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A00919 A Catholike confutation of M. Iohn Riders clayme of antiquitie and a caulming comfort against his caueat. In which is demonstrated, by assurances, euen of protestants, that al antiquitie, for al pointes of religion in controuersie, is repugnant to protestancie. Secondly, that protestancie is repugnant particularlie to al articles of beleefe. Thirdly, that puritan plots are pernitious to religion, and state. And lastly, a replye to M. Riders Rescript; with a discouerie of puritan partialitie in his behalfe. By Henry Fitzimon of Dublin in Irland, of the Societie of Iesus, priest.; Catholike confutation of M. John Riders clayme of antiquitie. Fitzsimon, Henry, b. 1566.; Rider, John, 1562-1632. Rescript.; Rider, John, 1562-1632. Friendly caveat to Irelands Catholicks. 1608 (1608) STC 11025; ESTC S102272 591,774 580

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and others to accompt their wrytings but meere philopatrial forgeries and to haue taken our defense generaly against them The rule then a forspoken is vniuersal that whersoeuer any Scot is mentioned befor the forsayd tyme S. Bernardus in v. S. Malachie Decretal de dolo contumacia cap. cum olim Caesarius lib. 12. c. 38. Fr. Malachias Mino rita de veneno peccatum cap. xi he could be noe other then an Irishman When many also long after be so called without other diuersitie the doubt of them to be vncertayne till after the tyme that Irland reiected that name For S. Bernard the ould edition of the Canon law Cesarius Malachias Minorita doe referr the name of Scotand to our Contry 400. yeares after the fatal ruine of the Picts 38. Therfor Albanian Scots doe lose their paynes and credit in repyning that all forsayd Scots weare belonging to Irland S. Bryde or Brigida wil be an Irish Virgin as long as the volumes and wrytings of all Martyrologes of Beda Marianus Sigebertus Isingrenas Capsgrauius S. Bernard Genebrard Baronius and of the histories of S. Patrick S. Ethkin S. Laurence and of hir selfe be vnburned or vnburied S. Columbanus wil be ane Irishman while the monumente of Ionas VValafridus all martyrologes the liues of S. Kilian of S. Rumuld Beda Sigebert Trithemius Vincent Antonin Vsuard Volateran Mermanius Molanus Bosius Baronius VVion Bernard yea Bale or Camden beare any reputation So will S. Fiacre yf Surius Clictouaeus Hareus Gazetus Molanus and ecclesiastical hymnes be of greater reputation then some out-cryed or Horned Hector Thomson or the like without all proofe or probabilitie auerring Bardical fictions Among which a forsayd hymnes it of S. Fiacre contayneth Lucernae nouae specula illustratur Ibernia illa misit Fiacrium Irlands high tower is bright with a new shyning light Clictouen● de hymnis Ecclesiasticis it sent Feach man of might And so in lyke maner of all others whether ould or late sacred ●r prophane frēds or foes domestical or forreiners general or par●icular wryters or rules be allowed the former rule is out of all controuersie that howsoeuer any Scots be graunted to haue in ●nnual incursions troubled Britanie in few numbers and vnder ●ubiection of Picts till the Picts weare razed out of being memorie inhabited Britanie yet that they transferred not the Kingdome of Scotland and name of Scots from Irland till and after the forsayd destruction of Picts Thus much without offending any 〈◊〉 for allthough ther be much against preiudicated suppositions yet the reuelation of trueth deserueth thankfull acception of euery one it being a singular benifit to depriue any of errours be declared to the honor of God glorie of his Saincts and confort of my Contrymen Catholicks 39. These premisses considered giue you your selues as now a lawfull impaneled well instructed Iurie your verdict of these wordes of M. Rider in his pretended frendly Caueat to your selues That fayth which can be proued to be taught in Christs tyme M. Rider in the 34. numbre of his Caueat and so re●eaued and continued in the primatiue Church for the first fiue hundred yeares after Christs ascension must needs be the true ancient Apostolical and Catho●ick fayth And that other fayth that can not be so proued but base bastard and counterfet Censure I say and award my deere Contrymen whether the fayth of your anciēt Mōcks Heremits Pilgrims vowed Virgins Prelats Preists or the puritan fayth be most ancient most receaued and continued in the primatiue Church Since that now you vnderstand S. Patrick your Apostle to haue bene a monck and his disciples no lesse and in their profession of confessed singular holines and learning Censure I say agayne whether his owne fayth be not by him selfe confessed to be base bastard and counterfeit not which erecteth Abbayes but subuerteth them not which inricheth ornaments of Gods seruice Churches but which turneth them into breches cushions curteins Not which imployeth plate and iuwels to the vse of Pixes and Chalices but which conuerteth these into swilling bowles Not which renteth cloisters and hospitals but which in riote and licentiousnes consumeth their reuenues l. 7. hist c. 12. 40. To this ende I haue carefully and curiously layd open your owne ātiquities that by your owne predecessors you might know your professions antiquitie and iudge your owne cause accordingly Sozomenus relateth a prudēt fact of Theodose Emperor who perceauing heresies plentifully to aryse he summoned their cheefe patrons They being assembled he demanded what thinke you my masters our first teachers of Christianitie did they hould the trueth or noe were they godly and honest or noe It was avnswered that they held the trueth and were godly Why then quoth he let vs examin your doctrin and theirs your liues and theirs and yf we fynd them conformable you shal be and your doctrin imbraced otherwyse you must be suppressed Therby they weare in dede suppressed You Contrymen Catholicks may demand the same of them and vs. Whom you fynde cōformable to your first teachers them imbrace the others eschue and detest Galat. 1.9 1. Ioan. 2.24 41. Wheras therfor S. Paul aduiseth vs Yf any preach otherwyse then as we haue receaued to hould him accursed S. Ihon what we haue heard from the begyning to walke in the same because many seducers are gone into the world our first preachers and preaching being manifested vnto vs shal we for pelfe and trash of the world for honors for lyfe for death Luc. 9. 11. Mat. 11. Mar 8. Christ saying to vs that yf we be ashamed to confess him befor men that he also wil be ashamed to confess vs befor his heuenly father and angels be either trayned or terrifyed from our ancient professiō to profess this new as yet not fashioned and vnder the stampe all shapes that hitherto it hath shewed dislyking the forgers them selues and degusting the followers Twelue duble reasons to be constant Catholicks 42. First our ould profession that auerreth all scriptures from Christs tyme accompted Canonical for the profession that dismembreth whole volumes depraueth more reiecteth all that it dislyketh vpon priuat Scripturs and partial iudgment 2. It that imbraceth without exception all articles of the Apostles Crede for it which denyeth Christs discension The Crede of the Apostles the Catholick Church the communion of saincts the forgiuenes of synns 3. It which iustifyeth and obserueth all Apostolical traditions Traditions for it which abhorreth the very name of them 4. It which consenteth to expositions of scripture allowed by all ancient fathers Fathers and Doctors and primatiue Doctors for it which standeth only to selfe vnderstanding 5. It which remayneth in the doctrine of two hondred twelue cōsenting Councils Councils for it which neuer had Council or Cōuenticle concordant 6. It which hath sanctifying Sacraments and opera●ing saluation for it which hath but simple signes Sacraments sanctifying friuolouse
and is farrefrom our first meaning For we hold with ●hrists trueth that vnlesse the written word of God first warrant it we are not ●ound in conscience to beleeue it though all the Doctors and Prelates in the ●orld should sweare it VVhether it be not all one to say Scripturs or Fathers to be for any opinion as to say the Scriptures and Fathers to be for the same ●2 I Confesse that M. Rider came to me the 2. Octob. 1602. Fitzimon to reclaime his resignation of these controuersies to Scripturs or Fathers seueraly resoluing not to accept the Fathers for arbitrers vnlesse they had the scripturs ●onioyntly concurring with them A poore retraict First because ●●y promise and all his printed books he had appealed to them ●ot conioyntly but seueraly Secondly because it is a seelye ●magination to thinke they may be seperated S. Aug. con Pelag. l. 2. c. 10. For S. Augustin ●weetly according to his maner instructeth all Christians to ●now concerning the Fathers Quod inuenerunt in Ecclesia tenuerunt ●uod didicerunt docuerunt quod à Patribus acceperunt hoc filijs tradiderunt That which they fownd in the Church they retayned that which they learned ●hey tawght that which they receaued of their fathers that they deliuered to ●heir children And consequently what the Apostles recaued of Christ they deliuered to their successours their successours to their scholers their scholers to their disciples c. Which as it is conformable to the Apostle S. Paul Ephes. 4.12 so is it perfectly confirmed by him saying God to haue giuen Apostles Euangelists Pastours and Doctors to the cōsummation of the holy vntill we all meete in vnitie of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God that is that he had giuen such instructers as by true and lawfull discent and succession should informe the ages succeeding one another in one faith and knowledge of one God vntill the first midle and last be gathered into the flock of Christ And as the later should receaue from the former Baptisme and other Sacraments so also should they receaue all other truth which would be infallible vnto thē yf they would not leaue their forefathers to follow their owne braynsick nouelties D. VVhitg lib. 2. pag. 353. 507. 508. Therfor VVhitgift worthely exclaimed at the Puritans excepting against the Fathers as being wresters and sorcers of the text the Scripturs not hauing any other searchers defenders conseruers but them Therfor also Caluin worthely taxeth their presumption Cal. in trac Theol. p. 471. who vnreuerently insinuated the Fathers did disagree from scripturs they hauing from hand to hand of their predecessours receaued the vnderstanding of them they hauing by infinit labours expownded them they hauing by vertue of them planted Christianitie excluded idolatrie Beza epist 81. pag. 384. surmoūted heresie Therfor Beza worthely imputeth it to ignorance impudence and impietie to diuorce or sequester Scripturs and Fathers or to affirme where the Scripturs are or Fathers there they can be seueraly or otherwyse then only conioyntly So that from first to last who haue Fathers they must haue Scripturs and contrarywyse And consequently M. Rider first and last remayneth alyke ingaged But to make it euident to the most repining and sparing conceit toward my allegations that I neuer changed or for and and that all this is a friuolous fals cauill pretext who doth not know that the ground and fundation of M. Riders clayme was but a repetition and borowing of the owld impudent protestation of Iuel In which not and but or is contayned in all the articles it being sayd ether by Scripture or by the example of the primatiue Churche or by the owld Doctors or by the ancient Generall Concils And yf any be able to proue any of these articles by any one cleare or playne clause of ether Scripturs or of the ould Doctors or of any ould general Concils or by any example of the primitiue Church within 600. yeares after Christ I promise to giue ouer and subscribe So that I disproue hereby M. Rider not only by his owne printed booke but by his original copie whence as he tooke the same clayme so he ought to haue taken the same conditions And therfor whether he wil or nill he must stand that not but him selfe and his Iuel haue vndone him by or ●●d not and. ●● And this was demanded of you not as the demanders doubted that the ●●nonicall Scriptures were insufficient to prooue any article of faith but onelie ●at all men might see and so be resolued whether the Protestants or the now Ro●ane Catholiques ioyne neerest to Christs trueth and the faith of the first primitiue ●thers VVhether all beleefe be contayned in the written woord of God ●3 ALl the proofe brought by M. Rider Ioan. 10.31 so to perswade vs is only in these woords But these things are written that you may beleeue that Iesus is the Sonn of God and that beleeuing you may haue lyfe in his name Good Lord ●hat inference is this Hebr. 11. the things written serue to beleeue in Christ therfor all beleefe is written By S. Pauls declaration ●bel Enoch Noê Abraham Isaac Iacob c. had vndoubtedly Faith ●et they had nothing of Scripture written Secondly all the primitiue Church had noe parcel of the new Testament at least ten ●earesafter Christ wil you say they had no faith or were not ●ound to beleeue Thirdly the Creed of the Apostles Vide P. Cottō de sacrif contre Caille predicāt Gallice pag. 122. 126. 127. the consubstantialitie of the Trinitie the procession of the holy Ghost ●he perpetual virginitie of our Ladie the baptising of children ●he not rebaptizing of them by hereticks baptised the breaking of ●he sabaoth and keeping of sunday the obseruation of Easter in ●he Christian and not in the Iewish maner the receauing of the Sacrament fasting the eating of blood and strangled meat prohibited in the Acts the not marrying of the sister in law after the ●rothers death without heyres and especialy I would know of ●ur protestants allouing women to sing psalms in the Church vnless they build it vpon some tradition true or false how tremble ●hey not to contradict the prohibition therof by the Apostle 1. Corinth 14. 1. Timoth. 2. Wher fynde you these points of beleefe which are beleeued in the whole Church and some of them contrary to Scripturs nor in any ●cripture contayned Therfor that the Scripturs alone are sufficient to proue euery ●●rticle of beleefe to concurr with you once in a grammarian sentence is qui nil dubitat nil capit inde boni he that thinketh so vpon better consideration may now thinke and say otherwyse Are not these people easily perswaded to haue good proofs fo● their professiō when they cā cōfute vs about the name of Catholick by Vincentius Lyrinensis about the Popes supremacie by S. Bernard and now about traditions by this text here alleaged Doth M. Ride●
VVe haue no such custome nor the Churche of God For yf any be of a contrary beleefe among vs obstinatly we discarde him presently in to the ranke of hereticks by commission of Christ Math. cap. 18. Thom. waldens doctrinalis fidei l. 2. c. 21.23 Si Ecclesiam non audierit sit tibi tanquam Ethnicus Publicanus Yf he do not heare the Churche let him be vnto thee as an Ethnick and Publican Because Ecclesiae iudicium sequi debet lector Christianus sub poena perfidiae si ad fidem res pertineat sub poena contumaciae si non pertineat A Christian reader must follow the iudgement of the Churche vnder the payne of disbeleefe yf it belong to beleefe or vnder the payne of obstinacie yf it doth not belong Wherby all Catholicks are warranted that neuer dissension can possibly haue place in their profession yf it be obstinat In the disputations of Doctors when the Churche authoritie or iudgement is not as yet pronounced August con Faust. l. 11. c. 5. Et epist. 48. ad Vincent according to S. Augustin Liberum habet lector indicium The reader hath a free choise to iudge to take or leaue Yea concerning his owne wrytings he licenseth the same most religiously saying Quae vera esse perspexeris tene Ecclesiae Catholicae tribue Ibidem Quae falsa respue mihi qui homo sum tribue c. VVhat soeuer thow fynde true imbrace and impute it to the Catholick Churche what soeuer thow fynde false reiect and impute it to me which am a man Quia totum hoc genus literarum Ibidem non cum credendi necessitate sed cum iudicandi libertate legendum because all this kynde of learning is not to be read with necessitie to beleeue but with libertie to iudge Euery Catholick and I among the rest do thus offre our whole vnderstanding and all our wrytings at the feete of Gods holy Churche to say and vnsay according therto So that yf you could fynde no other diuersities among vs then seueral disputations being altogether knitt in one submission to Gods Churche you haue laboured as wysely as one that would contend that many musitians disagree in consort or simphonie because they were not in one vnisone but in seueral tunes Which grosse misconceit is excellently refelled by S. August l. 2. de baptism con Donatist c. 3. saying the differences betwixt Catholick wryters to be Sine vllo typho sacrilegae superbiae sine vlla inflata ceruice arrogantiae sine contentione liuidae inuidiae cum sancta humilitate cum pace catholica cum charitate Christiana donec plenario totius Orbis concilio quod saluberrime sentiebatur etiam remotis dubitationibus firmaretur To be without any whirlwynd of sacrilegiouse pryd any puffed arrogant neck any comention of maliciouse enuie with holy humilitie with vniuersal peace with Christian charitie vntill by a full Concill of all the world what was soundly supposed should be vndoubtedly confirmed Now in particular to these 20. diuers opinions among vs. The first requireth saith he the intention of the priest that the consecration be vayleable Why Sir would you haue madd men or any without intention to minister Sacraments For none but ought to suppose that a man without intention doing good or ill is not worthy of reward or punishment The second opinion of Panormitan is all one with the former differing only that it saith to consecrat in a badd intention euen to kill doth not hinder consecration I aunswer that a swords making Note is not hindred by the purpose to abuse it no more is celebration by the intent to misaply it Note then curteous Protestant his great wysdome in so simple a conceit against this opinion as for it to name our religion hellish Note secōdly how this deepe learned Christian doctor affirmeth that Christ himselfe the Apostles whole Church wāted intention in the institution and ministration of the B. Sacrament I surmised by the want of method the second opinion to haue bene of Panormitan Scotus in 4. d. 8. q. 2. a. 2. but here I fynde it most confusedly ascribed to Scotus Truely Scotus requireth to the essential forme of consecratiō no more nor lesse then according the doctrin of the Churche to the greater explication of all circumstances he requyreth as also the Church doth the whole Canon Which Canon for the essential part was euer vnuariable from the begyning but for more ample declaration it hathe in succession of tyme receaued new additions but alwayes out of traditions Scripturs and Concils Vnles that after in particular I did intend to vnfould the antiquitie of all parcels of the Canon and shew the signification original and allowance of the least sillable to be aboue a thousand yeares ratified I would in this place prosecute it The third opinion by him selfe he silenceth as not woorthy the wryting Truly nether are the residue produced woorthy relation especialy to testifie our pretended disagreement considering that neuer sobre man can hitherto collect any discord in these two opinions ether among them selues or with the Catholick established doctrine Rider 66. But Guido his opinion is flat contrarie to them all and saith precis●ly that hoc est enim corpus meum doth consecrate without anie more helpe So Guido is contrarie in opinion to the former three opinions and euerie of them all contrarie one to another Heere now the Catholickes may see the consent and vnitie of the late Church of Rome touching consecration Yet I will bring you a learned Frier which hath tossed this question like a tennis-ball Iosephus Angles in lib. 4. sententiarum Printed by king Philips priuiledge 1572. pag. 108. 109. de essentialibus Euch. This Frier saith in his conclusion Christus Iesus his verbis hoc est enim corpus meum Eucharistiam confecit c. Christ Iesus in these words for this is my bodie did consecrate the Euchariste and so hath continued still by the custome of the Church c. But presentlie in his Appendix hee checkes that opinion saith yet it is to be beleeued that Christ consecrated with other words then these that he vsed in the institution and there be manie of this latter opinion saith he as Innocentius c. so that it is a palpable discord amongst them touching the verie words of consecration Two other contrarie opinions And in the same page he deliuereth two other opinions one of Thomas Aquinas the other of Scotus the one contrarie to the other which if you want opinions the booke I will shew you Pag. 109. Soto saith if Qu● pridie being the Priests words be not vsed as well as Christs Tūc incertum est c. Then it is vncertain whether there be anie Transubstantiation at all VVhat wise catholicks wil beleeue this your vncertaine doctrine And in the same page he sheweth that hoc est enim corpus meum be the words of Christ that
Luther the ancient testamēt as resolutly excluded all together as was the neweby Ochinus Ne ingeratur nobis Moises nos in nouo testamento Moisem nec videre nec audire volumus let not Moises be thrust vpon vs we in the new testament will not ether regard or hear him tom 3. Ienen in 1. parte The same was done be others against Moises as testifyeth Iac. Curio loc cit That he had rather neuer preache then propound any thing out of Moises That he that dothe alleage any thing of his doth depriue Christ of the harts of men That Moises belongeth nothing to vs. That he receaueth him not for otherwyse he should also receaue all Iewish ceremonies That his gouernement is fayled and him selfe dead That Moises belongeth only to Iewes and not to Christians Sander de Schism Anglic. lib. 2. pag. 272. Persons examē par● 3. pag. 332. To the same concerning the new testament Bucer yf all be true whiche the euangelists do sett downe Christ must be truly realy in the Sacrament But whether we be bound to beleeue absolutly euery thing sett downe by them to be true or noe he would not be iudge By which appeareth that what thes men list to beleeue being but of their owne imaginations they make it to be inspired by the holy ghost to be the most sacred scripture them selues to be euangelists their testimonyes to be bastant to iudge angels and men what also displeaseth their stomacks be it in new or ould testament they raze cancel reiect and abiure it as apochriphal not haueing any more reason or authoritie for any parcels exclusion or condemnation then ther fellowes for many whole volums and both ould and new testament together Neither in this are they yet satisfyed but certifie that the holy ghost him selfe suggereret tantum quaecunque Christus ante ore docuerat hanc restrictionem attente esse notandam could suggest or teache nothing but what Christ befor deliuered by mouthe and suche restraint and limitation to be sayth Calu. l. 4. Instit. c. 8. n. 8. Caluin heedfully noted Yet Christ him selfe telling in his gospell that he had many things wherof as then they were not capable which the holy ghost should in tyme reueale as also teache them all trueth neuer the less they would not hold or stopp in suche their so desperat abhominations How Contrary to them is S. Chrysostom saying ideo spiritui seruata est maior doctrinae portio ne putarent illum minorem Hom. 1. in Acta Therfor c. Ioan. 16.13 What is sayd of impugning the holy Ghost for scriptures belongeth also to traditions such as few of them but consent to parte of them although they be not extant in Scripture as to the blessed Trinitie and consubstantialitie of persons the perpetual virginitie of our Ladie the obseruation of Sonday not of the Sabbaoth the baptising of infants the communion receauing fasting the feasts of easter c. which traditions as all other acknowledged by the Churche Ioan. 16.13 haue issued from the holy Ghost according Christs promise that he should not only teache vz by word but also suggest by inspiration all trueth Yf I affected not breuitie what Fathers monuments for traditions what fowle dealing of Sectarists against them mentioned in Martins discouerie cap. 2. could I alleage Fowerthly S. August in quaest ex vtroque test q. 102. according to S. Augustin they impugne the holy Ghost who impute euident miracles frequent in Gods Churche gouerned by the holy Ghost to the deuil Vpō which occasiō of the Pharisees saying that in Beelzebub Christ cast out deuils Christ our Saluiour entred to discourse of the synn against the holy Ghost shewing therby to pertayne to the holy Ghost all miraculouse operations But of miracles which are lawfull and how to be knowen we are after to dispute For to conclude what ther beleefe is against the holy Ghost is testified when the first reforming Apostle of Morauia Irrisit Spiritum sanctum seque diceret volle potius redire in coenobium quàm credere in Spiritum sanctum Did flowt at the holy Ghost saying he would returne sooner to the cloistre then beleeue in him Prateolus l. 10. c. 10. Fiftly they impugne the other parte of the Catholick Churche which in deede should be a distinct article who can not abyde the name of Catholick as appeareth before nor the name of Churche in their principal Bible of the yeare 1562. but excluded it wholy without redemption placing for the name Churche the name of congregation And wheras they weare confounded at such profane odious interpretation considering it shewed a hatred against the chaste spouse of Christ a distrust to be tryed by the churche whom who heareth not is as far from saluation as any publican or Ethnick and argued a publick reuolt or rebellion from Christ him selfe head of the Churche they amended it in their later translations Math 16.18 with worlds shame yet so nicely as in one cheef place of Scripture wher Christ sayd to S. Peter vpon this rock I will build my Churche the bible of the yeare 1577. retayned still in liew of Church the name of congregation which properly belongeth only to beasts and by application is transferred to men Sixtly they impugne this second parte who affirme the Mother Churche may err in any point of beleefe considering Christs promises Math. 16. Luc. 22. Ioan. 14. Act. 2. Luc. 22. that the gates of hell nether by errour nor by violence should neuer preuayle against it the faythe therof should neuer fayle the holy Ghost teacher of all trueth should perpetually remayne with it that it is a spotles spouse without all wrinckle that it being conuerted should confirme all others c. Fox Acts. pag. 1359. Iewel repl con Hard. art 4. diu 14. 21. pag. 249. 268. Calu. l. 4. Instit. c. 2. n. 2. 3. c. Vide Camp●ani ration●m vlt. De Luther Vide num 17. Calu. Instruc con Libertin c. 13. Such mother Church to be it only of Rome all Fathers and most sectarists them selues profess Nether can it be denyed considering it only hathe vniuersalitie consent and antiquitie as appeareth n. 4. Considering also that no other peofession hath holynes in lyfe or doctrin which accompanie on another as the good and bad fruict the good and bad tree Witnes first for doctrin all hithertho in this examination alleadged and secondly Luther saying the commandements of God not to belong to Christians Witnes next Caluin saying in other mens name but in his owne doctrin Concupiuit quis vxorem proximi sui ea potiatur si potest certò enim scit se nihil alienum à voluntate Dei facere Audacter eripiat vel vi vel fraude fortunas proximorum nihil enim suscipiet nisi Deo volente vel probante hathe any coueted his neighbours wyfe let him inioye hir yf he can for he knoweth assuredly he doth nothing
apochriphal Marcion by Tertullian was called Mus Ponticus the Mowse of Pontus for his nibling the Scriptures as the mowse nibleth cheese therfor yf these loppers or shredders of Scripture had liued in his tyme he might denominat them cormorants or wolues not for nibling lyke a mowse small crummes but for deuowring great gobbets in canceling whole and principale volumes of Gods sacred woord notwith standing the terrible curse in the Apocalips and Deutronomie in prohibition of such presumption Apoc. 22.19 Deutr. 4.2 Can then any not ignorant of their mangling or dismembring thus the Scriptures but abhorr and detest that profession which hath no other refuge then when it is repugnant to Gods holy woord to say that his woord is not his woord or which is all one that his authentical Scriptures are not authentical but Apochriphal and ●hat they beleeue not this they care not for that they passe ouer that as a dreame Giue attendance I pray yow to parte of their modestie and that of the principal in spea●ing of sacred Scriptures VVe passe not sayth whi●aker for the Raphael of Tobie Whitaker con Campian pag. 17. nether do we ackno●ledge those seuen Angels which he speaketh of ●he same that Raphael recordeth sauoureth I wote not what superstion I litle care for the place of Ecclesiasticus nether will I beleeue free will thowgh he affirme it ane hondred tymes As for the booke of Machabees I do care lesse for it then for the other Iudas dreame cōcerning Onias I let passe as a dreame What child but might say as much against any pa●cel of Scriptures and what Iew but would tremble to say as much of certain Scriptures neuer doubted of in Gods Church at least since the 3. Carthaginian Concil which was anno 397 Next Scriptures traditions by reformers disclaymed are to be exhibited in most breefe maner to your deliberation as being of equal authoritie when they are vndowbtfull with Scriptures and contayning litle lesse mysterie of our beleefe then Scripture For by them we know the mysterie of vnitie in Trinitie Luc. c. 1. v. 2. of the baptizing of Children all contents of S. Lukes gospell which he professeth to haue receaued by tradition The whole creede of the Apostles The Christiā keeping of the sonday in steed of the Sabbaoth of the Iewes the perpetual virginitie of our Ladie the cōmunicating in the morning fasting the communicating of lay people especialy of women which are not expressed in any written woord of God but only knowen and beleeued by the vnwritten woord or tradition Of which sayth S. Paul Therfor brethren stand 2. Thes. 2.15 and howld the traditions which you haue learned whether it be by woord or by our epistle What cowld be sayd more manifestly in commendation of any parte of our beleefe According to which sayd S. Basil I accompt it apostolical S. Basil de spiritis S. c. 29. in principio to continue firmly euen in vnwritten traditions To whom all the Fathers are conformable And when the Gnosticks Marcion Cerdon Arius Eunomius S. Iren. l. 3. Tertul. de prescr in Sarpiaco S. Basil loc cit c. 27. S. Epiphan her 53. S. Aug. l. 5. con Max. Aerius Nestorius and other owld hereticks opposed them selues to traditions denying and disdayning them they were disproued and condemned therby by S. Ireneus Tertulian S. Basil S. Eiphan S. Austin c. to be detestable hereticks I do therfor only craue what would they affirme of our Reformers not abyding the name of traditions but when it may haue ane odiouse sence translating in liew therof instructions constitutions ordonnances 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in greke Mat. 15. v. 2.3.6 by them selues is translated a tradition in S. Mathew Baret in lit D●n 311. when it beareth an odious construction and their dictionaries in english do translat tradition therof yet in this place of S. Paul they would not abyde it to be so englished What can be ane impiouse corruption yf this be not After dispising Scriptures and traditions as the cheefe helpes from God least ther showld want any hindrance betwixt our saluation and vs nothing could after more preiudicialy be denyed then our hauing any free will For by denial therof all our actions being made fatal and God being made as befor by Caluin the tempter nay inforcer of vs to euil and not our owne concupiscence contrary to the Apostle S. Iames we are made deafe toward all Gods promises Iac. 1.14 or threatnings as being vndeserued by vs negligent toward all his commendments as being not to be fullfi led by vs but by God euery one slowthfull to prepare him selfe to any good or to auoyd any euil cum in potestate sua non sit vias suas malas facere Luth. de seruo arbitrio wheras sayth Luther it is not in his power euen to make his owne wayes more wicked because forsoo●h he is applyed not according his owne inclination but according Gods disposition as well Paul to be conuerted as Iudas to betraye and yf ether God should punish vs or any magistrate condemne vs for any offenses committed against their lawes it should be accompted an iniustice in them to torment vs for that which was not in our power to haue done otherwyse Besyd all which absurd points of licentiouse freedome and vnbridled lewsenes toward all dissolution by denial of the freedome of free will also is implyed that God should neuer be prayed vnto ether for forgiuenes of our synnes or of graunting his grace toward any good by vs intented we nether cooperating to the euil or good of our owne actions and consequently they not being ours but Gods he should be accessorie to neede pardon and not we Nay according S. Bernard cesset voluntas propria infernus non erit S. Bern. ser 3. de resurr take away our will and ther wil be no hell Therfor for taking away all regarde of sinne and good woorks of heauen and hell of God Mans lawes ther cowld nothing be more propre then to inculat no freedome to be in vs but that we were ledd by fatal necessitie without controwlement to thinke saye and doe what soeuer proceeded from vs. This then seemed an important and plausible heresie to Sathan to suggest vnto his Ministers euen from the begining of Christianitie therby to intoxicat the world Wherfor he suborned first Simon Magus S. Clem. l. 3. recogint S. Hier. in pref con Pellag S. Aug. de haeres c. 35.70 S. Bern ep 194. Concil Constan ses 8. a 27. Roffen in art 36. Lutheri after Bardisanus then Priscilian then Peter Abailard then VVickleff then Luther and after him all this late crue and in particular thē of Cambridg as befor appeareth by VVhytaker to disclayme and denie the freedome of our will Against whom S. Clement S. Hierome S. Austin S. Bernard the Concil of Constance the bishop of Rochester and manifowld other champions of
in commending good woorcks And with the Tower disputation That hi● gospel is dowbtfull And lastly of all Apostles with Caluin to affirme that they were ouer superstitiouse and subiect to vice Yf I say these had not bene repugnant to protestancye why should they be thus disabled and disgraced Nether will I be contented to haue their dislyke manifested in particular against these Apostles and Euangelists as repugnant to their profession therby apparently testifying them selues not to haue bene aggreable to the Apostolical Church and consequently by M. Riders owne verdict to be base bastard and counterfett but I will also discouer their abiuration of the owld and new Testament together for being also vtterly against them so that they must be inforced to depend only vpon their Father of trueth their Prophet Apostle Angel Elias and third person of heauen as they tearme him num 2. their incomparable Luther who neuer had not will haue his lyke Luther in epist. ad Argentin An. 1525. certifying and assuring him selfe to haue bene first of that ranck saying Christum à nobis primo vulgatum audem● gloriari VVe dare boste Christ by vs first to haue bene published To which purpose I might haue no small furtherance by the disputation of the Tower Tower disputation 4. dayes Conference disauthentising owt of the owld Testament Tobias Iudith Hester Baruch VVisdome Ecclesiasticus 2. books of Machabees to which others adioyne the prayer of Manasses 2. Paralipomenon the Song of the Three children the story of Bel And owt of the new S. Lukes gospel Hebrues Iames 2. Peter 2. and 3. of Ihon Iude Apocalips c. But hauing them altogether by the resolution of protestant ring-leaders need the lesse to linger about parcels This then is Luthers decree concerning the owld testament Luth. to 3. Ienen 1 par Vide Iacob Carion in Chroncl An. 1556. pag. 151. Basilea Ne ingeretur nobis Moises Nos in nouo testamento Moisem nec videre nec audire volumus Let not Moises be thrust vpon vs we in the new testament will not abyde to see or heare Moises That he had rather neuer preache then propownd owt of Moises That he that doth alleage any thing of his Luther serm de Moise doth depriue Christ owt of the harts of men That Moises belongeth nothing to vs. That by receauing him all Iewish ceremonies must insue c. By Moises euery one vnderstandeth the owld Testament which Luther saith belongeth not to protestants and that they should not abyde to heare or see it Now concerning the new Testament thus speaketh Zuinglius Quotiescunque siue Christus siue Apostoli ad Scripturam relegant auditores Zuingl tom 2 ●lench Con. Anabap. fol. 10. in●ligunt non suos Apostolos aut euangelium c. As often as Christ or the ●●ostles remitt any to Scripturs Ochinus lib. 2. dialog pag. 154. 155. 156. 157. they do not vnderstand their epistles or the ●spell but the owld testament Ochinus proceedeth more to the mater ●●ying Non debemus plura credere quam crediderunt sancti faederis antiqui ●e should not beleeue more then the holy Saincts of the owld Testament ●herby he inferreth that we should not be bound to beleeue the ●rinitie consubstantialitie c. Because they are in the new testa●ent only and not in the owld By all which most vnchristian ●fidelitie is testifyed in the sight of God and man that these Re●rmers were nothing agreable to Moises the Prophets Apostles ●●d Euangelists nor contrarywyse they to them But did the second hundred yeares Doctors cōtent them better Contur 2. cap. 4. pag. 55. 65. edit Basil par Ioan. Operin Centur. 3. c. 4. p. 79. ●o say the Centuriasts Multae enim monstrosae incommodae opiniones ●ssim à Doctoribus sparsè reperiuntur Many monstruous and incommodous ●nions are found dispersed by the doctours What of the third they answer Doctores huius aetatis à vera doctrina Christi Apostolorum de bonis ●eribus declinarunt the doctours of this age declined from the doctrin of Christ ●●d his Apostles as protestancie would haue it for good woorks Beza loc cit in num 30. epist. 81. What ●et of the fowerh then was papistrie vnderlayd by the concile of Nice say ●hey that congregation of Sophisters then was the creed made of Sathanasius 〈◊〉 Athanasius The histories of their liues so testifie What further might be sayd of the being of the ●rincipal primitiue Fathers Heremits Moncks or Fryers as for ●xample of Effrem Climachus Nazianzen Basil Hierom Augustin Da●ascen Gregorie c. Could these erecters of cloisters and Abbaies ●e fauourers of the subuerters of them Could these cōmenders ●f lyturgies or Masses of Fasting of care for the dead Centuriae Magdeburgicae Centuria 2. 3. 4. in Singularum capite 4. of Chastitie ●f Inuocation of Saincts of Good woorks of Confession of Tra●itions of Preesthod of the Supremacie of ecclesiastical Cere●onies and of all papistrie being so acknowledged by your selues ●nd tearmed in the 30. number precedent doting foolish per●tious idle fanatical reprobat bewitched by the deuil no lesse damned then ●ucifer c. Could I say these men such commenders and so by ●rotestants abused be fauourers of Protestantcie or the first fiue ●undred yeares wherin such men were Popes Bishops Prelats ●onfessours Martyrs and Saincts and honored by all the Church ●f that tyme be fauourerers of the reprehenders of Masses ●asting care for the dead Chastitie Inuocations of saincts Good woorks Confession Traditions c. To conclude could the condemners of them to be hereticks who denyed the real presence ●●●●●●et dial 3. c. 19 ●ertull de prescrip in Sarpiaco Iren. l. 3. Epiphan here 's by Basil de Spirit S. c. 27. August l. cō Max. c. Epiph. her 53. Hieron l. 1. con Iouin Marcel de error Montani Clem. l. 5. recog August her 11. 49. Con. Faust l. 22. c. 30.74.76.77 her 51.53 Greg. l. 4. dial c. 4. c. Clem. l. 5. recog August her 54. as Theodoret condēned some or who denyed or disalowed Traditiōs as Tertullian Ireneus Basil Augustin Epiphan condemned therfor the Gnosticks Marcion Cerdon Arius Eunomi● Aerius Nestorius or the despisers of Lent and fasting dayes such as besyd the former were the Eustathians and Iouinians condemned therfor by Tertullian Epiphan and Hierom or of Montanus Manicheans Circumcellions Donatists Aerians and Armenians for denial of Cōfession of Freewill of the lawfulnes of Moncks and religiouse and Church riches of purgatorie and prayer for the dead condemned therfor by Marcelin Hierom Clement Augustin Gregorie c. or of Aeti● Eunomius Simon Magus affirming Solifidian Iustification condemned therfor by Clement and Augustin could I say by all the witt of man or āgels any accord be made betwixt al these as one Church They who condemned late protestant opinions in ancient hereticks and therfor by late protestants are in maner aforsaid condemned and
amounting consequently to twelue Which as they were spoken being specified by S. Augustin very particularly I intend not to change their ordre but to examin succinctly whether Protestātcy they agree or noe supposing that not only in general but also in particular it indeuoreth ether to infringe euery one of them or at least that it is in some measure erroneous concerning euery of them Other ordre I might haue followed for the diuision of articles acc●rding to the Catechisme of the Concil of Trēt had I not to deale with them Calu. l. 4. Instit c. 14. n. 25. who reiect the Concil of Trent admitting S. Augustin whom I follow to be fidelissimum testem antiquitatis the most trusty witnes of antiquitie AN EXAMINATION OF PROTESTANTCYE CONCERNING THE twelue Articles of beleefe in particular 1. Article of S. Peter I beleeue in God the Father almighty I beleeue 7. FIrst it is necessary that beleefe should be resolute Luther ser Conniual fol. 158. in pref tom 1. Vide tom 2. Ien. fol. 9. in pref lib. de abusu Missae Item in Serm. conniual fol. 10. 158. 273. and not any wayes doubtfull Such first was not Luthers beleefe when he sayd Sperare se vbi horum temporum curiositas saturata fuerit breui monumenta sua interitura That he hoped as soone as the curiositie of these tymes should be satiated his monuments would decaye And againe Istas cogitationes nonquam ex animo demitto quin optem hanc me causam nonquam incepisse I neuer dismisse these cogitations but that I wishe I had neuer begon this course Such distrust and remorse had secondly Zuinglius when he sayd Nihil tamen definimus Zuingl epist. ad Alberum Bolsec in V. Cal. c. 22. Vide num 38. conclusionem huius defensionis sed nostra in medium proferrimus Yet we defyne nothing but only deliuer our opinons Such thirdly had Caluin Beza Oecolampadius Melancthon c. as by them selues in places quoted appeareth Secondly it is necessarie that he bynde not his beleefe to the reache of reason Such was not Vermils beleefe when he sayd as is in the 68. numbre Gods woord ought not so much to be followed in diuinitie as the woords of nature Nor Victorius when he affirmed we should looke with the left eye at the woord of Christ but with the right at naturs of things Caluin in Ioan. c. 6. c. 7. declareth of his bretheren that by means of their carnal conceipt of Chrsst they cannot attayne to perceaue him worthely and that by corrupt interpretations they are come to a contempt of the euangile for when the reason of any thing appeareth not vnto them they suddenly despise it See more in the forsayd 41. numbre Thirdly beleefe in this cause requyreth to beleeue besyde scripturs holy traditions for this beleefe is not knowen by scripture but by tradition and who are enemyes to traditions be enimies to it Such Protestants are knowen general to be In God 8. They beleeue not in God who are Atheists such as by D. VVhitgifts who was pastor and primat of protestants and had best cause to knowe them confession Whitg a pag. 31. ad 51. the congregation of England is repleanished with all For by signification of the woord Atheist they renounce and disclaime all loue or beleeue of God Secondly nether they who beleeue in God authoure of euil Luth. tom 2. de seru arbitr fol. 461. do beleeue in God whom the Apostle saith doth tempt none to euil of whom only this forme of Creed treateth Such mystake God and as Caluin confesseth Vide Caluin Turcism pag. 691. ad 701. Zuingl de prouidentia Dei tom 1. fol. 365. transforme him into the deuil Which notwithstanding is the doctrin of Caluin Peter martyr Zuinglîus Beza c. Of whom Zuinglius saithe Quando facimus adulterium aut homicidium Dei opus est motoris authoris atque impulsoris Latro Deo impulsore occidit saepenumero cogitur ad peccandum VVhen we cōmit adultrye or murther it is Gods woorke as the mouer Vide Caluino Turcis loc cit authour and inforcer The theefe by Gods impulsion doth kill and is often constrayned to offend Behould welbeloued to what God these men conduct their followers I confesse to deale sincerly most other Protestants do inueigh and argue against this doctrin but in deede for no other intention then to haue credit during their meditatiōs how to bring their hearers by other degrees from all beleefe in God Thirdly they beleeue not in God who accompt questions concerning him to be but trifles and things indifferent Beza de hereticis à Ciuili magistratu puniendis and not necessarie to iustification Such is Beza who affirmeth such to be the questions of Christ and his office of his consubstantialitie with the Father of the Trinitie of predestination of Freewill of God of Angels c. For in true beleefe the reputation of God and questiōs therto belonging is of greater importance then all other things in heauen and earthe The Father Caluin l. 1. Instit c 13. n. ● Lib. ad Valētin Gētil Epist 2. ad Polō Och●m Dialog l 2. toto dial 19 20. Ed. Rogers cont familiam ●ōdinis an 1579. art 24 25. 26. Luth. in Enchirid precum 1543. Cont Iacob ●atom Beza ep 81. Symler an 1560 in vita Bullingers ●ol 33. Bredembach l. 7. c. 19. 9. They misbeleeue the Father who acknowledge noe Trinitie Such is Caluin saying he would the name of Trinitie were buryed and the prayer holy Trinitie one God haue mercie vpon vs to be barbarouse and impropre reiecting out of his prayer books the clause glory be to the Father Sonne and holy Ghost Suche was Ochin now a Turke but befor one of the Apostles of England in K. Edwards dayes saying the name of Trinitie to be a Sathanical name Suche is the familie of loue reiecting the Trinitie and diuinitie of Christ as papistical fictions Such was Luther disclayming the forsayd prayer holy Trinitie c. and saying that his soule did detest the woord homoousson or consubstantial betwixt the persons in the holy Trinitie Such were the Seruetians tearming the B. Trinitie a three headed Cerberus or hell hound Such the solemne legation of all Caluinists in Polonia to Zurick and Geneua to haue the mysterie of the Trinitie abolished Such was the Caluinian Synod at Vilna anno 1589. May 11. by publick decree forbidding ministers in sermons to mention the name of Trinitie Secondly they misbeleeue the Father Caluin l. 1. Instit. c. 13. n. vlt. Ibid. n. 13. 23. 24. Melanct. loc com an 1539 fol 8. 10. 1545. fol. 53. 1558. loco de Filio Symb. Athanas. who with Caluin affirme it foolishnes to thinke that God the Father doth continualy begett his Sonn Wheras by his continual vnderstanding he must euer produce a woord which is the wysdome of the Father and his Sonn Thirdly all they
the 25. and 26 verses which all that you left out and cut off doth first deliuer Christs institutiō secondly expounds his owne meaning in euerie particuler point that is in controuersie betwixt vs and thirdlie ouerthrowes your opinions Now what mooued you thus to mangle cut off disioynt and dismember this place of Paul as you did with the text before let the Reader after my examination of your errors iudge But first I must deliuer you this generall rule obserued of allsound Diuines that al the Euangelists and Aposteles doctrine being pend by one spirit doe agree in the matter of the Sacrament one expounding another as partlie you heard a little before So that the three Euangelists must not be expounded to contradict Paul not Paul expounded to contradict them but all dulie and trulie in the spirit of humilitie being examined according to the Canon and rule of the word of God you shall finde neither darknesse in speech nor difficultie in sence but that the simplest may know Christs meaning Fitzsimon 80. What I haue aunswered in the 43. number against his accusations of any curtayling cutting by the wast and subtracting may abundantly serue for the lyke of my māgling cutting off disioynting dismembring this place All are but practises of the lapwing to crye a farr of most noysomly that you may thinke the nest of hir yongons to be ther wher it is least Which as it is there manifested so here it wil be approued Remember only his saying in this place that what I omitted expowndeth Christs meaning in euery particular point that is in controwersie betwixt vs and ouerthroweth our opinions And that for playn dealing I should haue begon at the 23. verse and so to the ende of the 29. verse Yf you aske him wherfor is he not contented with what I haue produced considering that he had the lesse to confute and was not bownd to aunswer to what was omitted he can aunswer nothing els but talk of omissions cuttings and curtaylings that others might not discerne but that he had aunswered pertinently Rider 81. You should haue begunne at the 23. verse and so to the end of the 20 verse and that had been plaine dealing Christs institution penned by Paul deliuers vs foure obseruations First Christ his action Secōndlie Christes precept Thirdlie Christs promise Fourthlie Christes caution 1. Christes action He gaue thankes brake bread tooke the cup c. 1. Take yee eate yee 2. Christes precept 2. This do as often as yee drinke it and both in rememberance of me 3. The minister must shewe and preach the Lords death till he come 3. Christes promise 1. This is my body which is broken for you 2. This is the new Testament in my bloud 4. Christes caution or caueat VVhosoeuor shall eate this bread or drinke this cup vnworthelie shall bee guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. Thus you see plainlie without anie dismembring or curtalling Christs action precept promise and caution deliuered out of the text Out of which place I obserue for the Catholickes better instruction and your confutation two things against you in this your skipping and curtalling of the text First the comforts you conceale from them by this mangling of the text A Discouerie of more puritantcie in M. Rider And of Puritan protestations how they are performed 81. FIrst he is conuicted by his owne woords Fitzsimon that he dealeth not playnly considering he nether begynneth at the 23. verse nor endeth at the 29. But will yow vnderstand the reason therof because S. Paul sayeth that him selfe had learned this institution from our Lord to witt by tradition and not in Scripture and that he had deliuered it formerly to the Corinthians by tradition and not by Scripture For I haue receaued of our Lord saith he which also I haue deliuered vnto you that our Lord in the night he was betrayed tooke bread and giuing thanks brake and sayd This is the 23. 1. Cor. 11. v. 23. verse Next M. Rider addeth to the woord brake the woord bread which is not in the text Thirdly by his diuision into an action a precept a promise a caution nothing toward any edification or proffit or learning is affoorded but a pranke discouered vnder the coulour of method to distract the mynd while he doth seperat the circumstances asondre which confirme Christs institution of the Sacrament to certifye his true body being present Fowerthly 1. Cor. 11. v. 24. this being the 24. verse take yee and eate yee this is my body which shal be deliuered for yow do this in my remembrance M. Rider vseth these sleights toward it First when he repeateth Christs precept he omitteth cleane do this in remembrance of me toward the bread and as was sayd in the 77. number of their care of the liquoure conioyned it to the drinke Fifthly he maketh Christs woords this is my body to be but a promise let euery vnderstanding determine whether not vnreasonably and vnlearnedly The 25. verse is lykewyse and the chalice after he had supped saying 1. Cor. 11. v. 25. this chalice is the new testament in my blood do this as often as yow shall drinke in my remembrance Of this verse he hathe wholy omitted the first halfe as also of the next halfe the name of chalice After drinke he addeth the sillable it Which being once doone by me in the 51. number thus he controwled my addition this sillable it altereth the sence and peruerteth Christs meaning c. Then he placeth according his former skill such woords among promises The 26. verse is For as often as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this chalice you shall annownce the death of our Lord till he come 2. Cor. 11. v. 26. All this verse is intierly ouer-slipped as nether action precept promise nor caueat So that his deuision is ether defectiue as not comprehending all parts or his dissimulation notorious in omitting what might be comprehended as well vnder the precept as any thing els and better vnder the caution or caueat then what is by him contayned Marie I fynde the speeche of a Minister his preaching substituted in place of the forsayd verse which vpon my credit is nether in greeke or latin text nor euer dreamed of by Apostle Euangelist Concil Doctor Father But it is only the pure Puritancie of Thomas Cartwright l. 1. pag. 158. to affirme it a necessarie and essential part of the Communion yet therof thus sayth the aunswer of Oxford to the Puritans Petition pag. 11. But that it should be ministred with a sermon is absurd and hath bred in many a vayne and false opinion as yf not the woord of Christs institution but rather the woord of a Ministers exposition were a necessarie and essential part of Communion O how impossible it is for M. Rider but to be knowen a puritan Now let him take what he can get therby The 27. verse Therfor whosoeuer shll eate this
it is a name proceeding from meere folly of man that Carolostad vtterly reiected it and that you must be satisfyed with the woord of seale which sayth Bruce God and Christ haue giuen to his Apostle c. Only yf this had bene sayd befor not couertly but playnly and sensiblye we had neuer inueyed against your figuratiue Sacramēt Muscul in loc con c. de canan 2. pag. 327. but against your figuratiue seale And then according to Musculus had we bene neuer the nerer For seale is not fownd so conuenient to specifye your doctrin as appeareth by him in these woords the bread is the body of Christ nether naturaly nor personaly nor realy marke good M. Rider nor corporaly nor yet spiritualy agayne marke I pray you for in the 62. number you are shewed to be a falconer and therfor may obserue your game in your owne phrase nor figuratiuely good Sir attend nor significatiuely you will loose all your opinion yf you take not heede restat post haec omnia Westphal loc cit Clebitius in victoria veritatis ruina Papa●us Saxonici argum 12. vt dicamus panemesse corpus Domini sacramentaliter it remayneth after all these that we say the bread is the body of Christ sacramentaly So that this woord Sacrament is nethet allowed nor the woord seale retayned but Sacrament sayth Westphalus then only obserued when Caluinists may shift and lurk vnder it as in this case tearming it a brasen wall being at all other tymes disclaymed as noteth Clebitius Notwithstanding this foisting in of the new fangled woord Seal and enimitie against the woord Sacrament as else where against the woords Christ Churche Catholick traditions preests merit good woorks Romain real Trinitie consubstantial Crosse blesse c. Yet you shall behould our Reformer so Catonicaly to censure this lightnes as yf it had not bene his and his brethrens but our fault Sic curios simulant bacchanalia viuunt Yet mistake me not that I seeme to dissalowe the worde Seale in his naturall signification knowinge that it is founde applyed to Circumcision Gen. 17.10 Rom. 4.11 but what I indeuour is only to taxe this translation of wordes out of the owlde testament into the newe without al authoritie and occasion to prepare a way to exclude al Sacraments of the new testament by proouing them of no greater force then the ceremonies of the ould lawe with whom they agree in appellation P. Martyr 1. Cor. 11. His diuision of three sortes of faithe is borrowed out of Peter Martyr nothing belonginge to any matter in question S. Chrysost hom 45. in Ioan. nothing true and containing nothing needful to be refuted Lastly al his former discourse out of S. Chrisostom of treason by the violence toward the picture as much as toward the Prince in person although it ouerthroweth euery way image-breakers c. yet how it ouerthroweth the point in question is breefly to be declared Yf sayth S. Chrysostom the defylers of the kings robe be noe lesse then the tearers therof punishable what meruayle yf vncleane consciences receauing the body of Christ be as damnable as the crucifiers of him Wherby obserue how this maketh against Protestancie that the vncleane receaue the very body of Christ that it is more treason against Christ to abuse this Sacrament then against a kinge teare to a kings robe it is no lesse then to crucifie him 1. Cor. 10.16 The challice of benediction which wee blesse is it not the communication of the bodie of Christ And the bread which wee blesse is it not the participation of his flesh 97. GEntlemen yee wrong the Apostles text first in your abuse of words Rider Verse 21. secondlie in mistaking the sence Your words be these The challice of benediction Pauls words in Greeke that must be iudge betwixt vs and which wee doe follow if we will follow Christ are these The cup of thanksgiuing And the holie Ghost so expounds his owne meaning after calling it poculum Domini the cup of the Lord. But you are much to be blamed of all good men because you had rather follow some late corrupt translation vse some superstitious inkhorne termes latelie deuised and so forsake the olde Apostolical phrase which the holie Ghost vseth in that holie tongue and in which it is still recorded for our instruction either confesse your ignorance in the Greeke or your malice against the trueth that the Catholickes bee no longer seduced by you that long trusted in you and to your doctrine Againe you say The bread which we blesse we say as Paul said and the holie Ghost pend The bread which we breake Alasse alasse what sinne doe you commit in thus seducing Christs flocke and the Queens subiects who hitherto haue builded their faith vppon your bare words Is this plaine dealing with Gods heritage are you Catholicke Priestes I pray you certifie the Catholikes what tongue or trāslation hath it thus as you pen it The bread which wee blesse I tell you plainelie yet in charitie that you doe belie the Texte falsifie the tongue and seeke to keepe the people in blinde ignorance and superstitious palpable darknes to their euerlasting condemnation vnlesse the Lord recal them and they repent them Paules wordes ar these in Greeke and so your owne Hieroms translation hath them The bread which we break But you are so besotted with the crossing of your fingers which you tel the people is the true Catholick blessing that you forget and forgoe the true blessinge of the cup which is the Apostolical thanksgeuing to God for our redemption purchased in Christs blood whereof the cup is the true signe Againe we say as the holy Ghoste indited it and Paule writte it The communion of the body of Christ you say as no learned man of the Greeke text euer saide Error in the sence of the Texte Rhem. Testament 1. Cor. 10. sect 4. the participation of his fleash Thus much I haue shewed how vntruly you deale First in abusing the wordes of the Apostle Secondly in seducing and deceauing the Catholickes Let here the charitable Catholickes iudge how you wil abuse theire eares with fables that dare thus falsifie the plaine text Now come to shew how you mistake the sence of the words in the text seeking by indirect wresting to make the text prooue your errour which it denieth in flat termes and truth For I assure the Catholickes that nor one word fillable letter or title of this text once sounds of your carnall presence You follow the Rhemish who in this place thus expounds the words of the Apostle The cup which we blesse that is to say the challice of consecration which we Apostles and priests by Christs commission do consecrate c. and afterwards it followeth the Apostle expresly referreth the benediction to the Challice and not to God making the holie bodie and the communicating thereof the effect of the benediction Now let me intreate you to aunswere me
in Christ and his Church● to interpret it is but a great mysterie Or by the 139. vntruth to referr the woords sacra signa holy signes to this our Sacrament which S. Augustine referreth to the former Sacrament of Mariage Or by th● 140. The 149. vntruth vntruth to auouch that notwithstanding all these palpable euidences for our syde and against our aduersaries yet that S. Augustine is opposit to vs and we could neuer yf we had bene hyred haue brought a more repugnant testimonie I can not conceaue but euery one Catholick and protestant doth perceaue such a● aforsayd to haue bene his intention videlicet to indomage to remayne hidd as long as might be and to that ende to haue debarre● me three whole yeares all vse of printing although he had warra●● to the contrarie and in this mercenarie maner of popularitie 〈◊〉 seeke to content for the present tyme. It being more brightly cleere then the sonn at myddaye I proceed full of hast and loathsomnes to wryte against men of such intentions Quorum lingua tam prodi●● infrenisue est Gellius lib. 1. vt fluat semper verborum colluuione taeterrima whos 〈…〉 lauishe and vnbridled that it floweth only with a most odious pudle or streame 〈◊〉 woords Wherin none should contend with them the conquest being against the conquerour and the victorie his that is ouercome I fynd it by experience most assured that Nazianzen related of ould Reformers to be as reall among new Reformers Inter se certant peri●●● atque non id metuant Nazianz. erat 2. de pace ne impijs erroribus sese constringant sed ne in hac re 〈◊〉 tolerabiliusue caeteri peccent Among them the stryfe is not as yf they 〈…〉 erre impiously but that they contend to surpasse on another in this 〈◊〉 This approued saying yf I should as often replye as occasion doth requyre at euery leafe of this booke it might be repeated ●n what darknesse of ignorance in what sluggish carelesnesse haue they been Catho Priests Leo epist 22. ad Clerum plebem Constantino politanae vrbis floruit Anno. 366. Rider This Leo was the 13 Archb. of Rome twētie more succeeded him b fore any vsurped the name of Pope Nomb. 23.8 as not to haue heard by hearesay nor by reading to haue found which in the Church of God is so plaine as that the mouthes of children do tell the bodie and bloud of Christ to be trulie in the blessed Sacrament 117. GEntlemen you mistake the Epistle it is in the 23. Epistle pag. 74. beginning in the 12 line printed at Louaine 1575. and seeing it is both your ●wne proofe and your owne print if vpon due examination it make against you you must thinke God dealeth with you as he did with Balaam who when he made acco●nt for gaine to haue cursed Gods people then God put into his heart and vttered by ●is mouth a blessing to his people You made account to haue here ouerthrowne the trueth establ●shed errour and strengthned your credit and God hath put into your heart and you haue subscribed with your hand to confirme the trueth confute your owne error and discredit your selues and more to the worlds wonder and the foile of your Romane faith euen by a bishop of Rome against whom you can take no ●xceptions So that now the Catholicks shall see that your carnall presence was not known to the first bishops of Rome for the first fiue hundred yeares and therefore it ●s not Catholicke And you shall see how vntrulie you not onelie quote him but alle●dge him nay wrest inforce him to speake that after his death which he neuer meant ●uring his life So that from the first to the last you deale neither trulie with the booke of God nor the works of men And as Christ saide to the Scribes and Phareses Mathew 15.6 You ●aue made the commaundement of God of no Authoritie by your Tradition So you ●esuits and Priests haue made neither Scripture Auncient father Councell nor Pope of ●nie Authoritie by your new and false constructions addicions and subtractions c. But now to the examination of your proofe But I will first showe to the Catholicks the occasion why Leo writt this and there ●hey shall see how greatly you are deceaued in mistaking Leo and much abuse their simplicitie and the credite they repose in you The occasion whie Leo writte this Epistle was this That whereas the errour of the Manichees had greatlie infected the Church of God throughout all Christendome They denied Christs manhood taught that his bodie was not a true bodie but a phantasticall bodie he ●n a charitable manner sent Epiphanius and Dionisius two publicke Notaries of the Church of Rome to the Cleargie and people of Constantinople requesting them that ●uch as professed these damnable heresies might not onelie bee excommunicated from ●ermons sacraments but also be banished from their Citties for feare of further in●ection For saith hee such as beleeue not that Christ hath taken our nature and flesh ●pon him beleeue neither the veritie nor vertue of Christs passion and resurrection And then commeth in your proofe which properlie must be applied to such hereticks 〈◊〉 denie Christ his manhood to bee borne of the blessed virgin and hold that his bodie is not a true bodie but a phantasticall bodie and not to vs that beleeue both Againe you haue not trulie translated this place for thus it stands in the Authour In quibus isti ignorantiae tenebris in quo hactenus desidiae torpore tacuere vt nec auditu discerent and after wards Vt nec ab infantium linguis veritas corporis sanguinis Christi inter communis sacramenta fidei teneatur In what darknes of ignorance in what slugg●sh carelessnes haue they remained as not to haue learned by hearesay not heard by hearesay as you translate that the trueth of the bodie and bloud of Christ amōg the sacramēts of our commō faith is not kept backe euen of the tōgues of infants It seemeth you had this out of some mans notebooke by hearesay not by your proper and diligent reading of the Authour hmiselfe and my reasons why I thinke so be these because you mistake so much and translate so vntrue Yet will not I take exceptions to euerie particular fault 1 First you say it is in the twentieth Epistle it is not so but in the th●●● and twentieth and therefore I thinke you neuer read the Author 2 Secondlie you say heard by hearesay the Author saith Learned by hearesay 3 Thirdly you translate linguis for mouths it should be tongues Yet if the re●● had been true I would not haue excepted against this 4 Fourthlie you chaunge a Nowne into an Aduerb vere for veritas trulie for trueth and transpose it also out of that proper place to alter the sence of Leo the Bishop of Rome which is great wrong to the dead Author and liuing Reader 5 Fif●he
the Apostles tymes hath eschued Marriage in the Clergie and followed Coelibat Ver. 35. 1. Cor. 1. Ver. 33. S August lib. 5. cap. 26. cōtra Donatistas or Continencie that according to S. Paul Facultatem prabeat sine impedimento Dominum obseruandi It might inable them without impediment to serue our Lord. For he that is marryed is carefull of the things which are of the world how he may please his wyfe and he is diuided Thirdly sayth S. Augustin and it is a godly and goulden saying De eo quod tota per orbem frequentat ecclesia disputare an ita faciendum sit insolentissimae insaniae est To dispute of that which the whole Church doth obserue whether it should be obserued or not Conc. 2. Carthag can 2. An. 396. fuit probatum 2 Leone 4. d. c. de libellis is most insolent madnes Fourthly that it proceeded from the Apostles tymes of innumerable proofs extant to that effect I will only tendar these few 1. Out of the 2. Concil of Carthage Placet vt Episcopi Presbyteri Diaconi vel qui Sacramenta contrectant pudicitiae custodes etiam ab vxoribus se abstineant Vt quod Apostoli docuerunt ipsa seruauit antiquitas nos quoque custodiamus It pleaseth that Bishops Preests and Deacons or they who administer the Sacraments euen from their wiues should abstayne and keepe integritie That what the Apostles taught and antiquitie obserued we also should continue In which woords all that we sayd of the being of Coelibat the Apostles doctrin and practised in the Church and commanded to posteritie is contayned Conc. Neocaesar Anno 312. probatū à Leone 4. d. 20. 2. Conc Neocaesar Presbyter si vxorem duxerit ordine suo moueatur Yf a Preest marry a wife let him be deposed from his ordre This Concil was more ancient then the former and testifyeth how heynous a punishment it had bene that a Preest should marry 3. Concil Concil Elibertinum Anno 325. Elibertinum in Hispania Placuit in totum prohibere Episcopis Presbyteris Diaconis ac Subdiaconis abstinere se à coniugibus non generare filios It pleaseth altogether to forbidd Bishops Preests Deacons and Subdeacons to abstayne from wiues Conc. Aquisgran an 816. cap. 6. Maguntin an 888. cap. 10. Wormatiense anno 868. cap. 9. S. Clem. can 27. Apostolorum S. Calixtus 1. apud Gratian. d. 27. c. Presbyteri Siricius ep ad Himericum Vide Bellarm. Baron Valentiam De caelibatu S. August de baptismo con Donatistas lib. 2. c. 7. 23. epist 118. and not to ingender Children This concil was in the West the other two in the East and Southe yet concurrng in one doctrin And for the North the Concils of Aquisgran of Worms and Mayence in Germanie not only followed the same doctrin but also the same woords And these concils being partly before Siricius and cettayne of them also before the Concil of Nice in vayne doth Flessis VVillet and such others drawe the original of Coelibat from Siricius and the sayd Concil For S. Clement in the canons of the Apostles Calixtus the first Siricius c. being neere the tyme of the Apostles them selues do certifie yf that might serue our veneral ministers distrust the antiquitie therof long before Therfor by the rule of S. Augustin Quae non inueniuntur in literis Apostolorum neque in Concilijs posteriorum per vniuersam custodiuntur Ecclesiam non nisi ab ipsis tradita commendata creduntur VVhat are not found in the epistles of Apostles nor Concils of their successours yet are kept through the vniuersal Church are beleeued not to haue bene deliuered and commended but by them By this rule I say Coelibat finding still one more ancient then another testifying the obligation therof can be no other then an Apostolical tradition Fiftly omitting all other proofs of Fathers who by life and writings were conformable to such will of the Apostles as among the whole troope how much euery one was more singular otherwyse so was he also in chast lyfe as appeareth by induction I wil be now contented with S. Epiphanius and S. Hieroms only suffrages S. Epiphan ad finem operiscontra haereses Item her 59. Epiphanius Sanctum Sacerdotium ex virginibas vt plurimum aut ex solitarijs aut si hi ad ministerium non suffecerint de his qui se à proprijs vxoribus continent et si quis ab initio continens viduus fuerit habere potest locum Episcopi Presbyteri Diaconi Hypodiaconi Holy preesthood for the most part is of Virgins or solitarie persons or yf these be not sufficient toward the charge of them who liue continent from their propre wyues and yf any from the begyning had bene a continent widdow he may haue place of a Bishop Preest Deacon Subdeacon Hieronimus Quid facient Orientis Ecclesiae quid Aegipti sedis Apostolicae quae aut virgines clericos accipiunt aut continentes aut si vxores habuerint mariti esse desistunt VVhat shall the Churches of the East doe S. Hieron circa initium libri contra Vigilantium Idem in fiue Apologiae contra Iouinianum what of Aegypt and the seat Apostolical which ether receaue Virgins into the Clergie or Continent or yf they had wiues they leaue to be husbands Long befor sayd Origen hom 23. in lib. Num. Illus solius offerre sacrificium indesinens qui perpetuae se deuouet castitati It is his parte alone to offre the continual Sacrifice who hath deuoted him selfe to continual or perpetual chastitie Nay the pagan and most lasciuous Poet could say discedat ab aris Tibulus 2.1 queis tulit histerna gaudia nate venus Casta placent superis By these testimonies dearly beloued Reader vnlesse thou be peruerse vnsatiable thou hast that Celibat being cōmanded by the Church is therby also commanded by God him selfe that the Apostles taught it to be obserued that Concils of East West South and North concurred in the obseruation therof that the disciples of the Apostles testifie the necessitie therof that other vnspitious assurance auerre the same Thou perceauest also that the obiections against it are as light in them selues as they and their liues are light from whom they come who being licentious and fleashly Libertins do only seeke for cloaks to their shame Women as of Samson Dauid Salomon and the Children of Israel so peculiarly of the forsayd mates were the stone of offense or scandal and of Apostasie according to the saying of Gods woord Ecclesiastici 19.2 Vinum mulieres apostare faciunt sapientes VVyne and women do make wyse men in their owne Conceits to fall from beleefe Besyd all which thou hast lately out of Luther before that he would haue taught celibat Vide num 130. but to be opposit to the Pope and yf the Pope had allowed it he would mantayne whoordome to be more lawfull 4. Article
maiore religione ad periurium quam ad mendacium perduci consueuit He that belyeth his conscience consenteth as lightly to periurie I had rather thinke them greaued by wanting such pretext to impouerish you then more confident of your loialtie after receauing your oath Who then shall separat vs from the charitie of Christ tribulation Rom. 8.35 or distresse or famin or nakednes or danger or persecution or the sword A litle after is a speech rather beseeming a celestial spirit then a mortal weakeling and such as wherby euery mynde of any Christian generositie should learne what to thinke and doe in Christs quarell I am suer that nether death nor lyfe nor angels 38. nor principalities nor powers nether things present nor things to come 39. nether might nor height nor depth nor other creature shal be able to seperat vs from the charite of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. These are the thoughts and woords beseeming as I sayd all worthie champions of Christ Which not only by men of strong resolution but also by women and children were most constantly fullfilled when Barbara Agatha Agnes Cecilia Catharina Lucia Dorothea Apollonia Margarita Christina and innumerable other virgins for the most parte of eminent degree and when Vitus and Mammes of seuen and Flocellus of ten yeares owld and such others dispised the terror of rageing lions the stings of serpents and teeth of tigres when they the scorned the stripes of riueted scourges the tearing of burning rakes and hookes when they contemned the burning fornaces the boiling lead the drownings precipitations butcherings quarterings of mans whole malice And should not we then thinke very abiectly of our selues yf in Gods cause any losse of temporal goods any affronts any suspitions any oppressions may moue vs to repine Therfor that which might seeme to you most heynous that being putt to death or torments they do taint you with the odiouse name of treasons and not with the title of martyr S. Ambros in Ps 118. s●r 21. that impaireth nothing your merit Gratis igitur persecutionem patitur qui impugnatur sine crimine impugnatur vt noxius cum sit in tali confessione laudabilis impugnatur quasi veneficus qui in nomine Dei gloriatur For in vaine sayth S. Ambros is he persecuted who is impugned without offense is he afflicted as a malefactor wheras he is laudable in that trial is he tormented as an inchanter who glorifieth in the name of God the name not making nor marring the martyr but the cause Yf then you aspire to their crowne who befor are commended to your imitation S. Aug. ser 47. de sanctis I say with S. Augustin Imitari non pigeat quos celebrare delectat let it not greeue yow to imitat whom in mynd you do consecrat Thinke happie to be the effusion of your teares and bloud wheras theternal fiar of hell is therby extinguished and wheras the robes of your sowles are therby blanched According to which is sayd in the Apocalips Apoc. 7.14 These are they that are come owt of great tribulation and haue washed their robes and haue made then whyte in the bloud of the lamb Thinke that in the fornace of aduersitie for godlines yf you were earth you are streinthned yf you were yron you are vnrusted and yf you were gowld yow are purifyed ●say 58.2 Lastly yf you be they of whom the Prophet sayth They day by day do seeke me and they would knowe my wayes as a people that hath done Iustice and hath not forsaken the iudgments of their God thinke whether you do not wrong to God that withowt amendment of your faults you would haue the freedome of innocents Psal 38.12 Hast 14. 6. Are you ignorant that for iniquitie God hath chastised Man and that therfor we are deliuered vp into the hands of our enemies because we haue offended in his sight Tobias then resolueth you Tob. 3. 4. because we haue not obeyed thy preceps therfor we are ahandoned to the spoile to captiuitie to death to a speach and to a reproach in all nations So doth Achior in informing Holofernes As oft as besyd their owne God they worshipped any other God Iudith 5. 18. they haue bene forlorne to a praye to the sword and to reproach So lastly doth Baruch VVhat is it Israel that thow art in the land of thy enemies Baruch 3. 10. 11. 1● that thow becomest ancient in a strange land that thou art polluted with the dead that thou art reputed with them that discend into hell Thou hast forsaken the fontaine of wysdome For yf thou hadst walked in the way of God thou hadst without dowbt dwelled in peace vpon the land So that yf you would know the wayes of God you must do iustice and not forsake his iudgments Yf you lament to be a spoile c. obey his precepts worshipp God alone and walke in his wayes and as the psalmist sayth apprehend discipline least God be angrie and that you perish from the iust way Psal 2.12 Which because you seeme more willingly to fullfill of late then formerly as appeareth by your godly resolutions mentioned in your leters and by your constant standing for trueth you may I warrant you auayleably exclame in the woords of Dauid Synners haue vnsheathed their swoord they haue bent their bow that they might beguile the poore and needie and vpon Psalm 36.14 these woords receaue from aboue answer the enemies of our lord suddenly as they shal be honored and exalted fading they shall vanish away as smooke that is 20. as another Prophet expowndeth they shal be as yf they were not and the men shall perish that contradict the. Not that it is alwayes intēded they should perish in persō which we neuer ought absolutly to desyer but only in profession And not only because of your amendment may we presume of such diuine bountie but also least they should sayth God become prowd and say Our high hand and not the lord hath done all these things Deut. 22.27 By which their becoming insolent the spirit of God instructeth is in the person of Dauid to implore of God to auert his wrath and their opposition saying Do not ô lord abandon me from my desier to the synner They haue consulted against me forsake me not least by chance they be exalted Psalm 137.9 Finaly wheras you fynde them selues to professe their shame that they haue departed frō the mother Church of Rome as they tearme it in thes publick and plaine woords D. Couel in exam p. 185. we are sorie that their weaknes he speaketh against Puritans taketh offense at that which we bowld as an honor and vertue in the Church of England namely that we haue sparingly and as it were vnwillingly dissented from the Church of Rome c. In all ioye of mynde for a soueraigne consolation not with standing all extremities specified you may applaud to your selues that you abstained to depart at all from that Church which as Christ assureth nether in more nor lesse shal be euer ouercome ether by one error or many or by any other power of hell gates or which is all one which neuer is to haue spott or wrinkle how litle soeuer and is in nothing to fayle but to confirme all others it being assured that had you offended in one you had bene made guiltie of all ●ac 2. 10. although such one dissention from that Church had bene neuer so sparingly or vnwillingly followed And vpon this confession I say first to Doctor Couel it is in dede neere to honor and vertue sparingly and vnwillingly to dissent frō that Church but a true honor and vertue had it bene not to dissent at all And as by dissenting in one point the selfe same guiltines is incurred as by dissenting in all so there remayneth noe other maner to be free from all guiltines but to consent againe with that same Church in all Christ made it not a piller of trueth without being altogether sownd and free from euery crack He made not that Church his spowse withowt exempting it from euery spott and wrinkle He builded not that howse vpon a rock not to be permanēt in some but in all trials of sease wynds and rayne He assured it not against the infernal gates but that noe error or force or fraud of hell Iac. 2. 10. could preuaile ether first or last against it Therfor a primo ad vltimum he that offēdeth in one toward it is made guiltie of all because it is altogether priuileged from defect Secondly I say to you Puritans Bel. in the dovvnfall of poperie pag. 134. that in the depth of all error and follie you exagitat the rytes and traditions of this Church For wheras you cōfesse as to denie it had bene profoūd impudēcie that you know not your bible to be the word of God but because you receaue it for such by a tradition of Papists for frō whom els could you haue receaued it you being as you affirme but in the infancie of your gospell I require thervpon whether you hould such authoritie or certificatiō in auowing the sayd bible to be infallible or noe What soeuer you answer you remayne ingaged For yf it be infallible in that point such infallibilitie must come from the former promises of Christ which being general do assure infallibilitie in all other points as well as in that And then cursed you for departing from that infallible fundation Yf you affirme that such allowance or traditiō is fallible then haue you noe infallible certaintie whether your Bible be authentical or noe The Survey vvith 177. queres as inioying it only from authoritie in your opinion but fallible Answer me only this one quere which is your owne new fangled tearme for a demand and I protest befor God and his angels and the world that I will consent with you The God of mercie and trueth be with vs all Amen 26. Sept. 1607. Yours to command in Christ HENRY FITZSIMON