the Arians did agree with the Christen menne in theim bothe as in all Sacramentes and in all poinctes of praiyng sauing that the Arians did sing Gloria patri in filio and the Christian menne Gloria patri filio c. And therfore and for that onely poinct Ihō Chrysostome then beyng Bishop of Constantinople did appoincte vnto the christian men a seperate place and maner of praier from them as it appeareth in the sixth of the Historie Ecclesiastike And therefore the notable doctour S. Augustine doth conclude on thys wise saiyng that they shall not communicate in Sacramētes with vs whose doctrine we cannot approue and allowe The aunswere Your third consideration standeth vppon a foolishe fallation of Sophistrie called petitio principij whiche is whē a man will take that as true whiche his aduersarie will not graunte hym As you doe in this your argument where you take that for a true principle whiche you shall neuer be able to proue namely that we are Heretikes and Schismatikes And so you committe double folie Firste in prouyng that so diligentely whiche no manne will deny whiche is that a manne ought not to communicate in religion with Heretikes and secondly in bringing no proofe at all of that which all your aduersaries wil deny namely that thei are Heretikes or Schismatikes For you must first prooue that thei are suche before you can proue that you ought to auoide their societie The Papiste The fowerth consideration is that the receiuyng of this new booke of seruice is a condemnation of the olde wherby is taken away 5. of the. 7. Sacramentes the reall presence of Christes body in the Sacramente of the alter the sacrifice of the masse many traditions of the Apostles as the holiyng of the Fonte oile and Chrisma in Baptisme and Confirmation the making of the signe of the Crosse praiers for the deade and vnto sainctes All sacramentall and godly cerimonies frequented in the vniuersal churche of Christe and brougt into this realme with the faithe of Christe by S. Augustine and here by hym established as suer signes and tokens of christian faieth like as the holy S. Bede witnesseth in his firste boke de gestis Anglorum in the 25.29.30 chapiters beside that all the foresaide thinges haue been alwaie approued vsed and allowed throughout the vniuersal church of christ And therfore saieth S. Augustine all these thinges whiche haue been receiued in the vniuersall Churche of Christe and approued by the vse and consente therof ought not to be ouerthrowen nor yet to be chaūged by the iudgemente of one priuate person be his learnyng and liuyng neuer so good nor yet by the Bishoppes of any one prouince or countrie when thereby they shoulde breake the vnitie of Gods spirite whiche is the chief treasure in his Churche commended by our sauiour Christe vnto his Apostles wishynge and praiynge the same vnitie to be amongest theim whiche was betwixt him and God Ioan 17 the father The Apostle S. Paule tought the Corinthians aboue all thinges to obserue this vnitie and willed the Romaines that with one minde and one mouth they shoulde glorifie god And in the Epistle to the Ephesians he besought theim most entirely to obserue this vnitie Again S. Augustine saieth these thinges whiche the vniuersall churche doth teache therfore are to be obserued and kepte of all menne because the churche which is the spouse of Christ hath the full aucthoritie of her husband Christ and suche gouernement also of the holy ghost that she cannot consent but to true thinges nor she cannot commaunde but onely suche thinges whiche are both holy holsome and good And farther the same S. Augustine saieth that in the ministratiō of the Sacramentes and in the manner of praiyng vsed of Preestes there must be an vniformitie obserued in Christes catholike Churche that by their Lawe and maner of praiyng there may be established the lawe of beleuyng And lest that the lawe and maner of praiyng being chaunged may also bring foorthe a chaunge and alteration of faieth like as it hath so proued in thys realme Beside that S. Ambrose doth thinke that there can not bee the faieth where Schisme is for albeit that schismatikes may haue faieth towardes God yet they cannot haue faieth towarde the Churche of God whom they suffer to bee dismembred and discerped in peeces For wheras our sauiour Christe suffered for his Churche and the Churche is the mysticall bodie of Christe how therfore may thei haue faith in christ by whom his Passion is made frustrate and his mysticall bodie drawen in peeces And therefore woulde not we shoulde chaunge an order set or a custome of Christes churche For albeit saieth he the reason or cause of a custome may be sought for yet must it be so sought for that the custome thereby be not infirmed or broken for the searche may not bee made vnto destruction but vnto aedification wherby thou maist better obserue the custome when thou arte assured of the cause and reason therof I do praise thee saieth Tertuliane whiche firste doeth beleue the custome to be obserued before it hath learned the cause and reason why and wherfore The aunswere In your fowerth consideration you should haue likewise considered that suche thynges as are graunted of bothe partes nede small proofe and that those matters whiche are in controuersie should be substancially cōfirmed As for example How necessarie vnitie is for the Churche of Christe no manne doubteth so it bee in truthe and not in falshed for there is vnitie emong the mooste wicked but not in truthe and honestie On the other side that there be fiue sacramentes more then the boke alloweth that there is a carnall presence in the Sacrament of the Lordes bodie and bloude that there is or ought to be a Sacrifice in the masse ye bring not one worde of proof Concernyng Ceremonies whiche you call traditions of the Apostles you saie in deede a little although to little purpose and yet so confusely and out of all good order that you seme rather to confounde then to instructe your simple reader for what an hochpotte is this in the middes of your Sacramentes and Sacramentalles to choppe in praiers for the deade and inuocation of sainctes whiche bée articles of doctrine and not Ceremoniall obseruations Againe when you haue rehersed by name diuers Ceremonies as oile and chrisme in Baptisme your maner of confirmation the signe of the Crosse and all other your Sacramentalls and Ceremonies you bryng in certain broken and vnperfecte sentences of Doctours whiche speake generally of Ceremonies vsed in the churche in their age and doe not shew that your Ceremonies were vsed then in suche maner as you vse them now which is a meere mockerie of your readers For wheras you doe comprehende thē all vnder the name of Traditions of the Apostles if you be a man of suche learning as you would seme to be I dare saie in your behalfe you will bee ashamed to come to triall of this poincte that
¶ A confutation of a Popishe and sclaunderous libelle in forme of an apologie geuen out into the courte and spread abrode in diuerse other places of the Realme ¶ VVritten by VVilliam Fulke Bacheler in Diuinitie and felowe of S. Ihons Colledge in Cambridge ¶ Imprinted at London by Ihon Kingston for William Iones and are to bee solde at the newe long shop at the West ende of Poules ¶ To the right honourable and vertuous Ladie the Ladie Margaret Strange YOur honourable and Godly request madame to haue this infamous and Popishe Apologie confuted maie bee a sufficient testimone bothe of your loyall affection towardes your prince countrie also of vnfeigned loue towardes God and his true religion For as the libell being sclanderous against our soueraigne and her lawes blasphemous against God his truthe might be a reioysyng to the obstinate rebellious and an offence to the weake and ignorant if the cloudes of calumniation and deceiptful reasonyng vsed therin were not driuē a waie with the blaste of some confutation so the falshod therof beyng opened and the crafte discouered by your L. procuremēt shal be a matter of gladnes to the godly of grief to the wicked of strenthenyng to the weake and of learnyng to the ignorant VVherby trueth beyng mainteined and errour cōfounded many men shal be profited God hymself shal be glorified And your L. for preferryng so many folde goodnes may be assured to receiue worthie thankes of men and plentifull reward of god But this especially wherin your L. ought chiefly to reioice is not to be omitted that as god hath iustified you in the merites of his sonne through faith cōceiued in your harte so he hath geuen you an occasion hereby of his holie name and religion to make opē profession in the world VVhē accordyng to the testimonie of the Apostle as a true and liuely beleif of the hart is necessarie for iustificatiō so a cleare open confession of the mouth is requisite to saluatiō So that this your L. requeste might seme in all poinctes most fortunat if it had not founde so meane an instrument as I am to accōplishe it For beside that I am inferiour to verie many of my brethren that are meate to take suche a matter in hād I haue been for these two yeres almost as it were sequestered both frō serious studie and plentie of such bokes as for such a purpose were most conuenient Notwithstāding esteming your L. motion as a prouocatiō sente of god to occupie my idle tyme to employe some parte of gods giftes to the profite of his Churche as my duetye bindeth me I thought good to shew my self rather vnable thē willing to satisfie your godly desire Not that the obiectiōs of the aduersarie were of suche weight but that thei might easely bee auoyded by many thousand christians whom God hath indued with meaner giftes of knowledge vnderstandyng then it hath pleased hym to bestowe vpon me but that I am priuie to myne owne imperfection whereby I am lesse apt to beautifie a matter with such copy eloquence as many other are I would wish that this argument might haue been handled Neuertheles accordyng to my bare and simple facultie I haue endeuoured to set forthe the truthe rather with substaunce of matter then with florishyng of woordes not caryng howe finely but howe plainly I might cause it to appere seyng it is no lesse charitable to teach the ignoraunt then it is commendable to please the learned And this labour I haue bestowed for the profite of others and not for the praise of my self For whiche cause also I thought it not beste to encomber the simple reader with many reasōs or authorities to proue one matter but to enstructe hym with a few and those pitthie of force to perswade Sauyng that in one questiō of iustification in multitude of testimonies I maie seme to be ouer tedious if the cause be not considered whiche prouoked me thereto For seyng the aduersaries without shame crie out that our doctrine of iustification is suche a straunge paradox as neuer was hearde of in the worlde before our tyme the same doctrine beeyng the chiefe foundation of true Religion I thought it expedient that the vnlearned were admonished what plētifull witnesses it hath of antiquitie as it hath moste manifest aucthoritie in the holie worde of god To conclude there were twoo other considerations that encouraged me to take vpon me this cōfutation One because this Popishe apologie discouereth no greate learnyng of the aucthor there is no greate connyng to bee required in hym that should make answere to it for that it hath presumed to thrust it self into the princes court it is not impertinēt that it should be confuted by one that is attēdant in the same Thus hauing doen my good will I moste humbly desire your L. to take it in good parte besechyng almightie God so to continue and encrease his giftes of vertue and godlines in your L. that you maie be blessed with true honour and prosperitie in this life and afterward rewarded with eternall ioye and felicitie Your L. to commaunde in the Lorde William Fulke An aunswere to a Popishe apologie ¶ An Apollogie of a Papiste confuted by W. F. THere was found in the court either cast of purpose or lost of negligence a certain small pamphlette conteinyng an Apollogie or aunswere of a Papiste to some frendes of his that perswaded hym to conforme hymself to the Religion now receiued in the realme by publike aucthoritie whiche when it came to my handes supposyng it might do some hurte emong them that are ignoraunte I thought good briefly to confute it But because the copie whiche was founde was vnskilfully written I had some diffultie to reade it in certaine places and sometymes I mighte plainely perceiue that the aucthours meanyng was chaunged by vntrue writyng So that the aucthour or his frendes maie haue some occasion to cauill at my publishing of the copie whiche was so muche corrupted In cōsideratiō wherof I would haue been verie glad to haue had the principall copie of the aucthours owne hande if I could haue knowen how to come by it But seyng I was out of hope of that I perused and restored the copie that I had as faithfully as I could desiryng the aucthour or his frendes that haue the originall if I haue erred in any woorde of any momente to lette me haue knowledge thereof and I will thereby reforme the apologie and alter myne answere thereto accordyngly The writyng had this title The Papiste Certaine considerations and causes mouyng me not to bee presente at nor to receiue neither vse the seruice of the newe booke otherwise called the Common boke of praiers The aunswere If the copie of your title as it came to my hande was not peruerted you shewe your self in your title to bee a very peruerse ▪ and froward persone that maie not vouchsafe to call the booke as it is commonly
confections Neither did the Apostles by that decree commaunde any fastyng but onely abstinence from bloode and strangled beastes whiche was offensiue to the Iewes And for suche ende of auoidyng offences or for ciuile pollicie we can and doe admitte abstinence from some kindes of meates and drinkes but not for Religions sake neither accoumptyng any suche abstinence to bee fastyng But true fastyng to tame the bodie and to bryng it into subiection to humble our selues to make vs more apte to praie we commende and exhorte menne vnto it although we make no tyrannicall lawes to entangle any mannes conscience with all Your féeble kinde of reasonyng should not incurre so greate reprehension if you had not as well in your title as in youre conclusion made so bolde bragges of your plaine proofes whiche be so plaine in dede that euery manne maie see thei haue no force at all in theim And whereas you threaten to shewe that wée dooe all thynges contrary to the primitiue Churche you doe well to sate it shall bée performed in suche sorte as you haue proued already that wee haue none agreaunce with the same For he that hath experience howe pithely you haue reasoned out of the scriptures can not but hope that you will dispute euen as profoundly out of the Doctours The Papiste Argumentes gathered out of the holy Fathers and aunciente doctours prouyng that this late reformed Englishe Churche hath no agreance with the primitiue church of Christe The aunswere A man maie easely perceiue that you delight in greate nombers For as before in your former argumentes one matter was cutte into fower partes to fill vp the nomber so likewise in these argumentes without order or dispositiō diuers things are twise or thrise repeated As dipping in baptisme oile and Chrisme and crossyng whereas if you would haue followed any order all these should haue made but one argument of Ceremonies or Traditiōs Or if you would néedes diuide theim into their particulers you should haue made thirtie or fourtie argumentes of theim and not tenne onely But now how well you difine the primitiue Churche as I haue touched before a manne maie meruaile to see sometyme you alledge twoo hundreth somtyme three hundreth somtyme fower hundreth sometymes sixe hundreth and at length you come almost to eighte hundreth yeres after Christe when you alledge the seconde Counsaile of Nice whiche was holden in the yere of our Lorde seuen hundred eightie and one So that the greater halfe of all the tyme that hath passed from Christes ascention vntil this daie you would haue vs to take for the primitiue churche But you know full well that none of vs would allowe all that tyme for the primitiue Churche especially when wee speake of that state whiche we woulde haue to bee a paterne and example to all churches Onely your purpose was to amase your vnlearned frendes to whom you made this apology with the names of so manie aunciente fathers as you rehease and yet like a wise man you note but fewe places where a man should finde their aucthorities as you alledge theim lest you should happen to be discredited Whiche must needes be compted fraudulent dealyng because you note some wherof no learned manne will doubte and passe ouer so many whiche séeme somwhat straunge that any suche thinges should be to those that parhappes haue reade as muche of the aunciente doctours as you But vnto all your tenne as gumentes I wil first oppose one answere whiche is sufficiente to take theim all awaie namely that suche thinges as you bringe in to haue been vsed of the primitiue churche were not in the first churche of the Apostles whiche is moste properly called the primitiue churche but in the latter and more corrupte age and the further from the Apostles the farther from sinceritie Beside that of Ceremonies not manifestly impious vsed in the aunciente churche after the Apostles the churche at al tymes after hath power to abrogate or alter theim as they growe to bee abused or cease to be profitable therefore diuersitie of Ceremonies maketh not diuersitie of Churches The Papiste Firste in the Primitiue Churche they did mixe in our lordes cuppe water with wine and so for to doe est lex Euangelica traditio dominica as witnesseth S. Cypriane Irenaeus Eusebius Emissenus whiche these our reformatours will none of The aunswere The primitiue churche obserued in the sacramēt that which in drinking of wine they commonly vsed that is to put water among the wine to allaie the strength of it in whiche thyng there was no harme so long as superstition and opinion of necessitie was awaie but that it should bee as you saie lex Euangelica traditio dominica the lawe of the Gospell and the tradition of our Lorde I suppose you are not able to proue by aucthoritie of those Doctours whose names you recite In deede Cypriane verie earnestly vrgeth the law of the Gospell the institution of Christ for wine to bée vsed therein againste certaine heretikes of his tyme whiche contended that it should be ministered onely with water And so he writeth lib. 2. Epist. 3. to Caecilius Admonites autem nos scias vt in Calice offerendo dominica traditio seruetur neque aliud fiat à nobis quam quod pro nobis dominus prior fecit Vt Calix qui in comemorationem eius offertur mixtus vino offeratur Nam cum dicat Christus ego sum vitis vera sanguis Christi non aqua est vtique sed vinum That is Knowe thou that wee are admonished that in offeryng the Cuppe the tradition of our Lorde be obserued and that none other thyng be doen of vs then that which our lorde before did for vs That the cuppe whiche is offred in remembraunce of him be offered mingled with wine For seyng that Christe saieth I am the true Vine not water truely but wine is the bloude of Christe By this testimonie it is manifeste that Cypriane vrgeth wine and not water to be of the institution of Christe and the lawe of the Gospell But I marueile how any Papiste can bee so shamelesse to accuse vs for takyng awaie water out of the Cuppe whiche was no parte of Christes institution when thei them selues are so bolde to take awaie the cuppe altogether whiche is the one halfe of the Sacramente of Christes owne institution and continued in the Churche 1400. yeres after Christe vntill the late Counsaile of Constance whiche was but. 155. yeres agoen Thei maie robbe the people of the bloodde of Christe whiche Christe appoincted for theim and we are heinous heretikes for not vsing water in the Cup whereof as there is no vse so was there none institution This is the iudgemente of those that bée blinded with their owne pride to espie a mote in an other mannes iye and not to see a beame in their owne The Papiste Seconde in the Primitiue Church in baptising they vsed to dippe the partie baptized thries in the water and S.
exhorteth them to breake it But suche as are not able to performe honestly that whiche thei haue vowed rashely we teach accordyng to the doctrine of sainct Paule that it is better for them repentyng of their rashe vowes to marie then to burne in concupiscens then to committe fornication and vncleanes And this we doe not without the consent of olde writers as partly I haue shewed and more coulde shewe if neede required The Papiste Seuenth in the primitiue churche Images of Christe his Crosse and of his sainctes were vsed as in Cęsarea was the Image of Christ sette vppe by the woman whiche Christe cured of the fluxe of blood as witnesseth Eusebius and Basilius magnus and the generall Counsell holden at Nice of three hundred and tenne Bishoppes doeth constantly affirme and vouche that the Image of Christe and of his Sanctes in the churche were of the tradition of the Apostles And saincte Gregorie Nyssen doeth write howe he did beholde the Image of Christes passion and that oftentymes not without teares and weapyng Chrisostome saieth that he that dooeth any iniurie or valiny to the Image of Caesar he doth cōmitte the same against Caesar hymselfe S. Beade writeth how sainct Aug. entered into this Realme with a Crosse of Siluer and an Image of Christe painted in a table in procession wise singyng the Letanie to whiche notwithstandyng what violence and dishonour hath been doen by our reformatours herein this Realme to the Image of our sauiour Christ and of his sainctes it is not vnknowen The Aunswere It is a proper Primitiue Churche whiche you alledge of the seconde Counsaile of Nice whiche was seuen hundred eightie and one yeres after Christe holden by a multitude of Idolatrous flatteryng and vnlearned Prelates whiche to feede the humor of that wicked Empresse Irene were gathered together not in the name of Christ but against Christ whose expresse commaundemente thei did impugne And with suche leude and vnsensible reasons and wrestynges of the scriptures that if a manne of purpose to mocke the Idolaters woud inuente argumentes to laugh at hee coulde not diuise more ridiculous matters God made manne after his owne Image ergo wee muste make Images God is meruailous in his sainctes ergo we must make Images Theodofius of Amorie reasoneth whatsoeuer is written is written for our learnyng ergo wee must haue Images to teache vs No manne lighteth a candell and putteth it vnder a Bushell ergo Images must bee sette on the Alters with a hundreth suche substanciall proofes And to make the matter mooste manifeste Theodorus bishop of Myre proueth that Images must be worshiped by his Archedeacons dreames and so dooeth other by dreames and miracles and at laste Tharasius Archebishoppe of Constantinople with the whole Synode concludeth that Angelles haue bodies and mennes soules also be bodily and therefore thei maie bee paincted Againste this Idolatrous vnlearned and blasphemous Counsaile Carolus Magnus wrote a booke whiche is extante in whiche he confuteth the grosse heresie of adoration of Images As for the primatiue churche of Christ regardyng the seconde commaundement of God did make no kinde of Images to bee had in any vse of religion but vtterly forbad them As for the Image of Christ whereof Eusebius speaketh if it were true was onely a monumente of the historie sette vp in the streate in remembraunce of the miracle not in the churche to bee had in veneration or worshipped Neither was there any Image receiued into the Churche for three hundreth yeres after Christe The Epistle of Epiphanius translated by saincte Hierome is a notable testimonie Cum venissem ad villam quae dicitur Anablatha vidissemque ibi praeteriens lucernam c. When I came to a village whiche is called Anablatha and sawe there as I passed by a candell burnyng and inquiryng what place it was and vnderstandyng that it was a Churche I entered in to praie and founde there a vaile or linnen clothe hangyng at the doore of the saied churche stained and painted and hauyng an Image as it were of Christ or of some saincte For I dooe not well remember whose Image it was Therefore when I sawe this thing that the Image of a man was hanged vp in the Churche contrary to the aucthoritie of the Scriptures I did rende it in péeces and gaue counsaile to the kepers of that place rather to wrappe it about some poore bodie that was deade to burie hym with all Contrariwise thei murmured and saied If he would néedes rende it it were reason he should giue vs an other vaile for it and so chaunge it Whiche thing when I heard I promised that I would giue theim one aad sende it shortlie There passed not long tyme but that I sought to sende theim a verie good vaile for it For I thought that one shoulde haue been sente me out of Cypres And nowe I haue sente suche a one as I could gette And I praie you to commaunde the Elders of that place to receiue that Vaile of this bearer whiche is sente by vs And to giue theim charge that hereafter in the Churche of Christe suche vailes bee not hanged vp whiche are contrary to our Religion This writeth Epiphanius to Ihon bishoppe of Hierusalem by whiche it is euidente what was thought of Images at that tyme when a painted vaile might not bée hanged before a Churche doore to keepe out the winde or for some suche purpose and not in any respect of religion or worshipping The same Epiphanius emong the heresies of Carpocrates rehearseth that he made priuilie the Image of Iesu Paule Homer and Pithagoras and worshipped them Also he inueigheth sharply against the Antidicomarians and Collyridians for vsyng and worshippyng the Image of Marie the Virgine As for your testimonies out of Gregorie Nyssene and Chrysostome serue nothyng to the purpose for Gregorie speaketh not of the historie of Christes passion as you vntruely report but of the oblation of Isaac by his father Abraham Conc. Nicen. 2. actione iiij But this picture was in some priuate place not in the Churche and place of worshippyng And Chrysostome in his saiyng concludeth not that therefore we must haue Images of GOD and of Christe in the Churche but he that doeth iniurie to any manne that is made after the Image of god or disobeieth a Magistrate which representeth the persone of god c. He doth iniurie to god For he that maketh any Image of God doeth God greate iniurie transformyng the glorie of the inuisible GOD into the shape of any corruptible creature Rom. j. But what Chrysostome and diuers other godlie fathers thought of the vse of Images in the churche is exdressed in the counsaile of Ephesus which condemned Images before the Counsaile of Nice whiche restored theim And the Counsaile Elibertinum fower hundreth yeres before that vnder Constantine the greate made this decree Capt. xxxvi Placuit picturas in ecclesia esse non debere ne quod colitur aut adoratur in parietibus depingatur That is It is thought
to proue that our Religion standeth not all vpon negatiues but chiefly vppon affirmatiues it shall bée sufficiente to declare that we beleue and affirme all the articles of the Christian faithe and what soeuer is affirmed in the woorde of God as truthe like as wee denie all falshode and vntruthe We beleue and affirme that there is but one GOD wée affirme that in this God-heade there are three persones distincte but not diuided Wee affirme that the sonne of God was conceiued by the holie Ghoste borne of the virgine Marie and so foorthe as it followeth in the Crede by whiche it is manifeste that our Religion standeth not all in negatiues The Papiste Saincte Augustine doth define religion to be cultus diuinus a diuine seruice dew vnto God wherby as Isidore saieth wee dooe binde our selues to the worshipyng of God with a full purpose and intente to serue god True religion beyng in this wise put in a dewe worshippe and seruice to be doen vnto GOD the late begonne religion of this reformed Churche can not bee the true religion of GOD for as muche as it doeth not consiste in any action or seruice more now vnto God then was before but onely this religion standeth as I suppose by negatiues by an ouerthrowe and subuersiō makyng of all thinges before appoincted for the gouernement of his people both in the olde Testament and newe some preceptes whiche were morall some iudiciall some ceremoniall also sacrifice and sacramentes the doctrine of this newe religion and reformed Churche whiche as I saied dooeth stande onely or wholy by negatiues doeth denie The aunswere I will not stande in argumente with you whether this be a full difinition of religion whiche you alledge out of Saincte Augustine It is not by and by a diffinitiō of Religion whiche maie bee truely saied of Religion But what should moue you to thinke that our Religion teacheth not menne to worshippe God When we onely teache the right kinde of Gods seruice sette forthe in his woorde whereas you and all other heretikes worshippe God after the preceptes of menne which is no religion but superstition You saie our religion doth not consist in any action or seruice more nowe vnto God then was before but howe true this is let euery man iudge when we ascribe all religious seruice obedience honour faieth inuocation and thankes geuyng onely to God by our sauiour christe wheras you giue the greatest parte thereof to creatures some to Images some to sainctes departed some to your owne merites some to your beggerlie Ceremonies Let euery man therefore iudge whether our religion giue not more to God in Christ then you when we giue all to God the onely aucthour of all goodnes and Christe our only mediatour of all benefites to bee receiued of God and you giue him but parte of al the seruice that is due to hym and make so many mediatours beside our sauiour Christe Finally wher as you charge vs with the subuersiō of the preceptes moral ceremonial and iudiciall of Gods lawe it is a straunge matter to see your boldnes What morall preceptes of God doe we gainsaie doe wee not teache menne to obserue all the tenne Commaundementes And what Ceremonial lawes remaine there to vs which were not vtterly abrogated by Christ As for the iudiciall preceptes of the Iewishe lawe who euer required the christians to be bounde vnto theim The onely propiciatorie sacrifice of Christes Passion wee embrace al Sacramentes of christes institution Wherfore we neither stande al vppon negatiues neither denie we anie thing that we ought to affirme as true The Papiste First it denieth that the morall preceptes are possible to be kepte of man. The aunswere It shal not be néedefull our doctrine beyng so commonly knowen to the worlde to make a large discourse vpon euery one of these negatiues but onely to declare briefly how we denie them and to shewe a reason of our deniall We denie in deede that it is possible for any manne excepte Christe onely to keepe the morall preceptes of god Which is not suche a straunge paradoxe to any man that is not a starke hypocrite but his owne conscience will testifie the same vnto hym The morall preceptes are conteined in these twoo poinctes as our sauiour testifieth Thou shalte loue the Lorde thy GOD with all thy harte with all thy soule with all thy strengthe and thy neighbour as thy self Who is so paste all feare of God that he dare affirme that he is able to performe this Againe what is the cause that the scripture dooeth so often pronounce that no man can be iustified by the woorkes of the lawe but because no manne can fulfill the lawe Whiche if a man could performe he should liue therein and haue eternall saluation without Christe but no man can bee saued without Christ therefore no manne can fulfill the lawe For the lawe was giuē to shewe vs our weakenesse and so to bring vs to Christ. The Papiste Seconde it denieth that any iudgement in spirituall causes or in the high courte of conscience is to be geuen to the Prieste The aunswere The high courte of conscience is Gods owne iurisdiction the iudgement whereof perteineth neither to Prieste nor laie manne but to God alone But in causes spirituall to iudge according to the worde of God wee dooe not deny but it pertaineth to Ecclesiasticall persones from whiche rule of iustice if any of theim departe he is subiecte to the correction and punishemente of the Ciuile Magistrate As Aaron had his aucthoritie of iudgemēt in Spirituall causes yet was he reproued by Moises And Abiathar the high Priest was deposed by Salomon and Sadoc sett vp in his place And should not Ahaz if he had been a godlie Prince haue deposed Vriah for makyng the prophane alter The Papiste Thirde it dooeth denie all kinde of Ceremonies The aunswere Wee denie all kinde of Ceremonies that are of mannes inuention to worship God or to merite saluation by them For in the worshippe of God wee muste dooe onely that he commaundeth vs Other Ceremonies that are onely for order and decencie ordeined in the Churche wée receiue as I haue often shewed before The Papiste Fowerth it doeth denie the sacrifice of christes Testamente The aunswere The Sacrifice propitiatorie that onely taketh awaie the synnes of the worlde is the Sacrifice whiche Christe offered ones for all vpon the aulter of the crosse and thereby makyng perfecte for euer those that are sanctified can not be repeated without horrible iniurie dooen vnto the Passion of Christe and the merites thereof Hebr. vij ix x. and almost through out the whole Epistle In deede the Sacrifice of the Masse ▪ if it bee the Sacrifice ye meane wée vtterly deteste as blasphemous and abhominable For whiche you haue neither commaundemente nor example of Christe what soeuer you pretende by these woordes of our Sauiour Dooe this in remembraunce of me For besides that to celebrate the remēbraunce of Christe in the Sacramente hath
honour due vnto sainctes The aunswere Howe shall wee call vppon theim in whom we dooe not beleue Roma x. We beleue onely in God therefore wee call vpon God onely We acknowledge no mediatour of God and men but onely Iesus Christe j. Timoth. ij Neither of redemption nor intercession For the Apostle in that place speaketh purposely of intercession saiyng I besech you therfore brethrē that praiers supplications c. bée made for all men And as for honour that should be due to sainctes we acknowledge none beyng taught by so many places of Scripture that al honour and glorie belongeth onely to God who is a ielous GOD and will not giue his honour to any other Wherefore as Augustine saieth honoramus eos charitate non seruitute wee honour theim with loue and not with seruice by whiche testimonie of that godlie manne your blinde distinction of latria and doulia is ouerthrowen for what is doulia but seruitus Whiche kinde of honour sainct Augustine doeth vtterly deny to be giuen to sainctes August De vera religione Capi. 55. The same Augustine dooeth also declare wherein their honour doeth consist namely in followyng of their example Honorandi sunt propter imitationem non adorandi propter religionem Thei are to be honoured for imitations sake not to bée whorshipped for religions sake And you your self diffined religion before to be cultus diuinus the seruice due vnto GOD howe would you then that true Religion should dooe any seruice to menne or Angelles whiche are but creatures of God. The Papiste Sixtene it dooeth denie oblations and praiers for the soules departed The aunswere We affirme accordyng to the scripture that the deade whiche die in the lorde are blessed for they reste from their labours and therefore to praie for theim that are happy were superfluous And as for those that die not in the lorde thei are accursed and therefore no praier is to bee made for theim and al that die doe either die in the lord or not in the lord for betwene cōtradictories ther is no meane Apo. 14. Our sauiour christe testifieth of theim that beleue in God that sent hym that thei haue life euerlastyng and come not into iudgement but passe from death to life Iohn 5. And if any hadde neede to bee pourged for satisfaction as you teache that men must be in purgatorie the holy theef that was crucified with Christe shoulde haue béen one especially but our sauiour christ made him assurance of felicity immediatly this daie saieth he thou shalte bee with me in Paradise Luke 23. And séeyng the Scripture neither commaundeth nor commendeth Praier for the deade it is vntollerable presumptiō for any man to vse it And as for oblations wee finde none in Gods woorde apoincted for the deade that wee shoulde offer no not in the oulde lawe where there was so manie diuerse kindes of Sacrifice no one was appoincted for the deade Wherefore the example of Iudas rehearsed by the aucthour of the seconde booke of Machabées is neither to bee allowed nor followed because he hadde no warrant of Gods lawe to offer any suche Sacrifice The seuententh negation was altogether lefte out in the copie which came first to my handes I suppose by negligence of the writer but in another copie I finde it thus The Papiste Seuententh it doth denie Images and the crosse of Christe The Aunswere Accordyng to the worde of God and the consente of the primitiue churche wée denie the vse of Images in the Churche whiche are the doctrine of vanities and lies as the Prophet witnesseth Abac. 2. The Papiste Eightene it doeth denie the buriall of the deade bodies in the Churche yeardes The aunswere Wee are not so carefull for the buriall of our deade bodies to dispute where they muste bee laied so that dewe reuerence without superstition be vsed in their Sepulture nether dooe wee refuse to burie theim in the Churche yerdes and places of comon buriall although we thinke no holines to bee more in one place then in an other The Papiste Nintene it doeth denie the hallowyng of the Fonte Oile Palmes and Asshes The aunswere Of hallowyng the water of baptisme I haue spoken sufficiently before as for oile Palmes Asshes and suche other beggerly Elementes of the worlde that haue no woorde of GOD to comende them wee haue no vse of theim in our religion but in their Ciuile vse all the creatures of god are hallowed to vs by the woorde of God and praier Gal. 4. Coll. 2.1 Tim. 4. The Papiste Twentie it doth denie holy breade holy water Vestimentes Chalices Copes Tunicles Candlestickes lightes Sensors Orgaines in the church singing in the quere reliques of sainctes pardones and pilgrimages wherby it doeth appeare that the religion of this newe reformed Church doth stande wholy of negatiues by destroiyng subuertyng and deniyng of all thinges before vsed in the Catholike Churche of Christe The aunswere As this twentieth differeth from the ninetenth only in wordes so one answere shall serue bothe These weake and beggerly Elementes of the worlde christian religion needeth not hauyng Christe in whom dwelleth all fulnes and perfection wisedome iustificatien sanctification And generally of all Ceremonies as is often saied before wée admitte none as parte of Gods whorshippe whiche are instituted of menne onely suche as bee accidentall and mutable if they be ordeined for edificatiō order and decencie and be voide of superstition we obserue theim But so that no mannes conscience bee bounde to theim And that when soeuer occasion serueth for better edification and more comely order it is lawfull to abrogate them and to institute newe in their places The Papiste Wherein the aucthors composers and deuisers of this newe religion haue dealed muche like as one maister Molande Vicar of sainct Peters in Oxforde did with Clare the Butcher a neare neighbour and parishner of his vnto whom by the waie of a merie ieste he made sale of an horse all by negatiues on this wise saiyng vnto hym how that his horse had not a great heade his horse hadde not a paire of Asse eares his horse had not one touth in his heade longer then an other his horse had not a sadle backe no Splent Spauen or Ringbone hys horse was not pincromped sicle hought nor broke winded and so forth all by negatiues he soulde his horse to Clare the Butcher not expressyng what his horse hadde but what his horse had not Dealyng therin with muche like faieth and truthe as our Preachers dooe with the people of this Realme which goe aboute to plante a new religion amongest theim which standeth as I haue here expressed wholy by negatiues in affirmyng nothyng and deniynge all thinges The aunswere You conclude your matter as it is verie mete with a merie tale I had almoste saied of Robin Hoode and little Ihon but I should saie of maister Molande and Clare the Butcher of Oxforde Whereby a manne may perceiue you were pleasauntely disposed that in so shorte a treatise wold