written also nowe wee can not take the Apostles wordes as vttered of all because much scripture is now wanting as he doth imagine Should these be your plaine arguments if you could obteine disputation Should this be the shorter waye I know not your name but know I pray you and teach your fellowes to knowe that the scripture hath bene in all ages sufficient for the time wherein it was written of all that which hath by seuerall encreases bene written nothing was at any time superfluous and whatsoeuer hath bene written and not come to our handes nothing for all that is now missing that is necessary vnto saluation He that hath not giuen vs the bookes of Nathan Gad Achia the Shilonite and Iehdo if they wrote any other then partes of the two bookes of Samuel after his death of the first booke of the Kings also he that hath not giuen vs the rest of Salomons Prouerbes to passe by your ouersight concerning the epistle to the Laodiceans already noted therefore gaue them not because he knewe them not necessarie or expedient for the posteritie Iohn proueth this in the conclusion of his Gospell and Christ teacheth that they which had Moses and the Prophets euen then had sufficient without miracles and traditions And you haue no sound opinion of the wisdome and mercie of God if you thinke his maiestie to leaue any age since he chose a peculiar people voide of scripture profitable and sufficient to the saluation of his Church Thus the reader may see that I neither wrest the former place agaynst my selfe neither can you doe it that would so faine In the fifth article the Iesuites are reported to say The want of holy scriptures must be supplied by peecing it out by traditions For the report of this doctrine the Censurer bestoweth more of his vndeserued tauntes If the Censure of Colen hath no such wordes Gotuisus failed in citing their booke but failed not in charging them with their owne doctrine which all Iesuites and Papistes so vpholde as Peters chaire both to mainteine their false doctrines and to vnderset their Antichristiā tyraunie But although you would for the time dissemble the matter traditiōs are not of so smal force as to peece out the want of scripture For except the Presidēt of y e Trent council haue a forge to coyne lies traditions are a liuing Gospel and hee vttereth it as a question that can not be denied This is most true saith Hosius that if traditions be reiected the very Gospell also seemeth to be reiected for what els are traditions then a certaine liuing Gospell In deede traditions make a quicke court at the Vaticane Thus by your doctors opinion it is most true y ◠traditions are made not a supplie to any wants in y ◠Gospel but an other liuing Gospel after a sort to giue life to that which in y ◠true Gospell seemeth to be dead And may not a man w tout a lie call this doctrine vlasphemous My vttering of y e Cōmandemēt in the singular number is without additiō or alteration of sense For Moses in the same Chapter speaking of the same lawe and to the same men doth change the plurall number into the singular The selfe same Lawe also is recited in the singular number in the twelfth chapter of Deuteronomie by Salomon in the thirtieth chapter of his Prouerbes and euermore that which is said to al is also said to euery one and truly taken as vttered to euery one Surely I cannot guesse what you unagined at this change of the Lawgiuers wordes without change of the sense being done by the example of the same Lawgiuer in another place and without any breach of his Lawe and wherupon your vttermost malice could inferre none absurditie in sense none iniurie to the scripture nor aduantage to my cause but a stinging guesse insinuating some cause mouing mee to this change which whether you cōcealed as forbearing me or ashamed on your own behalfe to bewraye the indifferent reader iudgeth Againe what made you adde so haynous a slaunder as if all thinges were lawfull for me and to charge me as blaming the Apostles and Euangelistes for adding the Gospel Take heede you allowe not your selfe such scope in these suggestions manifestly agaynst the trueth and your owne conscience for you knowe what that sentence implieth Blessed is he that condemneth not himselfe in that thing which hee alloweth The Lorde that addeth grace to grace and light to light he also hath added to the lawe the fulnesse and satisfaction thereof in Christ Iesus which is published in his most holy and most perfect Gospell To expounde Moses wordes forbidding to adde or take away from the Lawe as spoken of the things he deliuered by word of mouth and not of the lawe written 〈◊〉 is a doubtfull speaking and may beare a harder conclusion then I will charge you with His cōmandement respected the law eyther pronounced or written by him 〈◊〉 afterwarde to bee preached and written by the holy Prophets and Apostles in the spirite of God I dare appeale to your conscience though it be deliuered from your pen you do not thinke in your heart that I woulde haue no scriptures beleeued besides that which Moses set downe Wherfore your proofe needed not in this matter To conclude it is a great iniquirie to adde traditions or your unwritten ve 〈…〉 to the written worde of God whereunto no man may adde because nothing is wanting from which no man can take because nothing is superfluous but to him that addeth shal the curses written in the booke be added for euer In the sixth place the Iesuites wordes are thus reported The holy Scripture is a nose of waxe At the true report of this blasphemous doctrine you fall into a storme perswading that I haue therein sinned agaynst God and abused the Iesuices with other most bitter woordes as if I tooke the way to ouermatch both learning and trueth But howe wrongfully all these woordes are cast out against me your owne wordes beare witnesse for presently after the sentence of condemnation you repeale it and acquite me of the fault graunting that as a nose of waxe may bee formed what way and to what forme one list so naughtie men may wrest the Scriptures Notwithstanding because you presse the wordes against me let them be examined First to proue that the Iesuites haue them more plainely then you will acknowledge I appeale from your Censure to Andradius playne confession Hee as you knowe defended the Iesuites in these poyntes agaynst Kemnitius which you defende against mee and hath lent you no small furniture for this seruice This Andradius as hauing more learning and in his kinde more true dealing then you in handling this article doth not at all cry out as you doe but acknowledgeth and defendeth the matter without such needelesse scoffes And for the words he confesseth saying The fathers
Take ye Eate ye bynde them What moued you here to cite your Clement Ambrose Cyprian with others I knowe not except it were some meriment to ioyne with your similitude of singing for in good earnest you minde not by those places without matter in them to proue that the wordes of Christ Doe this in remembrance of me were onely saide to the Ministers touching Consecration and not to the people also for their participation In the twelfth Article the Iesuites are reported to say Traditions are of equall authoritie with the worde of God wee must beleeue them though they bee manifestly against the Scripture Here the reporte and the texte vouched to disproue their doctrine are both censured The first for adding we must beleeue them though they be manifestly against the Scripture for reporting the rest so generally and confusedly Touching y â— latter point if my report of your doctrine be in these wordes Traditions are of equall authoritie with the worde of God meaning it of some only for who would thinke it of all you hauing so many and so feeble why doe you charge mee as generally and confusedly saying al traditions are equal with y â— scriptures Was it I pray you to deserue your owne note of a sounde lye for a parting blowe which false mis 〈…〉 you haue doubled to make it the sounder For aunswere to the former poyut I doe not onely auow that I haue faythfully reported my authors wordes which is alwayes my iust defence against your vniust flaunder laying them vpon me but I say further that their practise compared with their wordes will â—ustifie the report as truely layde downe against them For proofe whereof not to goe further the Censurer rehearseth amongest these traditions which the Popish Church charge our faith withall the number of the bookes of Scripture the Lent fast Of al other traditions these two are taken out to stande for their owne credit and for the credit of the rest let vs therefore see what treasons there are against God in these your traditions First the Apocrypha bookes are not in the auncient Canon or language of Canaan the fathers haue disauowed them they are euidently repugnant to the doctrine of the holy scriptures and dis 〈…〉 eeing among them selues Yet your Trent conspirarie doeth adde them to the number of the Canonical bookes and bolde all men accursed that holde them not for canonicall scriptures Therefore this your tradition is manifestly against the word of God Further also what is more manifest against the woorde of God then the doctrine of deuils The Lent fast as you commaunde to keepe it for conscience sake forbidding meates created of God to bee taken with thankesgiuing is plainly called a doctrine of deuils Furthermore your opinion is playnely deliuered to be with this distinction Ecclesiasticall traditions are of no greater authoritie then the writings and other decrees of the Church and Apostles traditions are of no lesse authoritie then if they had bene written by them or then are the other thinges which they wrote This is confusedly taught and needeth yet more plainenesse for not all orders deliuered by the Apostles are to bee kept perpetually and vnchangeably of like authoritie with the doctrine of the Gospell which they preached The Apostolique doctrine is perpetuall subiect to no varietie of persons of times or places but some traditioÌ„s that is some orders are altered as that in the acts where they commaunde to absteine from strangled and from blood for it appeareth that the Apostles commanded not this for a perpetuall order alwayes inuiolably to be obserued but onely for a time to auoids offences which cause ceasing the order or tradition was no longer in force Againe some orders might be set downe by them for comlinesse which yet were not to be beleeued as necessary partes of saluation nor yet to remayne for euer in that forme or kynde and therefore can not be matched with the Apostolique doctrine of fayth which is euer al one and which whosoeuer beleeueth not cannot bee saued Nowe touching your pretensed Apostolicall traditions I vtterly denie that there are any such beside those which are euidently shewed or by iust consequence fitly gathered out of the written worde For what so euer is necessary to saluation is in this sort to be proued by the holy Scriptures Therefore your Censureshippe dyd well to adde If they be certaynly descended from Christ and his Apostles But how can this I pray you be certaynely knowen but by the holy writings can any other custome or testimonie assure your consciences what came vndoubtedly from Christ or what from his Apostles Is there any one of your traditions that you can vouch to descend from so sufficient authors otherwise then by report of insufficient witnesses What is it then for you to boast of inuincible arguments to proue diuers doctrines not written but left by woorde of mouth onely whereas you bryng nothing but counterfeyt Couneils erring Fathers fabulous stories and Apocrypha scriptures This is right the bragging Apostle and a shewe of the vaine chalenger Yf a man coulde be feared with the guilte of your armour or with your plume of feathers you woulde bee a worthie champion wounding more with a vayne feare then with the force of your shrinking arme In this encounter of al your profes you haue sorted out two the first is out of that excellent chapter to the Thessalonians conteining a prophecie and reuelation of Antichrist For an answere to which place it is first to be vnderstoode that the worde Tradition in the Apostles speach commeth as it doth in Latin of a verbe to deliuer so that whatsoeuer y â— Apostle deliuered to the Churches those were the traditions hee lefte with them Therefore I denie that Paule doth in any place by tradition signifie any vnwritten veritie but that as in other places he vnderstandeth the doctrine of the Gospel which in the sundrye partes thereof he deliuered This appeareth apparauntly by the place so cited for your purpose without regarde of any more then the worde Tradition For in the verses nexte before the Apostle maketh mention of the Thessalonians faith to the trueth saying God hath called you thereunto by our Gospell to obteyne the glory of our Lorde Iesus Christ and therupon inferreth this conclusion now therefore brethren stand fast holde the tradition which you haue learned eyther by worde or by our epistle Whereby it plainly appeareth that the traditions or thinges deliuered by him partly by word and partly by writing were the diuers partes of the Gospell which hee had taught them Wherefore the written woorde affordeth you no proofe for vnwritten verities The seconde is of doctrines which you say wee holde not by record of writing but by word of mouth from Christ and his Apostles as for example baptisme of infants celebratioÌ„ of Sunday y â— number of y â— bookes of scripture the fast of
your common obiection that our faith began with Martin Luther I answere you may asâ—el say the religion of the Iewes and knowledge of the Lawe began in Iosias time and that Hilkia was their progenitour because hee founde the booke of the Lawe in the house of God who notwithstanding found no new thing but onely the authenticall booke of Moses whereupon the king and his people by a diligent reading and regarde thereof were wonne the rather to a notable reformation For our faith is the same that hath bene euermore laid and builded vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ Iesus being the chiefe corner stone which hath also continued from age to age although sometimes with small shewe to the world because of many persecutions and great falling away both in life and doctrine Wherefore it is your euill speach so basely to speake and bitterly to deface the religion of Iesus Christ that hath receiued in the eyes of all the world so great testimonie from God to proue the worke is his owne worke and the Gospell his owne euerlasting trueth the power wherof is stil dedlared from day to daye in many wonderfull issues for the inlargement of his kingdome and most of all by adding to the Gospel dayly such as appertaine to his holy election Concerning the praise you giue to Iesuites as reformers of vice in my answere I haue prooued that your religion must first be reformed and your intolerable dispensations and indulgences taken awaye For so long as these marchandises are to be bought so commonly and for so small a price sinne must needes abounde and the complaint of the Lord will bee most iust against you which was made against the couetous and vncleane priestes in Israel They eate the sinnes of my people and lift vp his minde euery one to their iniquitie The Iesuites abandoning of all worldly pleasures possibilities of preferment in the same so farre forth as none of that societie hath or may take any spirituall or temporall liuings or commodities whatsoeuer is nothing els but a superstitioâ—s worship without commandement as hath bene declared inuented by themselues being moreouer against the order of the prâ—mitiue Church and sauouring not a little of Anabaptistrie in condemning the prâ—pertie or priuate poâ—â—ession of earthly blâ—ssings But howsoeuer you sound a trumpet one before another to shewe the Iesuites contempt of worldly riches and that they receiue not the preferrements wherwith mightie Princes haue pressed them yet I thinke your meaning is not â—ut y â— if the Pope intreat them they wilbe sone intreated The humilitie of their spirit was noted in y â— answere They can be content in hâ—pocrisie to abase themselues as to the duâ— but it is that afterward they may rule oâ—â—r all estates in the lande as he did whose 〈◊〉 was to the Pope I my king So also I proued that the Iesuites come to meet meddle with matters of estate offered them 〈◊〉 wrong therin as shal appeare in a â—â—tter place wheÌ„ you assay to proue the contraâ—y The Censurer in the next place commeth to a discourse of three leaues touching Ignatius Layolas Martin Luther but altogether from the purpose for proofe whereof let his two arguments be examined the one for Layolas and the Iesuites the other against Martin Luther and the professors of the trueth For the Iesuites he bringeth this reason Whosoeuer leauing his former calling shall betake him selfe to a votaries lyfe and therein winne soules may be fâ—ther of a Societie Layolas did so therefore Layolas may be father of a Societie The first propositioÌ„ is omitted by the Censurer but without it â—e can proue nothing for the Iesuites For if any man leauing the fielde or the like calling maye not begin a newe order as Layolas did howe can Layolas his broode â—ustifie their Societie The second proposition y â— Layolas leauing his former calling proued so good a man and wonne soules is more then doubtfull Thus it appeareth that vpoÌ„ two former propositions the one false the other doubtfull the Censurer can make no true or cleare conclusion that the Iesuites haue a good warrant for their newe Apostleship Against y â— professors of the Gospell there is another argument made but with aâ— ill arte and successe For thus the Censurer doth reason If Luther were a wicked man taught many beastly doctrines the Protestantes may be ashamed of their progenitor but Luther was such a one therefore the protestantes may bee ashamed of their father and religion The first proposition is altogether false for Luther is not our progenitour nor the father of our faith If he had offended yet the trueth and professors thereof are not guiltie or thereby iustly touched in credit The seconde proposition is also false for howsoeuer false witnesses come in one vpon another to sweare against him Martin Luthers worthy praise shall continue in all ages the Lord hath shewed him a token of good they that hate him shal see it and bee ashamed Wherefore these two propositions being false must needes bring forth a false and sâ—auÌ„derous conclusion Thus the Censurer appeareth much more carefull smothely to deliuer foule reproches then to bring a good reason for maintenance of his cause His arguments being thus layde open it remaineth to consider the particular speaches whereby he setteth such colours vpon his slaunders deliuered against that holy and learned man Martin Luther and vpon his praises for Ignatius Layolas And first for the life of Ignatius Layolas I passe it ouer as a thing from the matter and hauing in it nothing to bee answered when it commeth into the Legenda it may haue some credit in your Church but as it is nowe reported I see no honour that coÌ„meth to you by the tale nor harme to vs. But to you this harme maye growe that hereafter by so slender an example other Fryers may bee brought in as much to raygne ouer you as you woulde raygne ouer all the Monkes and Fryers that haue bene before you 〈◊〉 maruel howe in this storie of Layolas you left out y t which if it had bene true would haue made more for you then al his life beside It is his wonderfull vision when in a traunce he did behold Iesus receiuing him and his fellowes into protection You knowe that without a myracle your newe creatures of the Pope haue neyther lyfe nor soule For Martin Luther what may truely bee sayde fâ—r his iust honour that shall appeare afterward nowe I am to answeare vnto your reproches against him And first howesoeuer you thinke your credit discharged by alledging them Hosius Cochleus Lindanus Xaintes haue no voyce where trueth or reason are admitted for witnesses For in this action they are specially sworne and forsworne agaynst Martin Luther the ruine of their estate beyng all agreed to lende and borowe lies and in one tale to conspire the death and detestation of his name
Censurer hath brought his cole to set his markes vpon my translation which is neuer thelesse so faithfull that no one of y â— fiue words by him so marked as wickedly added can wel be wanting without some iniury to the text or to the propertie of our language in expressing the same In translating the propertie of euery tongue is to be obserued for as tongues differ in language so they differ in their peculiar forme order of words That which may be well vnderstoode in one tongue must needes be supplied in an other And to translate word for worde is to haue the wordes English or Frenche when yet the phrase shall remaine Greeke or Hebrewe and be as litle vnderstoode Yet this is that obscure and fruitelesse translation which the Censurer exacteth at my hand But let vs see how iustly All scripture is not so plaine as All y â— scripture and the Censurer afteÌ„ saith the scripture The verbe is must be supplied whether you regard the English tongue or Lâ—gicke for the copulatiue coniunction following in y â— Greeke doth make the whole proposition compound and not simple Otherwise what sense or sentence were it to say all scripture giuen by inspiration of God profitable to teach c. The addition of this verbe was so necessarie that the vulgar translation addeth it in the seconde place but by no better reason then why it should be added in both The first and was childishly and vnlearnedly noted as superfluous being expressed in the Greeke text and corruptly left out by the olde translation which deceiued you The wordes and throughly were added the one to ioyne the sentence and the other to expresse the force of the compound word which Paule vseth signifying throughly or perfectly perfect In this signification is the compound vseâ— in many other places also Thus you see I misuse not the Scriptures in this place for my translation is sufficiently approoued and some faultes be wraied in the old translation and ignorance in your Censure Neuerthelesse I must remember you that it was your ouersight to leaue out y â— note of a third and which might aswell haue bene set vpon your score with the rest and raised the number vp to site Also you that so exact a strayght translation of worde for word why did you not Censure me for adding v. wordes at one clap in this sentence to expresse one Greeke worde Paul hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is word for worde Godinspired I haue to expresse it vsed v. wordes giuen by inspiration of God But your Censurers eye may without blame passe ouer the sight of such small matters I craue pardon of my Reader that I haue bene drawen on into so trifeling poyntes But he hath beene exercised in sifting and shifting to finde somwhat y â— may serue his turne and yet greatly misseth of his purpose if he were so searched perhaps hee would not easely answere it Now against my translation he vseth words that should be by a new worde called raileciue speache in me saying If I had vsed such audacitie in translating Acsopes fables it woulde haue bene tollerable but in translating the Scripture it is impious Surely if the Censurer had bene well censured and exercised in translating Acsopes fables when 〈◊〉 went to the Grammer schoole hee woulde haue bene better acquainted with Greeks phrases and the translation of the new Testament But it may be he hateth the kingdome and skill of Grammarians Thus much to answere my translation which you haue so vnlearnedly marked and so vniustly coÌ„demned Now it foloweth to consider what you bring agaynst the alleadging of that place to reproue the Iesuites doctrine and your vnwritten verities Your first reason y â— this place is not full ynough to proue y â— sufficiencie of y â— Scripture for which it is alleaged standeth vpon and word in y â— text where the Apostle saith the Scripture is profitable and hath not the worde sufficient But you say these are two diuers thinges to bee sufficient for a purpose and to be profitable for it as may appeare in meate which is profitable for our lyfe yet wee cannot saye it is sufficient because it alone without naturall heate clothes and other meanes sufficeth not Whereupon you leaue the reader to conclude that this place is too slender for my purpose The force of which your reason is of the difference of these two words affirming that profitable is not so much as sufficient Whereunto I answere that as sometimes it is true which you affirme and as it appeareth in your example so of the other part it is true that many times a thing may be saide profitable for a purpose where profitable shal import sufficient and not barely profitable as for example when some reason is adioyned why it shoulde be profitable and nothing else applyed or seruing to that effect For proofe hereof when the Apostle writeth that Godlines is profitable to all things hauing the promises of this life of the life to come it can not be denyed but by profitable here he meaneth it is sufficient for all things that is for the obteyning of all good thinges which sense of this worde is prooued by that which followeth of the effect hauing the promises of both lyues For if godlinesse bryng all good things of this lyfe and of the lyfe to come it must needes folowe that the Apostle saying it is profitable to all things vnderstoode it was so fully sufficient that hee which hath it needeth not the supplie of any thing else For like reason in this place I say the Apostle speaking of the Scripture as profitable for doctrine for confutation for correction and reformation by profitable vnderstandeth sufficient If your example were of the like it woulde proue the same If as meate and drinke are profitable to nourish so they were profitable also to cloth to giue rest and to make a man perfectly healthie and strong to euery good action I woulde also conclude vpon such causes that it were both profitable and sufficient to mayntaine life But you stande in neede of an other Censurer to Censure your comparisons and examples so often brought in easily to dereyue the reader that doth not see howe vnequallie they are yoked as like thinges to make like proofe being in deede vnlike and of vnlike effectes To returne vnto the text the sufficiencie of scripture is moreouer prooued by the wordes which got before and followe Before the Apostle had sayde that all the Scripture is inspired of God whereupon he inferreth and is profitable to teach for doctrine and confutation as if he had sayde it is profitable to teache the trueth and reproue errour The strength of which reason lyeth in this that the light of knowledge which sometime was in man by his creation is damped and gone out so that nowe wee haue no meanes except God by his holy Spirite doeth inspire vs to discerne betweene trueth and vntrueth or
betweene good and euill Nowe this heaueÌ„ly knowledge which as Saint Peter sayeth was vttered by the holy men of God inspired with the holy Ghost is recorded in the bookes of holie Scripture Whereupon it foloweth that these bookes of the holy worde and no other being the authenticall words of the heauenly knowledge which God inspired the holy Prophets and Apostles withall are so sayde to be profitable to teache the trueth as it noteth this to bee proper to the holy Scripture and not to agree to any other whatsoeuer Therefore if these bee the writings which contayne the wisedome wherewith God hath inspired his holy men for such vse of the Church as is here spoken of it must needes followe the knowledge which God hath reuealed being sufficient for vs that these holy Scriptures conteining the same knowledge is lykewise sufficient Whereby it appeareth that this cause here noted to witte of inspiration from God being the proper cause of the holy Scriptures and not common to any other writings whatsoeuer doeth implie the effect also folowing in this place of teaching disprouing and making perfecte the man of God to be likewise proper vnto them and which I vndertoke to proue profitable in this place to signifie as much as sufficient To this I adde an other reason out of the wordes which followe wherein because not some things onely which may in parte make a man perfect are attributed to the scriptures and some other thinges left to bee supplied by other meanes but all things whatsoeuer may bee needefull for vs are sayde to be perfected by the Scriptures it must needes follow that the scripture alone is sufficient For that which is profitable to al the partes which may be required to perfection cannot be but sufficieÌ„t for the perfection of the whole but that the Scripture is profitable in such maner the Apostle doth fully declare both in rehearsing all the particular partes which are necessarie and adding also after generally that the man of God may be perfect To this purpose the Apostle hath so set his wordes as hee could not more effectually by any other speach For he teacheth that it is profitable to make perfect which yet is made more full by the compound worde adioined the grace and force of which composition as was noted before is to note perfection added to perfection and to signifie throughly or perfectly perfect and that as hee addeth for all good workes This is yet made more full and more waightie by that hee speaketh not here of the coÌ„mon perfection of all men but of the perfection of the man of God that is of the Minister If the scripture conteine knowledge to make the Minister throughly perfect for euery part of his office both in doctrine soundly to teach the trueth and to confute and remoue error and in life to reforme and correct that which is amisse and to instruct in that which is righteous and holy how much more is it sufficient for the coÌ„mon knowledge of other men in whom like perfection of vnderstanding is not so much required To these two reasons because the question is of importance I will yet adde one other out of the verse next going before There the Apostle vseth an argument to perswade Timothy to abide in y â— doctrine of the holy Scriptures for proofe of which argument this seueÌ„teenth verse is immediatly adioyned His argument is takeÌ„ from the effect of these holy writings wherein Timothie had been brought vp froÌ„ a child Which effect is this that through faith in Christ Iesus they are of abilitie or of power or of sufficiencie to make him wise to saluation For the Apostle sayeth expressely that the Scriptures are able or of power or sufficiencie for all these speaches I take to bee of one signification whereunto to make him wise how farre euen to saluation that is to teache him all wisedome needeful to saluation Whereupon as I sayd the Apostle immediatly bringeth in this sentence that All the Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine c. Which must either be sayde to bee impertinent to the former matter of the power or sufficiencie of the Scripture to saluation which I thinke no man of any reason will affirme or els it must be confessed that the Apostle added it for greater plainnes or for an other proofe For whether of both it be brought in it is absurde to bring the lesse to set out or proue the more And seeing the Apostle had spoken in the former verse of the sufficiencie of Scripture to saye nowe it bringeth but some profite to that purpose were to saye lesse then he had said before Wherefore he saying it is profitable setteth it out as alone and sufficiently profitable being inspired of God and sanctified by his promise and ordinance to make perfect the man of God to al heauenly wisedome Finally the Apostle hauing put into Tiniothies hande al compleat necessarie and sufficient furniture speaketh neuer a whit of your churchreuealed verities but onely of the scripture inspired of God Therefore either he teacheth and concludeth insufficiently or els the Scripture is sufficiently wholly powerfully and in trueth onely profitable For your second reason I denie that the newe Testament is therefore super fluous because the olde was sufficient For this bountifull addition or accesse of scripture by the Newe Testament is not to impeach the perfection and profitable sufficiencie or sufficient profitablenes of the olde Testament seeing the Fathers were aswell faued as we are now vnder the Gospell but for a more full euident and cleare reueâ—ation of that which though to saluation it was sufficient before yet could not shewe the infinite riches of Gods goodnesse toward vs so plainely so fully as these doe Iob had sufficient in his greatest want and no superfluitie in his greatest aboundance A morning light is sufficient for a man to doe his worke by yet the brightnesse of the sunne is not therefore needelesse and superfluous for it serueth to giue a clearer a more certaine and more comfortable direction then the other For your by matter that the wordes omnis and tota differ in Greeke and Latine for proofe wherof you appeale to all Logicioners I dare warrant you they will all condemne your opinion For omnis homo signifieth euery man but omnis populus which is the Vulgar translation doth not signifie euery people neyther can you translate the woordes of Saint Luke concerning the taxing that euery earth or euery worlde should bee taxed in which places the Euangelist vseth the same worde the vse wherof in y â— greeke you did not vnderstand Therefore if you can salue this matter of manifest errour I will acknowledge my selfe to deale deceitfully as you charge me An other point followeth like the rest already answered But the Censurer thus repeateth Saint Paul must vnderstand part of the scripture and not the whole because all was not then
to haue fully answered the chiefe matter of this article but you drawing me on with your tauntes I must answere to them also For the difference of an Image and an Idol you knowe my answere and I acknowledge not your difference Couching your honours done to the creature and creator I doe not maliciously confound them but you do vnlearnedly make a distinction in wordes when in deede there is none When wee teach y t al your worshippes are idolatrous we offer you no wrong neither do we therin blind our hearers or charge you with doctrines which are not your own For if any worship be greater then other that you giue to the crosse and image of Christ you can not denie this being your playne doctrine as I haue declared by Thomas by Saunders by Andradius so expressed as we can not more expresse it against you Therefore we doe not mainteine matter of rayling against the true Catholike Church which hath alwayes more detested all Idolaâ—â—â—e then your Church doeth or can defende it For your repeated words God forgiue you I must conster them in the best part but comming in the middest of other scosses they giue me occasion to note that many offend in the vttering of them against God whose name they take in vaine and against their neighbour whome they curse and tant with wordes that import a charitable prayer which is to be reformed in our speach least such sinnefull vse of good wordes increase the note of euill maners All these XIII articles are graunted yet your Censureshippe doeth couer the graunt most carefully as one that knowes well what shame it is playnely and openly to graunt so foule absurdities You might haue prouided better for your owne credit and agaynst mine if you had directly denied but one of them to proue at the least one slaunderous false report for this alone woulde haue preuailed more against mee then all your naked vauntes and vndeserued sentences of disgrace But no one being denyed what cause had you as fearing no examination of your booke and without all regarde of trueth to saye Thus I haue answered briefely your slaunderous false reportes of the Iefuites doctrine In place of an answerer you haue only shewed your self a cauiller passing by the matter you haue propâ—unded to your selfe newe propositions from the purpose such as you might more easily confute theÌ„ those wherewith you are charged Therefore it appeareth notwithstanding your Censure that I haue with seemely and fitte wordes charged the Iesuites that they teach blasphemies against God and his worde that they are the Popes procters in that seruice and bewraye the spirit of Antichrist Let the record of your false sentence charging mee with a lying spirit of Antichrist with an ignorant and rayling spirit remayne with the placing of your name for mine til you haue otherwise proued that my speaches against the vncleane doctrine and rebellious practises of your Iesuites are vntrue or rayling And because so cleare places in the worde of God with the interpretation of the name and nomber of 666. agreed of by auncient fathers and founde to accorde with the Latin and Hebrewe wordes doe make Antichrist to sit at Rome in the citie buylded vpon seuen hilles if they make it to be a Latin and Romish Church let y â— record stande agaynst the Pope y t he is Antichrist and against al other his instruments for that they haue the spirite of Antichrist full of all corruption Wheras you charge me that my zeale ouerranne my witte in reporting the former doctrines as blasphemous it is to speake without proofe and to slaunder without controlement For I must agayne saye that all your ignoraunt euill zeale and al your witte knoweth not howe to denye any one of these XIII articles except you will willingly wittingly runne into a curse of the Trent Councill Therefore your bitter taunt was without cause in respect hereof as also in respect of that y t followeth about a masse booke For in my conscience I am not priuiâ— y t I did at any tune crye out or at all vtter these wordes A blaâ—phemie findyng the blessed virgin named mother of God Wherefore vntil you bring better proofe of it my religious deniall shal more then weigh downe your hateful affirmation conuince you of breaking y t nienth coÌ„mandemeÌ„t by raysing â—â—ch infamous reproches in print agaynst your neighbour eyther vpon light report of an enemie oâ— vpon your owne imagination I am not in this sort ouergreedie of your discredit to whom in that generall loue I owe to all men I wish in the Lorde the riches and honour of true godlinesse praying that you may receiue the loue of the trueth and bee blessed as I woulde bee blessed But this your cause of teaching errour and labouring to roote out the gospell must more and more bee brought into discredit eyther to drawe you to a loue of y t trueth or to make you ashamed of such lies If I did in deede any way hurt my cause you loue it not so well as to admonish mee thereof but I trust y t Lord would prouide me more faythful remeÌ„brancers For your next wordes of reproche that wee seeme to haue made a compact betweene vs euery man to lye his part howe vntrue are they and howe full of reproch To lye is a fowle sinne but to lye with consent and conspiracie that the lye may haue the more force and greater credit it is double iniquitie and furder from vs by the grace of God then from any of you If the force of trueth ouerbeare you not without Gods extraordinary iudgemeÌ„t I looke not to see you ouerborne This thirtieth leafe of your booke will afford a scantlin of your brotherly loue if any man will take the measure Notwithstanding in the ende you please mee so well that I must thanke you for your helping hande in a good woorke And although you tell the tale so that I may seeme to haue a fellowshippe in the offence yet being free I subscribe to your good a 〈…〉 tisement against imprinting lying 〈◊〉 as that from Rome For it is so great a sinne to imprint lyes and râ—â—ore for â—â—â—thy lucrâ— and euery where â—o empty mens purses and â—â—ll their heades with â—ables that for such an inquitie euery such Printer 〈…〉 ueth to carye a print of his vngod 〈…〉 couetoâ—snesse 〈◊〉 dishonour offered to 〈◊〉 so excellent and so profitable 〈◊〉 Touching the purpose of him that to perswade the allâ—wance was like to aff 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 er 〈◊〉 he were a Papiâ—â— such as is 〈◊〉 like 〈◊〉 tell what is done at Rome hee had a 〈…〉 d to sinne hi 〈…〉 of purpose that he 〈…〉 ht laye it 〈…〉 If it were 〈◊〉 you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 woulde so 〈…〉 e y t Pope which cannot be gathered by any word in all the 〈◊〉 it was in him a greater sinne For without lying newes there is true matter â—â—ough
knowledge how to distinguish aright But what is this to proue all distinctions good euen those that Iesuites make only to auoyde the power of trueth Simples generally are good seruing for the health of man but what is this to proue those euill simples good which haue lost their vertue and which an euill Apothecarie may serue in place of good for a triall of the Iesuites distinctions you referre me to their disputation but I may haue a sufficient triall of them and of their disputation before hand in this your booke if there were no other proofe to iustifie my report As you would bring your quilits into credit so you labour to bring my arguments and interpretations into discredit as lying and false but in a good conscience and according to the trueth I haue auowed them true and good as will easely appeare to the indiffereÌ„t reader You that before made me much inferiour to Edmund Campion now make mee inferiour to thousandes of the Iesuites scholers Whatsoeuer I am to the meanest of them the Lorde I trust wil inable me to mainteine his trueth euen against Campion your great champion to say nothing of his disciples I confesse your distinctions offend 〈…〉 as being full of 〈…〉 ltie and sometimes so darke and vnlearned that there appeareth neither good cause nor good vse of them yet you take it to heart that I should account them vnlearned and peruish As for the accusatioÌ„ of Iude against the despisers of good 〈◊〉 ses it was corrupcly brought against mee for reiecting your sophisticall deuises against the trueth for proofe whereof I referre me to these your distinctions chosen out of many for your purpose which one excepted are all vnlearned and peeuish seruing to put darkenesse for 〈…〉 ght and â—â—olâ—trie in place of Gods seruice For as they that distinguish not where the word hath distinguished may soone fall into schisme and heresie so also you in distinguishing where the worde admitteth no distinction do offend in like â—orâ— and with no lesse danger There is you lay cleare difference betweene an Idol and an image Surely this is somwhat that you saye for an idol is the image of the superstitious Gentiles and an image is the 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 named Christians There is I graunt a cleare difference in the letters but no difference at all in the word no more then is betweene Omnipotent and Almightie For to passe by Phauorine Hesychius and some places in Plutarch who all make these two wordes of one signification Plato maketh the matter most euident who mouing a question what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be maketh this answere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is manifest we will make answere that those things are idoles which are seene in water and in looking glasses and those moreouer that are painted or set out in types or portratures other things of this sort whatsoeuer By these words of Plato the Censurer may learne that any image carued paynted represented by a glasse or seene in water is among the Grecians where the worde is in his owne countrie and proper vse called an Idol Tullie moreouer who could aswell iudge of the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of the Latine word image as the Censurer be in his translatioÌ„ maketh them one Lastly to returne to the holy Scriptures God in the second Commandement forbiddeth both the making and worshipping of an Image to represent the true God or any of the false Gods Thus much to she we your vnlearned and most vntrue distinction betweene an Image and an Idol which you and your fellowes repeate so often and vrge so much You doe it to vpholde Idoles vnder a more honest title of Images as you suppose but as they differ not in name so in nature they are all one euen stumbling blockes of offence the worshippers whereof are open idolaters I am taught by the word of GOD that there were materiall and are still spiritual sacrifices in the Church but for sinne I read y â— there is no sacrifice without bloud So that your second distinction of bloudie and vnbloudy sacrifices is plainly against scripture Iustice by faith wee acknowledge but merite by workes is proued to be against the worde So the mediation of Christ is according to faith but your intercession of saintes against the scripture For who is more mercifull then the Lorde that he may saue or who more ready to heare vs that he may be the Lordes remembranceâ— faith that beleeueth the promise and hope that patiently wayteth for the issue of faith we acknowledge and the distinction I haue layde downe in the ninth article Your counterfeit traditions of men and of the Apostles are al without warrant in the causes necessary to saluation But why haue you left out the distinction of the two worshippings Latria to God and Dulia to images Is it left out because wee condenine it and you now allowe no more of it All these distinctions are most daungerous when you will with some distinction or change of a name reteine still the same iniquitie forging such wicked deuises of man to disanull the truth of God Therfore they are but your vntrue assertions and vaine bragges that you distinguishe things into their proper natures that you can proue eche part of your distinction consonant to the word of God that when you haue so distinguished wee haue no more to saie that wee bewray our ignorance and finally that the truth is made manifest to euery mans eyes When any one of these fiue definitiue sentences is proued true I will acknowledge the rest I much maruaile that in such vanting speach you would not set down one true assertion of so many But you care not what you say to reproche the godly making account that your owne side will take it in good part be it neuer so vntrue neuer so reprochfull The fourth argument touching the libertie of your pen I haue answered already but I answere further you may haue it without print and if that will not content you there are printes inough neerer hande beyonde seas where you are if we may beleeue you so often affirming it The daunger persecution you speake of is a fruite of your murmuring spirits complaining without a cause For you go safely away w t many matters as much as you coÌ„playne against vs openly as intercepting all your bookes other Popish stuffe I thinke you doe much more brag among your selues of many escapes But if you had as many prints as you can set a worke what can you of lesser giftes write that the most learned of your side haue not written long agoe as Ecchius Pighius Hosius and which nowe Turrianus Andradius doenot furboish in a vaine hope at last to make an ende of Sifyphus labour What issue all these haue had of coursing discoursing againe the questious betweene you and vs we may consider it with great ioy of heart
people in that Citie Did he note your two Popes two P 〈…〉 s together at 〈◊〉 time yea somtime three somtime foure Popes who 〈◊〉 the Chatre sometime at Rome sometime at 〈◊〉 sometime in other places Did hee euer consider that they which 〈◊〉 the storie of these men can not agree either in the number nor in the succession of these your Popes Any one of all these or of many other matters written by your selues being well coÌ„sidered might haue bene a weightie cause to keepe him from that fall For these bishops many of them succeeded with such wicked conditions and for so wicked purposes that their succession may shewe out matter to proue them rather the race of Antichrist and the spirit of fornications which long agoe beganne to worke the mysterie of iniquitie but hath nowe made vp all the measures thereof so that the prophesie is fulfilled that Antichrist in the succession of his ministers exalteth him selfe against all that is called God or is worshipped and sitteth in the Temple boasting him selfe that he iâ— God This is that succession of Antichrist which is glorious in the eyes of flesh and bloud and therefore made Woodeman depart from Christ whom whosoeuer wil folowe must euery day take vp his Crosse and folow him 3 As for his third reason of miracles in the Popishe Church I leaue it as very false insufficient Notwithstanding some I graunt wil beleeue if a man come from the dead which wil not beleeue Moses and the Prophets The kingdome and Church of Christ was planted in the power of doctrine and miracles and also by the power of the holy Ghost while Christ and his Apostles liued Now it is against faith if any looke for miracles to confirme the Gospell againe which is already so confirmed that an Angel from heauen or any miracle worker perswading otherwise must bee accürsed By miracles it is an easie thing to deceiue and bee deceiued seeing Satan to that purpose changeth himselfe into an Angell of light Such were many of the lying miracles not onely printed from Rome but receiued and registred at Rome and thrust vpon mens consciences to beleeue being matters that might easely drawe them headlonges into all error and idolatrie as was prophesied of this kingdome of Antichrist and hath no we appeared by the lamentable effect Therefore his third reason was to weake to haue drawen him froÌ„ the Church of Christ if he had bene tied to it but with one bande of loue to the trueth and power of doctrine 4 Xilanders fourth reason dath huâ—â—â—e vp and confound many reasons As that he was moued with the authoritie of the vniuersall of the visible and of the Catholique Church where like a good plaine dealer he left out that which he founde not in the Romish Church namely holinesse And what are all the rest without this holinesse Againe of those three notes that moued his falling off two are all one in worde and sense For the worde vniuersal and the word Catholique are as these two wordes Wodeman and Xilander which do not signifie two but one and the same thing That the Church of God must alwaies haue a visible and glorious Maiestie vpon the earth is not yet proued Also that the Church of Rome was neuer Catholique or vniuersall as it pretendeth the Churches of y â— East while they florished the Greeke Churches such as remayne at this day doe make sufficient proofe Againe we receiue the Scriptures from God hee by inspiration hath giuen them and hath alwayes kept them in his arke and the Philistins could not keepe the Arke from vs. The pretended victorie ouer heresies must be proued before it be admitted for a reason I graunt the Romish Church hath had a victorie and a tryumph in outwarde shewe ouer many thousand Saints most cruelly murdered for the trueth But ouer heresies it tryumphed not but in the time of her chastitie before the Lorde had giuen her a bill of diuorce after which time shee embrewed her selfe in the bloud of the Saintes and became the mother of all fornications With his other reasons hee linketh Saint Augustines saying so often misalleadged to proue the authoritie of the Church aboue the Scriptures that he woulde not beleeue the Gospel but onely vpon the Churches authoritie By these wordes his minde was not to determine which had greater authoritie the Church or the Scriptures but to declare against the Maniches in his owne practise what brought him first to esteeme the worde at his conuersion from inâ—â—deâ—tie The authoritie and consent of the Church may in such a case perswade one to receyue the worde which being receyued is of it selfe founde to be greater then that which first perâ—â—â—ded Thus of many reasons heaped vp together in y â— fourth place there is not founde one good The Romish Church was neuer vniuerfall or Catholike but particular and of â—ne â—erritorie though by vsurpatioâ—it enlarged her selfe by litle and little and the visiblenes therof is nothing for the true Church of the elect is inâ—isible Moreouer as I declared it neuer triumphed ouer heretikes it hath not any peculiar custodie of the Scriptures neyther dorth the authoritie of the Gospel depende vpon hir ratification being authenticall of it selfe Therefore al these reasons and put them together coulde not open the least dore for his departure if he had euer beene placed within the Church 5 The fift reason is that the Romish Church is the true Church because many that liued there are nowe Saintes in heauen and namely Dominic and Frauncis as Xilander doeth imagine I say as before there was a time when Ephraim spake there was trembling he exalted him selfe in Israel but he hath sinned in Baal and is dead Neuerthelesse seeing Xilander went so farre for a fift reason let vs examine what he hath brought There is no doubt saith he but Dominiâ— Fraâ—ncis and others are Saintes in heauen therefore it cannot bee that they liued in errour Who hath made it out of doubt to vs that they are in heauen seeing there are writte 〈…〉 many 〈…〉 dent lyes and blasphemies of them in the Legenda and that most detestable Alcaron called the booke of confo 〈…〉 who will beleeue that Dominic raysed the dead which you teach Who can heare or reade those your blasphemies in making Fryer Frauncis an other Iesu in type and figure matching him w t Christ froÌ„ poynt to poynt and his miracles with Christs myracles If the Censurer had not menâ—ioned Frauncis the Fryer among his saints it myght haue beene hoped the Iesuites would refourme that booke or rather condemne it to the pit of hell But to returne to Xilanders argument it is a very bad one prouing the lesser doubt by the greater For it is not so great a doubt what those famous Fryers taught as whether they be in heauen Neuerthelesse if it were out of doubt they are in heauen yet
neither doe we vse or suffer the least corruption of y t Scripture knowing what a curse is pronouÌ„ced against such blasphemous audaâ—ity But you haue added the Apocrypha bookes although they neither agree in some pointes with y â— scripture nor yet one with another as hath bene declared Touching Fathers and Councils it is too foule an accusation to charge vs y â— wee esteeme no more of them theÌ„ of y â— Turkes Alcoran Flaschiâ—s appeareth to be some corrupt hypocrite who measured other men by y â— vanity wickednes of his own heart So farre doe wee honour the councils as they can well aske or doe deserue honour For that I may bee suffered to repeate with the Censurer we receiue from them ioyfully and with reuerence whatsoeuer they deliuer vnto vs with sufficient warrant out of the worde of God acknowledging them not only to haue brought great profit to the church in their time but also to their posteritie This honour we giue not to the deuilish Alcaron what the Apostata did or will do I can not report 5 The fifth reason is a slauÌ„der against y â— truth blasphemously cast out against it and the professers thereof It is that our newe opinions as Flaschius our enemies wil needes call them are olde heresies condeÌ„ned by name in the primitiue Church Whereunto I answere that if Saunders most traiterous booke quoted for proofe in the margent or Lindane with his roule of heresies or the runnagate by any good trial can proue that either we pull olde heresies out of the graue or breed newe that should be buried though it be no good reason why Sebastian should flie to them yet wee will grauÌ„t it a full sufficieÌ„t reasoÌ„ why he should take the wings of the morning flie from vs. But if this runnagate in the malice and error of his heart hath spoken good of euil and euill of good if he haue forsaken darknes for light and light for darknes then he hath escaped a blessing and made haste to finde a curse 6. 7. The next two reasons are of y â— same forge with all the rest they prooue nothing but the malice and blindnes of your conuert The sixt chargeth Luther with contrarietie of doctrine the seuenth with a speache of intollerable inâ—quitie against faith in God But his godly writings doe sufficiently iustifie him against these open slaunder 〈…〉 as was declared before against y â— Censurers like slauÌ„derous reports Out of his large volumes of talke at tables wee know not so much what Luther said or vpon what causes as what those men remeÌ„bred or added which did collect the bookes 8 The last reason of Flaschius was cunningly chosen out to make a fit conclusion of your tauÌ„ting and slaunderous Censure hauing nothing but the venim of the aspe that laie vnder the runnagates tongue It standeth vpon many points shuffeled together as that we are partiall that we exaggerate euery litle fault in our aduersaries and liue our selues most vitiously in fornication and chaunge of wiues according to Luthers doctrine the proofe whereof is alledged in one preacher vpon the runnagates credit with other thinges that this shamelesse man is ashamed to vtter What an heape of reproches is this without any proofe Against this I haue proued that M. Luther taught no libertie offornicatioÌ„ but the contrarie as appeareth at large by many his learned and godly treatises Alsâ— the knowne doctrine and discipline of our Church free vs froÌ„ the slaunder who seeke a sharper punishment for such enormities then your petie penaunce If Flaschius euer met with a mate like him selfe that would haue made a match w t him in chaunging of wiues he was to blame except the most fault was in himselfe that he did not bring it before the Magistrate vpon complaint and proofes it woulde haue appeared that y â— religion suffereth no such wickednesse to goe unpunished This may be a particular slaunder like the rest but if it were true in Flaschius and one of his companions both fitte to haue bene thrust out of the Church before eyther departed what is this to all These are your two false witnesses wel able to discredit euen a true matter comming from their report as they themselues are discredited by the testimonies they haue giuen in agaynst the Gospell being reportes so full of manifest reproch and vntrueth It is verie like they omitted the true reason of their departure Perhappes they went out because they woulde not or coulde not any longer abide within as it fell out with Demas and Alexander Nowe for a recompence of your two runnagates the present example not of a straunger unknowen but of one home borne toucheth the quicke He in your faces rendered good reasons of his conuersion from among them where wickednesse of life and abhomination of doctrine striue which may cal downe the greatest vengeaunce But this needeth not my repetition and I labour not to presse you with examples or corruptions of men it is beside the question we haue in hande My prayer and labour is for the defence of his trueth from the which we receiue life and are to striue for it vnto death The Lord requireth this seruice at our hands he will at his good time blesse it with manifolde blessings the fruit whereof it may be some of vs shal not see but our posteritie shal behold it notwithstanding all the wisedome and power and counsell of man to the contrary For the Lord hath reuealed the man of sin by the preaching of the worde hath shaken his chaire with a mightie arme hee wil not withdraw his hand til he hath vtterly coÌ„sumed Antichrist with the spirit of his mouth abolished him w t the brightnesse of his comming In the meane time his little â—locke may bee somewhat scattered for a time of trial but they shal be gathered together againe increased to shewe the Lords power and mercie they may sâ—w 〈◊〉 teares but they shal reape with gladnesse This is the hardest account the godly can make But it may be that the Lord will himselfe correct vs in mercy and not deliuer vs into the hands of our enemies to be punished by them It may be the mother of Sisera shall looke out at the window and cry out at the casement why is his chariot so long a coÌ„ming why tary the wheeles of his charet So let thine enemies perish O Lorde but let them that loue thee and thy trueth continue as the Sunne when he riseth in his might and as Oliue plants in the house of God that flourish for euer Amen FINIS Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie 2. Pet. 2. 1. Iohn 4. 24. 1. Iohn 4. 1. 2. Cor. 2. 5. 1. Iohn 4. 2. Heb. 7. 27. 9. 12. 26. 28. 10. 10. Iames 2. 1. Ephe. 4. 1â— Rom. 1. 18. 2. Tim. 2. 9. D. Watson M. Peoknam The