Commonitory doth not more earnestly indeuor any thing then that without any addition we kéepe sincerely that which is deliuered yea it is his onely intent purpose his whole drift desire to teach vs to loue that first was taught and to eschew al new additions Therefore howsoeuer religion at the first was either at Rome or else where truly established yet that is no good argument to proue that it should so continue alwaies Whereof if we would make any doubt let vs looke backe vnto the Church amongst the Iews where God established among them for his seruice and worship euery ceremony so that in euery thing they had plaine direction by Gods lawe how to behaue themselues yet notwithstanding their owne inuentions which they added therto were so many that Christ when he came complained That by their traditions they made Gods cōmandement of no authority And if this befell vnto the people of the Iewes of whom God made especiall choice and tooke them to be his peculier people why may it not befall vnto the Church of Rome that is but one of the places among others which God had chosen to set his name in And if the goodnes which the Apostle commendeth in them was not in them such a continual or eternal inheritance but that they haue long since lost the same as themselues cannot deny how wil they be able to proue that they must haue sincerity of faith for an euerlasting succession I wil not here stand to examine what the Apostle meaneth by this word faith in this place although that perchance might serue to lay their brags For amongst many significations of this word faith there are two that may especially serue for the vnderstanding of that place Sometime faith signifieth religion it selfe or the rule of faith as it is taken in this question what faith or religion do you professe or are you of And in this sence it must be taken in this place to pleasure the papists And in another sence faith may here signify their forwardnes confidence constancy in this their religion and so it semeth that the Apostle here doth vnderstand it And then this is the sence of these words It is spoken of in al the world how readely you receiued constantly continued in the faith And thus doth Chrisostom séeme to expound this place when he saith that the Apostle giueth thanks for their faith confidence as if he would by the latter expounde the former by confidence teach what he meaneth by faith And euen Tho. of Aquin doth so take it The Romans saith he are commended for their faith because they yeelded to it so willingly and stood in it so stifly And this place thus expounded doth not proue their faith to be Catholicke for many are constant that oppugne the Catholicke faith Neither yet will I oppose vnto this some other places where the Apostle may séeme perchaunce to giue as great if not greater commendation vnto other Churches and yet were not they therby aduanced to be the onely patterns that all other should follow as they would haue this of Rome to bée For the Apostle writing to the Thessalonians testifieth of them that they were an example or patern not only to them of Macedonia Achaia but that their faith was spred abroad in all the world Is therfore the faith of the Thessaloniās at this day the true faith because it was so somtime If you say it is not what is said here more for the Church of Rome then was said for that of Thessalonica Although therfore to their immortal praise this iust due commendation belonged vnto them who followed that sincere faith and holy profession which at that time was taught at Rome yet hée cannot as much as séeme to be a Christian as Ciprian saith who continueth not in the trueth of that gospell and faith Whereby it is euident that vnlesse the Church of Rome can shew that they hold that same faith now that their predecessors did whom S. Paul commended this praise of those faithful Romans belongeth no more vnto them then this promise that God made to Abraham That God would be his God and of his séed pertaineth to Ismael and Esau who although they came of Abraham as touching the flesh yet were they and their posterity a godlesse and a gracelesse people But that it may appere as cléere as the Sunne at noone day that vnder an honest cloke of ancient religion they séeke to couer their new found superstitions and whatsoeuer man hath deuised is but new and vnder the name of holy faith they commend vnto vs their grosse Idolatries and most profaned blasphemies My purpose is if God with his good grace shall assist me therein in this short treatise briefly to set downe both the ancient religion of the Romans which at that time was taught and receiued in Rome when this their faith was published in the whole world and also the faith or religion that is now so violently defended of the Church of Rome and is although vniustly called the Catholick Romish religion that we comparing the one of them with the other may sée how vnlike they are and that they cannot flow both from one fountaine or both of them be taught of one spirit And if we will know the auncient religion of the Romans and the faith wherevnto the Apostle giueth so good a witnesse wee can haue no way more certaine then to trie what was taught in the Church of Rome then For that onely can be called that Roman faith that was then taught in that Church and beleeued of the faithfull there All which with reuerence we receiue and most faithfully beléeue But the additions of later times and that which since they haue foysted in vnder the name of that auncient Roman faith wee iustly reiect as water mingled with the pure wine whereby the wine is corrupted or as myre or filth that hath sullied the fined gold whereby the excellencie of the gold is blemished or as tares and wéeds sowen in the field where first good corne was sowen whereby the growing of the good corne is hindered But what so euer the Apostle Saint Paule writing to the Romans doth teach them to beleeue whatsoeuer faith he would haue them to holde that we acknowledge to bee in déede the true Roman faith in the which he is desirous to confirme and strengthen them by some speciall gift and to haue mutuall conference with them no doubt to incourage them to continue constantly therein Yea what soeuer he teacheth in that Epistle whether it bee to establish them in that they had learned or to instruct them more perfectly in any poynte whereof they were yet ignorant I say all that wee imbrace as the auncient faith of the Romans Moreouer whatsoeuer Saint Peter who they say was Bishop of Rome and that hee wrote his first Epistle from Rome for rather then Saint Peter should not be proued
to be at Rome they are content to cal Rome Babylon whatsoeuer I say he wrot in that Epistle which they say that he wrote from Rome we also most readily receiue as that old and authenticks Roman religion whereof we will make no doubt at all And further whatsoeuer doctrine can be proued out of Saint Markes Gospell which Maister Bellarmine goeth about by testimony of sundry auncient writers to shew that it was written at Rome as he heard Saint Peter preach the same that also we will acknowledge to bee the Roman faith which is still to be followed So that whatsoeuer eyther Saint Paule wrote to the Romans or Saint Peter being say the papists among the Romans wrote vnto the dispersed Iewes or Saint Marke at Rome haue taught and what soeuer is consonant and consenting therewith that is vndoubtedly receaued of vs. But that which cannot be found agréeable to any of these writings I trust any indifferent reader wil think that we may iustly suspect as neither taught by those godly teachers neither yet beléeued of those famous and faithful schollers and therefore of none acknowledged at that time for the faith of the Romans And if then it were not the faith of the Romans what néed either the Rhemistes in their edition of the testament or all the rest of them so confidently to bragge that the faith of the Romans was so commended of the Apostle Must it needes follow that the Romish faith that now is is true because that was good and godly Suspend thy iudgement good Christian Reader and come not with a preiudicate opinion Trie and then trust proue and examine whether we or the Romish Church come néerer to the auncient Roman faith and bee bolde to heare and followe them that beleeue as those first beleeuing Romans were taught and veleeued And who so euer they bee that dissente from that faith or swarue any thing from that religion or ad any thing to that doctrine say not to such so much as God spéed For they are in déed heretiks and enemies to Gods truth they are the corrupters of his most sacred word they are the verie botches and blanes of all Christian Religion And that thou maist good Christian reader more readily sée and more easily iudge both of that old Roman faith and this new Romish Religion my meaning is so to compare the one of them with the other that at one view thou maist sée them both Wherein I dare promise nothing but sincere dealing both in setting down whatsoeuer Saint Paule Saint Peter or Saint Mark haue taught vs concerning such points as are in question and also in poynting vnto the doctrine of our aduersaries I will not charge them with any thing vntruly I will not falsifie any of their writings that the truth may appeare and God may haue the glorie Let vs therfore see first what was then and what is now taught there of the word of God CHAP. II. SAint Paule in that Epistle that he writeth to the Romans teacheth that The Gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth By the Gospell he meaneth that part of Gods word that preacheth vnto vs that ioyfull newes of our attonement made with God which elswhere he calleth the word of Reconciliation This word he saith is The power of God For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to cast down holds casting down the imaginations and euery high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ Of this powerfull word GOD spake long before Saint Paules time by his Prophet Ieremie Is not my word euen like a fire saith the Lord and as a hammer that breaketh the stone Of the power of this word thapostle writeth that It is liuely and mighty in operation and sharper then any two edged sword and entreth through euen to the deuiding asunder of the soule and the spirite and of the ioints the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Yea Christ himself in the Prophet Esay is brought in confessing that the Lord Hath made his mouth like a sharpe sword So that this word is neither so blunt or dull or so vnable to make the man of GOD perfect to euery good work as the aduersaries of the Gospell would haue vs to imagine it to be So that in this place Saint Paul doth giue testimony that the word of God is as Saint Iames saith able to saue our soules And profitable to teach to reproue to correct and to instruct in righteousnes Saint Peter therfore doth liken the word to a séed and that to such a séed as doth if the fault be not in vs spring and grow vnto eternall life For as the good séed if it be cast in a good ground and moistned in due season with the dew of heauen can not but be fruitfull when the time shall serue euen so Gods word if it sound To him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at his words and be watered by the graces of Gods holy spirit it cannot it will not be vnfruitfull Saint Mark also in that parable of the seed that falleth vpon the good ground and brought forth fruit some thirtie some sixtie some a hundred fold doth sufficiently testifie vnto vs of the efficacie of the word if by reason of the infirmitie of our flesh and corruption of our sinful nature the edge therof be not rebated and the force hindered Not because I ascribe such force either vnto the sound that we may heare or the letters that we may read but vnto the sence and substance of the word vnto the lesson that may be gathered out of the same Whereunto we sée Saint Paule writing to the Romans and Saint Peter being at Rome as our aduersaries affirme and S. Marke also there according to the doctrine of S. Peter as they tell vs penning his gospell do giue this effect that it is of power to saue and the very séede of eternall life They find not therein any such hardnes as should driue men and women from the reading therof They find no such dangers they spy no such perils But on the contrary it was holden for good doctrine at Rome when Saint Peter did write if from thence he wrote Alwaies to be ready with all meeknes and reuerence to answere to euery body that shall aske a reason of that hope which is in you And that this is required of euery man woman that should sanctifie the Lord God in their hearts euen of seruants and not of maisters onely of wiues and not of husbands onely it is more plaine then that it can be probably denied Now to yéeld a reason of thy faith requireth much greter knowledge then to make confession of thy faith So that héere the Apostle séemeth
for vs to marke the good councell and godly aduise of S. Paule It is better to marie then to burne and this commandement of the Apostle Peter Let the husbands dwell with their wiues as men of knowledge And this is the auncient faith and the holy practise of the Church of Rome in her purer age But the Church of Rome since that time which would seem more holy then euer god made her or more perfect then he requireth prophanely accompting of this holy ordinanuce as not pure inough for their vnpure Priests will not admit any into their holy orders of Prieste or deacon that will not wholy renounce for euer this holy institution and vowe to lyue alwayes a single life Which their impious and seruile ordinances hath not one probable proofe out of Gods word neither was it the auncient doctrine of the Church of Rome in somuch as some of them selues euen halfe ashamed of their forefathers doings confesse that in the primitiue Church there was no such thing required but that all men that would might marye As for such as are maryed if they wilbe made priestes or enter into their orders they must not by their tirannicall decree and decretals any more dwell with their wiues as S. Peter willeth but they must rather defraude one an other foreuer which Paul forbideth and with greate reason mysliketh Thus this their vowing of perpetuall single life they doe not onely highly commend but also do force their clergy to obserue the same yet it is not in al the Scripturs old nor new once commanded or cōmended vnto that calling aboue any other not once spoken of or practised that can appeare in the old Roman Church And formance of the duties of mariage which so straitly thapostles require of all that are maried without exception is not onely not furthered in the Romish Church that now is but also hindered in some with great seueritie And in such sort do they in all points almost behaue themselues as if they were of purpose disposed or set vp if not quite to abolish yet dangerously to corrupt alter and change whatsoeuer Christ and his Apostles left pure sincere And thus much of the contrarietie of their doctrine that nowe call themselues the Church of Rome to that which thapostles taught among the Romanes Now therefore in respect of their cloked falshood as Barnard speaketh in that they hide as he saith that which is true falsly inuent that which is not wee may iustly say of the Church of Rome as the same Father complaneth of the whole Church but especially in respect of the pride and abuse of that Church Al friends and all foes all necessaries all aduersaries all of one house none that insue after peace al neighbors all seeke their owne all Christes seruaunts all serue Antichrist Or as in another place hee bemoaneth the pitifull estate of the Church Peace in respect of pagans peace from heretikes but no peace with false children Thou O Lord Iesus hast multiplied the people but hast not increased our ioy because many are called but few are chosen And how little cause the Church of Rome hath to reioyce in her Catholikenes and to brag of her multituds how little cause she hath to increase her ioy if she thinke earnestly of it let the godly reader indifferently consider For seeing shee leadeth men from the pure waters of the worde of trueth vnto the vnsauorie pudles of her owne inuentions and hath corrupted that sincere milke that the auncient Romanes fed vpon with the poyson of her owne traditions wherewith the Church of Rome is now most dangerously aud deadly infected the moe that follow her the mo shall testifie that they are deceaued by her the greater that the multitude is that shee misleadeth the heauier in the end shall her iudgement be For seeing the inhabitants of the earth and drunken with the wine of her fornication therefore shal her plagues come at one day death and sorow and famine and shee shalbe burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God which will condemne her CHAP. XX. NOW besides these things which this degenerat Romishe Synagogue teacheth and doth contrary to the Doctrine and practice of the godly in the first and purer age of that auncient Church of Rome there are also many other things reckoned now in the Romishe Church for some principall poyntes of religion the denial or very doubting whereof would be punished among them with death and distruction which were not then among the godly once named or thought vpon nay rather which doe mightely and manifestly impugne that which they taught But because my purpose is in this treatise only to shew how farre vnlike that auncient fayth of the Romanes is to this new religion of the Romish Church by comparing that olde faith with this newe Religion which hitherto I haue siucerly doone it shall be sufficient onely to name these doctrines and doings which now they haue inso great accompt as I can remember them vntill they prooue out of such histories of that Romane faith as are of good record that they were vsed in that primitiue Roman Church First for that their gaynefull market and faire of Purgatorye fire where doe they finde it in the fore named writings In what place of S. Paules Epistle to the Romanes in what text out of S. Peter or S. Marke Out of S. Paule to the Romans they will not so much as dreame of anie proofe neither yet dare the learneder sort of them alleadge any thing out of saint Peter But yet the Rhemistes woulde fayne make the ignorant beleeue that there is somewhat in saint Peter for proofe of deliuering the soules out of some place of torment after this life What that place is they dare not tell vs confidently that it is Limbus patrum the place where they imagine the faythfull Fathers before Christ after death were kept they will not affirme And they doe the more wisely For saint Peter there saith onely thus much that Christ who was alwayes present with his Church Preached in spirit not going downe in soule to the spirits or soules that are nowe in prison which were in time past disobedient nowe this presence of Christ beeing but in power of his spirit to wit of his diuinitie of godhead Agayne it was to the destruction of those disobedient and stubberne men that would not heare Noah his preaching for but viii soules onely were saued and therefore howe little this will helpe their Purgatorie now or Limbus patrum then it is easie to sée But on the contrarie S. Marke doth plainly wring from them one of the places which especially they rest vppon for proofe of their purgatorie For whereas our Sauiour Christ in sainte Matthew speaking of the sinne against the holy Ghost saith It shall not be forgiuen him neither in this world not in the world to come Therefore say they there are sinnes
to require that of them that S. Paule doth assure himselfe that he shal find in them namely that they are so filled with all knowledge that they can admonish one an other Yea this knowledg is so necessary for all Christians that Saint Paule alwaies wisheth it to be in such as he writeth vnto and prayeth that they may haue it But séeing this hope that is in vs is grounded vpon the word for otherwise it is but a foolsh fancy and no sound hope the knowledge whereby wee must be made able to aunswer of the same must be the knowledge of Gods worde Yea whatsoeuer besides that we doe know it may perchaunce some way satisfie our humour and serue for some turnes but this one knowledge is that onelie that is necessary and without which we cannot but erre as Saint Marke himselfe reporteth vnto vs that Christ told the Iewes Doe you not erre because you know not the Scriptures So that we sée that the auncient doctrine of the Church of Rome was this That to knowe Gods word is the meanes or power whereby God saueth vs and the séede of euerlasting life And therfore as the knowledge thereof is comfortable and profitable so to be ignorant thereof is very dangerous for any Christian man or woman But the now Romish Church doth not onely suffer without any publike shewing of their mislike the sacred Scriptures and Gods written worde to be most reprochfully disgraced and blasphemously scorned at by comparing it to a leaden rule a nose of wax Inkye diuinitie and with such like prophane and godlesse scornes but also they teach that that word of trueth wherewith Saint Iames saith God hath begotten vs is doubtfull and may be wrested any way it is not sufficient to teach vs all trueth without the helpe of traditions it is harde to be vnderstoode and therefore the people must not reade it And that it is best for the people to be ignorant still for ignorance is the mother of deuotion So that we see the auncient Church of Rome commended vnto vs Gods word as most necessary for Christians the now Church of Rome condemneth the same not as needlesse onely but euen as hurtfull and dangerous They hated ignorance as a sworne enemy to Christianitie these reuerence her as a fruitfull and the onely mother of popery Therefore the olde faith of the Romans and the newe Romish religion are in this nothing like And yet there is not any greater disgrace that they can lay vpon this powerfull worde then that which blasphemously they affirme and prophanely maintaine that eùen this power of GOD and immortall seede hath no power at all or authoritie vnlesse the Church authorize the same As though this power of God that it may be powerfull must receiue power from man and this seede that GOD that sower went forth to sowe cannot growe vnlesse man giue it increase CHAP. III. THere is also in these daies great question what is Gods word that is to say what that word is that should be the rule of religion and conuersation For the which the old religion of Rome was this That in any wise they should take héede of such as make diuision and giue occasion of euill contrarye to that doctrine which they had learned And S. Paule prayeth that they may be Confirmed according to his gospel and preaching of Iesus Christ As for other worde then that hee did teach or other gospell then that he did preach as he héere teacheth the Romans that they ought not to beléeue so he flatly writeth to the Galathians that If he or an Angell from heauen preach any other gospell they shoulde be so farre from receiuing it that they shoulde hold him accursed that bringeth it And S. Peter commending the worde whereby men by their sinfull nature mortall are made immortall poynting vnto that word sheweth what it is And this is saith he the word which by the gospell is preached vnto you And in the end of this his first epistle he protesteth This is the true grace of God wherein ye stand That is to say this faith or religion that you haue béene taught this doctrine of the gospell which you haue learned is the true faith the true religion a true doctrine For so do Claudius Guilliandus and Iac. Faber no enemies to popery expound it Then by the old faith of Rome we sée that that which they then preached and that which was agréeably to that rule is the truth euen that which was then Depositum committed or taught not any thing that should be afterward committed to them or taught And this is in trueth that old worde of God which was then acknowledged for Gods word and had not any beginning from later times this is in déed an auncient religion Which was promised before by the Prophets in the holy Scriptures But the now Romish faith cannot abide this doctrine And therfore our new M. of Rome haue decreed that al the books of the old and new testament as wel the Apocrypha as Canonical and also the traditions themselues concerning faith or maners shal with like affection bee beleeued and with like reuerence receiued Yea they are not ashamed to teach that these their traditions are more necessary and profitable then Gods word We see then that the old religion of Rome taught both by Peter and Paule is to rest in that worde that then was taught without adding thereto The Romish religion that now is doth arrogate vnto themselues alwaies to adde as they see cause which their additions are nothing else but an augmenting of the heapes of their superstitions whereas August Hierom. others appoint the listes and limites of Gods word to be the Law the Prophets the Euangelistes and Apostles CHAP. IIII. THen let vs come to the question of iustification which is y e very summe of true Christian diuinity And it is the intent and purpose of the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans most exactly to teach the same For when the good séed of our frée iustification in and for Christ was sowen in the ground of their harts then came the enuious man and sought to sowe sundry sorts of bad wéeds there also For some there were that were altogether enemies to the gospell of Christ as were the obstinate Iewes who could not abide to heare of this saluation by Christ Others beléeued in part the gospell but thought yet that the ceremonies which God commanded not knowing that they were appointed but vntill the time of reformation should come should not be abrogated and therefore would mingle the Law with the gospell Who also looked to be iustified by the Law and the works therof because it was promised Hee that doth these things shall liue thereby There were also a third sort perchance namely such as were conuerted from Gentilisme that being proud of that grace that was broght
to Rome Ierusalem or Compostell in pilgrimage in holy bread holy water palme crosses ashes in haire-cloth in going barefoote in not touching mony in not speaking in bearing in thy bosome a piece of Saint Iohns gospell in Agnus deis or blessed grains hanging about thy neck in a Monks cowle in his bootes and great holines in S. Francis breeches in dead mens skuls and bones in the bloud of hayles many other such like thinges Whereby the true holines whichis the obedience to Gods holy lawes is almost forgotten while men content themselues with this vnholy and trifling trash which for want of better stuffe the Romish Church that now is giueth her fooles in steed of bables to play withall or make them pastime For why may I not accompt and proclaime them for fooles who wil not so much as heare the wisedome of God and will so readely nay so greedely follow such follies of men Or that wil imagine that God who is a spirit and will be worshipped in spirite and trueth can be any thing delighted in such apish toyes well to this ende haue I saide thus much that we may see that wheras the olde faith of the Romans retayned a Christian liberty in the vse of all these thinges to be vsed according to the rule of charitie the new Romish religion bringeth them that beleeue and followe it into a great bondage and subiection to almost all the creatures and make them to esteeme themselues vnholy if moderately without breach of any Lawe of God or offence of brethren with thankesgiuing as God appointeth they vse the same CHAP. XVII AND because the Apostle maketh his praiers and requestes sometime for the Romans I thinke it not amisse to consider of his petitions that he maketh that we may see whether heerein the Church of Rome doe follow his godly example or in his prayses and thankesgiuinges to God for his benefites towards them Which his prayers and thankesgiuinges if we doe marke are directed onely vnto God in the name of Christ for other mediatour hee did not Knowe but onely one mediatour of God and man the man Christ Iesus He taketh God to witnesse of the continuall mention that he maketh of them in his prayers And why doth he call God to witnesse thereof but because hee prayed to him he desireth that God of patience and comfort will giue them on mind and that The God of peace will crush Sathan vnder their feete Hee willeth them to pray for him to God not to any other Helpe me or striue with me by prayers to God for mee And in his thankesgiuings I thanke my God through Iesus Christ for you all And againe To God onely wise be glory through Iesus Christ foreuer The Apostle Saint Peter blesseth God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ For as the prophet Dauid saith I haue lift vp mine eies vnto the hils from whence commeth my helpe my helpe commeth from the Lord that made heauen and earth The Godly know no other helpe but God and therefore pray to none but him neither are thankefull to any but to him when they haue receiued any benefit And for this cause Christ when he woulde haue a supply of victuals to reléeue them that followed him and were hungry Hee looking vp to heauen blessed as S. Marke reporteth And so he looked vp to heauen likewise when he would cure him that was deafe and dumme For he who teaching vs to pray instructeth vs to say Our Father which art in heauen doth by this his gesture teach vs to lift our handes and eies and heartes vnto heauen to looke for helpe from our heauenly Father To him he prayeth Abba Father all thinges are possible vnto thee take away this cup from me And a little before he did yéelde vp the Ghost My God my God why hast thouforsaken me The whole scriptures agrée with this that héere is taught They are full of commaundementes wherein we are charged to call vpon God in the day of our trouble full of examples of the Godly that make requestes to God onely full of thankesgiuings wherein the faithfull acknowledge that euery good perfect gifte commeth from aboue from the Father of lightes and therefore they are moued to say with Dauid O giue thankes vnto the Lord for he is gratious his mercy endureth for euer Yea what way so euer we turne ourselues or what good thing so euer we consider in our selues we must confesse that all that we acknowledge our selues bound to be thankfull for is giuen vs of God Whether life or liuing thinges temporall or eternall or whatsoeuer other blessing And therefore to him onely must we make our prayers for that we want to him onely must we giue thankes for that we haue And such are the prayers that were made in the auncient Church of Rome Yea such are the prayers of all the godly through out the scriptures And this was the faith of Rome also in the daies of Iustin the Martyr who liued at Rome For he writing against Tryphon the Iewe or conferring with him of religion out of these words of the Psalms Thou art my God departe not from me saith thus He teacheth that euery man must repose his trust in God and aske for health and helpe of him So that as the Apostle did so Iustinus teacheth vs that we should doe I might to this end haue a whole cloud of witnesses out of the Fathers of the purer age of the Church but because I will not be tedious in so plaine a matter I content my selfe with that one place out of Tertullian Aske and ye shall haue is spoken to such as know of whom they should aske that is of him that hath promised anything euen of the God of Abraham Isaac Iacob And for the doctrine of mediation this onely will I say out of S. Augustine That he only that maketh intercession for al and none for him is the true Mediatour For as he inferreth afterwards If Paul had beene a Mediatour then other also his fellow Apostls should haue beene Mediatours likewise And if there should haue bin many then Paul himself had no reason to say one God one Mediatour between God man the man Christ Iesus Thus we sée that S. August confuting the auncient heretiks called the Donatists who made other Mediators besids Christ doth euen by the same weapons yea with the same blow beat downe our aduersaries the Romish Catholickes and giueth their doctrine of many Mediatours a deadly wound But the Romish Church that now is as in all things els they frame vnto themselues newe opinions so heere also they haue forsaken the old waies yea they haue committed two euils they haue forsaken God the fountaine of liuing waters to digge to themselues pittes broken pittes that will holde no water And we need not heerein examine their doctrine their practise doth
from performing their dutyfull obedience as he doth many times by his priuiledges As for indulgences and pardons any bodie that will pray and pay for them may haue them And they that dwell at Rome get yet another maner of blessing with his two fingers wherwith he blesseth the people that gaze at him when he is caried abroad To be short at certain times he blesseth those that are called blessed graines or Agnus dei or such like stuffe and causeth these to be sent into Countries far and neer deluding and deceiuing by such toyes the hearts of the simple therwithall filling their owne panches and purses as though they had gotten or those had giuen some great spirituall gift when they haue some such toy consecrated by the Pope These are his gifts such are his blessings If you would haue better he cannot afford them For he is not for the most part able to preach teach It is against honour and estimation to seek to comfort the afflicted conscience No neither the Pope nor his Colledge of Cardinals will busie themselues in the Ministerie of the word in the abundant blessing wherof Saint Paule reioyceth Is the darknesse more contrarie to the light then are these vain promises or shewes of spirituall comfort verie cloudes without water and trees without fruit of true consolation to that perfect peace of mind and ioy of conscience which the Apostle promiseth vnto them and purposed to work among them by the powerful preaching of the Gospell of peace This this is in deed a true consecrated sword which shall pierce euen to the heart and conscience of the sinner and make a deeper wound then all the hallowed swords that the Popes can sanctifie And thus to be short we see that where Paule commeth he bringeth with him spirituall gifts euen abundance of blessing by the ministerie of the word But the Pope because he cannot skill of such blessings vseth other be blesseth fire water salt oyle swords roses books belles candles palmes ashes wax paper parchments lead pictures or payntings falsely perswading sillie soules that hee is able to put holinesse into them And thus it appeareth that if we consider the doctrine of the Church of Rome examining it with that that was taught in the dayes of Saint Paul and Saynt Peter they are nothing like If their practise they are cleane contrarie so that the new Romish Church hath no cause to brag of that old faith of the Romanes CHAP. XIX AND these are if I bee not deceaued all the points of religion in controuersie betweene vs and the Church of Rome at this day Whereof out of the Apostles epistle to the Romanes wee may gather any certayne doctrine Wherein if we dissent from the religion of the Romish Church that now is that we may iumpe and ioyne with the auncient faith of the Romanes commended by thapostle as spoken of and that worthilie in all the worlde I trust no indifferent Christian that in singlenesse of heart seeketh the trueth either will or can iustly reprooue vs. And as hitherto I haue shewed what consent there is in the groundes of their doctrines betweene S. Paul who wrote to Rome to confirme them in the faith S. Peter who they say wrote from Rome and S. Marke also who wrot his Gospell at Rome as in histories it is recorded so now in one point let vs see what Saint Peter thinketh in one poynt I say not touched by Saint Paule in that epistle although in other places plentifully enough by him deliuered Saint Peter therefore in handling the dueties betweene man and wife doth thereby commend the honourable estate of marriage as a state of life whereof God hath a care and therefore giueth lawes and rules in obseruing whereof husbands and wiues may serue and please God And if he had so verie well liked of single life as they who call themselues his successours doe hee woulde no doubte haue taken occasion to haue put in some caueat for the same But himselfe was maried as the Rhemistes themselues confesse and though out of Hierome they would proue that being called to be an Apostle he forsooke his wife yet how false that is Saint Peter himselfe doth plainely enough declare For he exhorteth Husbands to dwel with their wiues according to knowledge that is to kéepe and continue holily and kindly with them not vngodly and vncourteously to forsake them And shall we imagine that S. Peter would teach others and not himselfe or say one thing and doe another or that in wordes exhorting them not to depart from their wiues by his example he would moue them to leaue them That be farre from vs once to imagine And this we may be sure of that if he had forsaken his wife as our popish Catholickes now or some other in former times iniurious to that holy ordinance did surmise he woulde yet so haue tempered this his general commaundement that his example shoulde not haue béene manifestly repugnant to his doctrine Therefore that he was maried the scriptures report and it is by our aduersaries confessed but that he forsooke his wife it hath no shewe of proofe no colour of trueth Yea further the Apostle doth insinuate that the dwelling together of man and wife in knowledge is a furtheraunce to their prayers And therefore vnto that former exhortation he addeth these wordes That your prayers be not hindred Thereby declaring that the dwelling together of man and wife as they ought to doe is a furtheraunce to their prayers Whereas on the contrarie their separating of themselues in bodie may breede such an alienation of mindes with other great inconueniences as may interrupt their prayers And although S. Peter meane not héereby that they shoulde so continually dwel together as that they might neuer withdraw themselues the more fréely to consecrate as it were and wholly giue them selues to prayer and fasting yet woulde he doubtlesse according to S. Paules rules haue such their abstinence when anie is To be by consent for a time and againe to come together that Sathan shoulde not tempt them for their incontinencie For all men and women are in danger of his assaultes and therefore To auoyd fornication let euery man haue his wife and let euery woman haue her owne husband saith his fellow apostle And although men or women may for a time feele themselues voide of wanton and vnchast lustes yet because Not all men can receiue this thing saue they to whom it is giuen séeing I say it is not in their power but a rare gift of God which how long they shal haue it they are not certain yea to know who giueth it is a high point of wisdome the wiseman saith what madnes is it to promise that which thou canst not performe Or to séeke for that which is not necessarie for thee or to indeuor to please God with that which he requireth not of thée How much better is it
that are forgiuen after this life which must needs be in purgatory Saint Marke who commeth after saint Matthew and hearde belike his Maister saint Peter expound Christs meaning concerning that manner of speech for out of S. Hierom and Clemens of Alexandria the Rhemistes themselues confesse that S. Marke was Peters interpretor and according to that hee had heard of the mouth of S. Peter wrote at Rome a briefe Gospell at the request of the brethren which Peter also approoued and allowed of S. Mark I say who had such a teacher doth thus teach vs to expound or vnderstand those words of S. Matthew that hee that sinneth against the holy Ghost Hath not forgiuenes for euer but shalbe guiltie of eternall death So that if S. Peter him selfe be of that minde that S. Marke his disciple was we sée hee did not once dreame of any remission of sinne in another world by these words of our Sauiour Christ but expoundeth S. Matthew his sence to be for the latter must expounde the former when M. Bellarmine hath doone what he can to the contrarie that such sinne shal neuer be forgiuen And then I trust our aduersaries will not thus reason The sin against the holy ghost shall neuer be forgiuen therefore some sinnes shall after this life or in an other worlde bee forgiuen for then the children would spit and laugh at their folly And yet out of these words thus by S. Marke expounded all the Priestes at Rome and Rhemes cannot otherwise prooue this their conclusion Neere a kinne to this purgatory is their Limbus puerorum where they place children not baptised but let them shewe what warrant they haue for the same what proofe that it was then beléeued when the Faith of the Romans was commended Their Pilgrimages pardons and indulgences are very holy things if we will beléeue the Popish Church that now is called the Catholike Church of Rome But where doth Saint Paule commend them to the Romans Where doth S. Peter that had as good power to giue pardons as any Pope could haue either practise it or where doth he or his disciple commaund such things And besides such pedlary ware Agnus dei blessed graines and such paltry stuffe sent abroad in great packs into all places to abuse the world are thought to haue many vertues and to be of great efficacie for many good purposes But I pray you my Masters of Rome when did S. Peter bestow his time in making such trifles or in packing vp such wares to sell vnto Christians all Christendome ouer as it were in pedlers packs And how necessarie they will accompt the crosse to be in all their ceremonies and seruices he that readeth their books cannot but sée And whatsoeuer antiquitie they wil pretend for the same yet they cannot teach that S. Paule and S. Peter either taught the Romans to vse it or themselues made any either vpon themselues or other Reliques they loue so well that if they cannot get the boans or reliques of good men and women yet any other such like be they of men or wemen neuer so bad will serue their turne so that they be said to be the Reliques of such a Saint Wherby it commeth to passe that some men and wemen who while they liued were like others hauing no superslous lymmes of their bodie now when they are dead are by these Romish charmers turned into such monsters as that they haue some many heads others many legges others great numbers of armes and so the parts of their bodies are multiplied excedingly belike they were buried in a fruitfull soyle and yet euery Priest that sheweth these reliques commend that they haue to be the true relique some miracle or vision euery one of them also would commonly faine to proue that which they said of their relique to be true And yet many of them must néedes be false For one man or woman had but one head two armes and so of the rest accordingly And therfore all besides that one head or those other true parts of the bodie must needes be false It is written that one of our Kings of England named Edward was euill troubled with the toothache And who knoweth not that Saint Apolines teeth are a préesent remedie for the same disease yf their lyes may goe for true reportes King Edward therefore belike being desirous to haue the true teeth of S. Apoline to aply to his teeth commaunded that the teeth of S. Apoline that were in all the Churches through the Realme kept for reliques should be sent to him which being brought were sound mo then would goe into some greate Hogsheades or vessels And yet I warrant you y t in euery Church they were perswaded that they had in deed S. Apolines teeth But in the auncient faith of the Romans what mention is made or what example is found of any such reliques To these may be added their shrift and Satisfactions very iniurious to Christ his death and that satisfaction which he in his body hath made for vs by that one onely sacrifice which vpon the altar of the crosse he offered to his father Their number of seven Sacraments hath no warrant out of any of these writings And to be short their prayer in an vnknowen tongue and strange language not vnderstoode of them selues that do pray I would haue them to shew how this together with their halfing of the 〈◊〉 of Christs bodie and bloude and many such like things can be proued to be taught by word or deede vnto that primitiue Church of Rome by S. Paule S. Peter or S. Marke which thing they can neuer doe If then in all such poynts as are in controuersie among vs wherof we find anie thing deliuered to vs by these holy men messengers of God the Church of Rome if shee teach not cleane contrarie wandreth verie much from that auncient Romane faith as in the 19. first chapters of this treatise it doth I trust appeare And if in these latter points of religion mentioned in this last chap. which they also make gret accompt of they haue neither word nor example of these Apostles or S. Marke to commende vnto the world such doctrines deuises what cause is there I pray you why that apostolicall Church of Rome that hath so manyfestly reiected that old faith and so wholy corrupted the auncent religion that ther was taught should so confidently term her selfe the Apostolicke and Catholicke Church of Christ With what face dare they tel vs that the faith of Rome is commended when as nothing doth more conuince them of Apostacy then to try the leaden religion that now is there taught by the touchstone of that faith that then was there preached And with shame enough may they tell vs that that faith of the auncient Romans is commended which most cruelly and stubbornly condemne the same persecute it most bloodily in Christ his members as
his glorie is nothing in comparison of mine And this is not onely by the pride of the Popes themselues but wheras stories teach that the godly Christians prayed for infidell Emperours now their diuines doe affirme it to be lawfull to disobey to rebell against and to depose such kings or princes as they will call heritickes yea to kill such is with them an action godly and honourable yea meritorious too Would any man haue thought that S. Peter who so humbly as a fellowe elder intreateth the elders to feed the flocke which God hath committed to them not as Lords ouer Gods heritage could euer haue had so degenerate a successour to haue sit in his chaire as they say the Pope doth and yet in pride of heart doth not onely aduance himselfe aboue al bishops but also ouer all creaturs Or would a man haue imagined these holy fathers would euer haue hatched so barbarous treasons Let this then be recorded of a memoriall to all posteritie and for a perpetuall staine to that bloudy Church of Rome the mother of all treasons and tretcheries of al vnnaturall and villainous practises that shee doth not onely directly oppose herselfe to the worde of God the doctrine of the Apostles and the very Law of nature and nations but also shee and her deere darlinges by their most vile practises doe crie it out vnto the world more shrill then the sound of any trumpet that they quite haue abandoned the affections of men Haue not we in England good cause to detest such doctrine and doctours who haue wrought so effectually in the heartes of many of our English fugitiues that their treasons haue no ende their crueltie hath no measure but that they desire and attempt to lay violent handes vpon the Lordes annoynted which the Godly of all times haue feared to purpose or thinke against the most wicked Yea doth not the Catholicke Tyrant that calleth himselfe by the name of a king but is in deede a reproch and shame to the verie name that he so hath dishonoured doth he not corrupt with gold and intice by all fayre promises subiectes to kill their princes and to murther them whome they ought to defende obey and reuerence It is too true it is too playne What kingdomes hath he not tempted what princes hath he not indaungered Howe many hath he gotten destroyed So that I am often times driuen to wonder and maruell what sluggishnesse or security possesseth the heartes of Christian kings and princes that they ioyne not their powers together against that common enemie not to princes onely but euen to mankinde His ambition increaseth as doe his daies his cruel purposes cannot be numbred He incrocheth cōtinually as he can vpon other mens right and vniustly if his might will serue dispossesseth the iust heires of their kingdomes and dominions His doings declare that he enuieth all your glory O you potentates and aspireth to euery of your inheritances and principalities And will you thus stand gazing on as men amazed at his strange attemptes whilest hauing preuailed against your neighbors he also take you in hand when his power shall be increased and yours diminished Doe you not know that it is high time for you to looke about you when your neighbours howse it set on fire Bande therefore and combine your selues together to reforme or restrayne his vnbrideled affections I doe not wishe his subiectes to rebell against him for that we see is vnlawfull but I pray God to put such a hearte and courage into his neighbours and equals that they woulde teach him to knowe that his omnipotente minde made proude with his might and wealth shall not alwaies be satisfyed with the spoyle of other But to leaue this Romish Catholicke to his Catholicke practises vntill God shall eyther conuert his heart or confound his power what cause hath the Pope so to magnifie himselfe and to claime such soueraigntie ouer them whom he ought to obey we see the Apostles would haue all without exception subiect to princes The Popes supremacy is not once mentioned although S. Paule writing to the Romans might haue had good occasion to haue commended the glory of that seate if any such thing had beene and S. Peter if he had any such soueraignty had iust cause to haue required submission to himselfe as wel as to kings and should haue made more accompt of himselfe then to be but a fellow elder with others But the Apostles haue bin taught to speake by the spirit of God The Popes haue done according to the pride of their owne heart And it is a verie strong presumption against the supposed soueraigntie which they say S. Peter had ouer all that S. Marke his fauorit and follower who also if stories be true wrote his gospell at Rome at the request of Peters wel-willers yet the same his gospell neyther maketh any mention of the great miracles which they woulde haue vs to Imagine that he wrought against Simon Magus which is one of their principall argumentes to proue Peters being at Rome neyther hath one worde more then the rest whereby we may gather any such superioritie in him And if he make any mention of Peter it is without any signification of his iurisdiction ouer others Yea when he speaketh of his calling he thus barely deliuereth it vnto vs. And Iesus passing by the sea of Galile hee sawe Simon and Andrew his brother c. And reporting the contention that was among the Apostles which of them should be chiefe he taketh no occasion to commend to them or to vs that soueraignty although the later time Iames and Iohn desired the same from him and the rest reporting how Christ reproued him he vseth no excuse no mitigation of the offence Now seeing neither when he setteth forth his calling neither in pointing to his infirmity neyther in noting these contentions he hath so much as any way signifyed his superioritie it followeth that eyther S. Marke was iniurious to his master in not giuing to him his due place or vnmindefull of his duetie to Gods Church in concealing from it so necessary an Article of religion as nowe they holde it or else that there was rather no such matter and therefore he coulde not write of it For after Christ was once ascended and the holy Ghost sent in visible forme then was it time to knowe all the Articles of religion so that our abuersaries cannot tell vs that S. Marke for modesties cause did not write of these thinges For not to write of that which is necessary to be beleeued if hee knewe it had beene greate wickednesse Subiection therefore to Princes was of the auncient faith of the first faithfull Romans But this soueraignty and Supremacy of the bishoppes of Rome is but a poynte of the newe learning or else the dregges of Simon Magus his pride CHAP. XVI THE Apostle hauing exhorted vnto such Christian dueties as we may not omit
commeth in his xiiii Chapter to take order for such things as of themselues being indifferent are according to the circumstances to be vsed or not Wherein we may also marke and it is worth notâ—ing how farre they wander from S. Paules rules And first all external or worldly things are of themselues in their owne nature indifferent meats and drinkes apparrell daies and times and such like I know and am persuaded by the Lord Iesus that nothing is common of it selfe that is vncleane saith S. Paul And againe the kingdome of God is not meate and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost as if he had said true holines religion or the acceptable seruice to God consisteth not in eating or not eating drinking or not drinking but in this rather that thy minde beeing rauished with true spirituall ioy thou shouldest séeke to serue God not in such toyes but in sincere righteousnes and to cherish thy brother in perfect peace And therefore for the vse of such thinges he giueth these rules Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him that eateth not iudge him that eateth So that he will not for such thinges haue one man to iudge another Secondly it is necessary that Euery man be perswaded fully in his owne minde whether he may with a good conscience grounded vpon the warrant of the worde doe that which he doth For Happie is hee which condemneth not himselfe in that which hee alloweth For hee that maketh conscience is damned if he eate because hee eateth not of fayth For whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Thirdly we must not put a stumbling blocke or an occasion to fall in our brothers waie or doe any thing that may greeue or offende him for whome Christ hath died But yet we must take heede that we haue not so much regarde vnto man to please and beare with him in his weaknesse that we cherish him in his ignorance or infirmitie but withall we must Do those things wherby one may edifie another For euen Saint Paul who made himselfe a Iew for the Iewes and was made all things to all men that he might by all meanes saue some Yet resisted Peter to the face that is plainly and openly when he had not so due regard to edifying of others as he should haue had as may appeare in that second Chapter to the Galathians And this is the summe of that which thapostle teacheth the Romans of these things For that which he addeth in the beginning of the xv Chapter belongeth to such points as I haue alreadie touched And in such things must those exhortations be regarded which Saint Peter hath But aboue all things haue feruent loue among your selues for loue couereth the multitude of sinnes And that we should all be of one mind And that we should Submit our selues euery man one to another Thus then we sée that these indifferent and externall things haue not in themselues any holynesse or vnholynesse but may be vsed or not vsed if we be rightly persuaded of our libertie therein so that we offend not our weak brethren but séek their edifying Therfore in such things we must neither condemne or commend others And this is the auncient and Catholike faith of Rome Which although it were by some men otherwise not euill dangerously assaulted and that not long after the dayes of thapostles yet the godly of those times did hold fast the libertie which they had by Christ and would not suffer the Church to be subiected to such obseruations It may be gathered by Ignatius his Epistles to the Philadelphians and to Heron that some there were then that put some holynesse in eating or not eating against whom he gyueth this charge in both those Epistles that they estéeme not such as kéepe not fast the prescript rules to belong to Christ but to be wolues in shéepes clothing that séeke to deuour And yet not long after one Alcibiades a good man and one that also suffered Martyrdome did by too auster diet no doubt thinking therein to consist some seruice of God refuse to vse Gods creatures and gaue to other example of offence and therof being reprooued by one Attalus he afterwards reformed that his error Yea in the Church of Rome Victor being Bishop there began some impechment of this libertie whilest he sought too earnestly to tye other churches to obserue in such things the customes of the Church of Rome But Ireny worte vnto him in the name of the rest of his brethren in Fraunce letting him vnderstand that neither his predecessors did nor he ought for such things to dissolue the bond of vnitie that was among the Churches And thus we sée how that a good while after the Apostles daies this doctrine commended héer to the Church of Rome was continued both there and else where throughout the Church that they would not suffer any necessitie to be decréed in such obseruances But now the new Romish Faith doth beare another stamp and is of another making For where Saint Mark out of Christes mouth saith that meats defyle not the man and also the Apostle that the kingdom of God is not in such things which elswhere he more plainly vttereth in these words Meat doth not commend vs to God that is to eat or not to eat it maketh vs no better no holyer no more acceptable to God The Church of Rome on the contrarie hath almost all her Religion consisting in such outward obseruances all her holynesse in a maner is contayned within these few precepts Touch not tast not handle not and some other toyes like to these What is more commonly taught among them then that to eat flesh egges or whitmeat at certaine times is a grieuous sinne for any man of lawfull yeares and in health Or for some at any time to vse them I know they wil aunswer the Church hath otherwise commaunded and therefore to take libertie to vse these things is a sinne because the Church hath commaunded they shall not vse them But heer I might examin who gaue aucthoritie to the Church to say that is vnlawfull that God saith is lawfull Again I might shew that not onely in respect of the commaundement of the Church these things are obserued but euen in respect of some other opinion in the meat it selfe then should be had because that more superstitiously they obserue it then Gods precepts But if they had regard onely to the commaundement doubtlesse there is no man so sottish but would rather obey Gods expresse commaundement then any decree of the Church But these and such other poynts I omit onely purposing in this place to shew how great a piece of popish holines consisteth in these externall seruices wherin the Apostle telleth vs there is no such thing Holines in abstaining from certaine meats in keeping of certaine daies in gadding