securitie to those that séeke the destruction of her people and the aduancement of strangers nor to defend them by law that oppugne her lawes and woulde bring in Spanish and Italian lawes Her Maiesties chéefe officers and the nobilitie haue no reason to beare with them that séeke by alteration of state to depriue them of their honors and to dispose of their landes and substance at their pleasure Nor to suffer themselues to be disgraced and commanded by strangers that were woont to command others All those that loue true religion haue no reason to suffer such to liue without controlment that woulde ouerthrow religion and erect a false worship and grosse idolatrie and that also by all fraud and violence All true English men are to oppose themselues against such as séeke to bring in strangers to set a fire in the midst of their countrey to destroy their wiues children friendes country-men and most déere countrey The reuerend Iudges and learned lawyers haue no reason to beare with such as séeke the subuersion of lawes and iustice putting armes in the handes of strangers and malcontents to rule all by violence and according to the popes and Spaniardes pleasure Nay the papists that haue any thing albeit they desire an alteration of religion yet haue no reason to worke their feates by violence They may sée by Ireland that warres bring with them most lamentable calamities to both parties and that many that thought to winne by the false shuffling of cardes haue lost both the wager and their liuing and liues also Finally treason is a most execrable and odious thing and therefore for this most gréeuous offence the law hath ordeined extraordinary punishments In hoc atrocistimo delicto saith a Sentent lib. 5. §. laesae maiest Iulius Clarus lex non nulla specialia introduxit And all true patriotes ought to haue the same in excéeding detestation No enimie is more dangerous then a traytor Omnium communis est hostis saith b Lib. 1. accusat in Verrem Tully qui hostis est suorum To hate traitors saith c In Prometheo in fine Aeschylus I haue learned neither is any villanie more hatefull to me then treason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So much more dangerous saith d Rerum Gracar lib. 2. Xenophon is treason by how much it is more difficult to take heed of traitors then enemies With our enemies we may be reconciled but traitors are neuer to be trusted Nay by lawes and all lawfull means they are to be discouered punished and auoyded séeing they séeke to bring this land into subiection of the pope and Spaniard to ouerthrow the lawes to destroy her Maiestie and her people and to make this land a spectacle to all the world of extreme miseries Neither do I thinke that the papists will denie this to be true or that Parsons the common proctour for traitors dare auouch the contrarie Nay cardinall Allen in his Treatise against the iustice of England in executing of certaine priests their consorts doth dissemble his clients treasons coloureth their practises as much as he can And N.D. sticketh not to auow that papists are good subiects And I doubt not but all papists will denie themselues to be either idolaters or heretikes or enemies to her Maiestie or their countrie or that they haue committed treason or transgressed any ancient law made against treason I know also that they will plead that they haue not attempted against her Maiesties life or the state or sought to stirre rebellion or bring in strangers or to do any thing but that which belongeth to a good conscience either in priestly function or otherwise In sum they sticke not to affirme that they are apostolicall men and seeke onely by teaching and saying of masses to win mens soules and not to meddel with state matters Let vs therefore particularly consider whether all that hath béene spoken in generall may not properly be charged vpon the popes agents and adherents that either haue béene executed as traitors or els wander vp and downe disguised as false teachers I say it may and that therfore they are guilty of those crimes that I haue named and haue diuersly transgressed all those lawes which haue béene mentioned and deserue to be reputed as wicked enemies of religion and disloyall traytors to their prince and countrie That they are idolaters it is too too apparant For idolatrie is nothing but false worship that attributeth that which is due to God to creatures as a 2. 2. q. 93. Thomas Aquinas and other schoolemen confesse And it cannot be denied to be true For séeing idolatrie is contrarie to Gods true worship that worship must néeds be idolatry that ascribeth Gods honour to creatures contrarie to the first second commandement But all papists giue the worship of God to creatures turning their prayers and spirituall sacrifices to our Lady to angels saints and mortall creatures They haue also masses made not only in honour of angels but in honour of Dominicke Francis and other pety saints of late standing They burne incense kisse and fall downe before saints idols They giue that which they call Latriam and which is confessed of all hands to be a kind of worship due to God only to the crosse and to the images of Christ and of the Trinitie Cùm Christus saith b Part. 3. q. 25. art 3. Thomas Aquinas adoretur adoratione latriae consequens est quòd eius imago sit adoratione latriae adoranda Their owne conscience also testifieth against them that they are idolaters which maketh them to suppresse the second commandement against grauen images in all their Summes of diuinitie positiue to say little or nothing against idolatrie It may be proued also by the proprietie of the word Idolum that is nothing els but parua imago or a diminutiue of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and also by the word simulachrum For séeing they worship images simulachra which is forbidden as idolatry they must néeds be idolaters And so the Gréeke Church taketh them which albeit it reteineth painted images yet it condemneth the worship of grauen images or sculptilia Secondly that popish priests and friers are false prophets false teachers and damnable heretiks I haue demonstrated by authority of the ancient Church that condemned long since diuers of their doctrines for heresies a Suprà c. 3. It is proued also by diuers nouelties which they hold contrarie to the form of words and doctrine deliuered by Christs apostles of which I haue brought diuers particulars in the second chapter of this Treatise It appeareth also by Bellarmines and his fellowes disputations wherein they teach diuers pointes contrarie to scriptures and not long since heard of in the catholike church as is iustified by the writings of our teachers against them the same may also be verified by their counterfeit traditions and lying legends of which the first they make equall to scriptures the second
they beléeue as deliuered by the Romish church Yet are their traditions most false their legends most fabulous If frier Parsons will maintaine the contrary let him prooue to vs the ceremonies and parts of the masse to haue come from Christ Iesus that the legends of Dominike and Francis are true That b Legenda de Catharina di Siena Italic Catharine of Siena had her face transformed like to Christes face and that she was lifted vp into the aire and maried to Christ that Saint Francis was likewise made conformable to Christ and had his fiue woundes printed in his bodie and that all those miracles reported in the legendes are true Likewise hée must prooue that all the shamelesse writings which the popes and their agents haue published of late time are true or else all the world will condemne them for false teachers and wicked heretikes Thirdly their whole course of life and all their actions haue sufficiently declared them to be a faction opposite both to true religion now professed in England and also to her Maiestie and the estate And that they are opposite to our religion themselues professe albeit they deny it true which notwithstanding in diuers treatises wée haue iustified and shall alwaies bée ready to iustifie the same both in publike disputation and writing as oft as occasion shall serue The rest wée shall now declare I haue héeretofore brought proofes that the papists opposed themselues to her Maiestie both since and before her entrance into the kingdome This moreouer you shall vnderstand of Sanders or Rishton or both men hired to speake villany of their prince coūtry Saepe conata est Maria say c Sanders de schism lib. 3. they illam nempe Elizabetham ab omni successionis sorte c. excludere And no doubt whatsoeuer Quéene Maries meaning was it is certaine the popish faction had that intention And when it pleased God to frustrate their purposes and intentions yet woulde they not yeelde her any hartie obedience The popish prelates refused to consecrate her and hardly coulde one bée got amongst many to accomplish that ceremonie but rather they incited the French king Henry the second to proclaime Marie Quéene of Scots Quéene An impudent companion a L. Innocence de la Roine d'escoss doth I confesse impudently denie it But Sanders his owne consort doth conuince him of lying Mortua Maria b Lib. 3. de schism saith hée Henricus Galliarum rex c. nurum suam Scotorum reginam Henrici octaui proneptim Parisijs pro concione Angliae Hiberniae Reginam declarandam curauit Neither did this claime cease vntill the French by force being cōstrained to depart Scotland in the capitulation betwixt them and vs at Léeth it was agréed that the Scottish Quéene shoulde no more entitle herselfe Quéene of England nor beare the armes of England That this trouble was procured by papists it is no question They also c Ibidem determined to excommunicate the Quéene and when that séemed daungerous they complained to the pope and stirred vp forreine princes against the Quéene and state all which bée pointes of high treason for which if they had béene called in question law woulde haue adiudged them traytors That they were not so cléere as is pretended it appéereth for that their conscience accusing them some fledde beyond the seas others began to plot a rebellion which afterwarde broke out anno 1569. And to make the side the stronger Thomas Harding about the yéere 1567 was sent with faculties into England to reconcile the people to the pope and to draw them from the prince Not long after pope Pius the fift at the solicitation of diuers of them published his excommunication against her Maiestie depriuing her of her kingdome assoiling her subiectes from their obedience and by the meanes of Nicholas Morton a factious priest causing the earles of Northumberland and Westmerland and diuers other papists to take armes against her Being ouerthrowne in that rebellion and considering that all was for want of number and force they erect one Seminarie at Doway ann 1569. and another at Rome ann 1579. which by the yéere 1584. did f Sanders de schism lib. 3. sende some 300. priestes into England anno 1579. they sent Sanders and diuers priestes into Ireland where finding the people readie they presently enflamed a rebellion the which though suppressed for a time yet by the perswasions of Archer and other Iesuites and Owen Mac Teag and other seditious priests hath since flamed very bright brought all that countrey into trouble combustion Anno 1580. Parsons and Campian and their consorts came into England with large authoritie to make way for the execution of the popes bull Of which company Campian refused directly to acknowledge her Maiestie to bée his lawfull Quéene and woulde not disallow the trecherous writings of Sanders and Bristow as appéereth vnder his owne hande writing The rest applied their businesse in working discontentment in the common sort and setting on Somerfield Parry and diuers others to kill the Quéene Ballard a seditious priest was set on to drawe Babington Tichborne and their consorts to attempt that which other coulde not performe And that hath béene the continuall labour of Parsons Holt Creswell Walpoole Worthington Gifford and other Iebusites and priests Anno 1588. they brought vpon their countrey the Spanish nauy Neither haue they ceased at any time either to attempt against her Maiesties life or by rebellion or warres to oppugne the state But it cannot bée denied but such attempts by all lawes are treason And if they say they were neither priuy nor consenting vnto them they declare themselues to bée verie shamelesse For it is notorious to the world that Nicholas Morton Woodhouse and Plumtree and diuers other priestes were actors in the Northren rebellion So likewise Sanders diuers other priests were actors in the Irish rebellions Cardinall Allen diuers English priests came in person with the Spanish forces intended against their countrey Parsons and diuers other his consorts were also ready to come with the Spanish forces anno 1588. and to loose no time while matters were in preparing he holpe to make and print a trecherous and damnable libell against the Quéene and state Ballard was the principall in Babingtons conspiracie Againe those that were not actors either in the execution of the popes bull or in the rebellions and conspiracies dressed by their consorts in England and Ireland did notwithstanding allow them None of them dare open their mouthes once to mislike pope Pius his bull that vtterly disableth her Maiestie and depriueth her of her crowne They all do well like of Morton Sanders Allen Bristow and such like trumpets of sedition and allowe their writings and that to go no further appéereth by the seditious Ward-word Nay albeit diuers of thē might haue had fauor if they woulde haue condemned them and their writings yet coulde they not be induced thereunto as appéereth
sound neither haue they omitted any one tricke of falsification that any falsarie could deuise which they haue not practised First falshood is committed in writings Neither is it materiall whether they be publike or priuate whether testamentarie or belonging to any other contract And as well is forgerie committed by concealing a true writing as by forging or vsing false writings Falsum committitur saith y De crimine falsi Hostiensis aliquando cum scriptura siue scribat quis falsum siue deleat verum vt res id est rei veritas non appareat Nec discrepat vtrum fit testamentum instrumentumue publicum vel priuatum c. Secondly it is committed by vsing and producing of false instruments and writings Vtens falso instrumento dicitur falsum committere l. maiorem Cod. de falsis Especially if they be vsed wittingly Barbat lib. 3. consil 54. Numer 16. seq Thirdly that z Gloss in l. ex cautione ff de pactis notarie that shall in a true instrument write any materiall point false or in a testament set downe a legacy to his owne aduantage is taken adiudged a falsarie l. 1. § fin ad l. Corn. de falsis Et l. senatusconsulto Cod. de his qui sibi ascrib Fourthly falshood is committed either by witnesses deposing falsely l. 1. ff de falsis c. 1. de crim falsi or else by suborning or producing false witnesses or vsing the depositions of false witnesses as is the common opinion of lawyers in l. 1. de falsis c. 1. de crim falsi Fiftly it may be committed in deliuering counterfect money or counterfect measure or in supposing or fathering children vpon parents to whom they belong not or in professing himselfe to be a souldiour or a clerke that is not and by diuers other meanes as the Doctors teach in gloss in c. in memoriam dist 19. in c. vera iustitia dist 41. and in other places All which falshoodes and forging deuises our aduersaries do most cunningly and frequently practise They conceale the Scriptures from Gods people and hide from vs the originalles of Origen Basil Chrysostome and other Greeke fathers They make their traditions equall to the written word of God and take away the cup from the communicants which is a seale of Gods eternall testament defacing and corrupting both the diuine Scriptures with Apocryphall writings wicked interpretations peruerse translations and diuers other deuises of thâ—ir forging wits and as much as in them lyeth falsifying the seales of Gods promises In the name of Basil Amphilochius Abdias Clement and diuers fathers they haue forged diuers false treatises and albeit we continually call vpon them to leaue these conterfect writings yet cease they not to vse them By forged donations published vnder the name of Emperours and Princes and by diuers decretall epistles falsely ascribed to the ancient bishops of Rome they chalenge to themselues large kingdomes and an vniuersall authoritie ouer the world Not onely themselues speake and write most shamefull vntruthes and that both in matters of faith and policie but also they vse the counterfect writings of others set out vnder the names of their predecessors as their whole disputes with vs do witnesse They doe also deliuer to vs counterfect doctrine of another stamp and alley then that of the apostles and ancient fathers and a false rule of faith adding their traditions and the popes determinations to the true rule and conioyning them to the canonicall Scriptures of which vnruly rule antiquitie neuer had notice Neither are they ashamed to father their owne bastards and bastardly deuises vpon Origen Cyprian Athanasius Ambrose Hierome Chrysostome Augustine Gregorie and other ancient holy men who if they were aliue would wonder how these misbegotten deuises came to be ascribed to them and would vtterly renounce them In their relations narrations histories and testifications published of late time they neither vse religion nor truth nor common honestie Caesar Baronius doth smoothly tell infinite lyes and fables Staphilus Cochleus Lindanus Surius Genebrard Bolsecus and such like lying mates care not what lyes or false tales they write so they may publish any thing that may redound to the sclander of the professors of the truth The like shamelesse course hath Sanders Rishton Ribadineira Parsons Allen and other traytors and enimies of this state taken to disgrace her maiestie and her noble progenitors and all that stand well affected to religion and their countrey Parsons hath set out false titles to peruert the right of succession to the crowne in his damnable discourse of titles Such witnesses as these the popes of Rome and their adherents haue both suborned and hired to speake all manner of sclandrous vntruthes against honest men And these are the witnesses which our aduersaries ordinarily produce and whose false depositions they vse supplying the rest with false and lying fables set out by themselues Are not they then notorious falsaries Finally our aduersaries take on them to be bishops and priestes and euerie begging and base fryer is bold to vsurpe pastorall function Nay the popes of Rome vsurpe not onely the authoritie of bishops hauing nothing but the bare name of bishops but also the authoritie and prerogatiues of Christ Iesus falsely appropriating that to themselues that is onely due to Christ Iesus The popes of Rome therefore and their agents consorts and adherents are notorious falsificators and haue surpassed all the world in fraud forgerie and falshood and that shall Parsons the relator or rather delator and false accuser of his brethren well perceiue if he dare encounter these obiections As for his obiections either against the Lord of Plessis or against the reuerend fathers bishop Iewell Peter Martyr master Foxe master Fulke they are most vaine and friuolous and the falsifications imputed vnto them most falsely charged vpon them as first shall be shewed in the first which is the principall subiect of our aduersaries relation and consequently as occasion serueth in the rest Chap. II. That the Lord of Plessis hath beene most vniustly charged with false allegations in his booke published against the Masse I Am not ignorant that the Lord of Plessis hath not onely acquited himselfe of the calumnious imputations of his aduersaries but also hath beene sufficiently iustified against al their obiections by other learned men in discourses published both in French and English Neither néedeth he any further defence of mine Yet séeing this relator would néedes be scribling into England such vaine obiections as haue béene already answered I thought it not amisse to aduertise thée briefly what hath passed in this cause of which either our relator is ignorant or els dissembleth after his Machiauelian fashion The first place which Peron his aduersary in the conference at Fontainbleau pretended to be falsified by the Lord of Plesâ—is in his treatise against the masse was drawne out of Scotus and therefore was he charged with falshood for that he saith that Scotus durst call
quod causa dispositiua schismatis Graecorum inter alias vna fuit propter grauamina Romanae ecclesiae in exactionibus excommunicationibus statutis saith Peter de Alliaco who doth shew many particulars of these gréeuances The Princes of Germany in a certaine diet at Nuremberg e 100. grauan Germ. in Fascic rer expet fugiend did complaine that the popes did offer thē A hundred greeuances and wrongs not sufferable which they declared by the particulars And yet none of those concerned corruptions of doctrine By her Maiestie we became frée from all the popes pillages exactions from the iniustice of his censures from the bondage of his decretals farre more gréeuous then the ceremoniall lawes of Moses whose yoke notwithstanding as the a Act. 15. apostle testifieth was so heauy that neither the people then nor their fathers were able to beare it Secondly where in Quéene Maries time the people had the Scriptures taken from them in their mother toong and liued in great ignorance of matters of saluation as seldome being instructed in matters of religion not onely the word of God began againe to be publikely read in Churches but also more sincerely expounded then before neither were any excluded from the knowledge of the same Thirdly the true administration of Christs Sacraments which by the abominable masse had beene abolished was restored and Gods people made partakers both of the Sacrament of his body and of the cup also and withall the true doctrine of Sacraments was publikely deliuered vnto the people of God Fourthly Gods true worship was againe restored according to his most holy worde and the practise of the Catholike church of Christ which before that had beene most shamefully corrupted with popish traditions and humane inuentions Fiftly the rodde of the oppressor by her peaceable gouernment was broken and the fires quenched that had burned so many innocents and true martyrs and the tortures remooued wherewith many honest men had beene greeuously afflicted and peace was giuen to the church so that all true Christians might without feare make profession of their faith and publikely meete to celebrate the name of God Those that were exiled returned and such true Christians as kept themselues secret did manifestly shew themselues Finally shée did not onely restore true religion and the right administration of Sacraments and Gods true worship but also abolished the manifold heresies and corruptions of popish doctrine Shee shut the mouthes of priests and friers preachers not of peace nor sent from God but sent by the pope and his adherents to maintaine heresie and faction whose preaching notwithstanding as saith Stapleton c In praefat ante relict princip doctrin Is the foundation of b Viz. according to the pope◠definition Christian religion Is it not a braue religion thinke you that is built vpon impious popes frier fraparts and massing priests mouthes Quomodo Christus saith hee ciúsque doctrina Christianae religionis fundamentum est sic alij nunc à Christo missi eorúmque doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me locum habebunt And a Ibidem againe In hac docentis hominis authoritate in qua Deum loquentem audimus religionis nostrae cognoscendae fundamentum necessariò poni cernimus Note I pray you how he saith most blasphemously that God speaketh by the popes mouth and by the mouthes of such friers and priests as he sendeth for of them he speaketh and how vpon their preaching he buildeth his Romish religion Well this abusiue foundation is nowe discouered and we are taught to builde not on pope nor on friers nor on legends nor lies nor vncertaine traditions but vpon the word of God Now also by her Maiesties authoritie the most blasphemous and idolatrous sacrifice and seruice of the masse and the priests of Baal with their Balaamiticall friers are remooued out of the church The same is also purged of idols and idolatrie and men from worshipping of stockes and stones and rotten ragges and bones and from adoration of angels and men departed this life are brought to worship the true and euerliuing God Finally where héeretofore men were taught to séeke remission of sinnes by masses indulgences iubileies holy water and other humane deuises and beléeued that if they had not remission héere they shoulde at the least finde it in purgatorie nowe these abuses were quite remooued and men taught that Christ Iesus without these ceremonies was the onely way to heauen and that Christians obteined remission of sinnes by faith in him and that no workes pleased God but such as he commanded This then is the first and principall blessing which by her Maiesties most happie gouernment this land enioieth a blessing I saie farre excelling all others as farre as spirituall and eternall happinesse excelleth temporall commodities And yet as appéereth by the confession of strangers that woondred at the happinesse and tranquillitie of this state in the troubles and turmoiles of all our neighbors round about vs God hath accumulated vpon this people of England by the meanes of her gouernment diuers temporall blessings also Wée are therefore secondly to consider what temporall graces we haue obteined by meanes of her happy attaining to the crowne and by her gouernment albeit I make no doubt but that all these latter graces do flow from the first as from a fountaine For God saith a 1. Sam. 2. expresly That he will honor those that honour him and experience teacheth vs that God blesseth those nations which giue harbor to his church and with a true hart receiue his worde and serue him duly according to the same First then we may remember that by her meanes we were deliuered from the thraldome of the Spaniard and the feare of forraine lords into which dangerous state Quéene Marie with her poperie had brought this lande Now how great a blessing this is we may easily vnderstand if we do but looke either into the miserable bondage of our neighbours of the low Countries or else of the Spaniards themselues And better then these we coulde not hope for but many reasons might mooue vs to feare woorse of which we shall haue occasion to speake héereafter In the low Countries during the time of Charles the fift it is b Hist Belgi◠Meterani lib. 2. reported and prooued by record That aboue fiftie thousand were done to death about the cause of religion onely and yet then neither was there any inquisition established nor did the Spaniard command so absolutely as sithence he hath Since that time all the priuileges of the countrey haue béene broken and such intollerable wrongs offered and impositions and taxes laide vpon them that the most aboundant countrey in Europe is now consumed and brought to nothing In Spaine the people liueth in excéeding feare of the Inquisition and paieth the tenth of all things bought and sold in the market and beside that diuers customes and whatsoeuer burthens or impositions else the Princes can with any
among themselues Nay the contention betwéene Caluin and Luther is not so great but that popish doctors haue greater As for our selues all of vs professe the doctrine of Christ Iesus according to that rule that was established by common consent of the church of England from which if any digresse he is no more to be accounted of our societie then the papists that are of the popes retinue Lastly where he calleth our religion Parliament religion hée speaketh like himselfe that is falsely and slanderously For albeit the same be receiued by authoritie of the prince and state yet is it Christs religion and not the princes The a Lâ—unctos Cod. de summ Trin. sid Cath. emperors Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius decréed That all people of their gouernment should hold the doctrine of Peter the apostle taught by Damasus bishop of Rome and Peter bishop of Alexandria and that they should beleeue one God three persons and yet I hope this Noddie will not call the faith of the Trinitie An imperiall faith And thus much in answere of his obiection of parliameÌ„t faith and of supposed diuisions amongst vs. But if hée had considered how that all the authoritie of their Romish faith as it differeth from ours standeth vpon the authoritie of late popes and of the late conuenticle of Trent and that both the grounds and positions of it are either nouelties or old condemned heresies and was in Quéene Maries times established more by parliament then by authoritie of the apostles and how many and diuers sectes they haue among their monkes and friers and b About the matter of the sacrament of the Lords supper they haue not so few as 200. diuers opinions diuers opinions among their schoolemen and how their late writers dissent both from fathers and schoolemen and among themselues I thinke hée woulde haue spared either to haue obiected vnto vs our dissensions or to haue talked of the authoritie of our religion To discredite the report of spirituall blessings bestowed on vs he a P. 5.6 saith further That before this change we beleeued the catholike faith of Christendome deliuered by the vniuersal church grounded vpon that rocke that cannot faile now beleeue onely either other mens opinioÌ„s or our owne fancies which choice is properly called heresie and héere hée thinketh to haue argued like a great doctor But first as his doctrine is strange so his stile is new and fantasticall For although hée sweate hard in séeking yet shall hee not finde that any one doctor saith That the vniuersall church doth deliuer to euerie priuate man the catholike faith for as schoolemen might teach him Actiones sunt suppositorum and it is not the whole kind but some one or other that doth this or that action Secondly most vntrue it is That either poperie is the catholike faith of Christendome or that the apostles or their catholike successors taught those errors of poperie which wee condemne Thirdly he doth vs wrong where he saith That our doctrine is diuers from the catholike faith of Christendome For whatsoeuer Christ or his apostles taught or is deliuered in the confessions of faith or créedes generally receiued of Christs Catholike church that wée beléeue and receiue refusing no point of catholike doctrine and all priuate fancies opinions heresies whether of popes or other heretikes and false teachers we renounce condemne and anathematize Héereof it followeth that the doctrine and faith of the church of England is most catholike and certaine being grounded vpon the apostles and prophets Christ Iesus being the corner stone which is a firme rocke against which the gates of hell cannot preuaile Grounded it is I say vpon the writings of the apostles and prophets endited by Gods holie spirite and thereunto not onely Councels and fathers but also the aduersaries themselues for the most part giue testimonie But the blinde papists haue deuised and receiued both new grounds of their religion and new doctrine which standeth onely vpon the authoritie of this pope and that pope whose fancie and opinion is all the certeintie they haue This is that rocke or rather banke of sand whereon the miserable papists faith is built For what the pope determineth that they hold to be the determination of the vniuersal church vpon his credite they receiue the scriptures Nay without his determination a Stapletonde author eccles they denie the scriptures to be authenticall b Princip doct lib. 9. c. 12. Stapleton teacheth that the church that is the pope at all times hath power to approue and taxe and consigne the bookes of holy scriptures In another place he c Ibidem lib. 11. c. 4. holdeth that vniuersall tradition is the most certaine interpreter of scriptures Generallie they hold that the pope is supreme iudge in all controuersies of faith and manners and that he is the iudge that cannot erre Hereof that followeth which this noddie obiecteth to vs That the faith of papists is built vpon the popes fancie and opinion which altering from time to time the faith of the Romish church is variable like the moone and vnstable as the sea Trusting to the popes determination from the Angelickes they haue receiued the worship of angels from the Collyridians the worship of the holy virgin Marie from the Carpocratians and Simon Magus and their disciples the worship of images from the Manichées and other heretikes prohibition of meates and dislike of mariage of priests and from other heretikes other damnable opinions So that their faith is not the catholike faith of Christendome but méere heresie grounded vpon the fancie and opinion of most wicked and vnlearned popes But d P. 6. saith this Noddie Why should you beleeue more your owne opinions then Caluin concerning the Queenes supremacie Luther concerning the reall presence and Beza in the church gouernment I answere first that these mens priuate opinions concerne not fundamentall points of faith And therefore that they are not to bée brought foorth for instance in this cause where we talke of the foundations reasons of Christian faith Secondly I deny that Caluin did deny the Quéenes supremacie in ecclesiasticall matters as we hold it For neither did he subiect princes to popes or priests in matter of their royall gouernment nor did hee denie princes power to establish ecclesiasticall lawes nor to command for Gods truth or to prouide for the setting foorth of true religion or redressing of disorders in churches or priests which are the principall points of supreme gouernment of princes in their realmes and dominions Neither do I thinke that any ancient father of the church did euer denie this power to princes Sure I am that many haue allowed it The reason why Caluin did once mislike the title of king Henry the eight was because hée was perswaded that hee had challenged all that power which the pope arrogateth to himselfe as head of the church wherein after that he was better informed he changed his stile and
reasons As in a great and noble house saith he Iarres and breaches falling out betwixt the goodman and the goodwife their eldest children may declare what they thinke with reuerence to both parts so in the church her Maiestie beeing our mother and the pope the spirituall father to all cacolikes Cardinall Allen Sanders Bristow Stapleton and such like as elder children may speake their mindes as well of the causes of the breaches betweene them as of the right of both parties This is the summe of his defence but how vnsufficient you shall easily iudge by the sequele First it standeth on false groundes Secondly it conteineth ridiculous matter Thirdly it maketh against him that made it For first we denie the pope to be any christians spirituall father For hée begetteth none by preaching but destroieth infinite soules by maintaining false doctrine and ruinateth christendome by warres murders and trecherous practises We deny also that Allen Sanders or any such trecherous companion hath any prerogatiue of birthright either in church or common-wealth Nay they haue declared themselues to be traitors and strange children enimies to their prince countrey We say further that no lawfull bishop much lesse the pope that is onely a bishop in name and title hath power to depriue a prince of his state We say finally it is a malepert part for a childe to determine that the father may put awaie his mother and such a one with a little helpe will declare his father a cruell husband his mother a dishonest woman and himselfe a bastardly sonne Secondly it is ridiculous to compare the pope to the goodman and princes to the good wife of the house séeing these two do neuer kéepe house togither and considering that the pope doth in his owne order vtterly condemne lawfull mariage Againe what more fonde then to compare the popes hostile procéedings to iarres that fall out betwixt man and wife in a priuate house Doth the goodman vpon euery iarre damne and curse his wife Doth he seeke to cut her throte as this good fellow doth the Quéenes Lastly how ridiculous is it to compare Allen Sanders Bristow Stapleton and such like to children when they haue declared themselues old knaues ouergrowne in all trecherie and villanie and run out of their natiue countrey Do children runne from their mother and forsake her house to follow a reputed father I knowe not where Is not this the part of bastardes and not of children Thirdly if children ought with reuerence to respect their mother then is this Allen a most vnnaturall sonne that hath with all villanous and reprochfull termes railed against his mother Then are the rinegued priests Iesuites and their consorts murdring parricides that by all meanes haue sought the destruction of their mother nay of the most kinde mother that euer this people of England had Againe if shée be as the good wife and the pope as the good man yet must not he take vpon him to be iudge in his owne cause Nor ought any woman to be dispossessed of her right but by lawfull iudges and orderly procéeding It is a strange kind of diuorce that is made by force of armes But what eyther Parsons the Iesuite talketh of the affection of parents that neuer knew his right father or bastardly traytors talke of the right of princes of which they are ignorant it greatly skilleth not Wherefore seeing nothing is more apparent then that Cardinall Allen conspired with the pope and Spaniardes to worke the destruction of his prince and countrey and came with them anno 1588. ready with fire and sworde to destroie this lande and when hée coulde do no woorse barked out a multitude of hellish slanders against the prince the state and all goodmen among all the traitors and enimies of this countrey he deserueth to be in the first ranke The same accompt also we are to make of N. D. and all his consorts that allow his villanies and treasons And thus much may suffice to answere our aduersaries in wordes The rest I referre to those that carry the sworde which no doubt will prouide as in such time of danger the magistrates of Rome were woont Ne quid resp detrimenti ab istis capiat CHAP. V. Of Iesuites and their disciples and consorts against N. D. his fift encounter THe dispute and controuersie betwixt our aduersarie vs béeing héere about Iesuites their leud and bloudie practises I woulde gladly knowe the reason why he runneth out into so large and ample a discourse of his father the pope in this chapter and the rather for that he hath reserued for him a proper and a peculiar tract and a place of great dignitie in that part that foloweth héereafter Was it not thinke you to let vs vnderstand howe nobly the Iesuites are descended hauing Antichrist for their father and the whoore of Babylon for their mother If this were not the cause then let Parsons the Iesuite the author of the Wardeword I trow and one that for want of a father is constreined to runne to the pope that is now the father of all ribaldes traytors murderers empoisoners and enimies to this state let him I saie shewe me what is the true cause He may do well also to shew vs in what bordell he left the honest woman his mother and to set downe his whole petigrée that hée may cléere himselfe of irregularitie and let his friendes vnderstand his descent and high nobilitie In the meane while let vs sée what he hath to say first for his holy father and next for himselfe and his consorts First he is much offended that the popes doctrine is called Dregs poison and superstition but assuredly without iust cause For who séeth not that the principall ground of poperieis tradition Themselues say that traditions are of equall dignitie to the Scriptures If then it be drawne out of cisterns of traditions and not out of the pure streames of gods word it is no maruell if in these cisterns there be found much dregs corruption Now adde vnto traditions all the popes decretals and scholasticall fancies and subtilties of friers and their followers and then the filth of popish doctrine must néedes séeme much greater Againe séeing they haue drawne into their synagogue many customes whereof some are Iewish other prophane and heathenish they haue no wrong to bee charged with superstition From the Iewes they draw their Leuiticall priesthood the formes of their sacrifice and all the furniture of the masse their paschall lambe their Iubiley and popedome From the heathen they borrow their sacrifices and praiers for the dead their purgatorie the parts thereof their stationarie obambulations about the limits of parishes the canonizing and worship of saints departed their holy water and many such like ceremonies Lastly they haue translated many points of old condemned heresies into their cacolike religion With the Simonians they buy and sell freely not onely benefices and things annexed to spirituall things but also sacraments not
vniuersall church Saint c Lib. 4. de Symbol c. 10. Augustine saith that Euery congregation that is gathered in one corner is a concubine and not the spouse of Christ How then canne the papistes be catholikes that are gathered out of the society of the vniuersall church into the communion of the church of Rome Writing to Vincentius the Donatist he d Epist 48. concludeth that the Donatistes and Rogatians were not the catholike church for that they tooke their names of others then of the christian church Thirdly the faith of catholikes is e Ephes 2. built Vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Iesus Christ beeing the chiefe corner stone And this foundation is no where to be found but in the writings of the apostles and prophets which shew vnto vs the doctrine of Christ Iesus The apostle saint f Rom. 10. Paul doth teach vs That faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God Which we may not séeke in decretales nor legendes but in the most holy scriptures endited by the holy ghost And so the fathers teach vs. g Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 1. Irenaeus doth say that the apostles First preached and afterward deliuered the gospell in Scriptures that they might be a foundation and piller of our faith Per apostolos euangelium peruenit ad nos saith he Quod quidem tunc praeconiauerunt postea verò per Dei voluntatem in scripturis tradiderunt fundamentum columnam fidei nostrae futurum Athanasius in Synopsi doth call The canonicall Scriptures the anchor and staie of our faith Hée woulde not haue any thing spoken or heard of christians in matters of faith and religion beside the holy Scriptures Si diuersa à scripturis fabulari vultis h De incarr â—t verb. saith he cur nobiscum concertatis qui nec loqui nec andire sustineâ—â—s quod extraneum sit ab illis The church saith a Homil. 6. in Matthaeum Chrysâ—stome is Hierusalem whose foundations are placed vpon the mountaines of the Scriptures Hierome calleth the Scriptures the limites or bounds of the catholike church Non est egressa de finâ—l us suis saith b In Mich. â—â— he id est de Scriptuâ—â— fancâ—â— Finallie the c â—rir Aquin. 2. 2 q. 1. art â— papists theÌ„selues confesse that the obiect or grounde of faith is The fâ—â—st truth or God himselfe And we doubt not but that al certaine knowledge of God is to bee found in his written word which therefore is called the rule of our faith But the papists speake euill of scriptures and either will not haue them to be the proper foundation of our faith or sorge to themselues diuers other foundations whereupon they builde their church and their faith in the d In c. 3. epist 2. ad Corinth annotations vpon the Rhemish testament they call them A killing letter as if God had deliuered his will in writing to the end to kill the Readers They write e Annot. Rh. in c. 5. Ioan. also That they are hard to be vnderstood and would bring them in disgrace by f Ibid. in c. 4. Matth. saying That the diuell and heretickes alleadge scriptures Some call them A nose of waxe without any certeine sence as the Iesuites of Collen in their censure others call them Inken diuinity and account them no better then Matter of strife and contention Generally they g Censur Colon f. esteeme the canon of scripture to be a rule vnperfect and a maymed and lame péece of doctrine and condemne the reeding of scriptures As pernitious and hurtfull Stapleton h In praefat ante relect princip doct plainely denieth the scriptures to be the foundation of religion Aliud hodie saith he Christianae religionis fundamentum habemus and afterward Ab ipsis literis euangelicis apostolicis aliud The same man speaking of diuers principles and groundes of Christian religion i In analysi ante râ—lect p incip doct doth leaue the scriptures quite out of the reckoning Others also make small reckoning of scriptures but where they canne by forced interpretations draw them to their purpose and such as deny not the scriptures to be a foundation of religion do notwithstanding adioyne diuers other foundations to the scriptures and build their faith vpon them as well as vpon the Scriptures Vnto the canon of the scriptures of the ould testament consisting of two and twentie books l they adde first the bookes of Tobias Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus k Synod Trideniâ—sâ—ss 4. and the story of the Machabees and secondly certaine additions found in the latine translation ouer and aboue the originall bookes and this contrary to the iudgement of most ancient and catholike fathers Neither is it materiall that saint a Lib. 2. doct Christ c. 8. Augustine and a certaine councell of Carthage and two or thrée more following them do number these bookes among canonicall Scriptures For they by Canonicall vnderstande such bookes as by order of the church were read publikely and commonly bound togither and were rather a rule for manners then for faith Legi voluerunt in ecclesijs saith b In exposit Symbol Ruffin non tamen proferri ad authoritatem fidei ex his confirmandam The same is also the iudgement of c In Synopsi Athanasius d In prolog galeato Hierome e De ponder mensur Epiphanius and of the most sound and ancient fathers of the church And if wée shoulde otherwise interpret the wordes of those that reckon these bookes among canonicall Scriptures wée should also put the 3. and 4. of Esdras among the bookes canonicall For they are also by saint Augustine and f Sixtus Senensis biblioth sanct lib. 1. others after a sort iudged canonicall and Athanasius in Synopsi doth attribute no lesse authoritie to the thirde booke of Esdras then to the bookes of Tobias Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus and the Machabees The Gréekes also place the thirde booke of Esdras first although the assemblie at Trent excluded the thirde and fourth booke of Esdras out of the canon and Sixtus quintus in his new edition of the Latine Bible hath excluded them out of their ancient place They adde also vnwritten traditions to the Scriptures and builde their faith equally on them two giuing vnto them both equall authoritie Libros veteris noui testamenti saith g Sess 4. the assemblie at Trent nec non traditiones ipsas c. pari pietatis affectu ac reuerentia suscipit ac veneratur synodus ista h Lib. 3. de verbo dei Bellarmine accounteth of these traditions as of the most certaine worde of God and calleth them The worde of God not written i De fid Symb. q. 22. op Catech. Canisius woulde haue vs to beléeue these traditions Most firmely as reuealed by the holy Ghost The which is not onely derogatory to the sufficiencie of Scriptures but also vtterly ouerthroweth the
certaintie of faith For if traditions bée not certainly knowne of the aduersaries and if diuers ancient traditions be now growne out of vse how can the faith that is built on traditions be certaine Further the ancient fathers do not onely testifie the Scriptures to bée sufficient but also condemne vnwritten and vncertaine traditions Electa sunt quae scriberentur saith Saint a Tractat. 49. in Ioan. Augustine quae saluti credentium sufficere vide bantur b Aduer gentes Athanasius saith That the holy and diuine Scriptures are sufficient to instruct vs in al truth And diuers others testifie the same What saith c Regul 80. Basill is the propertie of a faithfull man Forsooth to beleeue with certaine fulnesse of minde whatsoeuer is conteined in Scripture and neither to reiect any part thereof nor to adde any newe thing vnto them Saint d Lib. de parad c. 12. Ambrose saith Wee may no more adde to Gods commandements then take from them And although the fathers talke ofttimes in commendation of traditions yet either they meane such things as are now conteined in Scriptures and from them to bée deriued and deduced by firme conclusions or else such matters as concerne order and decencie and yet do they not account of these as of diuine precepts Si aut in euangelio praecipitur aut in apostolorum epistolis saith e In Epist. ad Pompeâ—um Cyprian aut in actibus continetur obseruetur diuina haec sancta traditio Whereby it appéereth that other traditions which were not written were not had in like reuence and that the faith of papists that resteth on these vncertainties is most vncertaine Further the papists do builde their faith vpon most fabulâ—us martyrologies and lying legendes For vpon these narrations doth stande the holinesse of those saints whom they canonize and worship In these legends wee read of the moouing yea and speaking of stockes stones of restoring not onely dead men but also dead beastes to life of apparitions of Christ of the blessed virgine and of saints and infinite more miracles and prophecies then are conteined in holie Scriptures All which notwithstanding any absurditie ensuing our masters of Romish traditions must néedes receiue if they beléeue either traditions to bée the worde of God or else giue credence to f C. Sancta dist 15. Gelasius for hée saith That the histories of martyrs and their suffrings are to be receiued Gesta sanctorum martyrum saith Gelasius recipimus Let it therefore bée considered whether this faith can bée catholike that is builte vpon such fabulous vanities which not onely the strangenesse maketh suspected of vs but also euen of papists themselues g Ibid. Gelasius condemneth the legend of George of Cyricus and Iulitta of Abgarus of the inuention of the crosse and of Saint Iohn Baptistes head a Contra donat Constant Laurentius Valla laugheth at the follie of these legendes b Canto 29. Dante calleth them fooleries and vaine fables c In his historie to Clement the 7. Machiauel saith That these new myracles are repugnant to old christian religion The Germaines among other gréeuances account the vanitie of these fabulous legendes They do also take themselues bound to beléeue the doctrine of the church of Rome For this to d In praefat analys ante relect princip doctrin Thomas Stapleton séemeth a very firme foundation of his popish faith And as he supposeâ—h the voyce and testimony of this church is most certaine and infallible This sure we find by experience that they e C. ad abolendam de haereticis condemne for heretickes and most cruellie murder all that dissent from the church of Rome in matter of sacraments Nay they do ground their religion vpon the popes decretalles Decretales epistolae saith f C. Sancta dist 15. Gelasius quas beatissimi papae diuersis temporibus ab vrbe Romana pro diuersorum patrum consultatione dederunt venerabiliter recipiendae sunt The popes they honor as their supreme iudges and say they cannot erre Vnto them they haue recourse in all difficulties as vnto a rocke immooueable Stapleton doth g Princip doctrin lib. 6. teach That the pope is the principall subiect of ecclesiasticall authority and is not ashamed to write that his authority is the foundation of religion In hac docentis hominis authoritate saith h In praefat ante relâ—ct princip doctâ— he in qua deum loquentem audimus religionis nostrae cognoscendae fundamentum necessariò poni cernimus O noble religion that is founded vpon so firme and holy a foundation as is the popes holy authority But sure catholike it cannot be For neither the ancient church in times past nor the easterne and Africane churches did euer acknowledge any such foundation Neither do they account the popes authority onely to be the foundation of their faith but also for Christ the corner stone substitute the pope and make him the rocke of the church and of their faith For at his handes they receiue the scriptures and all the principles and pointes of their faith and account his determination more certaine then the letter of Scriptures Bellarmine calleth the pope The foundation and corner stone of the church i In praes ante lib. de Pontif. Rom. and commonly by the rocke Matth. 16. they vnderstand not Peter onely but the popes of Rome which they imagine to be his successors Matters strange new absurd and most contrary to catholike faith To the vulgar latin translation they giue more authority then to the originall bookes of the ould testament in Hebrew and of the new testament in Greeke For that translation they make authenticall and do not giue like authority to the originall bookes That translation they will not haue any to reiect but the originall bookes themselues calumniate and reiect Which course is neither catholike nor reasonable Saint a In epist ad Sâ—niam Fretel ad Damasum Hierome saith That in the old testament in matters of doubt concerning the translation we must haue recourse to the Hebrew as to the fountein in the new to the Greeke Ad exemplaria Hebraea Graeca à latinis recurratur b Lib. 2. de doctr Christ c. 10. saith Augustin Hilary writing vpon the 118. psalme confâ—sseth That the latin translation cannot satiâ—fie the reader They holde also The doctrine and determination of priestes and Iesuites and others sent by the pope to be no lesse the foundation of Christian religion then Christ and his doctrine For so doth c In praef ante relect princip doctr Stapleton in expresse termes determine and generally they d C. ad abolendam de haeret condemne such for heretickes As the prelates and bishops do adiudge to be such Which is nothing else but to make the determination of popish prelates the foundation of the popish church But Christ sending foorth his disciples to preach commaunded them to teach all nations and withall
they account mortall sinne I haue already spoken f Enchir. Nauar de 1. praecept c. 11. Martin ab Aspilcueta saith That it is mortall sinne for a lay man to dispute of matters of faith And others deuise a multitude of strange mortall sinnes The g Censur Colon f. 40. Iesuites teach that the regenerate after baptisme haue no sinne But saint Iohn saith That they deceiue themselues if they say they haue no sinne For as it is h 1. Reg. 8. written There is none but sinneth And who canne say i Prou. 20. My hart is pure and I am cleane from sinne And this is prooued by the most holy men that euer liued The most iust man saith k Lib. 2. aduers Pelag. Hierome in some thinges standeth in neede of Gods mercy And l Epist 29. ad Hieron Augustine saith That no man liueth heere without sinne albeit some offend more some lesse and the best least of all Generally they beléeue that certaine sinnes are so veniall and small that it is not necessary to repent vs of them and that they do not exclude men from the kingdome of God albeit they die without repentance Which doctrine all catholikes abhorre for the law doth pronounce him accursed whatsoeuer hée is m Deut. 27. Gal. 3. That abideth not in all the things that are written in the booke of the law And S. n Iames 2. Iames saith That he that doth offend against one law is guiltie of all Neither can anie thing impure or vncleane enter into the kingdome of heauen b Quaest breuit â—xplicat 4. Basill saith That no sinne is to be called light Quodcunque enim peccatum esse stimulum mortis Saint c In Isai c. vlt. Hierome saith That those that haue built woode haie or straw vpon the foundation are the nourishment of euerlasting fire Finally where they affirme that the transgression of the lawe is not alwaies sinne and that it is a more heinous sinne to transgresse the decretals of the pope and precepts of the Romish church then the Morall law they shewe that they vnderstande not well what is sinne and differ farre from true catholikes in their doctrine of sinne Seuenthly they d Censur Colon. f. 204. teach that this is the proper doctrine of the Gospell If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements But the e Rom. 1. apostle teacheth vs That the gospell is the power of saluation to euery one that beleeueth And f Act. 16. Paule and Silas when the Gailer asked them What hee shoulde do to be saued answered Beleeue on the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued Againe the law doth iustifie none but those that fulfill it but by the grace of the gospell all are iustified that beléeue in Christ Iesus And this is the beléefe of all true catholikes Further as if the Gospell conteined no certaine rule for to attaine to Christian perfection they haue deuised diuers other rules vnder the name of Benet of Nursia Francis Dominicke Ignatius Loiola and diuers other monkes and friers supposing by them to attaine more spéedily to perfection then by the rule of the holy Gospell 8. Of faith the papistes thinke very basely as if it were nothing but a bare assent and that not onely to thinges reuealed in holy Scriptures but also to such vnwritten traditions as the church of Rome or the pope deliuereth So that the grounde of the popish faith is laide as well vpon the popes decretales and lousie lying legendes and such trash as vpon the holie canonicall Scriptures They beléeue also that not onely wicked men but also the diuels of hell may haue true faith But the scriptures teach vs that the chéefe obiect of faith that iustifieth is Christ Iesus and those promises which are made vnto the faithfull through him God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne saith g Iohn 3. saint Iohn that whosoeuer should beleeue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life They b Heb. 11. shew also that of faith procéedeth obedience patience hope sure trust victories and such like effectes Beeing iustified by faith saith the c Rom. 5. apostle We haue peace with God Now that faith doth onely rest vpon Gods word reuealed in scriptures we haue declared heeretofore That wicked men and diuels haue not faith it may appeare for that they cannot beléeue remission of sinnes and eternall life and this is the faith of true catholikes They teach that charity is the forme of faith which is most ridiculous For how canne one virtue be the forme of another seeing matter and forme are the partes of a naturall body It is also most false For if charity were the forme of faith then could faith worke nothing of it selfe But d Rom. â— the apostle saith That the iust shall liue by faith And e Ephes 2. againe You are saâ—ed by grace through faith And that not of your selues it is the gift of god noâ— of workes least any should boast Ex nullo legis opere saith f Lib. 3. ad Rom. Origen sed pro sola fide ait ad illam mulierem remittuntur tibi peccata tua Whosoeuer saith g Lib. 2. epist 3. Cyprian doth beleeue in God and liue by faith he is found to be iust And Hierome h Inâ— 10. ad Rom. saith That God doth iustifie by faith onely And infinite allegations may be brought to this purpose to shew that where faith and other virtues concurre yet it is faith onely that apprehendeth Christ Iesus and worketh our reconciliation and iustice with God and that the workes of charity and other virtues are effectes of faith And this is most catholike doctrine as the doctrine of papists is most erroneous and sophisticall To conclude this matter of faith they attribute to faith onely the first beginning of iustice or first iustice But our second and more perfect iustice they ascribe to charity and workes of the law Which is a plaine way to ouerthrow mans iustice not to establish it For who can say that he hath that measure of charitie that the law requireth Who can say that his hart is so cleane that his coÌ„science doth not accuse him of any transgression against the lawe Who can say he is without sinne Certes no true catholike will either challenge to himselfe that singular holinesse and puritie or affirme that hee is without sinne 9. The papists do teach that there are seuen sacraments of the new law and neither more nor lesse And that all these seuen were instituted by Christ Iesus and conteine grace worke iustificatioÌ„ For so much the venerable friers assembled at a Sess 7. Trent haue declared and determined and it is the popes pleasure that all his adherents shoulde beléeue their determination But this doctrine is neither true nor catholike b Apolog. 2. Iustin Martyr where he hath occasion to describe the rites of the
authenticall and preferred before the originall bookes of the old testament in Hebrew and of the new testament in Gréeke a matter very new and most vnreasonable and plainely contradictory to the ancient fathers In the same a Sess 4. councell because they would be sure of their groundes the doctors of the Romish Babylon decréed first that none should interpret Scriptures against that sence that the church of Rome holdeth and secondly that vnwritten traditions kept in the church by succession shoulde bee of equall value with canonicall Scriptures After this diuers friers and priests taking vpon them to plead the popes cause haue determined vnwritten traditions and customes of the church and the popes determinations and decretalles to be the foundations and principles of their popish faith b Loc. Theolog. Melchior Canus speaking of theologicall argumentes and Thomas Stapleton taking vpon him to declare which be vndoubted principles of popish doctrine do both principally relie vpoÌ„ these two They talke also of the church of councels fathers the latin translation and of rules of faith But when it commeth to the triall then whatsoeuer is not consonant to the popes doctrine and decretales that is reiected as of no value Now gladly would I haue any Iesuite that taketh himselfe to be learned for our aduersary is but a babler to prooue these groundes to be ancient Let him shew what those traditions are that are with equall reuerence to the canonicall scriptures to be receiued Let him iustifie by testimony of antiquitie that the popes decretalles are infallible rules of faith The apostle saith that the church is well and strongly built vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Iesus Christ béeing the corner stone and this foundation do all ancient fathers allow The testimony of Irenei and Athanasius I haue before alleadged Saluianus saith the church is best founded on scripture Videtur nostra ecclesia saith he c Lib. de prouid Dei 5. ex vna scriptura felicius instituta Aliae habent illam aut debilem aut conuulneratam Habent veterem magistrorum traditionem corruptam per hoc traditionem potius quà m scripturam habent Let him shew the like if he can of his decretals and traditions vnlesse he will haue his grounds to be condemned for new and naught Thirdly scriptures were neuer generally forbidden to be publikely read in vulgar toongs before the councell of Trent neither was it euer thought vnlawfull before that time for lay men to talke of matters of faith or to read scriptures priuately without the ordinaries licence Chrysostome and other ancient fathers were wont to exhort Christians to read scriptures and Christ our sauiour willed his hearers to search them and the apostle doth declare them to be very profitable which sheweth the practise of the Romish church in fraying men from scriptures to be of a late humour and inuention Fourthly the definition of the Romish church is new and of force made new to fit their new popish fancies a De eccles milit c. 2. Bellarmine defineth the church to be A company of men conioyned in one profession of faith and communion of sacraments vnder the gouernement of lawfull pastors and especially of the pope of Rome Which is neither to be shewed nor prooued out of any ancient authenticall writer For the easterne and Africane churches did neuer acknowledge this souereine authority of the pope Nor did our sauiour or his apostles teach vs any such obedience Nay they shew rather that the bishops of Rome are not to be obeyed For suppose Peter had béene bishop of Rome and the bishops of Rome his successors which will neuer be prooued in that sence as the aduersaries take it yet Paul resisted Peter and receiued no b Ibid. c. 9. authority nor grace from him which sheweth that other bishops haue no dependance or authority from the bishop of Rome albeit this proportion were granted Fiftly they make not the catholike church A communion of saintes as we professe in our créede but hâ—ld that all wicked men and c Ibid. c. 10. heretickes so they outwardly communicate with the church of Rome in faith and sacraments are true meÌ„bers of the church d Ibid. c. 2. Bellarmine saith That to make a man a part of the true church neither faith nor charitie nor any inward vertue is required Which is a méere new fancie and therefore receiued least they shoulde grant that the church in some respect shoulde be inuisible Sixtly the coÌ„fession of faith made by Pius quartus wherin al that take degrees in schoole professe a Confâ—t 28. That they firmely admit all ecclesiasticall traditions and constitutions and the Scriptures according to the Romish sence and beleeue that there are seuen sacraments and receiue the doctrine of the councell of Trent concerning originall sinne and beleeue the sacrifice of the masse and transubstantiation and the popes soueraine authority and other pointes of doctrine therein conteined is new and absurd This we shal other where declare that appeareth for that the papistes cannot produce any precedent of this confession or prooue the seuerall points of it by good argument 7. Where in our creede we beléeue the catholike church of late time the papistes haue added a word made it b Confess â—urdegaâ—ens The catholike Romaine church and in Canisius catechisme translated into Spanish by Hieronymo Campos they define him to be no catholike that beléeueth any thing beside that which the church of Rome beléeueth 8. They confesse their sinnes not to God almighty as do the ancient fathers but to the a Virgine Mary c Hortulus animae and to angels and saints 9. They haue of late b put out that commandement d Officium beatae Maria in catech that concerneth the making of grauen images like to God and worshipping them wherein they haue the worde of God and all antiquitie against them 10. In the doctrine of the law all those points wherein they shew theÌ„selues no catholikes of which wée haue spoken in the former chap. are meere nouelties as namely That all that is repugnant to the law of God is not sinne that it is mortall sinne to breake the popes lawes or commandements either concerning rites of the church or other matter which he doth vnder his curse will men to obserue that concupiscence in the regenerate is no sinne and yet that it is sinne not to faste the ember daies that the regenerate may be without sinne and that Christians may be iustified by the lawe of Moyses that the popes lawes binde in conscience and that he hath authoritie to make lawes and lastly that the law of God is not perfect but that wée are to obserue all the traditions of the church and the popes decretals 11. It is not long since they began to teach that othes do not so binde men but that the pope can dispence with them and that he is able to discharge children from
blinde and see nothing in their owne causes They do very well verifie that which Sophocles saide long since 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their eies are as sharp as eagles when they looke a farre off and they sée small motes in other mens eies but sée nothing at home nor féele the beame that is in their owne eies If any of vs offend neuer so little nay ofttimes when wée maintaine true doctrine they presently exclaime that wée are heretikes and with their cries stirre vp the worlde against vs but they do little consider their domesticall matters and sée not how many heresies themselues maintaine Nay when wée shew it plainly vnto them they will not open their eies nor acknowledge any But howsoeuer their impudence maketh them confident in their denials yet shall it appéere to all men of discourse and iudgement that no sect did euer maintaine so many and so diuers heresies as the papists do Neither when I charge them with heresie do I impute vnto them Peter Lombardes Thomas Aquinas Caietanes Eckius Gregorius de Valentia Bellarmines or other their priuate doctors particular opinions for then shoulde wée make no ende in rehearsing their heresies but onely such matters as papists commonly and publikely do maintaine and the popes of Rome authorize and our aduersaries I thinke will not denie First as the a Rom. 2. 3. Iewes and especially the scribes and b Luk. 18. pharisées rested in the law and gloried in their workes and c Rom. 2. Galat. 3. sought to be iustified by their workes and by the law so the papistes do define iustice to be nothing else but charity and the obseruance of the law and by this iustice they hope to merite eternall life and this the assembly of doctors at d Sess 6. Trent doth determine and all papistes hold Neither may we thinke that the apostle condemneth those onely that sought iustice by the workes of the ceremoniall law or of frée will before regeneration for he e Rom. 4. saith That Abraham was not iustified by workes of the law And speaking of himselfe he f 1. Cor. 4. saith That although he was not conscious to himselfe of any thing yet he was not thereby iustified Secondly the sect of the pharisées was condemned for that They a Marc. 7. made voide the law of God by their owne traditions Reprobastis mandatum dei per seniorum vestrorum traditionem saith our Sauiour speaking to the pharisées They were likewise reprooued for their diligence in making proselytes Circuitis mare aridam saith our b Matth. 23. Sauiour vt faciatis vnum proselytum accessoriū cum factus fuerit facitis illum filiū Gehennae duplo plus quà m vos estis The pharisées also stoode much vpon externall ceremonies but deuoured widowes houses They loued preheminence in méetinges and to be called Rabbi Dicebantur pharisaei saith c Haeres 16. ante Christum Epiphanius eo quod separati essent ab alijs propter spontaneam superfluam religionem apud ipsos receptam He doth also mislike in them their vowes of cōtinency and their sléeping on thornes and boords and their superstitious fashions in praying and lastly condemneth them for that they allow fatum or destinye All which notwithstanding the papistes make speciall reckoning of their traditions and d Sess 4. Concil Trid. account them equall to Gods written word and yet they are in diuers pointes repugnant to Gods lawes and holy scriptures as for example the tradition of making images of the holy trinity and worshipping of stockes and stones and saintes departed is contrary to the first and second commaundement The Iesuites and priests trauell land and sea to reconcile men to the pope and to make recusants and proselytes to the synagogue of Rome and whē they haue inueigled simple people they go about to make them as vnnaturall traytors as themselues they deuour widdowes houses and impouerish poore orphanes by séeking meanes and reuenues to maintaine their owne faction and colledges They striue much for externall ceremonies and are called Fathers and Rabbi and are now the ringleaders of all the popish faction They say they are more perfect then others and seuer themselues from other Christians They lye vpon the ground and lash themselues sometimes and in their manner of superfluous religion are very singular Finally both they and the e Thom. Aqu. 1. p. q. 116. art 2. 3. 4. schoolemen do allow of fatum and subiect all second causes vnto it and in diuers of their opinions and fashions are very pharisaicall The scribes were likewise f Epiphan in haeres 15. ante Christ reputed sectaries and heretickes for that They brought in a superfluous and sophisticall exposition of the law Epiphanius doth call it Supersophisticam expositionem They were likewise a Ibidem condemned For their often washings and purifyings and for that they accounted themselues more holy then others Why then should not the popish schoolemen and other doctors be likewise reputed heretickes and sectaries for their vaine and sophistical expositions whereby they haue forced the scriptures to contrary and not onely to diuers purposes from that of the holy ghost Do they not also vse often puryfyings and halowings of altars churches vestementes and diuers instruments of their profane priesthood Do they not wash themselues with holy water and account their sectes of monkes and friers in the state of perfection and far more holy then the vulgar sort of Christians It cannot be denyed The papistes do likewise dayly sprinkle themselues with holy water thinking thereby themselues to be purged and clensed from veniall sinnes Yet as b In haeres 17. ante Christum Epiphanius saith Neither can droppes nor riuers of waters nor the whole ocean wash away sinnes The Hemerobaptistes for these continuall washings and for that they imagined that they were thereby clensed from their sinnes are by c Ibidem Epiphanius numbred in the catalogue of Iewish heretickes d Epiphan haeres 13. ante Christum The Dositheans were a sect of heretickes among the Iewes and so reputed for their affectate virginity and abstinence from the vse of mariage béeing married Likewise for their voluntary fastings and for the diuers voluntary afflictions of their bodies What then is to be thought of the papists that allow these voluntary whippings and afflictions and extraordinary fastings and thinke to merite heauen by them Among them likewise diuers account it great holynesse for married couples to liue a sunder and to creepe into monasteries for which they do wel deserue to créepe into the catalogue of heretikes Among the heretikes that rose after the first planting of Christian religion Simon Magus and his followers are commonly reputed the ringleaders Of them the papistes haue learned to buy and sell benefices churches masses and all spirituall things Nay these e Apocal. 18. merchantes of Babylon sell mens soules Venalia nobis saith f
earnest of future graces and the communication of Christ his passion Againe hée saith Non vt dicunt amentes Messaliani baptismus nouaculam imitatur quae praecesserunt peccata auferens hoc enim ex superabundanti largitur Likewise the Messalians did mumble ouer their praiers with their lips hauing their hart otherwhere and beléeued that they were heard for their much babling Which custome the papists do so well like that they rehearse infinite Aue Mariaes Pater nosters and Creedes and the popes giue great indulgences to those that say the Ladies rosary and pray vpon blessed beades albeit the poore soules vnderstand nothing what they pray or rather prattle The Caians were reputed heretikes for worshipping angels and praying to them Vnusquisque eorum saith h Epiph. haeres 38. Epiphanius vniuscuiusque angeli nomen inuocat For the same cause the Angelickes were condemned both by the a Epiph. de angelic Augustine de haeres c. 39. Isid lib. 8. Orig. fathers and by councels Non oportet Christianos say the b Can. 35. fathers of the councell of c In 3. ◠epist. ad Coloss Laodicea derelicta ecclesia abire ad angelos idololatriae abominandae congregationes facere What then are wée to thinke of papists that pray to angels and say masses in honour of angels To auoide this blemish in that canon of the councell they haue turned Angelos into Angulos But d Theodoret doth plainly conuince them both of heresie and falsehood Synodus saith he quae conuênit Laodiceae lege prohibuit ne precarentur angelos That this worship of angels is superstitious Chrysostome commenting vpon the Epistle to the Colossians declareth and especially in his ninth homilie vpon that Epistle The Seuerians were noted as heretikes for their myracles either vainly forged a Augustine de haeres c. 24. or by the diuels helpe effected Their prophetesse e Philumena through a narrow mouthed glasse would put in a pretie bigge lofe and draw it out againe without breaking the glasse The Mirabiliaries were likewise condemned for that by myracles and prophecies they sought to confirme their religion And what do the papists Do not they likewise confirme all their superstition idolatry and false religion with counterfeit miracles It cannot be denied and if it were yet are the lying legends of the Romish church sufficient to conuince them The Tatians and other heretikes f Epiph. hares 46. absteined from mariage as a state of life impure and imperfect Which heresie the popish monkes haue embraced estéeming wedlocke contrary to perfection g C. proposuisti dist 82. Syricius calleth mariage Fleshly pollutions In Capgraues legend Romish saints no otherwise talke of mariage then as if it were vncleannesse sinne and abomination Diuers of our aduersaries haue written that it is lesse sinne for priestes to commit fornication then to marry Nay as if mariage were contrarie to the cleannesse and holinesse of priesthoode they admit none to priesthood but such as abiure mariage The papists also agrée with the Manichées in diuers points of heresies For as the h Augustin epist. 74. Manichées condemned mariage in their priestes which for their excellency they called Electos so likewise do the papists in their monkes and greater orders of the clergie The Manichées in the sacrament of the Lords supper a Leo serm 4. de quadrag c. relatum c. comperimus dist 2. de consecrat vsed to minister in one kinde as do the papists Both of them destroy Christes humanitie the Manichées giuing him no true flesh nor solide body and the papists giuing him a body neither visible nor palpable nor endued with the dimensions and qualities of a body Nay they say that his one body may bée in infinite places at once The b Augustin de morib eccles Manich. lib. 2. c. 31. de morib Manich. c. 13. Manichées in their fastes albeit they abstained from flesh yet vsed diuers other exquisite and daintie meates And this also is the rigorous faste of most papists which the rest also allow Montanus did first establish lawes of fasting as is recorded in the historie of c Hist eccles lib. 5. c. 17. Eusebius and appéereth also by the practise of the church that had no law concerning that matter in his time The same man began first to giue credite to vnwritten traditions to d Epiphan in haeres 48. dispute that the scriptures were not perfect and that they were to bée supplied by his new Paracletus that as he said was to teach all things necessarie His e Augustin de haeres c. 26. followers had the prophecies of Prisca and Maximilla in great reuerence Both hée and his disciples did beléeue Limbum Patrum to bée in hell and that sinnes were to bée purged after this life They also first ordeined that the birth daies or suffring daies of Martyrs should bée kept holy and that offrings should be made for men departed and all this f Lib. de corona milit de anima Tertullian now pleading for Montanus his heresies doth prooue by the testimonie of his Paracletus and of vnwritten traditions So likewise hath the synagogue of Rome of late established many new fastes and new lawes of fasting The g Synod Trid. sess 4. same doth also place traditions in equall ranke with Scriptures and say that Scriptures teach not all thinges necessary for saluation The doctors of that schoole affirme likewise that Limbus of the fathers is in hell and that sinnes may bée remitted after this life for this cause offer for the dead Both papists and Montanistes boast much of the sufferings of their martyrs and no lesse do they estéeme the prophecies of Brigit Hildegardis and Mechtildis then do the Montanistes of their Prisca and Maximilla As the h Pepuzians did honour their towne Pepuza a Augustin de haeres c. 27. as the mother church of all Christendome so do the papistes honor Rome Both papistes and Pepuzians suffer women to minister baptisme Should not then the papists haue wrong if they were not made equall to the Pepuzians Herein they also far surpasse them for that among the papists a a Martin Polon Plat. chronic chronicor Marian. Scotus in Ioan. 8. woman was once pope and chiefe president of their church which I doubt whether the Pepuzians can shew in their sect The Catharistes do boast much of their merites Mundiores se caeteris praedicant saith b C. de haeres lib. Orig. 8. Isidorus They do also deny absolution in some cases to the repentant and rebaptize those that are already baptized Which is also the case of papistes For among them the monkes and friers count themselues more perfect and cleane then others and all of them do hope to be saued by their merites The inquisitors punish with death all that relapse into heresie as they call it without remission and in France and Flanders our aduersaries haue baptized many most
heresie therefore concerning the purgation of sinnes after this life and the satisfaction for the penaltie of mortall sinnes the papists sauour of Origens heresie They fauour his heresie also in this that they do say there is fower sences of Scriptures and draw the same by their allegoricall interpretations to their owne most peruerse purposes Eunomius taught that so a man were of his religion it skilled not greatly what sinnes he committed Asseuerebat saith a Augustin de haeres c. 54. Augustine quod nihil cuiquam obesset quorumlibet perpetratio ac perseuerantia peccatorum si huius quae ab ipso docebatur fidei particeps esset Vnto which heresie the papists come very néere For so a man professe the Romish faith and communicate with the Romanists in their sacraments and bée obedient to the pope they b Bellar. de eccles milit c. 2. say he is a good catholike and a true member of the church although he haue no inward vertue And so facile they are in this pointe that they absolue murderers and incestuous persons and most wicked rebels yea Marans and apostataes so they will professe their Romish religion In Ireland the White knight and Piers Lacy haue had children by their owne daughters and others that I coulde name by their sisters and néere kinsewomen And infinite outrages haue they committed not oneâ—â— against their lawfull prince but also against their owne people and kinred and so continue liuing almost without law yet do the priests and friers and popes agents absolue them and count them good catholiks Nay these are the pillers of the Romish church and the chéefe maintainers of the popish sect there The papists also where they by their lawes forbid priests and monkes to marry and to absteine from certaine meates do plainely embrace the heresie of the Tatians Seuerians and Manichées and are of the number of a 1. Tim. 4. those That teach the doctrine of diuels forbidding to marry and willing men to absteine from meates which God hath created Rectè posuit illud saith d In 1. Tim. 4. Theodoret prohibentium contrahere matrimonium Neque enim caelibatum aut continentiam vituperat sed eos accusat qui lege lata ea sequi compellunt He noteth those saith Theodoret that by their lawes compell men to absteine from marriage and certaine meates So that by his censure the papists are within the compasse of these false teachers of whome the apostle speaketh The heretikes called Anoâ—ni either corrupted or contemned the law of God which heresie is also by right of enheritance descended to the papists For first they deny the law of God to be perfect and therefore adde vnto it their owne traditions and the customes and precepts of the Romish church Secondly they haue c In offic beat Mariae Manual de Geronymo Campos cut out the commaundement of worshipping of images as directly opposite to their idolatry Thirdly they deny concupiscence after baptisme to be sinne contrary to the tenth commaundement Lastly they haue chosen to themselues a new a C. translato de constitutionibus lawgiuer that taketh on him to giue law to mens consciences and receiued a new decretaline law wherein they walke more curiously then in the law of God Nay for the true and euer liuing God they worship this their Terrestriall God as b In epist dedic ante princip doctrin Stapleton doth call him and diligently harken to the popes statutes and commandements Irenaeus and Tertullian doth range those among heretikes that flye from the scriptures and accuse them and affirme that the apostles did not commit all thinges necessary to writing Cum ex scripturis arguuntur saith c Aduers haeres lib. 3. c. 2. Irenaeus in accusationem coÌ„uertuntur scripturarum quasi non rectè habeant neque sint ex authoritate quia variè sunt dictae quia non possit ex his inueniri veritas ab his qui nesciant traditionem Non enim per literas traditam illam sed per vâ—uam vocem ob quam causam Paulum dixisse sapientiam loquimur inter perfectos He d Aduers haeres lib. 3. c. 1. saith also That the apostles first preached the gospell and afterward by the will of God brought the same into writing that it might be a piller and foundation of our faith Alius manu scripturas saith e De praescrip aduers haerec Tertullian alius sensu expositiones interuertit That is some heretikes plainely blot and corrupt the scriptures others peruert them by false expositions But he maketh the catholike to say thus Ego sum haeres apostoloruÌ„ sicut cauerunt testamento sicut fidei commiserunt sicut adiurauerunt ita teneo He saith they are true catholikes and successors of the apostles that continue in the doctrine deliuered in their testament And afterward speaking of scriptures he f Ibidem saith Quod sumus hoc sunt That is that we beléeue and teach that is there to be found But speaking of heretikes he g De resurrect carnis saith Aufer haereticis quaecunque ethnici sapiunt vt de scripturis solis quaestiones suas sistant stare non poterunt That is bring heretikes from that opinion that is common to them with ethnikes and cause them to be iudged in these questions by scriptures and they cannot stand In describing the qualities of these heretikes these two ancient fathers séeme to haue prophesied of the conditions of the papists For they will not allow as saith Irenaeus that the apostles haue comprehended all their doctrine necessary to saluation in the scriptures Neither will they confesse that out of holy writ we can learne the truth without tradition But contrariwise being conuinced by Scriptures they accuse the Scriptures and speake euill of them and say that they in respect of vs receiue authoritie from the pope they affirme that they Are subiect to diuers vnderstandings a Aduers Sadeel lib. 1. p. 99. Turrian calleth them Delphicum gladium others A nose of waxe they stande vpon the liuely teaching of their priests and friers and b Censur Colon. say That the wisedome of the church is apparent in vnwritten traditions They peruert the Scriptures by their wicked interpretations c Concil Trid. Sess 4. allowing no sence but that which the pope and church of Rome giueth They flie from the iudgement of apostolicall writings and will not haue the Scriptures to bée the rule whereby all controuersies are to bée ended and therefore plainly declare themselues to bée descended from heretikes and to bée very well like their parents d Lib. 8. Orig. c. de haeresibus Isidore doth declare them to bée heretikes that do otherwise vnderstande the Scriptures then the meaning of the holy Ghost requireth Quicunque saith hée aliter Scripturam sacram intelligit quà m sensus Spiritus sancti flagitat à quo conscripta est licèt de ecclesia non recesserit
principall rocke doth wholy rely vpon the popes of Rome men neither like to Christ nor like to Peter nor like to a rocke Vnlesse it be in that they deny Christ and are as hard harted against Christians as if they were rockes Secondly the faith of the true catholike church is built vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets and their canonicall doctrine The apostle c Ephes 2. saith That the houshold of God and citizens of saintes are built vpon the foundations of the apostles and prophets S. d Apocal. 25. Iohn sheweth That the wall of the city of God hath twelue foundations and in them the names of the twelue apostles The church is built not vpon Peter onely as saint e Lib. aduers â—â—in Hierome saith but vpon all the apostles At dicis super Petrum fundatur ecclesia licèt id ipsum in alio loco super omnes apostolos cuncti claues regni caelorum accipiant ex aequo super eos ecclesiae fortitudo solidetur The church of God saith f In Ephes 2. Theophylact is built vpon the apostles and prophets And all this is therefore affirmed of them because they preached not themselues but Christ Iesus and wrote the canonicall scriptures that they might be as g Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 1. Irenaeus saith The foundation of our faith Vnto this foundation the ancient fathers do all giue testimony But the faith of the Romish synagogue is built vpon the determinations decretals of popes They count their determinations to be infallible and make them souereine iudges of all controuersies in Christes stead Alij nunc à Christo missi saith h In praefat in relect in prinâ—ip doct Stapleton eorumue doctrina praedicatio determinatio fundamenti apud me locum habebunt He plainely i Ibidem confesseth that the papists haue another foundation of their faith besides the scriptures Christianae religionis fundamentum habemus saith he ab ipsis literis euangelicis apostolicis aliud And k Lib. 4. de verb. Dei c. 4. Bellarmine disputing of traditions calleth them the word of God not written and saith That the scriptures are neither necessary nor sufficient without them Demonstrare conabimur saith hée scripturas sine traditionibus nec fuisse simpliciter necessarias nec sufficientes Nowe if they cannot shewe that the church of God in times past did builde their faith vpon the popes decretals and traditions they must néeds confesse that they are not the true church Thirdly neuer did the church of Christ speake euill of Scriptures a Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 2. Irenaeus saith It is the propertie of heretikes when they are conuinced by Scriptures to fall into dislike of them and to accuse them The children of God certes cannot calumniate their heauenly fathers testament or refuse to heare his voice My sheepe saith our b Iâ—hn 10. Sauiour heare my voice But the papists say they are neither necessary nor sufficient as doth Bellarmine or no sufficient foundation of the church as doth Stapleton in the places aboue mentioned and speake euill of them as if they were c Annot. Rhem. in 2. Cor. 3. A killing letter and most pernicious or as if they were a nose of ware d Ceâ—sur Colon. or a matter of contention and will not suffer them to be publikely read in a toong that is vnderstood of the vulgar fort 4. The church of God doth keepe the doctrine of the apostles without addition and alteration auoiding all prophane nouelties The Gal. 1. apostle pronounceth him accursed That teacheth any other Gospell then that which he taught So f Aduers haeres c. 34. Vincentius Lâ—rinensis saith Catholicorum hoc ferè proprium deposita sanctorum patrum commissa seruare damnare prophanas nouitates sicut dixit iterum dixit apostolus si quis annuntiauerit praeterquam quod acceptum est anathematizare But the synagogue of Rome hath added vnto the doctrine of the apostles infinite nouelties as hath béene declared aboue in the second chapter Their doctrine concerning the grounds of faith concerning the law the Gospell and diuers points of Christian faith their worship of God their massing seruice and popish gouernment is newe as their newe decretals and late Tridentine doctrine the decrées of other late councels whereupon all their popish faith dependeth do plainly testifie 5. The true church cannot abide heretikes that teach doctrine contrary to that of the apostles Christ Iesus speaking of his shéepe g Iohn 10 saith They will not follow a stranger but flye from him for that they know not the voice of strangers that the apostles gaue the faithfull Christians in charge If there come any vnto you saith a 2. Iohn saint Iohn and bring not this doctrine receiue him not to house neither salute him Tantum apostoli horum discipuli saith b Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 3. Irenaeus habuerunt timorem vt neque verbotenus communicarent alicui eorum qui adulterauerant veritatem Let vs separate our selues saith c Lib. 1. ep 3. Cyprian as far from them as they separate themselues from the church Neither can the true church embrace erroneous doctrine For true Christians will not heare the voice of strangers Si haeretici sunt saith Tertullian d De praescrip aduers haeret Christiani esse non possunt But it is apparent that the popes of Rome are heretikes which are the great maisters and Rabbines of the Romish synagogue as may appeare by the examples of Liberius Felix Vigilius Honorius thâ— first Iohn the two twentith Eugenius the 4. and diuers others We haue also shewed that the synagogue of Rome hath embraced diuers heresies and doth wholy addict her selfe to embrace heretikes and to persecute true teachers 6. The church of God is the mistresse and teacher of truth and admitteth no falsehood nor vntruth The e 1. Tim. 3. apostle doth call her The piller and ground of truth Est fons veritatis faith f Instit diuin lib. 4. c. vlt. Lactantius hoc est domicilium fidei She is the fontaine of truth that is to say The house where true faith dwelleth but the synagogue of Rome is not onely a receptacle of leud opinions but also the mother and mistresse of lyes and vanities She not onely receiueth false traditions but also teacheth them She embraceth lying legends and old wiues fables and apocryphall deuises And this is the word of God not written which they so much commend and make equall to holy scriptures That church g In breuiar in festo Cathar beléeueth That saint Catharine was a maiden of Alexandria so well learned that at eighteene yeeres of age she passed the most learned and ouercame fiftie philosophers conuerted Faustina the empresse and Porphyrius a captaine of his to the faith and broke the tormenting wheele with her oraysons They say also that her body was buried by angels
in mount Sinah Matters incredible and no where to be found h In festo Clementis They beléeue also That Clement the successor of Peter was by Traian sent into the wildernesse of Cersona we know not where and that there he saw a lambe making a well to sally out of the top of the mountaine and that beeing cast into the sea with a mill-stone about his necke the sea fled three miles from the shore and there was found a little chappel built in the sea where his body was bestowed They tell how a In festo Gregor Thaumaturg Gregory of Neocesaria caused the riuer of Lycus to kéepe within his boundes by planting his staffe on the banke And that his staffe grew presently into a great tree Peter Martyr one of Dominickes order as they b In festo Petr. Martyr beléeue did keepe his virginity both in body and mind in that sort That he neuer felt himselfe defiled with any mortall sin and did so long fast that scarce he could open his mouth to eat as they tell They tell vs also like wonders of Nicolas Valerian Tiburtius Cecilia and diuers others In the legend of c Del volto santo Iacobus de voragine translated into Italian and commâ—nly read to the women and vulgar people we read How an image representing our Sauiour did lift vp his foote and cast off his siluer slipper to a certaine pilgrime that deuoutly stood before it would haue offered somewhat and had nothing d Di santa Catharina Catharine of Siâ—na is there reported to be betrothed to our Sauiour Christ and to haue doone strange thinges They generally say that Christ imprinted in Saint Francis his fiue woundes and therefore they call him Iâ—sum Typicum and diuers popes do by their decretals confirme the same to bée true To abridge this point they haue infinite such like fabulous narrations in their breuiaries and legendaries Now gladly would I haue our aduersary to shew vs whether these histories and legends are not receiued of the church of Rome and estéemed as holy traditions nay as the word of God reuealed by the church or by the pope and how these that builde their faith on such lies can be the church of God 7. The faith of Gods true church cannot bée builte vpon any vntruth as Thomas Aquinas himselfe confesseth Nihil e 2. 2. q. 1 art 3 saith hée cadere potest sub fide nisi inquantum stat sub vâ—ritate prima sub qua nullum falsum stare potest And afterward hée saith Fidei non potest subesse aliquod falsum Christ Iesus hée is truth it selfe How then can the church that is built on this rocke admitte any falshoode But the synagogue of Rome beléeueth all the traditions of the church wherein infinite lies are conteined They as well beléeue the woundes of Saint Francis as Christes woundes They beléeue that stockes haue walked that dumbe images haue spoken that saints and angels haue appéered and spoken and done as is conteined in the legends of the church Nay they are bound to beléeue the tales of Tecla Christopher George Cyric and Iulitta and such other apocryphall legends or else they must denie their traditions to be the worde of God not written The church of Christ is bounded within the limits of the Scriptures Habet vrbes legis prophetarum euangelij as Saint a In Mich. lib. 1. c. 1. Hierome saith non est egressa de finibus suis id est de scripturis sanctis Hee b Ibidâ—m c. 7. saith also That it is the propertie of heretikes to flie to mens commandements and the leauen of Pharisees Saint c Lib. 19. de ciuit Dei c. 18. Augustine saith That the citie of God beleeueth the holy Scriptures that are called canonicall but of other reportes doubteth But the church of Rome doth not kéepe within these boundes nor beléeueth onely thinges conteined in holy Scriptures For The same receiueth the d Trid. conc sess 4. traditions of the church with equall reuerence to the scriptures and mingleth much of the leauen of pharisées and other heretikes with their doctrine It beléeueth also all that is deliuered in the missales and breuiaries whatsoeuer the popes of Rome either haue determined or shall héereafter determine to bee a matter of faith 9. The church of Christ doth worship but one God and serueth him onely according to this e Exod. 20. commandement Thou shalt haue no other gods but me Our Sauiour Christ also sheweth f Matth. 4. That God onely is to bee worshipped and serued The catholike church onely saith g Institut lib. 4. c. vlt. Lactantius doth retaine the true worship of God But the synagogue of Rome hath vtterly corrupted Gods true worship and giueth diuine worship to stockes and stones Cum Christus saith h P. 3. q. 25. art 3. Thomas Aquinas adoretur adoratione latriae consequens est quod eius imago sit adoratione latriae adoranda i In lib. 3. sent dist 9. q. 2. Bonauenture prooueth that images are to bée retained in churches and worshipped with a verse of Horace de arte Poetica Segniùs irritant animos demissa per aures saith he Quam quae sunt oculis subiecta fidelibus quae Ipse sibi tradit spectator They worship and serue saints they offer sacrifices in their honor they burne incense to their images they light candels before them they carie them about which the catholike church neuer did nor allowed 10. The church of God neuer burned the Scriptures No albeit there were errors in the old vulgar Latine translation and in the translation of Theodotion Symachus and the 70. interpreters yet did not the church therefore burne them Neither did euer the true church prohibite the Scriptures to be publikely read in the vulgar toongs or burne those for heretikes that read theÌ„ priuately without licence Nay rather they searched their heauenly fathers will in his most holy testament and exhorted men to search the Scriptures according to our Sauiour Christs commandement Saint a In Psal 86. Hierome saith that these scriptures are not belonging onely to priests but to the people Non scripserunt saith he speaking of the apostles paucis sed vniuerso populo but the church of Rome not vnlike to the barbarous heathen persecutors hath diuers times caused the scriptures to bée burnt and hath burnt diuers for reading of them as appéereth by the Registers of London and Lincolne In the councell of Trent they forbad them to bee read publikely And priuately they will not haue them read without licence Larâ—us saith b In Manual cap. 11. in 1. praecept Nauarrus disputans de fide peccat mortaliter They cannot abide them no more then those that do euill can abide the light 11. The true church doth acknowledge no head of the vniuersall church but Christ onely which is also the Sauiour of his body Christ saith the c
what might be done if the chiefe teachers of our side were vpon good conditions to dispute before indifferent iudges auditors All this by Gods grace we meane to iustifie in this briefe discourse ensuing Therein also for thy further satisfaction we purpose both to examine his relation and to answer his obseruations and petitions and to remoue this reproch as a 1. Reg. c. 17. Dauid offering to go against the Philistim said from Gods people For what is this incircumcised Philistim that he should dare to speake euill of the army of the liuing God or of his Church If Parsons meane to reply let him pul off his visor and come barefaced into the field and he shall not want those that will encounter him This small Treatise together with the rest that go before I commend to thy reading to let thee vnderstand the great pouertie of the aduersarie a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch lib. de auscultando that vpon so small causes maketh so great brags and triumphs and with braue words b setteth out his musty mustard pots The principal points haue beene sufficiently handled both in French English before yet shall it not be amisse to remoue all their cauils and to encounter such winding serpents in al their turning deuises If the matter answere not thy expectation thou must impute it to the basenesse of the subiect and the vanitie of the relators narration The discourse will not bee long and therefore much labour it cannot cost thee to reade it Reade therefore and iudge who they are that are to be charged with false and fraudulent allegations which is now the different betwixt Parsons and vs. A briefe refutation of a certaine calumnious relation of the triall betwixt the Lord PLESSIS MARLI and the pretended bishop of Eureux the 4. of May last with an answere to the relators obseruations and petitions CHAP. I. That the popish faction hath no reason to charge others with falsification IT is an old custome among our aduersaries when they cannot answere directly to our arguments to cauill at our allegations as if all were vntrue or defectiue bicause some errors are pretended in some authorities or quotations This course did Harding and his consortes take against bishop Iewell of reuerend memorie others against that painfull and zealous seruant of God master Iohn Foxe and diuers others eluding with scorne that which in earnest they are not able to answere Now Iames Peron calling himselfe the bishop of Eureux in France and this relator by his scornefull letters sent into England attempt the same waie against the painfull labours of the Lorde of Plessis in his most learned treatise against the idolatrous masse most ridiculously supposing if hée haue mistaken Scotus or Durandus or Bernard or some homily of Chrysostome or some other author that all his other allegations and arguments wherein no error can be founde or iustly pretended are weake and of no moment But while they charge others they séeme vtterly to forget themselues and their owne notorious corruptions and falsifications They put them all into that part of Aesops wallet that hangeth at their backes and remooue both faultes and wallet out of their sight a Catull. in Scazonte Non vident manticae quod in tergo est They as the hypocrites of whom our b Matth. 7. Sauiour speaketh Espie a mote in their brothers eie and see not the beame in their owne eies Nay being blinde themselues they are much offended and exclaime at euerie blemish which they espie in other mens eies For neuer did any sect either of heretikes or philosophers vse such fraude and falsification in maintaining their errors as the papists haue done to make good their most abominable doctrine and practise To relate all were a matter of great time and labour Wée will therefore onely touch so much as may serue to prooue them to be most culpable in that whereof they accuse others First then wée say and against Parsons and the whole route of Iebusites and Cananites God willing shall prooue that they haue falsified and corrupted the most holie worde of God and his holy Testament For if those which haue hidden or kept away the Testament or last will of a mortall man or haue taken away the same by force or abolished it or torne it or made a newe or written a false Testament or vsed it signed it or procured it to bée done then much more the papists that haue falsified Gods eternall worde are to bée condemned as guiltie of falshood But that is confirmed by the words of the lawe Committitur falsum saith the c ff de falsis Hostiens de crim fals §. qualiter committatur ad l. Cor. de fals law si quis testamentum celauerit amouerit rapuerit deleuerit interleuerit subiecerit vel falsum testamentum scripserit signauerit recitauerit dolóue malo ea fieri procurauerit The consequent is prooued by the practise of the papists For first they haue of a long time hidden Gods worde as it were a candle vnder a bushell and couered it ouer with the plaster of their traditions and popish interpretations Secondly they haue remooued the scriptures from the eies of the multitude and kept the same from them in a toong vnknowne not suffring any to read them but such as they are assured will not profite by them Thirdly such as by any meanes haue gotten them they haue taken and punished seuerely taking the testament of God violently out of their handes Fourthly they haue d Index librorum prohibit abolished not onely all vulgar but also all Latine translations except such as they made themselues Fiftly they haue burnt and torne and abused Gods holy Testament Sixtly for Gods worde they haue giuen vnto vs a most corrupt translation and made that more authenticall then the originall Seuenthly they haue made a false testament conteined in their vnwritten traditions Eightly they will haue no other testament exhibited or vsed or alleaged in schooles but their old Latine vulgar translation Lastly they haue taken away that Sacrament from the people wherein the newe testament is established and made frustrate Christ his institution and last will omitting no meanes that coulde bée deuised for the corrupting falsifying and abolishing of Gods eternall testament and the seales thereof Nay certaine f Matth. Paris Carmelites about 300. yéeres agone hauing made a testament of their owne deuise were not afeard to teach that Christes Gospell shoulde cease and that their Gospell shoulde for euer after be receiued Bonauenture likewise falsifying the Psalmes of Dauid turned the praises of God to the praises of our Ladie Secondly they haue falsified the canons of the Apostles g In epistola ad Siculos Zepherinus alloweth 60. h Contra epist. Nicet Abbatis Leo the ninth receiueth onely fiftie others 85. i C. Sancta c. canones dist 15. others condemne them as apocryphall writings forged by heretikes They haue also