose light should shine that the worlde shoulde see it which of them I saie hath not been as redye as the worst disposed of you all to eate vpon good friday or any other vigill daye as soone the Pigge as the Pikerel the Capon as the Carpe the Chykin as the Cheuen Notwithstanding the Magistrates of this realme cōmaunded the wisedome of the whole worlde thought necessarie the vniuersall consent of Christ his churche prescribed the contrary What seruaunt for the most parte hath any of you all that loketh not to haue his brekefast his dyner and his supper as well vpō Christmas eue as any other daye or els ye must prouide a newe seruaunt Who can blame them Are thei not as they haue been vsed Rather then ye would obserue the ordre of fasting prescribed by the churche ye woulde not stick at the beginning to giue your seruauntes one meale more on the fasting daye then ye woulde on any other day And where ye would other dayes feede them with milke butter cheese only on the fasting daie they should be sure to haue fleshe Yea and thought it a glorie whē ye had so done that ye had so well reformed your householde frō that popishe fast calling all thinges popishe that was godly But what haue ye gotten hereby Surely ye had neuer so lytle good seruice and yet ye neuer paide more for it then nowe Ye had neuer such disobedient seruantes and yet ye neuer cherished them better then nowe Why so Before they were better taught then fedde and of late they haue been full fed and ill taught Then were they obedient trustie and diligent as thei were taught and now be they disobedient slouthful and vntrustie as thei be fedde then were thei well taught workers and nowe ill fed porkers then had ye diligent laborers and now ye haue negligent loyterers I speake as I heare your selues saye that haue them Well will ye haue
Iacob Verè hic est domus dci porta coeli id est In dede this is the house of God and the gate of heauen For be out of doubt if ye he not of this house ye cannot entre into heauen where God raigneth If ye kepe not your selues within the Arke of this vniuersall churche ye cannot auoide destruction Ye must nedes perishe bodie and soule Wherefore louinge frendes if you desire to be saued to raign with Christ be at home with his spousesse If ye louge to inherite as the children of our heauenly father despice not the doctrine of oure mother the catholike churche If ye longe to drinke the liuely water that springeth into euerlastinge life resorte home to the cleare fountaines of your kinde mother the churche and abandon the company of heretikes Leaue their broken and vncleane cesterues whiche can holde no water but poudle miere For briefe if ye desire to worshippe God rightly and to walke in this true religion accordinge to his most holy will pleasure then stagger not to embrace and folowe the olde religion newlye recouered and set furthe by our heauenlye and vertuous maiden Quene For bee out of doubt there is nothinge in this religion but what the scriptures of God haue occasioned the heauenlye spirite hath suggested our true mother the catholike church hath authorised the holye learned fathers of all Christendome haue set furth the consent of many generall counselles hath confirmed the longe succession and coÌ„tinuaunce hath approued to be moost true syncere and perfect O moost dere beloued frendes be not ashamed to repent wherein the Angelles of heauen will reioyce Be not ashamed to arise that haue so shamefully fallen Be not ashamed to come home to your mother the churche sith she is not ashamed to receiue you Thinke it not vilenesse to forsake the society of heretikes that ye maie bee made the children of God Thinke it no folye to twyne your selues out of the armes of an harlot whiche will gripe you to deathe that ye maye sit in the lappe of so tender a mother whiche will cherishe you into life euerlastinge Well it is time I see to breake of for I haue exceded the iust measure of a Preface And yet am I loth to leaue Blame me not though I cannot obserue measure in my talke to you towardes whom my loue hartie affectioÌ„ knoweth no mean And though I am in doubte how you shall lyke my doinges yet be ye out of all doubte I haue done the same of a great zeale and most frendlye affection towardes you all And I protest before God I onlye seeke therby your soules health Neither haue I written this to shame you but as my dere beloued bretherne I warne you and call you into the feloweship of the soonne of God Iesus Christe our lorde Wherein if I ought preuaile wel is it with me but muche better with you Here I will leaue gyue place to holy Vincent Too whom I beseche you hartely giue attentiue eare and willinge harte to vnderstand his counselles and no doubt but ye shal be glad therof The blessed God in perfite Trinitie direct your hertes waies The booke THE Scripture saiing and admonishinge DemauÌ„de of thy fathers Deu .xxxi and they wil tel the Enquire of thyne auÌ„cetours and they wil shew the Lykewise Applie thine eares un to the wordes of the wyse Prouer .iii Agayne My soÌ„ne forget not my sayinges let thy harte kepe my wordes It semeth vnto me that am of al the seruauntes of God the verye basest Pilgrime a matter wel worth the trauel and lyke throughe Gods grace to profite verie much if I shuld comprise together in wrytynge all such godly comfortable and holsome preceptes and couÌ„sels as I haue faithfullye receiued of the fathers concerninge the true and catholyke faieth A worke no doubte ryghte necessarye for mine owne infirmitie hauinge thereby prompte and redye that might through dayly reading repaire and help the wekenes of my memory Vnto whiche enterprice not the fruit onely of the selfe worke hathe moued me but also the iust consideration of tyme and oportunitie of place haue and doo vehementlye encourage me to attempte the same Tyme Tyme I saye for time we see passeth awaye irreuocablye suatching with it man and all humaine worldly thinges Wherefore sittinge it is that we of tyme catche also somewhat that might in tyme aduantage vs into lyfe lastinge beyonde tyme. And at this time especially when both a certaine terrible expectation of Goddes fearefull iudgement nowe imminent and approchinge verye nigh at hande exactethe in vs a more feruente studie towardes his religion and also the subteltie and crafte of newe fangled heretikes nedeth nowe greate care watche and diligence The place I saye Place because sequestratinge and deuidynge me from the frequencie and haunt of Cities and Townes I haue bestowed my self in an out smal village and in a Monasterie where without greate let or hinderaunce that maye be accomplished whiche the Psalme speaketh of Vacate uidete quoniam ego sum deus Moreouer the consideration of my purpose agrieth hereto well For whereas ones I was tossed with diuers and boysteous waues of the secular traffyque at length Christe beynge my helper I arriued vnto the porte of religion a moost sure hauen for all menne that there pullyng downe the combe of pryde and vanitie and applying my selfe to please God with the sacrifice of Christian humilitie I mighte happelye auoyde not onely the wrekes and troubles of this present lyfe but the inquencheable flames alsoo of the worlde hereafter But now I shall in the name our lorde sette vpon the matter purposed That is to describe and set furth such good lessons as by tradition are diriued by writtinge are lefte vnto vs froÌ„ our auncetours forefathers desirynge to be accepted rather as reporter thereof then presuminge to seeme authour of the same And further I shall obserue this ordre in writting not all but of all the moost necessarie matters to gather and reherse and that not in fyne and pyked phrase but in facile and coÌ„mon speche so that the moost part may seeme rather signified theÌ„ explicated rather sleight lye touched then exactly discussed I leaue the florishinge curious and painted maner of endicting to other whiche either vpon confidence of their wittes or respect of dutie or office attempt the lyke enterprise As for me I intende nothinge els but to prouide vnto my selfe and for mine own singular vse a byll of remembraunce as it were agaiust obliuion wherby memorie moughte be holpen whiche I feele nowe to decaye in me And yet I shal endeuour with Goddes helpe to amende and daylye enlarge the same as my leysure and oportunitie shal serue to recognise and recompt suche thinges as I haue learned And this to this end I say that if thê my treatise which I make for my selfe onely escape my handes and happe to lyght into the
handes of other that then they carpe not or rashelye disproue any thing therein conteined whereof is promised a reformation and amendement Nowe therefore to come to the matter it selfe I haue with greate studie and earnest diligence manye times sought and that of verie many godlye and learned men howe and by what certaine and generall rule I mighte trye and throughly discerne the veritie of the catholike faithe from the falshood of wicked heresye the true preacher of Christe from the false minister of Antichriste And I haue receiued of them all at all tymes thys one onlye aunswere that whether I A rule or anye other man woulde perfitely knowe and perceiue the trecherie falshood 〈…〉 Wherfore it is verie necessarie for the auoydinge so greate daungers of diuers errours doubtes that the lyne of the Propheticall and Apostolicall scripture be drawen and directed along according to the rule and exposition of the catholike churche Lykewise in the catholyke churche we oughte seriously to regard and take hede that we faythfully hold that whiche is euery where alwaies and of algenerally receiued obserued and beliued for that is properly catholike Catholike as by the Etimologie of the terme catholike doth appeare whiche comprehendethe all vniuersally And this shall we doo Vniuersalitie Auncientie Consent if we ensue and folowe the vniuersalitie the auncientie the consent of the churche These thre pointes he must firmely holde that wil be counted catholike and desireth to continue in the faieth of the catholike churche with out whiche there is no saluation Of these three pointes I shall teache as I haue learned And touchinge the firste we shall not misse to folowe the vniuersalitie if we hartely confesse acknowledge that faieth to be the true christian faieth whiche the vniuersall Churche throughoute the whole world dothe confesse and acknowledge Touchinge the seconde we shall assuredlye folowe the auncientie if we stray not from the censures and iudgementes of the auncient holy and catholike fathers Touching the third we shal rightlye folowe the consent and vnitie if in that antiquitie we admit imbrace and allowe the difinitions iudgementes and censures of all or the moost parte of the saied holie fathers Nowe what shall the catholike Christian man doo if any one particle of the churche hathe deuidid if selfe from the communion of the vniuersall faith What els shoulde he doo but preferre the helth safetie of the whole body before the corrupte and pestiferous membre What if some new contagion inuade the churche and laboureth to cōmaculate and corrupte not a parcell onely but a whole congregation Then let him cleue to antiquitie whiche cannot be seduced by anye crafte of noueltie What if in the selfe same antiquitie we shall trye that twoo or thre yea whole cities and pro uinces haue erred Then in any wise he ought to prefer before the rashenes temeritie ignoraūce of a few that decrees determinations of an vniuersal coūsell What if no suche decrees of any vniuersall counsell can bee founde in some case as some suche may befall Then shall he diligently conferre searche and considre the bookes and monumentes of the auncient fathers of the churche and receiue their iudgementes Whiche although they were neither of one place neither of one tyme yet are one in the communion and faieth of one catholike church And what soeuer these sages wyth one consent manifestlie haue defended written and taughte the same ought he beleue without all doubt For the better vnderstanding of that whiche I haue said I wyll set furthe the same one after an other by examples and declare thē more at large least whiles I study to be short I slēderly passe ouer the weight of the matter In the tyme of Donate that heretike Donate of whom suche as maintaine his heresies be called Donatistes what time a great part of Affricke had tombled them selues headlong into the goulfe of the pernitious errors of the said Donate and forgettinge their religion and profession preferred the cursed and blasphemous temeritie of one vayne man before the vnitie of the churche then throughe Affricke suche as detested that prophane scisme adhered fast to the vniforme consente of Christes vniuersal church they only of them all mought be said vnto their posteritie leauinge a speciall fourme howe hereafter the wisedome of al vniuersally ought more to be estemed then the madnes of a fewe singular persons in anye weightie matter concerning our faieth Likewise what time the pestilent poyson of the Arrians Arrians had infected not one portion but almost the whole worlde in somuche that in maner all the byshoppes of the Latine churche partlye by force partly by craft circumuented were wōderouslie perplexed and amased what were best to be done folowed in so great confusiō of matters Then whosoeuer was the true worshipper and louer of God the same was not infected with the skorfe of that fylthye contagion but preferred the auncient faith and vnitie of Christes vniuersall church before the new forged trecherie and falshood of certaine singular newe fangled harebraines And what calamitie howe great miserie dothe ensue innouation of religion the bringing in of suche newefanglenes contrarie to the vnitie of the catholike churche it is moost cleare and verie euident by that whiche folowed in the time of these Arrians For then all kinde of thinges both great and small went to wracke affinities cognations amities houses and families were deuided yea whole cities peoples prouinces nations And finally the whole Empire of Rome was merueilouslye distourbed For when that prophane noueltie of the Arrians as it were some Bellona or infernall furie the Emperour himselfe being firste bewitched withall had ones brought all the heades and nobles of the courte in subiection vnto that newe lawe sessed not after to disturbe vexe and confounde all maner of thinges bothe priuate and publique holye and prophane without discrepaunce of good and badde to disquiet and hurte whome she listed and howe she liked Then were wiues violated widowes desolated virgins defloured monasteries suppressed clearks persecuted deacons buffeted priestes hated thē were gayles prisons dongeons stuffed full of good and godly men of whō some were banished from cities and townes and compelled among wilde beastes caues and rockes in desertes in greate neede famine and thirst to end their miserable lyfe Suche miserie dothe certainely ensue and folowe whensoeuer for the heauenlye doctryne humaine superstitions are broughte in when well gounded antiquitie is vndermined throughe wicked noueltie when the orders and institutions of our elders are violated the decrees of the fathers broken the definitions of our auncetours neglected whē the pernitious desire of newefangled curiositie kepeth not it selfe within the commendable limites of the sacred and incorrupte antiquitie Some perchaūce wil thinke that I speake this of affectiō and hatred that I beare to innouations Whosoeuer thinketh soo let him at lest wise geue credite to s Ambrose in this behalf S. Ambrose
examples in the rehersal allegation of such as at the beginninge were este med catholike in faieth and sound in doctrine at length not withstandynge either fell into some other sect or diuised some newe of their owne braines Verely it is a great matter profitable to be knowen verie necessarie to be often recorded worthye by dyuers examples continually to be illustrated and dryuen into euery mannes harte howe that all catholike men at all times haue thought themselues bounde to receiue the teachers within the church and not forsake the faith of the Churche with the teachers beinge in errour But where as I am able to bryng furth many in thys kind of teÌ„pting yet I suppose none to be compared with Origenes teptacion Origenes in whom were so many excellent singular and merueilous giftes that he was as it were a marke for euery man to gase and wonder at Whose sentence iudgemeÌ„t and opinion in all matters all men iudged moost worthie to be embraced And no merueill For if the lyfe geueth any authoritie to man no doubte he did leade a verye perfect holy and continent life in much pacience and suffering Yf the stocke parentage who more noble then he which was sprong of that honorable house that firste was bewtified with blessed Martyrdome Who afterwarde for Christe his sake not onely forsakinge his naturall father but leauyng also all hys goodes and substaunce somuche proffeted amongest the harde straightes of holy pouertie that many times and oft he was sharpely handled for coÌ„fes synge the name of oure Lorde Adde therto that so great was his knowledge in all kinde of literature matched with suche finenes of wit powdered with such pleasauÌ„t deliuerauÌ„ce of his wordes that he was thoughte pierelesse without felowe The highe magnificence of whose absolute knowledge was suche that few or none were thought to approche His pronunciatioÌ„ and vtteraunce so swete that from his lyppes not wordes but hony might haue semed to flowe What matters seminge neuer so hard hath not he with force of disputatioÌ„ made smoth cleere What thinges seminge veray hard to be done hath not he made to appeare easie by his owne example But some wyll thinke that he perswaded hys assertions by subteltie of argumente onely Yea there was not one of the Churche that vsed mo examples out of the holy scriptures then he did in anye worke that he made as he made veray many And that no thing might be lacking in him that either coulde encrease his knowledge or inlarge his estimation he atteined the full perfection of age And in his time he had so many disciples whom effectually bothe by continuall instruction of doctrine and effectuall example of maners he had soo framed that of hym and as it were out of his bosome issued innumerable Doctours Ministers Confessours and Martyrs Finally in howe great admiration glorye and fauour he was with all men who can expresse vnto whom diuers godlye men from all partes swarmed whome the Christians honoured as a Prophete The Philosophers reuerenced as a maister Whome for the worthines of his heauenly wisdom not onely men of priuate condition but also themperiall state honoured Recorde of histories whiche report that the mother of Alexander the Emperour sent for hym to learne at hys mouth heauenly wisdom wher of he had a speciall grace she a burnyng desire The same histories also reporte vnto vs the testimonye of an epistle whiche he endicted with the maiestie of christian prelacie and sent it vnto Philippe themperour Philippe who first was made christian of the Romayne Princes Touching the incredible knowledge expressed in that epistle yf any accept not the christian testimonye at my reporte at least wise let him receyue the gentle confession vpon the testimonye of prophane Philosophers For that impious and wicked man Porphyrius doeth confesse Porphyrius that by the sounde of his fame he was styred to trauel as far as Alexandria being in maner yet but a boye and that he there sawe Origines well stept in age but such one of such maiestie as who had buylded in him selfe a towre of all knowledge No doubt he was a man ful of worthines Al whos most worthye qualities I coulde not rehearse in a daye no not the least part of them And they all do pertayne not onelye vnto the glorye of religion but also vnto the greatnes of the temptatioÌ„ For who woulde eyther suspect such a maÌ„ of so excelleÌ„t wit so great knowledge of so wonderfull grace Or woulde not rather vse that sentence that I had leuer erre with Origent hen to thinke trueth with other What nedes many wordes It came to this passe that the moste dauÌ„gerous teÌ„ptation of so notable a person so great a mayster so hiegh a prophet allured very many from the integrite of their faythe Wherfore the same Origen whilest he more insolentlye abuseth the grace of God whilest he ouermuche trusteth to hys owne witte and iudgement slenderlye regardeth the auncient simplicitie and presumyng to be more wise then other doeth contemne the traditions of the churche and the preceptes of thelders He at length taketh vpon him to interpretate expound certen partes of the scriptures after a new guyse Wherby he hath also deserued that of him it shoulde be sayde Si sura rexerit in medio tui Propheta non audias verba illius prophetae quia tent at uos dominus deus uester vtrum dÃligatÃs eum an non That is to say If there aryse amonge you a Prophet thou shalte not heare the voyce of that Prophet because the Lorde your God tempteth you whether you loue him or not Doubtlesse it is not onelye a temptacion but a very great temptacion when he on whome the congregation of Christ doth wholly stai vnto whoÌ„ the churche leneth allured by the admiration of his witte knowledge eloquence conuersation and grace whiche were all wonderfull in him doeth sodaynlye traduce the same nothing fearinge or suspectynge from the auncient religion into newe prophanities But some man wyll saye that the bookes of Origen are corrupted I doe not withstande that Yea I would that Origens bokes wer corrupt rather then Origen him selfe And that his bookes are corrupted diuers aswell of the catholykes as heretikes haue firmed How be it this it is that we ought now to attend that if not Origen him selfe yet the bokes put furth in his name were a great temptacioÌ„ Which scatterynge full of foule blasphemies were read and receyued for his and not for anye other mans In so muche that al be it in conceyuynge anye errour it was not the minde of Origen yet to the persuasion of errour the authoritie of Origen maye seeme muche to preuayle The like may be spoken of Tertullian Tertullian a man no lesse notable and famous amongest the Latines then was Origen amongest the Greekes For what coulde be more excellent then this man Who more exercised in the holy scriptures and in all other
humayne letters then he Whose breste was farced vp with a most plenteous varietie of all maner of knowledge There was no sect of Philosophers no part of theyr studies whiche he had not sought and faithfully placed in the treasurye of remembraunce He so far excelled in grauitie and vehemencie of witte that he hath not at anye time almoste purposed to withstande or ouerthrow anye controuersie which either by finesse of witte or by wayghte of argumentes he archiued not The prayse of whose oration who can expresse Whiche was interlased wyth so greate necessitie of reason that it did impell and inforce to his opinion such as otherwyse he could not induce and perswade In which almost howe manye wordes so manye sentences be And howe many sentences so many victories A great many can recorde this and speciallye Marciones Apelles Praxee Hermogenes the Iewes the Gentiles the detestable heretikes called Gnostici Whose blasphemies he hath in great large volumes defaced and as it were with the violent stroke of percinge lightninge clene ouerthrowen And yet eueÌ„ this TertulliaÌ„ after al these godly practises not stedfastlye cleuing vnto the faithful shore of the catholik trueth the vniuersal and auncient faith beinge more eloqueÌ„t then happy more pregnaÌ„t in wit then coÌ„stant in faith forgetting as it wer him self his former profession did at length as the blessed confessor Hillary in a certaine place dothe wryte of him saiyng TertulliaÌ„ tracing and folowing error hath pluckte awaie authoritie from his probable writinges And he also hathe ben in the Churche a greate tempracion But I shall spare to speake any more of this man Onely thys shall I remembre that forasmuche as he mainteined the newfangled furies of Montanus beinge raysed in the Churche contrarie to Moyses precepte affirmed those mad dreames of newe doctrine deuised by worse then mad women to be true prophesies he therefore hath deserued that of him and his writynges it shoulde be said If a Prophet shal rise among you you shal not herkeÌ„ to the wordes of that prophet Wherefore Because saieth Moyses the lorde your god teÌ„pteth you whether you loue him or not By these other the lyke so many and so greate examples we maye euidentlye perceiue and by the lawes of Deuteronomie more clearly see and vnderstande that if at any tyme any ecclesiasticall prelate orlearned man shall erre from the catholike faith in any point that then the heauenlye prouidence dothe suffre the same to tempte and proue vs thereby whether we loue God or not in all our harte and in all our soule Wherfore seyng it is so he then is a true and perfecte catholike man whiche loueth the trueth of god which loueth the church the mysticall bodye of Christe whiche estemeth no singular mans authoritie witte or iudgemeÌ„t knowlege or eloquence aboue the true religioÌ„ of Christ whiche preferreth not the affection loue or frendeship of anye singular person before the vniuersall and catholike faith But despising all those thinges doth abide permanent and stable in faith and resolueth with him selfe to receiue hold and beleue which he knoweth the catholike Churche vniuersally and continually to haue receiued holdeÌ„ beliued And what euer new doctrine at any time after he shall perceiue to be brought in by any one either besides or aboue or contrarie and repugnant to that whiche the catholike fathers haue in consente agreid vpon he adiudgeth the same to pertaine not to religion but vnto temptation onely accordinge to the holesome doctrine of blessed S. Paule expressed in the firste epistle vnto the Corrinthians Oportet hÄ™reses esse ut probatimanifesti fÃant in uobis That is to saie Heresies must be to th ende that the proued may be made manifest amonge you As if he had saied the authors of heresies be not by by rooted oute but permitted for the time by God that euery man beinge proued maye be made manifest and euidentlye to appeare howe stedfaste faithful and sure louer he is of the catholike faith And in dede as oft as any noueltie riseth vp theÌ„ esely is the good corne tried by his weighte and the chaffe by his lightnes Then the good corn abideth within the floore notwithstandinge any puffe of noueltie And the chaffe is therwith lightly pufte out hauinge not the substauÌ„ce of good corne to keepe it within the floore of the catholike vnitie For theÌ„ we see howe some take their leaue shake handes for euer some other hange houerynge in the ayre and kepe them aloufe both fearing to depart and ashamed to retourne beynge wounded halfe dead and half aliue For why They haue receiued suche quantitie of the poyson as neither killeth ne can be digested neither forceth to dye ne suffereth to lyue Ah moost wretched and miserable condition In what restles cares are their hartes broyled trowe ye Now thei will nowe they nil one whyle they are violently plucked with the raised error where the wind of noueltie dryueth another while reuersed vpon them selues as contrarie waues they do relide and beate against the walles of theire owne conscience Nowe with foule hardie presuÌ„ption they approue that whiche semeth vncertaine now throughe causelesse feare they dreade and feare to coÌ„fesse such thinges as are moost certaine being al vncertaine which way to god or come what to desire and what to auoide what to hold or what to let passe Which affliction of so doubtfull wauering hart is no doubt the remedie and medicine of Goddes mercie towardes them if they be wise For beinge without the moost surest porte of the catholike faieth they are shaken beaten and almost slayne with the violente stormes of sondrye thoughtes to th ende that they put downe the sayles of proude minde whiche they had hoyssed alofte and vnaduisedlye had spreed to the windes of noueltie and that they ariue againe home warde into the quiet and calme hauen of their good and peaceable mother the churche where they myghte drinke the streemes of lyuelye and springing waters that thei vnlearne well whiche they learned not well and to prouoke them to forget with speede that whiche they receiued in ouer great hast And of the whole doctrine of the churche what can be comprehended in their vnderstandynge and reason to vnderstand the same and learne it by reason and what is aboue their capacitee of reason that same firmelye to beleue Thys beinge thus reuoluynge and many times recordynge the same with my selfe I cannot sufficientlye wondre at the greate madnes of certayne menne the greate impietie of blinded mindes and finallye the greate luste and desyre to erre that some haue that they cannot be contented with the auncient beleife taughte and receyued vniuersally in the churche but muste seke daylye newe gere Euermore couetynge to alter and innouate the religion eyther by adding some thing that is newe or by pullinge awaye parte of that whiche was olde As thoughe the religion of the churche were not an heauenlye decree but an earthly institucion whiche
voyce together wished Verely that suche doctrine as was of olde taught and receyued shoulde be euermore allowed and imbraced and what of late dayes was newely deuised should for euer be refused After whiche thinges I was for my parte brought into a very greate admiration of their doinges and coulde not sufficientlye as me thought coÌ„mend the wonderful humilitie and godly deuotion of so great clerkes and holy men For although they were suche and so many indued with suche excellent knowledge with such inestimable iudgement that eche and euery of them mought haue frelye questioned in anye matter of the auncient faythe and againe theyr assembly and congregation together mighte seeme to incourage and imbolden the same newe matters of theyr owne heades deuised to decree and set furthe yet would they innouate nothinge but by al maner meanes cared that no doctrine should be deliuered vn to theyr posteritie but such as they had receyued of the forefathers Thus dyd these fathers not onelye for the good disosition of thynges at that present tune but also to leaue example to suche as should folow them what they shoulde doe in lyke case That they ought with all their studie to honour the auncient faith and not deuise new to mayntayne suche religion as they had receyued and not to set furth what of their owne braynes was deuised I inueighed also agayust the most wicked and pestilent presumption of deuillishe Nestorius who bragged of hym selfe that he first and onelye of all other vnderstode the scriptures rightlye and that all other before his time wandred in ignoraunce and errour as many as ener had taught or written vpon the scriptures as all Priestes Bishoppes Matyrs Eonfessours that eyther haue expounded the scriptures or geueÌ„ credit to others expositions vpon the same And who finallye affirmed the whole church euen nowe to be in blindnes and errour and euer to haue been whiche nowe folowed and at all tymes had folowed as it seemed vnto hym ignoraunt blinde and erronious doctours and teachers And although to haue sayde thus muche might seeme sufficient to ouerthrowe and vtterlye to deface all prophane nouelties yet for the better furnishynge vp of the matter I haue adiected two authorities of the Apostolike See The one of Xistus Byshoppe of Rome The other of his predecessour S. Celestine whiche here I shall recount Holye Xistus in the epistle whiche he wrote vnto the Byshoppe of Antioche concernynge Nestorius matter sayeth thus For asmuche as ther is but one fayth accordynge to the Apostle whiche nowe most euidently hath obteined what ought to be taught let vs beleue that and lette vs firmelye holde what we ought to beleue Nowe what that is that ought to be taught and beleued he in his progresse doeth after declare Let no noueltie be receiued sayeth he and no credit be geuen vnto it hensfurth Because nothinge ought to be added vnto auncientie The manifest and well knowen faieth and credulitie of our elders be it troubled with no permixtion of myer Thus wrote Xistus and verye Apostolike commending the faythe of our auncetours with the termes of perspicuite and describynge prophane nouelties by permirtion of mier Holye Celestine in maner and sentence like confirmed the same in the Epistle whiche he sent vnto the priestes and preachers in FrauÌ„ce blaming them for their silence whereby they semed to geue ouer the auncient faith and suffered prophane nouelties to arise and saieth Merito nos causa respicit si silentio foueamus errorem c. The matter toucheth vs sayeth he if we by silence doe norishe and vpholde an errour Let such therfore be punished neither let it be lawfull for suche to speake what they lyst Here some man may perhappes doubt who be they whiche he forbiddeth to talke at pleasure and to speake what they lyst Whether it be ment by the preachers of the auncient doctrine or by the deuisers of fantastical nouelties Let holy Celestine hym selfe saye and dissolue this doubte in whome it foloweth desinat si ita res est If the matter be so saieth he that is to witte if it be so as diuers haue blamed your prouinces and cities for that ye through your daungerous dissimulynge and hurtfull silence cause them to consent vnto certaine nouelties If it be so sayth he let noueltie cesse to vexe and disturbe holy anncientie This was the sentence of blessed Celestine which tended not to distroye the auncient religion but to extirpe and banishe al newe inuentions contrarye to the catholike and old tradition of our forefathers Wherfore suche as contemne and wythstande the religion taught set furth by the apostolike catholike decrees what els doe they but preferre theyr owne fonde fansy iumlyng iudgement before the iuste sentence sounde iudgement of so manye godlye fathers and holy martyrs First thei herken not to S. Celestine who decreed vt desmeret nouÃtas incessere vetustatem That is that noueltie shoulde cesse to vexe and disturbe the auncientie They also laugh to skorne the wise counsel of holye Xistus who decreed in this wise Nihil vltra liceat nouitatà quia nihil addi conuenit vetustati They neglecte likewyse the statutes of blessed Cyril who honorablye allowed and commended the godlye zeale of reuerent Capreolus for that he by hys Epistle desyred the aunciente lessons and decrees concernyng religion to be confirmed and al new contrarye inuentions to be condempned They doe in lyke sorte treade vnder foote all the decrees lawes statutes made and agreed vpoÌ„ in the Synode kept at Ephesus wherunto all the holy Byshoppes of the East part assembled and there with one voyce consent and mynde authorised and confirmed all suche doctrine as by the elders was deliuered and condemned Nestorius as an heretike for that he impugned the auncient beliefe woulde haue brought in newe nouelties The consent of whiche fathers in that counsell and so in other generall counselles the consent of other also stablishing the catholike religion who euer neglecteth whom els dothe he neglecte and despise but the holye ghost by whose inspiration their hartes were ruled and the true catholike Churche whiche they maintened and the maisters of the same the Prophetes and Apostles whom they followed And expreslye he speaketh against S. Paule his doctrine who saieth O Timothee depositum custodi c. That is O Timothe kepe that whiche was lefte vnto the auoidinge prophane nouelties of wordes And in an other place he saith to the same sense If any shall shewe vnto you any other doctrine than that ye haue receaued accursed be he Nowe if the apostolike counselles and the ecclesiasticall decrees by which in holy consent of vniuersalitie and auncientie all heretikes hetherunto haue ben condempned and the catholike religion mainteyned are in no wise to be coÌ„temned and despised then shall it be necessarie for all suche as desire to be coumpted the legitimate children of our mother the catholike Churche firmely to cleue adhere and sticke sure to the vnspotted faieth of oure holy auncetours and vtterlye derest abhorre and persecute al wicked nouelties of prophane men that in any point resist the vniuersal religion receiued Finis Imprynted at London by Robert Caly within the precincte of the late dissolued house of the graye Freers nowe conuerted to an Hospitall called Christes Hospitall â‚ The .xxij. daye of Detober â‚ 1554. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum
this mother there can be no health in you but all diseases there can bee no knowledge in you but al ignoraunce there can be no hoope of lyfe lefte in you but assurednes of deathe Yea ye can not be of God but of the deuyl Qui matrem ecclesiam relinquit August in sym bolo ad Catechumenod Libro mi. cap. r. quomodo est in Christo qui in membris eius nō est Quomode est in Christo qni in corpore Christi non est Ne that leaueth his mother the church sayeth S. Austen howe may he be of Christ whiche is not of his membres Nowe maye he be in Christ whiche is not in the bodie of Christ The bodie of Christ is the churche If you wil be healthfull come home and haue it If you couet knowledge come home and sucke it at your mothers brestes in forme and maner as it shall please her and not you If you wil haue life come home bide at home with our louinge mother where deathe ne hell can preuail against you If you wil be of god come home and be incorporate into the bodie of God and man Iesus Christe and then the deuil shall haue no power ouer you Do thus and you shall be assured to inherite heauen where that wicked harlot and her hareheades shal neuer come you shal doubtlesse possesse the celestiall Paradise which that wicked maistres and her minstrelles can neuer entre You shall receiue eternite which that hereticall churche and her chyckines shall neuer haue Their disobedience and false beleife shal tomble them together into hel your true obedience and faieth shall mounte you to heauen They as vnfaithfull rebelles shal be destitute of all heauenlie grace you as obedient and faithfull children shal be supported with the maiestie of Angels For them euerlasting tormentes are appointed for you heauenlye ioyes preparedeuer to ēdure Thei shal perishe wicked with the wicked you shall raigne sanctified with saintes I feare not but you that are at home wiltarie at home for feare of so many daūgers and I mistrust not but you that are from home wyll make hast homeward allured with so many benefites There is no doubte if cloked crafte begile you not if flattering fawninge of that deceiteful auoutresse hold you not but that you wyll make spede as I said to come home againe that haue straied from home so longe But as at home with our mother there is no lacke of trueth so that harlot our cruell stepmother lacketh no crafte to entrap and entangle you no falshood no flatteringe to allure and intice you Come vnto me saith she for here is Christ here is health here is saluaciō Thus the Ape can ruffle in purple thus the Asse can strowt in the Lyons skynne thus the iarringe Iaye canne counterfeicte the pleasaunt note of the nightingale But beware brethren be not deceaued It is and euer hath been the practise of the deuill and his ministers by coulor of trueth to perswade falshood vnder the cloke of good to bringe in al euil Our true mother the true church is but one in all respectes but one only one in one vniforme vse of one Baptisme sacramētes one faith one spirite This mother is not a mother of a fewe but of many her power is not particular but vniuersall as she is extended through all the foure partes of the earth her glorie diffused in the whole world For of her it is saied Dabo tibi gentes haereditatem tuā possessionem tuam terminos terrae I wyll giue the nations thine inheritaunce and the extremities of the earthe shal be thy possession This our mother the true churche hateth not light loueth not to lurke in corners where she maye not be seene but as her power hath euer more been vniuersall so vniuersally she hath been at all tymes aperte plaine and manifest For how can she be obscure and hidden saith fainte Austē Quae obtinuit omnes gentes is that citie of whiche it is spoken Non potest abscondi ciuitas super montem constituta The citie cannot be hid which is set vppon a mountaine Our lorde hath set hys tabernacle in the sōne saith the propher his tabernacle is our mother the catholike church saith S. Austē which is set in the bright sonne not in the darke shade whiche walketh openly by daye and not preuilye by night Whose aduersarie the hereticall churche is of a contrary nature For she neither is vniuersall nor at all tymes but at some certaine time and in some one certaine place And againe she goeth and commeth preuilie and in her doinges there is no vnitie no certeintie at all Her ministers are diuided now they dreme one thinge nowe an other this daye they like to morowe they mislike one is against an other of them euen in the highest mysteries of Christ his religion Who list to cōsidre their writinges shall proue true that I saie Howe be it experience of their doinges without readinge of their bookes mighte perswade vs of Englande what thei were and wherehence they be that yeres past haue been preachers and teachers here amongest vs that haue persecuted our true mother the vniuersall churche of Christ and haue set vp their lorde Antichriste and his hereticall churche What orders what forme of religion haue they set furth sins their firste raigne that shortly after they altered not Whiche three of them amougest them all that agreed together in their matters No marueill for the deuill is their chiefe head whō they serue and he is full of lyes variaunce diuision and discorde And vnder him their scholemaisters were Hus Luther Zuinglius Decolampadius Bucer Melanethon Tindall Frythe whiche in their doctrine agree not one with an other Such maisters suche scholers come of them And this diuision this vncōstancie of doctrine was a manifest token that they were not the children of oure true mother the catholike churche nor ministers of Christ but the children of the deuill and ministers of Antichrist yea very Autichristes For who soeuer saith S. Austen is gone from the vnitie of the catholike churche he is become Antichrist Those Antichristes haue borne a great stroke here nowe to longe time in Englande in whom was no constācie no staye no stedfastues of religion and doctrine Howebeit thei al agreed wel in some thinges They all woulde be as proude as headdy as false and suttle as the deuill their father wherhence they came They al would haue wyues longe berdes and finally no olde trueth or fashions but all newe knackes and fansies as their scholemaisters lyked Bucer c. of whō they were taught Yet woulde they bere vs in haud the they wer catholike christiās But howe can ye be catholike christiaus saith sainte Austen in his treatise vpon sainte Iohn his Epistle that do not communicate and agre to the vnitie of doctrine and faith whiche is receiued and vsed through all christianitie They woulde be counted true preachers of the
who in his seconde booke vnto Themperoure Gratian deploringe and lamentinge the cruell bitternes of that tyme writeth in thys wyse O almightie god we haue now sufficientlie purged and cleansed the slaughter of thy confessours the murder of thy ministers the wickednes of soo great impietie with our bloude and with oure destruction Thou hast now sufficiently declared that they cannot be saued whiche haue uiolated broken thy catholike faith Likewise in the thirde booke of the same worke Let us obserue therfore saith S. Ambrose the preceptes of thelders let us beware through presūptuous temeritie to uiolate the seales of oure inheritaunce The fast sealed booke of the prophet nor thi seniours nor the powers nor the Angelles ne Archaungelles durste unseale To Christ onely was the prerogatiue reserued to open the same The boke of Apostolike fathers who of us dare open being sealed by so many confessours and halowed with the bloud of so many godlie martyrs They were holie confessours and martyrs howe maie we dense their faithe whose uictorie we commende Yea playnelye holye S. Ambrose we commende and greatlye alowe thē For who is so mad who so euyl disposed that wisheth not to trace and folowe their steppes all if he cannot ouertake them whom no violence no crueltie no kinde of death coulde terrifie whome no allurementes of worldlie felicitie no hope of life no desire of libertie no flatterie of frendshippe coulde withhold from the defense of the faieth whiche their auncetours had Whom I say our heauenly lord for their cōstancie in the aūcient faieth iudged worthie by whō his diuine maiestie mighte restore his churches beinge greuouslie mangled reuiue and quicken vp the spirites of well disposed people merueilouslye discomforted set vp and restore againe the holye ordre of hys priesthood beinge trode vnder foote and by whom finally his inscrutable prouidence mought with the bloude of so innocente martyrs cleanse the people being pitiouslye defiled with the stinkinge frothe of daungerous heresies And with the plentifull teares of so godlye by shoppes washe cleane awaye and vtterly deface suche newefangled not properly writīges but rather wrestinges of well written verities And so reuoke almoost the whole worlde frome pestilent heresies vnto the most certaine trueth of hys worde from altering noueltie vnto the sounde and constante auncientie from newetangled fantasies vnto the approued iudgment of his catholike Churche But in this heauenly constācie this is to be noted and earnestlie to be considered of vs that in the auncientie of the Church they defēded nat any one singular part but the catholyke that is to witte the vniuersal faith vniuersallie receiued Neither is it leefull to thinke that suche and so many sage and learned fathers would with suche constauncie affirme maintaine and defende the dreaines of one or two persones A rule or would for the fantasticall conspiracie as it were of one smale prouince cōtende euen to deathe But they imbracinge and faithfullye ensuing the decrees censures and definitions of all the ministers of the holye Churche and of the apostolike veritie had rather to deliuer their bodies vnto moost cruell tourmentes then to be deliuered from the auncient beliefe rather to be ouerthrowen by their enemies to death thē to geue ouer their catholike faith whereby they shoulde lose the hope of life at Goddes handes Thus losing al to wyn Christ suffering themselues willingly to be ouercome of al that truth might ouercome by them they haue pourchaced vnto theire name suche inestunable glorie that they be moost rightlye reputed and accompted not onlye confessors but the princes and cheife heades of all other confessors and Martyrs Wherefore this diuine and heauēly example of these blessed fathers ought to be a special president vnto all singular Catholike mē worthie in cōtinual meditation to be recorded who in maner of the seuenfolde candelsticke braushing which the seuēfold light of the heauenly spirit haue foreshowen vnto all their posteritee a verye manifest and cleare forme howe hereafter in al vprores of vaine errours the vnaduised temeritie of fantasticall innouation ought to be repressed vtterly to be suppressed by the authoritie of holy An tiquitie and by the force of the vniuersal consent of Christ his churche This hath not been straunge amonges the fathers of the Churche For euermore the holyer the better disposed any haue been the more ernest prompt and ready he hath been alwayes to withstand newe inuentions Examples hereof are plentie But to auoide tediousnes I wyll passe ouer many only recite one whereby it may be euident vnto all with howe great care studie and contention the blessed succession of the Apostles haue at all tymes defended the integritie of the religion once allowed receyued by the consent of the vniuersall Churche Agrippinus So it was therefore that Agrippinus bishop of Carthage first of all other thought good to be rebaptised contrary to the canon and rule lefte by the Apostles contrarye to the custome or order of the elders contrary to the general consent of the Clergie Which presumption of his raysed vp so much mischiefe that therby was geuen not onelye matter of factious sacrylege to Heretikes but also to certayne catholikes occasion of errour Howe be it on euerye syde eche good man withstod it earnestly Stephen But Stephen of honourable memorie then byshoppe of Rome with certayne other godlye men most vehementlye of all other did resist that fantasye of Agrippinus And in an Epistle sent vnto Affrike vpon that occasion he ordeyned that nothinge ought to be altred or renewed but all thinges to be obserued and kept as thei were by tradition left For that holy and prudent father well perceyued that ther was not the true religion where all thinges are not receyued in lyke faythe of the children as they were lefte of the fathers where we be not led by religion but we lede religion whether we like And this is the propertie of christen sobrutie and grauitie not to deuise new sectes and fashions for his posteritie but with all his power to obserue the old and holsome lawes receyued of antiquitie What was then the ende of that busines raysed by Agrippinus Forsoth the vsuall and tofore obserued the auncient custome was reteyned the newe deuise vtterly refused But ye wyll say perchaunce Note that suche men lacke power and learninge to defende theyr new deuised opinions Yea they were so excellent in wit so stowing in eloquence and so many in numbre agayne they had so greate likelyhode of trueth and brought so many sentences of the scriptures for their purpose but wrongfully vnderstanded that assuredlye they coulde by no meanes haue been ouermated had not their matters quailed in them selues as moost vntrue and contrarye to the will of God To be shorte what shall I saye of the decrees passed in the counsell kepte by certain in Affrica Howe did God fauour the same Were not all thynges therein done accōpted as dreames abolyshed as fables abrogated and vtterlye
refused as vntrue and contrarie to the catholike faith And O wōderful turne and merueilous conuersion The first authours of the same opinion are reputed catho like and the folowers of the same are iudged heretikes The maisters be absolued and the disciples be condempned The writers of the bokes out of whiche they falselye forged their opinion are made the children of the heauenly kingdome and the auouchers burne in hel For who is so mad that doubteth but that so blessed lyght of al holy martyrs and byshoppes S. Cyprian S. Cyprian and his felowship do raigne-euerlastinglye with Iesus Christe in heauen Agayne who is so deuellishe and wicked to denaye that the Donatistes and other lyke heretikes that brag that they were led by the counsell and authoritie of the saied S. Cyprian to rebaptize burne with their graundesyre the deuill euerlastinglye in hell And surely it semeth vnto me that that counsell in Affrike was promulgate and setfurthe euen by the prouidence and will of God thereby to detect and disclose the shamfull crafte of such hellyshe heretikes whose wicked fashion is when they entende to patche vp an heresie in an other mannes name to induce the bookes of suche auncient writers in that point darkly penned and leafte vnto vs whiche for the obscuritie and darknes thereof might serue as it were for the maintenaūce of their trecherie falshoode and heresie And so they might seme not to be the first nor the onely authors of such opinion Whose wickednes in this poīt I iudge worthie double hatred Firste because they feare not to quaffe the poison of heresie to open the gappe of damnable error vnto other Secondelye for that they slaunderouslye renewe the memorie of holye men in suche matter and as it were with their prophane hande do fanne abrode into the ayre the ashes whiche were well raked vp reuiuinge that not without diffamation whiche were better to be buried in perpetuall silence Herein they leappe not one inch from their graundsyre Cham. Cham. who not only vouchesafed not to couer the naked membres of his naturall father Noe Noe. but also showed other of it to laughe at Wherein he somuche transgressed the reuerence due to the parentes and somuch thereby displeased God that he and hys posteritie were cursed for hys faulte And his bretherne blessed by the mouthe of God who would neither see the nakednes of their reuerend father neither permit other to se it For turnig their backes towardes him as it is written they couered him Whiche their facte dothe let vs tunderstande that they did neither allowe ne yet be wraie the faulte of the holye man their father And therfore they and their posteritie were rewarded with the blessed benediction of God But nowe let vs returne to our purpose We ought therfore I saye greatlye to feare and to dreade the daunger and punishemente of alteringe the faieth and violating the auncient religion From whiche temerous enterpryse as well the doctrine of ecclesiasticall constitution dothe feare vs as the censure of Apostolike authoritie dothe terrifie vs. It is well knowen howe greatlye howe seuerely and with what vehemencie blessed saint Paule doth inuaighe against suche as with marueilous lightnes were allured from him by whom they were called into the grace of Christe and his true Ghospell and had heaped vnto them a numbre of maisters accordinge to their desyre and lust turning awaye their care from the veritie geuinge themselfes vp to fables hauinge dampnation What were they that wente from their firste professed faith Such as those deceiued of whō the same Apostle writeth vnto hys bretherne at Rome sayinge Ro. xvi I beseche you bretherne marke well them which sowe diuision and geue occasions of euill contrarie to the doctrine whiche ye haue learned and auoide them For suche serue not Christe our lorde but their owne bellies and with swete preaching and flatteringe wordes they deceyue and seduce the hartes of the innocent people ii Ty. iii. whiche enter into houses and bringe into bondage women laden with sinne whiche women be led with dyuers lustes euer learninge and neuer able to come to the knowledge of the trueth Thei are men full of vaine talke and deceiuers whiche subuert all houses and teache for lucre sake suche kinde of doctrine as they oughte not to teache They be men of corrupt mindes lewde corcerning the faith proud harted ignorāt yet do they busy them selues in questions and contenciōs of wordes 〈◊〉 Ty. iiii They are destitute of the truth iudginge gaines to be holinesse Also thei as idle persons doe learne to cōpasse about houses They be not onely idle but also full of wordes and very curious speaking suche thinges as they ought not whiche repelling a good conscience haue erred concerning the faith whose prophane and vaine talke auaileth much to impietie their speche crepeth furth as the canker But it is well that is written of them also in the scripture But they shall preuaile no lenger ii Tim. iii. for their madnes shal be made manifest vnto all men as theirs also was When therfore the like wanderinge from prouince to prouince from towne to towne and cariyng with them sale errours about had come also to the Galathians and when the Galathians after that they had heard of them beinge nowe as it wer glutted weried with the trueth remouing from thē the comfortable foode of the Apostolike and Catholike doctrine delited them selues with the dragges and fylthes of that hereticall noueltie S. Paule did so execute his Apostolical authoritie that with great seueritie he thus decreed Although sayeth he eyther we or an Angell from heauen preacheth vnto you any other ghospell then we haue preached accursed be he What is that whiche he sayeth although we Why doeth he not say rather although I It is to say although Peter Andrew or Iohn also finally although the hole company of the Apostles preache vnto you any other Ghospell thē we haue preached vnto you accursed be he or they This is a fearefull sentence that for the affirming and stablishynge of the first fayth he neyther fauoureth hym selfe nor anye other of thapostles But this is a smale matter He sayeth further Although an Angell from heauen preache any other ghospell thē we haue preached vnto you accursed be he It sufficed not blessed S. Paul for the retētion of the faith once taught preached to remēbre the nature of mans condicion vnlesse he had comprehended therein also the Angelical excellēcie Foralthouh we sayeth he or an Angell from heauen c. Not because the holye and heauenlye angels can now syn But this is his meanynge Yf it maye be sayeth he that which can not be Whosoeuer he be that shall attempte to chaunge and alter the faythe once taught and receyued accursed be he But S. Paule maye seeme to some perchaunce rather to haue said this of some humane affection then of anye godlye counsayle and consideration to hane decreed
not againste any stone that is to say that they cannot offende or go amisse though they wold But some wyll saye if the testimonies sentences promises of the scripture are vsed of the deuill his ministers of whom some be false Prophetes some false Apostles some be false teachers and they all heretikes what then shall the catholike men the childrē of our mother the Church doe By what mean shall they discerne the veritie in the holye scriptures from the falshood of suche heretikes No doubte they must doe as at the beginning I admonished They must doe as other godlye learned mē haue done before them and as they haue taughte vs to doe that followe them What is that They must interpretate vnderstande and expounde the scriptures of God accordynge to the traditions orders rules of the catholike Church wherin they must also necessarilye obserue followe the vniuersalitie antiquitie and cōsent of the catholike apostolike churche And when so euer a parte against the vniuersalitie noueltie againste auncientie the dissention of a fewe shall rebell againste the vniuersall consente of all or the most parte of christians then preferre and esteme the integritie of the vniuersalitie before the corruption of a parte And in the same vniuersalitie the religion of antiquitie before the prophane noueltie againe in that antiquitie before the temeritie of one or a fewe preferre chieflye the generall decrees of an vniuersall coūsell and if none suche bee then followe the consent and censure of suche as haue tofore taughte and ruled in the churche of god Whiche if we diligently soberly and faiethfully obserue it shal be easy inoughe for vs to discerne or deprehende from tyme to time all pestilent errors of al sortes of heretikes Here nowe consequent it is that I by example doe demonstrate howe and in what wise the prophane nouelties of heretikes maye be bothe deprehended and also condempned by the censures and sentences of the aunciente fathers concordinge and agreing together How be it we oughte to inuestigate and followe the aunciente consente of the holye fathers not in euery small question of the scriptures but only and chiefely in the rule of faith neither at all times all kinde of heresies are this wayes to bee impugned but only newe and freshe heresies as sone as they put vp their heades That before they haue falsyfied the presidences of the auncient faieth they maye be put of their purpose by the straightnes of the time and before they may haue leasure to goo about to corrupt and viciate the workes of oure elders with theire venime creping moore at large But olde and inueterate heresyes cannot be ouerthrowen after this sort because in longe tracte of times they haue gotten better occasiō to incroche vpon trueth Wherfore suche olde heresies must be euer conuinced by the onely authoritie of the scripture or els auoided and detested beinge alredy tofore conuinced and condempned by vniuersall counsell of the catholike writers Wherfore as sone as any newe prophane error beginneth to pepe vp and the authour therof imbeseleth for the defense of the same certain sentēces out of the scripture whiche he falsely and craftely dothe expoūde by by must ye gather together the exposition of the fathers vpon those places whiche were produced for the defense of the erroure Wherby that newe prophane errour maye be with out longe circumstaūce bewraied without anye delaye condempned But the exposition of suche fathers onely are to be conferred whiche lyuing teaching and abidinge holily wisely and constantly in the faieth and catholyke communion haue merited either to dye in Christe faiethfullye either for Christe to be slayne happely Vnto whome notwithstandinge we ought so farre furthe to geue credit as they consente and agree together And whatsoeuer they together haue manifestlye firmelye and fayethfullye receyued taught and deliuered vnto vs the same maye we receyue beleue and folowe as moste certaine true and perfect doctrine And whatsoeuer anye man be he Byshoppe or Prelate be he Confessor or Martyr be he neuer so holye neuer so well learned shall presume to mayntayne and teache anye thynge contrarye to the consent opinion and censure of these fathers we ought to accompt the same heresie amongest the priuie priuate sectes which are deuided from the authoritie of the cōmon publique general sentence Let vs not with highe daunger of euerlastynge saluation after the curssed custome of hellishe heretikes forsake the auncient verite of the vniuersall doctrine and folow the newe errours of one or a fewe The holye and catholike consent of whiche godlye fathers least anye shoulde temerouslye iudge to be neglected harke what S. Paule sayth vnto the Corinthians ii Cor .xij. God sayeth he hathe constitute cettayne in the church first apostles of whom he was one nexte Prophetes what one we reade in the Actes that Agabus was thirdlye teachers whyche we call Tractatores Treaters or Writers whiche Paule him selfe calleth also prophetes somtyme because by them throughe their diligence the mysteries of the Prophetes are opened vnto the people Those therfore thus dispensed and constitute by the prouidēce of God by tymes and places whosoeuer shall despice or contemne agreynge and consentynge together in anye matter of Christ his catholike religion let him knowe that he contemneth not man but God And that no man should deuide him selfe from the southsaying vnitie of these fathers S. Paule earnestlye desyreth saying I beseche you brethren that ye all speake one thinge and the same and that there be amongest you no dissention Be ye perfect and knit together in one and the same sense in one and the same sentence And yf anye shall deuide hym selfe from the communion of the Catholicke sentence he shall heare that of S. Paule He is not God of dissention but of peace That is to saye he is not the God of hym which shrinketh from the vnite of consent but of suche as abyde constaunt in the peace of consent with other As I teach you sayth he in al congregatiōs of the sainctes That is of the Catholike which therefore are called sainctes because they persist consiaunte in the communion of fayth And yf any one would so muche arrogate vnto him selfe as thoughe he onelye were to be hearde and credited before all other S. Paule to hys reprofe sayeth thus Came the worde of God from you or came it into you onely But least this shoulde seeme to be spoken vpon smale consideration he addeth further If any man semeth to be a Prophete or spirituall let him knowe those thinges which I do write vnto you because they are the commaundementes of the Lorde Whiche commaundementes he that is counted a Prophet or spirituall that is to saye a maister of spirituall matters doth not with earnest studye of equalitie and vnitie obserue that eyther preferreth his owne opinion before others or in any poynt goeth from the iudgement of the vniuersall consent The commaundement hereof who knoweth not sayeth