it was laide wherevppon as soone as it touched her she recouered This report of Rustinus seemeth to be vncertaine first because Ambrose sayeth the crosse was knowen by the title without speaking of any miracle secondly because the reporte of other writers is that the miracle was of a dead woman and some of two dead persons wherof to see more I referre the reader to mine answere to D. Sanders booke of Images cap. 13. or 12. Concerning the rest of the Miracles reported by Paulinus Epiphanius Augustine and others let thē haue such credite as their authors deserue which is not to build faith or doctrine vpon them or their writinges let it be that some were true and wrought by God yet followeth it not that al that haue bene since reported in the Popishe Legendes were either true or not wrought by the deuil whereabout Martiall maketh much wrangling but neither affirmeth nor concludeth any thing vniuersally None vse more crossing then witches and coniurers the deuil seemeth to be afraide to come neare them certaine strange works are brought to passe by them Let Martial affirme any vertue included in the crosse or signe thereof absolutely then we may deale with him accordingly For while he telleth vs what may be done by faith y e signe of y e crosse and what God hath done by good men with that signe it is nothing to the authorizing of that signe seeing the deuil by credulitie in wicked men hath don the like by the same signe And this is a true position of M. Calfhil though Martiall will not vnderstand it That it is not a sufficient proofe to make a thing good or to shew it to be good because he cauilleth like a calfe a◠the worde of making to say that miracles were wrought by it Martial asketh first whether the miracles of Christ were not a sufficient proofe of his diuine power Where he flyeth from the position which speaketh not of the principal efficient cause out of a ceremonie a meane or instrument More pertinently he asketh of the hemme of Christs coate Saint Paules napkins whether they had not a vertue by his body I answere no. No more then Iudas lippes that kissed Christe and Peters shadowe which could neither be holy nor efficient of any thing because it was nothing but the priuation of the light by comming betweene of his body So I say of coates napkins ashes of Martyrs and signe of the crosse if any miracles were done by meanes of them they are not thereby holy neither haue they any vertue in them The Lord hath giuen vs a generall rule to examine all miracles and miracle workers by the doctrine they teache Deut. 13. If there arise among you a prophet or dreamer of dreames and giue thee a signe or wonder and y ◠signe the wonder which he hath told thee come to passe if he say let vs goe after other Gods which thou hast not knowen and let vs serue them thou shal not hearken vnto the words of that prophet or vnto that dreamer of dreames for the Lord your God proueth you to know whether you loue the Lord your God with al your heart and with all your soule Ye shal walk after the Lord your God and feare him and kepe his cōmandements and hearken vnto his voyce and ye shall serue him and cleaue vnto him By this scripture we are taught to examine all miracles whether they tende to the honour of the only true God and the maintenance of his true worshippe according to his worde whiche Martiall him selfe in a manner confesseth saying that miracles done by heretikes are not able to commende a thing But he findeth great fault with Maister Calfhil for coupling the generation of a childe in adultery or feeding by stollen breade to be miracles because they be not extraordinarily miracles and yet he can not deny but they be great wonders and the reason of the meanes is all one in both Nowe let vs see howe he aunswereth those three reasons of Maister Calfhils why miracles make not for the crosse And first he aunswereth to a question Why the durt in the streete by whiche Christe wrought a miracle should not be honoured as well as the crosse on the altar He aunswereth because the crosse was an instrument by which all the worlde was saued So was Iudas so was Pilate The second He saith the crosse is a liuely representation of Christes death Nay a dombe and dead idoll which is good for nothing Abacuc 2. The thirde The crosse is effectuous euer since A deed efficient The crosse is commaunded of God to be made and vsed by diuers Reuelations from heauen Nay by the diuell from hell and yet if Angels from heauen had taught the crosse to be made and vsed as another Gospell as it is accounted of the Papists as great as circumcisiō was of y e Iewes not preached by the Apostles not conteyned in the Scriptures we might safely accurse them But now to the reasons the first is Why should not such external meanes as Christ and his Apostles vsed scripture mentioneth be had in administration rather then the idle deuice of man of which there is no lawfull president Martiall answereth the crosse is no idle deuise but a tradition of the Apostles whereof they haue lawful presidentes But seeing no president is lawfull to builde our faith vpon but the holy scriptures which the Papistes haue not for their crosse the reason standeth vntouched The second reason If miracles were done by the signe of the crosse yet not onely by it therefore the crosse should not only be magnified without the rest Martial affirmeth that hee would not haue the crosse magnified without the rest as prayer and faith How doeth he then magnifie the crosse in Iulians storie which was without prayer and faith The third reason If miracles were done by the crosse yet it should not be had in estimation except all other thinges by which miracles were wrought as the he◠of Christes garment the spitle and clay the shadowe of Peter and napkins of Paule were likewise honoured and esteemed Martial aunswereth this is but his assertion for which he hath neither scripture councel nor Doctor As though an argument A paribus were not good except the conclusion were expressed in Scriptur doctor or councel Yet he replieth that the crosse is the principall meane by which miracles haue ben wrought But the Scripture is against that for Christ wrought no miracle by the signe of y ◠crosse Nay I slander him for he reasoneth not ad idem but the crosse is the cheefe and principal instrumente of our redemption yet not holier then the speare the reede and the sponge as Athanasius affirmeth Ad Antioch que 16. But euen the hemme the spettle and clay if he had them Martial would honor worship esteeme for his sake whose pretious body they touched Then let him worship the sunne that touched him with his beams of light or
the Greeke and Easterne Churches from him which they count to be a schisme and heresie The third reason No heresie can continue and ouergrowe the true Church Papistrie hath continued Ergo Papistrie is no heresie The minor of this syllogisme is false for Papistrie hath not continued from the time of Christe but hath had her beginning long since and was not growne to a ripenesse of all her heresies in more then a thousand yeares after Christ as I haue shewed in the table of differences Therefore what so euer he saith to proue the maior is to no purpose when the minor is manifestly false CAP. XX. The third reason of the former chapter is fortified out of the aunicient and learned Fathers Nowe he taketh in hand a goodly piece of fortification and like a worthie surueior of the Popes buildings he bestoweth great cost out of Hilarius Chrysostome and Clemens Alexandrinus for defence of such a point as none of his aduersaries would euer offer to assaile Nameley the continuance of the Church and true religion which can not be ouercome not kept downe by any tyrannie or heresie but the more it is persecuted and oppressed the more it will flourish and increase And for this cause the true Church and faith of Christ although it haue bene long troden downe and afflicted by the tyrannie of Antichrist euen to such time as God had appointed that Antichrist shuld rage in the world for the sinnes thereof and especially for the contempt of the trueth 2. Thess. 2. yet hath it in the end preuailed encreased and flourished and by no craft or crueltie of Antichrist could any longer be suppressed or kept vnder Let not Papistes therefore bragge that they haue preuailed so long but let them nowe behold their ouerthrow by the increase of Gods Church and looke for their finall destruction at the glorious appearing of our Sauiour Christ. We doubt not therefore but determine with Augustine De vtilitate credendi to rest in y e bosome of that Church which from the seate of the Apostle by consent of mankind hath continued by succession of Bishops and hath obtained the height of authoritie all heretikes barking about it which partly by the iudgement of the people partly by the grauitie of Councels partly by the maiestie of miracles haue bene condemned But we vtterly denie the Popish Church to be this Church which hath had no continuance of succession from the Apostles seate in faith and doctrine though it claime neuer so much the succession of persons and places with the Donatistes Symon Magus Martion Eunomius and other heretikes we haue nothing to doe If trueth in Aerius and Vigilantius was condemned for errour not by the scriptures but by the tradition of men such condemnation can be no preiudice to them or their opinion when being called againe into iudgement they are found by sentence of Gods word the iudgement of the more ancient Fathers to haue ben wrongfully condemned To conclude Papistrie hath not preuailed against the church of God which hauing sought by all meanes so long time to roote her out of the earth yet was neuer able to bring to passe her wicked deuice but that the Church of Christ and the true religion thereof hath at last in the sight of al men gotten the vpper hand in despight of the Pope and Papistrie and all Papistes THE SECOND part of the Fortresse CAP. I. CErtaine demaundes to Protestantes putting the case that Papistes these many hundreth yeres haue liued in a wrong faith all which the case so put they ought of necessitie to satisfie WHat so euer the Protestantes can say for them selues as their credite is not great with him except they can proue one of his two demaūds he thinketh no godly or wise man will regard any thing they can say The first demaund is where or vnder what Pope or Emperour Papistrie beganne I aunswere Papistrie being antichristianitie the mysterie of that iniquitie began euen in the time of the Apostles 2. Thess. 2. Claudius being Emperour of Rome and so contiuned increasing in Apostasie vntill the time of Sigismund the Emperour who procured the Councel of Constance in which the lay people were robbed of the cup of the Lordes bloud Stapleton must beare with me if I can not name the Pope bicause at that time there were no lesse then three Popes at once and no man then liuing but as he was affectionate to one of those three could determine which of them was Pope This Stapleton though he haue a brasen face will not denie He requireth vs further to shewe the complaint of other Churches against Papistrie First for the beginning of the mysterie of iniquitie S. Paul complaineth 2. Thess. 2. And for the proceeding of that which was y e chiefe point therof namely the tyrannie of y e Bishop of Rome alwayes as it shewed it selfe some there were which complained of it Victor is the first Bishop of Rome which discouered the hid mysterie of iniquitie in vsurping against his fellowe Bishops in the time of the Emperour Seuerus against whome complained sharply reproued him Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons Polycrates and many other Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 25. Afterward in the dayes of Theodosius Honorius and Arcadius the Emperours when the Bishops of Rome Innocentius Bonifacius Zosimus Anastasius and Celestinus vsurped more openly in so much that they forged among them a decree of the Councel of Nice whereby they claimed their authoritie they were complained of by the Bishops and Church of Africa in open Councel the forgerie detected and decrees made that none in Africa should appeale to any Bishop ouer the Sea And that the Bishop of the first See should not be called prince of Priestes nor by any such name of pride but onely Bishop of the first See Conc Mileuit c. 22. Conc. Carth. 6. cap. 4. Conc. African c. 92. Ep. Concil ad Bonifac. Caelestinum Afterward in the dayes of the Emperour Mauritius when Iohn of Constantinople vsurped the title of vniuersall Bishop as the forerunner of Antichrist Gregorie him selfe Bishop of Rome complained of him and pronounced that he was the forerunner of Antichrist Wherefore Stapleton lyeth shamefully when he saith we make him the first Antichrist for as I haue testified before although there was in him a superstitious affection vnto ceremonies and that he was infected with certaine olde errours that had preuailed before his time yet bicause he helde the foundation of saluation by Christ onely and detested the vsurpation of that Antichristian title we account him for a member of the true Church of Christ. But after him when in the dayes of Phocas Bonifacius by pride and symonie had vsurped the same Antichristian authoritie and procured that the Church of Rome should be counted head of all Churches he was complayned of by the Church of Rauenna in Italie which would not acknowledge that Antichristian title neyther would submitte her selfe vnto the whore of
knewe that he were a Iewe. So wise he is to compare the superstition of the wicked Turkes with the obseruation of the lawe by the godly Iewes Nay hee is yet more eloquent and sheweth that the Protestantes are like the Turkes in condemning of images in allowing marriage after deuorce c. as though we might not acknowledge one God lest we should be like the Turkes and Iewes nor honour vertue nor dispraise vice because they do so nor obey magistrates nor eat and drinke because the Turkes and Iewes doe so O deepe learning of a lawyer diuine That Images do not teach he sayeth it is a position more boldly aduouched then wisely proued then quoteth Gregorie Ep. 9. lib. 9. c. but he is deceiued if he thinke we holde that images teach not for we affirme with the Prophet Abacuc that they teache lyes Cap. 2. ver 18. vanitie Ier. 10. ver 8. As for the story of Amadis the Goldsmith and the Epistle of Eleutherius fetched out of the guild hall in London as M. Calfhill maketh no great accompt of them so I passe them ouer although Martiall would haue men thinke they be the strongest arguments the Protestants haue against the superstition of the crosse and the vsurped tyrannie of the Pope Finally the excuse he maketh of his railing by M. Calfhils example how honest it is I referre to wise men to consider If M. Calfhill had passed the bondes of modestie it were small praise in Martiall to follow him yea to passe him But if M. Calfhill as indifferent menâ—â—ay thinke hath not greatly exceeded in termes of â—eate against Martials person whatsoeuer he hath spoken against his heresies the continuall scorning both of M. Calfhils name and his person vsed so often in euery leafe of his reply in the iudgement of all reasonable persons will cause Martiall to be taken for a lawlesse wrangler rather then a sober and Christian lawyer The first Article This article hath no title and in effect it hath no matter For 13. leaues are spent about a needelesse impertinent controuersie of the Authoritie of y e holy Scriptures and of the Church of God whereof the one is the rule of faith the other is the thing ruled and directed thereby Nowe whether ought to bee y e Iudge the rule or the thing ruled is the question The rule say wee as the lawe the Church sayeth he as the Iusticier And then we are at as great controuersie what or where the Church is In effect the coÌ„trouersie commeth to this issue whether he be a Iusticier or an iniusticier which pronounceth sentence contrary to the lawe I would think that common reason might decide these questions That he which giueth sentence against the lawe may haue the name and occupy the place of a Iusticier but a true Iusticier he cannot be in deede Right so the Popish Church which condemneth the trueth for heresie hath vsurped as the Iudge but in deede is a cruell tyrant But the controuersie is not of the worde but of the meaning and where shall that be founde but in the mouth of the Iudge sayeth he if this were true I woulde neuer be a Bachiler of lawe if I were as Martiall nor yet a doctor thereof except it were to deceiue poore clyantes for their money if there were not a sence or meaning of the lawe which other men might vnderstande as well as he that occupyeth the place of the Iudge that I might appeale when I sawe he gaue wrong sentence But let vs briefely runne ouer his Achillean arguments The Eunomians Arrians Eutychians and Maximus the heretike reiected the testimonies of the fathers and the authoritie of the Church and appealed to Scriptures So doeth manye â— wrangling lawyer to continue his fee from his clyant appeale when he hath no cause but receyued right sentence according to the lawe ergo no appeale is to be admitted This is Martials lawe or logyke I knowe not whether But what was this Maximus you name so often Master Martial that S. Augustine writ against Could you reade your note booke no better Against Maximinus the Arrian he writeth that neither of them both was to be holden by the authoritie of Councels the Nicen or the Ariminense but by the authorities of the Scripture lib. 3. Cap. 4. But Tertullian would haue heretikes conuinced by the authoritie of the Church and not of the Scriptures Yea verely but such heretikes as denyed certeine scriptures and peruerteth the rest by their false interpretations Such are the Protestantes sayeth Martial for Luther denyeth the Epistle to the Hebrues the Apocalipse the Epistle of S. Iames and S. Iude. But Luther is not all Protestants neyther did Luther alwayes or altogether denye them Neither do the Protestantes affirme anye thing in matters of controuersie in their interpretations but the same is affirmed by writers of the most auncient and pure Church Martiall obiecteth that Christe sent not his disciples alwayes to the Scriptures but sometimes to the figge tree to the flowers of the fielde to the fowles of the ayre c. Paul alledgeth the heathen Poet also customs tradition And we also vse similitudes of Gods creatures and alledge custome and condition but so that the scripture be the onely rule of trueth whereto whatsoeuer in the worlde agreeth is true whatsoeuer disagreeth from it is false The traditions of the Apostles which by their writings wee knowe to be theirs we reuerently receiue not as mens traditions but as the doctrine of God for wee heare them euen as God Also we heare the voice of the Church admonishing vs if we giue offence Finally y e Patriarks Prophets Apostles EuaÌ„gelists Pastors and doctors we all reuerence and heare as the messengers of God but so that they approue vnto vs their sayings out of the worde of God and doctrine of Christ. Likewise we admit the writings of the fathers so farre as they agree with the writings of God and further to be credited they them selues required not The sayings of the doctors that Martiall citeth for the credite of old writers you shall finde satisfied in mine answere to Hoskins almost in order as they be here set downe for one Papist boroweth of another and fewe of them haue any thing of their owne reading The saying of Clemens is aunswered lib. 1. Cap. 8. Eusebius concerning Pâ—â— and Gregory and Hieronime Cap. 7. The sayâ—â—â— of Irenaeus and Athanasius that we ought to hauâ—â—course to the Apostolike Churches which reteine the doctrine of the Apostles against newe heresies as also of Tertullian to the like effect we acknowledge to be true but seeing the Church of Rome reteineth not the Apostolike doctrine at this day we deny it to be an Apostolike Church Therefore as many as build vppon it or vpon any auncient writers wordes which hath not the holy scriptures for his warrant as M. Cal. sayde buyldeth vpon an euill ground For if an Angell from heauen teach otherwise then the
Apostles haue preached vnto vs be he accursed Here the quarreling lawyer findeth fault with his translation because Euangelizauimus may be referred as well to the Disciples as to y e Apostles so that y e Disciples preachings are to be credited as well as y e Apostles No doubt if they preach the doctrine of the Apostles of which the controuersie is and not of the persons that preach it But these quarels sir Bacheler are more meete for the bomme courtes where perhaps you are a prating proctor then for the schooles of diuinitie Wee are gone out you say and that we confesse in our apologie Yea wee are gone out of Babylon but not out of the church of God but abyde in the doctrine of Christ. And you are gone out of the Church of God which remaine in the synke of Rome that is departed frō that which was heard from the beginning and was sacrosanctum apud Apostolorum Ecclesias moste holy in the Apostles Churches You cannot abyde to be charged with the saying of Christ. They worship mee in vaine that teache the doctrine and precepts of men First you saye the Apostles were men whose traditions the Church must receiue yea sir but they deliuered no doctrine of their owne Secondly Christ speaketh of the Scribes Pharisees and their fonde traditions and not of the Church and her Catholike traditions and customes And they be Scribes and Pharisees which euen in the Church teach a false worshipping of God according to the doctrines and traditions of men disanulling the commaundements of God as the Popish teachers in their doctrine of Images communion in one kind priuate Masse c. That Augustine framing a perfect preacher willeth him to conferre the places of Scripture together you say it is a profounde conclusion to inferre that he sendeth him not to doctours distinctions censure of the Church Canons of the Popes nor traditions of the fathers but onely to quyet and content him selfe with the worde of God And these last wordes you saye are not found in Augustine de doct Chr. Cap. 9. sequentibus as though Master Calfhil recited the words not the sense for which he referreth you not only to that Chapter but to the rest following in al which there is no mention of doctors distinctions Popes Canons c. But this is an argument ab authoritate negatiuè Make as much and as little as you will of Augustines authoritie Master Calfhill hath rightly inferred vppon Augustines iudgement that if conference of Scriptures wil make a perfect preacher which you graunt he needeth neyther doctors distinctions nor Church censures c. but may quyet and content him selfe with the onely worde of God But it would make an horse to breake his halter to see howe Martiall prooueth out of Augustine that God teacheth vs by men and not by Angels and that knowledge of the tongues and instructions of men is profitable for a preacher yea the consent of moste of the Catholike Churches and the interpretations of learned men as though all those were not to be referred to the dewe conference of scriptures where onely resteth the substance of doctrine and the authoritie of faith and not in doctours distinctions Church censures Popes Canons c. which haue no grounde in the Scriptures or else be contrary to them Where Master Calfhill sheweth that as before the newe testament was written all things were examined according to the wordes and Sermons of the Apostles so after the newe testament was written all thinges ought to be examined according to their writings because there is none other testimonie of credite extant of their sermons writings Martiall replyeth out of Saint Augustine that wee haue many thinges by tradition which are not writen which being vniuersally obserued it were madnesse to breake Ep. 118. But Augustine speaketh not of doctrine but of ceremonyes or obseruations Out of Hierom ad Pam. he obiecteth that our Creede is not written in the Scriptures which is vtterly false although the fourme of the symbole be not set downe as wee rehearse it Thirdly out of Epiphanius contra Apostolic li. 2. Heres 61. that wee must vse tradition because all thinges cannot be taken out of the holy Scriptures Therefore the holy Apostles deliuered certeine things in writing and certeine things in tradition c. But they deliuered nothing in tradition contrary to their writinges neyther omitted they to write any thing that was necessarie for our saluation The matter whereof Epiphanius speaketh is that it is a tradition of the Apostles that it is sinne to marry after virginitie decreed and yet he holdeth that it is better to marrye after virginitie decreed then to burne contrary to the doctrine of the Papistes But Martiall frankely graunteth that no doctour is to be credited against the Scripture and the content of the whole Church Yet where Master Calfhill sayde that no man in any age was so perfect that a certeine trueth was to be buylded on him bringing examples of Aaron and Peter the one the high Priest of the Iewes the other affirmed by the Papistes to be the same of the Christians He quarreleth at his induction because he sayeth not sic de singulis where as his argument followeth not of the fourme of induction but of the place a maiore ad minus After this as he doeth nothing but cauill hee chargeth Master Calfhill for corrupting Saint Augustine saying Truth mee not nor credite my writings c. Proem lib. 3. de Trinit For Saint Augustine sayeth not trust mee not But he confesseth that he sayeth Do not addict thy selfe to my writings as to the Canonicall Scriptures See what a corruption here is when Master Calfhill rendereth not the words but the meaning of Augustine Againe saint Basil he sayeth is vilely abused because Master Calfhill sayeth Saint Basil setteth forth by a proper similitude with what iudgement the fathers of the Church should be read Conc. ad Adol wheras Basil speaketh of prophane writers As though Basils similitude may not serue to shewe howe both should bee read because he speaketh but of one sorte Likewise he cryeth out that Saint Hierome is not truely alledged because the Printer in the English translation of Hieroms words hath omitted this word not which he hath set downe in the Latine The 4. pretie persons he putteth vppon Master Calfhill as foolishe and childishe I omitt onely the slaunderers persons I will touche In saying that the fathers declyned all from the simplicitie of the Gospell in ceremonies He chargeth M. Calfhill to be a slaunderer Because God hath not suffered all the fathers to declyne lest hell gates should haue preuailed against his Church Although M. Calfhill speake of those fathers onely whose writings are extant yet the gates of hell in ydle ceremonies did but assault they did not preuaile against the Church And these fathers departed not from the Gospell but declined from the simplicitie thereof But you Papistes haue departed
of their Emperour in the consecration of their dead Emperours images whom they worshipped as Gods For which causes Iustinus thought it vnreasonable that they should contemne Christ for his crosses sake But of vsing the signe of the crosse in all sacramentes there is no mention in Iustinus That in Chrysostomes time other more ancient fathers y e signe of y e crosse was vsed at the celebration of the sacramentes M. Calfhil granteth as a ceremonie you confesse It is but a ceremonie and that our sacramentes lacking the signe of the crosse and that vsual ceremonie be perfect notwithstanding And yet you exclaime against vs for omitting a needelesse ceremonie where we see it hath bene turned from that indifferent vsage of the forefathers into an idolatrous custome opinioÌ„ of necessitie The credite of Dionysiê° for so ancient a scholler of S. Paul as you would make him it too much cracked by Erasmus to be cured by Martial Where M. Calfhil truly faith you can not deny but he hath as good authoritie for honie mike wine to be restored in baptisme and the communion to be giuen to children as you haue for the crosse you aunswere these were altered by the Church of Rome which hath authoritie so to do y e crosse stil remaineth but marke what you say were these traditions of the Apostles if you say no y e like wil I say of the crosse for y e same authoritie coÌ„mendeth theÌ„ al a like for traditions of the Apostles Wel if they were traditions of y e Apostles by the holy Ghost which you hold to be of equal authoritie w t y t scriptures y e Church of Rome hath abolished the one why may she not abolish the other so y t your answer conteineth manifest blasphemie To fortifie your traditions you alledge y t Iesus did many thinges which are not written c. but you leaue of y t which foloweth but these are written y t you might be leeue in beleeuing haue eternal life Io. 20. yet S. Iohn speketh of miracles not of ceremonies to be vsed in baptisme wherunto you apply it But Iesus himself saith he hath many things to say that y e apostles could not then beare c. Ioan. 16. And you would know in what worke of the Apostles those thinges are written yea you would haue the Chapter noted Pleaseth it you to looke your selfe in the Actes of the Apostles and in their Epistles c. And you shall finde that the scriptures will instruct the man of God vnto all good works make him wise vnto saluation if these wil not serue your turn seeke where you wil find y e deuil eternal damnatioÌ„ But I pray you could not y e apostles beare y t hearing of the signe of the crosse of salt oyle spittle in baptisme were these such harde lessons to learn or heauy to beare if you think they were I enuy not vnto you so wise a thought But you will teach vs how we shal know y t these are traditions of y e apostles to this inquire you answer euen as we know y e gospels epistles to be y e Canonical scriptures by authoritie of y e church which you think sufficient for y t purpose But so do not we for although we receiue the testimony of y e Church yet we haue greater authoritie out of y e scriptures of y e old TestameÌ„t y t spirit by which they were writeÌ„ being alwais y e same by which we are perswaded y t y e gospels epistles are the holy scriptures Againe y e vniuersal Church of all times places giueth witnes to those writings so doeth it not to these traditions Therefore we are neuer the neare to knowe Apostolical traditions by authoritie of the Popish church whiche ascribeth thinges manifestly contrary to the worde of God and writinges of the Apostles to Apostolike traditions as Images halfe communion priuate Masse c. After this brabbling of traditions followeth a long brawle about numbers which the Papistes do superstitiously obserue and of the authoritie of the seuentie interpreters whose translation if it were extant no doubt but it were worthie of great reuerence but seeing these questions are fruitelesse and impertinent vnto the article I wil clearely omit them Martial returning to proue that the signe of the crosse was vsed in consecrating the body and bloud of Christ findeth himselfe greatly greeued that M. Calfhil calleth the Masse the sacrifice of the deuil wherein be so many good things as the Collets Gospel epistle Gloria in Excelsis c. by which reasoÌ„ I might proue a diuelish coniuration in which be so many names of God and good words to be an holy peece of worke Therfore it is not many good parts abused to make a wicked thing good that can iustifie the Masse which is an hurrible blasphemie against the death and onely sacrifice of Christ. But M. Calfhil doth not satisfie him where he citing out of Albertus Magnus That Christ did blesse the sacrament with a certeine signe of his hand as Iacob laide his hands on Iosephs sons and Christ laid his hands vpon the children lifted vp his hands blessed his Apostles c. asketh why we might not say Christ made a signe of y e crosse considering that Chrisostome Augustine and Euthymus testifie that in their time the signe of y e crosse was vsed in consecration this question he saith is not soluted This is sone answered because laying on of hands and lifting vp of handes which be sometime vsed in blessing doth not proue a crossing with the finger of ones hand as the Papistes vse and because the Euangelistes which describe all that he then saide or did for vs to followe make no mention of any such signe of hand made by him in blessing The long discourse that followeth of blessing and giuing of thankes is needelesse for we know and confesse that as they somtimes signifie all one thing so they differ sometimes we confesse that the bread and wine in the Lords supper were blessed that is to say sanctified and consecrated but not with any signe of hand which is the mater in question but with the worde of God and with prayer not onely as bodily meates but as heauenly and spirituall mysteries to feede the soule But it is a sport to see how Martiall when he hath prooued that which was not in question that the bread wine were blessed sanctified by Christ that they must nowe be so consecrated by the Church he runneth away with the signe of the Crosse whereof he hath brought no proofe of the vse by Christ saying There must be consecration by honouring the wordes of Christ and calling vpon his name making the signe of the crosse which maner of coÌ„secration the Church learned of Christ hath continued euer since so that we may boldly say with Albertus He blest it with a certeine signe of his
hand But I pray you sir where learned you this signe vsed by Christ How proue you that it hath bene vsed ever since It is inough for Martiall to say that all the learning in English Doctours will neuer be able to proue this assertion of his to be friuolous But seeing he is so Greekish to teach M. Calfhil to conster Saint Paules wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and findeth fault with him for giuing the aoristes the signification of the present temps let him looke in his lexicon where I weene al his Greeke is how he will abide by this saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Saint Matthew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Saint Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Saint Paule haue relation to the bread and wine and answere to the question whom or what seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no verbe transitiue although the Christian writers as Iustinus Martir hath fayned a passiue vnto it Again in the saying of Chrysostom Ho. 24. in 1. Cor. Cap. 10. where Martiall will haue vs marke that the body of Christ is seeene vpon the altar let him his felowes marke that if it be none otherwise there then as it is seene it is present onely to the faith by whose eye it is seene After this tedious treatise of bleassing and thankesgiuing he commeth to his olde petition or principle that the signing with the crosse is a tradition of the Apostles and angry he is that he should be called on to proue y t it is a tradition of the Apostles whereof he can finde no mention in Ecclesiastical writers before y e Valentinian heretikes And wheras Cyprian Ad Panpeium calleth all traditions to the writings commandement of the Apostles he crieth out y t Cyprian is slandered because he him selfe alledgeth the tradition of Christ for mingling of water with y e wine If Cyprian breake his own rule who can excuse him But if he had ben vrged as much for the necessitie of water as he was for the necessitie of wine in y e sacrament he wold haue better considered of the matter FroÌ„ this matter he descendeth to proue the number of sacramentes to be seuen because matrimony is of some olde writers called a sacrament when they meane not a sacrament in y t sense that baptisme is a sacrament but generally a mistery And because M. Calfhil saith that sacramentes were signes ordeined of God to confirme our faith he wil proue y t we haue no sacraments at all because baptisme if it be ministred to men of yeares confirmeth not their faith for they must haue their faith coÌ„firmed before they be baptised so must they that receiue y e communion But when infantes be baptised they haue no faith but the faith of the Church therefore their faith can not be confirmed Did you euer heare such a filthy hogge grunt so beastly of the holy sacraments that they shold be no helps of our father We beleue y t infants although they haue no faith wheÌ„ they are baptised yet haue their faith coÌ„firmed by their baptisme eueÌ„ to their liues end And y t they which come to y e Lordes â—able w t a true faith in Gods promises haue y e same coÌ„firmed by the seale of his word which is that holy sacrament Martial calleth for scriptures Among a thousand texts this one shal serue AbrahaÌ„ receiued y t signe of circumcision a seale of the righteousnes of faith which he had being vncircumcised Rom. 4. v. 11. Tell vs Martiall by thy lawe wherefore a seale serueth if not for confirmation But what should I talke with them of faith which as they haue none in the promises of God so they knowe not what in meaneth To that reason of Master Calfhill that Matrimonie bath no promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes he answereth denying that euery sacrament hath a promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes annexed and afterward he asketh where hath the supper of our Lorde a promise of remission of sinnes for sinnes are forgiuen before the sacrament be receiued Is this y e diuinitie of Louaine is the holy supper auayleable neither for confirmation of faith nor to forgiuenesse of sinnes Wherfore saith Christ of the cupp This is my bloud of the newe Testament which is shed for many vnto forgiuenesse of sinnes Nay sayth Martiall if there be a remission of sines then is it a sacrament propitiatorie contrary to your owne doctrine Nothing the sooner so long as remission of sinnes be not tyed to the work wrought according to your heresie but sealed vnto the faith of the worthie receiuer Likewise he quarrelleth against that reason that Matrimonie conferreth no grace which is easily proued by this that Matrimony is good being contracted among Gentyles heathen persons And whereas he bringeth in the blessing of God to married persons either they be such as pertein to all men in general so proue no grace of mariage in y e church or else to y e faithful only so pertaine to faith not to marriage as y t the faithful woman shall be saued by bringing forth of children The questioÌ„ of marriage after deuorcement because it pertaineth not to y e Crosse I wil not meddle with it M. Calfhill hath sayd more then Martial can answere Touching the popish sacrament of penance which Martiall and not S. Hierome calleth the second table after shipwracke M. Calfhil hath likewise proued effectually that it is no sacrament of Christs Church Against which Martiall bringeth nothing but certein sentences of scripture to proue how necessary repentance is after men haue sinned to obteine remission of sinnes Whereof S. Hierome speaketh and not of Popish penance consisting of contrition confession and satisfaction with their blasphemous absolution Concerning extreme vnction that it is no perpetual sacrament of the Church it is plaine by scripture because the gift of healing which was annexed vnto y e annoynting of oyle spoken of in S. Iames hath long agoe ceased Wherefore it followeth that the same ceremonie of annoynting was temporall euen as the promise of bodily health that was ioyned to it was temporall Finally touching the Councel of Trent that hath allowed all these for sacraments how lawfull it was wheÌ„ he that was accused for heresie should be the onely Iudge I thinke Martiall by his lawe could discusse if he list And as for the saueconduit graunted to the Protestants they haue learned by the case of I. Hus and Hierom of Prage to trust the faith of Papistes as much as they like their religion To conclude there is nothing prooued in this article which pretended that the crosse was alwayes vsed in the sacraments And it is confessed that when it is vsed it is but a ceremonie and such as the want therof taketh not away the effect of the sacraments wherfore seeing the sacraments are perfect without it they are not to be condemned which vpon good grounde and sufficient authoritie haue refused it The fifth Article That the
onely begotten sonne of God and not he in deede Againe he sayeth Cùm fecisset quasi flagellum when he had made as it were a scourge master Vsher will conster it so that was not a scourge in deede because he sayeth as it were a scourge But Martiall will still vrge the fact of Paula in worshipping the crosse of Christ vntill it be shewed out of Epiphanius by better euidence then yet is shewed that he woulde haue no crosse no crucifixe nor image in the Church A mā would thinke this were sufficient euidence when hee sayeth Cùm ergo hoc vidissem in ecclesia Christi contra authoritatem scripturarum hominis pendere imaginem c. Wherefore when I sawe this that in the Church of Christe did hang an image of a man contrary to the authoritie of the scriptures I rent it c. Further euidence out of Epiphanius you may see in the place before cited Martiall would haue vs make a Kalender of Christian men that refused to blesse them selues with the crosse which were 〈◊〉 infinite matter seeing from the Apostles vnto the Valentinian heretikes it is not read that any such estimation was of the crosse y t it should be any blessing or confirmation Master Calfhils rule that we must liue not after examples but after lawes meaning not followe what soeuer hath beene done by good men but whatsoeuer was well done according to the lawe of God Martiall reiecteth vpō vaine foolish and friuolous reasons as that some examples are to be followed that the lawe serueth not for a iust man that custome must be followed where lawe faileth c. Beside that he slaundereth Luther as one that would haue all lawes and orders of Princes put awaye Againe whereas M. Calfhill sheweth that the fathers taught other things more oft more earnestly then the vse of the crosse As that it was a wickednesse to fast on Sonday or to pray on our knees beside the oblations on birthdayes milke and hony with the communion giuen to infants c. Martiall answereth these are abrogated by the church this is not But seing none of them hath ben in worse abuse then this custome of crossing this ought to be abrogated of euery church as well as those But whereas Martiall compareth the doctrine of S. Paul 1. Cor. 11. for couering or vncouering of men womens heads and the decree of y e Apostles for bloud and strangled Act. 15. with those abrogated customes he doth verye lewdly for beside y t the authoritie of y e one is certeine the other vncerteine of some forged the doctrine of S. Paul as he there deliuereth it is perpetuall the decree of the Apostles was neuer ment of them but to be temporall for auoiding offence of the Iewes As touching the credit of the olde writers who had all their errors we like well y e councell of Vincentius Lyrinensis y t we should stil haue recourse for triall to y e most ancient in which we must needes accompt y e writings of the Apostles both of moste antiquitie and of greatest authoritie Wherefore seeing the manner of blessing with the crosse is not found either in the writings of the Apostles or in the most auncient fathers Iustinus Irenaeus Clemens Alexandrinus by Vincentius councel we may iustly accompt it for a corrupt custome crept into the church either by aemulation of heretikes or in contention against the Paganes But Martiall slaundereth vs and the Apollogie of the church of England that the chiefe cause of our seperation from the Church of Rome was the euill life of the gouernours thereof and vainly spendeth time to proue out of Ciprian Augustine and Caluine that for that cause wee ought not to separate our selues whereas we are departed out of Babylon not so much for the abhominable life thereof as for the corrupt false doctrine taught therein by which it is shewed to be y e Synagogue of sathan not the church of Christ. And here Martiall hudleth vp a nomber of quotations for the authoritie of the Pope and of the church of Rome which seeing they haue beene all often times answered and by mee also in aunswere to D. Saunders rocke it were folly here to stand vpon thē But he will not be counted a falsifier of Tertullian when of diuerse copyes and impressions he wilfully chooseth the worst that he might wring it to his purpose although the matter be not worth the strife about it For Tertullians iudgement of tradition without scripture in that place is corrupt for Martiall him selfe confesseth that a tradition vnwritten should be reasonable and agreable to the scriptures and so he saith the tradition of blessing with y e crosse is because the Apostles by the holy ghoste deliuered it But who shall assure vs thereof Tertullian Basil are not sufficient warrant for so worthie a matter seeing S. Paul leaueth it out of the vniuersall armour of God But where M. Calfhill distinguisheth traditions into some necessary as necessarily inferred of the scripture some contrary to the worde and some indifferent Martial like an impudent Asse calleth on him to shewe in what scripture doctor or councell he findeth this distinction of traditions As though a man might not make a true distinction in disputation but the same must be founde in so many wordes in scripture doctor or councell when he him selfe cannot deny but y e distinction is true euery part to be founde in y e scriptures doctors councels But the examples please him not for the couering of women and their silence in the church are taught in expresse words of scripture and therfore are not necessarily inferred of scripture Therefore there is one lye quod Martiall Who would think such a block worthie of answere which thinketh a trueth may not be inferred of the expresse words of scripture when of nothing it can be better in ferred Againe he calleth it another lye y t S. Paul proueth his tradition by y e scripture for he bringeth no text nor sentence of scripture to proue y t women shuld be couered in the church But Martiall doth not onely belye M. Calfhill but also slaunder S. Paul seeing he alledgeth out of Genesis both y t the man is the image glory of God y t the woman was made for man The examples of the second sort as Latine seruice worshipping of images c. Martiall will not allowe but the scripture is plaine to them that haue eyes and be not like the images whome they worship Againe he liketh not that there should be any limitation in obseruing traditions of the church in things indifferent as if cases of necessitie of offence might not make a limitation without contempt of the churches authoritie But he will learne in which kinde of traditions we place the signing with y e crosse y e rest named by Basil. I aunswere y t marking with the crosse in some respect as it was first vsed of y e old
iustificatioÌ„ by which God purifieth our harts sufficiently proueth that the signe of the crosse is no worker in these cases Chrysostome speaking of our conuersion c. saith Hom. 14. in Ep. ad Rom. Vnum hoc c. We haue offered this one only gift of GOD that we giue credite to him promising vs thinges to come and by this onely way we are saued This Doctor ascribeth all to faith therefore nothing to the signe of the crosse Whether the Parisiens approue Erasmus his censure it is not materiall the censure is true and approued by as wise and well learned as they Touching the next quarell that Cyrillus acknowledgeth it no fault of the Christians to make the signe of the crosse at their doores it is very foolish as all the rest be for although he defend it as a good deede and in his time tollerable yet if any did worship the wood of the crosse as Iulian charged them it was a fault which Cyrillus doth excuse and seeke to couer but of that matter you may reade more in mine aunswere to D. Sanders booke of images cap. 4. or 3. after the errour of his print That S. Basil alloweth images in Churches he citeth his sermon vpon Barlaaâ— where he exhorteth painters to set foorth the valiant conflictes of the martyr by their art but of setting vp those tables in Churches there is no word Neither do I perceiue he speaketh of other Painters then eloquent Rhetoricians For immediately before he saith Quin magnificentioribus 〈◊〉 ipsius lingâ—is Cedâ—â—us Sonantiores doctorum tubas ad illius praeconia aduocemus Exurgite nunc ô praeclari athleticorâ—m gestorum pictores c. But let vs giue place to more magnificent tongues vtterers of his praises Let vs call hether the lowder sounding trumpets of learned men Arise nowe ô ye noble Painters of the valiant actes of champions c. And it is vsuall among learned men to compare good Orators to cunning Painters The counterfet oration of Athanasius brought in the idolatrous Councel of Nice we reiect as a matter forged by heretikes and idolaters The other Doctors places whome he quoteth are all considered and aunswered in seuerall places of mine aunswere to Doctor Sanders booke of images before mentioned Whether an image may be made of Christ which is both God and man you shall finde it more at large intreated in my saide aunswere cap. 7. or 6. That the crosse in the time of Cyrillus had none image vpon it it is to be proued by this reason 〈◊〉 Iulian would not haue omitted to obiect the worshipping of images vnto Christians which they condemned in the Heathens if any images had bene vpon their crosses which he charged them to haue worshipped Concerning the calling of Churches by the name of Saints we haue spoken alreadie That S. Paul ioyneth not pictures with scriptures to be our instruction and comfort it is an argument of better force then Martiall hath wit to aunswere For if any such instruction comfort or commoditie had any wayes come to Christians by pictures he would not haue written that the scriptures are able to make the man of God perfect prepared to all good workes 2. Tim. 3. vers 17. Articl 3. The tenth Article The adoration and worship of the crosse allowed by the ancient Fathers Martial thinketh it not reason that he should proue the adoration of the crosse by some testimonie of scripture bicause God hath not so tied him selfe to the written letter of the scripture that nothing can be taken for trueth which is not written in scripture But God hath so tied vs to the written letter of the scripture that we are bound to beleeue nothing but that which may be proued thereby The baptisme by heretikes the baptisme of infants the authoritie of the Epistle to the Hebrues of Saint Iames and Iude and of all the canonicall scriptures haue proofe and approbation out of the holy scriputres and are not receiued of vs by the onely tradition and authoritie of the church which yet we doe not refuse when it is warranted by the holy scriptures inspired of God The auncient Fathers Athanasius Chrysostome c. were not exempted from the infirmitie of men that they could so order their termes as no heretikes shuld take occasion of error by them when euen the termes of holy scripture are often times abused by theÌ„ cleane contrarie to the meaning of the spirite by which they were written But Martial like a proud foole disdaineth to be called to define adoration bicause euery terme is not necessarie to be defined And yet I suppose he would claw his poll twise or euer he could make a true definition of it or a description either At the least wise seeing the word of adoration is taken so many wayes but that he would walke vnder a cloud of ambiguitie he shuld haue expressed what manner of adoration he doeth speake of But he is content to take adoration for bowing downe prostrating putting off the cap c. which he thinketh may be done to a sensllesse image as well as to the Queenes cloth of estate her priuie seale c. as though there were no difference betweene ciuil reuerence and religious worship and yet I weene no man doeth this honour to those senslesse things although he shewe reuerence to the Prince at the sight of them The second coÌ„mandement Exod. 20 he saith toucheth not Popish images more then politike images of Dragons Eagles Owles c in armes or other pictures So good a lawyer he is that he can not interprete the lawe according to the matter wherevpon it is made namely religioÌ„ but fantasieth that bicause images out of the vse of religion be not forbidden to be made by a lawe of religion therefore they be not forbidden to be made no not in the vse of religion The Prophets he saith cry out against the images of Gentiles and by his leaue against the images of the Israelites also The image of the brasen Serpent was a figure of Christ and yet the Prophets condemned and Ezechias destroyed the worship of the brasen Serpent For the examination of the sentence of Ambrose de â—bitu Theodosij I referre the reader to mine aunswere to D. Sander of images cap. 13. or 12. Augustine in Ioan. T. 36. sheweth howe reuerently y e crosse was esteemed of the Romaines that now malefactors were no more punished vpon it least it should be thought they were honoured if they sâ—ffered that kinde of death which our sauiour Christe died As among vs if rascall theeues should be beheaded at the Tower hill where only honourable persoâ—ages vse to suffer it might be saide they were honoued with that kinde of execution Herevpon Martial both foolishly and lewdly dreameth that if theeues had bene put to death vpon the crosse the people were likely to haue honoured them for the crosses sake Hierome saith that Paula worshipped lying before y e crosse as though she had seene Christe hanging