Deuill against whome it is needefull to vse all weapons that be of any force The quarrell of altering Saint Peters wordes I omitte as childish Maister Calfhill rehearseth his meaning and not his wordes The other argument that followeth of heretikes resembling Antichrist in denying you shall finde answered in my confutation of D. Sanders Rocke Cap. 18. in the eleuenth mark of an Antichristian But Martial is not content that his error in citing the 39. question for the 38. of Athanasius Ad Antiochum should be noted In deede the errour of number is a smal matter but when a man will followe wilfully a corruption for a truth it cannot be excused That diuels flie when they see the crosse is question 15. in the best reformed printes whatsoeuer Martiall doth followe But to the purpose except Martial can declare vnto vs with what eyes the diuelles beholde the crosse he shall haue much a doe to perswade vs that this author speaketh of his signe of the crosse in this place Otherwise I doubt not but when diuels consider the conquest of of Christ vpon the crosse they tremble and flee away and are miserably tormented as Athanasius saith but not when so euer they see the crosse borne in procession or set vp in the market place or pointed in the aire either by a superstitious Papist or by a diuelish coniurer Saint Antonies councel as great and as good as you make him may well be suspected seeing it hath no ground in the holy scriptures That Chrysostome aloweth signing with y e crosse in the body is confessed but that he accounteth it an idle ceremony where faith in the crucified is not Martial can not deny Nor yet y t faith in the death of Christ is sufficient without the signe of the crosse in the body yet wil he not graunt it to be superfluous but resembleth it to the incarnation and passion of Christe without whiche we might be saued by the absolute power of God to the vse of ministers good workes c. Whereas we ought to say y t all these thinges are necessary because God hath so ordeyned them but the crossing of the body is no ordinance of God but of men That Origine in cap. 6. Ad Rom. li. 6. speaketh not of Martials crosse but of the passion of Christ the whole cōtext of his words proueth as M. Calfhil sheweth But Martiall replyeth that he saith So great is the vertue of the crosse of Christ that if it be set before our eyes and faithfully reteyned in our minde so that we looke still vppon the death of Christe with the eyes of our minde no concupiscence c. can ouercome vs. These words saith he proue two crosses one before the eyes the other before the minde but if he would shore vp his eyes he might see that Origen speaketh not of the eyes of the body but of the eyes of the minde As for the tantologie that he would auoyde it may please his wisedome to vnderstand that the explaning of a Metaphore is not tantologie or vaine repetition That Cassiodorus and Lactantius speake of the signe of the crosse it is granted but because they speak of it beside the Booke of God Maister Calfhill doth well to disprooue their reasons as where Cassiodore compareth that signe of the crosse vpon the faithful to the Princes stampe on the coyne the comparison is naught for the signe of the crosse which is vpon hypocrites sheweth them not to be Christes seruaunts Neither did Christ giue any such outwarde signe by which they should be knowen that would professe to be his seruantes but baptisme How good Christians the Friers that are the greatest crossers be I will not stande to discusse their hypocrisie is too well knowen in the worlde Againe where Lactantius ioyneth the signe of the crosse with the name of Christ to be of force to driue away deuils he doth as if a man should ioyne a strawe with a speare to runne at tilt withall For the name of Christ is sufficient and needeth none assistance of the signe of the crosse to cast out deuils where Christe hath giuen that power and faith Yet Martial obiecteth that the name of Christ was not sufficient to cast out some kinde of deuils as in example of the mans sonne Matt 17. But it was not for want of the signe of the crosse but for want of faith which must be obteyned at the handes of God by prayer and fasting He would haue scripture whereby the signe of the crosse is forbidden to be vsed as though euery indifferent thing that may be abused is expressed by name To make a signe or figure of the crosse is an indifferent thing to make it for a defence against deuils is a superstitious thing and forbidden by all such textes of Scripture forbidde superstition and confidence reposed in any thing sauing in God onely by such meanes as he hath appointed That young nouices in the faith were crossed before they were baptised in Augustines time it neede to be no question and yet it followeth not that those wordes of Augustine which Martiall citeth De Symb. ad Catech. lib. 2. cap. 1. were spoken of the signing but of that which was signified by the signe as Maister Calfhil answereth The rest of this article is spent in friuolous quarrels in which is no argument to vphold the superstitious vse of the crosse but that deuils are afraide of it as in the story of Iulian and a Iewe in which God declared what force it had Ex opere operato of the worke wrought euen without faith but this he maketh extraordinarie A simple force that the Deuill should seeme to flie from them in whose heartes he dwelled still But Martiall would knowe how Maister Calfhill is assured that the Deuil did counterfet feare and was not afraide in deede Verily I thinke there neede to be no better reason giuen then that in outward appearance he pretended to flie from their bodily presence from whose heartes he departed not at all or rather for their wicked coniuring entired with greater force How little the diuel is afraide of the signe of the crosse where faith is not the story of the seuen sonnes of Sceua declareth Act. 19. where the Deuil being coniured by the name of Iesus whome Paule preached fel vpon the coniurers and tormented them vnlesse Martiall thinke it was because they lacked the signe of the crosse which would haue made them flie away when the name of Iesus and Paule preuailed not against thē To conclude it cānot be denied but diuers of y e ancient fathers affirm more of y e signe of y e crosse then they can iustifie by the holy Scripture and yet they are abused oftentimes by Martial and such as he is as though they spake of the signe when they had respect onely to the death and passion of Christ as before is shewed and more remaineth afterwarde to be shewed The second Article That the crosse of Christ was
Homely lately translated into English and imprinted The diuersitie of opinions concerning the sacrament maketh no alteration of faith in them that agree in al other necessarie articles Besides that it is most false which he saith that Luther of the Protestants is counted a very Papist 5 Their Apostles taught such a faith as putteth thinges by the beleefe and practise whereof we may be saued The faith of the Protestants is a deniall of Popish faith and hath no affirmaâ—iue doctrine but that which Papistes had before The Protestantes faith affirmeth that a man is iustified by it only That the sacrifice of Christes death is our onely propitiatorie sacrifice That Christ is our onely mediatour of redemption and intercession c. Generally it affirmeth what so euer the Scripture teacheth and denieth the contrarie Then followe 39. differences in doctrine 6 Their Apostles saide Masse which the Protestantes abhorre The Popish Masse was not then all made therefore they could not say it They ministred y â— communion which Bede and other writers called Missa they saide no priuate Masse such as the Papistes nowe defend 7 In the Masse is an externall sacrifice offered to GOD the father the blessed body and bloud of Christ him selfe lib. 5. cap. 22. This doctrine is expresly reported This seemeth blasphemie to the Protestantes The wordes of Bede according to M. Stapletons owne translation are these out of the Epislte of Ceolfride to Naitan king of the Pictes All Christian Churches throughout the whole world which al ioyned together make but one Catholike Church should prepare bread and wine for the mysterie of the flesh precious bloud of that immaculat lambe which tooke away the sinnes of the world when all lessons prayers rytes and ceremonies vsed in the solemne feast of Easter were done should offer the same to God the father in hope of their redemption to come Here is no sacrifice of the body and bloud of Christ but of bread and wine for the mysterie thereof no sacrifice propitiatorie for sinnes but of thankesgiuing and remembrance of the propitiation made by the lambe himselfe in hope of eternall redemption No oblation by by the priest only but by the whole Church and euery member thereof as was the oblation of the Paschall lambe wherevnto he compareth this sacrifice interpreting those wordes of Exod. 12. Euery man shal take a lambe according to their families and housholdes offer him in sacrifice at the euening That is to say saith Ceolfride all Christian Churches c. as before By which wordes it is manifest that the Papistes nowe adayes are departed euen from that faith of the sacrament and sacrifice thereof that Augustine brought from Rome 8 This sacrifice is taught to be propitiatorie lib. 4. c. 22. which Protestants abhorre There is no mention of propitiatorie sacrifice in that chapter but there is told a tale of a prisoner that was loosed from his bonds so oft as his brother which was a Priest saide Masse for his soule supposing he had bene slaine in battel by which many were persuaded that the wholesome blessed sacrifice was effectuous to the euerlasting redemption and ransoming both of soul and body So were they worthie to be deceiued that would build a doctrine without the word of God vpon the vncertaine report of men who either deuised this tale as being false or else if it were so could not discerne the illusions of Sathan seeking to mainteine an errour contrarie to the glorie of Christ. 9 Confession of sinnes made to the priest lib. 4. cap. 25. 27. This sacrament of the Protestantes is abolished In neither of these chapters is mentioned the Popish auricular confession as a sacrament necessarie to saluation In the 25. mention is made of one which being troubled with conscience of an haynous sinne came to a learned priest to aske counsell of remedie and shewed what his offence was In the 27. chapter it is expresly saide that all the people did openly declare vnto S. Cutbert in confession the things that they had done Such confession as either of both these were the Protestants haue not abolished although they number not confession among the sacraments 10 Satisfaction and penance for sinne enioyned appeareth lib. 4. cap. 25. which the Protestants court admitteth not There is no word of satisfaction for his sinnes but of fasting and prayers as fruites of repentance wherevnto he was first exhorted by the priest according to his power and abilitie but he not content herewith vrged the priest to appoint him a certaine time of fasting for a whole weeke together to whose infirmitie the priest somwhat yelding willed him to fast two or three dayes in a weeke vntill he returned to giue him farther aduice Euery man may see broad difference betwixt this counsel and Popish satisfaction and penance 11 Merite of good workes in this storie is eftsoones iustified lib. 4. cap. 14. 15. which the Protestants count preiudidiciall to Gods glorie In the 14. chapter there is no mention of the merite of good workes but that after the brethren had fasted and prayed God deliuered them of the pestilence We neuer denied but that God regardeth our praier and fasting though not as meritorious but as our obedience which he requireth of vs and saueth vs onely for his mercy sake The 15. chapter scarse toucheth any matter of religion and therefore I knowe not what he meaneth to quote it except it be a error of y â— Printer 12 Intercession of Saints Protectants abhorre the practise whereof appeareth lib. 1. cap. 20. lib. 4. cop 14. In the former place Beda supposeth that God gaue the Britaines victorie at the intercession of S. Albane but where learned he this kinde of intercession out of the holy scriptures In the latter place a boy being sicke of the plague reporteth that God would cease the plague at the intercession of S. Oswald as the Apostles Peter and Paul declared to him in a vision But seeing the Apostles haue taught no such doctrine in their writings they haue admonished vs to beware of such fantasticall visions Gal. 1. 2 Thessa. 2. 13 The Clergie of their primitiue Church after holy orders taken doe not marrie lib. 1. cap. 27. Nowe after holy orders and vowe to the contrarie priestes doe marrie The Counsell of Gregorie to Augustine is this If there be any among the Cleargie out of holy orders which can not liue chast they shall take wiues These wordes coÌ„maund some of the Cleargie to take wiues they forbid not the rest to marrie For what shall they that are in holy orders doe if they can not liue chast Againe the histories are plentifull that Priestes were married in England three or foure hundreth yeares after Augustine 14 In their primitiue Church the vow of chastitie was thought godly and practised now they are counted damnable broken Such vowes as were made without consideration of mens abilitie to performe them are iustly accounted rash and presumptuous Such
a sacrifice but of thanks giuing as the same Augustine writeth De fide ad Pet. Cap. 19 Cont. aduers. leg Proph. lib. 1. Cap. 20. Wherefore his Popish bragg notwithstanding here is neuer an ancient father within the 600. yeares that acknowledgeth the propitiatorie sacrifice of the Masse The eight difference is intercession of saints which Protestants abhorre There is no man denyeth but that this errour preuailed within the time of the first 600. yeares and namely in the later 300. years For in the first 300. there is nothing to be found whereby it may be gathered Epiphanius accompteth inuocation of Angels an heresie of the Caiani Tom. 3. H. 38. And although some shewe of inuocation of saints in the later time may be excused by rethorical exornation as M. Grindall truely sayd some prayers for the dead as y t of Ambrose for Theodosius whome both he calleth a perfect seruant of god yet prayth fos his rest which agreeth not with popish prayers for them in Purgatory yet it is confessed y t this was one of y â— spots of that time which being not proued by scripture can be nothing else but a superstition of men What said I can it not be proued by scripture beholde the learned clerke M. Stapl. proueth it out of S. Peter Ep. 2. Ca. 1. I thinke it right as long as I am in this tabernacle to stirre you vp and admonish you being certeine that I shall shortly leaue this tabernacle according as our Lord Iesus Christ hath signified vnto me But I will endeuour also to haue you often after my death that you may remember these things Here is a strange kind of translation of these wordes of his owne Latine texte Dabo autem operam frequenter habere vos post obituÌ„ meuÌ„ vt horum memoriam faciatis But I will endeuour also y t you may haue after my departure whereby to make remembrance of these things For I wil neither trouble him with the Greeke text which perhaps he regardeth not nor with Erasmus translation which are without all ambiguitie But I apeale to GraÌ„marians whether habere vos in this place may be reasonably construed to haue you or else be resolued by vt habeatis vos that you may haue His collection is more monstrous then his construction for thus he addeth immediatly after his translation I aske here How will S. Petter after his death endeuour and procure that the people may remember his sayings They will not I dare say say that he will come in a vision or by reuelation vnto them What remaineth then but that he will further them with his good prayers And so doe the auncient Greeke Scholies expound this place And I aske here Howe prooue you that S. Peter after his death will endeuor procure for them O shamelesse corruption S. Peter saith that bicause he hath not long to liue he will not only put them in remembrance liuing but also leaue his Epistle that it may be a perpetuall admonition of them euen after he is deade But the auncient Greeke Scholies as he saith doe so expound it Why are not those Scholies set downe and their antiquitie shewed to be within the compasse of the first sixe hundreth yeares In deede Occumenius which liued about fiue hundreth yeres last past reporteth that some did wrest that text vnto such a sense but they which did simplie handle y â— words of S. Peter did expound it as I haue done before The 9. difference is commemoration of Saintes at Masse time If you meane commemoration onely as I haue shewed before we make it in our Communion and therefore this is no difference but a lye of Master Stapleton for we say Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all the holy companie of heauen we laude and magnifie c. Likewise in the Collectes mention is made of the Apostles whose memorie our Church doth keepe In deede we vse no inuocation of Saints which was vsed within the latter 300. yeares but not to be proued in the first 300 yeares Neither do we thinke the honour of Saintes to be a dishonour to God but such honour as robbeth God of his glorie which he will not communicate with any creature But Augustine sheweth the memorie of Martyrs to be kept of the Christian people Ad excitandam imitationem vt merius eorum consocietur atque orationibus adiâ—uetur To stirre vp imitation and that they may be ioyned in fellowship of their merites and helped with their praiers The fellowship of their merites he meaneth to be made like them in good workes For he acknowledged no desert of our good workes but onely the mercy of God It is pitie that Iulian the Apostata had so great occasion to charge the Christians with superstition of sepulchres whereof they had no ground in the Scriptures Although Cyrillus defendeth no superstition but only a reuerent estimation of the tombes of the Martyrs for their vertues sake after the example of the heathen Againe he saith that the reliques of the dead were not seene bare and negligently cast vpon the earth but well laide vp and hidden in the bosome of their mother in the deapth of the earth wherein they differred not a little from the vsage of Papistes about their reliques Cyrill Contr. Iulian lib. 10. The pride of Eustachius in contemning the publike Churches ministring in corners we condemne with the Councel of Gangra Concerning the reading of the passions of Martyrs in the Church which he cauilleth that Master Iewell left out in his replie to Doctor Harding out of the seuen and fourtie Canon of the Councel of Carthage 3. Bartholmewe Garizon confesseth that it is an addition and without all such addition the same that M. Iewell requireth that nothing be read in the Church but the canonicall bookes as the 59. Canon of the Councel of Laodicea The 10. difference is of confession and penance in which he maketh two kinds open confession priuate for the open confession vsed in the primitiue Church he bringeth many proofes out of Actes 19. Augustine Tertullian Cyprian the councel of Nice Which need not for we graunt that it was vsed we our selues according to such discipline as our Church of England hath doe vse it that publique and notorious offenders make publique confession of their faultes for satisfaction of the congregation But when this publique confession was abused he saith that this practise of the Church and the counsel of S. Iames willing Christians to confesse one before an other was restrained to the auricular confessioÌ„ of y â— priest only But neither he sheweth when nor by what authoritie the counsel of y â— the Apostle and practise of the Church was thus altered He citeth an Epistle of Innocentius ad Decentium cap. 7. to proue That particular confession was not first instituted in the Councel of Latarane as Caluine babbleth but that if a man were diseased he should not tarrie for the time
honestie or shame For he feigneth that the fault is alledged for want of consent of her husband whereas such separation as he coÌ„mendeth w tout consent is directly contrarie to the doctrine of y e holy Ghost 1. Cor. 7. v. 5. Likewise where M. Calfhil nameth a booke that the Apostles wrote Martial saith it was but of Pauls Epistles where he saith it was laide vnto diseases M. Martial saith it saued a man from drowning but of these quarels too much Martiall coÌ„fesseth that were a Doctor swarueth froÌ„ scripture no man ought to followe him But if Paulinus swerued not from Scripture when he brought images into the Church we neede not doubt that any man swerued from Scripture seeing nothing is more plaine in all the Scriptures then forbidding of images and similitudes of any thing to be made or had in any vse of religion Where M. Chlfhil aunswereth to the decree of Iustinian that no Church should be builded before the place were consecrated and a crosse set vp by the Bishop that this was a constitution of the externall pollicie Martial laboureth to proue that it was religious and yet at length graunteth that it was a matter of externall policie wherevpon I inferre that it was not of necessitie and so the article is not proued thereby that euery church should c. But it commeth of great wisdome that he will defend the time of Iustinian from ignorance and barbaritie bicause the ciuill lawe was then gathered and a fewe learned men were found in the whole world All this notwithstanding the Barbarians had ouercome a great part of the Empire and filled the world with ignorance and barbarousnesse Against the decree of Valentinian and Theodosius cited out of Crinitus he hath many quarells First against Petrus Crinitus who was as good a cleark as Martial Then at the Homily against images where the Printer calleth him Petrus Erinilus yet againe y e Valentinian not being writteÌ„ at large is mistakeÌ„ for Valens where it should be Valentinianus And if Valens and Theodosius had made such a lâ—â—e what an ouersight was it of Eusebius to suppresse it When Eusebius was deade before any of them were borne it was a great ouerfight in Martials iudgement to suppresse in his storie a lawe made by them which liued neare an hundreth yeare after him so that belike he would haue Eusebius to write stories of thinges to come But concerning that lawe of Valentinianus and Theodosius you shall see more in mine aunswere to D. Sanders booke of images cap. 13. or 12. The rest of this chapter is spent in commending the Church of Rome whose custome it hath bene saith Martial these twelue hundreth yeares to set the signe of the crosse in the Church and Pope Pius the fourth did it him selfe of late c. Concerning the Church of Rome so long as she continued in true religion and so far foorth as she mainteined the trueth as she was greatly commended of auncient writers whome Martiall nameth so nowe it is to her greater reproch and shame earum laudum gloriae degenerem esse that she is growen out of kinde and desert of all such prayses as the Cleargie of Rome writing to Cyprian lib. 2. Epist. 7. To conclude therefore there is nothing shewed to proue that euery Church Chappel or Oratorie should haue a crosse although in the latter and more corrupt times of the Church it is declared that some Churches had a crosse and at length grewe to a custome in those parts of the world that euerie church had one and was thought necessarie that it should haue one The fourth Article That the signe of the crosse was vsed in all sacraments c. That it hath bene vsed in the later declining times we will not stande with Martiall but that in the best and purest age of the Church by the Apostles and their imediate successors it was vsed or allowed before the Valentinian heretikes I affirme that Martiall can not proue by any auncient authenticall writer betweene the Apostles and Irenaeus Wherefore Master Calfhil aunswereth well that the ceremonie once taken vppe of good intent being growen into so horrible abuse is iustly refused of vs. Martiall will knowe what our vocation is as though we were not able to proue our calling both before God and men Our Synodes he refuseth bicause no Councel can be kept without the consent of the Bishop of Rome in which point as many of Papistes are against him which holde that euen a generall Councel may be kept to depose an euill Pope against his will so he mistaketh the Tripartite historie and Iulian Bishop of Rome where they speake of generall Councels and Synodes to determine of matters of faith from which the Bishop of Rome while he was a Bishop was not to be excluded bicause those cases touch all Bishops dreaming that they speake of all Councels But long after their times it was practised as lawfull for Kinges and Bishops of seuerall prouinces to gather and holde prouincial synods for the state of their seueral Churches without the consent or knowledge of the Bishop of Rome In which some things haue bene determined against the will of the Bishop of Rome as in the councels of Carthage and Affrike and in generall Councels also as in that of Calcedon Constantinople the 5. 6. the Councels of Constans and Basil. But signing with the crosse is a tradition of the Apostles and so accounted by S. Basil therefore we ought not to forsake it for any abuse saith Martial But howe will S. Basil persuade vs of that when we finde it not in their writings it is more safe therefore to followe his counsell in his short definitioÌ„s q. 1. where he affirmeth y t it is not lawfull for any man to permit him selfe to doe or say any thing without the testimonie of the holy scriptures And this we will hold euen with Basils good leaue against all pretended traditions of the Apostles what so euer We Knowe the Apostle willeth vs to hold the traditions either learned by his Epistles or by his SermoÌ„s But what he deliuered in his sermons we can not tell but by his Epistles Yes saith Martial the church telleth you of y e signe of the crosse but seeing y e church telleth vs of other things which are left and forsaken auouching them likewise to be traditions of the Apostles which ought not to haue ben so giueÌ„ ouer if they had ben Apostolike traditions in deed we see no cause why we may not refuse these aswel as those hauing no ground of certaintie for apostolike traditions but only y e Apostolike writings Tertullian couÌ„teth y e tasting of milke hony after baptisme for an Apostolike tradition bicause it was a ceremonie in his time as wel as crossing y e one was left long ago why may not y e other be forsakeÌ„ y t hath no better ground hath ben worse abused Concerning the tale of Probianus which foloweth next
onely begotten sonne of God and not he in deede Againe he sayeth Cùm fecisset quasi flagellum when he had made as it were a scourge master Vsher will conster it so that was not a scourge in deede because he sayeth as it were a scourge But Martiall will still vrge the fact of Paula in worshipping the crosse of Christ vntill it be shewed out of Epiphanius by better euidence then yet is shewed that he woulde haue no crosse no crucifixe nor image in the Church A mā would thinke this were sufficient euidence when hee sayeth Cùm ergo hoc vidissem in ecclesia Christi contra authoritatem scripturarum hominis pendere imaginem c. Wherefore when I sawe this that in the Church of Christe did hang an image of a man contrary to the authoritie of the scriptures I rent it c. Further euidence out of Epiphanius you may see in the place before cited Martiall would haue vs make a Kalender of Christian men that refused to blesse them selues with the crosse which were 〈◊〉 infinite matter seeing from the Apostles vnto the Valentinian heretikes it is not read that any such estimation was of the crosse y t it should be any blessing or confirmation Master Calfhils rule that we must liue not after examples but after lawes meaning not followe what soeuer hath beene done by good men but whatsoeuer was well done according to the lawe of God Martiall reiecteth vpō vaine foolish and friuolous reasons as that some examples are to be followed that the lawe serueth not for a iust man that custome must be followed where lawe faileth c. Beside that he slaundereth Luther as one that would haue all lawes and orders of Princes put awaye Againe whereas M. Calfhill sheweth that the fathers taught other things more oft more earnestly then the vse of the crosse As that it was a wickednesse to fast on Sonday or to pray on our knees beside the oblations on birthdayes milke and hony with the communion giuen to infants c. Martiall answereth these are abrogated by the church this is not But seing none of them hath ben in worse abuse then this custome of crossing this ought to be abrogated of euery church as well as those But whereas Martiall compareth the doctrine of S. Paul 1. Cor. 11. for couering or vncouering of men womens heads and the decree of y e Apostles for bloud and strangled Act. 15. with those abrogated customes he doth verye lewdly for beside y t the authoritie of y e one is certeine the other vncerteine of some forged the doctrine of S. Paul as he there deliuereth it is perpetuall the decree of the Apostles was neuer ment of them but to be temporall for auoiding offence of the Iewes As touching the credit of the olde writers who had all their errors we like well y e councell of Vincentius Lyrinensis y t we should stil haue recourse for triall to y e most ancient in which we must needes accompt y e writings of the Apostles both of moste antiquitie and of greatest authoritie Wherefore seeing the manner of blessing with the crosse is not found either in the writings of the Apostles or in the most auncient fathers Iustinus Irenaeus Clemens Alexandrinus by Vincentius councel we may iustly accompt it for a corrupt custome crept into the church either by aemulation of heretikes or in contention against the Paganes But Martiall slaundereth vs and the Apollogie of the church of England that the chiefe cause of our seperation from the Church of Rome was the euill life of the gouernours thereof and vainly spendeth time to proue out of Ciprian Augustine and Caluine that for that cause wee ought not to separate our selues whereas we are departed out of Babylon not so much for the abhominable life thereof as for the corrupt false doctrine taught therein by which it is shewed to be y e Synagogue of sathan not the church of Christ. And here Martiall hudleth vp a nomber of quotations for the authoritie of the Pope and of the church of Rome which seeing they haue beene all often times answered and by mee also in aunswere to D. Saunders rocke it were folly here to stand vpon thē But he will not be counted a falsifier of Tertullian when of diuerse copyes and impressions he wilfully chooseth the worst that he might wring it to his purpose although the matter be not worth the strife about it For Tertullians iudgement of tradition without scripture in that place is corrupt for Martiall him selfe confesseth that a tradition vnwritten should be reasonable and agreable to the scriptures and so he saith the tradition of blessing with y e crosse is because the Apostles by the holy ghoste deliuered it But who shall assure vs thereof Tertullian Basil are not sufficient warrant for so worthie a matter seeing S. Paul leaueth it out of the vniuersall armour of God But where M. Calfhill distinguisheth traditions into some necessary as necessarily inferred of the scripture some contrary to the worde and some indifferent Martial like an impudent Asse calleth on him to shewe in what scripture doctor or councell he findeth this distinction of traditions As though a man might not make a true distinction in disputation but the same must be founde in so many wordes in scripture doctor or councell when he him selfe cannot deny but y e distinction is true euery part to be founde in y e scriptures doctors councels But the examples please him not for the couering of women and their silence in the church are taught in expresse words of scripture and therfore are not necessarily inferred of scripture Therefore there is one lye quod Martiall Who would think such a block worthie of answere which thinketh a trueth may not be inferred of the expresse words of scripture when of nothing it can be better in ferred Againe he calleth it another lye y t S. Paul proueth his tradition by y e scripture for he bringeth no text nor sentence of scripture to proue y t women shuld be couered in the church But Martiall doth not onely belye M. Calfhill but also slaunder S. Paul seeing he alledgeth out of Genesis both y t the man is the image glory of God y t the woman was made for man The examples of the second sort as Latine seruice worshipping of images c. Martiall will not allowe but the scripture is plaine to them that haue eyes and be not like the images whome they worship Againe he liketh not that there should be any limitation in obseruing traditions of the church in things indifferent as if cases of necessitie of offence might not make a limitation without contempt of the churches authoritie But he will learne in which kinde of traditions we place the signing with y e crosse y e rest named by Basil. I aunswere y t marking with the crosse in some respect as it was first vsed of y e old
it was laide wherevppon as soone as it touched her she recouered This report of Rustinus seemeth to be vncertaine first because Ambrose sayeth the crosse was knowen by the title without speaking of any miracle secondly because the reporte of other writers is that the miracle was of a dead woman and some of two dead persons wherof to see more I referre the reader to mine answere to D. Sanders booke of Images cap. 13. or 12. Concerning the rest of the Miracles reported by Paulinus Epiphanius Augustine and others let thē haue such credite as their authors deserue which is not to build faith or doctrine vpon them or their writinges let it be that some were true and wrought by God yet followeth it not that al that haue bene since reported in the Popishe Legendes were either true or not wrought by the deuil whereabout Martiall maketh much wrangling but neither affirmeth nor concludeth any thing vniuersally None vse more crossing then witches and coniurers the deuil seemeth to be afraide to come neare them certaine strange works are brought to passe by them Let Martial affirme any vertue included in the crosse or signe thereof absolutely then we may deale with him accordingly For while he telleth vs what may be done by faith y e signe of y e crosse and what God hath done by good men with that signe it is nothing to the authorizing of that signe seeing the deuil by credulitie in wicked men hath don the like by the same signe And this is a true position of M. Calfhil though Martiall will not vnderstand it That it is not a sufficient proofe to make a thing good or to shew it to be good because he cauilleth like a calfe a◠the worde of making to say that miracles were wrought by it Martial asketh first whether the miracles of Christ were not a sufficient proofe of his diuine power Where he flyeth from the position which speaketh not of the principal efficient cause out of a ceremonie a meane or instrument More pertinently he asketh of the hemme of Christs coate Saint Paules napkins whether they had not a vertue by his body I answere no. No more then Iudas lippes that kissed Christe and Peters shadowe which could neither be holy nor efficient of any thing because it was nothing but the priuation of the light by comming betweene of his body So I say of coates napkins ashes of Martyrs and signe of the crosse if any miracles were done by meanes of them they are not thereby holy neither haue they any vertue in them The Lord hath giuen vs a generall rule to examine all miracles and miracle workers by the doctrine they teache Deut. 13. If there arise among you a prophet or dreamer of dreames and giue thee a signe or wonder and y ◠signe the wonder which he hath told thee come to passe if he say let vs goe after other Gods which thou hast not knowen and let vs serue them thou shal not hearken vnto the words of that prophet or vnto that dreamer of dreames for the Lord your God proueth you to know whether you loue the Lord your God with al your heart and with all your soule Ye shal walk after the Lord your God and feare him and kepe his cōmandements and hearken vnto his voyce and ye shall serue him and cleaue vnto him By this scripture we are taught to examine all miracles whether they tende to the honour of the only true God and the maintenance of his true worshippe according to his worde whiche Martiall him selfe in a manner confesseth saying that miracles done by heretikes are not able to commende a thing But he findeth great fault with Maister Calfhil for coupling the generation of a childe in adultery or feeding by stollen breade to be miracles because they be not extraordinarily miracles and yet he can not deny but they be great wonders and the reason of the meanes is all one in both Nowe let vs see howe he aunswereth those three reasons of Maister Calfhils why miracles make not for the crosse And first he aunswereth to a question Why the durt in the streete by whiche Christe wrought a miracle should not be honoured as well as the crosse on the altar He aunswereth because the crosse was an instrument by which all the worlde was saued So was Iudas so was Pilate The second He saith the crosse is a liuely representation of Christes death Nay a dombe and dead idoll which is good for nothing Abacuc 2. The thirde The crosse is effectuous euer since A deed efficient The crosse is commaunded of God to be made and vsed by diuers Reuelations from heauen Nay by the diuell from hell and yet if Angels from heauen had taught the crosse to be made and vsed as another Gospell as it is accounted of the Papists as great as circumcisiō was of y e Iewes not preached by the Apostles not conteyned in the Scriptures we might safely accurse them But now to the reasons the first is Why should not such external meanes as Christ and his Apostles vsed scripture mentioneth be had in administration rather then the idle deuice of man of which there is no lawfull president Martiall answereth the crosse is no idle deuise but a tradition of the Apostles whereof they haue lawful presidentes But seeing no president is lawfull to builde our faith vpon but the holy scriptures which the Papistes haue not for their crosse the reason standeth vntouched The second reason If miracles were done by the signe of the crosse yet not onely by it therefore the crosse should not only be magnified without the rest Martial affirmeth that hee would not haue the crosse magnified without the rest as prayer and faith How doeth he then magnifie the crosse in Iulians storie which was without prayer and faith The third reason If miracles were done by the crosse yet it should not be had in estimation except all other thinges by which miracles were wrought as the he◠of Christes garment the spitle and clay the shadowe of Peter and napkins of Paule were likewise honoured and esteemed Martial aunswereth this is but his assertion for which he hath neither scripture councel nor Doctor As though an argument A paribus were not good except the conclusion were expressed in Scriptur doctor or councel Yet he replieth that the crosse is the principall meane by which miracles haue ben wrought But the Scripture is against that for Christ wrought no miracle by the signe of y ◠crosse Nay I slander him for he reasoneth not ad idem but the crosse is the cheefe and principal instrumente of our redemption yet not holier then the speare the reede and the sponge as Athanasius affirmeth Ad Antioch que 16. But euen the hemme the spettle and clay if he had them Martial would honor worship esteeme for his sake whose pretious body they touched Then let him worship the sunne that touched him with his beams of light or
Donatistes we affirme that the Catholike church of Christ is and hath beene euen in the most darke times of Antichristes kingdome dispersed throughout the whole world nothing doubting but God which preserued 7000. in one corner of Israel not much greater then some shyere of England hath preserued seuen thousand thousande in all partes of the wyde world which neuer bowed their knees to the Romish Baal nor kissed him with their mouth CAP. IIII. Proofes and testimonies one of the Prophet Esay that the Church of the Messias continueth for euer vnto the worlds end assisted alwayes by God himselfe The testimonies of the perpetuitie of the Church out of the Prophet Esay with the exposition of Hieronyme vpon them maketh nothing against vs which willingly acknowledge the same But denye that they perteine to the Popish Church which had her beginning long after Christe and his Apostles and her full tyranny confirmed more than 1000. yeares after Christe The same Hierome disputeth against the custome of the particular Church of Rome and appealeth to the Church of all the worlde Si auctoritas quaeritur orbis maior est vrbe c. If authoritie be sought the world is greater then a citie And againe Quid mihi profers vnius vrbis consuetudinem What bringest thou forth to mee the costome of one citie Euagr. We stand for the Catholike Church of Christ dispersed ouer all the world against the particular schismaticall hereticall and Antichristian church of Rome which though shee haue inuaded by tyranny ouer a great part of Europe yet neuer did shee preuaile ouer the whole Church throughout the world not yet ouer all Europe CAP. V. The doctrine of Caluine touching the Church is examined to the touchstone of the holy Scriptures alledged Wherein also is treated and disputed by what markes the Church may be known First he confesseth that Caluine hath learnedly largely and truely treated of the vnitie authoritie and obedience of the Church He affirmeth also that he acknowledgeth a visible Church in the worlde whose communion we ought to keepe and of her to receiue the spirituall foode of doctrine and sacraments which ought not to be forsaken for the euil life of the members thereof All this he commendeth and alloweth But herein he sheweth his malicious cauilling stomak that he supposeth Caluine to affirme that the vniuersall Church of Christ is visible where he speaketh but of particular congregations members of the whole which are visible not to the world always but to the members of the same The markes of the Church which Caluine sayeth to be true preaching of the worde of God and due administration of the sacraments although he confesseth them to be in the Church yet he denyeth them to be the markes of the Church For the marke must be better knowne then the thing whereof it is a marke but the Church is more euident then those markes ergo they be no true markes The minor he proueth by that which Caluine teacheth that wee must learne of the Church the true meaning of the Scripture But hereof it followeth not that y e Church is better known then these markes For there is a farther tryal which ought to be better known by which both are to be knowne namely the worde of God whereunto wee must haue recourse to trye whether those things that are preached are euen so in deede as the Thessalonians did by the preaching of Paul Barnabas Act. 17. ver 11. The vnmouable trueth is to be sought in the Scriptures what preaching or Church agreeth with that trueth is to be receiued none other And whereas he sayeth that Heretikes challenge these markes as well as Catholiks I grant they do so but no more do they challenge these markes then they challenge the Church to be on their side for there was neuer heresie but they bragged as much of the Church as of the trueth Therefore the Church is not more cleare then these markes but these marks tryed by y e worde of God are more cleare then the Church which is therefore the Church because it maintaineth true doctrin The doctrine is not true because the Church maintaineth it The cause is better known then the effect for knowledge is to vnderstand by causes But M. Stapl. hath two better markes then Caluine describeth To wit the vniuersalitie and communion of all nations The continuance and euer-remaining thereof among Christians These markes by no Logyke can be causes of the Church but adiuncts vnto it and therefore the worst arguments that can be to knowe it by euen such as the foolish mans argument was that knew his horse by the brydle But admitt these to be proper adiuncts of the Church yet shall not the popish Church be able to prooue those to be her markes For Popery neither doth neither euer did possesse all the worlde except a peece of Europe be all the world The Church of Christ is Catholike although there were but three of foure persons in all the worlde that mainteined true doctrine as there was not many when Christ his Apostles and a fewe other were the onely Church in all the world and the Catholike Church before they were dispersed into many nations For y e Church is called Catholike or vniuersall not because all men or most men do pertaine vno it but because all that be members of Christ howe many or howe fewe so euer they be and wheresoeuer they be are members of that Church But M. Stapl. sayth The vniuersalitie of the Church is a matter euident to the eye therefore the Catholike Church is alwayes visible To this I answer that if the Catholike Church or the vniuersalitie thereof were alwayes visible or at any time visible or the vniuersalitie thereof euident to the eye it should be no article of faith for faith is of such things as are not seen with the eye but beleued with the heart Heb. 11. ver 1. We agree with Augustine against the Donatists that no heresie was in all countreys in all ages For Papistrie which is the greatest heresie apostasye was neuer in all countryes all ages But if an heresie were in all countries and ages yet proueth it not it self to be a Catholike trueth Idolatrie hath beene in all countries and ages yet is it not thereby prooued to be a Catholike trueth The Church of Christe whereof we are members hath bene in al partes of the world and in all ages though not alwayes not euer receiued of the greatest part of men And if this be a most cleare and euident marke as he saith that no heretike can pretende to be ioyned in communion with all Christian countries The Popish Church hath not this marke which is not ioyned in communion with the Greekes Armenians Chaldeans Aethiopians and so many nations as at this day and since the Apostles times haue bene Christened Countries But nowe wee come to the seconde marke of the Church The continuance thereof
of the East Church haue been and are stil at vtter defyance with the Pope of Rome You see therefore by plaine demonstration that this reason holdeth no further then Augustines authoritie extendeth who in other places appealeth onely to the Scriptures and euen against the Manichees confesseth that the playne demonstration of the trueth which is to be founde in the holye Scriptures is to be preferred before the consent of nations authoritie of miracles succession of Bishops vniuersalitie consent name of the Catholike Church and whatsoeuer can be taught beside Contra Epist. Manich. quam vocant fundamenti Cap. 4. The thirde reason why the Church must alwayes be a known multitude is for keeping out of wolues and heretikes which must be y t they which are tryed may be made manifest which cannot bee in a secrete congregation Yes M. Stapleton very well The Church was neuer so secrete but it was knowne to the members of it which might vse the authoritie thereof for trying auoyding and excommunicating of heretikes according to the holye scriptures But euermore you do wilfully deceiue your selfe when you affirme that there was no Christians knowen in the worlde by the space of 900. yeares but Papistes You cannot denye but Brytannie Scotlande Irelande had Christians at and since the comming of Augustine which were no Papistes as by the history of Beda is manifest What should I here name so many nations of Europe Asia and Africa which yet to this day continue in profession of Christianitie neuer were subiect to the tyrannye of the Romishe byshop and from whome the Romish byshop with his sect of Papistes hath clearely departed many hundreth yeares agoe Wherefore according to Augustines sentence the Catholike church is not a particuler sect in Europe but an vniuersall gathering of y e dispersed ouer all the world where God hath his elect in all places Or if you vnderstande the Church for a visible multitude professing Christ there is no reason why the churches of the East so many so large so ancient should be excluded and the multitude of Papists holding of one citie in Italy only to be receiued CAP. XV. A number of shamelesse shiftes and seely surmises which Protestants haue inuented to establish their variable doctrine and to confounde the authoritie of the Church In deede a number of these which he rehearseth as shamelesse shiftes are shamelesse lies and impudent slaunders deuised by the diuell to bring the trueth in disdaine but yet so openly proued to be false that they neede no confutation First he sayeth that Luther condemned all councels and fathers yea al learning of Philosophy and humanitie so that bookes were burned and common schooles ceased for certein yeares in Germany with other like monstrous lyes alledging for his author that beastly Apostata Staphylus This slaunder deserueth no aunswere being raysed by one shamelesse lyer against an hundreth thousand witnesses The seconde shift is that Luther did afterwarde receiue Philosophy and bookes of humanitie yea diuines of 500. or 600. yeares and some Councels also with this perilous condition so farre as they repugned not to holy Scripture This seemeth an vnreasonable condition to Stapleton who belike would haue all gentylitie and many heresies absolutely receyed The thirde The fathers should not be admitted when they taught any thing beside the expresse scripture As worshipping of Images praying to Saints c. which they had by tradition If such things came from the Apostles why were they not written by them as well as such fathers of later time yea why did the Apostles write that which is contrary to such traditions The fourth The first 600. yeares they did admit because they knewe there was litle in them against them cleare open because fewe bookes were writen in that time and many lost that were written And yet there remaine more writen in that time then a man can well reade ouer in seuen yeares Agayne cities being stuffed with heathen Iewes and heretikes euery mystery was not opened in pulpit nor committed to writing These belike were greater mysteries then the Apostles and Euangelistes haue committed to writing But I marueile howe they were taught if neither in pulpit nor in writing belike in secrete confession but our Sauiour Christe woulde haue his mysteries preached in the house toppes Last of all for that many controuersies nowe in hand were neuer heard of in those dayes Therefore M. Iewell made his challenge of the first 600. yeres which Stapleton thinketh he was not able to abyde by and that M. Nowel suspected no lesse because he accounted it a very large scope But howe he hath abyden by it is sufficiently proued to the glory of the trueth and the confusion of Papistrie The fifth They reiect the latter 900. yeares because Paynims yelding to the faith and heretikes to the Church the mysteries of our faith were more openly published in Pulpits writings It appeareth and that in recordes of the latter 900. yeares that many old heretiks still remained in the cities beside the Iewes remaining vntil this day of which he made the fathers of the first 600 years so much afraide for vttering the mysteries a◠of Paynims and heretikes The sixt Some holde that all the Church might erre for a time None euer helde that all the Church might erre so farre as that they fell away from Christ. The seuenth Other said there was a Church all this 900 yeares but oppressed by the miscreants being priuie and vnknowen This he sayth is vaine blasphemous being against holy Scripture and good reason as he hath proued What he hath proued you haue seene and howe the Scripture must be fulfilled which prophecyeth of the comming of Antichrist and the apostasie of men from the faith which cannot be if the Church should alwayes florish in multitude externall appearing of visible glory The eyght That Protestants bookes haue beene lost The ninth Bookes of holy fathers haue beene corrupted The tenth False writings haue beene deuised and fathered vpon the first Popes of Rome All these he compteth to be but suspitions surmises which are yet so manifest truthes that euen Thomas the vnbeleeuing Apostle without the iudgement of his senses might feale them with both his hands and be satisfyed although Thomas the Apostata from God and traytour to his Prince countrey will neither see nor handle them But all these surmises he will ouerthrow with supposing one case If a man haue continued in possession and coulde bring recordes of his right from William the Conquerour and all his neighbours to say for his quiet possession without checke or nay as the Papistes can deduct the possession of their religiō from 800. yeares c. were it a good plee against such a man to say his recordes are false his euidences forged his possession iniurious c. without bringing in any affirmatiue proofes recordes euidence or witnesse c. I answere it were no good plee But firste I
are 4. of Stapletons apostolik marks also techeth many things that before were vnknowen which is the fifth marke Whereas Protestants haue added nothing to the faith of Christ but taken many things away from it I answere if Augustine with him brought in all trueth and besides that some errours which haue encreased in processe of time thicke and threefolde Protestants were worthie of thankes for remouing the errours though they brought in no new matters of faith as he is thankes worthie which weedeth a garden or feelde although he sowe no newe seedes therein But it is most vntrue that Papistes had all trueth before we discouered their errours for the doctrine of iustification of the worship of God of the vse of good workes and of the sacraments was either almost or altogether lacking in Popery which by the doctrine of the Gospell is restored But now let vs see what Protestants haue taken away Forsooth From the quicke from the dead from faith from the Church from Saints from God From the quicke free will state of perfection and all merite of good workes Yea sir Pelagian the Scripture sayeth No quicke man shalbe iustified in the sight of God Psalm 143. v. 2. which taketh away all that you haue giuen him From the dead all prayer intercession for them When you can allow the dead these things out of the Scripture we will not denye it to them From the faith an article of Christes discention into hell A lewd lye of a slaunderous Papist From the Church as it is the whole bodye fiue sacraments Three more then Christ instituted The continuall assistance of Gods holy spirite promised by our Sauiour A shamefull lye And the visible sight in this world assured vnto vs by holy scripture That Scripture is yet to shewe whereby the Churche should be promised alwayes to be in open sight of y ◠greatest parte of the worlde From the Church as the spirituall parte they haue taken supreme gouernement in matters Ecclesiasticall None other then such as is against the Scripture Let euery soule submit it selfe to the higher powers Rom. 13. ver 1. Authoritie of making that which Christ had them to make in his last supper If you saye you make the body of Christ in such sence as you affirme the sacrament to be the bodye of Christe Gods cursse light on you The doing of all that Christe commaunded to be done in remembrance of him we take not away The power of binding and loosing with most of the authoritie due vnto that estate and vocation A very slaunder From the Church they take Altars crosses Images c. Because the temple of God hath nothing to doe with Images 2. Cor. 6. ver 16. From God him selfe an externall sacrifice the true proper seruice due to God onely and continually as Saint Augustine prooueth at large De ciuitate Dei A slaunder of Augustine which lib. 10. Cap. 20. calleth the Lordes supper a sacrament of the oblation of Christe the onely singuler sacrifice so that nowe there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne for by one sacrifice once offered he hath made perfect for euer those that are sanctified Heb. 10. ver 14. by which only sacrifice there was forgiuenesse of our sinnes and where there is forgiuenesse of sinnes there is no more sacrifice for sinne Heb. 10. 18. You see what sure and stedfast apostolike markes these are which are founde in Mahomet as much as in Augustine so that if Augustine had not the worde of God to warrant the principall partes of the faith which he preached in Englande by these fiue markes he might neither be proued to bee an Apostle nor yet a true preacher CAP. IIII. Differences in doctrine betweene the primitiue faith of Englande and the heresie of Protestants And first of Masse of the propitiation thereof of intercession of Saintes of their commemoration at Masse time of confession of sinnes and of merite of good workes Concerning the differences I haue written alreadie in answere to his table of differences Nowe must we see how he proueth them by testimonye of y ◠firste 600. yeares The first in this Chapter and sixth in number is the Masse whose name he may in deede finde within the compasse of 600. yeares although otherwise taken then it is of papistes but yet frō Christ vntill 400. yeares be complete the name of Missa is not founde in any auncient authenticall writer And therefore he beginneth with Ambrose in his Epistle E. 33. which place you shall finde discussed in mine aunswere to Heskins lib. 3. Cap. 32. letting you to vnderstande by the way that he citeth the wordes otherwise then they be and so doeth M. Heskins and yet neither of thē both as they be in Ambrose by which it appeareth that neither of them both read them in Ambrose Stapleton citeth them thus Missam facere caepi Dwum offerrem nuntiatum est c. I began to say Masse whyle I offred worde was brought to me c. Ambrose saith somewhat otherwise The next testimonies he citeth are out of Augustine Ser. 251. 237. de tempore which all learned men knowe to be none of Augustines but if they were they be after 400. yeares beforesaide The next is Leo Ep. 81. Cap. 2. which in mine answere to Heskins before quoted you shall finde handled at large After this followe the Canons of 7. or 8. councels prouinciall in which the name of Missa is found but all kept aboue 400. yeares after Christ and therfore proue not a perpetuall continuance of that name from Christ vntill the first 600. yeares ended Besides that the Masses so named were neither informe nor matter that which the popish Masse is For concerning y ◠forme it was patched together in many partes long after the first 600. yeares as their own Pontificall and other histories witnesse Concerning the matter it was not the Popish Masse for that there was in it a Communion and the naturall bodye of Christe was not offered therein which within the first 600. yeares was not beleeued to be really and corporally in the Sacrament The seuenth difference is that the Masse is a propitiatorie sacrifice and was so beleeued in the first 600. yeares Whereof he reporteth him to Cyprian Ser. 5. De lapsis who sayth The conscience of sinners is purged with the sacrifice of the priest But Cyprians words are not so he speaketh of them which being fallen in time of persecution made hast to the communion without dewe repentance and publike satisfaction to y ◠church and prayer of the priestes made for their sinnes Ante exomologesin factam criminis ante purgatam conscientiam sacrificio manu sacerdotis before confession of their offence being made before their conscience be purged by sacrifice hand of the Priest c. These words do shewe y t he meaneth none other purging of their conscience by sacrifice then by imposition of y ◠priests hands which can be no propitiatorie
But if he committe fornication or adulterie he must be moreouer cast out of the Church and driuen to doe penance among lay men This was a decree of 17. Bishops in the prouince of Paulus Polemoniaca and is to be vnderstoode of such a priest as professed continencie Whose marriage yet was not made voide but he put out of his office whereas he that had committed fornication was put both out of the ministerie and of the Church which seeing the Papistes obserue not in their lecherous priestes they haue small right to vse this Canon which yet bindeth none but that prouince that made it Nowe where he saith it was a rare thing for the Cleargie of the Latine Church to be married Hierome no friende to marriage shall testifie the contrary who speaketh of it as of an ordinary matter Eliguntur mariti in sacerdotium non nego quia non sunt tanti virgines quanti necessarii sunt Sacerdotes Married men are chosen vnto the Priesthood I denye not because there are not so many virgines as it is necessary there should be priestes And Oceano he confesseth that by the doctrine of the Apostles priestes might haue wiues complayning that in his time all other qualities of a minister described by the Apostle were neglected onely the libertie of marriage looked vnto Qui dixit vnius vxoris virum c. He that saide the husbande of one wife euen he commaunded that he should be vnreproueable sober wise comely harberous a teacher modest not giuen to wine no fighter no quareller not couetous no young nouice in the faith Ad haec omnia claudimus oculos solas videmus vxores At all these thinges we shut our eyes we see nothing but their wiues Likewise in Aggeum Cap. 1. He inueygheth against the rulers of the Churche which building their carnal house prouiding for their children possessions neglected the building of the temple of God Againe in Epi. ad Eph. li. 3. Ca 6. He inueygheth against Bishops and priests of his time that broughtvp their children in secular and prophane learning peraduenture at the charges of the Church Yea diuers Popes haue ben married men for Pope Siluerius was sonne of Pope Hormisda as the very pontifical witnesseth and Beda sheweth lib. 2. cap. 1. that Pope Felix was great grandfather to Pope Gregory I will spende no more time in so cleare a matter Wherefore the single life required of necessitie in the Cleargie is not prooued within the 600. yeares so often named The thirteenth difference is of the state of virginitie in men and women Such state protestantes acknowledge not but rather abhorre it and persecute it It is a mere slander for we honour virginitie that is not counterfet in theÌ„ that had made them selues chaste for the kingdome of heauen But when Master Stapleton will make virginitie impossible to no man he is directly contrary to our Sauiour Christ. Non omnes c. all men can not receiue this saying but they to whome it is giuen Mat. 19. and to Saint Paule 1. Cor. 7. Qui non conunet he that can not conteine let him marrie I confesse also that within the sixe hundreth yeares there were some Colleges of virgines which differed as muche from Popishe Nunnes as many Popish Nunnes from honest women They liued not idly as Popish Nunnes of their landes and reuenewes but with spinning and making of cloth they mainteined themselues August De moribus Eccl. Catholiâ—ae Cap. 31. They liued continently or else they married Popish Nunnes though they liue neuer so incontinently yet will they neuer marrie Epiph. lib. 2. Tom. 1. Her 61. Popishe Nunnes are for the moste part like those Monkes and Nunnes of the heretikes Originiani Turpes Non student Castitati sed simulatae castitati nomen salâ—eÌ„ habenti They study not for chastity but such as is fayned chastity and hath only a name of chastitie Volentes esse in honore propter putatam apud ipsos castitatis exercitationem Willing to be in honour for the supposed exercise of chastitie among them when there is nothing lesse then chastitie Concerning the rule of Augustine Ep. 109. praescribed to the virgines that tumultuously and seditiously would haue chaunged their gouernesse if we doe admitte it to be written by Saint Augustine yet it is not sufficient to authorize the superstitious orders of Popish Nunnes Among whom their habite is not the least part of their superstition which Augustine in his virgines forbiddeth to be notable or differing from other women Non sit notabilis habitus vester nec affectetis vestibus placere sed moribus Let not your apparell be such as may be noted or marked neither desire ye to please with garments but with manners The like writeth Hierome concerning the apparell of virgines of his time Againe Saint Augustines virgines were not bound to their Cloyster but might departe if they liked not the seueritie of their rule or else were expulsed from thence Conuicta secundum praeposuae vel praesbyteri arbitrium debet emandatoriam sustinere vindictam quam si fortè recusauerit siipsa non abscesserit de vestra societate proijciatur She that is conuicted but of wanton lookes according to the decree of the Gouernesse or priest ought to sustaine a punishment for her amendment which if she refuse to beare and if she her selfe depart not away let her be caste cleane out of your societie If this rule were obserued fewe Popish Nunnes should be left in their Cloysters Moreouer Saint Augustines virgins were commanded to vnderstand what they did pray or sing not one among fortie of Popish Nunnes vnderstand their Popishe seruice which they sing Psalmis Hymnis cùm oratis DeuÌ„ hoc versetur in corde quod profertur in voce When you pray to God with Psalmes and Hymnes let that be in your heart which is pronounced in your voyce These and many other differences may be obserued whiche are sufficient to confute Stapleton which would make his Popish Nunnes al one with y e virgins of the ancient purer Church But Eusebius out of Philo sheweth y e euen in the Apostles time there were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oratories and Monasteries of men women lib. 2. cap. 16. It is true y e Eusebius so iudgeth but who so readeth Philo his own writing shall plainly see y â— he speaketh rather of a sect of Iewes at Alexandria giuen to conteÌ„platioÌ„ not of Christians Beside this y e monasteryes which he speaketh of were not Abbies wherin they liued but only solitary places of study for a time For in them they had neither meate nor drink as Philo expressely affirmeth To conclude seing that in the scripture we haue no commandement for virgins we commend them y â— haue the gift exhort them so to continue But seeing the gift is rare in our dayes and the examples of them that haue professed virginitie and liued abhominably are too many we thinke it neither needful nor expedient to
de Britannia aequaliter patet aula coelestis The court of heauen is open equally from Ierusalem and from Britain Againe Beatus Hilarion cùm Palestinus esset in Palestina viueret vno tantùm die vidit Hierosolimam vt nec contemnere loca sancta propter vicinitatem nec rursus dominum loco claudere videretur Blessed Hilarion when he was a Palestine borne and liued in Palestine sawe Ierusalem but one day only that neither he might seeme to contemne the holy places because of neerenesse nor againe to shut vp the Lorde in a place And because Master Stapleton maketh pilgrimage a matter of faith he sayth further After hee hath shewed how many excellent men neuer came at Ierusalem c. Quorsum inquies haec tam longo repetita principio Videlicet ne quicquam fidei tuae deesse putes quia Hierosolymam non vidisti Thou wilt say to what ende are these thinges fetched from so long a beginning verely that thou shouldest not thinke any thing to be wanting to thy faith because thou hast not seene Ierusalem Thus Hierome albeit it was much vsed yet iudged peregrination vnto Ierusalem to be a matter of small importance By Chrysostom sayeth Hom. 5. de beato Iob that if strength of body did serue that he were not letted with the charge of his Church he would haue trauelled to Rome to see the cheines wherewith Saint Paul was bound And this Stapleton wil warrant to haue beene done without superstition I would faine knowe howe he will discharge this saying of his in the same homely eyther of superstition or of an excessiue commendation Si quis me coelo condonet omni vel ea qua pauli manus vinciebatur catena illam ego honore praeponerem If any man coulde giue mee all heauen or else that chayne wherewith Saint Paules hande was bounde I woulde preferre that chaine in honour Excuse this if you can so it be not with a rethoricall exornation for y e you cannot abyde Neuerthelesse the same Chrisostom sheweth y t it was not needefull for obtaining remissiō of finnes to take in hande any pilgrimage In Epist. ad Phil. Hom. Non opus est in longinqua peregrinando transire nec ad remotissimas ire nationes non pericula non labores tolerare sed velle tantummodo There is no neede to go a pilgrimage into farre countryes nor to go to the furthest nations nor to suffer perils nor trauels but onely to be willing Now let the wisedome of the Papistes take heede as he admonisheth the wisdome of the Protestantes that they charge not Chrysostome with the heresie of sola fides or licentious libertie more then wee checke him for superstition The like of remission of sinnes without pilgrimage he sayeth Hom. de Anima educatione Samuelis which is as contrary to y ◠draffe of popish pilgrimage as the peregrination vsed in this day is out of vse with vs. For Papists were wont to make pilgrimage a meritorious worke and many had it in penance persuaded by their ghostly father they could not otherwise haue remission of their sinnes except perhaps by a Popes pardon with a commutation of penance Concerning the place of Augustine which he citeth Ep. 137. It proueth no ordinary pilgrimage then in vse but onely sheweth Augustines deuise in a case of such doubt as he coulde not finde out the trueth betweene one that was accused and his accuser that it was not amisse they shuld both trauell to some such place where miracles are sayed to be wrought if happely there in such place the trueth might be reuealed by miracle And yet I confesse not vrged by any thing Stapleton sayth that Augustine else where speaketh of peregrination to Rome in Psal. 85. Quales isti principes venerunt de Babylone Principes credentes de saeculo principes venerunt ad vrbem Roman quasi caput Babylonis non ierunt ad templum imperatoris sed ad memoriam piscatoris What are these princes that came from Babylon Princes of the world that beleeue the princes came to Rome as to the head of Babylon they went not to the temple of the Emperour but to the memorie of a Fisher To conclude as there was vsed Peregrination to Ierusalem and other places to the memories of Martyrs so was there neuer any pilgrimage to images which is the greatest pilgrimage of Papistes within the 600. yeres mentioned wherein Papists differ as much from their practise as we and more also The 23. difference is the reuerence of reliques vsed within the 600. yeres as witnesseth Basil Chrysostome and other The reliques or bodyes of the Saints we reuerence so farre as we haue any warrant out of the holy Scriptures Neither did those auncient fathers although immoderate in that kinde of reuerence yet make idols of them nor set them bare to be seene or handled and worshipped but laide vp in the earth as I haue before shewed out of Cyrillus Lib. 10. Contra Iulianum But what inconuenience grewe by that excessiue esteeming of the dead bodyes of the Saints Sozomenus sheweth Li. 7. ca. 10. Pauli Constantinopolitani Episcopi corpus in Ecclesia repositum est id quod multos veritatis ignaros praesertim mulieres ac plures è plebe in eam opinionem induxit vt Apostolum Paulum ibi conditum esse putent The body of Paul Bishop of Constantinople was buried in the Church which thing brought many ignorant of the trueth especially women and many of the common people into this opinion that they thinke the Apostle Paul to be buried there But whereas in the end he wold haue vs restore so many holy reliques of Abbeyes and Churches as haue bene spoiled and prophaned it is needlesse seeing the Papistes can make as many when they list Euen by the same cunning that they make some of the Apostles to haue two or three bodyes a piece beside heades armes ribbes and other partes in infinite places whereof he that will heare more let him reade Caluines booke of reliques and credite him but as a reporter of that which all the world is able to reproue him of if he would wilfully feigne any thing The 24. difference is Alters for proofe whereof he bringeth Chrysostome and Augustine which speake of Alters whome also he confesseth to call the same tables but that neither in matter nor fourme they were like Popish Alters but tables in deede made of boordes and remoueable and standing in the middest of the Church I haue shewed sufficiently in mine aunswere to Doctor Heskins lib. 3. cap. 31. by which it is proued that the Papistes and not we differ from the primitiue Church in this point The 25. difference is Latine seruice which he would proue out of Bede by the bookes that Gregorie sent to Augustine which could be none other but Latine But howe proue you that those bookes were seruice bookes or that if they were seruice bookes thei were not translated into the vulgare tongue As for the
Apostles haue preached vnto vs be he accursed Here the quarreling lawyer findeth fault with his translation because Euangelizauimus may be referred as well to the Disciples as to y e Apostles so that y e Disciples preachings are to be credited as well as y e Apostles No doubt if they preach the doctrine of the Apostles of which the controuersie is and not of the persons that preach it But these quarels sir Bacheler are more meete for the bomme courtes where perhaps you are a prating proctor then for the schooles of diuinitie Wee are gone out you say and that we confesse in our apologie Yea wee are gone out of Babylon but not out of the church of God but abyde in the doctrine of Christ. And you are gone out of the Church of God which remaine in the synke of Rome that is departed frō that which was heard from the beginning and was sacrosanctum apud Apostolorum Ecclesias moste holy in the Apostles Churches You cannot abyde to be charged with the saying of Christ. They worship mee in vaine that teache the doctrine and precepts of men First you saye the Apostles were men whose traditions the Church must receiue yea sir but they deliuered no doctrine of their owne Secondly Christ speaketh of the Scribes Pharisees and their fonde traditions and not of the Church and her Catholike traditions and customes And they be Scribes and Pharisees which euen in the Church teach a false worshipping of God according to the doctrines and traditions of men disanulling the commaundements of God as the Popish teachers in their doctrine of Images communion in one kind priuate Masse c. That Augustine framing a perfect preacher willeth him to conferre the places of Scripture together you say it is a profounde conclusion to inferre that he sendeth him not to doctours distinctions censure of the Church Canons of the Popes nor traditions of the fathers but onely to quyet and content him selfe with the worde of God And these last wordes you saye are not found in Augustine de doct Chr. Cap. 9. sequentibus as though Master Calfhil recited the words not the sense for which he referreth you not only to that Chapter but to the rest following in al which there is no mention of doctors distinctions Popes Canons c. But this is an argument ab authoritate negatiuè Make as much and as little as you will of Augustines authoritie Master Calfhill hath rightly inferred vppon Augustines iudgement that if conference of Scriptures wil make a perfect preacher which you graunt he needeth neyther doctors distinctions nor Church censures c. but may quyet and content him selfe with the onely worde of God But it would make an horse to breake his halter to see howe Martiall prooueth out of Augustine that God teacheth vs by men and not by Angels and that knowledge of the tongues and instructions of men is profitable for a preacher yea the consent of moste of the Catholike Churches and the interpretations of learned men as though all those were not to be referred to the dewe conference of scriptures where onely resteth the substance of doctrine and the authoritie of faith and not in doctours distinctions Church censures Popes Canons c. which haue no grounde in the Scriptures or else be contrary to them Where Master Calfhill sheweth that as before the newe testament was written all things were examined according to the wordes and Sermons of the Apostles so after the newe testament was written all thinges ought to be examined according to their writings because there is none other testimonie of credite extant of their sermons writings Martiall replyeth out of Saint Augustine that wee haue many thinges by tradition which are not writen which being vniuersally obserued it were madnesse to breake Ep. 118. But Augustine speaketh not of doctrine but of ceremonyes or obseruations Out of Hierom ad Pam. he obiecteth that our Creede is not written in the Scriptures which is vtterly false although the fourme of the symbole be not set downe as wee rehearse it Thirdly out of Epiphanius contra Apostolic li. 2. Heres 61. that wee must vse tradition because all thinges cannot be taken out of the holy Scriptures Therefore the holy Apostles deliuered certeine things in writing and certeine things in tradition c. But they deliuered nothing in tradition contrary to their writinges neyther omitted they to write any thing that was necessarie for our saluation The matter whereof Epiphanius speaketh is that it is a tradition of the Apostles that it is sinne to marry after virginitie decreed and yet he holdeth that it is better to marrye after virginitie decreed then to burne contrary to the doctrine of the Papistes But Martiall frankely graunteth that no doctour is to be credited against the Scripture and the content of the whole Church Yet where Master Calfhill sayde that no man in any age was so perfect that a certeine trueth was to be buylded on him bringing examples of Aaron and Peter the one the high Priest of the Iewes the other affirmed by the Papistes to be the same of the Christians He quarreleth at his induction because he sayeth not sic de singulis where as his argument followeth not of the fourme of induction but of the place a maiore ad minus After this as he doeth nothing but cauill hee chargeth Master Calfhill for corrupting Saint Augustine saying Truth mee not nor credite my writings c. Proem lib. 3. de Trinit For Saint Augustine sayeth not trust mee not But he confesseth that he sayeth Do not addict thy selfe to my writings as to the Canonicall Scriptures See what a corruption here is when Master Calfhill rendereth not the words but the meaning of Augustine Againe saint Basil he sayeth is vilely abused because Master Calfhill sayeth Saint Basil setteth forth by a proper similitude with what iudgement the fathers of the Church should be read Conc. ad Adol wheras Basil speaketh of prophane writers As though Basils similitude may not serue to shewe howe both should bee read because he speaketh but of one sorte Likewise he cryeth out that Saint Hierome is not truely alledged because the Printer in the English translation of Hieroms words hath omitted this word not which he hath set downe in the Latine The 4. pretie persons he putteth vppon Master Calfhill as foolishe and childishe I omitt onely the slaunderers persons I will touche In saying that the fathers declyned all from the simplicitie of the Gospell in ceremonies He chargeth M. Calfhill to be a slaunderer Because God hath not suffered all the fathers to declyne lest hell gates should haue preuailed against his Church Although M. Calfhill speake of those fathers onely whose writings are extant yet the gates of hell in ydle ceremonies did but assault they did not preuaile against the Church And these fathers departed not from the Gospell but declined from the simplicitie thereof But you Papistes haue departed
from the Gospell and doctrin of saluation in setting vp a newe sacrifice in seeking iustification by workes in ouerthrowing the true and spiritual worship of God As for the two Iudges the worde and the spirite he denyeth them finding manye defectes in the worde As that it is sencelesse dombe deafe not able to prooue it selfe to be the worde of God hauing no more power to be Iudge and decide controuersies then the booke of statutes to put on my lorde chiefe Iustices robes and to come to the Kings bench and giue sentence I thinke there is no Christian man but abhorreth to reade these blasphemies But let vs see whether the booke of statutes although it put on no robes is not iudge even ouer my lorde chiefe Iustice him selfe who is a minister seruing to pronounce the lawe not a King to alter the lawe for he him selfe must be obedient to the lawe Nowe in all controuersies that be de iure either the lawe is plaine to be vnderstoode or it is obscure If it be plane as that a felone must be hanged or the sonne must inherite his father c. the Iudge pronouncing the lawe with authoritie and execution following his sentence brydleth the obstinate person that will not obey the lawe which he knoweth as well as the Iudge If the lawe be hard to be vnderstoode the Iudge must seeke the interpretation thereof according to the minde of the law-maker and not according to the his owne fantasie So that in all cases the Iudge hath no authoritie ouer the lawe but vnder the lawe so that if the giue wrong sentence both he and his sentence are to bee iudged by lawe Or else why doe you Martiall in your ciuill lawe courtes so often crye out sit liber iudex let the booke be Iudge If you will not allow the booke of Gods law to be Iudge euen ouer them which haue authoritie as Iustices haue in the common lawe to pronounce it and to declare it The Spirite he refuseth to be Iudge because it is inuisible secreate vnknowen vnable to be gone to but in the Church therefore the Church is the Iudge and neyther the worde nor the Spirite But the Spirite by his owne substance incomprehensible is by his effects in the holy Scriptures visible reuealed knowen and able to be gone vnto therefore a sufficient Iudge taking witnesse of the Scriptures and bearing witnesse vnto them For that maiestie of trueth that power of working that vniforme consent which is in all the Scriptures inspired of God maketh a wonderfull difference of them from all writings of men of all sortes But let vs see Martials arguments against the Spirite of God to be iudge of the interpretation of the Scriptures Paul and Barnabas in the controuersie of circumcision went not to the word and Spirit but to the Apostles and Elders at Ierusalem O blocke-head and shamelesse asse Paul and Barnabas doubted not of the question but sought the generally quiet of the whole Church by consent of Councell But whether went the Apostles and Elders for decision of the question but to the worde and Spirite Reade Act. 15. Againe he citeth Deuteronom 17. that the people in controuersies should resort to the priestes for iudgement but where should they fetche their iudgement but of the lawe of God as it is in the same place Againe Christ hath appointed Apostles Euangelistes c. therefore it is not a generall precept for all men to trie all men to iudge what doctrine they receiue bicause all be not Apostles Euangelistes c. Then in vaine saide Christ to all men search the scriptures in vaine the Apostles trie the spirites neither did the Boerheans well that daily sought the Scriptures to see if those things were so as the Apostles taught Martiall is to be pitied if he knowe no difference betweene authoritie of publike teaching and the triall and examination of doctrine whereof this pertaineth to all men the other to such onely as are called thereto But Martiall proceedeth to shewe that as GOD appointed one high Priest to the Iewes to avoide schismes so he appointed Peter among the Christians and for this purpose he citeth diuers sentences of the auncient Fathers which all in order almost the reader shall finde cited and satisfied in myne aunswere to Doctor Sanders booke of the rocke of the Church Cap. 5. except one place of Tertullian De pudicitia which I maruell this Popish Lawyer would alledge being so contrarie to his purpose but that the poore man vnderstoode it not Qualis es c. What art thou ouerthrowing and changing the intention of our Lorde giuing this personally to Peter Vpon thee saide he I will builde my Church If it were personally saide to Peter Syr Bacheler counsel with Baldus and Bertholdus whether it goe by succession to the Pope or no Which Tertullian denyeth to pertaine to euery Elder of the Church bicause it was spoken personally to Peter And nowe at the length beginneth he to come to the argument of his booke the signe of the crosse Which he saide was the fourth signification of the word Crosse in Scripture and calleth it the materiall and mysticall signe of the crosse which Master Calfhill denieth to be once mentioned in Scripture in that sense that Martiall taketh it Martiall repeateth that which he had saide before that Esaye cap. 49. saith I will set out myne signe on high to the people which Hierome vpon that place expoundeth to be the standard of the crosse that it may be fulfilled which is written the earth is full of his praise Et iterum c. And againe In all the earth his name is wonderfull Which wordes following immediately Martiall craftily suppresseth and falleth into a brabbling matter that preaching which Master Calfhill saide was this standard is not the onely standard or signe lifted vp by GOD for conuersion of the Gentiles but miracles and good examples of life c. Whereas the question is whether the Popish signe of the crosse be the signe spoken by Esay and Hierome And the exposition added by Hierome sheweth plainely that he meaneth not a red or blue crosse banner but the preaching of Christe crucified whereby the earth is filled with the praise of GOD and his name is wonderfull in all the earth But Martiall in the end concludeth that it hath pleased the auncient Fathers to appoint and ordeine the signe of the crosse to he one meane among many by which the praise of GOD is set foorth Where he should haue proued that the signe of the crosse as he taketh it is mentioned in the scriptures Other cauils and slaunders not more false then foolish I will clearely omit as I purposed in the beginning and followe onely such matter as is proper to the question in controuersie namely the signe of the crosse The second text to proue that the signe of the crosse is mentioned in the scripture he citeth out of Iere. 4. Lift vp a signe in Sion which
men without authoritie of the Pope and for priuate men he counteth the bishoppes of Spaine and Fraunce in their prouincial councels these binde not generally except the Pope allowe them some things are receiued by tradition custome generally receyued vnaltred such is the crosse some are brought in by tradition and custome but not generally receyued as that infantes should receyue the communion c such the crosse is not But seeing he hath not concluded the contradiction of Maister Calfhils sixte rule it standeth still vnmoueable That some things are brought in of a good intent whiche are not allowable The seconde rule is what so euer hath bene vpon good occasion receiued once must not necessarily be reteyned still but by aduice of Stephanus bishop of Rome if it be turned to superstition be altered by them that come after These aftercōmers saith Martiall are none other but the bishops of Rome his successours who as they made the lawe so they must repeale it But Stephanus sayeth Si nonnulli ex praedecessoribus maioribus nostris fecerunt aliqua Naming not onely his praedecessours but also his Elders wherefore he meaneth y t not onely his successours but also his after commers in euery particular Church as well as his successours in the Church of Rome ought to abolish with good authoritie such abused customs But Martiall wil not acknowledge that crossing hath bred such inconueniences y t the inward faith hath bene vntaught that the vertue hath ben giuen to y t signe which onely proceedeth from him which is signified For crossing was not the cause but the negligence of the Cleargie As though there may not be many causes of one thing And if crossing were but an occasion of such inconueniences there were good cause to take it away Also he denyeth that they attribute the vertue of the signe without relation to the merites of Christes passion whereas M. Calfhil speaketh not of suche shiftes as craftie Lawiers can make for their excuses but of the opinion of the ignorant people who haue thought without any further relation that the signe of the crosse was an holy blessed and wholesome thing And what do they that vse the example of Iulian who crossing himself of custome and not with any relation to Christe whome he despised prooue what vertue the signe of the crosse hath when the diuels immediately auoyded do they not manifestly ascribe vertue to the signe without relation of the maker Yea sayth Martial but Christe gaue such vertue to that signe by his death and passion Shewe that out of the Scriptures and the controuersie is at an end But Martial the Lawier for the vertue of the crosse citeth Martiall the Apostle for so he will be called was as his cosin Martial the Lawier affirmeth one of of the 72. Disciples of Christ. But seeing hee and his epistles haue slept seuen or eight hundreth yeares in a corner y t they were neuer heard of by Eusebius Hierome Gennadius nor any other of those times he commeth to late nowe to challenge the name of an Apostle or Disciple of Christe whose name or writinges in so many hundreth yeares no man hath registred But this argument is of authoritie negatiue quod Martiall But what argument haue you so good to prooue him authenticall as this is probable to proue him counterfet Nay if we beleeue Martial Maister Calfhil hath falsified the Scripture in saying that no man dare come neare nor resist Leuiathan and Behemoth the deuils for beside the quotation is false cap. 40. for 41. The Popishe translation hath not so and Christe his Apostles and faithfull doe resist the Diuel Yea sir but not with sworde nor speare whereof he speaketh nor with your crosse but with spirituall armour As for the errour of the quotation your translation euery childe may see how fonde a quarrel it is The excuse that Maister Calfhill maketh for Damascen seeing Martial doth not allow let him make a better himselfe for some of Damascens errours were such as Martial himselfe and the Papistes will not allowe But Lactantius maketh the bloud of the pascal Lambe sprinkled on the dore post a figure of the crosse on mens foreheads That is false in your sense Maister Martiall for he speaketh allegorically of the spirituall impression of of the bloud of Christe by faith and that his wordes declare where he saith that Christ is saluation To all which haue written the signe of bloud that is the signe of the crosse vpon which he shed his bloud on their foreheades But Christ is not saluation to all that haue your signe of the crosse on their bodily foreheades But whereas Lactantius in the next Chapter saith that deuils are chased away both by the name of Christ and by the signe of his passion if it pleased God in those times by such outward signes to confound his aduersaries what is that to defend the superstitious and erronious abuse of those signes at this time And here Martiall falleth into another brabble for mistaking his argument which is not worth a strawe the end is the crosse is like a sacrament although that it be not as good as a sacrament But wherein it is like it hath neither institutiō nor element nor promise nor effect of a sacrament then it is as like as an apple is like an oyster You say it is instituted by tradition Proue y t tradition to haue come from Christ and his Apostles I haue shewed it came from heretiks Again God said to Costantine In hoc signo vince I haue shewed that God spake neither of a crosse nor of a signe And yet if he had it was but a particular vision authorizing no generall obseruation You say it may be a sacrament as well as bread and wine whiche hath no promise you lie like an arrogant hypocrite For bread and wine in the vse of the Lordes Supper hath as good promise as water in baptisme Concerning the effect of the sacramentes and howe they be causes of grace not as principall efficients but as instrumental meanes by which God vseth to worke in the faithfull it were to begin a newe matter to stand in argument with you which doe nothing but wrangle scoffe and rayle in this argument as you doe in all the rest Wherefore to returne to the crosse Maister Calfhil saith that if there were such necessitie in the crosse to fight against Sathan the Apostles dealt not wisely to omit such a necessary weapon Martiall aunswereth that neither he nor the Fathers defende it as necessary Well then we haue gayned thus much that the crosse is a needelesse weapon against the diuel But if it had ben necessary he saith it had bene none ouersight in the Apostles which haue in some epistles omitted more needefull matters As though they were bound to speake of all matters in euery Epistle But of the vse of the crosse they neuer speake no not where they instruct a Christian man to fight against the
of their Emperour in the consecration of their dead Emperours images whom they worshipped as Gods For which causes Iustinus thought it vnreasonable that they should contemne Christ for his crosses sake But of vsing the signe of the crosse in all sacramentes there is no mention in Iustinus That in Chrysostomes time other more ancient fathers y e signe of y e crosse was vsed at the celebration of the sacramentes M. Calfhil granteth as a ceremonie you confesse It is but a ceremonie and that our sacramentes lacking the signe of the crosse and that vsual ceremonie be perfect notwithstanding And yet you exclaime against vs for omitting a needelesse ceremonie where we see it hath bene turned from that indifferent vsage of the forefathers into an idolatrous custome opinioÌ„ of necessitie The credite of Dionysiê° for so ancient a scholler of S. Paul as you would make him it too much cracked by Erasmus to be cured by Martial Where M. Calfhil truly faith you can not deny but he hath as good authoritie for honie mike wine to be restored in baptisme and the communion to be giuen to children as you haue for the crosse you aunswere these were altered by the Church of Rome which hath authoritie so to do y e crosse stil remaineth but marke what you say were these traditions of the Apostles if you say no y e like wil I say of the crosse for y e same authoritie coÌ„mendeth theÌ„ al a like for traditions of the Apostles Wel if they were traditions of y e Apostles by the holy Ghost which you hold to be of equal authoritie w t y t scriptures y e Church of Rome hath abolished the one why may she not abolish the other so y t your answer conteineth manifest blasphemie To fortifie your traditions you alledge y t Iesus did many thinges which are not written c. but you leaue of y t which foloweth but these are written y t you might be leeue in beleeuing haue eternal life Io. 20. yet S. Iohn speketh of miracles not of ceremonies to be vsed in baptisme wherunto you apply it But Iesus himself saith he hath many things to say that y e apostles could not then beare c. Ioan. 16. And you would know in what worke of the Apostles those thinges are written yea you would haue the Chapter noted Pleaseth it you to looke your selfe in the Actes of the Apostles and in their Epistles c. And you shall finde that the scriptures will instruct the man of God vnto all good works make him wise vnto saluation if these wil not serue your turn seeke where you wil find y e deuil eternal damnatioÌ„ But I pray you could not y e apostles beare y t hearing of the signe of the crosse of salt oyle spittle in baptisme were these such harde lessons to learn or heauy to beare if you think they were I enuy not vnto you so wise a thought But you will teach vs how we shal know y t these are traditions of y e apostles to this inquire you answer euen as we know y e gospels epistles to be y e Canonical scriptures by authoritie of y e church which you think sufficient for y t purpose But so do not we for although we receiue the testimony of y e Church yet we haue greater authoritie out of y e scriptures of y e old TestameÌ„t y t spirit by which they were writeÌ„ being alwais y e same by which we are perswaded y t y e gospels epistles are the holy scriptures Againe y e vniuersal Church of all times places giueth witnes to those writings so doeth it not to these traditions Therefore we are neuer the neare to knowe Apostolical traditions by authoritie of the Popish church whiche ascribeth thinges manifestly contrary to the worde of God and writinges of the Apostles to Apostolike traditions as Images halfe communion priuate Masse c. After this brabbling of traditions followeth a long brawle about numbers which the Papistes do superstitiously obserue and of the authoritie of the seuentie interpreters whose translation if it were extant no doubt but it were worthie of great reuerence but seeing these questions are fruitelesse and impertinent vnto the article I wil clearely omit them Martial returning to proue that the signe of the crosse was vsed in consecrating the body and bloud of Christ findeth himselfe greatly greeued that M. Calfhil calleth the Masse the sacrifice of the deuil wherein be so many good things as the Collets Gospel epistle Gloria in Excelsis c. by which reasoÌ„ I might proue a diuelish coniuration in which be so many names of God and good words to be an holy peece of worke Therfore it is not many good parts abused to make a wicked thing good that can iustifie the Masse which is an hurrible blasphemie against the death and onely sacrifice of Christ. But M. Calfhil doth not satisfie him where he citing out of Albertus Magnus That Christ did blesse the sacrament with a certeine signe of his hand as Iacob laide his hands on Iosephs sons and Christ laid his hands vpon the children lifted vp his hands blessed his Apostles c. asketh why we might not say Christ made a signe of y e crosse considering that Chrisostome Augustine and Euthymus testifie that in their time the signe of y e crosse was vsed in consecration this question he saith is not soluted This is sone answered because laying on of hands and lifting vp of handes which be sometime vsed in blessing doth not proue a crossing with the finger of ones hand as the Papistes vse and because the Euangelistes which describe all that he then saide or did for vs to followe make no mention of any such signe of hand made by him in blessing The long discourse that followeth of blessing and giuing of thankes is needelesse for we know and confesse that as they somtimes signifie all one thing so they differ sometimes we confesse that the bread and wine in the Lords supper were blessed that is to say sanctified and consecrated but not with any signe of hand which is the mater in question but with the worde of God and with prayer not onely as bodily meates but as heauenly and spirituall mysteries to feede the soule But it is a sport to see how Martiall when he hath prooued that which was not in question that the bread wine were blessed sanctified by Christ that they must nowe be so consecrated by the Church he runneth away with the signe of the Crosse whereof he hath brought no proofe of the vse by Christ saying There must be consecration by honouring the wordes of Christ and calling vpon his name making the signe of the crosse which maner of coÌ„secration the Church learned of Christ hath continued euer since so that we may boldly say with Albertus He blest it with a certeine signe of his
serue their God Deut. 27. 3. But as for images and pillers he vtterly forbad them to set vp any for any vse of religion Deut. 12. 1. 16. ver 2. The ninth Article What commoditie euery Christian man hath or may haue by the signe of the Crosse. Whereas M. Calfhil detesteth the Idolatrous councell of Nice the 2. by the example of Ambrose who abhorred the hereticall councell of Ariminum Martiall willing to iustifie y t rable of Idolators assembled at Nice wold shew great difference not only between the councels but also betwene him Ambrose saying y t he was a catholike bishop acknowledging obedience subiection to the Popes holynes As though the bishop of Rome in his time either required such obedience subiection or y ◠Ambrose acknowledged any But concerning that assembly of Nice and y e authoritie thereof how they determined contrary to the worde of God not onely in the matter of hauing and worshipping of images but also in other things I referre y e reader to mine answer vnto M. Sanders booke of images Cap. 15. or 14. Of all y t M. Calfhill saith against that councel of Nice Martial chooseth but one saying of Germanus to defend wherin he picketh two quarels against M. Calfhil one y t he should misvnderstand the saying of Germanus as though he meant y t grace were dispensed by Images where he sayth an image is a figuring of holy vertue dispensation of grace But if grace be not dispensed by images whether Germanus said so or no I pray you to what purpose are they set vp in the churches or what profit may a Christian man haue by the signe of the crosse when Martial denyeth y t any grace is dispensed by images The seconde quarel he picketh is y t M. Calfhill denyeth y ◠the vertues of saints can be seen in their images which could not be seene in their persons Martial sayth this reason condemneth the scripture as well as images for the ynke and paper hath no mynde or sense to hold the power of Christ vertue of the Apostles more then images haue As though the scripture were nothing but ynke paper or as though y t all things y ◠may be learned vnderstood by hearing may be discerned by the eye which conceiueth only bodily shapes of things cannot attain to see faith holines vertue c. wherof no images can be made When M. Calfhill sayeth that the image of Mars or S. George Venus or the mother of Christ cannot be discerned asunder Martial hath nothing to reply but that we must not suppose to finde any images among the Christians but of Christ his saintes so that images be wise bookes which cannot teache their schollers what or whereof they are but they must learne of the common opinion how to esteeme of them That images be teachers of pride auarice wantonnesse c. as the Prophet sayeth they are the doctrine of vanitie lyes Abac. 2. Martiall sayth blasphemously y t images giue no more occasion of vices then the holy scriptures of which some wicked men take occasion of dronkennes whoredome vsury c. But seeing the scripture directly plainly condēneth al these other vices as occasion is giuē by thē howsoeuer any is taken by vngodly persons whereas images which teach no goodnes but being gorgeously whorishly decked with golde precious stones otherwise then the saintes delighted euen as in holy scripture they are counted as stumbling blocks so they teach men vainly affected to delight in such things as they see to please the saints But Martiall sayeth that gylded images make men thinke of the ioyes of heauen O ridiculous fantasie They may sooner make men thinke of the vanitie of the worlde to delight in it But when the holy ghost by y e mouth of his Prophets hath determined that images are the doctrine of lying vanitie it were lost labour to dispute any longer what good thinges they can teache Ier. 10. ver 8. Abac. 2. ver 18. The examples of Ezechias Iosias Salomon he sayth are brought to no purpose against images amōgest Christians As though it were more lawfull for Christians then for Israelites to commit idolatrie But y ◠Christians saith he direct their hearts offer their prayers to God therfore there is no mistrust of idolatry amongest them Why Martiall haue not y e Papistes in England made do they not yet still in other places make vowes to the images that are in such a place and such a place Do they not trauaile thither and offer vp both prayers and sacrifice of candels money Iewels and other things vnto the Images Haue not your idols giuen aunswer haue they not wagged their heades and lips c. O shamelesse dogges blasphemous idolaters The Lord so deal with you as you know in your own consciences y ◠the ignorant people haue made their prayers euen to the stockes stones thinking them to haue a life diuinitie in them and yet you say there is no mistrust of idolatrie lest you should be driuen by exāple of Ezechias to destroy break your images although otherwise they were not against Gods cōmandment but euen made by his appointment as y e brasen Serpent was That fond quarell of yours that Salomon was not abused by images but by women I leaue to women to laugh at your vanity when they reade that by women he was brought to be an idolater and worshipper of images And euery childe that readeth Chrysostome Hom. 54. in 8. Tom. can vnderstand that although occasioned by obstinate Iewes yet he speaketh generally of al obstinat minds whether they be professors of Christianity or no. Animo desperato c. There is nothing worse thē a desperate mind although he see signes although miracles be wrought yet he standeth still in the self same frowardnesse For an obstinate sinner that hath professed Christianitie is no more moued with miracles and the signe of the crosse then a Iewe or Pharao was It hath more colour but not more trueth that Athanasius ascribeth not all effectes of conuersion of wicked men c. wholy and solie to the faith of Christe when he saith who hath done this c. but the faith of Christ and signe of the crosse Martial confesseth that faith is able to do it w tout the crosse but y ◠God would haue y ◠signe of the crosse common with faith if ye aske in what scripture God hath reuealed this will he hath nothing to say Only he denieth M. Calfhils exposition of Athanasius that the signe of y e crosse was ioined to faith not as a fellow worker but as a witnesse signe of y ◠faith against the Gentiles bicause he hath neither scripture Doctor nor Councel for it Wherin he lieth shamefully for y e scripture shewing y ◠faith onely as y e instrumēt by which we apprehend Gods mercy our
point at it with his finger Let him I say point out with his finger what Kinges in euery age for the space of the first three hundreth yeares did walke in the brightnesse of the Churches arising It will not serue him to name Algarus of Edessa or Lucius of Britaine But he must shewe a continuall succession of Kinges for all that time or if he can not let him confesse that the externall glorie and brightnesse of the Church is not in all ages to be seene as the spirituall magnificence and light thereof is euerlasting His nexte reason is of the continuance of Pastours and teachers in the Churche which he imagineth to haue fayled in our Church for nine hundreth yeares but he is altogether deceiued For when the state of the Romishe Churche was growen to be such a confuse Babylon that it was necessary for GODS people to goe out of it Apoc. Chap. 18. verse 4. Which came not to the full ripenesse of iniquitie vntill a thousande yeares after Christe GOD sent Pastours and teachers to his Churche so departed out of Babylon in these partes of Europe which continued by succession euen vntill GOD restored his Gospell into open light of the worlde againe Beside that a great number of Easterne Churches haue continued euen from the Apostles time vnto this day though not in soundnesse of all opinions yet in open profession of Christianitie among whome doubtlesse some reteyned the foundation alwayes which were neuer obedient to the see of Rome neither partakers of a greate nomber of her horrible heresies so that if it were graunted that the Churche must alwayes be visible yet the Papistes are neuer the neare to proue their faction to be the Church because the Greeke Church for outward shewe of a Churche hath bene alwayes as notorious in the East as the Latine Church in the West Finally where Augustine sayeth although vpon a text wrongly interpreted that the Churche is placed in the sunne that is a manifest place of the worlde not in a corner like the conuenticles of heretikes He meaneth not that the Church is alwayes seene of all men but that it seeketh no corners or couerture of darkenesse as heretikes doe to shrowd their falshoode in although in the time of persecution it be driuen into streightes and is content to be hidden from the aduersaries thereof except in some cases where the glorie of CHRISTE requireth an open confession The same Augustine would haue the Churche to be known onely by the Scriptures De vnitate Ecclesiae Cap. 16. Sed utrum ipst Ecclesiam teneant non nisi divinarum scripturarrum Canonicis libris ostendunt But whether they holde the Church let them shewe by none otherwayes but by the Canonicall bookes of the holy Scriptures If the Papistes were able to proue their doctrine by the scriptures they would not labour so muche for the title of the Church which of necessitie would followe them if they taught nothing but that and all that which the holy Scriptures doe teache CAP. XIIII Three reasons why the Church of Christ ought of necessitie alwayes to be a cleare euident visible and knowen Church In the seconde of which reasons a sensible disputation is made to trie whether our countrie among other might possiblie haue attayned to the right Faith without the helpe of a knowne Church in all this pretensed time of Papistrie The first reason is that except the Church and true pastors thereof might be openly knowne the infidell seeking for Christianitie shall come from paganisme to heresie c. the grace and gift of Christ shoulde bee vnprofitable as a riche treasure fast locked vp c. which were inconuenient in many respects c. therefore the Church must be openly knowne and euident c. I aunswere this reason sauoreth of Pelagianisme which is enimie to the grace of God presupposing that Infidels of their owne good motion without the grace of God may seeke Christianitie But if wee remember what our Sauiour Christ saith No man commeth vnto me except my father drawe him Ioan. 6. ver 44. Wee must acknowledge that as it is the onely grace of God that moueth in infidels a desire to seeke Christ so the same grace and no outward appearance to be iudged by carnall reason shall directe them whom he hath chosen to eternall life among so many sectes in the worlde to finde see and acknowledge the onely true Church and piller of trueth out of which there is no saluation Wherefore this reason hath no grounde but vppon a supposition of Pelagianisme that GOD hath onely reuealed his trueth vnto men of the worlde and lefte men to their owne reason to find it out by external notes such as Infidels not lightened by Gods grace by the light of naturall reason may descerne The seconde reason is that it hath pleased God that because The seconde reason is that it hath pleased God that because faith leaneth vpon authoritie and authoritie is strong in a multitude although in the primitiue Church by miracles euident giftes of the holy ghost the authoritie of a fewe drewe whole countryes to the faith yet miracles ceasing to keepe the Church alwayes in a knowen multitude whose authoritie might drawe the simple persuade the learned and keepe out the heretikes If this carnal reason were good there were smal or no vse of the scriptures at all The authoritie of the Church and that alwayes knowne might suffice for all matters But Augustine saith hee in his booke de vxilitate credendi ad Honoratum Cap. 14. vseth this reason to bring Honoratus from the Manichees to the Catholikes out of whome he citeth a long discourse to this effect That as the common multitude and fame moueth a man to beleeue that there was such a one as Christ and that his writings and scriptures are to be credited so of the head rulers of that multitude and not of any priuie and newe sect such as the Manichees was he must learne the vnderstanding of this booke and scriptures This he taketh vppon him to exemplifie by the state of our countrey at the firste conuersion thereof by Augustine Although this carnal reason might haue some shew with Honoratê° a straunger from the Church and one not lightened with the spirite of God yet howe vaine it is being applyed to the Papistes you may easily see by this that since the Church of Rome hath been the Church of Antichrist as great a multitude which might and hath moued many infidels to receuie the profession of Christianitie hath beene seperated from it as hath cleaued to it Put the case then of an infidell in the East which moued by the fame and consent of many nations hath thought well of Christ hath giuen credite to the Scriptures to what head rulers shoulde be resort for instruction in the Scriptures to the rulers of that multitude by which he was first moued to beleeue then shoulde he neuer become a Papist For all the Patriarches