the shew of wordes UUherefore it was néedfull sith we séeke herein to finde out Christes will that first we agreed what way the right sense of the scripture may be knowne UUhich séeing you would haue me to fetch from the Pope and I haue no lust to go vnto Rome nor thinke it lodgeth in the Vatican so that by this way no agréement can be made or ende of controuersie hoped for I will take a shorter and a surer way confessed by vs both to be a good way whereby the right sense of the scripture may be found and so the will of Christ be knowne Hart. UUhat way may that be Rainoldes To learne of Christ him selfe the meaning of his word and let his spirit teach it that is to expound the scripture by the scripture A golden rule to know and try the truth from errour prescribed by the Lord and practised by his seruants for the building of his church from age to age through all posteritie For the holie Ghost exhorting the Iewes to compare the darker light of the Prophetes with the cléerer of the Apostles that the day-brigtnesse of the Sonne of righteousnes may shine in their hartes saith that no prophecy of Scripture is of a mans owne interpretation because in the prophecie that is the scripture of the Prophetes they spake as they were moued by the holie Ghost not as the will of man did fansie UUhich reason sith it implieth as the Prophetes so the Apostles and it is true in them all the holie men of God spake as they were moued by the holie Ghost it followeth that all the scripture ought to be expounded by God because it is inspired of God as natures light hath taught that he who made the law should interpret the law This rule commended to vs by the prescript of God and as it were sanctified by the Leuites practise in the olde Testament and the Apostles in the new the godlie auncient Pastors and Doctors of the church haue followed in their preaching their writing their deciding of controuersies in Councels UUherefore if you desire in déede the churches exposition and would so faine finde it you must go this way this is the churches way that is the churches sense to which this way dooth bring you For S. Austin whose doctrine your selfe doo acknowledge to be grounded on the lawes the maners the iudgementes of all the catholike church whom you call a witnesse of the sincere truth and catholike religion such a witnesse as no exception can be made against who assureth you as you say not onely of his owne but also of the common the constant faith and confession of the ancient Fathers and the Apostolike church this S. Austin hath written foure bookes of Christian doctrine wherein he purposely entreateth how men should vnderstand the Scripture and expound it The summe of all his treatise doth aime at this marke which I haue pointed too that the meaning of the Scripture must be learned out of the Scripture by the consideration of thinges and wordes in it that the ende whereto the matter whereof it is all writen be marked in generall and all be vnderstood according to that end and matter that al be read ouer ouer those things chiefly noted which are set downe plainly both precepts of life and rules of beliefe because that all things which concerne beliefe and life are plainly written in it that obscure darke speeches be lightned and opened by the plaine and manifest that to remoue the doubt of vncertaine sentences the cleere and certaine be followed that recourse be had vnto the Greeke and Hebrue copies to cleare out of the fountaines if the translation be muddie that doubtfull places bee expounded by the rule of faith which we are taught out of the plainer places of the scripture that all the circumstances of the text bee weighed what goeth before what commeth after the maner how the cause why the men to whom the time when euery thing is saide to be short that still wee seeke to know the will and meaning of the Authour by whom the holie Ghost hath spoken if we finde it not yet giue such a sense as agreeth with the right faith approued by some other place of scripture if a sense be giuen the vncertaintie wherof cannot bee discussed by certaine and sure testimonies of scripture it might be proued by reason but this custome is dangerous the safer way far is to walke by the scripture the which being shadowed with darke and borowed words when we mind to search let either that come out of it which hath no doubt and controuersie or if it haue doubt let it be determined by the same scripture through witnesses to be found vsed thence wheresoeuer that so to conclude all places of the scriptures be expounded by the scriptures the which are called Canonical as being the Canon that is to say the rule of godlines and faith Thus you sée the way the way of wisedome and knowledge which Christ hath prescribed the church hath receiued S. Austin hath declared both by his preceptes and his practise both in this treatise and in others agréeably to the iudgement of the auncient Fathers Which way sith it is lyked both by vs and you though not so much followed of you as of vs I wish that the woorthinesse thereof might perswade you to practise it your selfe but it must enforce you at least to allow it Hart. I graunt it neither can nor ought to be denyed that euery one of those things and specially if they be ioined all togither doo helpe very much to vnderstand the scriptures rightly But yet they are not so sure and certaine meanes as some other are which we preferre before them Neither do they helpe alwaies nay sometimes they do hurt rather and deceiue greatlie such as expound the Scripture after them This is not onelye said but also proued at large out of the Doctors and Fathers by that worthie man of great wit and iudgement our countriman M. Stapleton Doctor of Diuinitie the Kinges Professor of controuersies in the vniuersitie of Doway Of whose most wholesome worke entitled A methodicall demonstration of doctrinall principles of the faith one booke is wholly spent to shew the meanes way and order how to make authenticall interpretation of the Scriptures In the which hee layeth this for a ground that the Scripture cannot be rightly vnderstood but by the rule of faith Whereupon he condemneth the Protestantes opinion that the sense of Scriptures must be fetched out of the Scriptures Which errour of yours to ouerthrow the more fully he deliuereth foure meanes of expounding the Scriptures the first very certaine and sure the rule of faith the next no lesse certaine the practise of the church the third at least probable the consent of the Fathers the last most
and our Church doth hold The third Councell of Carthage which therein the Councel of Trent subscribeth to did adde the bookes of Maccabes the rest of the apocrypha to the old Canon The Councel of Nice appointed boundes and limits as wel for the Bishop of Romes iurisdiction as for other Bishops The Councell of Lateran gaue the soueraintie of ordinarie power to the Church of Rome ouer al other Churches The Councell of Constance decréed that the Councell is aboue the Pope and made the Papall power subiect to generall Councels Which thing did so highly displease the Councell of Florence that it vndermined the Councell of Basill and guilefully surprised it for putting that in â—re against Pope Eugenius Upon the which pointes it must needes be graunted that one side of these generall Councels did erre vnlesse we will say that thinges which are contrarie may be true both Wherefore to make an end sith it is apparant by most cléere proofes that both the chosen and the called both the flockes and the Pastours both in seuerall by them selues and assembled together in generall Councels may erre I am to conclude with the good liking I hope of such as loue the truth that the militant Church may erre in maners and doctrine In the one point whereof concerning maners I defend our selues against the malicious sclanders of the Papists who charge the Church of England with the heresie of Puritans impudently and falsly In the other concerning doctrine I doo not touch the walles of Babilon with a light finger but raze from the very ground the whole mount of the Romish Synagogue Whose intolerable presumption is reproued by the third Conclusion too wherein it resteth to be shewed that the holy scripture is of greater credit autoritie then the Church And although this be so manifestly true that to haue proposed it onely is to haue proued it yet giue me leaue I pray to proue it briefly with one reason I will not trouble you with many All the wordes of scripture be the wordes of truth some wordes of the Church be the words of errour But he that telleth the truth alwayes is more to be credited then he that lyeth sometimes Therefore the holy scripture is to be credited more then is the Church That all the wordes of scripture be the wordes of truth it is out of controuersie For the whole scripture is inspired of God and God can neither deceiue nor be deceiued That some wordes of the Church be the wordes of errour if any be not perswaded perhaps by the reasons which I haue brought already let him heare the sharpese and most earnest Patrone of the Church confessing it Andradâ—us Payua a Doctor of Portugall the best learned man in my opinion of all the papists reherseth certaine pointes wherein Councels also may erre euen generall Councels in so much that he saith that the very generall Councel of Chalcedon one of those four first which Gregorie professeth him selfe to receiue as the foure bookes of the holy Gospell yet Andradius saith that this Councell erred in that it did rashly and without reason these are his own wordes ordeine that the Church of Constantinople should be aboue the Churches of Alexandria and Antiâ—â—he Neither doth he onely say that the Councell of Chalcedon erred and contraried the decrees of the Nicen Cuncell but he addeth also a reason why Councels may erre in such cases to weete because they folow not the secret motion of the holy ghost but idle Blastes of vaine reportes and mens opinions which deceiue oft A Councell then may folow some times the deceitfull opinions of men and not the secret motion of the holy ghost Let the Councels then giue place to the holy scriptures whereof no part is vttered by the spirit of man but all by the spirit of God For if some cauiller to shift of this reason shall say that we must not account of that errour as though it were the iudgement of the generall Councell because the Bishop of Rome did not allow it and approue it I would request him first of all to weigh that a generall Councell and assemblie of Bishops must néedes be distinguished from this and that particular Bishop so that what the greater part of them ordeineth that is ordeined by the Councell next to consider that the name of Church may be giuen to an assemblis of Bishops and a Councell but it can not be giuen to the Bishop of Rome lastly to remember that the Bishop of Rome Honorius the first was condemned of heresie by the generall Councell of Constantinople allowed and approued by Agatho Bishop of Rome Wherefore take the name of Church in what sense soeuer you list be it for the company either of Gods chosen or of the called too or of the guides and Pastours or be it for the Bishop of Rome his owne person though to take it so it seemeth very absurd the Bishop of Rome him selfe if he were to be my iudge shall not be able to deny vnlesse his forhead be of adamant but that some of the Churches words are wordes of errour Now if the Bishop of Rome and Romanistes them selues be forced to confesse both that the Church saith some things which are erroneous and that the scripture saith nothing but cleere truth shall there yet be found any man either so blockishly vnskilfull or so frowardly past shame as that he dare affirme that the Church is of greater credit and autoritie then the holy scripture Pighius hath doon it in his treatise of the holy gouernment of the church Where though he in 〈◊〉 â—â—llify with gallant salues his cursed spéech yet to build the tower of his Church and Antichrist with the ruines of Christ and of the holy scripture first he saith touching the writings of the Apostles that they were giuen to the church not that they should rule our faith and religion but that they should bee ruled rather and then he concludeth that the autoritie of the church is not onely not inferiour not onely equall nay it is superiour also after a sort to the autoritie of the scriptures Plinie reporteth that there was at Rome a certaine diall set in the field of Flora to note the shadowes of the sunne the notes and markes of which diall had not agreed with the sunne for the space of thirty yeares And the cause thereof was this as Plinie saith that either the course of the sunne was disordered and changed by some meanes of heauen or els the whole earth was slipt away from her centre The Church of Rome séemeth to be very like this diall in the field of Flora. For she was placed in the Roman territorie to shew the shadowes of the sunne euen of the sunne of righteousnes that is of Christ but her notes and markes haue not agreed with Christ these many yeares togither Not that
cruelty more then barbarous a most feruent desire of aduancing by whatsoeuer means his children of whom he had many and amongst them one that to execute lewde deuises there might not want lewde instruments no lesse abhominable in any point then his father Such a serpent held the seate of S. Peter for the space of ten yeares vntill his owne venoome killed him For when he his sonne and heire the Duke of Ualence had purposed to poyson a Cardinall whom they were to suppe with as commonly they vsed not onely their enimies but also their friendes yea neerest friendes which had riches that themselues might bee enriched with their spoiles the Duke had sent thither flagons of wine poysoned by a seruant whom hee made not priuie to the matter vut willed him to giue them no man The Pope comming into the Cardinals before supper time the weather being hote he thirstie called for wine Now because his owne prouision for supper was not come from the palace yet the seruant of the Duke gaue him of that wine which he thought his maiâ—ter had willed to be kept for himselfe as the best Whereof while he was drinking his sonne the Duke came in and thinking the wine to bee his fathers owne he dranke of it too So the Pope was caried sodenly for dead home to the palace and the next day hee was caried dead after the maner of the Popes into S. Peters Church blacke swollen and ougly most manifest signes of poyson All Rome did runne togither to his dead carkasse with wonderfull ioy no man being able to satisfie his eyes with beholding a serâ—ent dispatched and quelled that had poysoned all the world with his outragious ambition and pestilent treacherie and with all examples of horrible crueltie of monstrous lust and of incredible couetousnesse in selling without difference things holy and profane Hart. I skill not greatly of these stories and it may â—e douted whether they be true For men are prone commonly to thinke and speake euill speciaâ—ly of such as are of high calling Howbeit if they be true what is that to vs The Popes may erre in maners we graunt but not in doctrine Neither if a man be naught in conuersation is therefore his religion naught Iudas an Apostle Nicolas a Deacon the one betrayed Christ the other bredde the Nicolaitans both faâ—tie in their liues but the Christian faith which they professed is not fautie There be that write also reportes verie shamefull of your Doctors and Pastors of Caluin that he committed a detestable sinne of Bucer that he denyed Christ at his death Which thinges are as odious as those that you reherse of this or that Pope But if I should vrge them you would reiect them as impertinent Rainoldes In déede the truth of God doth not depend of mens maners Many Iewes inferiour in life to many Paynims many Christians to many Iewes Neither did I mention the Popes to that purpose Howbeit where you call the truth of their stories which I touched into doute and match them with reportes that some men haue writen of Bucer and Caluin it is the part of wise men to weigh as iudges doo in witnesses who writeth what of whom The law alloweth not that a mans enimie shall be a witnesse against him No enimie more deadly then he who beareth hatred for quarrell of religion as the Samaritans to the Iewes Such hatred is borne to Bucer and Caluin by Lindan and Bolsecke the autours of those lewde reportes And a farther hatred by Bolsecke to Caluin because when he would haue troubled Geneua with erroneous doctrine Caluin did set himselfe openly against him the ministers of Geneua reproued him by word and writing the magistrates of Geneua did banish him out of their citie On like cause whereof when hee was driuen twise out of the coastes of Berna too and thinges fell not out to his minde amongst the Protestants he reuolted from them againe to the Papistes and returned to Poperie as a dogge to his vomit Wherefore they doo iniurie to Caluin and Bucer who beléeue so heinous matters against them vpon no better proofe then Lindans word or Bolseckes chiefely sith the knowledge of many who were present at the death of Bucer of infinite who either liued with Caluin or reade his godly writings wherein hee liueth still may cléere them from the cankred spite of one enimie in all indifferent iudges eyes But the thinges which I did mention of your Popes are witnessed not by enimies but by fréendes not one but manie most like to know the truth and to report thereof no worse then they knew For stories do consent that Boniface the eighth was such a threeformed beast as I declared The Councell of Constance examined and found Iohn the three and twentéeth to be a sinke of sinnes a Diuell in carnate as they called him Of Alexander the sixth I said not a word more then is in Guicciardin a gentleman who liued at the same time and wrote the storie of it an Italian by nation by religion a Papist the Popes lieutenant by his office a faithfull captaine to his State a bitter enimie to the Lutherans And Guicciardins report of him is confirmed by two Italians mo Iouius and Onuphrius Who though in certaine of the Popes liues they doo blanch their histories of loue and deuotion yet they consent with Guicciardin in Alexander the sixth sauing that where Guicciardin saith he would haue poysoned one Cardinall at his last supper they say that he intended to haue poysoned sundry Now these were sworne fréends to them of whom they wrote they were not Lindans and Bolseckes They sought not of malice what they might write against them but they wrote the truth by the law of historie They did not misreport them to reuenge themselues Caluin had touched Bolsecke the Popes had not so them They were not requested and sued to by Protestants to set forth their workes in print against the Popes as Bolsecke was by Papistes his Lordes and frendes against Caluin If I had gone about to touch in such sort your Popes with odious matters I could haue made mention of a young stripling created Bishop by a Pope and an other whom a Pope made his first Cardinall and Lucretia a Popes daughter he liker to Tarquinius then she to Lucretia and Aloisius a Popes sonne worthy of his father with other vilanies more notorious all proued by more credible witnesses then Bolseckes But I neither ripped vp all that I might many things they haue done which a shamefaâ—t aduersarie would be loth to open neither did I speake of any thing but that which your selues doo or must confesse of necessitie And therefore when I spake of faithlesse wicked Popes I said not a word either of Ioane the whoore or of Hildebrand the
varietie Theirs in small number yours at times and places as many as the sand of the sea And what should I speake of the rest of the things in which you do not onely folow their ceremonies but also go beyond them Your consecrating of Bishops of churches of altars of patens of chalices and other instruments of your Priesthood by anointing them according to the order of Aaron and the tabernacle Your shauing as of Leuites your imagery as from Salomon your halowing of men belles ashes boughes bread the paschal Lambe the paschal taper agnus-deis and what not with exorcized water wherwith almost all thinges are purged by your law as by theirs with blood Your purifying as they called it or as you terme it reconciling of a churchyard or other sacred place if it be polluted In conclusion to passe ouer your festiual daies exceeding theirs in shadowes your mysticall deuises in sacraments to their paterne your pontificall robes in figures incomparable in number double vnto theirs and infinite solemnities of your hiest Priest who entreth once a yeare into the place most holy as did the hye Priest of the Iewes your dayly sacrifice of the Masse though inferiour to theirs in that it is no burnt offering wherein yet I maruaile you came no néerer them for as they kept fyer on the altar alwaies so doo you require it and what should you haue fyer vpon your altar as they had vnlesse you burne as they did but your dayly sacrifice of the Masse is celebrated in such Leuitical sort as if you contended to set forth a Iewish worship more liuely then the Leuiticall Priests could In attire like them in mysteries aboue them in orders more exquisite in cauteles more diligent in furniture aboundantly in lifting vp the whole host and not as they a part of it in ringing of the sacring bell to counteruaile their trumpets in washing often in blessing and crossing in censing often in soft spéech and whispering in kissing of the amice kissing of the fanel kissing of the stole kissing of the altar kissing of the booke kissing of the Priests hand and kissing of the pax in smiting and knocking in gesturing by rule and measure in bowing and ducking in spacing forward backward and turning round about and trauersing of the ground beside the swéete musicke of organs and so forth where it may be had as in the temple it might I dout not M. Hart but you are perswaded that this kind of seruice in your Church is Christian and such that if our selues were present at the doing the solemne doing of it specially atChristmas Easter and such other more festiual times the most of our stonie hartes would melt for ioy as your Bristow writeth But in verie truth it is more then Iewish and his conceit thereof is childish and carnal For although it might be delitefull to the flesh the eies with galant sightes the eares with pleasant soundes the nose with fragrant sauours the minde with shew of godlines to him that doth not vnderstand yet a spiritual man would be grieued at it as Paule was in Athenes and lament that the people should doâ—te vpon that by which they are not edified and wéepe ouer them as Christ ouer Ierusalem O if thou hadst knowne at least in this thy day those things which belong vnto thy peace but now are they hidden from thine eyes The Lord take away this vaile from your heart if it be his good pleasure that you may see at length what it is to worship him in spirit and truth and when you sée it doo it Hart. There is a vaile rather of presumption ouer your heart who coÌ„demne the Catholike ceremonies as Iewish then of ignorance ouer ours who embrace them as Christian. For the Councell of Trent which was gathered togither and guided by the holy Ghost hath accursed them who say that the receiued and approued rites of the Catholike Church vsed in the solemne ministring of sacraments may be despised And those of the blessed sacrifice of the Masse whereat your spite is greatest the holy Fathers of that Councell haue shewed to be grounded on the tradition of the Apostles not on the law of Moses For as much say they as the nature of men is such that it cannot be lifted vp easily to the meditation of diuine things without outward helpes therefore our holy mother the Church hath ordeined certaine rites to weete that some things should be pronounced in the Masse with a soft voice and some things with a lowder Moreouer she hath vsed ceremonies too as namely mystical blessings lightes incense vestiments and many other such things by the discipline and tradition of the Apostles to the ende that both the maiestie of so great a sacrifice might be set forth and the minds of the faithful might be raised vp by these visible signes of religion and godlines to the contemplation of most high things which doo lye hidden in this sacrifice These are the Councels words Whereby you may perceiue that the rites and ceremonies vsed at the Masse are not Iewish but Apostolike as if neede were it might be shewed in particulars of incense by S. Denys of lightes by S. Austin of the rest by other Fathers Rainoldes What of the vestiments too fanel amice albe stole and such trinkets Hart. I euen of them too as basely and scornfully as you speake of them Nor yet are these of ours like in all respectes to those which the Priestes did weare amongst the Iewes From whome in other pointes our ceremonies differ also As for example their incense was a perfume most pretious ours is simple frankincense Their lightes must be of pure oyle ours are of waxe and may bee of other stuffe indifferently Which sith it is likewise apparant in the rest as you must néedes confesse at least for sundrie of them you are to blame greatly to reproch the ceremonies of the Church as Iewish Rainoldes Nay you did mistake me if you thought I meant that they are all Iewish or Iewish absolutely For I must néedes confesse that some of them are Heathnish rather then Iewish As namely the shauing of your Priests crownes after the maner of Priestes of Isis in Egipt Your lighting of candels on Candlemas-day which came from the Februall ceremonies of the Romans Your painting or grauing of the images of men a thing that Christians tooke by custome of the Heathens Your censing of images and setting tapers before them as the Romans also did when they were Heathens To be short the whole substance of your image-worship your kyssing kneeling creeping to the image of the crosse like Sicilians to Hercules your images borne in procession like to the
through bashfulnes least any man should thinke me to hunt after glory which young men are too gréedie of partly through the knowledge of mine owne weaknes who neither in respect of wit nor age nor learning was ripe inough to bring foorth fruites which might be set before all men to be tasted off For though I desire to benefitte all whom I may hauing learned of Plato that I am not borne for my selfe alone but for my countrey neither can I benefitte my countrey more by any meanes then by teaching the waies how to attaine to good artes as Tully thought well yet I feared least I should offend in a common faute an itching lust to write which Horace did terme madnes in his daies what would he haue done if he had liued in ours in which there is such plenty both of passing wits and of works excellent that wise men may iustly thinke it vnmeete to publish any thing that is not wrought with cunning filed with iudgement poolished with labour fruitfull for commoditie and for vse necessary Howbeit after that I was discharged of that profession of artes of humanitie that I might the better applie the studie of diuinitie what before of bashfulnes and iudgement I had still refrained to doo in things of lesse importance least I should doo it more rawly then I thought méete the duetie which I owe to God and his Church hath mooued me now to do that in a weightie matter though not so ripely as I would Which thing vndertaken both by the aduise and the request of the godly I was occasioned to thinke off by one Richard Bristow an Englishman borne abiding at Doway professing the Romish faith who hath set foorth a poisoned worke against the faith and Church of Iesus Christ the faith which we professe the Church of which we be That worke entitled Motiues to the catholike faith when first he set it foorth he hath abridged since into a pamphlet of Demaundes to be proponed of catholikes to heretikes and printed it againe setting before vs the same vnsauory Coleworts twise sodden by himselfe a thousand times by Popish cookes to the great anoyance of guestes if they féede on it great loathing if they féede not What a gréeuous iniury therein be hath doon to the Church of England nor only to the whole bodie thereof but to the seuerall partes also by raysing vp vntrue and wicked surmises by casting out reprochfull spéeches by laying heresies to our charge it shal be declared as I heare shortly in the meane season let the godly iudge whiles to beginne with our most gratious Queene the daughter of godlinesse the defender of the faith the mainteiner of peace the nurse of the Church the preseruer of the weale publik◠the mother of our countrey he doth not onely note her by the name of Pharao but also putteth secretely into mens heads that she is not a lawfull but a pretensed Queene as the Papistes terms her of her Maiesties faithfull and obedient subiectes he saith that they obey her for common humanitie not of duetie to traitors who suffred for taking armes against her he geueth the title of holy and most glorious Martyrs he sclaunderously reporteth that the wiser sort and principall of the Realme haue prooued by experience of our dooings that our religion is no religion at all that our Bishops and Ministers are most ill and wicked and very fewe who preach and they scarce euer preach vpon the mysteries of faith that our people the neerer they come to the preachers doctrine the more they fall away from order and godlines assuring yet themselues to be saued by faith only be they neuer so wicked that in our Vniuersities either nothing is studied or the arte of speaking only not Diuinitie or if Diuinitie not all but a fewe points of it that our countrey is full not of men but of monsters of Atheistes of Achrists of them who beléeue not that a mans soule dooth liue more then a beasts when it is gone out of the body finally not to rake out of those caues of brimstone the rest of the coales of iuniper which he dooth throw both generally vpon whole estates and vpon many learned and godly men particularly that our Church the very body of our Church dooth not foster an heresie or two but hath reuiued many old heresies besides at least a thousand more of their owne inuention that it committeth not a sinne or two but holdeth a common schoole of sinne wherein the scholers be most lewde and the masters lewder that it thinketh verely there is no saluation at all no religion a thing which I tremble to mention but this cockatrice with venemous mouth hath said hath said nay he hath written it and he hath writen it with a penne of iron he hath writen it to last as a monument of his sclaunder that we thinke verily there is no saluation at all none at all and that our religion indeede is no religion Now these false and sclaunderous spéeches against our Church wherewith he hath besette his worke in sundry places as with precious stones are vnderlaide with reasons against our Churches faith begotten of the same father and sisters germaine to the sclaunders loose and dull in truth yet in apparance sharpe and sound which although the skilfull might crush in péeces without harme yet might they doo harme by stinging the vnskilfull euen as a scorpion if he sting a man dooth hurt him with his sting but if you bruse him straight and with his body brused anoint the part stoong he dooth you no hurt Wherefore to the intent that this scorpion of Bristow pricking with two stings as the worst kind of scorpions is wont the one of sclaunders the other of cauilles might doo no hurt to our men whom in the vniuersities or other parts of the realme he is thought to haue stoong many godly men haue wished him to be brused that if not all the parts yet at least so many as the grace of God which only healeth would recure might therewith be anointed And this doo they séeme to haue wished so much the more because some men hauing litle skill in physiche doo thinke that this scorpions stingings are uncurable For both Bristow himselfe as Thraso 〈◊〉 Terence praising his owne spéeches And now they were all afraide of me doth proudly aske whether any of our great Masters will answere his Demaundes as though we had neither shield in the Church to quench the fierie dartes of Satan nor physician in Israel to heale such as are wounded and I know not what Gnatho which hath cast abroad of late infamous verses in our vniuersitie hath insolently boasted that the Captaines tremble amazed with Bristowes lightning as though he had astonied the Coronells of our army not the souldiers onely But let Bristow know that nether all doo feare him howsoeuer he hath touched
Euseb. de vita Constant. lib. 1. cap. 25. l cap. 26. m Num. 2â— 8 n Ioh. 3.14 o Num. 21.9 p 2. King 18.4 q Tit. â—itus· celebrandi Missam 1 Facta eruci â—euerentia 〈…〉 in censat 2 Superstitiosâ— mulierculae r Hieron comment in Matt. cap. 23. Super phylacteria Phâ—risaeorum s De ciuit Dei lib. 10. cap. 8. t 2. King 18.4 u Exod. 30.8 x Ephes. 5. â— y Ier. 17.7 z Breuiar Roman Sabbat in hebd quarta quadrag a Thomas Aâ—â—quin Sum. Theolog part 3. quaest 2â— art 4. Andrad orthod explicat lib. 9. b 2. King 18. ver 3. 5. c ver 6. d ver 4. e Dist. 63. c. Qâ—â—a §. verum f Thom. Aquin. Sum. Theolog. part 3. quâ—st 25. art 3. 4. g Confutat of the Apolog. part 4. h 2. Thes. 2.4 i Reu. 13.14 k 1. Cor. 11.7 l Epist. 118 2â— Ianuarium m Socrat. histoâ— eccles lib. 5. cap. 21. n Eccles. â—ieratâ—chiae cap. 3. o In Concil Carthag 4. câ—n 6. p In apologâ— cap. 42. q Aduers geâ—tes lib. 7 r Dionys. Areopag hierar eccles cap. 3. s Vit. celebrandi Missam t Sess. 22. cap. 5. * Thymiamata u Confession Augustin lib. 3. cap. 11. tit 2. x De tempore In Natali â—om Serm. 3. â— Luminaria noctis y Act. 20.8 z Tertullian de idololatriâ— a Cont. Vigilant b Orat. in Pasâ—ha c In exhortat ad â—rthodoxâ—s d Quaestion quodlibeâ—ic 2. c Epist. ad Orthodoxos in persequut b Orat. in sanctum Pascha 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e Ioh. 8.11 f Ioh. 5.35 g Luk. 1.76 h Ioh. 1. ver 1. i ver 23. k Ioh. 3.29 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Contr. Vigilant 4 Cereos non clara luce accendimus l Ordo Roman de diuin offic cap. de officio Missae Durand in Ration diuin offic lib. 4. cap. 24. m De idololatr 5 Illis competút â—estimonia tenebrarum n Ioh. 9.40 o Concil Trident Sess. 22. cap. 5. p Quaestion quod libetic 2. q Mysterior Missae lib. 1. cap. 10. r In Ration diuin offic lib. 3. cap. 1. * As Innocentius and Durand say in the places quoted s Lib. 3. cap. 2â— t In. libâ— de monogamia u In Orat. suneb de obit fratr Satyr x Concil Bra car 1. can 32. Tolet. 4. can 39. y Haeres 15. 16. z Concil Car. thag 4 can 4â— a In Liturg. b Lib. 1. cap. 31. c Lib. 6. contr Parmenianum d Lib. 10. cap. 4 e In Liturgiiâ— suis. f Lib. 2. cap. 27. g De pâ—rsequut Vandal lib. 1. h Histor. Angliâ— l. 1. cap. 29. i Lib. 1. conâ—â—a Parmenianâ—m k Haeres 15. 16. * Matt. 23.5 l Lib. 1. cap. 31. 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 m Lib. 6. contra Parmeniaâ—um n Before in this Diuision pag. 552. 2 Ipsa ligâ—a liâ—teamine cooperiti o Durand in Ration l. 4. c. 29. p In the Liturgies that beare their names q Lib. 2. cap. 27 r Persequuâ— Vaâ—â—d lib. 1. s Histor. Anglican lib. 1. cap. 29. t Lib. 1. coâ—tr Parmenian u Epist. 2. ad Nepotian de vita clericorum cap. 12. x Hist. eccles lib. 3. cap. 25. y Exod. 28.36 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Reu. 1.1 z Descriptor ecclesiast verbo Polycrates a Act. 3.2 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 28.40 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Mat. 3.4 d De monogam e Cic. in Verr. lib. 4. Virg. Aeneid lib. 2 4 Sacerdotes Cereris câ—m infulis 5 Apollinis infula 6 Deponimus insulas f Comment reip Roman lib. 2. cap. 3. g Dist. 96. c. â—onstantimus h De eccles offic lib. 2 cap. 22. i De institut elericorum lib. 1. c. 14. deinceps k De exord increm â—erum eccles cap. 24. l De diuin offitijs cap. de singulis vestibus 7 Huius cemodi vestis noÌ„ habetur in Romana ecclesia vel in nostris regionibus m Sermon in â—ynod de significat indumentorum sacerdot n In oration funebr de obit fratr Satyr o Concil Tolet. 4. can 39. p Aleuin de diuin offic cap. de vestibus Amalar. de eccles offic lib. 2. cap. 20. q Etymologiar lib. 19. cap. 25. * Aboue sixe hundred years after Christ. r Concil Bracarens 3. cap. 3. s Concil Tolet 4. cap. 40. 1 In solâ— capitis apice modicum circulum tondent 2 Ritus haereticorum t Concil Carthag 4. can 41. u Dist. 93. cap. Diaconus in cónuentu in glossa Durand in Ration diuin offic lib. 3. cap. 1. x In Liturg. y Lib. 10. cap. 4. z Amalar. de ecâ—les offic lib. 2. cap. 18. Durand in Rati on diuin offic l. 3. c. 3. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 28. ver 31. b ver 35. 1 Deriued froÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which worde S. Paule vseth 2. Tim. 4.13 the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answering tâ— the Latin panâ—lâ— c Tertulliaâ— lib. de pallio 2 A diminutiâ—â—â—t casa a cottage The English worde chisible came as it seemeth from that Latine casula but doth not expreâ— the force of it d Exod. 2â— 3â— e Durand in râ—tâ—on diuin offic lib. 3. cap. 7. * Casula dicituâ— quasi parua casa f Alcuin de diuin offic cap. de singulis vesâ—ibus 1 Ad instar sacerdotum Mosaicae legis g Amalar. de ecclesiastic offic lib 2. c. 22. 2 Ad normam Aaronis h Walafrid Stâ—abo de exord incrementis rerum eccles cap. 24. Heb. 1â— â— Col. 2.17 Gal. 4.3 5.1 Col. 2.22 m Epist. 119. ad Dâ—uaâ— cap. 1â— Pâ—â—â—issimis mâ—â—itostis icâ—â— celebrationâ—â— sâ—cramenâ—â— n De doctrinâ— Christ. lib. 3. cap. 9. 2 Quaedam pâ—uca pro multis eademâ—ue factu facillima o Iob. 4. ver 23. p ver 24. q Luk. 2â— 19 r Matt. 28 1â— s Act. 2.42 t 1. Cor. 14. ver 40. u ver 26 x Apolog. eâ—cles Anglic. y Confession Augustin lib. â— cap. 1. tit 5. z Sess. 7. de Sacrament in genere can 1. a Tertullian aduers. Iudae contr Marcion lib. 5. Hilar. in Matthae can 12. 13. Leo epist. 10.11.12.13 passim b Epist. 5. ad Marcellin De ciuit Dei lib. 10. cap. 5. Contr. aduers leg Prophetarum lib. 2. cap. 9. c August de bono coniug c. 18. d Contr. epist. Parmenian lib. 2. cap. 13. e De baptism contr Donatist lib. 5. cap. 20. f De adulteriâ— coniug cap. 26. 28. g Epist. 23. ad Bonifacium h De peccat merit remission l. 2. cap. 26. i De symb ad caâ—echumen lib. 4. cap. 1. k Concil Trident Sess. 7. in proâ—m de Sacrament in gen can 1. l Articuli religion eccles Anglican cap. de Sacramentis m De doctrin Christian. l. 3. c. 9. Epist. 11â—
For he teacheth plainly that Peter was the first man who gaue the sentence which sentence being followed and approued by the rest was concluded and published in the name of the whole Councel both of the head and of the bodie When they saith he had heard Peter al the multitude held their peace Iames all the Elders togither did agree vnto Peters sentence Rainoldes What is this to the purpose Doth all the multitude held their peace proue the supremacy of Peter Hart. You are disposed to toy My proofe is in the rest of S. Ieroms wordes and you can sée it if you list Iames and all the Elders togither did agree vnto Peters sentence therefore Peter was supreme head Rainoldes In déede I saw not whence you could frame a proofe Beare with mine ouersight The silence of the multitude was fitter stuffe for it For all sortes of men do know by experience Princes and Counsailours in matters of State Nobles and Commons in the houses of Parlament Citizens and Townsmen in their common assemblies our Students of vniuersities both publikely in conuocations and priuately in their colleges that he is not alwaies aboue the rest in power whose sentence al the rest agrée vnto in consultation But if your frends M. Hart haue done you such iniury that by meanes they sent you vntimely beyond sea you are become a straunger in things of common sense humanity at home yet you haue read I trust the story of the Actes out of the which you reason and God hath furnished you with giftes of witte and memory to vnderstand it and remember it Tell me do you thinke that Gamaliel the Pharise the Doctor of the law whom all the people honored was superiour in power to the hie Priest and Councell of the Iewes Hart. No. Rainoldes Yet when the hie Priest and Councell did consult to kil the Apostles he aduised them that they should not do it and hauing heard him they agreed to him If a Supremacie grow not hereof to Gamaliel why should it to Peter If it do to Peter why not to Gamaliel Is this the inuincible proofe that you did promise When they had heard Peter they all agreed to him therefore he was their supreme head Hart. But S. Ierom addeth farther of Peter that hee was princeps decreti prince of the decree which the Apostles made And sure as it is well noted by Waldensis if Peter had not bene the chiefe and President there he were a malapert fellow to preuent them al in taking vp the controuersie and giuing the definitiue sentence Thus saith Waldensis Rainoldes Before you promised Scripture and performed Chrysostom Now you claime by Ierome proue by Waldensis This is your fashion Treasures we looke for and wee finde coales Hart. I bring not Waldensis for his owne credit but as interpreter of S. Ieroms meaning Howbeit though he were not himselfe an auncient writer he was a great Clerke in the time he liued Rainoldes It may bée such a one as gaue occasion to the prouerbe that the greatest Clerkes are not the wisest men He did neuer enter into the Romane Senate-house or els he might haue learned both that the prince of the Senate as he was termed gaue his sentence first yet was not President of the Senate neither was his sentence the definitiue sentence but hée spake his minde of the matter as others after him the whole Senate defined it Though oftentimes the Senate agreed to the sentence of some one Senatour him they did call prince of the sentence that is to say the first authour as Ierom calleth Peter prince of the decree which himselfe expoundeth the first authour of the sentence Wherefore it was not malapertnesse in Peter to speake before others although he were not the President of the Councell but indéede Waldensis was a malapert fellow to vouch that of Peter and vse S. Ieroms words thereto For that they proue not a Presidentship of Peter by entitling Peter prince of the decree you may learne of Tully who sheweth that himselfe was prince of decrees when he was neither President nor prince of the Senate Beside to let you sée the pouertie of this princehood farther Ierome doth not meane the whole decree of the Councell when he saith that Peter was the prince of it for thē he should deny the scripture it selfe which maketh Iames the prince of part but hée meaneth so much thereof as touched his purpose which Peter is mentioned first to haue set downe namely that Gentiles being turned to the faith of Christ should not be constrained to keepe the lawe of Moses Whereon they who know what the Romanes meant by to diuide a sentence may easily consider how Iames though he agreed to Peters sentence in generall yet excepted as it were from it this particular that the beleeuing Gentiles should be admonished to keepe certaine pointes of the lawe of Moses perteining to holinesse and peace with their brethren both dueties necessary for the faithfull The wordes of whose sentence the Councell folowed so precisely that Chrysostome if I would stand on men as you doo speaketh of the sentence giuen by Iames as the definitiue sentence and saith that he pronounced his iudgement with power and that the principalitie was committed to him Hart. He speaketh so of Iames because he was Bishop of the Citie of Ierusalem where the Councell was holden Rainoldes Beware of that answere Hart. Why It is S. Chrysostomes Rainoldes Be it whose soeuer Sée you not what foloweth thereof that euery Bishop in his owne diocese is aboue the Pope For if aboue Peter aboue an Apostle aboue a chiefe Apostle much more aboue a Bishop of Rome or any other You were better say that Chrysostome did erre then fall into this perill And in déede to helpe you in a point of truth hée that maketh Iames a Bishop of one Citie whom Christ made an Apostle to all the Nations of the earth dooth bring him out of the hall as they say into the kitchin It séemeth that Chrysostome spake it vpon the word of Clemens who when he reported it reported this withall that Christ did giue knowledge after his resurrection to Iames Iohn and Peter and they did giue it to the rest of the Apostles Which tale is flat repugnant to the worde of truth wherein wee reade that knowledge and the holy Ghost was giuen by Christ to the Apostles all ioyntly Hart. You shall not helpe me with such shifts against the Fathers For other of them consent herein with Chrysostome that Iames was Bishop of Ierusalem Rainoldes Neither shifts nor against the Fathers but true defenses in fauour of them For the Apostles being sent to preach the Gospell to all Nations made their chiefe abode in greatest cities of most resort as
at Ierusalem at Antioche at Ephesus at Rome that from the mother cities as they were called religiō might be spread abroad vnto the daughters Now because this residence in the mother-cities was afterward supplied by the Bishops of them therefore the Fathers are wont often-times to call the Apostles Bishops of those cities wherin they did abide most Which they might the rather for that the word in their spéech betokeneth in a generall meaning any charge ouersight of others in so much that the scripture applieth it to the ministery of the Apostles also And in this sort it seemeth to be said as by Cyprian that a Bishop was to be ordeined in the roome of Iudas so by Ierome that Peter was Bishop of Antioch by Chrysostom that Iames was Bishop of Ierusalē Though whither it wer or no yet that which I spake in defense of Chrysostō is cléered by himself frō your reproch of a shift For he saith that Iames was Bishop as they say Which words as they say import that he spake it on the words of others most likely of Clemēs frō whom Eusebius fetcheth it But if notwithstanding you reply that Chrysostom allowed that they say and supposed Iames to be a Bishop properly then his words haue so much the greater importance against your supremacy séeing that they giue the principalitie to Iames in his owne dioces and that aboue Peter Howbeit I will not take this aduantage because I know that neither Peter nor Iames gaue the definitiue sentence but when they had spoken their mindes of the matter the Councell did define it and decrée it with common iudgement Hart. They did it with common iudgement I deny not But Theodoret sheweth that Peter as a Prince had a great prerogatiue therein aboue the rest yea gaue definitiue sentence to which the rest consented and as it were subscribed For he in an epistle which he wrote to Leo affirmeth that Paul did runne to great Peter to bring a resolution from him vnto them who contended at Antioche about the obseruation of the lawe of Moses Rainoldes You may cite if you list S. Isidore too for an other speciall prerogatiue of Peter as good as this and grounded likewise on the Actes which he alleageth to proue it to wit that the name of Christians arose at Antioche first through the preaching of Peter For though hee bée more direct against the scripture which sheweth that the name of Christians arose vpon the preaching not of Peter but of Paul and Barnabas yet is Theodoret direct against it too by giuing as proper peculiar to Peter that which was cōmon to the Apostles and Elders whose resolution he was sent for And as Isidore séemeth to haue ouershot him selfe by flip of memorie on too great a fansie perhaps towardes Peter in like sort Theodoret séeking to get the fauour of Leo bishop of Rome whose help he stode in neede of did serue his owne cause in saying that Paul ranne to great Peter that so he might run much more to great Leo. Which words to haue issued out from that humor his commentaries on the Scriptures where he sought the trueth and folowed the text shewe For therein he saith of Barnabas and Paul that they ran not to great Peter but to the great Apostles and had a resolution from them of the question about the keping of the law Howbeit if Theodorets words vnto Leo suffered no exceptiō the most were that Peter pronounced the definitiue sentence as President not gaue it as Prince But the Scripture it selfe by the rule whereof his wordes must be tryed maketh no more for Peters Presidentshippe then for Iames and whosoeuer were President it sheweth that neither Iames nor Peter but the Councel gaue the definitiue sentence So well it proueth that which you vndertooke to proue concerning Peter that he had as ful power in the assemblies of the Apostles as the Prince hath in a parlament yea or the pope in a Councell Harte It proueth that wel-inough though not to you chiefly if other places thereof be waied withall For the singular power of Peter is declared also by S. Paul in that he saith to the Galatians Then after three yeares I came to Ierusalem to see Peter and taried with him fifteene dayes Rainoldes The singular power of Peter In which words By what reason Because hee went to Ierusalem to see him Or because he went after three yeares Or because hee stayed with him fifteene dayes Hart. The reason consisteth in that which Paule did the cause for which he did it For he went to Ierusalē to see Peter Why but to do him honour as Ierom saith in his Commentaries and in an epistle to Austin Peter was saith he of so great authoritie that Paule wrote Then after three yeares and so forth And Chrysostome Because Peter saith he was the mouth of the Apostles the chiefe and top of the company therefore Paule went vp to see him aboue the rest Because it was meet saith Ambrose that he should desire to see Peter vnto whom our Sauiour had committed the charge of Churches Which also Tertullian affirmeth that he did of duetie and right Nor otherwise Theodoret he gaue saith he that honour to the prince of the Apostles which it was fitte hee should Hence it is that S. Gregory doubteth not to say that Paule the Apostle was the yonger brother And S. Austin an Apostle made after Peter who saith moreouer that the primacie of the Apostles is conspicuous and preeminent with excellent grace in Peter Rainoldes You bring in witnesses not necessarie to proue a thing not denied For that Paule was as Apostle in time after Peter and so his yonger brother as Gregory Austin and Ambrose say that he went to see Peter for honor and reuerence which he bare to him as it is in Ierom Chrysostome and Theodoret that he did this of duetie and right what right and duetie of the same faith and preaching of the gospell to shew his concord with him which is the meaning of Tertullian all this will I graunt you the scriptures teach as much what néede the Fathers to proue it Hart. Will you graunt all that which I alleaged out of the Fathers then will you grant that Protestants are in an error and the truth is ours For they auouch plainely the primacie of Peter and call him the mouth the prince the toppe of the Apostles Rainoldes Alas you were agreed me thought to go through with the scripture first afterward come to the Fathers I wisse they will giue you small cause of triumphing ouer the Protestants when you shall bring their forces out into the field and see with whom they ioine with you or with vs. But of the rest then Now I graunt you so much as doth concerne the point for
it too He chargeth vs therefore to heare wicked preachers professing God with their wordes but denying him in their déedes All thinges saith he whatsoeuer they shall say vnto you obserue ye and doo ye Now the cause and reason thereof is giuen in this because they sit vpon the chaire because they hold the roome of Christ as Scribes and Pharises did of Moses For so doth our Sauiour reason as it were They sit vpon the chaire therefore that which they say must be obserued and done S. Austin handling these wordes hath excellently noted it Christ saith he hath made his people secure concerning wicked Prelates that men should not for their sakes forsake the chaire of wholesome doctrine in which euen they who be wicked are constrained to speake good thinges And why are they constrained For saith he they be not their owne thinges but the thinges of God which they speake And how may this be Because saith he in the chaire of vnitie God hath set the doctrine of truth And by what wordes hath he set it or where He addeth Therefore of Prelates who doo their owne euill thinges and speake the good thinges of God he saith in the gospell Doo that they say but doo not that they doo for they say and doo not Thus saith Austin In the same sense are these wordes expounded both by Austin himselfe againe and by Chrysostome and by Origen whose wordes I passe ouer for breuities sake Wherefore to conclude in despite of heretikes a sure vndouted certaintie of doctrine and faith is no lesse knit to the chaire of Christ then to the chaire of Moses to the verie succession of the Apostles then of Aaron nay rather much more by how much the new testament is established on better promises then the olde Marke therefore Christes wordes obserue ye and doo ye For we obserue pointes of faith we doo precepts of maners In them both we must be obedient euen to Pharises that is to wicked men and hypocrites sitting in the chaire that is succéeding into the seate of the Apostles or Christ. Moreouer marke the worde obserue that is to kéepe those thinges which they command to be obserued because they teach not other thinges but such as are to be obserued And in this respect doth Christ allow of them For so the Pharises also them selues though they were wicked men and hypocrites yet as Chrysostom noteth they did not preach their owne things but those thinges which God had commanded by Moses And therefore sith Christ could not commend them for their maners he doth it for his chaire doctrine Wherefore he that sittteth in the chaire of the Apostles doth speake not of himselfe but of the chaire that is not his owne thinges but the thinges of God and therefore must be heard whether he say and doo both or onely say and not doo Hence it is that Austin saith against Petilian Neither for the Pharises did our Lord command the chaire of Moses to be forsaken in which chaire verely he figured his owne For he warneth the people to doo that which they â—ay and not to doo that which they doo that the holinesse of the chaire be not forsaken nor the vnitie of the flocke diuided for the naughtie Pastors Doo you sée how much the Fathers attribute to the chaire You were in haâ—te ere-while to interrupt my argument Now what say you to it Rainoldes Your argument is hansome a farre off at first sight But if a man come néere it and vewe it and féele it he cannot choose but grow in great mislike of it it is so misshapen Aristotle compareth the arguments of Sophisters to weake ill-featured persons who by stuffing out and tricking vp them selues doo seeme to be of strong and comely plight of bodie The most of your Doctors arguments be such and this is one of them It séemeth strong and comely as you doo bumbast it with fansies of your owne and decke it with the names of Austin Chrysostom and Origen But strippe it out of this apparell and all the limmes of it are full of sores and blisters worse then the French euil Hart. This is a spitefull spéech and a malicious sclander But you kepe your wont Rainoldes If I speake vntruely conuince me of vntruth If not why vse you these reproches This was your argument out of Doctor Stapleton if you will giue me leaue to strip it The Scribes and the Pharises were to be obeyed in all thinges which they saide because they sate in the chaire of Moses that is they did succeed Aaron The Popes howsoeuer they liue doo sit in Christes chaire that is they are successours of the Apostles which hath a greater prerogatiue The Popes must be therefore obeyed much more in all thinges which they say But men might not obey them if they should erre Therefore they cannot erre in any thing they say Was not this the verie bodie of your argument Hart. It was so in substance and what faute finde you with it Rainoldes None but as I saide that all the limmes of it are full of sores and blisters For the first proposition the contagion whereof infecteth the whole argument hath two notorious fautes touching the Scribes and Pharises one that by their sitting in the chaire of Moses is meant that they succeeded Aaron an other that because they succeeded Aaron they were to be obeyed in all thinges which they saide Hart. What did not the Pharises and Scribes succéede Aaron Rainoldes That is not the question Yet you may dout of that too And how doo you proue it Hart. Nay how doo you disproue it Rainoldes None succéeded Aaron in offering sacrifices to God and teaching Israell his law sauing the tribe of Leui. But the Pharises might be of other tribes and were so Hart. How proue you that Rainoldes S. Paul was of the tribe of Beniamin an Ebrue borne of Ebrues according to the law a Pharisee So was his father too And if the tribes of all of whom account was made that way had béene registred it would be as easily prooued of others as it is of Beniamin For whereas there were thrée sectes among the Iewes eche differing from other in pointes of religion Pharises Sadduces and Esses the Esses auoiding the companie of other men least they should staine their maners and liuing with them selues alone like to moonkes did leaue the Temple cities to Pharises Sadduces The Sadduces were few their opinions wicked in so much that euen the common people did detest them The Pharises in number more in reputation greater and sounder in beliefe the most exact sect and coming néerest to the law Which they expounded in such exact maner and séemed holy withall that they bare the sway for religion amongst the multitude yea cities flowed vnto them accounting them the best both in life
and doctrine Wherefore sith the Pharises were so well estéemed did swarme in Iurie it is not to be thought but that other tribes had some of that profession chiefely the tribe of Iuda Hart. If Iuda if Beniamin if other tribes had of them much more by all likelihood had the tribe of Leui. And them might our Sauiour specially meane not generally all in saying The Pharises doo sit vpon the chaire of Moses As if I should say that the Catholikes sit vpon the chaire of Christ you must not thinke I meane of Catholikes who be scholers but of Catholikes who be teachers of Catholike Priestes and Bishops Rainoldes Your answere hath reason For as S. Paule was a Pharise-scholer so was Gamaliel a Pharise-teacher And that there were Pharises of the Priestes Leuites the scripture sheweth saying that the Iewes sent Priestes and Leuites from Ierusalem to talke with Iohn Baptist and they who were sent were of the Pharises Wherefore that the Pharises did succeede Aaron the likelihood is great That the Scribes greater For they expounded taught the law of God whence they were also called now Doctors of the law now Lawiers by duetie and office Whereupon when Herode desired to know where Christ should be borne he gathered togither all the chiefe Priests and Scribes of the people to learne it of them It is most likely then that they succéeded Aaron too as did their predecessor Ezra the Scribe prompt in the law of Moses Yet your Doctor Genebrard saith that the Scribes were lightly of the tribe of Simeon and they with the Pharises are said to haue sate in the chaire of Moses as who had thrust them selues into it being emptie while the Priestes abusing the riches of the Church did forsake their duetie Hart. If Genebrard or any other of our Doctors haue a conceit of his owne what is that to me I folow the receiued sâ—ntence of the Church that the Scribes and Pharises came into the chaire of Moses by succession and not by intrusion But why do you agréeing with me in this point reproue it in my argument Rainoldes I reproued it not The point which I reproued was that you expounded the wordes of Christ so They sate in the chaire of Moses that is they did succeede Aaron Which exposition is erroneous and verie dangerous to the truth though the danger of it not so apparant in it selfe as in the consequent For it is the mother of a greater error Hart. And how would you haue it expounded I pray Rainoldes According to the word and meaning of Christ. The Scribes and the Pharises sit in the chaire of Moses that is they teach the law of Moses For as Moses him selfe receiued it of God to teach it the children of Israel and he did so in like sort the Priestes and Leuites after him were vsed to reade it in the assemblies of the people and to expound it To this end their synagogues were built in euery citie and euerie Sabbat day they met there as it is written Moses of olde time hath in euerie citie them that preach him being read in the Synagogues euerie Sabbat day Now they who did teach were wont to teach sitting which appeereth by our Sauiours example in the temple in the synagogues in other places Wherfore the Scribes and Pharises of whom there were some in euerie towne of Galile and Iurie and Ierusalem to discharge this duetie are said to haue sate in the seat of Moses or chaire as we terme it because they did teach the same which Moses did euen the law of God deliuered to Moses Hart. The matter is not great whether you expound it thus or as we doo Rainoldes Yes For it foloweth of your exposition that the Scribes and Pharises said well in all things which they said because they did succeede Aaron and so that succession which is the marke you shoote at hath certaintie of doctrine and faith knit vnto it Whereas the right lesson which you should gather thence is that the Scribes and Pharises said well in all thinges which they said out of the word of God and so that Gods word is simplie true and certaine but men ordeined to teach it must be heard no farther thâ—n they agree with it And this might D. Stapleton haue learned of the same Fathers whom he cited but that he rather readeth them to mainetaine a faction then to learne the truth For Austin doth interpret the chaire not of succession but of wholsome doctrine in the which they sit who speake the good things of God we are willed to heare God speaking by them when we are willed to do the things which they say For in sitting on Moses chaire they teach the law of God therefore by them God doth teach But if they would teach their owne things saith Austin heare them not obey them not So doth Chrysostome expound it Doo all things which the Scribes and Pharises say you must doo for they preach not their owne things but the things which God commaunded by Moses So doth Origen apply it to them who teach the faith aright with a speciall clause that Christians if they see a preacher liue ill and haue not to charge him with teaching ill doctrine they must frame their liues according to his words not deedes If they haue not to charge him with teaching ill doctrine as if he should say that who soeuer teach ill doctrine they sit not in the chaire of Moses Let them succéede Aaron neuer so directly yet if their doctrine be ill they sit not in the chaire of Moses Whereby you may sée the wretched state of that argument of which you made so great vaunt For the first proposition that the Scribes and Pharises were to be obeied in all thinges which they said because they sate in the chaire of Moses that is they did succeede Aaron is fouly corrupted in the point of succession The second that the Popes do sit in Christes chaire that is they are successors of the Apostles is tainted with the sameâ—canker that the first The conclusion therefore that men must obey the Popes in all thinges which they say and the consequent thereof that they cannot erre in any thing they say are children like their parents as sound as the propositions of which they are begotten The filthines of all the which if yet you sée not behold an other light to sée it by The Scribes amongst the Iewes were as the Canonists are with you the Pharises as the Schoolemen your Genebrard doth match them so Or if you like not his iudgement therein because Schoolemen and Canonists say not true in all thinges yet this you must graunt that Priestes are with you as Scribes and Pharises were with them For Chrysostome saith they be the verie wordes which you did passe ouer for breuities sake we must not say now In