fathers bring an inuention of their owne do I otherwise deny them the right sense of scripture The fathers may haue sometime their fansies and yet besyde the word Then if their fansies be misliked is their exposition of the word condemned whereas they meddle not with the worde Apelles shoomaker was worthily checkt when he would be busy aboue the knée but that did not set but he might haue iudgement good ynough of the shooe Yet in a shooe made on anothers last the best shoomaker for al his skil may chaunce be deceyued In déede good cause we haue only to depend vpon the word of God and not be ruled ouer by time or custome bycause in matters of our religion as Christ hath taken perfecte order therein so hath he commaunded vs to go no further but him obey August de Consen Euā Li. 1. Cap. 18. Socrates was wont to say Vnumquemque Deum sic coli oportere quomodo seipsum colendum esse praecepisset That euery God was so to be serued as he himselfe had commaunded to be serued And this was the cause why the Romaines would neuer receyue the God of the Hebrewes For grounding vpon this foresayd principle they saw it necessary that eyther al their ydols shuld be excluded and onely the true God entertayned or he only not admitted the rest be honored For by the worde of God they found that they could not agrée together and cōtrary to his word they would not séeke to serue him If they had this affect as Augustine declareth gathered by morall reason and by no further insight of faith Shal we that professe more knowledge and perfection be folisher than they hearing continually Christ and his Apostles inueighing agaynst wilworshippers Therefore I say we aske for the worde you answere vs by wyl we cal for Scripture you reache vs custome Epig. lib. 6. Martiall a mery man a poet of your name a man of more learning and wit than you had some tyme to do with such a lawyer as you For a neighboure of hys had stolen .iij. goates The matter was called into the courte the party should come to proue the inditement He gat hym a counsailler to declare the case When the iudge was ready to heare it his counsailer fel a discoursing of the fight at Cannas the battayl wyth Mithridates the wrōges and iniuries sustayned by the Africanes Thus whē he had filled their eares a great whyle with dyn thūping on the barre and squekyng in hys smal pipes Martiall tenderyng hys own cause more than the babbling of his vaine aduocate at length pulled hym by the sléeue and sayd And please your worship I gaue ye my fée to talke of .iij. goates And thus had I néede to put you in remembrance For where ye appointed to speake of Gods seruice ye tell vs a tale of thys man and that man what he dyd and they dyd And yet not a worde what God hath commaunded Fol. 82. Ye call vs curious when we require Scripture We can get at your handes nothing else but custome And speakyng of custome accordyng to your custome ye make a lye and falsefie Tertulliā Martiall corrupteth Tertullian For these are your words We say vvith Tertullian that custome increser confirmer and obseruer of fayth taught thys vse of the Crosse c. As if the increase confirmatiō and obseruing of Fayth proceded of custom Hys wordes are otherwise For speakyng of hys traditions he sayth S. legem expostules scripturarū nullā reperies traditiō tibi praetendetur auctrix consuetudo confirmatrix fides obseruatrix If thou demaunde a law of Scripture for these thou shalt fynd none Traditione shal be pretēded to thée as increaser custom confirmer and faith obseruer of them Where you may sée that custome is not made increaser and confirmer of fayth but fayth obseruer of custome Notwithstanding I must still beare with you For ye be driuen to narrowe shyftes fayne would ye say something But it is a foule shyft to make a lye Thys custome ye proue came of tradition For as Tertulliā Tertulian de corona millitis sayth how can a thing be vsed if it were not first deliuered To graunt it a tradition I wil not sticke with you But Tertulliā wyll haue the same to be builded vpon reason or els he refuseth it He maketh the Antithesis not betwene written and vnwritten but betwene written and reasonable And so he thynketh a Tradition not writtē to be admitted so it be reasonable Therfore he sayth Rationem traditioni consuetudini fidei patrocinaturā perspicies Martial is still by his ovvne authors ouerthrovven Ye shall sée that reason wyll defende tradition custome and fayth And afterwarde Non differt scriptura an ratione consistat quando legem ratio commendet It is no matter whether custome consist of writing or of reason inasmuch as reason also commendeth law So that reasonable must be the tradition And how shall thys reasonable be defined Tertulliā hymselfe doth tel you limiting how a mā maye make a custome if he conceue decrée duntaxat quod Deo cōgruat quod disciplinae conducat quod saluti proficiat Only that is agreable to God furthering vnto discipline and profitable to saluation If the tradition of the Crosse signe may be proued to be such I wyll yelde vnto you with all my hart Consider the reasōs and the examples that the Doctor vseth First of the Lordes authorite who sayd Cur non a vobis ipsis quod iustū est iudicatis Vt nō de iuditio tantum sed de omni sētentia rerum examinandarum Why do you not of your selues iudge that that is rightuous that it be not onely vnderstode of iudgement but of euery sentence of things to be examined And it followeth Dicit Apostolus Si quid ignoratis Deus vobis reuelabit Solitus ipse cōsilium subministrare cum praeceptum domini non habebat quaedā edicere à semetipso sed ipse spiritū dei habens deductorē omnis veritatis Itaque consiliū edictū eius diuini iā praecepti instar obtinuit de rationis diuinae patrocinio Hanc nunc expostula saluo traditionis respectu quocunque traditore censetur necl authorem respicias sed authoritatem c. And the Apostle sayth If ye be ignoraunte of any thyng God shall reueale it to you He hymselfe when he had not a commaundemente from the Lorde was wonte to giue counsell and prescribe some thinges of hymselfe but as one that had the spirit of God directer of all trueth Wherefore hys counsell and edict hath now obtayned to be as it were the commaundement of God through supportation and defēce of the reason diuine Thys reason inquire for sauing the respect of tradition whosoeuer be the deliuerer therof nor respect the author but the authoritie So farre Tertulliā And in hys wordes In a custome maker the spirite of God In custōe commoditie and
the Papistes by their deuises doe or whether we by remouing al Images and consequently the Crosse to doe derogate from Christ and from his passion as they doe which hauing the materiall Crosse can not come to the knowledge and fayth of the crucified I confesse that I am more aspre in my writing than otherwise I woulde or modesty requireth But no such bitternesse is tasted in me as the beastlinesse of them with whome I haue to do deserueth Beare with mée therfore I beséeche you beare with a truth in plaine speeche vttered Bayarde hath forgot that hée is a Horse and therefore if I make the stumbling iades sydes to bléede blame mée not Impute not to malice impacience that which is grounded of hatred to the crime but loue to the persons which be toucht I hope by this meanes that seyng their own shame they will come to more honesty or hearing their owne euill doings surceasse at leaste wyse theire euill speaking They haue nothing so rife in their deprauing mouthes wherwithall to burden our ministerie in Englande as heaping togither all base occupations to shew Fol. 9. a. b. that the craftes men thereof be our preachers I wis I might aunswere iustify the same that as great a number of learned as euer were as auncient in standing and degrée as they supply the greatest roomes and places of most credite Wherefore they doe vs wrong to match the simplest of our syde with the best of theirs As for their famous writers Rascall Dorman Martiall Stapleton which now with such confidence make their challenges be knowen vnto vs what they are But they which at home be no more knowen than contemned as sone as euer they taste the good liquor of Louain they be great clarkes Bachelers of Diuinitie studentes of the same they must be magnified they muste be reuerenced as if Apollo sodainly had cast his cortayne about them But to graūt that the inferior sort of our ministers were such in déede as these men of spyte ymagine such as came from the shop from the forge from the whyrry from the loome should ye not think you finde more sincerity and learning in them than in al the rable of their Popish chaplens their massemongers their soulepriests I lament that ther are not so many good preachers as parishes I am sory that some to vnskilfull be preferred But I neuer saw that simple reader admitted in our church but in the time of Popery ye should haue found in euery diocesse forty six Iohns in euery respect worse I could exaggerate their case alike and proue it better how Bawdes Bastardes and beastly abused Boyes haue bene called to be Bishops among them Sorcerers Simoniakes Sodomites Pestilent Periured Poysoners haue bene aduaunced to be Popes among them Shal this derogate from their holy sée Yet none of oures of any calling or name amongst vs can of enuy it selfe be burdened with the like As for the Rascall of their religion what were they what are they Adulterous Blasphemous Couetous Desperate Extreme Folish Gluttons Harlots Ignoraunts and so go through the crosse rowe of letters and truly end it with Est Amen Therfore if they vrge vs any further with imperfectiō in our state thereby to bring vs into contempt and harred we wil descēd to particularities and detecte their filth to the whole worlde We are not deare Christians the men Folio 9. b that the aduersaries of the truth reporte vs we doe not leane to our owne wisedomes we preferre not our sayings before the decrées of auncient Fathers But after the aduise of the fathers themselues we preferre the Scriptures before mennes pleasures This may we do without offence I trust The Popes themselues haue permitted vs this Eleutherius the Pope writing to Lucius King of England sayd thus vnto him Petijstu a nobis leges Romanas Caesaris In the ancient recordes of London remayning in the Guild hall vobis transmitti quibus in regno Britanniae vti voluistis leges Romanas Caesaris semper reprobare posumus legem Dei nequaquam Suscepisti énim miseratione diuina in regnó Britanniae legem fidem Christi Habetis penes vos in regno vtranque paginam Ex illis per Dei gratiam per consilium regni vestri sume legem per illam Dei patientia vestrum rege Britanniae regnum Vicarius vero Dei esto in regno illo c. Ye haue required of vs to sende the Romane and Imperiall lawes vnto you to vse the same in your realme of England we maye alwayes reiecte the lawes of Rome and lawes of the Emperor but so can we not the lawe of God For ye haue receyued through the mercy of God the lawe and fayth of Christe into your kingdome You haue both the Testamentes in your realme Take out of them by the grace of God and aduise of your subiectes a lawe and by that lawe through Gods sufferaunce rule your realme But be you Gods Vicar in that kingdome And so forth If the Louanistes had but a mangled piece of suche a Presidente for the Pope as here is for euery Prince Lorde howe they would triumphe They would desiphre and by rethorique resolue euery letter of it But let that passe It is ynough for thys place to shewe the Popes owne decree that all mennes deuises be they neuer so worthied with the name of Fathers may iustly be repelled and ought to giue place to the lawe of God Wherefore if any of their owne imagination haue brought in any thing to Gods seruice not altogether consonant to the worde not we but the worde doth wipe it quite away Dist 11. cap. Consuetudinem For I thinke it méete according to the decretall taken out of Augustine Consuetudinem laudare quae tamen contra fidem Catholicam nihil vsurpare dinoscitur to prayse the custome whiche notwithstanding is knowen to vsurpe nothing against the catholique fayth If this fayth be retayned I wil not contende with any but the Fathers I will with all my heart reuerence The common place of our aduersaries is to exhorte the Prince and other to kepe the aunciente traditions of our Fathers And I beséech them wyth al my heart that they will defende and mayntayne those thinges which they receyued according to truthe If tyranny of men hath brought in any thing agaynst the Gospell let not the name of Fathers and vaine opinion of antiquitie bereue vs of the sacred and euerlastyng veritie What greater follie can there be than this to measure Gods matters with the deceitfull rule of mannes discretion where the pleasure of God reuealed in his word should only direct vs They that pleade at the barre in ciuile causes will not be ruled ouer by examples but by law Demosthenes sayd very well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not méete that things should be ordered as otherwise they haue often bene Much lesse should Gods wysedome be sette to schoole vnto mannes folly
multis pauca Scripturae patrūque testimonia in hac definitione nostra parcentes sanè copiae ne in longum res protraheretur collocauimus Reliquis enim quae infinita sunt volētes supersedimus vt qui velint ipsi requirant Ex his igitur a Deo in spiratis scripturis beatorum patrum sententijs stabiliti super petram cultus diuini in spiritu pedes confirmantes in nomine sanctae supersubstātialis viuificantis Trinitatis vnanimes eiusdem sententiae nos qui sacerdotij dignitate succincti sumus simul existentes vna voce definimus omnem imaginem ex quacunque materia improba Pictorū arte factam ab Ecclesia Christianorū reijciendam veluti alienā abominabilē Nemo hominū qualiscunque tandē fuerit tale institutum impiū impurum posthac sectetur Qui vero ab hoc die Imaginem ausus fuerit sibi parare aut adorare aut in Ecclesia aut in priuata domo constituere aut clam habere si Episcopus fuerit aut Diaconus deponitor si vero solitarius aut laicus anathemate percellitor imperialibúsque constitutionibus subijcitor vt qui diuinis decretis impugnet dogmata non obseruet The English of which words is this The wicked calling of Images by a false name neither had his beginning by tradition from Christ nor of his Apostles or yet the auncient fathers neither had it any holye prayer where through to be sanctified but it remayneth prophane euen as it is wrought and finished of the Paynter But if certaine deliuered of that errour affirme that we haue Godlily and vprightly said in throwing downe the Image of Christ bicause of the inseparable and inconfusible substaunce of two natures ioyned in one person Yet notwithstanding some occasion of doubt remayneth in them as touching the Images of the virgin most glorious and vndefiled the mother of God of the Prophetes Apostles and Martirs seing that they be only men and no more neyther doe consist of two natures that is to say the diuine and humaine ioyned in one person as before we haue signified to be in Christ and the contrary therof practised in his Images There groweth in déede some matter of doubt as touching the Images of the most glorious and vndefiled mother of God of the Prophets Apostles Martirs seing that they were only men and not framed of two natures what they be able to say to any purpose with reason vnto these The former argumēt ouerthrowen certaynly they haue nothing at all in this case to say But what say we to ouerthrowing Images For as much as oure catholike Church being a meane betwene the Iudaisme and Gentilitie hath receyued neyther of the maner of sacrifices accustomed to thē but hath entred into a newe way and order of Godlinesse and mysticall constitution giuen and deliuered of God for it doth in no wise admit the bloudy sacrifice and burnt offrings of the Iewes it doth vtterly abhorre not only al Idolatry in sacrificing but also multitude of ymages of Gentility for this was the head first most abhominable deuiser of this arte which hauing no hope of resurrection inuented a toy worthy it self wherby alwayes the absent might be shewed as present therefore synce this practise smelleth not of any noueltie doubtlesse let it be remoued most farre of from the Church of Christ as a strange and forren deuise of men possessed with the Diuell Let the tongs then of al such surcesse which spewe forth wicked blasphemous things to the derogation of this our iudgement decrée most acceptable to god As for the holy men who pleased God which were honored by him with the dignity of holynesse although that they be departed hence yet that deade and hatefull practise shal neuer make them agayne alyue But whosoeuer poysoned with the error of the heathen shall attempt to sette vp Images to them he shall be adiudged as one that hath committed blasphemie And how dare the rascall occupation of Gentiles presume to paynt that most prayseworthy mother of God whome the fulnesse of the Godheade hath ouershadowed through whome hath shone vpon vs that lighte which can not be come vnto that mother I say higher than the Heauens holier than the Cherubins Againe why feare they not I say according to the arte of Ethnicks to counterfet them which shall raygne with Christ shall syt on seates wyth him to iudge the world conformed vnto him in glory of whome the world was vnworthy as the Godly miracles affirme Verily it is not lawful for Christians which belieue the resurrectiō to vse the order of worshipping of diuels Neyther yet doth it beseme by vile and deade kinde of matter to reproch them the which shal shine in so great passing glory As for vs we vse not to receyue of strangers demonstrations of our fayth neyther yet in Diuels to require testimony Furthermore our sentence searched and discussed both out of the scripture enspired frō aboue out of the effectuall testimonies of piked fathers agreing with vs and affirming our good intent we wyl exhibite in thys case our resolute determination which he shall not be able to gaynesay which laboreth to call these things in question As for him that is ignorant let him learne and be instructed that these things are takē out of the word of God Fyrst we place before the rest this sentence of gods voice saying God is a spirite whosoeuer wil worship God in spirite and truth let him worship And agayne No man at any time saw God neyther haue ye heard his voyce or séene his shape Blessed are those which haue not sene and yet belieued And in the olde Testament he sayd to Moses and the people Thou shalt not make to thy self any grauen Image neyther the likenesse of any thing in Heauen aboue or in the earth beneath For the which cause you hearde the voyce of his wordes in the mountayne in the middest of fyre but his shape ye saw not but onely heard his voyce And They haue chaunged the glory of the immortall God by an Image framed after the shape of a mortall man and they haue honored and worshipped the things which are created aboue him which hath created And againe For yf we haue knowen Christ according to the fleshe now we knowe hym not For we walke by faith and not by the outward appearance And this also which is moste plainlie spoken of the Apostle Therefore fayth commeth of hearing but hearing commeth by the worde of God For if we haue knowen Christ according to the fleshe nowe we knowe him not For we walke by fayth and not by outwarde appearaunce The very selfe same things our Godly Fathers the schollers and successours of the Apostles doe teache vs. For Epiphanius of Cypres most famous amongst the foremost thus sayth Take héede vnto your selues that ye kéepe the traditions which ye haue receyued Sée ye leane not neyther to the ryght hand nor to the
as they bring their warrant for them God forbyd in dede but we should admit them If we established our traditions and destroyed theirs If we deuised a worship of our own despised theirs we wer to be blamed But when in respecte of Gods commaundement which no man ought on peril of his life transgresse we reiecte a custome and deuise of man we are not to bée burdened with pride or singularitie Folio 80. Your selues thinke it laweful to alter and innouate at your owne pleasures all traditions and ceremonies of elder time As taking away mylke and hony from Christenings contrary to Tertullian and denying infants the supper of the Lorde contrary to Augustine with an hundred moe that I could rehearse And wherewithall doe you supply them with your owne fansies your owne follies Yet you neyther discredite nor disauthorize the fathers We if we stande not to euery iote that any one of the fathers heretofore hath written and hath pleased the Pope of his power absolute to admit are compted heretiques schismatiques such as haue separated our selues from the Church In dede we professe a separation from you as our Apologie doth witnesse Folio 81. Apologie of the church of England and shewe good reason why Therein your finenesse doth cal vs patchers I wys all the packe of you hath not cloth in your shoppes to make the like But separating our selues from you the enimies of God and of his truth we ioyne as we ought with the church of Christ For what is the vnitie Vnitie of Papistes that you appoynt vs The humble obedience of the Church of Rome whome you wil haue to be the mother Church whō you doe call the boosome and the lappe that all men ought to runne vnto which will be numbred among Gods children You with this vnitie content your selues seking rather your selues ouer Christ than Christ ouer the flock to raigne compassing rather how your selues may dayntily liue in this world than howe the members of the Church may be brought to heauen But we must appoynte suche kinde of vnity Vnitie of Christiās as must not depend vpon one particular or priuate Church be it eyther of Antioch or of Hierusalem or of Rome it selfe but vpon the catholique and vniuersall Church which was not onely before Rome in antiquitie but shall continue when Rome is gone This muste we search out of the scriptures Rom. 12. Vnū corpus multi sumus in Christo sayth the Apostle We being many are one body in Christ Christ is the head and we be the members Howe doe the members and the head agrée With one flesh one bloud one spirite and one life As Christ is in the father and the father in Christ so we al by Christ are one in God If one spirite rule vs we must all thinke one thing If we be all one body we must not hate our owne fleshe As brotherly loue and charitie is necessary for vs to declare by the same that we be Christs disciples as peace quietnesse among vs all is a thing most expedient as a bande to knyt vs in the vnitie of the spirite so they which are thus vnited vnto Christ must not only be quickned with the same spirit but be cōforted maintained with the same fayth hope Wherfore if you wil haue vs to continue the vnity of your church with you then make it first a catholike Church of a sink of Idolatry a follower and furtherer of true religion It is not by by the vnitie of the church which coms vnder colour name of it Hierome a doctor of the Church writeth Sub rege Constantio Contra Luciferianos Eusebio Hippatio Consulibus nomine vnitatis et fidei infidelitas scripta est In the time of Constance the king Eusebius Hippatius being Consuls vnder the name of vnitie and fayth infidelity was written And such an vnitie do you deliuer vs not you alone I meane but all the rable of popish heretiques with you as consisteth of Idolatry false worshippings simony with a corrupt body and a coūterfet head euen Antichrist himself You say that the vnity of the church doth hang vpon obseruance of ceremonies olde rites customes We say that it standeth vpon fayth and spirite Ephesi 4. Which are the truer in this behalfe S. Paul byddeth vs to be carefull to kepe the vnitie of the spirit til we méete together in the vnitie of fayth Augustine intreating of the Sabboth fast Epist. 86. sayth Interminabilis est ista contentio generans lites nunquam fiaiens quaestiones This contention is endelesse stil ingendring strife neuer ceassing from doubtes And what I besech you do you that bragge of your vnitie dissent from all antiquitie not agrée with your selues contende about trifles damne the true fayth derogate all from Christes death and his passion and giuing it to your owne frée will and works The works that you cōmaunde be your owne deuises The works that God commaundes you haue nothing to doe withall Breake Gods cōmaundement and it is no matter Breake yours we dye for it It is a wonder how bolde you will be to pronounce heretiques to serue your turne Euseb ecclesiast hist. Lib. 5. Victor Bishop of Rome woulde excommunicate and condemne of heresie all the churches of Asia bicause they did kepe their Easter Quartadecima luna primi mensis when the Iewes swete bread is eaten not at the time that he kept it at Rome A sore point I promise you But you condemne vs of heresy for preaching of the Gospel against the traditions and precepts of men If they from whose ordinances we do depart had eyther thought their traditions necessary or shewed scripture wherevpon they grounded them we would not presume to withstande their authoritie or gaynesay their good reason But when they deliuer them as thinges indifferent and plainly professe that they haue no worde of the Lorde for them a hope of commoditie may cause vs to retayne them but an apparant mischief must driue vs to refuse thē Tertullian himself Tertulliā de corona militis when he had rehearsed a great sorte of traditions among which this was the last that we nowe doe speke of the manner of signing vvith the Crosse in the forehead immediately inferreth Harum aliarum eiusmodi disciplinarum si legem expostules scripturaerum nullam reperies If thou require a lawe of Scripture for these and such like orders of discipline thou shalt finde none Wherefore since they builde not vpon the Scripture they do not expounde vpon the word when these ioyes be taught we can not as you say dyscredite and dysauthorize them Folio 79. b. as though they knevv not the scriptures true interpretatiō of the lavv When you doe make a lye of your owne doe I discredite your knowledge in the lawe A lawyer may sometime be a liar as you proue vnto vs and yet not the lawe to wyte When the
agreablenesse to Scripture must be coÌ„sidered Folio 82. a. Basile many notable poyntes are to be obserued First that in all iudgementes and examinations of thinges we must follow that that is right and good TheÌ„ that no man presume to ordayne any thing in the Church vnlesse he haue the spirite of God to guide hym Thirdly that S. Paules tradition should not haue stode in force vnlesse it had bene consonaÌ„t vnto the Scripture Fourthly that in all customes we muste haue an eye vnto Gods lawe seke what accordeth to it hauing no respect to the custome maker but Scripture coÌ„firmer Thus ye myght haue learned howe to iudge of traditions Tertullian myghte haue taughte you But as soone as euer you had made a lye of hym there ye left hym To Basile who sayth If vve reiect and cast avvay customs vvhich are not vvritten as thyngs of no great valevv or price vve shall condemne before vve be vvare those thinges vvhiche in the gospel are accoÌ„pted necessary to saluation I answere that of Traditions there be thrée kyndes Three kyndes of tradition Some that necessarily are inferred of the Scripture such were the Apostles Traditions as that a woman in the congregation shoulde not be bare headed that in the congregation she should kepe silence That the poore should labor with their owne hands and get their liuing which all such other although they wer not expressely in the word yet consequently they folowed of the worde And therfore Paul dyd not obtrude them of hys authoritie but by the Scripture proue them These and the lyke I confesse to be necessarye and of all Christians to be retayned Proue ye the Crosse signe to be one of these and I wyll recant But there haue bene other thynges deliuered to the Church direct contrary to the worde As Latine seruise worshipping of Images vowing of chastitie communicating vnder one kinde and an infinite number of popysh prescriptioÌ„s These ought not in any wyse to be receyued but what preterte of antiquitie or authoritie soeuer they haue be vtterly refused The third kynd of TraditioÌ„s is of such as be indifferent neyther vtterly repugnant to the word of God nor necessarily inferred of it Herein we must follow the order of the Church and yet not absolutely but with a limitation In traditions indifferent vvhat to be obserued First we must sée that those obseruaÌ„ces be not set foorth as a piece of Gods seruice wherein some speciall point of holinesse or religion shall consist For they may be kept for order for pollicie for profit of the Church but otherwyse the Scripture it selfe hath Gods store and plentye of thynges expediente for hys honor and seruice our comfort and saluation Felix ecclesia sayeth Tertullian Tertul. de prescrip aduer Hereti cui totam doctrinaÌ„ Apostoli cuÌ„ sanguine profuderunt Happy is the Church to whom the Apostles poured out the whole doctrine together with their bloud There is no insufficiency no imperfection Therfore we must especially beware that in our traditions indiffereÌ„t of themselues we repose no holynesse or deuotion Then also that we thynke them not to be of such necessitie that at no tyme they may be remoued The Church must styll retayne her ryght to be iudge and determiner of such traditioÌ„s eyther to beare with theÌ„ or else abolish them as best may serue for edification Last of all thys must not be forgotten that the people of God sometyme be oppressed with traditions and Ceremonyes and for outwarde solemnities the inwarde true seruise of God is neglected As in the popish Churche on a hye day there are so many gaudes that there is no place for a preacher Wherfore the superfluitées The Churche had to many Ceremonies in Augustines tyme. the long trayne of Ceremonies must be cut of least they do hynder the course of godlynesse and by gay shew engeÌ„der a coÌ„fidence to be put in them S. Augustine in hys tyme complayned that the Church was to full of presumptions And of them that haue bene added since a man may make many large volumes Wherfore these prouisoes had the order of the Churche I meane not Rome for that is no member of it may be kepte in traditions which are indifferent But in thys number you cannot iustly compryse the Crosse And although of some fathers it hath bene accompted such yet must ye remember as I sayd before that they dyd not alway buylde golde siluer but sometyme hay and stubble vpon Christ Nor euery thyng that is pretended to be the fathers wrytinges must by and by be thought to be theirs Many bastarde babes haue bene put in the cradel eyther when there was no lawfull chylde or the same ouerlayed and stifeled by the nurse As for exaÌ„ple Fol. 84. a. Athanasiê° Euagrius Li. 3. cap. 31. Athanasius whome you cyte for proufe that the Crosse was vsed in hys tyme hath many thynges that be none of hys Euagrius in the ecclesiasticall history doth playnly say that many workes of Apollinariê° were ascribed vnto hym And as for the booke which you alleage Questionum ad Antiochium is euident to be an others Quest 23. For Athanasius hymselfe is cited in it The wordes are these Et haec quidem multum valens in diuina scriptura magnus Athanasius And these thyngs did great Athanasius a mighty one in the Scripture of God Would Athanasius haue reported thys of hymself Wherfore in the ye bring prescription of time and writinges of the fathers for you ye do both reasoÌ„ vpon an vncertaine principle fayle in your proufe For the principle I say and I doubt not but ye wyll subscribe vnto me that whatsoeuer hath bene deliuered and otherwyse estemed Apostolique is not to be followed and thought inuiolable To begyn wyth that whiche bred in the Church a miserable schisme for many yeares together the Easter fast Easter fast Reade Eusebius in the Eccle His the v. boke the xxiiii xxv and xxvi cha was it alwayes and in euery place vniformly obserued Nothing lesse All the Asianes dissented froÌ„ the Romaines and eche of them sayd they had a tradition yea from the Apostles The Asians would haue Easter day to be the .xiiij. of the moneth Nisan howsoeuer it fell were it eyther the first seconde thyrde fourth fyfth or sixt fery The Romaines would haue it only on that day whiche is called Dominicus the Sabboth The Asians wer the stronger part they had Philip the Apostle and hys daughters Iohn the Euangeliste and Polycarpus his scholer for theÌ„ The Romaynes had the whole succession of byshops from Peter forwarde Which of these partes wyl you approue Ye are a Romanist and therfore ye will holde with Anicetus rather following the custome that is of hym receyued But now ye must not condemne the other least ye be gilty of the same cryme that Ireneus dyd reproue in Victor For he helde it tyranny to throw the thunderbolt of excommunication for a little storme the
a spectacle vnto vs. And nowe to coÌ„clude with Constantine the great Folio 86. whose fact is such a defence vnto you that ye thinke your selfe full armed with it But without any schole play with a downe right blow ye may be toucht on the bare For although Constantinus Constantine not fully yet instructed in the fayth sometime defended his face vvith the signe of saluation sometime shevved forth the victorious banner sometime erected it in a paynted table somtime did hang it vp before the court gate yet we neuer redde that of so many Churches as you say he builded he brought the signe of the crosse into any of theÌ„ Then did he not repose any holinesse therein nor his doings otherwise are to be drawen to example vnlesse ye haue nede to retourne with him from Paganisme to the fayth and haue as large commission as he Wherefore sith your ignoraunce vnderstandeth not the Fathers writings sith your impudencie falsly corrupteth them sith presumptions haue alwayes cuÌ„bred the Church of god and traditions in euery age with euery sere byshop varied we are not to be thought otherwise than followers of the Apostles although we decline froÌ„ some thing that men haue called and in their conceytes reputed Apostolique Flatter not your selfe as if any were so mad hauing common sense to be persuaded with your glorious wordes which in euery leafe haue so good triall of your shamelesse lies Learne what the Church is then talke thereof be a member of the Church and I wil make more accoÌ„pt of you Be no preacher to other of their soule health vnlesse ye take better order for your owne To the sixth Article THat diuerse holy men and vvomen Martiall Fol. 88. got little pieces of the holye Crosse and inclosed them in golde or siluer and eyther left theÌ„ in Churches to be vvorshipped or hanged them about their neckes therby to be the better vvarded To which assertioÌ„ coÌ„sidering what in the Articles afore hath bene sayd and proued a short answere may serue For inasmuch as al your reasons be grounded on a false principle authoritie of men whiche in Gods matters can take no place ye spende in thys Article a greate many moe wordes than all the matter in your booke is worth Tertullian hymselfe Tertullian de virginibê° uelandis speakyng of a traditioÌ„ more reasonable than thys pretendeth not authoritie but sayth that he wyll proue Hoc exigere veritateÌ„ cui nemo praescribere potest non spacium temporum non patrocinia personarum non priuilegium regionum Ex hijs enim fere consuetudo initium ab aliqua ignoraÌ„tia vel simplicitate sortita in vsum per successionem corroboratur ita aduersus veritatem vindicatur Sed dominus noster Christus veritatem se non consuetudinem cognominauit Si semper Christus prior omnibus aequè veritas sempiterna antiqua res That the truth requireth this against the which no persoÌ„ no space of tyme no mastershyp of men no priuiledge of countries can prescribe For most commonly by the meane of these custome that began of some ignoraunce of simplicitie is by succession coÌ„firmed into an vse and so exception taken against the truthe But Christ our Lord called hymselfe the truth and not the custome If Christ be alwayes before al the truth it selfe is aswel eternal and of most auncienty Let theÌ„ coÌ„sider and marke wel thys who accompt it new that in it self is olde No nouelty but verity confoundeth heresy Whatsoeuer is against the truth the same is heresy yea the olde custom it self as sayth Tertullian Wherefore ye should not presume so much vpon the credit of Helena Paulinus Gregory that whatsoeuer they did should be a sufficient presideÌ„t for vs to do the lyke The fathers of the olde the new Testament are not to be drawen for exaÌ„ple alwaies For then why not Dauid defende an adulterer a lecherous captayn willing to dispatch hys trusty soldior why wer it any fault to abiure the faith or otherwise dissemble with God if the lyke facte in Peter myght be followed Aug. contra 2. Ep. Gauden lib. 2. Augustine very wysely sayth NoÌ„ debemus imitari semper aut probare quicquid probati homines egerunt sed iuditium scripturarum adhibere an illae probent ea facta We must not alwayes imitate or alow whatsoeuer allowed persons haue done but lay the iudgemeÌ„t of scriptures to it whether they alow the doing of it If theÌ„ I droue you vnto this issue that ye should proue by the word of God the alleaged exaÌ„ples good ye had néede to require a loÌ„ger terme and yet in the ende you would make a non suite For ye shal not fynd in al the scripture any piece of word or exaÌ„ple of any that can by force be wrested to the reseruatioÌ„ of little scraps of wood or reposing any hope or affiance in them Too vaine and heathenish is the obseruaÌ„ce too foule and horrible is that Idolatry Yet wyll I not deface those fornamed persons vpon whose authoritie ye grounde your selfe nor say that otherwise they wer vngodly though in this point no godlinesse appeared Rom. 10. Paul writeth of the Iewes in his time thus Testimonium illis perhibeo quod studium Dei habent sed non secundum scientiaÌ„ I beare them recorde that they haue the zeale of God but not according to knowledge And I doubt not but these whom you haue named had a zeale of their own thought to serue God yet seruing their fansy first they dyd offende against the maiestie of God and were occasion of fall to many that came after 2. Par. 17. The holy Chronicles report of Iehosaphat that he walked in the first wayes of hys father Dauid sought not Baalim but sought the lord god of hys father and walked in hys coÌ„maundementes not after the trade of Israel The like testimony also is giueÌ„ him in the .20 ch Iehosaphat walked in the way of Asa hys father and departed not therefrom doing that whiche was right in the sight of the Lord notwtstanding the hie places were not taken away Beside thys 2. Paral. 19. he made affinitie with Ahab loued them that hated the Lord dyd any maÌ„ therfore for those imperfections condeÌ„ne Iehosophat as a wycked Prince Or wyl any maÌ„ excuse hym for the same On lyke sort I wil not vtterly disproue your authors I thynke not the contrary but that they wer Gods childreÌ„ although in this matter for which theyr authoritie is preteÌ„ded ther is none with safe conscience that can lyke with them Iud. 8. Gideon among the iudges of Israell was the least stayned yet through deuotion as he estemed it he greuously synned against the lord For when as a mighty chaÌ„pion he returned home from coÌ„quest of Midiam the souldiers laden with goldeÌ„ prey he required their earinges to be geueÌ„ to hym Which amounting to a great sum he made an Ephod of it
had 15. a. Three reasons why Christ can haue no Image made of him 16. a. The follye to haue a picture of Christ 16. b. How Images are honoured coÌ„trary to the minde of Gregorie 17. a. A note how Martials allegations for the crosse are to be knoweÌ„ in this treatise 17. b. The Papists hope ib. Mart. lies in his preface 18. a. Comparison betwene Papistes true Christians 19. In the first Article MEn in gods matters not to be beleeued without the word Folio 21. b. seq What iudges ought to sit in coÌ„trouersies of religioÌ„ 23. a. Howe Martiall entreateth of that which is not applying to the signe the vertue propre to the thing it self 25. b. Chrisostome his praise of the Crosse answered 26. a. Thinges well receyued yll continued 26. b. The signe of the Crosse an heathenish obseruance ib. Chrisost mangled by M. 26. b Martialis a pretended disciple answered 27. a. Damascenê° answered 27. b. Crosse signe no weapon to fight agaynst Sathan 28. b. Athanasius answered 29. a. Necessary notes to be obserued in reading of the Fathers 29. b. 30. b. Origen aunswered for hys prayse of the Crosse 31. a. Cassiodore answered 33. a. Martials fond reason for necessity of a Crosse 33. a. Lact. Aug. answered 33. b. Martials comparison examined 34. 35. Iulians exaÌ„ple opened wherby he wil proue the crosse to driue away spirits 35. seq The like example of a Iewe out of Gregory 36. Siluester the secoÌ„d for al his Crosses in the very Masse tyme was torne in pieces by Diuels 37. b. Martials allegations wherby he will proue mention to be made of his Crosse in Scripture howe they are answered 37. 38. 39. seq In the .ij. Article MArtial goeth only about to proue a matter that he promysed he woulde not speake of Folio 41. a. It is declared that although the Crosse were prefigured by Moses and the prophets yet it folowes not that wee must needes haue the signe thereof 41. b. His allegations for the prefiguring of the crosse examined 42. seq Moses handes lifted lyke a Crosse 43. seq The letter Thau 44. b. se Constantines apparitioÌ„ answered 45. b. For good successe in the Crosse time 47. a. Iulians visions discussed 48 Diuers meanes that God hath miraculously vsed for deliuery of his 49. seq Howe Papistes deale wyth Gods booke 52. a. The end of ceremonies 52. b. What Christ in iudgement shal require of vs. 53. In the .iij. Article THe .iiij. reasons why euery Church and Chappell should haue the signe of the Crosse aunswered Folio 54. seq Abdias proued fabulous 51. a. The true maner of dedication of Churches 52. b. Barthelmewes dedycation 54. a. Philips dedication ibid. The councels by Martial alleaged answered 54. b. He bringeth the bare name of three Councels and nothing else 58. a. Three Councels which are playne agaynst Images The Councell of Constantinople vnder Leo Isauricus 58. a. seq The Councell of Granata called Elibertinum 68. a. The Councel of Frankford ibid. seq The beastly reasons of the second Councell of Nice confirming images answered 70. seq The wyckednesse of Irene president of that sixt Councell 78. seq The Doctors answered that seeme to commaunde the signe of a Crosse in Churches 79. a. Ambrose in that case considered 79. a. seq How a crosse on the steple saueth the Church from burning 80. b. Lactantius authoritie aunswered 81. a. Eusebius thought it strange to see an ymage stand in the Church 82. a. Arnobius a great enimie to Images ib. Augustine aunswered 82. b. What is a mysterie ibid. Augustine doth answere the same obiections which the Papists make in defence of Images 83. a. b. His places against Images 84. b. Paulinus of Nola answered and disproued 84. b. Iustinians lawes weyghed 85. a. Valens Theodosius enacted that no crosse should be vsed 85. a. The custome of Church considered 85. b. Siluesters lie concerning the Church of Constantinus 86. b. Augustins rule for custome 87. a. In the .iiij. Article A Proufe that although the signe of the crosse haue bene vsed yet doth it not folowe that it is lawful now Folio 88. The tale of Probianus disproued 89. a. Cyprians authoritie examined 90. Augustines authority discussed 92. a. The difference of Rite and Recte 92. b. The Cannon lawe condemneth Crossemaster Martiall 93. a. Chrisostome answered ib. Constantinus Church hallowing 93. b. Popishe Church hallowing 94. a. Dionisius dysproued not to be Areopagita 95. b. Traditions and ceremonies added to baptisme 96. seq Confirmation proued no sacrament 97. a. Papistes blasphemous doctrine touching Confirmation 97. seq The reasons agaynste Popish confirmation 99. seq Howe Papistes falsefie the Scripture 100. a. The absurditie of popish doctrine ib. seq The fathers opinioÌ„ touching the number of Sacramentes 101. Cyprians errour 102. b. The seaueÌ„folde grace of Papists 103. a. Orders proued to be no Sacrament 104. seq No due proufe can be made that a Crosse wyth a finger was or ought to be made in the Lordes Supper 106. seq Matrimony proued no sacrament 108. a. Martials reasoÌ„ to make Matrimony a sacrament 109. a. Absurdities in Popishe doctrine concerning Matrimonie 109. b. seq Martiall disproued for his sacrament of Penaunce 111. b. Vanitie of Papistes therein 112. b. Martiall confuted for his sacrament of Extreme vnction 113. The absurdities in Popishe doctrine for Extreme vnction 114. That all councels are not to be credited 115. In the .v. Article THat Martiall vnderstandeth not what blessing meaneth which applieth it to a signe in the foreheade Folio 116. a. Vnlawful authorities brought for blessing 116. b. Epiphaniê° authority which tare the vayle 117. seq What is to bee thoughte of traditions 119. seq Tertullians traditions not to be obserued ib. Ephrem not alway sounde 120. a. Chrisostome not in al things to be followed ib. Hierome sometime to be reproued ib. Augustin not alwayes to be admitted ib. b. Prudentius hath hys infirmities ib. The vnitie of Papistes and Christians 121. a. Howe Martiall doth corrupt Tertullian 123. a. In Custome what to be considered 124. a. Traditions threefolde ib. Traditions howe they varie 126. What lies Martiall maketh of Athanasius 127. a. That Roodes Crosses Images are countrefets of Serapis 128. a. The godlinesse and good religion of Papists 129. seq In the .vj. Article AVthorities vnlawfull alleaged by Martiall for confirming of the Crosse keping Folio 131. a. No authoritie of men to be grounded on in Gods matters 132. Hierome agaynste reseruing pieces of the Crosse 132. b. Chrisostomes saying for inclosure of the Crosse in gold answered 133. a. Chrisostome agaynst such superstition 133. b. Effects of the Crosse pieces thereof considered 135. seq In the .vij. Article THat Crosses at the fyrste were not vsed in Letanies Folio 138. Montanistes Arrians authours of procession 138. b. Letanies of two sortes and when deuised 139. a. Howe