the which before they fledde but of this by ioyning bothe the swordes together the spirituall and the temporall the rather to vanquishe and discomfite the enemie But nowe if it were so that emongest the rest the bishop of Rome had bene comprehended in this epistle yeat the calling of him brother or felowe in the ministerie is no cause to conclude as you doe against his auctoritie For neither doe I nowe nor euer hathe anie Catholike hetherto so defended or mainteined the popes supremacy that it hathe not bene allwaies acknowledged that bothe he and other bishoppes be the ministres of one common maister allthough that maister haue made him the ruler of his felowes and ouerseer of his brethren Yea the popes them selues haue euer vsed to call the other bishoppes their brethern and felowe bishoppes not renouncing therby the auctoritie of their seate What marueile is it therfore if the bisshoppes of the East had called the pope emongest the other to whome they wrote brother and felowe in the ministerie by the which name he calleth him selfe it can not be denied Nowe where M. Dorman speaketh of persecution as he dyd Nowell Fo. 13. a. 13 alittle before of oure moste cruell practise I referre it to the iudgement of all the worlde whether the papistes or we be more cruell persecutours and wheather haue suffred more persecution they or we If they be more cruell persecutours that lacking power Dorman shewe notwithstanding more crueltie in wordes then other doe in deedes if their crueltie be greater who punishe beside and against lawe then theirs who folowe lawe if it be no crueltie at all to punishe a fewe to saue the nombre by terrour of lighter paines to vse the wordes of S. Austen to â—ib de vinit eccl cap. 17. the Donatistes complaining of the Catholikes as you doe nowe to preserue from greater euills then is the matter iudged allreadie in all vpright iudgement then nedeth there no furder processe As for the lenitie by the which you woulde commende youre selues to the worlde youre charitable sermones made aswell before the Quenes moste excellent maiestie at the courte as before the nobles and other honorable of the Realme at the Crosse in the which yow haue consumed all youre eloquence to prouoke oure moste gratiouse soueraigne to imbrue her chaste and vnspotted handes with the innocent bloude of true Catholikes hathe long since made that wel knowen to the worlde So that I maye nowe truly saye to yow as did S. Austen to certeine heretikes in his time bragging of their lenitie towardes the catholikes as you doe of youres Nulla bestia si Epist. 48. neminem vulneret propterea mansueta dicitur quia dentes vngues non habet Seuire vos nolle dicitis ego non posse arbitror No beaste if he wounde no man is therfore called tame because he lacketh teethe and nailes you saye you will vse no crueltie I thinke yow can not Is not this youre verie case M. Nowell See you not a perfect pattern of youre pitie a copy of youre dissembled and countrefeite kindenesse O were youre murdering mouthes by oure most gratiouse Souereignes commaundement vnmoosseled which god for her sake forbid youre bloud thirsty handes at libertie how woulde these tame beastes bestirre them You saye that I go about to burthen you with enuie of churches either pulled downe or altered to other vses and of altars Nowell a. 12. destroied muche like as the rebelles did burthen king Henry the eight c. How the rebelles burdened king Henry or whether Dorman they burdened him at all or no as you saye they did I will not entremedle my selfe therein Of this I am suer that you be burdened of me none otherwise then S. Hierome burdened the Hunnes and wandalles being infected Epist ad HeliodoruÌ„ with Arrius heresie when he wrote of them after this sorte The churches be ouerthrowen at the altars be horses stabled and a litle after Howe manye monasteries be their taken And againe none otherwise then Optatus the bishop of Lib. 6. coÌ„â—â—â— Donatist Mileuite in Afrike burdened the Donatistes there doing the like when he tolde them that there coulde be no greater sacrilege then to breake shaue and remoue cleane away the altars off God on the whicht bothe they them selues some tymes had offred and the prayers off the people and membres off Christ were caried As for youre excuse that you make why Abbayes were ouerthrowen in oure countrye it is not trulie muche pertinent to oure purpose in this place For had it bene all true whereof the greatest parte was moste certeinely false that you sclaunderously and falsely laied to the charges of religiouse men emongest whome as there were manie offendours euen those that haue bene since in England greate pillers and in youre newe churche chiefe fauourers of youre newe religion so were there manie innocent and good who ceassed not daie and night to lament the disordred life of those other their brethren to praie most earnestly to almighty god for their sinnes and the sinnes of the people yeat was this no cause sufficient to turne vp the churches to ouerthrowe the altars Which you youre selfe also perceiuing and knowing that aswell in king Henries time those good fathers of the Chartrehouse as in the late reigne of Quene Marie bothe they in Shene the moÌ„ckes of westminstre the Franciscanes of Grenewich the preachers of S. Bartilmewes the nonnes of Sion and Dertford liued euery ordre so honestlie in all vertue and godlines according to their rule that manie wer edified by their good examples none offeÌ„did by their euil yow flee to an other shifte against the fundations off suche religiouse houses forsothe Which because you say were laied vpoÌ„ prayer for the redemption Nowell fol. 13. 2. 23. of the soules of their founders and their progenitours soules c. Were so vnsuer and weake or rather wicked that they coulde no longre beare suche huge superstructions and buildinges as were laied vpon them Well suche fundations maye be well counted weake Dorman or rather wicked by wicked Aerius who was condeÌ„ned for Aug. lib. de haeresib haer 53. lib. 3. haere 75. the like heresie as witnesse bothe S. Austen and Ephiphanius aboue 12. hundred yeares since But to all good Christian men they seme and euer haue done proufitable and meritoriouse as to him that will take the paines to reade the boke of late learnedly written of purgatorye it shall I doubt not euideÌ„tly appeare Beside that by this meanes our colleages at home in the vniuersities yea your cathedrall churche and Deanery it selfe M. Nowell might be in some daunger to be ouerthrowen if you fal to suche scanning of their first fundations Here you compell me to entre with you into a disputation about altars And for the iustifieng of your communion Fol. 14. b. Altars Nowell 1. Cor. 10. table you alleage first that oure sauiour instituted the sacrament at a
58. a. youre sclaunders of schismes and troubles as by vs raised doe we alleage the effecte of the same parable of the stronge man so quiet in his house vntill a strongre then he came and disturbed him whiche Christe oure sauiour in like sclaunder rehearsed for defense of himselfe Although the parable serued our Sauioure against the Dorman Phariseis yeat it serueth not yow against the churche off Christe When yow can proue that which yow only without proufe blasphemously hetherto haue affirmed making it aswell of the application of this parable as of all that you elles haue sayde touching comparing of vs to the Phariseis youre selues to Christe and his Apostles the verye foundation that all faitheful Christians were in that case when Martin Luther beganne first to preache that the Phariseis were at the comming of Christe then applye it and vse it it will wel serue your purpose Yeat truly to make this parable in some wise to serue youre turne it maketh well for youre Sacramentaries againste the poore Lutherans whome you haue in dede not onely disquieted but driuen from their possessions in moste places and deuoured also and swalowed into your hongresteruen paunches euen as is saide that Pharao dreamed of the seuen leane carion oxen that they had eaten vp the fatte And so let Gen. cap. 41. this parable and dreame bothe if you wil serue youre turne Iff the reader shall thinke that I haue bene to tediouse in answering Nowell this matter here but touched as it were by the waye I trust he will beare with me therein for that M. Dorman as he began and floorished the first face of his boke with blotting vs with the sclaunder of schismes so hathe he hetherto continued in the same and applied all his allegations out of S. Cipriā Basile Hierome Nicephorus and others chiefely to that purpose c. The reader must beare with yow in mo thinges then Dorman this or elles it will be wrong with yow And euen in this me thinketh and so I doubt not but other thinke to wherin yow craue pardon as hauing sayde to much he had ned◠to beare with you for saing so little For your owne defence till yow proue vs by Scripture that Christes churche shoulde decaie and come to vtter ruine and that so it dyd yow haue sayde nothing against vs till yow bring better matter then different opinions of schoolemen in disputable matters of Logiciners aboute the predicables of religiouse men in clothing diet going becking bowing c. yow haue sayde as little The first sentence that I prefixed before my booke out of Saint Augustine yow haue not yeat answered If yow had answered it there as yow pretended that you woulde you shoulde not haue neded here to haue troubled either youre selfe or the reader with that matter For answere once directly yea or nay to this whether yow communicate with all nations and with those churches founded by the Apostles labour and the matter is answered who be the schismatikes in fewe wordes you or we Where you saye that my allegations out of S. Cyprian Basile Hierome Nicephorus were applyed chiefly to this to note you of schismes I muste note that you be here contrarye to youre selfe and youre sainges before For M. Nowell contrary to him selfe in youre reproufe vpon these places you make me to haue suche sense as though I had alleaged them all directly to proue the popes supremacy And for that cause you labour with toothe and naile to proue that they ought not so to be taken Neither are they contented here with but doe also plaie with Nowell pictures very pleasantly as they thinke in the which they painte out a multitude of suche heretikes or rebelles as oure confederates or allies whose opinions we do moste abhorre and against whome we continually bothe preache and wrighte Yea forsothe this was the matter in deede allthough Dorman yow be lothe to confesse so muche that made yowe to lauish out youre store in defence of schismes and sectes It was this table this arbor as you call it or crooked tree that made yow to daunce But what saie yow to this tree I praie yow Yow saie that we haue placed there a multitude of heretikes whose opinions yowe doe moste abhorre We marueile not though yow like not all for therein standeth the grace of the table that of so manie sectes as be there set out no one of them liketh the other Yowe shoulde haue done well to haue named the opinions which yow doe abhorre as perhappes yow would had it not bene for waking some of youre felowes that seme to be a sleepe That these sectes appeare not all of them euidently emongest yow as they doe in Germanie where youre heresies first beganne VVhy sectes and schismes shewe not them selues so euidently in Englande as they doe in Germanie as that excuseth yow not being all membres of that malignant churche youre mother so is it the lesse to be merueiled at because the states of these two countries are not like England is ruled by one souereigne heade Germanie by diuerse Which is the cause that the heades being diuersly affected in religion auaunce euery of them that religion whiche liketh him best Whereas in Englande yow lacke that commoditie being vnder the rule of one only heade whiche is an inuincible argument to shewe how necessarie in the churche of God it is to haue one heade to gouerne the reast Had yow in Englande as they haue in Germanie your free cities youre dukes youre Lantgraues youre Palsgraues euery one a king within his owne dominions O how yowre sectes woulde triumphe in the courtes of princes what combattes they would kepe in open pulpites that nowe dare not but by steal the and in corners one of them snatche and snarle at the other As for youre continuall preaching and writing against these sectes whereof yowe bragge so muche what yow preache against the Lutherans Anabaptistes Osiandrins or any suche like I reporte me to them which be youre hearers I thinke what so euer face yow set vpon it here yow be colde and rare inough in that argument and be as plentifull and whot as you will yow shall haue these heretikes and suche other in places where they dare saie as muche of yowe As for youre writing yow protestantes at home haue not written anie one worde that is to be sene abroade against anye secte of the table more then in some sely translations of youre felowes bookes as yowe terme by contempte that kinde of excercise So busy yowe are in doing the message of youre father in setting furth to the worlde youre Sacramentarie heresie and defacing the popes auctoritie that as little leisour haue you to wright against other sectes if yow mislike them as yow pretende as yow haue to exhorte mē by preaching to fasting to praier to good worckes And therefore youre writing I let passe as a manifest Lye 51. lye And all
the worlde This one heade executed the censures of the churche vpon See M. Doctor Hardinges booke the seconde edition fol. 111. b. malefactours and transgressours of the ecclesiasticall canons confirmed the ordinations and elections off bishoppes approued or disalowed councelles restored bishoppes wrongfully condemned and depriued receiued into the church such as had erred and gone a straie and all this thorough out the whole worlde But with all this I saye I will not presse you because youre Apologie and you be it neuer so easy to be proued will yeat for your honour sake perhappes denie it Only this I aske of yow how yow be not ashamed to saie that it is impossible for one man to gouerne the whole churche seing by youre owne confession for 900. yeares it hathe bene so If yow will saie that the churche hathe bene euill gouerned these latter 900. yeares allthough that yow coulde right well proue as you shal neuer be hable what maketh that for this assertion off youres that one man can not possybly gouerne the whole churche conteining to vse yowre owne wordes so manie nations so diuerse Languages and natures of men Howe proueth it that one generall heade can not so ouersee his charge that he shall be able to kepe all churches from schismes and troubles and pacifie them when they are risen If one man alone coulde for the space of 900. yeares so rule all churches dispersed thorough out all the worlde that he Note was able to plant emongest so manie nations so diuerse languages and natures of men one naughty and corrupte faithe as yow saie might not the same or maye not an other with as muche facilitie haue planted or plant if it were to be planted a truthe thorough out the whole worlde If the churche haue bene so gouerned during this terme of 900. yeares that all the affaires of the churche haue by one heade bene so ordered that no membre hath had iust cause to complaine that all membres haue agreed in perfecte quietnesse one with an other and all with their heade as youre selfe hereafter confesse allthough yow labour to qualifye the matter in this wise In deede we must nedes confesse a truthe M. Nowels confession cōcerning the quiet agrement vnder the gouernement off the Pope fol. 56. b. 25. that whilest we all remained vnder the quiet obedience off youre Romishe heade in doctrine of his traditiōs there was a coloured hinde of quietnesse concorde and loue emongest all the membres of that heade the subiectes of that one gouernour and ruler and specially emongest the cleargie of that one churche if I saye by youre confession there was suche a quiete agreing thorough out all the worlde in false doctrine will you still abide by it that the same one heade that gouerned in this peasable maner all the worlde whome he fedde with euill doctrine might not haue gouerned them as quietly if he had deliuerd to them sounde and wholesome doctrine Or will you saye that God can doe lesse in procuring good thinges then the diuell in promoting euill that God can make one man hable alone to gouerne all the worlde without schismes or to appease them being moued as great as it is in euill gouernement but not in good If you will not saye thus you must nedes saie that it is nothing impossible for one man assisted by goddes grace to gouerne the churche of the whole worlde were it greater then it is and so to confesse with all that the Apologie in saing the contrary and yow in defending the Apologie haue bothe off yow falsely blasphemously and foolishely erred As for the reason whereunto the Apologie and yow leane that as God hathe giuen to no one king to be aboue all so to no one bishop to rule the whole churche that is as I tolde you before to appoint God because he hathe made manie kingdomes to make many heades of the churche which is but one and so consequently to multiply religions and make many faithes But because you repeate verie often this comparison and thinke it so absurde that there shoulde be any more one heade ouer the whole churche thē one chiefe king aboue all the kingdomes in the worlde I will here proue that within the first six hundred yeares it was taken for no absurditie There is no man I thinke that hathe bestowed anie time in the ecclesiasticall histories ignorant what a doe Theodora the Empresse wife to Iustinian the Emperour made to haue Siluerius the pope depriue Menna the good archebishop of Constantinople and to restore Anthimius the heretike laufully before by Agapetus the pope depriued To the which wicked attempt when by no meanes the good pope coulde be brought to consent false accusations were brought in against him and so he was by tirannie remoued and cōstreined to flee to a towne called Patara of the prouince of Lycia Whither the emperour Liberatus in Breuiario cap. 22. on a time comming the bishopp there as Liberatus the Archedeacon of Carthage writeth complaining to him and calling to witnesse the iust and terrible iudgemēt of God for the vniust expulsion of the bishop of so greate a seate addeth at the last these wordes Multos esse in hoc Many Kinges to gouerne the worlde one pope to gouerne the churche mundo reges non esse vnum sicut ille papa est super ecclesiam mundi totius a sua sede expulsus that there are manie kinges in this worlde and that there is no one only kinge as that pope is ouer all the whole churche of the worlde expelled from his seate Doe you not here see M. Nowell that within the first 600. yeares the whole worlde was gouerned by one heade in spirituall matters without anie necessitie to haue it so gouerned in temporall Woulde this good bishop is it credible being a suter to the Emperour if the churche had not bene gouerned by one heade at that time or if it had bene an absurditie that there shoulde be one chiefe bishop and manie equall kinges haue dasshed the Emperour in the mouthe with suche an absurde and flatte lye Or woulde the Emperour vpon this talcke immediatly haue caused Siluerius to be called backe againe into Italie and not rather haue checked the bishop for abusing him with a lye if he had not acknowledged his wordes to be true Thus muche I trust maye serue to make the indifferent reader vnderstande that I reprehended not the Apologie without iust cause You re railing against me because it is as youre selfe cōfesse fol. 39. a. beside the matter I passe ouer But so can I this by no meanes that yow take it for no reproche yow saye to haue Nowell b. 1. youre congregation secrete scattred and vnknowen to all the worlde because this is common to yow with the primitiue churche of oure Sauiour Christe and his holie Apostles Considre I beseche the good Reader whether these newe Dorman vpstart heretikes of oure age be not brought
the bishop had only this power more then a prieste that yow speake of Might not the meanest prieste in his diocesse for all this imagine and sowe emongest the people what lewde opinions he list and tell the bishop to his face if he shoulde reproue him therefore that he passeth the boundes of his office who hathe nothing elles to doe but to confirme suche as were lately baptised If this be true M. Nowell where is nowe Vnus ad tempus index vice Christi one iudge for the time Lib. 1. epistol 3. in the steede of Christe mentioned before by S. Cyprian and acknowledged by youre selfe to be the bishop in his diocesse If he be the iudge in Christes stede ouer al the rest then his power extendeth further I trowe then to confirmation For what iudiciall acte is there done in the ministring thereof Thus it appeareth howe shamefully you haue beelied S. Hierom how lewdely you haue abused his wordes to suche a foolishe sense as no learned or wise eares can abide Nowe to youre thinking that if a prieste by S. Hieromes minde may doe as much as a bishop that then one bisshop maie doe as muche by Goddes lawe as an other Isaye S. Hierom beelyed againe 30. that I thinke not but I knowe and beleue that you lye vpon S. Hierome who saieth not nor is of that minde that a prieste maye doe asmuche as a bishop For in this epistle to Euagrius he excepteth the power of making priestes in the dialogue against the Luciferians the auctoritie of ordinary confirming and in bothe the places he graunteth to one which must nedes be the bishop a peerelesse power aboue all the rest for the auoiding of schismes So that this being true you shoulde rather haue thought that one bisshop might doe as muche as an other certeine thinges excepted or elles you shoulde haue bene better ocupied to haue thought vpon some other matter I maruell M. Nowell that you harpe so muche vpon this string of making bisshoppes and priestes equall whereunto if youre Archebishoppes and bishoppes loke not in time I thinke those goodfelowe ministres shoemakers weuers tinkers broomemen coweherdes fidlers etc whome youre bishoppes haue made equall to you that be â–ª inferiour ministers yow of youre goodnes will shortly make equall to youre bishoppes and archebishoppes You procede and saye Further seing this one afterwarde chosen to rule the rest was Nowell fo 43. b. â—â— chosen as well at Alexandria as at Rome orolles where c It must nedes fall out that these wordes one chosen to rule the rest either make for no supremacie of any one bishop ouer all the churche as apperteining to euery bishop in his owne diocesse or if M. Dorman will nedes inforce a supremacie by the saide wordes he shal be inforced to confesse the saide supremacie to be common to the B. of Alexandria where S. Hierome saieth this one was chosen to rule the rest with the B. of Rome as by the other place last alleaged by M. Dorman out of S. Cyprian the saide Supremacie shoulde apperteine to the B. of Carthage c. I haue shewed so often before howe I inforce vpon these Dorman wordes a supremacie ouer the whole churche to wit not directly but by an ineuitable consequent that it is needelesse to repeate my wordes againe And therefore in thus applieng this place to my purpose there is no feare of bringing the generall gouernement ouer the whole churche to Charthage or Alexandria If yow haue no other thing to trouble yow then that yow maye be quiet and take youre rest As for that that yow saye that Christe is as muche A sclaunderouse lie 31. blasphemed at Rome as he is either at Alexandria or Carthage that is one of youre sclaunderouse lyes as they can well tell who trauailing thither heretikes and finding there more feruent deuotion then elles where with all thinges contrarie to youre sclaunderouse reportes made at home in youre sermones and writinges haue returned God be praised therefore good and perfect catholikes Of the true religion vsed in the which place as if it were not impertinent here I coulde saie muche so one thing written by S. Hierome in the praise of Rome which I doubte not but yow count emongest those blasphemies that are there you saie vsed against God I caÌ„ in no wise omitte Vbi saieth he alibi tanto studio frequenâ—ia ad ecclesias ad martyrum sâ—pulcra Hieron in proaemio 2. epist. ad Galatas concurritur Where in anie other place is there suche concourse with suche affection and nombre to the churches and sepulchres of martirs Seing that this a praise and token of deuotion for so saieth S. Hierome in this place is more in the Romaines where this frequeting of churches visiting of martyrs is so muche vsed then in other places where it is lesse yea nothing at all as at Carthage and Alexandria if there were nothing elles this alone woulde proue you a lier For euen at this daie the same deuotioÌ„ is as muche vsed at Rome as in S. Hieromes time it was and in Carthage and Alexandria where Machometans now dwel as muche frequented as it is with you and youre felowes in England S. Hierome saith expressely that all bishoppes be equall and Nowell fo 44. a. 3 none superiour and inferiour to another by goddes lawe S. Hierome saith that all bishoppes be of one priestehod Dorman and merite that is to saie no one more a bishop then an other That no one is in iurisdiction aboue or beneathe the other that he hathe in no place And yeat is this the thing that yow shoulde proue It hurteth not oure cause in case that we graunte that this place Nowell do the apperteine to the Apostles and that one was chosen emongest the Apostles them selues to haue the chiefe place that is to speake first to moderate other to staye contention and to remedie schismes Naie it maketh with vs directly who doe graunte that as emongest those 12. one was so chosen to be ruler so it is good that in euery competent nombre of priestes and cleargie 〈◊〉 be chosen likewise to be ruler If yow will be liberall M. Nowell be liberall as yow Dorman shoulde be and marre not all with a little pelting If yow will at the length yealde to the truthe that Petre was heade Lib. 1. contra IouiniaÌ„ of the other apostles confesse also with S. Hierome that it was not the Apostles doing to choose him emongest them â–ª selues Note but that it was magister bonus their good maister who chose Peter to be the heade for the auoiding of schismes Confesse that this maketh not with yow but directly against yow who mainteine that all bishoppes be equall in iurisdiction and no one aboue the other For yow deceiue youre selfe and other toe when you saie that as emongest the 12. apostles there was one aboue the rest so in euerie competent
be suche doltes and so depriued of common sense that we vnderstand not to what ende the fauour shewed to an Anabaptist an Eluidian or anye other heretike for the crueltie practised on the catholike tendeth Argueth it not to the worlde that you seke rather meanes politikely for the tyme to staye them then vtterly for euer to represse them Well thus muche off youre priuate dissensions and lurking heresies whereof one of late in spite of all polycie sustening Verons heresie touching praedestination to abyde no longre burst oute hathe the blaste off common fame blowen ouer to vs. What other priuey store of opinions and seuerall doctrines maye be founde emonge you they knowe best that best are acquainted with you We as we can not knowe all so we can not reporte all This that hathe bene brought is sufficient to proue yowe M. Nowell a lowde lyer vntill you shewe the like to haue bene emongest vs before your heresies began The whiche because yow dispaired to be euer able to doe for yow confesse hereafter that there was at that time a coloured kinde off quietnesse emongest vs fol. 56. b. Yow bethought yow off a better councell that is to saye that emongest the Apostles of Christe the learned fathers of the councell off Nice and other off no lesse fame in Christes churche there haue bene also schismes and sectes You re wordes are these And though there were not a perfecte consent of all men in all pointes what merueile yeat were it if that shoulde happen emongest Nowell vs which was not alltogether lacking emongest the Apostles themselues c. This impudent and blasphemouse shifte you haue borowed Dorman of your Apologie the Apologie of Iohn Caluin he of that greate Lombard the diuell him selfe But here I beseche Staphilus in Epist ad Episcop Eystetēsen the considre with me good reader what either a miserable and detestable religiō is this either elles what weake but shamelesse patrones hathe it founde when suche faultes as be noted therein can no otherwise be excused but by sclaundring moste wickedly the learned doctours of the churche the generall councelles of the same yea the moste blessed and gloriouse apostles them selues Tell these newe gospellers that whereas the churche of Christe is Matth. 5. a citie builded vpon the toppe of a hill a candell set in the house to giue light to all that be in it a kingdome that reacheth from sea to sea and from the East to the west that Lucae 11. Psalm 71. their churche that they boast of is a secrete scattred congregation vnknowen to all the worlde and to them selues toe yow shall haue a peuishe proctour steppe furthe and answere as M. Nowell dyd before we take this obiection as Supra fol. 39. a. 32. no reproche being common to oure congregation with the primitiue churche of oure sauiour Christe and his holie apostles specially in the time of persecution Charge them as I doe here with schismes and you haue hearde the answere thereto allready The reporter whereof and as manie as before haue vsed this and like defences I can resemble to no worldly thing better then to a filthy and beastly sowe who being fowle and bemired her selfe neuer careth to be cleane but fodeth on still in the durte beraieng all thinges that she meeteth or rubbeth her selfe vpon as these schismaticall proctours doe not caring so muche to purge them selues as to laie their filthe vpon other that be cleane and to make them tomble and walowe in the mire as they doe Now to this blasphemouse shift because it is in the confutation of In the 3. parte fol. 136. and seq the Apologie so learnedly answered I will saie no more but that it is moste directly repugnant to the holie scriptures which beare witnesse that credentiū erat cor vnū anima vna Those which beleued at the first preaching of the Act. 4. Apostles were of one harte and of one minde It tendeth The Apostles varied dot in doctrine openly to the defacing of that marcke which Christe as of all other the moste certeine and suer to discerne those whiche are his gaue to his disciples when commending peace and vnitie he tolde them In hoc cognoscent omnes quia mei Ioan. 13. discipuli estis si diligatis inuicem In this marcke shall all men knowe that you are my disciples if you loue together M. Nowell chargeth the Apostles as the heathen philosophers dyd that finally it commeth from the ethnike and heathen spirite of certeine vaine philosophers as witnesseth the learned father Cirillus the B. of Alexandria who made in his time this verie obiection that M. Nowell nowe dothe Th◠Lib. 1. contra lulianū which place maie it please the learned reader to viewe and there shall he finde that this good bishop was so assured off that perfecte agrement of the Apostles that he was not afearde to make the offer to those vaine philosophers that so reasoned with him as M. Nowell dothe with me to leaue to defende them anie farder in case they coulde proue anie disagrement emongest them in doctrine Nowe that yow haue done with the Apostles yow come to the fathers and doctours of Christes churche of whome yow saye What wondre if that were emongest vs touching some pointes Nowell that was not wanting in the primitiue churche emongest the olde fathers Let the variance emongest the bishoppes assembled at Nicene councell let the contention betwene the bishoppes of the east and west churche about the keping of Easter daye * Beholde an arrogant spirite taking vpon him to iudge and reprehende the most vertuouse and learned bishoppes of the East and west churche Dorman a matter not worthy of suche variance be a witnesse thereof This vaine obiection borowed also of youre Apologie as is allmost alltogether what so euer yow haue here patched vp in fiue leaues concerning this matter of schismes is in the answere therto made abundantly satisfied Thither I referre the good reader where as thow maiest finde that some of these controuersies here mentioned by M. Nowell were of matters indifferent and not determined by the churche other some not of doctrine or religion but off priuate quarelles as happened emongest the fathers in the councell of Nice finally some suche as be schismes if they be schismes at all in logike not in diuinitie or matters off faithe so in matters of weight arrested vpon by the determination of the churche such striffes can not be named neither by this schismaticall proctour neither yeat by anye other So greate cause we haue to giue thankes to allmightie God the preseruer of his churche who hathe so mightely defended the same that when schismatikes and heretikes haue done all that they can for the better cloking of their dissension to proue the like in the fathers and learned doctours that haue gone before they being not able with all that malice can deuise or falsehode
secte or elles be compelled to recant youre wordes Nowe for answere to youre scripture moste vntruly applied I saye that in that sense which Christe forbiddeth vs to call men oure fathers that is as oure chiefe and speciall fathers either carnall or spirituall the Benedictines Cistertians Carmelites c. neuer called anie man their father acknowledging allwaies and confessing that that father is but one god him selfe which is in heauen M. Nowell marching on lustely in his lies and vntrue application of scripture addeth And continuing and accōplishing the schisme first begonne in Nowell fol. 55. a. 1. 1. Cor. 1. S. Paules time after the example of those who saied I am off Paule I of Cephas I of Apollo saing I am of Dominicke I of Benedicte I of Frauncis who also maie directly answere S. Paule asking was Paule or anie other sauing only Christe crucified for yow Yea maie the franciscanes saie S. Frauncis was crucified for vs of his familie and beholde the woundes in his side handes and feete It lotheth me to see howe shamefully yow abuse the Dorman moste holie and sacred scriptures The schisme that was emongest the Corinthians was in a most necessary pointe of doctrine to witte about the grace conferred in the sacrament of baptisme eache of them thinking that the vertue thereof depended vpon the excellencie of the ministre that ministred it as bothe by the texte it selfe and the iudgement of S. Austen thereupon is moste euidently to be seene Nowe is this diuersitie of professions in religiouse De praedes Sanctorum cap. 5. lib. 3. contra Crescon Grammat cap. 1◠men not in doctrine or faithe as was theirs but in maner and trade of life which all though it be in some streighter in other some looser yeat because all tende to one ende that is to the perfection of the ghospell allthough not by one meanes and agree beside in the three substantiall pointes of their profession chastirie pouertie and obedience yow can by no meanes call them schismes It is a fowle lye therefore M. Nowell that yow labour here to colour with the pretense of goddes worde to saie that religiouse men doe folowe the example of those who saide I am of Paule I of Cephas c. Who agreing all in one faithe and doctrine how euer they differ in certeine outewarde obseruations saye not neither as yow also vntruly reporte I am of Dominike I off Benedicte c. But I am of that ordre that S. Dominike was that is to saie I haue professed to serue God in suche sorte as S. Dominike while he liued did and so of the rest none of them in the meane season preferring their patrones the one before the other or iudging them selues to be the better for folowing this rule or that but leauing the iudgement thereof to him who in the daye of the reuelation of his iust iudgement shall giue to Rom. 2. Six lies in 8. lynes euery one according to his worckes To conclude therfore you haue here in eight lines made no fewer thē six lies The first is in calling the diuerse orders of religion that are in the churche popishe schismes The seconde in saing that the professours therof haue forsaken Christes religiō The. 3. that they haue forsaken his name The 4. that they haue chosen to be called religiouse The 5. that they haue chosen to be so called by a speciall name of a seuerall religion is a lye if you meane as it is to be thought you doe for otherwise it is no schisme by the worde religion religion in faithe ot in maners or trade of life The sixte that you charge thē to folowe the exāple of the schismatikes of S. Paules time betwene whome there is no maner of resemblaunce at al as hathe bene declared So that now hauing quit your selfe like a propre man in these fewe lines you will take a conscience to lye anie more for a while and therfore you dare not precisely affirme that the franciscanes doe saye that S. Frauncis was crucified for them but saie that they maie saie so Blessed be God you can not charge them M. Nowell that anie suche thing they doe saie whiche seing you can not how holdeth the argument I praie you whereby you proue them schismatikes suche as were in S. Paules time because they maie so saye Nowe M. Nowel what maie not you saye and so proue yourselfe not only a schismatike but also an heretike if all thinges whiche you maie saye you should be also charged in dede to saye You maie saye for some of your schoolefelowes haue saide so much Lucas Sternberger of omuluke in Morauia Staphil in Englishe fol. 112. a. Instit li. 3. cap. 23. before you that to worship the name of the blessed Trinitie is to imagine falsely three Goddes you maye saie and must saye if you will folowe your Maister Caluin that God is the auctor of their damnation that are damned woulde you nowe be contented because you maye saie thus and yeat woorse toe if worse maye be that one shoulde conclude against you that you be a schismatike or an heretike And yeat who seeth not that suche a conclusion were muche more liker to be true youre felowes and Maister hauing taught suche opinions before then this wherewith you burden these pore Franciscanes of whome there was neuer yeat anie I beleue that had so idle a braine as to imagine so vainely of S. Frauncis and wickedly bothe as you haue done You procede in your pastime and saye If S. Paule aske againe is Iesus Christe diuided Yea maie a false Nowell Hypocrite one of the secte of the Iesuites saye for we haue the one parte of Iesus therof called Iesuites and haue left the other parte Christe to the seely soules abroade to holde them selues cōtented therewith and with the name of Christians therof deriued When you speake off a secte of Iesuites I knowe not Dorman what you meane I maie gesse that you meane those religiouse men that are called of suche as knowe them The cōpanie or societie of Iesus If that be your meaning what haue you to saye to them Mary saie you one of that secte maie saye Iesus Christe is diuided And you maie not you also saye so if you list M. Nowell Who doubteth but that you are in as good possibilite to saye so as they or anie other Why then because bothe you and they and all other maie saye so are you therfore and they and all other schismatikes hipocrites and so furthe But why maye they saie so more then anie other For so the because they are called Iesuites For so the they be not so called truly Loke in the decrees of the The profession of the clerkes of the societie of Iesus Late councell holden at Trent and there you maie learne how they be called They beare the name as I saide of a companie gathered together in the name of Iesus to serue him wholly and
infidelles to conuert heretikes to instruct youthe in good learning to professe the tongues Grammer Logike Rhetorike Philosophie and Diuinitie without rewarde or peny taking in that I saie some addicte them selues to this trade of life and are therefore called the companie or societie of Iesus not euery Christian is suche a Iesuite M. Nowell You youre selfe were not I am suer when yowe receiued youre stipende for teaching at westminster whether you be now sodenly become such a Iesuite that other men knowe better then I. Where yow saie that they bragge of a seuerall name of religions that is one of your ordinarie lies M. Nowell Would God you and I with other that haue not yeat perfitely renounced this wicked worlde coulde as well practise in oure doinges that lesson of S. Paule modestia vestra nota sit omnibus hominibus Phillip 4. Let youre modestie be knowen to all men as they haue doen and to the greate encrease of Christiā faith daily doe Againe their religion is not seuerall in respecte of faithe which they professe being no other then that one knowen faithe of Christes vniuersall churche but of maner and kinde of liuing whiche maie be diuerse without feare off schisme But if youre religion be hipocrisie as it is in dede then haue yow stirred vp an horrible schisme diuiding and cutting the gloriouse Nowell name of Iesus in the which onelye is saluation yea tearing Christe him selfe in pieces infinitly more wickedly and cruelly then euer did the wicked souldiors that crucified Christ who had a remorse to cutte his coate a sondre Hetherto M. Nowell hathe wrangled about the name Dorman supposing the religion of those of the societie of Iesus as good as his And trulie were it no better it were but a starcke lump of heresies partly olde newly scoured partly newe lately inuented Now he commeth to the religion it selfe and vpon a bare supposition that it is hipocrisy this lusty Rhetorician dischargeth a peale of threateninges and concludeth vpon the same that the professours thereof are a horrible schisme diuiding tearing and cutting Christe him selfe and so furthe But what if the religion of those whom yow call Iesuites be no hipocrisy M. Nowell Yow bid me proue that On goddes name I saie it is no hipocrisye in dede How thinke yow haue I not well and substantially proued it Doe not I proue it to be no hipocrisy as you proue it is hypocrisie when yow bring only to proue it this bare assertion of youres as it is in dede as though euery worde that yow spake were the ghospell it selfe If yow saie that yow minded not to proue it but to affirme it then it shal be inough for me also to affirme the contrary onely without anie nede to proue it at all attending after youre proufe that so I maie haue some matter to answere to Therefore I repeate againe if the religion that yow speake of be no hipocrisy as it is none in deede then haue yow malitiously lied When yow speake of cutting the gloriouse name off Iesus Christe the tearing of him selfe in to pieces you put vs in remembraunce of that miserable and moste horrible tearing that yow haue made of Christe yow cause vs to thinke how yow haue cut his misticall bodye the churche by schismes and heresies how yowe haue haled and mangled his sacramentes how yow haue rent his true body in that moste blessed sacrament how yow haue troden it vnder your beastly feete infinitly more wickedly and cruelly on the altar thē did those wicked souldiours that crucified him on the crosse And lest all these sectes of hipocrites shoulde not be knowen Nowell sufficiently by only diuersitie of names they haue by other infinite wayes and meanes trauailed to seuer their sectes a sondre studieng for diuision as for the best and flieng all shewe of vnitie as the worst of all thinges The Catholikes being sufficiently proued schismatikes Dorman by the diuersitie of names M. Nowell wyll not staye there but by other infinite meanes and wayes he will he saieth proue the same Nowe I praie yow good Readers marcke well these infinite meanes and waies For excepte they were of greate force M. Nowell yow maie be suer woulde haue contented him selfe with suche stuffe as he hath in suche abundance brought allreadie without heaping anie more Wherfore to their diuersitie of names they haue ioined diuersitie Nowell of fashions and diuersitie of colours in their apparel diuersitie of girdles hose and shoes diuersitie of shauing diuersitie of going becking and bowing diuersitie of diete and meates diuersitie of reading singing and tuning diuersitie of churche seruice and diuersitie of rules of life Who is it now M. Nowell that magno conatu magnas nugas Dorman agit That plaieth the triffler so earnestly Who proueth quidlibet ex quolibet all thinges of euery thing What greate triffles vtter you to proue a schisme emongest religiouse men What childish diuersities heape you together to proue the horrible crime of schisme If these diuersities be as you saie they are the verie propertie of schismes and sectes what shall we saie to oure seruing men that go in diuerse liuories the aldermen of London that go in one coloure and the burgeoises and meaner Citezins that go in an other What will you make of the graue Iudges and learned Seriātes at the lawe Shal they be schismatikes and sectaries because the one sorte is cladde in scarlet the other in fine blacke Doctours in the vniuersitie in their scarlet gownes and Maisters of Arte in their schoole habite are they sectes by your iudgement M. Nowell Your selfe with your long gowne and square cap mainteine you a secte because yow go otherwise apparailed then other laye mē doe Or if iudges Doctours Aldermen scholers seruing men maye haue diuersitie of fashions diuersitie of colours in apparell and yeat this diuersitie in them no propertie of schismes and sectes maye not religiouse men also being of diuerse vocations and professions haue the like diuersitie of appareile and suche other thinges without suspition of sectes and schismes Let your wisdome if you saie nay instructe vs when you write nexte and shewe the cause why But I praie you good sir that affirme so peremptorily that this diuersitie is the verie propertie of schismes and sectes haue you anie scripture that leadeth you to saie so Haue you anie learned writer within the first six hundred yeares that giueth this marcke to knowe schismatikes by Is there anie beside your selfe and the Apologie and some other of like credite that describeth schismes and sectes by this diuersitie Naye if this diuersitie that you vainely obiect to vs were the verie propretie of sectes and schismes might you not perhappes by that meanes proue Christe and his Apostles schismatikes For as yow haue no scripture to proue that they went al in one liuory so is the likelihode and presumption on the contrarye parte that they went diuersly appareiled But how so euer
this doe they for that they are not ignorant that suche Nowell though moste false sclaunders being yeat so importunely and cōtinually laied to oure charge are of muche effect to offende the weake and simple and to stirre vp their hatred against vs. And therefore they vse suche constant asseuerations for argumentes as in their schooles they are taught to doe when they are destitute of due prouffes c. If we sclaunder yow how easy a matter had it bene for Dorman yow to haue recouered youre good name by saing There be not so manie sectes sprong out of Luther as the table saieth there are and then haue named some suche as had bene falsely noted in the same The which because yowe haue not done not for lacke of good will as appeareth yow haue verie muche confirmed the truthe of the table Whereas yow stande vpon the bare deniall against manifest proufe yow make vs in deede remembre a saing of the schooles plus potest asinus negare quà m Aristoteles probare But because this table offendith yow so muche yow maie perchaunce shortly haue an other of allmoste 90. diuerse sectes gathered together by the reuerent father WILLIAM In Dubitantio suo LINDAN Bishop of RVREMVND But perhappes yow count this a sclaunder because yow acknowledge but one religion of Iesus Christ how manie sectes so euer there be emongest yow For so it foloweth For we as we haue no religion but onelye Christes so desire we Nowell to be called after the name of none but his c. Whiche we M. Nowell For so saieth euerye secte Dorman in the table aswell as yowe sacramentaries doe It is not inough for you to saye that you haue no religion but the religion of Christ the contrarie whereof neuer heretike durst yeat in wordes professe Proue it first then saie it afterwardes Begin from the Apostles and come to oure time and shewe youre religion in euery age as oures hathe A reasonable chalenge to the protestāts of late bene learnedly shewed and then bragge that you haue none but Christes religion We offer you faire refuse vs not in goddes name and in the behalfe of his church I saie refuse vs not If you dare and mistrust not your cause procure vs libertie freely to sende in oure bookes and to other indemnitie for hauing and reading thē It is the thing that if you meane as you pretende the planting of true religion in the hartes of all men you shoulde most earnestly haue desired refuse it not therfore being frely offered It is the thing that on youre knees ioyntely together with vs you ought to become humble petitioners to the Quenes moste excellent maiestie to voutchesaufe to graunte and to remoue all suche occasions as might stoppe or hinder in anie wise the course of so necessarie an attempt It is the waie to ende all controuersies to ceasse all striffes to restore vnitie to betraye schismatikes to make manifest the true catholikes and so consequently to make it appeare whether you haue no religion but only Christes The whiche saing of youres till you proue by this meanes wil be counted no better then a bragge common to all heretikes Thinke they that if we list and had leisor as they haue we coulde Nowell not frame an arbor or tree twise as greate as they haue deuised c. Now let this pleasant deuise of youres come furth when Dorman you wyll M. Nowell What shall you proue or wyn thereby No schisme no secte no cōtrarietie of opinions in doctrine of the faith cā ye proue or shew there No blasphemy against the blessed Trinite no heresy against the Sacramēts of Christes church against the godhead of Christ against our blessed lady no article of our Crede denied shal you finde in that your deuised arbor as in the table of your petigrue M. Nowel all such thinges are to be founde But thinke you againe that if we list and had leasure to be euil occupied we coulde not deuise as fonde foolish toyes as your sharpe wit hath imagined touching your ministres and their wiues your ronnagatfriers and mōckes with their strompets your late skirmish vpō square cappes and copes your diuersites of apparell of hattes and clokes of beardes and such like trifling toyes more mete for children in a Christmas playe or for laddes of the countrie in a whitson game then for a preacher and pretended deane in his printed workes Wherefore I conclude omitting all other not necessary trifles in this your trifling processe that the crime of schismes and sectes most truly laied to youre charge hath most falsely vniustly and barrenly ben reuersed vpon vs and do rebounde directly and truly vpon you and your felowes in such sorte that while you liue M. Nowell nor in many yeres after the storme of your heresies be calmed this your horrible diuision and multitude of schismes in so fewe yeres spronge vp shall at any time be forgottten or blotted out of eternall memory to the perpetuall ignominie of protestants and great glory of God and his church That the place brought out of the. 17. Chapitre of Deuter. is well and to the purpose alleaged The 18. Chapitre YOW saye M. Nowell that the circunstances of this place Nowell fol. 59. a. 27. B 26. of Deuteronomium being well considered they maie easelie informe the reader that the popes tirannie to saye and doe what he liste can not be grounded vpon this place and that if the pope or anie creature doe commaunde against goddes worde he maie and ought to be disobeied therein And that therfore bothe Pighius and I haue in vaine alleaged this place for suche supremacie as the pope claimeth The circunstances to be cōsidered are the A 27. place which God hath chosen the prieste which must be Leuitical Thirdlie the place to be doubtefull whether the whole determination B 1. doe perteine to one or to many c. Fourthly that it is requisite that the saide priestes or prieste doe teach according to the lawe of God and not at his owne pleasure To youre texte M. Nowell for shame will you euer be Dorman thus raunging at randon It was not my purpose here to proue by this place of Deuteron the bishop of Rome his supremacie ouer Christes whole churche no more then it is Pighius his in the place by you alleaged The matter that I haue here in hande is to proue that there must be one heade to gouerne the churche now as there was to gouerne the same in the olde lawe before Whether it be at Rome at Hierusalem or in anie place elles I dispute not here And therfore youre first * The place consideration and * The prieste secōde came without all consideration out of season But I maie beare with you the better because I haue bene vsed to this maner of dealing of youres before as the reader I doubte not can beare me witnes One thing yeat I can
folowe that euerie diocesse hath not now one chiefe ruler but manie If you will not so saye then muste you yealde to this that Rogatianus complaining to the Archebishop graunted that notwithstanding that superioritie whiche he had ouer all that were of his diocesse there was yeat the archebishop aboue him And if these two maie stande together Euerie bishop is the heade and chiefe priest of his owne diocesse and yeat there is one archebishop aboue all then why may not these propositions stande together Euerie Archebishop is chiefe of the prouince where he is Archebishop and yeat there is one pope chiefe of thē all Rogatianus did here more then he neded who denieth that If the B. of London haue in his diocesse a stubborne and vnruly prieste who doubteth but he maie first punishe him by his owne auctoritie if he list And yeat if he refer the matter to the Archebishop of Cauntorburie he dothe the Archebishop more honour and sheweth him selfe to be the more humble The Archebishop is an eye to ouersee the bishop that he doe his dutie as the pope is to ouersee all So long as the bishop is hable to take sufficiēt ordre for all occurrētes in his diocesse him selfe if he vse not this power but referre it to the Archebishop he dothe more then he nedeth but yeat honorablie for the Archebishoppes parte and humbly for his owne Where you saye that suche by S. Cyprian transgresse the Nowell fo 61. a. 1. lawe of God in the Deuteronomie that make them selues bishoppes ouer other bishoppes c. It is true in S. Cyprians meaning that is in suche as Pupianus Dorman was who being an inferiour membre no primate no patriarche no pope woulde take vpon him to iudge S. Cyprian the archebishoppe and iudge appointed of God This place includeth no more the pope who is heade bisshop ouer all other bishops and heade iudge ouer al iudges then it dothe note the bishoppes of euery diocesse for taking vppon them to be the iudges of the curates that be vnder them who in their seuerall cures be iudges in Christes steede it can not be denied For they haue power giuen them of God to loose and binde to iudge inter lepram lepram betwene syn and syn It perteineth I saye no more to the pope then it dothe to the Archebishop who iudging and ouerloking the bishoppes doinges falleth not I trust by youre owne iudgement into this faulte that S. Cyprian noted in Pupianus If then the bishop maye iudge ouer suche priestes as be vnder him Goddes iudges in their particuler cures and the Archebishoppes againe ouer the bishoppes without anye offence why may no◠I praye you the pope be iudge of the doinges of the Archebishops and all other Youre argument which is this Pupianus the bisshoppe might not be iudge ouer the doinges off Saint Cyprian An absurde reason who was an Archebishoppe Ergo the pope maye not be the iudge off all other bisshoppes is like to this M. Nowell maye not make him selfe iudge ouer the bishop of London ergo the Archeb of Cauntorbury dothe not well and is a false vsurper in making him selfe heade bishop ouer all the bisshoppes and chiefe iudge ouer all the iudges in his prouince For such a one as is M. Nowell was Pupianus that proude arrogant man a priuate persone for anye thinge that appeareth to the contrarye as he is This propertie whiche you falselye note to be in the pope is the propertie of your good Lorde M. Grindall with his felowes who occupye the places of other laufull bishoppes yeat liuing and therefore make themselues as S. Cyprian noteth of Pupianus bishoppes ouer bishoppes and iudges ouer the iudges off God for the time appointed That the place of Gregorie Nazianzen was applyed aptly and to the purpose The 19. Chapitre BECAVSE I saye that I remembre a sayng off Gregorye Nowell fol. 61. b. 3. Nazianzene yow infer thereuppon M. Nowell that men maye note that I haue a good memorie c which notwithstanding had I yow saie enlarged to a fewe wordes going before it had appeared that these wordes being spoken of one god gouerning the whole worlde had bene impertinent to proue that there ought to be one pope to gouerne the whole churche You maye note good readers that M. Nowell hath more Dorman wit then honestie that can cauill at a phrase of speache pleasantly when the matter it selfe he can not reproue trulye For yow saye M. Nowell full clerckely that this place b. 29 is alltogether impertinent to the purpose Yeat in the verye nexte wordes folowing youre shrewde wit put yow in remembraunce that there was a waie how I might bring it to make yeat at the least some shewe to the purpose And therefore you saye Nowe if M. Dorman list to transfer the sentence from God gouerning Nowell b. 29. all the worlde to men ruling in the worlde after this sorte Nazianzene saieth there is one onely God who gouerneth all Ergo there must be one onely pope or heade bishoppe to gouerne all the churche I denie the argument and affirme that it foloweth no more then that there must be one only Emperour to gouerne all the worlde I reason not M. Nowell altogether so barelye as yow Dorman surmise that there is but one God and that therefore there must be but one heade to gouerne the churche The force of my conclusion dependeth vpon the reason why there is but one God which is this where many rule there is sedition This argument of myne I so little repent me of that I will here presse you with one other comming from the same moulde S. Austen labouring to proue the certeintie of one God emongest other reasons vseth this for one Sicut enim in ipsa rerum naturamaior est auctoritas vnius ad vnum omnia Lib. de vera religio cap. 25. redigentis c. For euen as in naturall thinges the auctoritye off one bringing all thinges to one is greater neither hath any multitude in the kinde of man any power but such as consentith that is thinketh one thing so in religion the auctority of them ought to be greater and of more credite who call vs to one Of the place of Gregorie Nazianzene as before I reasoned that as there was but one god in the worlde to auoide confusion so there must be in the churche but one heade for the same cause Euen so from this faing of S. Augustine I reason in lyke maner that as the auctoritye of them is greater in religion who call vs to one God because their opinion maketh moste for the conseruation of vnitye so ought their auctoritye and credite to accounted greatest who call vs in the churche to one heade Now what haue yow to saie against this maner of reasoning M. Nowell Yow denie the argument and saie that it foloweth no more then that there must fo 62. a. 3. be one onely Emperour to
youre obiection made of circuncision whiche you saye I maie aswell proue to be to be vsed nowe because it was vsed in the olde lawe as proue the necessitie of one chiefe heade therby No that I can not I will in fewe wordes tell you a cause why The newe lawe is called by the scripture Hebr. 9. tempus correctionis the time of reformation because it correcteth and reformeth the olde whiche brought nothing to perfection Circuncision in the olde lawe was one of Hebr. 7. those thinges that God woulde in the time of grace take awaye and substitute in the place therof a better that is Baptisme So was not the placing of one heade ouer the Synagoge which being done for the quieting of controuersies you maye be suer God would no lesse shoulde continue in the ordre of his churche which he loued so dearely then in the Synagog which was but a figure thereof And yeat if we shoulde folowe youre iudgement the wisdome of God which came to reforme the olde lawe and make a newe perfecte lawe should by appointing ouer his churche manie heades for one make the lawe in that pointe lesse perfecte then was the other Thus you see I can not reason as you saye I might circuncision in respect of baptisme being vtterly an imperfection of the lawe whereas that ordre of one chiefe prieste was moste perfite and appointed to continue for euer excepte you can proue that God hath changed that ordre for the better as he hath in taking awaye circuncision This first side of the. 64. leafe conteineth no other matter fol. 64. a. then greate bragges of the Apologie withe a prophecie of M. Nowells that none of the Romishe cleargie shal euer be able to answere it to anie purpose That prophecie is now thankes be to God proued false and M. Nowell withall a vaine lier and a pelting prophete And nowe I thinke M. Nowell a false prophetâ— that by this time all honest men will maruell the lesse to see so manie lies in this Reproufe of M. Nowelles seing that he hath bene so friendely to shewe him selfe a patrone in defending this lewde lieng Apologie of the whiche iff I haue made any lye it is because I called it but a fardle of lyes whereas I should haue called it as M. Nowell hath sence taught me a whole lighter You blame me not you saye for alleaging anie thinge out Nowell b. â—6 of the olde TestameÌ„t but for my guilefull and vntrue application of places of the olde Testament and of the doctours to suche purposes as they apperteine nothing vnto at all nay are most contrarie to the same You refuse not scripture but the wroÌ„g applicatioÌ„ So wil Dorman anie heretike saye to yow except the Swenckfeldian with whome you shall haue to doe I applie this scripture as the catholike consent of all the worlde dothe applye it whome folowe you in refusing it That there hathe ben nothing proued by me neither fo 65. a. 3. by reason nor by examples of common wealthes it is an impudent lye of youres M. Nowell I haue proued by bothe A lye 52. that as euerie kingdome and countrie hathe his temporall head to gouerne the same by like statutes lawes and customes so the church which is but one muste haue one head to directe it in one faith and religion No reason no examples be againste me for no reason admitteth no example teacheth that one bodie shoulde be better gouerned by manie heades then by one And therfore that is an other Lye 53. lye S. Cyprian and S. Hierome thoughe they speake but of Byshoppes in theire owne diocesse Yeat by greater reason their wordes take place in the whole church as before hathe bene declared That euerie diocesse haue a peculier bishop it is not contrary to the Popes supremacy as you vntruly say And if it should be coÌ„trarie how would you then auoyde his reason that woulde inferre here vpon that the hauing then of seuerall gouernours of euerie shyre in a realme shoulde be contrarie to the gouernement of one supreme gouernour the kinge or the Quene Wel then seinge it is not cleane contrarie to the hauinge of one general heade to haue manie inferiour heades S. Cyprian and S. Hierome be not cleane contrarie to me nor contrarie neither This is therfore allso a lye I gaue to Leo such an epitheton Lye 54. as the whole councell of Calcedon gaue to him before Yf you be angrie there at wreke your selfe vpoÌ„ them Leo maketh for vs directlie all were it trewe that you cauill of Zozimus But as the reader vnderstandeth by this time I dowte not both Zozimus is proued innocente and you a false slaunderer a 18. Neither the lawe neither S. Cyprian vpon the lawe speaketh against one head bishop That is an other flat lye M. Nowell For to testifie one sense of scripture whiche Lye 55. Sainte Cyprian doth is not to condemne an other My collection from the one head bishop of the Synagog hath ben proued to be good and laufully deduced I neade not here to repeate it againe You wishe that I and all other aduersaries of the truth so it Nowell a. 17. pleaseth you to call vs woulde reason from the shadowes off the olde lawe as did S. Paule but you saye we doe not You proue youre sayeng by a bare deniall And then Dorman yowe passe to an other cleane wyde from the purpose But suche is youre rhetorike moste worthye to be noted Well let vs examine youre wanderinge extrauagant note VVe haue made yow yow saye off Christians Iues and Nowell fol. b. 14. oure selues off ministers off the Ghospell Aaronicall Leuites cet Not we M. Nowell but the primitiue churche as youre Dorman selfe confesse in this place in saynge that these thinges beganne in Saint Hieromes tyme. Yow do well to folowe so Lib. 4. cap. 18. neare the steppes of youre Maister Caluin who chargethe in his institutions the fathers of the primitiue churche for counterfeiting the Iuish maner of sacrificing more nearly theÌ„ The fathers off the primitiue churche sclaundered by Caluin other Christ had ordeined or the nature of the gospell did beare But if these thinges were in the primitiue churche then beare the people no more I praye you in hande that you resemble the primitiue church Iff S. Hierome complained of suche thinges in his time then appeale no more to the first six hundrethe yeares if you be wise Then terme not churche ornamentes late superstitions But if S. Hierome complained not at all of suche ornamentes of the church but in the Epistle ad Nepotianum lamented only that weightier matters as the true decking of Christes churche with good ministers were neglected If in the epistle ad Demetriadem he plainelye saieth Non reprehendo non abnuo I reproue it not I dissent not then haue you abused the reader with S. Hieromes name and belied him once agayne