concerning your owne proceedings especially since sundry of them be your owne holy friers I say fourthlie that this storie of Pope Iohn is publikelie painted and this daie to bee seene in your owne Cathedrall churches of Syenna Which painting our newly hatched Iesuites sought earnestly to haue had defaced in the late repairing of that church but the bishop would not suffer them to preuaile I say fiftly that these seuen writers who were all papists and liued so long one after another would neuer haue published one and the selfe same thing to the world if any one of them could in his life time haue learned the contrary to be the trueth The 2. replie They say onely and barely vt ferunt as men say And other graue writers that liued before them all and neerer the time of pope Iohn make no mention thereof The answere I say first that to reason ab auctoritate negatiue is not holden good in schooles and your selues doe often condemne in others that kinde of disputation I say secondly that if these writers had not been perswaded of the trueth of the storie they would neuer haue published it to the worlde because it maketh so much against Romish Religion to which they were addicted whollie I say thirdly that the said authors write of this matter euen as they doe of other thinges Palmerius and Segebertus both haue these expresse wordes Fama est hunc IohanneÌ„ faeminam fuisse vni soli familiaritantum cognitam qui eam complexus est grauis facta peperit papa existens Quare eam inter pontifices non numerant quidam ideo nomini numeruÌ„ non facit The report is that this Iohn was a woman and knowne onely to one that was her familiar friend By whose familiaritie she became with childe and was deliuered euen while she was pope of Rome For which cause some doe not reckon her amongst the popes and so shee maketh not vp the number Marianus Polonus Bergomensis Platina and Carranza alreadie named teach the same doctrine writing vpon the same Iohn And note wel that M. Scotus affirmeth the storie constantly without al ands or ifs And so doth also M. Polonus who was the popes owne penitentiarie To these I may fitly adde that which your L. Abbot Bernard saith the beast saith he mentioned in the reuelation to whom was giuen a mouth speaking blasphemies and to make warres with the Saintes sitteth in Peters chaire His wordes are cited verbatim in the preface to my booke of Motiues The third replie S. Austen auoucheth plainly that the succession of the Bishops of Rome was one of the chiefest motiues that kept him in the catholicke church The answere I answere that succession is of two sorts materiall and formall Materiall is the succession of persons one after another in the same place Formall is the succession of persons one after another in the same doctrine in what place soeuer Now S. Austen in deede writing against the Manichies saith that succession of priestes from S. Peters seate kept him in the vnitie of the church And no maruell because the Bishops of Rome vntill the daies of S. Austen and long after were verie godly men and taught the same doctrine that S. Peter had done before them and so they ioyned succession formall with materiall which if the bishops of Rome would this day performe all godly christians would now ioyne with them as S Austen did in his time For as S. Irene saith wee ought to obey those priestes that with succession keepe the word of trueth The third obiection S. Paule saith plainly that there must be bishops and pastors in the church euen vntill the worlds end Whereupon it followeth that you protestantes haue no church at all For before Luther departed from vs all bishops and priestes for many yeares togither as your selues can neuer denie imbraced our Romish religion This obiection doth so gall you all as ye cannot tell in the world what answere to frame thereunto The answere Gentle wordes I pray you the matter is not so daungerous as ye thinke I therefore say first with saint Paul that pastors and doctors haue euer been in the church since Christs ascension are at this present and shall bee vnto the worldes end I say secondly that albeit the visible church cannot want materiall succession yet cannot that succession without formall yeelde anie sound argument of true faith and religion In regard hereof your owne doctor Nicolaus de Lyra after he hath told vs that many Popes haue swarued from the christian faith and become flat apostataes concludeth in these wordes Propter quod ecclesia consistit in illis personis in quibus est notitia vera confessio fidei veritatis by reason whereof the church consisteth in those persons in whome there is true knâ—wledge and confession of the faith and of veritie So then by the confession of your owne approoued doctor not they that sic in saint Peters chaire at Rome are the true and lawfull successors of Saint Peter but they that confesse and preach saint Peters doctrine I say thirdly that our reformed churches in England are this day able to shew succession both materiall and formal euen from the apostles themselues And therefore our succession is and ought to be reputed farre better then yours The first reply Howsoeuer you wrangle about your formall succession yet is it cleare to all that haue eyes that you haue no materiall succession at all vnlesse you tearme it materiall succession when lay persons possesse the roomes of lawful Bishops For I pray you good sir who ordered your Bishops and Priests in king Edwardes dayes Who sent your Ministers that this day preach and minister your sacraments Can you for shame deny that they were ordered by such as were runnagates from vs in Queene Maries time All the world knoweth yee cannot doe it And yet must you bee sent by ordinary vocation or else confesse that you most shamefully vsurpe that holie function For as saint Paul saith How shall they beleeue in him of whome they haue not heard And how shall they heare without a preacher And how shall they preach except they be sent The answere Our succession is both materiall and formall christian and apostolical as which is consonant to the holy scriptures and to the vsual practise of the primitiue church For first our bishops can proue their doctrine by the scriptures and by the testimonies of best approued writers as I haue alreadie proued in my Motiues and shall by Gods assistance proue more at large in this discourse Secondly our bishops haue mission and imposition of hands according to the practise apostolicall and of all approued antiquitie Thirdly our bishops are made in such forme and order as they haue euer beene accustomed a few popish superstitious and beggerlie ceremonies omitted which of late yeeres had crept into the church that is to say be free election of the Chapiter by
impotencie of nature nor by the gift of continencie but the pope chargeth them that are eunuches no way to abstaine from marriage solemnely therefore the popes commaundement is against Gods holy ordinance Theodoretus confirmeth this point in these words Rectè autem posuit illud prohibentium contrahere matrimonium Neque enim celibatum ac continentiam vituperat sed eos accusat qui lege lata ea sequi coÌ„pellunt He put that rightly forbidding to marry he blameth not single life continencie but accuseth them that by positiue lawes compel to put such things in execution This lawe therefore of the pope is intollerable For which cause saint Clemens auoucheth them to do iniury to nature that will not vse wedlocke for procreation of children The latter parte of this proposition the apostle setteth downe so plainely as it is needelesse to say any more in that behalfe These are Saint Paules owne wordes But the spirit speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shall giue heede vnto spirites of errour and doctrines of deuilles which speake lies through hypocrisie and haue their consciences burned with an hote yron forbidding to marry and commanding to abstaine from meats In these wordes it is very cleere that saint Paul termeth the prohibition of marriage and of meates the flat doctrine of the deuill For after hee had declared wherein the mysterie of true religion consisteth which is taught in the true church of Christ hee foorthwith giueth euident markes of the mysterie of iniquitie which is maintained in the false church of Antichrist in whose synagogue the highest points of religion are the prohibition of marriage and of meates And who seeth not this day this to bee the state of the church of Rome as in which church they are specially and in a manner onely reputed religious who obey the prohibition of marriage and also of meates And it will not helpe the Papistes to say as their woonted manner is that they neither prohibite marriage generally nor as an vnlawfull thing For first saint Paul speaketh not generally of marriage but of the precise marriage of Bishoppes Priests and Deacons This doe I prooue because so soone as hee had declared the duetie of Bishoppes Priestes and Deacons with their wiues and children by and by in the beginning of the next chapter hee addeth that in the latter dayes marriage shall bee prohibited by the doctrine of the deuill Where the worde But doeth effectually insinuate that he speaketh precisely of the marriage of ecclesiasticall persons by him aboue named Againe the words Forbidding and Commanding argue authoritie in them that restraine marriage and so it partaineth not onely to the old heretikes the Manichees the Tatians the Eucratites the Marcionists the Patritians and the Apostolickes but much more to the late Popes of Rome who strictly commaunde the whole world to abstaine from that whereof God himselfe hath granted the lawfull vse For what is to bee extolled aboue God if not to alter and chang his holie words Bishops Priests and Deacons haue alwaies beene married in the East church euen from our Sauiour Christ vntill these our dayes This I proue by the testimonie of the sixt generall councell of Constantinople where 289. Bishoppes were assembled in the yeare of our Lorde 677. In the thirteenth canon of this famous councill three speciall things are decreed First that Priests Deacons and subdeacons may haue the lawfull vse of wedlocke at such times as they do not execute the ministerie Secondly this councell excommunicateth all those Priests and Deacons that after their orders put away their former wiues vnder pretence of religion Thirdly it excommunicateth all such as labour to separate Priests and Deacons from the vse and companie of their wiues And after all this this great synode addeth this worthie and memorable obseruation to witte that they haue thus decreed albeit the lawes of Rome be otherwise Where I note by the way that so many learned bishoppes contemned the vsurped primacie of the church of Rome I proue it secondly by the verdict of their owne canon law which is the flatte opinion of Pope Vrban as their owne Gratian telleth vs his expresse words are these Cum ergo ex sacerdotibus nati in summos pontifices supra legantur esse proâ—oti non sunt intelligendi de fornicatione sed de legitimis coniugiis nati quae sacerdotibus ante prohibitionem vbique licita erant in orientali ecclesia vsque hodie eis licere probantur When therefore wee reade that the sonnes of Priests are made Popes wee must not vnderstand bastardes but sonnes borne in honest marriage which marriage was euery where lawfull for Priests before the late prohibition and is also lawfull this day in the East Church for which cause the late councell of Florence left the marriage of Priests to the free election of the Greekes Yea their owne deare Fryer and graue archbishoppe Antoninus confirmeth the same in these words Quia Graci etiam in sacerdotio coniugio vtuntur For the Greekes ioyne the vse of matrimonie euen with the priesthood Bishops Priests and Deacons were likewise married in the West and Latin church for the space almost of foure hundred yeares without any prohibition at all And afterward in some places for many hundreth yeeres This is the probation After that Christ hadde granted marriage for all men appointing such to vse it for an wholsome medicine as wanted the gift of continencie after that Saint Paul had pronounced freely marriage to bee honourable in all sorts of men after that the Apostles had decreed that neither Bishops Priests nor deacons shoulde leaue the companie of their wiues vnder pretence of religion after that many holy Bishops priests and deacons had liued laudably in the Church and had vsed the honest helâ— of holy wedlocke aboue three hundreth eightie and fiue yeares al which I haue alreadie proued then one Syricius aduaunced to the popedome in the yeare of Christ 385. seduced by Satan published wicked doctrine and prohibited marriage as an vnlawfull thing Which matter because it is verie imporâ—ant and the wordes of our holy father the pope so blasphemous as hardly anie will beleeue him to haue so written but hee that readeth the same I will alleage his wordes at large Thus therefore doth hee write in expresse tearmes Quod dignum pudicum honestum est suademus vt sacerdotes Leuitae cum suis vxoribus non coeant quia in ministerio diuino quotidianis necessitatibus occupantur ad Corinthios namque sic Paulus scribit Abstinete vos vt vacetis orationi si ergo Laicis abstinentia imperatur vt possint deprecantes audiri quanto magis sacerdos vtisque omni momento paratus esse debet munditiae puritate securus ne aut sacrificium offerat aut baptizare cogatur quisi contaminatus est carnali concupiscentia quid faciet excusabitur qua
as there is but one God so is there one onely religion as no papist can denie Since therefore Gods worde and religion telleth vs that all meates are at al times indifferent as I haue prooued it followeth necessarily that the popes religion which teacheth the contrary is to be abhorred The fift proposition Albeit a certaine kinde of fast nowe in our Englishe tongue called Lent was of old obserued before Easter yet is that fast neither warranted by the Scriptures neither commaunded by the apostles neither vniformly practised in the primitiue church but left indifferent to bee vsed as it seemeth good to euerie one I say first called in English Lent because in the learned tongues and of al writers it is termed y e fast of 40. daies Why it shuld be so called the coÌ„mon people latter papists giue this reason because forsooth Christ fasted fortie dayes but that this their wise reason so supposed is most absurd and too too childish I will conuince by manifest demonstrations First because if Christes fast were a paterne of our Lent then shoulde we aswell forbeare fish as flesh which no papist will be bound vnto Secondly by that reason and rule we should neither eat nor drinke by the space of fortie daies Thirdly by that law we ought to eate flesh vpon maundy Thursday vnlesse they will say that the Paschall lambe was no flesh indeede but a fish of the Sea Fourthly because Christ fasted not at that time of the yeare in which the papistes keepe their Lent Adde hereunto that the said number of forty daies fast was euer too too variable as all approoued ecclesiasticall histories make relation The old Romanes fasted three weekes before Easter intermitting their fast weekly vpoÌ„ their Saturdaies Sundaies The Slauonians Alexandrians and Grecians fasted sixe weekes Others coÌ„tinued their fast for the space of 7. weeks but they fasted only 5. daies in euery weeke Our latter papists perceiuing a grosse error in the reckoning or supputation of Lent inuented a new no fortified bulwark That is y e pope added foure daies in the beginning which they commonly call clensing daies to supply the want And yet haue they not the number as they wishe For if the Sundaies be not in their computation then haue they a mingle mangle Lent If they be reckoned they surpasse their number by sixe daies So that their number no way falleth iumpe I say secondly not warranted by the Scriptures because neither the old nor the newe Testament maketh any mention thereof Christ indeed willed vs to fast and pray but hee neither assigned the time nor limitted the daies Besides this the popish maner of fasting is neither agreeable to Christes fast neither to the fast of the apostles nor of Moses nor of Elias nor of Dauid nor of Hester nor of Spiridion nor of any other authenticall fast as I haue prooued I say thirdly not vniformely obserued in the primitiue church First because as is said some obserue one maner some another some keepe mo weeks some fewer Secondly because as Socrates writeth some eate nothing that liueth some of liuing things eate onely fish some eate fishe and birdes some eat herbes and egges some eate only bread othersome eat nothing at all other some at night eat all kinde of meates I say fourthly not commanded by the Apostles but left indifferent First because we finde no such commandement in the holy Scriptures Againe because ecclesiasticall histories do expresly testifie the same Because saith Cassiodorus there is no law made for fasting I thinke the Apostles left this matter to our owne consideration that euerie one shoulde doe without feare or necessitie what seemed conuenient for him The sixt proposition Popishe faâ—â—ing is ridiculous and hurtfull both to soule and body I say first ridiculous first because they prohibite to eate egges cheese milke and butter and yet permit all maner of strong wines all kindes of most delicate fishes and other dainties whatsoeuer flesh only excepted And yet doe sundry men like as well of fishe as of fleshe if not better Againe because wines and sundry kindes of fishe bring forth all those inordinate effectes for brideling whereof fasting is appointed no lesse then fleshe or rather more Thirdly because in all their fastes the richer sorte fill their bellies at noone with daintie dishes Which is asmuch as anie reasonable idle man will aske for his diet any day vnlesse it be for fashion sake Fourthly because at night they will haue Wines Fruites Figges Almondes Dates Raysinges Marmalate conserues of Cherries Wardens and like dainties Fiftly because they vse to stuffe their paunches so full at noone as they may well endure vntill the next day Sixtly because great iniury is done vnto y e poore by this kind of popish fasting For whereas the riche either are neere the Sea or else haue store of Fishes within themselues or at least haue money enough to prouide the same others haue all the three other some want all yet doth the Popishe ridiculous lawe abandon the poore as well as the riche from Egges Cheese Butter and Milke the onely foode that they haue to liue vpon Seuenthly because all the day long they commonly will drinke wine eate bread Simnels Manchetes and Fruites and feede thereon at night as if it were an ordinarie setled dinner And if they referre their dinner till night as sundrie doe for better liking sundrie times and as Englishe men haue done of latter dayes generally vpon Christmas Eeue then do they practise the former priuiledge in eating and drinking liberally at noone Eightly because to auoide the penaltie of the popishe lawe heerein some haue feined themselues sicke that were not so other some haue ridden abroad of purpose that so they might fill their bellies without suspition Yea though one drinke euery day till he be drunken yet doth he not breake his fast by popish doctrin I say secondly hurtfull to the soule because by meanes heereof many haue beleeued false doctrine to be the word of God and not onely so but they haue also iudged and condemned themselues for transgressing mens traditions as the very lawes of God Wherein while they sought to establish their owne righteousnesse they fell from the righteousnesse of God For to put religion in mens traditions is flatly to abandon the worship of the liuing God Yea by reason of these fastes their soules were after in damnable state I prooue it because they perswaded themselues that they were aswell bound to keepe the popes lawes therein as the flat commandements of God and consequently so often as they brake them which was no rare thing so often did they commit damnable sinne because their actes were not of faith I say thirdly hurtfull to the body first because many haue shortened their daies by forbearing necessary food which they did through fond perswasion of popishe holinesse Secondly because the poore soules are so
worship them And in Mathew Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely thou shalt serue For which cause S. Iohn could not be permitted to adore the Angel but was bidden to worship God For which cause Moses cast the Tables out of his hands brake them in peeces beneath the mountaine burned the calfe in the fire and grounded it vnto pouder For which cause the holy ghost commendeth Ezechias for breaking in peeces the brasen serpent For which cause Marcellina was condemned as an hereticke who worshipped as S. Augustine recordeth the Images of Iesus of Paul of Homere of Pythagoras For which cause S. Epiphanius seeing the image of a saint hanging in the Church tare the same in sunder and aduised the wardens to bury some poore body with the vaile and that no more any such vailes should be hanged vp in the Church Yea the same Epiphanius will not haue the blessed virgine Mary to be adored much lesse her image And if her image must be excluded what image I pray you can be approued for which cause the councill of Elibertine decreed grauely that nothing should be painted on the church walles which is adored of the people For which cause Lactantius pronounced freely that where images are there is no religion Neither will it help the papists to answer after their woonted manner that Lactantius speaketh of such images as are adored for gods For Lactantius maketh the selfe same obiection in the person of the Gentiles and inueyeth against it bitterly as a vaine friuolous and ridiculous thing And because I wil proceed sincerely in this point as in all other matters I thinke it conuenient heere to alleadge his expresse words which are these Non ipsa inquiunt timemus sed eos ad quorum imaginem ficta quorum nominibus consecrata sunt nempe ideo timetis quod eos in caelo esse arbitramini neque enim si dij sunt aliter fieri potest curigitur oculos in caelum non tollitis â—â—ur ad parietes ligna lapides potissimum quam illò spectatis vbi eos esse creditis We feare not say they the pictures or pourtraies but them after whose images they be made to whose names they are consecrated Doubtlesse ye therefore feare them because ye thinke they are in heauen For if they be gods it cannot otherwise come to passe Why therfore do ye not lift vp your eyes to heauen why doe ye rather looke vpon the walles vpon stockes and stonâ—s then thither where ye think they are In which words I note first that the Gentiles did not adore the images but the persons represented by the same for of fearing and adoring Lactan. speaketh indifferently throughout the whole chapter yet are they sharply reproued for their fact I note secondly that we must not adhere and fix our minds vpon stocks stones and the images of saints but lift vp our hearts to heauen where the saints now are Worthily therefore doe we condemne the Papists who do not only make images but also adore the same and that with the selfe same worship which is due and proper to God alone for so much auoucheth their owne deare doctor and canonized saint Aquinas of the image of our Sauiour Christ. For which respect Gregorie surnamed the Great who himself was a bishop of Rome sharply reproued the adoration worship of images albeit he admitted wel liked y e ciuil vse therof The second Booke of Christs birth baptisme preaching passion resurrection and ascension into Heauen with other things coincident CHAP. I. Of Christs birth ABout the time that Elias the Cabbalist foretolde in the age of the worlde 3969. the eight calends of Ianuary in the third yeere of the 194. Olympiade the 32. yeere of king Herode and the 42. yere of Augustus Cesar was our Lorde and Sauiour Christ Iesus borne into this world For albeit the 4000. yeres were not complete fully ended yet was his prediction true as some report it because he added that God would shorten the time for his elect Our Lord and Sauiour was conceiued by the holighost taking flesh blood bone of the blessed virgin Mary made like vnto vs in all things sinne onely excepted true man and true God hauing two perfect natures subsisting in one diuine person by reason of which hypostaticall vnion his holie mother was truely called deipara and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well the mother of God as of man Christ assuming the perfect nature of man lost no part of his nature diuine and consequently he must haue two willes diuine and humane of God and of man Christ assuming the perfect nature of man must needs haue euery thing pertaining to the perfection thereof among which the sensitiue appetite is one which wee call sensualitie yet in Christ Iesus there was no motion of sensualitie which was not ordered by reason and wholy obedient to the same For the sensitiue appetite to be moued according to the course of it owne nature was nothing repugnant to the diuine and reasonable humane wil of Christ. The blessed virgin being 14 yeres of age conceiued Christ her son by the power of the holie ghost the 25. day of March He was before all worlds and by him al things were made yet was he incarnat in the end of the world borne after a new and miraculous maner of the virgin Marie who was Saint Iosephs lawfull wife Christ the sonne of the euerliuing God tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant was poorely borne in a stall and made him selfe of no reputation and all this he did for the loue of man to teach man humilitie and to abase himselfe as Christ his Lorde and master gaue him ensample In those dayes Cyrenius being gouernour of Syria Augustus Cesar sent out an edict to taxe all that were subiect to the Roman empire Then Ioseph being of the house and linage of Dauid went vp from Galile to be taxed in Bethlehem with Mary his wife being then big with childe where she brought forth Christ and wrapping him in swadling clothes laide him in a cratch bicause there was no roome for them in the Inne So soone as Christ was borne the angels of God nothing regarding the pride of mightie men declared to the poore shepheards the godhead and office of the childe lying in the cribbe how that he was borne to be the sauiour of the world After the departure of the angels the shepheards went to Bethlehem where they found Marie Ioseph and the sweete babe lying in the cribbe at their returne they published abroad that which was tolde them of that childe CHAP. II. Of the infancie of our Sauiour Christ. WHen Christ Iesus was but eight dayes olde he was circumcised euen then beginning to spend his blood for the loue of man for albeit he was the head of the church yet was he subiect to the law to
repraesentet totam ecclesiam vniuersalem tamen in veritate ibi non est vera ecclesia vniuersalis sed repraesentatiue quia vniuersalis ecclesia coÌ„stituitur ex collectione omnium fidelium Vnde omnes fideles orbis constituunt istam ecclesiam vniuersalem cuius caput sponsus est ipse Christus Papa auteÌ„ est vicarius Christi non verè caput ecclesiae vt notat glossa in Clem. Ne Romani de elect quae notabiliter dicit quòd mortuo papâ ecclesia non est sine capite ista est illa ecclesia quae errare non potest Vnde possibile est quòd vera fides Christi remaneret in vno solo ita quod verum est dicere quod fides non deficit in ecclesia Sequitur Christus ante passionem orauerat pro Perro vt noÌ„ deficeret fides sua ergo non dicitur deficere nec etiam errare si remanet vera fides in vno solo For concerning matters of faith euen the iudgement of one that is a meere lay man ought to be preferred before the sentence of the pope if that lay person could bring better reasons out of the old and new testament then did the pope And it skilleth not if one say that a councel cannot erre because Christ praied for his church that it should not faile For I say that although a general councel represent the whole vniuersall church yet in trueth there is not truely the vniuersall Church but representatiuely For the vniuersall church consisteth of the collection of all the faithful Whereupon all the faithfull in the world make this church vniuersall wherof Christ himself is the head The pope is the vicar of Christ but not truely the head of the church as noteth the glosse vpon the Clementines which saith notably that when the pope is dead the Church wanteth not an head and this is that Church which cannot erre Whereupon it is possible that the true faith of Christ might remaine in one alone and so it may truely be said y t the faith faileth not in the church Christ before his passion praied for Peter that his faith should not faile therefore the church is not said to faile neither to erre so long as the true faith abideth in one onely Out of these wordes I note first that by the opinion of the great Papist Panormitan a meere lay mans iudgement euen in matters of faith ought to be accepted and receiued before the popes constitution if the lay man bring better reasons out of the scriptures then the pope doth Which saying doubtlesse is the foundation of the doctrine this day established in the church of England in all other reformed churches throughout the world Neither doe we craue more of the papistes then their owne doctors will affoord vs. I note secondly that a generall councell may erre because it is not the catholike or vniuersall church indeed I note thirdly that that church which cannot erre is not the visible companie of pastors and doctors but the inuisible societie of all the faithfull in the worlde Where by inuisible I meane not that any of the elect is inuisible in his corporal consistence but that the vniuersall congregation of the faithfull as vniuersall is inuisible that is to say that no one mortall man seeth or knoweth all true beleeuers in the church In which sense is truely verified the saying of Elias when hee cried out that he only was left alone For albeit it be true that there was a visible church in Iudea vnder the good kinges Asa and Iosaphat euen when Elias made his complaint that he was left alone and although also that Abdias had told Elias that hee had hid an C. prophets by L. in a caue so as Elias could not be ignoraunt of a visible church in the worlde yet is it most true with all this that the vniuersall church as vniuersall was inuisible to Elias and that there were many thousandes of true beleeuers euen then in Samaria whom â—lias neither saw nor knew And therefore did God answere him saying I haue reserued to my selfe seuen thousand men which haue not bowed the knee to Baall I note fourthly that howsoeuer the visible bishops and pastors erre yet doth not the vniuersal church erre so long as the faith remaineth in any one whosoeuer I note fiftly that as in the time of Elias there were seuen thousand faithfull persons whom he knew not euen so were there in those daies when Martin Luther began his reformation many thousandes among the papists that sincerely beleeued the gospel whom hee neither saw nor knew The 6 replie The scripture telleth vs that the church cannot erre For as the Apostle saith it is the house of the liuing God the pillar and ground of trueth Therefore either Gods apostle teacheth false doctrine or els doubtlesse the trueth must euer be in the church The answere I answere that the true church of God which is the mysticall body of Christ doth neuer erre wholly and generally in the fundamentall pointes of religion and such as are necessary for our saluation I say first the true church of God because the societie of the visible pastors are not euer the mysticall members of Christ. I say secondly wholly and generally because albeit the trueth may faile for a time in the pastors of the church yet shall it neuer perish in the elect and true members thereof For though particular churches may erre in particular pointes yet shall the whole church neuer erre in the articles of necessary doctrine Though the elect may erre in part and at sometime yet shal they neuer erre either all generally or any one finally For whom and in respect of whom the church is rightly called the pillar of trueth This my exposition is made good by the testimonie of S. Austen whose words be these SecundaÌ„ ergo Sabbathi non debemus intelligere nisi ecclesiaÌ„ Christi sed ecclesiaÌ„ Christi in sanctis ecclesiam Christi in his qui scripti sunt in coelo ecclesiaÌ„ Christi in â—is qui mundi huius tentationibus non cedunt Ipsi enim digni sunt nomine firmameÌ„ti ergo ecclesia Christi in his qui firmi sunt appellata est firmamentum quae est in quit ecclesia dei viui columna firmamentum veritatis Therefore we may not vnderstand the second of the sabboth to bee any other then the church of Christ yet the church of Christ in the saints the church of Christ in those which are not ouercome with the tentations of this wicked world for they are worthy the name of firmament therefore the church of Christ is called the firmament in those that are firme which is saith hee the church of the liuing God the piller and firmament of truth The like saying hath S. Augustine in many other places but especially where he writeth against the Donatists Saint Chrysostome expoundeth this place of the veritie it selfe
plaine and pithie as no papist is able to wrest and writhe them to serue his turne For first S. Chrysostome prooueth marriage to be honourable and holy against the heretickes that condemned it and that because a Bishoppes function is honourable and holie who for all that may bee a married man Which argument were vaine and friuolous if Saint Chrysostome should speake of a Bishops marriage while he was a meere lay man For hereupon would it follow necessarily that tyrannie persecution adultery and murder should be honourable aswell as honest wedlocke I prooue it because no disparitie can be giuen betweene S. Chrysostomes reason and this of mine For first as the function of a bishop is honourable so is the function of an Apostle so is the function of a prophet Againe as a married man may be a bishop so may a persecutor of Christes church be an apostle for S. Paul was both so may an adulterer so may a murderer be an holy prophet for good king Dauid was all three Thirdly as tyrannie is a great sin â—lbeit once a tyrant may afterward become an apostle and as adultery and murder be greeuous crimes although once an adulterer and once a murderer may afterward bee an holy prophet euen so doubtlesse marriage may be an vnlawfull thing albeit once a married man may afterward be an holy bishop And so S. Chrysostome coulde not well conclude marriage to be lawful because once a married man may be a Bishop S. Chrysostome saith yet further that euen with it eumeâ with holie wedlocke one may be made a bishop euen while hee is a married man For as the father and the sonne so also the husband and the wife be relatiues and correlatiues whose nature is as all Logicians graunt to place and displace be and not be liue and die all at once For so soone as a man beginneth to be a father so soone hath he a childe and so soone as hee ceaseth to haue a childe so soone ceaseth he to be a father although he still remaine a man And euen so is it with the husband and the wife Adde hereunto that S. Chrysostome should not say with wedlocke but after it if he meant as the papistes woulde haue him to doe I therefore conclude that if S. Chrysostome meane not of a Bishoppes marriage during the very time hee is a bishop his argument is vaine and friuolous And in this argument Theophilactus subscribeth to S. Chrysostome The second place is that reason which S. Paule maketh to the Corinthians and is conteined in these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haue we not power to leade about a sister a wife aswel as the rest of the apostles and as the brethren of the Lorde and Cephas By this it appeareth manifestly if it be well marked that S. Peter and other of the apostles were married and that they did leade their wiues about with them when they went abroad preaching the holy gospel For first the Greeke worde in the originall signifieth a wife as well as a woman Secondly the word carrying about argueth a certaine interest and right in the partie that is carried about Thirdly it had been a very scandalous thing that the apostles being single men shoulde carry strange women about with them Fourthly this place cannot be vnderstoode of riche matrones because such women would haue relieued the apostles and not haue suffered them to be chargeable to their auditors and yet doth the apostle here speake of such women as were relieued by the preaching of the Gospel Fiftly if the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be not here taken for a wife but for a woman it must needes be a vain and childish addition because euery sister is a woman Sixtly because S. Clâ—ment and Eusebius Caesariensis expound this place of S. Paules wife and not of any other woman Iohannes Christophorsonus a great papist alledgeth S. Clements wordes out of Eusebius in this maner Clemens deinceps apostolos qui matrimonium contraxisse reperiuntur enâ—merat Ãdque contra eorum sententiam qui nuptias tollere abrogareque instituerent Numinquit sunt apostolos improbaturi Petrus enim Philippus liberos procrearunt Philippus filias viri collocauit in matrimonium Paulus etiam non veretur in quadam epistola contugis suae mentionem facere quam eò minime secum circumduxit quò facilius liberiusque suo fungeretur ministerio Clement afterward reckoneth the apostles who are knowne to haue been married men and that against their opinion who endeuoured to abrogate and take away marriage Will they saith he condemne the apostles for both Peter and Philip begat children and Philip bestowed his daughters vpon husbandes in marriage Paul also blusheth not in one of his Epistles to make mention of his wife whom he woulde not carrie about with him to the end hee might preach the gospel more freely See the first proposition following The first obiection It is cleere that S. Paul would not marry his owne sister and therefore the woman he speaketh of could not be his wife The answere I answere that the names of brother and sister in the primitiue church were proper to the faithfull and true beleeuers Sundrie wiues also in those daies were of a dissonant religion from their husbands S. Paule therefore to shew his wife to be a christian and a true beleeuer calleth her a sister As if he had said the woman I speake of is not only my wife but withall a christian and a true beleeuer The 2. obiection These women that S. Paul speaketh of were not the wiues of the apostles but cerâ—aine deuout women that followed the Apostles for zeale of the gospel as we reade of many women that followed Christ and did not thereby commit any scandall at all The answere I say first that the women S. Paule speaketh of were the wiues of the apostles as I haue proued I say secondly y t it is one thing to follow voluntarily as the women did our sauiour Christ and another thing to be led about as were the women of whom the apostle speaketh I say thirdly that it was an vsual and ordinary thing aswell for women as for men to resort to Hierusalem whither these women followed Christ. I say fourthly that these womâ—n were many togither and went in the company of their husbandes and neighbours and so they could not be subiect to any scandal at al. But if the Apostles were single men and went into seuerall partes of the worlde and led single women about with them so must they then needes be subiect vnto scandall vnlesse they were as is said their lawfull wiues indeed I say fiftly that if they were old women they could not endure the labours of so painfull and long iournies And if they were yong women or vnder threescore they ought to marry according to Paules doctrine The 4. proposition Marriage was deemed lawful for all sortes of people aswel
They call that a solemne vow which moonkes friers nunnes and other religious persons make and all the rest they repute vowes simple This distinction layd as a sound foundation they erect a manifold building thereupon in maner and forme following The first building Whosoeuer marrieth after the single vow of continencie he or she sinneth mortally but the mariage holdeth and is of force Thus teach all popish doctors with vniforme consent Angelus Rosilla Calderinus Couarrunias Paludanus Maior Siluester Nauarrus Fumus Scotus Sotus Aquinas and the rest I will only alledge the wordes of â—umus in the name of all who writeth in this manner Secundum impedimentum est votum simplex Nam qui vouit castitatem simpliciter si contrahat mortaliter peccat violans fidem deo datam tameâ— tenet matrimonium The second impediment is a single vow for hee that voweth chastitie simply if he afterward marry committeth a mortall sinne in breaking his promise made to God but yet the matrimonie holdeth and is of force The second building Euery marriage of man and woman made after the solemne vow of approoued religion is not only damnable in the partie contrahent but also void and of no force at all This likewise teach all popish doctors Aquinas Couarruâ—ias Siluester Nauarre and the rest Fumus hath these wordes Tertium impedimentum est votum non quodcunque sed solenne religionis approbatae siue fuerit professio expresse siue tacitè facta quia impedit ne quis possit contrahere matrimonium si contrahat est nullum The third impediment is a vow yet not euery one but the solemne vow of approoued religion whether profession bee made expressely or virtually because it so hindereth as none can marrie and if they doe marry such matrimony is none at all Where note that the papistes call that only approoued religion which is confirmed by the pope or bishop of Rome The third building Matrimonie euen after the solemne vow of religion is lawfull and of force so it be done by and with the popes dispensation This doctrine is taught vs by many learned papists Antoninus Richardus Hugo Innocentius Couarruuias and by the reall practise of sundry popes Thus writeth Antoninus whom I alledge in the name of the rest Papa dispensare potest in statuto concilij vniuersalis De voto solenni per professionem etiam patet quod licet papa non possit facere quod professus non fuit professus potest tamen facere quod non sit obligatus religioni ad votum religionis quiae in omni voto intelligitur excepta authoritate papae Infra communiter canonistae tenent quod papa potest dispensare in voto solenni religionis non quidem tantum vt sit religiosus non seruet vota sed de religioso potest facere laicum ex magna causa vrgente The pope can dispense in the decrees of a generall councell It is also cleere that he can dispense in a solemne vow by profession For although the pope cannot make a professed person not to haue been professed yet can he this doe that the professed person shal neither be bouÌ„d to his religion nor to his vow because we must vnderstand that in euery vow the popes authoritie is excepted and the Canonistes doe commonly holde that the pope can dispense in the solemne vowe of religion not only that one be still a religious person and keepe not his vow but of a religious person hee can make a meere lay man vpon an vrgent cause The fourth building A solemne vow hath not force of it selfe and of it owne nature to dissolue matrimonie and to make the solemne votaries vncapable thereof but all the force and efficacie it hath therein is wholly deriued from the ordinance of the church of Rome This teacheth their owne deere frier and reuerend bishop Iosephus Angles whose doctrine is approoued by the late popes of Rome Thus therefore doth Iosephus write Ratio praecisa ob quam votum solenne dirimit matrimonium contrahendum vouentes solenniter inhabilitat est ecclesiae institutio quae vt consanguineos intra quartum gradum ita huiusmodi personas ad contrahendum inhabilitat Definita est a Bonifacio 8. cap. vnico de voâ—o in 6. vbi solum constituit Rom. pontif discrimen inter votum solenne matrimonium Deinde quia possit ecclesia instituere vt in mundo nullum sit votuÌ„ soleÌ„ne matrimoniuÌ„ dirimens quare voti solennitas est ab ecclesia noÌ„ a deo ex nullo enim loco sacrae scripturae colligitur inhabilitas vouentis solenniter vt contrahere non possit Nam per traditionem quae fit in voto solenni non est ex iure diuino naturali inhabilis vouens adalium statum quia subdiaconus diaconus tradunt se deo voto solenni castitatis obedientiae tamen papa cum illis saepissimê dispensat vt Soto concedit The precise reason for which a solemne vow dissolueth matrimonie to bee contracted and disableth those that solemnely vow it is the institution of the church of Rome which as it inableth kinsfolkes within the fourth degree to contract marriage so doth it also the said votaries Bonifacius the eight hath so defined where the bishop of Rome onely appointeth the difference betweene a solemne vow and matrimonie Againe because the church of Rome might make a law that no solemne vow in the worlde should dissolue wedlocke wherefore the solemnitie of the vow is of the church and not of God For the inabilitie of the solemne vower so as he cannot marrie is not gathered out of any place of the holy scripture For by the tradition which is in the solemne vow the person vowing is not inabled to another state either by the law diuine or law of nature because Deacons and Subdeacons deliuer vp themselues to God by the solemne vow of chastitie and obedience and for all that the pope often dispenseth with them as Soto graunteth Nauarrus auoucheth constantly and without blushing that many popes haue dispensed de facto with professed moonkes and that in the way of marriage these are his wordes Papa potest dispensare cum monacho iam professo vt contrahat matrimonium imò de facto multi papae dispensarunt The pope can dispense with a moonke already professed that he may become a married man For many popes de facto haue dispensed so Couarruuias Richardus Paludanus Scotus Caietanus and Antoninus hold the selfe same opinion The fift building The vow single is of one and the same nature with the vow solemne not distinguished by any essentiall but meere accidentall difference For thus writeth their owne Iosephus Angles Votum solenne simplex ex parte subiecti specie accidentali differunt propterea quod voti simplicis subiectum est ad coÌ„trahendum matrimonium habile licet contrahendo peccet At verò subiectum voti solennis est
were married to wit that they would be louing diligent carefull obedient to their husbands and aboue all the rest keep their coniugall faith The third faith was that which these widowes made to the bishop the whole church to wit that they would execute their deaconship honestly faithfully constantly perseuer therein to the end The yonger widowes waxing wanton against Christ did not only breake their last promise forsaking the ministery of the church but their first and most holy promis made in baptisme while they departing from the purity of honest life and religion consecrated themselues to paganisme and infidelitie and so purchased to themselues Gods wrath eternal damnation Therefore the apostle maketh no mention of any vow but only reproueth vnconstant women who being relieued a long time by the common tresure of the congregation to minister to the sicke persons did afterward both forsake their promise Christ too and became heathens running after satan For this is euident by the words of the 15. verse of the 5. chapter from whence the obiection is taken where the apostle saith that some widowes are already turned back from Christ their guide to whom they had dedicated theÌ„selues in baptisme folowed after satan It wil not serue the papists to say after their wonted maner that marriage breaketh not our promise made in baptisme For albeit the faith of baptisme be not brokeÌ„ by marrying absolutely and simply yet is it indeede broken by marrieng against Christ that is by marrying in such maner as they renounce christianitie And this my answer is confirmed because if the apostle had meant otherwise he would haue called it the last faith and not the first I say fiftly that these words for when they shall wax wanton against Christ they wil marry do euidently proue that S. Paul meaneth the promise made in baptisme and I desire the gentle reader to marke my discourse attentiuely for this obiection is the bulwarke to defend this article of poperie I therefore note first that these foure things are really distinguished in S. Paul to wit the waxing wanton of the widows the marriage of the widowes the damnation of the widowes and the breach of their faith I note secondly that the wantonnes of the widows was before their marriage for so the apostle saith expresly I note thirdly that the widowes promised in their baptisme to keepe Gods holy commaundements among which one is this Non concupisces Thou shalt not lust I note fourthly y t the breach of euery commandement deserueth eternal death For so saith the apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for y e reward of sin is death And another scripture saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Accursed be he that confirmeth not the words of this lawe in doing them for as saint Iames saith though a man keep all the residue of the law yet if he offend in any one point he becommeth guiltie of all I note fiftly that by Gods law we are bound to refer all our workes all our words and al our thoughts to his honour and glory for so teacheth his apostle and consequently that the wantonnes of the yonger widowes was a breach of Gods holy laws These points obserued I conclude that the yonger widows had damnation not for marrying but for being wanton before their marriage For in being wanton against Christ they brake their first faith made in baptisme that is they performed not that obedience they promised in baptisme in not performing that obedience they deserued eternal death and so they had damnation bicause they were wanton against Christ. S. Paul saith not that they had damnation bicause they married which must be wel marked but bicause they made voide their first faith in breaking Gods coÌ„mandements as ye haue heard I say sixtly that saint Paul is so far from condemning marriage in the yonger widowes after their promise or vow which the papists would most willingly father vpon him as he exhorteth them to marry euen after such their promise or vowe I prooue it note wel what I say because so soone as hee hath willed the yonger widowes to marry in the 14. verse foorthwith in the 15. verse he yeeldeth the reason of that his aduise to wit because certaine are already turned backe after Satan Now in the 15. verse he must needs speake of such widowes as were receiued into the ministerie of the church because none could be turned backe from that to which they neuer were admitted he therfore speaketh likewise of the betrothed widows in the next verse before which I make euident three wayes first because otherwise his illation in the 15. verse shoulde be foolish friuolous foolish because it could haue no connexion with the 14. verse friuolous for that it could not conclude his purpose secondly because he had already in the 11. verse charged the bishop Timothy not to receiue any widow vnder the age of 60. yeeres This conclusion therefore being made touching the widowes not yet admitted he goeth forward and giueth his aduise for the yonger widowes then receiued of the church as if he had saide for as much as some of the yonger sort haue alreadie beene wanton and followed sathan and there is also danger in the rest I decree that hereafter none vnder 60. yeares be receiued and I exhort the yonger alreadie receiued and desirous to marrie to betake themselues to holie wedlocke to bring forth children to be housewiues and so to giue no occasion to the aduersarie to speake euill Thirdly because otherwise Saint Paul should equiuocate verie grossely in one and the selfe same reason giuing one signification to the same word in the premisses an other in the consecution Thus much of this obiection in special and of the mariages of Bishops priests deacons and religious persons in generall as also of the first â—rohibition against the same It nowe remaineth for the complement of this discourse that I solue certaine obiections made generally against this doctrine for which shalbe assigned the next chapter CHAP. IIII. Of certaine generall obiections against the marriages of Priests with briefe solutions of the same The first obiection BE sanctified therefore and be holy for I am holy your lord and God I answer that al the Israelits were commanded to be sanctified to be holy aswel as were the priests and so if this argument were of force in popish sence al people aswel as priestes shoulde abstaine from the vse of holy wedlocke yea the priests were euen then married as is already proued The second obiection I would haue you without care the vnmarried careth for the things of the lord how he may please the Lord but he that is married careth for the things of the world how hee may please his wife therefore priests ought not to be married The answere I say first that S. Paul preferreth the state of the vnmarried before the
intercession before God it shal not be a thing inconuenient Out of which sayinges of Origen I note first that he speaketh only of the praiers which saintes in heauen make for vs and not one word of our praying to them I note secondly that to holde that the saintes in heauen doe pray for vs is not a constant position in Origens doctrine but only an opinion and disputable question I proue it because he saith arbitror I think Again because he saith non erit inconueniens it shal not be incoÌ„uenient Thirdly because he saith audiuâ— ita dicentem I heard one say so The fiâ—st obiection Origen in his book de paenitentia saith y t he will fall prostrate on his knees and inuocate all the saintes in heauen that they will helpe him because he dare not pray to God for himselfe The answere I say first that this assertion fathered vpon Origen will confute it selfe for how could Origen or anie faithfull christian be in feare humbly to inuocate our most mercifull God who willeth all to come to him that are in distresse who promiseth to heare all those that in their trouble call vpon him Who graunteth to vs whatsoeuer we aske in his sonnes name who hath appointed his sonne to make intercession for vs. I say secondly that this booke alledged in the obiection is not Origens but a plaine counterfeit And I prooue it effectually because their owne pope Gelasius hath so resolued The 2. obiection Origen saith that the fathers of the churche appointed the feast day of the holy Innocentes and that by the will of God that so their intercession might profite their parentes The answere I say first that if all this were graunted it could but at the most proue that the saints pray for vs which in a good sense may be admitted For I willingly graunt that the saintes in heauen doe in generall maner and termes pray for vs that is that they wishe vs to perseuere in the true faith and feare of God and y t in the end we may be partakers with theÌ„ of eternal glory I say secondly that sundry learned men doe thinke these homilies from whence this obiection is taken not to be any part of Origens workes I say thirdly that if Origen doe make that a constant doctrine in one place which he graunteth to be a disputable question in another place what remaineth but to thinke his opinion therein to be of no force I say fourthly that the papistes as their Ruffinus recordeth will admit nothing in Origen which disliketh them but reiect all such stuffe as infarsed into his workes by the heretickes Let them therefore giue vs leaue also to reiect in Origen if in any place he seeme to approoue inuocation of saintes as that which is infarsed by the heretickes specially because in other places he teacheth the contrary doctrine The fift Canon About 20. yeares after that Origen had doubtfully disputed the praying of saintes for vs S. Cyprian and S. Cornelius set down that point resolutely as standing no longer in doubt therof to wit that the saintes in heauen doe pray for the liuing here on earth For they made this couenaut that whether of them soeuer should die the first should pray for his brethren and sisters yet liuing These are S. Cyprians owne wordes Et si quis istinc nostrum prior diuinae dignationis celeritate praecesserit perseueret apud dominum nostra dilectio pro fratribus sororib apud misericordiam patris noncesset oratio And if either of vs shall through Gods mercie die before the other let our loue continue still in Gods sight let vs not cease to desire the fauour of God for our brethren and sisters yet liuing Thus saith S. Cyprian Out of whose wordes I note first that to be established in his time which was but in opinion and doubtfull case in the daies of Origen To wit that the saintes in heauen pray for vs here on earth I note secondly that the inuocation of saintes in heauen was neither established in saint Cyprians time neither once called into question I note thirdly that popish inuocation of Saintes sprung vp by little and little from one degree to another The sixt Canon About an hundreth yeares after S. Cyprian which was about 350. yeares after Christ some of the fathers by rhetoricall apostrophees did applie their orations to the dead as if they had been liuing Of which sort were S. Basill and saint Gregory Nazianzene who though they did but inuocate the saints figuratiuely and of a certain excessiue zeale yet did such their inuocations minister occasion to the papistes of all their superstition in that behalfe These are the wordes of S. Gregory Nazianzene Audite populi tribus linguae homines omnes cuâ—usuis generis aetaetis quicunque nunc estis existetis Infra audiat quoque Constantini magni anima si quis mortuis sensus est omnesque eorum qui ante eum imperium tenuerunt piae Christique amantes animae Heare O people kinreds tongues nations ages whosoeuer are now liuing or shalbe borne hereafter Let also the soule of Constantine the Great heare all the christian godly soules of the Emperors before him if the dead perceiue any thing at all And againe in another place he thus writeth At ô pascha magnum inquam sacro sanctum pascha totiusque mundi piaculum te enim quasi vita praeditum alloquor But O Passeouer the great I say and sacred Passeouer and the purgation of the whole world For I call vpon thee as if thou hadst life Thus writeth Nazianzene by whose wordes we may measure both the rest of his sayings and of the other fathers First therefore I note that hee doth inuocate aswell senselesse thinges as reasonable soules Secondly hee calleth vpon the soules of all the people in the world whereof some were damned in the bottome of hell and so could not heare as euery learned papist will admit Thirdly he inuocateth those that are yet vnborne Vpon these sandie foundations are built all popish superstitious inuocations The 7. Canon Catholique doctrine is that as Vincentius Lyrinensis who liued aboue a thousand yeares agoe defineth it which hath been receiued constantly of al the faithful at al times and in all places Which Vincentius is and euer was of great reputation with and amongst al learned papists and consequently since popish inuocation of Saintes neither was constantly receiued of all the faithfull neither in all places neither at al times as which was not heard of for many hundreth yeares after Christ it cannot be deemed catholicke doctrine no not by popishe proceeding This Canon ought to be well remembred as which of it selfe ouerthroweth al Romish religion An obiection S Chrysostomes Masse which was generally vsed in the Greeke church maketh expresse mention of the inuocation of Saintes and the same doctrine is taught in sundry places of his workes The
to auoid the scandall of some persons that are either holy or troublous I dare not freely reprehēd many such things But I am very sory for this that many wholesome precepts in Gods bookes are little regarded and that all things are so full of presumptions that he is more sharply reprooued which toucheth the ground in his octaues with his bare foote then he that shall lye drunken in the streete All things therefore which neither are contayned in the holy scriptures neither in the decrees of bishops neither established by the custome of the vniuersal church but are infinitely varied by the diuersitie of maners in diuerse places so that seldome or neuer the causes can be knowen which men respected in the ordinance thereof I thinke they are to be taken away without any stop where power and authority is at hand For although it cannot bee found howe they make against the catholike faith yet doe they clog the religion with seruile bondage which our mercifull God would haue freely celebrated with verie few and manifest sacraments so that now the condition of the Iewes is more tolerable who though they haue not acknowledged the time of libertie yet are they subiect to legal burdens not to humaine presumptions Thus saith holy and learned Austen Out of whose words I note first that S. Austen for feare of scandall and other humaine respects durst not speake all he thought nor freely reproue euerie abuse as he wished in his heart I note secondly that al the bishops learned fathers of the church did not at all times like and approue all things which were publikely done in the church thogh they spoke not flatly and openly against the same Which point if it be wel noted doth more then a little gall our papists I note thirdly that Gods word was little regarded euen in Saint Austens time and that superstition in steede thereof raigned euerie where and therefore no maruell if so much Romish trumperie did after Saint Austens time abound in their visible church I note fourthly that euen in Saint Austens dayes odde conceits of superstitious trumperie were more regarded then the chiefest points of religion I note fiftly that manie superstitious errours haue crept into the church the causes wereof neither are nor can bee knowen and therefore by Saint Austens iudgement all such trumperie ought to bee cut off by the authoritie of the Magistrate I note sixtly that the church was brought into seruile bondagt by reason of beggarly ceremonies other superstition so as in S. Austens time the state of the Iewes was more tolerable then the condition of faithful christians I note seauenthly that the christian libertie of the new testament may not bee charged with superfluous ceremonies The second conclusion The bodies bones and reliques of Gods Saints and martyres are not to be contēned reiected or disdainfully cast away but to be buried honourably and esteemed reuerently as wel to giue a signe of our hope in the resurrection of our bodies and theirs as to signifie their true faith in the euerliuing God This conclusion may euidently be proued by many texts of holy writ Pretious in the sight of the Lord saith Dauid is the death of his saints Again in another place Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuereth him out of them all he keepeth all his bones not one of them is broken Againe in another place Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord in another place the Psalmograph yeeldeth the reason why the bodies reliques of y e dead be honorable to wit for the hope of the resurrection that they shal once be glorified for my flesh saith he shall rest in hope and in the Hebrew more significantly shall dwell in hope to expresse the full assurance of the resurrection In this hope did S. Ioseph cause his fathers bodie be enbalmed being accompanied with al the seruants of R. Pharao both the elders of his house all the elders of the land of Egypt and with his brethren and others of his fathers house he went vp into the land of Canaā there to burie his father with great honour and solemnitie The prophet Daniel when he died was buried with great honor so was Micheas Ioel many others the prophets apostles seruants of the liuing god In regard wherof prudently said Syrach Let their bones flourish out of their place and their names by succession remaine to them that are most famous of their children All which Saint Austen comprised briefly in these golden words Nec tamen contemnenda abiicienda sunt corpora defunctorum maximèque iustorum atque fidelium quibus tanquam organis vasis ad omnia bona opera sanctus vsus est spiritus Si enim paterna vestis annulus ac si quid huiusmodi tanto charius est posteris quanto erga parentes maior extitit affectus nullo modo ipsa spernenda sunt corpora quae vtique multo familiarius atque coniunctius quam quaelibet indumenta gestamus Haec enim non ad ornamētum vel adiutorium quod adhibetur extrinsecus sed ad ipsam naturam hominis pertinent Neither are the bodies of the dead to be dispised and cast away specially the bodies of the iust and of the faithful whom the holie ghost hath vsed as instruments and vessels to all good workes For if the fathers garment and ring and the like bee so much the dearer to the posteritie by howe much our affection was greater to our parents then doubtlesse their bodies are no way to be contemned which are more familiar and nearer to vs thē anie garment for they pertaine not to the ornament or helpe which we vse externally but euen to the nature of man it selfe The third conclusion To goe from place to place on pilgrimage to learne experience ciuil maners customes and lawes of other countries or christianly to profit others therby is a godly act highly to be commended The painful godly peregrinatiōs of Christ him selfe and of his chosen vessels will make this conclusion euident For Christ was conceiued in Nazareth borne in Bethlehem the eight day presented in Hierusalem Hee fled into Egypt he returned and dwelt in Nazareth Being twelue yeres of age hee disputed in the temple at Hierusalem from whence he returned with his parents and came to Nazareth Being thirtie yeeres olde hee was baptized in Iorden tempted of the Deuill in the wildernesse placed on a Pinnacle of the temple and after that carried into an exceeding high mountaine In Cana of Galilee he was present at a marriage where he changed water into wine Hee abode a while at Capernaum with his mother and his friendes He went throughout Galilee teaching in the synagogues Besides the sea of Galilee hee calleth Simon Andrew Iames and Iohn From thence he came to the region of the Gerasenes where the swine were drowned in the
the bone of a dead dogge if it be saide by any to be a relique of a saint will drawe them with facilitie to touch it to kisse it and to adore it as if it were God almightie For which cause saint Austen saieth truely that many bodies are adored vpon earth whose soules are damned in hell Yea the dead corps of Hermannus was adored for a saint twenty yeeres at Ferrara who yet was an heretique as writeth their owne Platina The first obiection They are vndoubtedly the true relikes of true saints which the church appointeth to be adored euery where And saint Austen speaketh onely against priuate abuses of certaine priuate persons not against the generall practise of y e vniuersal church For the vse of the church is first to canonize the saint and after to propose his relikes to be adored Which church being therein directed by the holy ghost cannot erre as you imagine The answer I say first that how your church both may erre and hath erred de facto is already prooued I say secondly that your abuses are as generall as your reliques For you all teach to adore all your reliques religiously in all places wheresoeuer insomuch as your owne Ludouicus Viues granteth that many christians do sinne no lesse in adoring their images and relikes then do the Gentiles in adoring their false gods I say thirdly that your worshipping of reliques is flatly reproued by S. Paul in what maner soeuer ye doe it The apostle of Christ yeeldeth this reason because it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluntarie worship◠not contained in Gods word I say fourthly that if Christs crosse must therefore be adored because it touched Christs bodie which is the reason of popish adoration euen so ought the lippes of Iudas to be adored because they touched Christs sacred mouth This reason is inuincible if it be well vrged I say fiftly that the Pope may erre in canonizing your Saints as your owne Doctour Melchior Canus telleth you neither can Aquinas indeede denie the same And certes as the pope may erre in canonizing your saintes so may he much more erre in determining such and such reliques to be the bodies bones or ashes of such and such saintes and consequently so may all papistes adoring them commit idolatry yea though it were granted that true reliques might be adored because as S. Austen grauely saide their reliques are adored on earth whose soules are broyling in hell fire I say sixtly that when the pope taketh vpon him not only to canonize saintes but withall not to erre in so doing he doubtlesse chalengeth to himselfe the authoritie of God omnipotent and may therefore fitly be called Antichrist howsoeuer the Iesuites and his other vassals labour to defend him in this The second obiection If it were not a godly act to adore holy reliques to translate them from place to place as the church hath a long time vsed holy Moses who had Gods spirite largely would neuer haue so reuerenced the dead body of S. Ioseph nor yet haue caried it so many miles The answere I say first that the flesh of Iosephs bodie was wholy consumed and nothing left but bones and ashes For the Israelites abode in Egypt about 215. yeares after the death of holy Ioseph I say secondly that as the wicked gaine nothing by being buried in temples after the christian maner euen so neither are the godly worse for being buried in places prophane For they who die in the warres for the seruice of their Soueraigne and defence of their natiue countrey are doubtlesse in as good case notwithstanding their base kinde of funerall as if they had died at home and been buried with all pompe and solemnitie I say thirdly that the translation of S. Iosephes bones out of Egypt was not for religion sake whereof holy Writ maketh no mention but to shew his hope and confidence in Gods promise and to confirme the faith of his brethren For these are the wordes God will surely visite you and yee shal take my bones away hence with you As if he had said Haue full trust in Gods promise for your deliuerance for vndoubtedly God will bring you into the land of Chanaan as he hath said and for the better confirmation thereof I appoint my bones to be taken with you thither and for this end doth the Apostle ascribe this charge giuen to Iosephes brethren to the great commendation of his faith The third obiection The scripture telleth vs that Helcana and Anna his wife went thrise in the yeare on pilgrimage to Hierusalem Sundrie of the Greekes left their owne countrey and came to adore in Hierusalem The Eunuch came from farre to adore in the same place S. Paul himselfe made haste in his iourney that he might keepe Pentecost at Hierusalem Christ likewise with his mother Mary and S. Ioseph her husband came on pilgrimage to Hierusalem The answere I say first that God appointed his temple at Hierusalem to be the peculiar place of his externall worship and that al his people should repaire thither at three seueral times in the yere To wit at Easter Pentecost and the feast of tabernacles So that S. Ioseph S. Marie S. Anna and Helcana went to Hierusalem at that day euen as we doe nowe to the Church to heare diuine seruice and sermons And therefore their pilgrimage was honourable and highly to be commended I say secondly that Christ himselfe went not of any necessity but for our sake and to giue vs an example of obedience and humilitie For hee came to fulfill the lawe not to dissolue the same I say thirdly that saint Paul hasted thither for the gospel sake because then there would be great concourse of people whom he desired to instruct with godly sermons I say fourthly that as Iosephus writeth sundry of the conuerted gentiles as the Eunuch Cornelius and others vsed to resort to Ierusalem with the dispersed Iewes where they adored the liuing God then as we do now in the church neere at home But they went not to adore stockes and stones as the papists do nor to put religion in dead creatures The fourth obiection Going on pilgrimage is a very auncient custome and that for religion sake for S. Alexander a most holy martyr who liued aboue a thousand and two hundreth yeares agoe went for that end to Hierusalem as writeth Eusebius in his historie The answere I say first that to go on pilgrimage is an holy and auncient thing indeed as which both Christ himselfe S. Paule and other holy men haue practised as I haue already graunted I say secondly that though Saint Alexander had a great affection to see those places where Christ hadde been present and wrought his miracles yet did he neither think his praiers more acceptable in y e place then in an other nor yet thought his iourney to be any part of satisfaction for his sinnes For hee knew right well