owne felicitie and the great comfort of his Church Amen Your Honors most humble and faithfull Orator Peter White The Principall contentes in this Aunsweare 1 First the Papistes leaue the written worde flie vnto vnwritten verities 2 Secondly to cleaue onely to the written woord of God in matters of Faith Religion is the infallible marke of Christes true Church 3 Thirdly that the doctrine of the reall presence is false and vntrue against the truth of Scriptures and Fathers against the certainty of the natures of Christes person the trueth being of Sacramentes full of blasphemous absurdities renewinge againe sondrie wicked heresies it is also variable and most vnconstant 4 Fourthly of the manner of Christes presence in the sacrament of his body that it is agreable with the nature properties of hys person with his presence in Baptisme in his word and that as it is certaine and true so most effectuall and comfortable 5 Fiftly who were the firste inuentors of the reall presence and howe it was thruste vpon the Churche and confirmed with their name age 6 Sixtly that this carnall presence hath bene at al times and since the springe thereof resisted by godly learned men as other corruptionâ— haue bene THE OBIECTION FRom the beginning of the Christian church vntill the yeere of our Lord. 1517. all that on the earth professed openlie Christes Catholike faith did beleeue as well in the Greeke as in the Latin Church the real presence of Christes bodie and blood vnder the formes of bread and vvine after consecration duelie made If this be truâ— then the matteâ— is at an end But if you thinke iâ— vntrue then answere directlyâ— to the matter folowing This faith of theirs vvas preshevved by the deliuerie from hand to hand of that doctrine euer since the beginning of the Christian Church and was maintained by the preaching and vvriting of the learned Fathers and pretested by the godly Honor vvhich the Christian people gaue to the said Sacrament in the time of Masse or otherwise THE ANSVVERE THese Obiecters good Reader at the first as it vvere the grouÌ„d of all their religioÌ„ whiche in trueth it is leaue the Scriptures knowing that by them they can not proue tharticles of their religion and flie vnto vnwritten verities and traditions deliuered from hand to hand and therevpon they laie their foundation So that and if thou vvilt giue them leaue this vvaie to proceede spoe 13. bess 2. they can easilie proue vvhat they list vnder the name of tradition Yet such is the deadlie vvounde that the sworde of Gods spirite hath giuen the beast that all their traditions and vnwritten verities are manifest and directlie contrarie vnto the vvorde of God We must therfore in all things belonging to faith followe the counsell and example of our sauiour Christ of his Apostles the belieuers at Thessalonica of all the primitiue and auncient fathers our Sauiour commaundeth vs to search the Scriptures he proueth the necessitie and truth of his office death and resurrection out of the Scripture He reproueth his Disciples because they vvere dull and slowe beleeuers of the Scriptures Iohn 5. Luk. 24. 4. Act. 17. 2. Timoth 3. 1. Timoth. 3. 1. Pet. 1 3. Pet. 1. Collos 3. The Apostles sende vs vnto the Scriptures The Thessalonians are greatlie commemded for searching the scriptures and making triall of S. Paules doctrine by the Scriptures Sermo Christi inhabitet vos largo saith S. Paule Let the doctrine of Christ dwell in you abundantlie The Scriptures vvere vvritten saith Ireneus that they might be fundamentum columna fidei l.b. 3. cap. 3. both the foundation and piller of our faith Aug. super Ioan. tract 49. When Christ our sauiour did and taught manie things electa sunt autem quae scriberentur quae saluti credentium sufficere viderentur Truelie those things that are sufficient for the saluation of the belieuers are chosen and vvritten out In this respect did the auncient fathers against all heresies laie them selues vpon the Scriptures Tertul. de resur carnis lib. 1. Ex scripturis arguuntur haeretici Heretikes are by the scriptures reproued And as Tertullian vvriteth De spiritu sanctâ— Ciril super Ioan. cap. 16 Aufer denique haereticis quaecunque Ethnici sapiunt vt de scripturis solis sistant quaestiones stare non poterunt Take from the heretikes the things they haue common vvith Infidels and force them to grounde their faith vppon the Scriptures onlie and their questions shal not be able to stand â—â—ill super 〈◊〉 16 No man saith Chrisostome maie without the Scriptures pretend the holie ghost August ibi lem Non aliam quam Christus docuit disciplinam sequetur nec alias feret leges he shall followe no other doctrine then Christ hath taught he shal giue none other lawes And S. Ierome vpon the words of Saint Paule If an Angell come from heauen c. Non dixit si quis docuerit contra sed praeter supra He saide not if anie man shall teach contrarie but besides that alredy is taght And againe Post Apostolos quamuis sanctus sit aliquis quamuis disertus non habet authoritatem auoniam dominus narrat in scripturis After the Apostles though a man be lerned and holie yet hath he no authoritie for the Lord doth teach in the Scriptures And Tertullian â—e prescrip adâ—erfus hereticos Nobis vero nihil ex nostro arbitrio inducere licet sed nec eligere quod aliquis arbitrio suo induxerit Apostolos domini habemus authores qui nec ipsi quicquaÌ„ ex suo arbitrio quod inducerent eligeruÌ„t sed acceptam a Christo disciplinam fideliter nationibus assignauerunt We must not onelie bring in nothinge of our owne heades pleasure but also not receiue or choose those thinges whiche haue beene so broughte in of others We haue the Apostles of Christ authors whome wee must follow who also broughte in nothing of their owne inueÌ„tions but that doctrine which they receiued of Christ did they set downe vnto the people We therefore coÌ„tinuallie say with Augustine and Ambrose Non audiaemus haec dico haec dicis sed audiamus haec dicit dominus August contra Petiltan Donat. cap. 9. Ambros de Virg. lib. 4. sunt certè libri dominici quorum authoritati vtrique credimus vtrique consentimus vtrique seruimus ibi quaeramus ecclesiam ibi discutiamus causam nostram We must not belieue that which this man and that man affirmeth but that which God him self teacheth vs to be true We haue the worde of God whose authoritie we belieue to vvhom vve do consent and vvhom vve obey there must we seeke our Church there muste vve sifte and examine our cause Nos noua omnia quae Christus non docuit iura damnamus quia fidelibus via est Christus We iustlie condemne all newe things that Christ taught vs not for Christ is the vvaie vnto the
gainsaie this erronious and newe doctrine And on the coÌ„trarie part the Bishops Cardinals Monks and Friars vvith all the rest of the clergie as the ministers of Antichrist did by tirannie general Councels false diuelishe miracles cause the Church to receiue this opinion of real presence vvhich before that time vvas strange and vnknowen THE OBIECTION ON the other side if in the first sixe hundred yeeres the Christians had belieued as the Lutherans Protestantes Swinglians now do he that had first begon to haue taughte the real presence of Christes bodie bloud under the formes of bread wine must at that time haue bin noted and reputed for an heretike he must haue bin conuinced by some general or prouincial Councell kept either in the East Church or in the West the Preachers and Doctors of that age shuld hans written against him THE ANSVVERE THe diuersitie of these names deuised by the Papists with a number mo besedes as Caluinistes Hugonites Prescisians and vvhat not bring no new articles of faith or diuersitie of opinions into the vvorld or be deuided in substaunce of Religion Martin Luther onelie excepted in one poynt but holde and teache the auncient and Catholike faith deliured by Christ and his apostles in the canonicall bookes of th' olde the new Testament wherin they continuallie heare the voice of the true shepheard and sauiour Christ Apoc. 9. 18. Esâ—â— 16. and vvhereby they knowe the Romish church to be the sinagogue of antichrist therfore being warned by the scripture they flee from it as from the bottomles pit of darknes and denne of vncleane beasts from whence these fiue hundred yeeres there hath flowed vnmeasurable stormes of Sectaries aswel disagreing in substance of religion worship as in name and profession as appeareth by the Premonstatenses Augustinians Dunstinians Benets Bonames Monkes blacke white Barnardines Franciscanes Benedictes Augustine friars Crossed friars blackfriars white friars some beggers some lyers in steede of preachers some Mionres some obstinate with Hermites Ankors both men women with Nunnes of all sortes and last of all the secte of Iebusites and all these I saye with an infinite number besides who do differ in sect habite worship of God or dishonouring of God rather and substance of religion But if there be anie difference at anie time among vs it is onelie about suche remainders of Poperie as the misbegotteÌ„ bastards of Antichrist haue left among vs. In dede as the deare children and seruantes of God Galla. 2 Peter and Paule did sharplie contende about the reliques of Iudaisme euen so at this day some contention nowe and then ariseth among the preachers of the Gospell about some remnantes of poperie which for our great vnworthines God hath yet left amoÌ„g vs as he did leaue a remnaÌ„t of Cananites Iudicumâ—â— Hethites Iebusites to trie the children of Israel withal The myserie of iniquitie as the Apostle said did worke euen from the beginning with increase of loy tering laborers and decaie of faithfull pastors Cyprian saide in his time De delunia tontatioue dom Pinl p. 2. 2. Timi 3. Rarus hodie Phinies qui perfoderat impudicos rarus Moses qui occider at sacrilegos rarus Samuel rarus Iob rarus Noe flens cum Apostolo dico inmicos crucis Christi qui terrena sapiunt magistratus quorum deus venter est qui in hijs quae dicere nefas est elegantur gloriant At this day Phinies that may thrust through the shamelesse is seldome found Moses to slea the idolaters is rare Iob Aaron and Noe be verie thinne I saie vvith th'apostle vveeping the enimies of the crosse of Christ that sauer earthlie thinges teachers vvhose bellie is their God impudentlie reioyce glorie in those thinges vvhich once to name is vvicked venerunt periculosa tempora quae praedixit apostolus Math. 24. 2 Thess 2. Iohn 4. Apoc. 6. 9. the daungerous times vvhiche the Apostle foreshewed are come Yet before the generall Apostasie whiche our Sauiour Christ foretolde th'apostle S. Paule prophesied of and is so euidentlie described in the Reuelation did come there coulde no herisie no sooner arise but that the vvatchefull pastors did by and by note the autor therof by vvriting and afterwardes through the helpe of godlie Emperours in Councels both generall and nationall condemne such herisies vvith their authors as well apeareth by ecclesiastical histories For although the mysterie of iniquitie did euen in th'apostles time worke in the hands of Antichristes ministers yet throght the diligence of good pastors it vvas mightilie vvithstood but after the departure of these faithfull pastors through the negligence of such as afterward sought their owne ease vvith promotion and great dignities and falling fast aslepe with pleasure and securitie the enuious man found fit time oportunitie for the better sowing of his cokle darnel Apoc. 6. so that the ministery of the gospel decaied the truth was gretly darkned the church of God vvas not only vvith many corruptions superstitions defaced but became a pray vnto ra uening wolues which vtterly ouerthrewe the first beawty therof and chased banished and put to flight the true ministerie of the Gospel of Christ Matth. 7. 2. Thess 2. Whereby the man of sinne inuaded the temple of God sitting therein as though he had bin God After this I saie the noting and vvithstanding of heresie vvaxed much colder and for a time the churche or sanctuarie vvas troden vnder foote and the true members of Christes Church driuen into the vvildernes Apoc. 12. 13. vvher God did prouide a place for the same For after a thousand yeres ended Satan being for a time letten forth of the bottomlesse pit the man of sinne inuaded the Church of God as wel appeareth in the Reuelation Apoc. 6.20 whereunto agreeth manie writers of that age Arnolph in conci Lio Rauensi anno 1015. Arnolphus the Bishop of Aurelianense saide openlie of the Bishop of Rome Quid hunc in sublimi solio residentem veste purpurion aureo radiantem quid hunc inquam esse censetis Nimirum si charitate destitudtur solaque scientia inflatur extollitur Antechristus est in templo dei sedens sese ostentans quasi sit Deus What do you iudge of him that sitteth in so high a throne clothed in purple and shining vvith golde Apoc. 19. vvhat I praie you do you thinke of him truelie beeing voide of loue and puft vp vvith knowledge he is verie Antichriste sitting inthe téple of God bosting of him self as though he were God Eberchardus allo the archbishop of Salisburg said opély in the Coucel of Reginoburg Sub Pont. In concilio Reginolâ—â—rg an 12. â—0 tempore Frâ—â—er â—â— secuade Max. titulo pastoris pelle lupuÌ„ seuerissimuÌ„ nisi coeci sumus sentimus vnder the name of th chiefe or greatest Bishop except vve be blinde Math. 7. vve feele the most cruel vvolfe in the clothing or
the visible body thus they haue found vs out two sacraments and three bodies Durand inter miruâ—la huius saeramâ—â—ti Sent. lib. 4. dist 4. Iamvode pro lib. 1. Sâ—otus in sent lib. 4. alist 9. Durund rational lib. 4. de can Misseâ— One sacrament where the accidentes be the sacrameÌ„t another where the inuisible flesh is a sacrament of the visible flesh three bodies one mortal that he gaue his disciples in his last supper an other visible and in heaueÌ„ the third inuisible in the bred and wine in euery cromb drop therof And according to this frantike fantasticall error they haue deuised a duble corporal presence one Cum proprijs silis demensi ouibus meÌ„suris with his proper lineaments measure of his body thus he is in heauen with his glorified body An other presedce as his corporall body est in hostianoÌ„ mediantihus dimeÌ„sionibus proprijs is in the host or cake without the proportion or lineaments of his body Thus thou seest good reader not only their wicked erronious blasphemous opinioÌ„s Ierim 2. 2. Thess 2. Coliss 2. but also th'emptines of their childishe brain they know not whither Are not al they therfore that forsaking the certentie of Gods vvord laide downe in the scripture to be the ground stabilitie of our faith religion Prene lib. 1. 2. 2. Thess 2. Coloss 2. to followe the vnwritten verities or fables rather of Popery iustly forsaken of God and giuen ouer to belieue leasinges to their owne condemnation because they tooke no pleasure in the trueth In this maner vvandred the vaine bosters of Angelicall visions in the Apostles time pretending great holines and religion of Angels vnder the name and title of Christ So did Marcion and Valentinus wander aboue the cloudes after their owne dreames and fansies vtterly destroying the trueth of Christ and Christian religion Solet this saying therefore of Augustine bee alwaies opposed against vnwritten verities De vnitate eccles cap. 15. Legant nobis haec de scripturis sacris credimus haec inquam ex canone diuinorum librorum legant Let them reade these thinges vnto vs of the scriptures these thinges I say out of the canones of the diuine bookes Ibidem eap 12. And a litle before Credo illa quae in scripturis sanctis leguntur non credo ista qua ab hereticis Vanis dicuntur I do beleeue those thinges that I reade in the holy scriptures I do not beleeue those things that vaine iangling heretiks do affirme Now touching th'alteration of this faith of the Lords supper where the Papistes pretende an impossibilitie that it should without tumult stir be done it is before declared how that not onely th'alteration of the Lords supper but also of manie other things were easilie vvithout gainsaying broght into the church vvhen the ministers thereof did so decaie as they did after the first sixe hundred yeres 2. Thess 2. Act. 20. Apoc. 12. and that the childe of perdition began euen then to inuade the Lords sanctuarie and in shorte time vvas Lorde ouer the same renting spoyling the flock of Christ still persecuting the true members of his church as is before plainlie declared About the time of Gregorie the first in deede this matter among other like corruptions began first to smell and yet but a litle And after the seuen hundreth and thirty yere it brake out further as appeareth by Damasene Anno. Dom. 730 vvho as in Gregorie the secondes time among other corruptions he defended mainteined imagerie euen so vvith renewing againe the blusphemous herresie of Eutiches he dreamed of a real presence Lib. 4. cap. 14. Non est figura panis vinum corporis sanguinis Christi absit enim hoc sed ipsum corpus Domini deisicatum ipso Domino dicente hoc est meum non figura corporis sed corpus non figura sanguinis sed sanguis The bread and vvine are not the figure of Christes bodie bloud but the verie bodie of Christ deified For the Lorde saide him selfe This is my bodie he meaneth not that it did represent his bodie and bloud Tertul. contrae Marc. lib. 4. but that it vvas his verie bodie and blood But did not Tertulian interprete these vvords Hoc est corpus meum this is my bodie saying Id est figura corporis mei that is to say Contra. Adamant Iâ—â—â—ick the figure or representation of my bodie So did S. Augustine saying Non dubitauit dominus dicere hoc est corpus meum quando dedit nisi signum corporis He stucke not to saie this is my bodie when he gaue but the figure of his bodie Ieronim super Math. cap. 26. This he did saith S. Herom vt veritatem corporis sangainis representaret tha he mighte represent the trueth of his bodie and bloud These Fathers vvere ledde by that spirite of God that vseth the like phrases and doth so interprete them Gones 7. As this is my couenant that euerie man-childe bee circumcised When in deede circumcision vvas not the couenant but a signe thereof So is it in the place interpreted Rom. 4. and so doth S. Paule interprete it And againe Gents 41. the seuen kine are seuen yeres the seneÌ„eares are seueÌ„ yeres Esai Daniel 2. 1. Corinth 10. Israel is my vine Thou art the golden head O king The rocke vvas Christ Apoc. 1. the seuen stars are the seuen messengers of the coÌ„gregatioÌ„s the 7. candlesticks are the 7. coÌ„gregations The spirit of god in Ioseph in Esai Daniel S. Paul S. Iohn did say figuratiuly thes things ar wheÌ„ they but onelie signifi and vvere not in deede and so of the Lordes supper the fathers haue interpreted it But Damasen beign led by an other spirite the spirite of error and Antichrist giueth another interpretation Thus haue you the man named that first taught this error And about the eight hundred yeere to breake further out against the whiche Bartrame at the requeste of Charles the great did write Bartraine tract de Eucharist and after him diuers other Anno. 785. Anno. 1035. Anno. 1076 as Beringarius Wickliffe Hierome Hus and others and this not in corners but in the moste famous place of the vvorld in the court of Charles the great Platina lib. 15. iin the Councell of Laterane vvhere Pope Nicholas forced Beringarius the Archdeacon of the famous Church of Augania to acknowledge the real and carnal presence in most grosse maner Polidorus historia Anglorum lib. 19 Anno. 1420. And in the famous Vniuersitie of Oxforde Wickliffe did with manie other vvell learned impugne this reall presence In Bohemia in the councell of Constance and Basill vvas this error of reall presence among manie oter grosse etrors then by Antichrist thrust vpon the Church and people of God impugned by good and learned men although by the tyrannie of those Councels the trueth for a
no such a threefold difference of righteousnes before God as the Papistes imagine 9 The righteousnes of the lawe and the righteousnes of the Gospell with their difference 10 The Papistes make Christe no more beneficiall vnto his Church then is the lawe 11 That the father doth not only offer our Saluation vnto vs wrought in Christ but also through him doeth effectually bestowe the same vpon vs by a liuely faith in Christ 12 That this faith wherby weare iustified is not of our selues neither depēding vpō our free wil as the papistes imagine but it is the gifte of God in Christ and the worke of his spirite by the Preaching of the Gospell and dependeth vpon our election 13 That this faith onely iustifieth beefore God with out the helpe of workes 14 That this faith respecteth onely the promise of God made vnto vs in the death and passion of Christ and not legall or temporall promises as the Papistes wickedly pretend 15 That the promises of the Gospell are free and absolute and not condicional as the legall and temporall promises are 16 That a liuing and iustifiyng faith is alwaies fruitfull and neuer idle or barren and although it onely alone doth iustifie yet is it neuer alone or voide of good workes 17 The distinction of the Iesuiticall first and second iustification with their termes and woordes of arre haue the same meaning and corruption that the schoolemen had 18 That the Papistes leaue nothing vnto Christ and his Gospell in the worke of our iustification but onely this that he teacheth how a man may iustifie him selfe before God 19 That the continuall remission of sinne through Christ is our onely iustification before God 20 That sanctification and renouatiō are not our iustification before God but the fruites therof follow the same 21 That renouatiō and sanctification are not perfected at one instant or moment of time as the Papistes imagine but by cōtinuance not throughly performed vntill by death mortalitie be put off 22 The true interpretation of the place of S. Iames that the Papistes abuse to proue iustification by workes 23 That Sherwin in the forme wordes of his confession meant not as they did pretend but meere contrarie and therefore like vnto the prophecie of Cayphas 24 Why the Papistes and especially these Iesuites refuse the termes wordes of the schoolemen and conforme their wordes like vnto the Scripture THE PREFACE To the Reader THe old serpent The red Dragon Gen. 3. Iob. 1. Apoc. 9.12.13 1. Cor. 1.2.3 Mat. 15. Esay 28. Sathan the deceiuer of the whole worlde the continuall selaūderer and accuser of Gods childrē hath no way gentle reader more molested Gods people and preuailed against his Church to the great hinderance of his true worship and glorie of his blessed name then by renting the vnitie of his Church into the sectes and factions of men couering neuerthelesse these manifolde sectes and factions vnder the Cloake and shadow of the Catholike Church when in deede there most times emong these factions either remaineth no part of Gods worship and true religion at all or els verie little and that so corrupted as therein the true glorie of God may no way appeare when the true glorie of God his worship and religion is truly founded in Christe Gen. 3 17. Deut. 18 Esay 8.9.10.13 Mat. 3 10.28 Rom. 1.3.4.5.10 1. Cor. 1. Iohn 1.6 Ephes 4. Collos 2. Epist Iohn cap 1.2 by whom the knoweledge of God the father wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption is denied vnto vs through operation of his holy spirit and ministerie of his worde and wee againe by the same meanes as it were by iointes and cooples inseparable conioyned vnto Christ in whom dwelleth the fulnes of the Godhead substancially and is the only head of his Church Sauiour of his bodie that in him and thorowe him we may both see and enioy the glorious presence of God essectually This craftie workeman Sathan so cunning li transsigureth himselfe as though he were an Angell of light 1. Pet. 2. 1. Tim. 2. Ebru 1.2.3.4.8.9.10.13 Apoc. 1.4.6.7.10.11.14 Cal. 1.2.3.4 Phil. 1.2.3 that hee often renteth the parts and mēbers of this bodie from Christ and God conioyning them vnto himselfe through the inuentions titles and holines of men treading downe the true doctrine of Christ his precious blood death and merits by the doctrine of mens deuises merits and other such like abhominations Thus began Sathan in Paradise to worke at the very beginning Thus so soone as the lawe was giuen vnder Moyses wrought hee by Corah Dathan and Abyran and hath so continued vntill this day Num. 16. and will doe vnto the worldes end Vnder the titles names traditions of Saduceis Esseans and Phariseis he aduanced so farre his owne kingdome that hee vtterly defaced the kingdome of God blinded both Priest and people that not onely the name of a true Israelite in respect of a Saducie Esseā or Pharisy was of no regard or estimation hee thereby so much blinded them that they knewe not Christ the true Messias whē he was come among thē but vtterly refused him and to their great condemnation reiected him whom they daily had in their mouthes and bragged themselues to be his people his Church and children of Abraham Iohn 1. vnto whom as vnto his peculiar inheritance he was especially sent The sonne of God found none more obstinate malicious against him his doctrine and kingdome then these men that continually vaunted and bragged of his name promises law Church and kingdome After Christes giorious Ascention by false Apostles Sathan set forward againe his aunciēt practice which although the great paine and diligence of the Apostles Apostolicall Pastors in their time mightily suppressed But when the Apostles and the Apostolical Pastors were taken out of this life to rest with the Lorde and that the faithfull workemen and diligent Pastors wared shant and thin in the Lordes vineyard then did Sathan go forward very busily with this practice Act. 20. 2. Thes 1 Apoc. 13 2 Tim. 4. Apoc. 9. and by such as came sorth of the very bosom of the Church speaking great thinges to the drawing of Disciples and followers after thē vntil he had set his chiefe Preudēt antichrist vicar general in his sente wherin hee in these sectaries stil pretendeth religion and godlinesse but alwaies denyeth and detesteth the substance thereof this well appeareth in the sectaries of all ages but especially after the first seuen hundreth yeered when the Monkish Locustes began to rise swarme out of the bothomles pit to spreade themselues into the worlde as the Benedictes Augustines Donstinians Cistrians with an infinite number beades some blacke some white and when the admiration of these began to decay then giueth the Deuill a fresh onset againe by a newe supplie of fryers Chanons Nunnes Ancorettes and Heremites a new band of other sectaries which termed thēselues schoolemen Canonists some Sententionaries Some