with passion you read them ten yeares togeather In these say you I fully found out what I sought for much more then I sought for How wel you set downe the māner of your fal You hated Heresie but affected Cōtumacy against the Pope and whilest you will not leaue what you loued you are falne into that which you abhorred You would faine without losse of your religion haue remained an obstinate and stubborne Catholike but behould you haue made wracke of your faith and are become a rebellious heretike You sought for Catholike contumacy contempt of the Pope a thing not to be found but in lieu therof you haue found heretical perfidiousnes Verily that haue you found which by such an inquiry you deserued to find Lib. 3. ep 9. which al that haue sought in this same māner haue found For the beginning of Heretikes saith S. Cyprian is to take delight in themselues with a swelling pride to contemne their Superiours Hereupon they rush into schismes and prophane Altars are reared vp out of the Church Malignant feuers neere neighbours to the Pestilence when the Plague is rife alwayes turne to this mischief so neere of kinne vnto them so when Heresies abound the Contempt of the supreme Pastour a sin neerly allied to Heresie can scarcely be conteined but that at least it will empty it selfe into Heresie Let them learne by your exāple that go about to be rebellious what they are like to find at last And let this be the conclusion That very orderly you descended on the steps of the ladder of Apostasy which I set you in the beginning You grow more sinfull one day then other you still more and more fleet away from the Church and euery step you make brings you neerer to Hell The eight Degree Presumption of proper Iudgment against the Church THERE now remaines the eight and last degree in the ladder of your descent a degree and step not only neighbouring vpon heresy but also neere allied vnto it which it doth not only touch immediatly but is the very beginning and head thereof This is too much presuming of your owne learning and wit aboue the Church S. de vera Relig cap. 16. Augustine saith excellently That no errour can be in the Christian religion did not mans soule worship her selfe for God For it were impossible that a Christian should be an Heretike did he still submit himselfe and inthrall his vnderstanding to God and giue him leaue by the voyce of his Church to ouersway their wits which are blind rashe erroneous not only when they wander without diuine Scriptures through the works of Nature but thē also when within the boundes of sacred Writ they discourse according to their owne fense arbitrement Hitherto before you openly fled from vs were you fallen Antony and being in that case you did not so much tend towards Apostasy but rather were you arriued at your iourneyes end You cannot abide Subiection of vnderstanding to the obedience of Faith euery where you impugne it and at last conclude I am no child now whome being nigh threescore yeares of age euery man should perswade what he listeth without weight of reasons This your girding at the Roman Church contaynes either a grosse calumniation or a vast arrogancy For if you meane to taxe the Roman Church as though she did vse to propose to be beleeued of her children with true submission of their vnderstanding whatsoeuer a priuate man or Doctour or Prelate listeth to teach truly you hatefully charge her with that she neuer doth But if by whatsoeuer listeth any man you meane those points of doctrine which you call proper decrees of the Roman Church namely the Supremacy of Peter and his Successour the doctrine that most of all offends you If by euery one you vnderstand the witnesses authours vnto whose iudgment the Romā Church would haue her childen submit the supposed weight of their reasons If I say you meane this doctrine and intend to shew your cōtempt of the authorities that are by the Church alleadged for it refusing to submit your iudgment to them then are you come to this last step which consumates an Apostata For you know all Catholikes all Bishops through out the world and the vniuersall Church now spread through Europe and the new found Indies acknowledge the Romā Supremacy I will not presse you with the old Councells I wil not vrge you with any thing that you may or will deny Only I say that this doctrine was defined by the Tridentine Councell by the Florentine by the Lateran which Lateran for the generall concourse of all Christendome and for the number of Bishops that were in it was the greatest of all Christian councells that haue beene hitherto assembled Will you then submit your iudgment to the censure of these councells You will not The assembly of so many so great and so worthy men by you is tearmed quisque euery one ordinary fellowes Their iudgmēts you accompt no more then quod quisque libuerit you reckon them as trifles Behould now appeares the arrogancy of your speach which though you harboured in your mind yet you sought to cloake with ambiguous words 29. You say that euery man shall not make you belieue what they list being a man as you are of almost three score yeares of age you say that you haue reasons of weight that the Church shal giue you better or as good before you will beleeue her O craft of Heresy what doth not she inuent to saue her selfe she sees that if the matter come to be tried by authority she will not be able to stand nor shew her selfe in comparison with the Catholike Church that her vpstart paucity will blush to appeare before the Catholike authority which in former ages was and now is spatiously enlarged ouer the world What shift then doth Heresy make With full mouth she cryes that she hath weighty reasons on her side hoping by the promise of reasons to counterballance the Churches authority If you will not credit me that this is the tricke of heresie then heare S. Epist 56. Augustine that long ago noted and discouered this fraud Heretiks saith he perceauing that they are vtterly ouerthrowne if the authority of their Conuenticles be brought to compare with the Catholik authority they endeauour by making shew promises of reason in some sort to ouercome the most graue and grounded authority of the Church For this kind of boldnes is the common and ordinary tricke almost of all Heretikes So S. Augustine which in truth toucheth your right who go about to poise the weight of your reasōs against the authority of the Church Nor do I captiously intend to wrest your words to a sense perhaps from your own meaning as if before you will beleeue you demaund of vs weighty reasons drawne out of Philosophy naturall Knowledge I deale not so hardly with you for you meane perhaps reasons grounded on Scriptures but
promise de vtilitate credend cap. 14. you barke But know that you barke against that Church which as S. Augustine saith by succession of Bishops from the Apostolike Sea hath obteyned the height of authority Heretikes her enemyes round about her barking in vayne against her Sampson sent foxes into the corne of the Philistines with their heads loose but with their tayles tied which signifies saith S. Hierome that Heretikes haue tongues free to barke but for performing they be shackled and cumbred They barke fiercely but they beat but the ayre sooner may they breake themselues then fright and remoue the Roman Church from the imbracing of the faith that hath byn deliuered vnto her She cleauing to the diuine promises as it were fixed in the firmanent being on high secure despiseth her rayling aduersaryes as the moone doth the dogges Who barke but winde drowneth their clamours base Diana chast holds on her heauenly pace The sixt Gulfe Arrogancy of Doctourship and Authority ouer the whole Church THE power which from the Roman Bishop you would faine take you challenge to your selfe so making your selfe the vniuersall curate of the Church in the 29. page To euery Bishop so is a particuler Church committed that he must know that also when need is the vniuersall Church is by Christ commended to him In the 30. page you add that any Bishop by his owne proper authority may remoue to other Churches that are afflicted and oppressed Thus you make a conueyance of power ouer the whole Church for your selfe yet you do it subtilty thinking you should not be seen You offer that vniuersall power to euery Bishop knowing aforehand that out of modesty they will refuse it that so this authority reiected by the rest may retourne to your selfe the first authour therof as being properly and peculiarly yours Yea say you it is most of all properly belonging to my office to succour as farre as in me lieth the Roman Court that makes a schisme and diuision by it selfe and teareth in peeces the flocke of Christ You are the new Atlas you will support the Heauen the vniuersall Church with your shoulders For which enterprise you thinke your selfe so sufficient that if the Pope and the rest of Catholike Bishops will yield to rely vpon your aduise what will follow I hope say you that shortly it will so fall out that full peace and concorde and that so necessary vnion of the holy Churches will thereupon ensue so that we shall beleeue all the same and all abide in the same rule Your hopes are vayne poore soule you take to much vpon you 33. Heresies were before you were borne and will be when you shal be dead the number of Heretiks you now make greater by one through Pride which deserues to be pittied rather then confuted For what Put the case the Roman Bishops would become your subiects and remit the busines of vnion and reconciliation to your wisedome do you thinke the matter ended and that the Sects opposite to the Roman Church Grecians Lutherans Caluinists Anabaptists will also without more ado become obedient to you at a becke Such is your vanity that you seeme not to doubt but that all the rest of Christian companyes besides the Roman will in this affaire of peace beare humble duty and respect towards you You know not Antony and little do you imagine what fierce and furious windes I meane proud and peremptory sects rage in the Northern parts which if you can assemble to a generall Councell or keepe them when they are there in peace verily you shall be more omnipotent then Aeolus But afore-hand I tell you they will not set a rush for you Maydes and Boyes will laugh you to scorne they will preferre their skil of Scripture before yours with sentences flowing thicke and threefold from their tongues vttered with one breath they will ouerload you If you dare but mutter against what they say you shall be stiled Papist if you do not straight yield to beleeue them they will take pitty of your eyes that hauing beene so many yeares togeather accustomed to Popish darkenesse cānot now behold the cleere shining light of the Gospel This is the Caluinian nature which if you be ignorant of you will learne to your cost 34. But to returne to the care of the vniuersall Church which you presumptuously take vpon you togeather with authority to visit any Church at your pleasure which you shall iudge to haue need of your assistance Herein you commit a double errour The first is to thinke that a Bishop to help other Churches that are afflicted may abandon his owne and in such manner adandon it as to leaue it destitute of the meanes of saluation to be rauened deuoured by wolues For this in your conceit you do and this you thinke that lawfully you may do to succour the Roman But what ancient holy Bishop can you name that did so Which of them hath left written that such practise is laudable Euen those Bishops whome you pretend to imitate your selfe confesse that they went to assist other Churchs leauing their owne well appointed and prouided of sufficient persons to teach and instruct them 35. The second errour is to thinke that euery bishop at his owne good liking and by his owne authority may visit other Churches that are in need put them in order though the proper Bishops of such Churches be vnwilling Which doctrine were it brought to practise would breake and vtterly ouerthrow the peace and concord of the Church as any man of iudgment may soone foresee For if euery Bishop may whensoeuer he shall thinke it needfull passe into the boundes of anothers Iurisdiction there sit as Iudge of cōtrouersies and pronounce finall sentence vpon them it cānot be but Bishops will very often encounter and be beaten one against another by mutuall discord nor can I imagine what other deuise can be thought of de vnit Eccles c. 4. or feigned so fit to trouble the quiet of Churches There is as S. Cyprian saith but one Bishopricke whereof a part is wholy possessed by euery one yet so is the Bishopricke one as the body of man is one which hath an Head that commandeth the rest of the members In this manner the one Bishopricke of the world hath one Sea supreme aboue the rest l. 3. ep 4. which the same S. Cyprian tearmeth the principall Sea from which Priestly vnity and concord floweth to which perfidiousnes can haue no accesse The authority of this Sea spread and diffused ouer the rest is that Glew of concord which ioyneth them all togeather in peace and charity This Sea hath care to prouide for the necessityes of the vniuersall Church and to send as Legats other Bishops whose Churches be well prouided to giue succour to others that are in need By this Sea were Osius Athanasius Eusebius Bishop of Vercells Lucifer of Calaris and others sent whome you name and affirme but as your manner
is without any proofe that they put themselues into the busines of visitation of Churches vpon their owne head and authority 36. Theodoret writeth that Lucifer Bishop of Calaris Eusebius Bishop of Vercells went about visiting the Churches of the East Lib. 3. c. 4. and namely the Churches of Antioch and Alexandria to see whether the Decrees of the Nicen Councell were kept That Lucifer at Antioch ordayned Paulinus Bishop that Eusebius at Alexandria togeather with Athanasius called a Councell to which Lucifer sent a Deacon by whome he signified that he would agree to the things that that Councell should ordayne These things you thinke that those two Bishops but of meane Seas did performe by their owne proper authority that you haue sufficient authority of your selfe to do the like when and whersoeuer you shal iudge it expedient Lib. 6. aduersus Iulian I may with reason exclayme with S. Augustine What dares not the pride of rotten flesh presume You should Antony haue known what S. Gregory Nazianzen writeth Monod in S. Basil that Eusebius Bishop of Vercells and Lucifer of Calaris were sent ex vrbe Româ from the Citty of Rome into the East particularly to appease a sedition and tumult at Cesaraea De viris illustribus in Lucifero and that which S. Hierome left recorded of Lucifer that he was sent Legat into the East to Constantius Emperour from Liberius the Roman Bishop Whence you may gather that by power delegated to them from the Roman Bishop they were able to commaund the East and ordaine such great affaires and not by their owne proper authority Wherefore you haue not Lucifer the Bishop of Calaris but Lucifer prince of Pride for your patterne and president when you go about to rayse your selfe a throne in the coasts of the North that as Christ in the South by the Bishop of Rome gouerneth the Vniuersall Church so in the North he that seeks to be like to the highest may by you as Head send forth and display his counsells and deuises vpon all Christendome 37. And what meant you to match your selfe with those most holy and famous Bishops Worthyes of the Church Contrary things layd togeather deserue to set forth mutually ech other In the practise of these Saintes as in a glasse we may behold how opposite all your proceedings are to the rules of sanctity They going left their Churches prouided and well commended to other pastours You leaue your Church wholy destitute to be deuoured as you conceiue by wolues They either went to the Roman Church for succour and counsell or were sent by the Roman to giue succour and counsell to others you fly from the Roman Sea you detest blaspheme it They being men renowned in the whole Church for their learning and sanctity being earnestly inuited by diuers Bishops and by the secret suffrages of the whole Church for that interprise designed went to put an end to the Church Controuersies you being neither for the dignity of your Sea eminēt aboue the rest nor commendable for Knowledge and Holynes of life a man vtterly vnknowne who by your Apostasy now beginne to haue fame You I say offer your selfe for vniuersal Superintendent and Curate to the world which before this your offer had neuer so much as heard of your name They laboured for that faith which had byn settled and defined by Councells you seeke to bring in Doctrine which you know to haue byn many ages ago condemned by the authority of Councells They stroue against Heretikes that seing they had bin accursed in Coūcells they might likewise be reiected from the Catholike Communion your labours are in fauour of damned Heretikes that though they be proscribed by Councells yet they may be reteyned in the Church if so be that they will professe Christ by the essentiall Creedes as you speake And you seeme to be of the same mind that some Donatists were Epist 48. whome S. Augustine condemns that it is no matter in what part or side a man be a Christian nor do you consider that it is sitting that God should be serued in vnity Thus by comparing your selfe with the ancient holy Bishops your sanctity appeares The seauenth Gulfe New flattering doctrine THIS Gulfe imbraceth two vices and both of them properly belong to Heretiks the one is to coyne new doctrines the other to flatter their auditours specially Princes Lib. 1. ca. 1. Of the first S. Irenaeus saith That later Heretiks do day by day inuent some new thing which neuer any man had thought of before Of the second S. Hierome writeth Lib. 1. cōt Pelag. That flattering properly agreeth to Heretiks and to them that study how to deceaue soules according to the saying of the Apostle such persons serue not Christ our Lord but their owne belly and by sweet speaches and benedictions seduce the harts of the innocent 39. Many new doctrines you haue in your booke Antony as are these 1. That a Bishop for feare of persecution may forsake his flock and leaue it wholy destitute 2. That to euery Bishop is giuen the care of the vniuersall Church so that by his owne proper authority he may intermeddle in the affaires of other Bishoprikes 3. That none who professe Christ by the Creeds essential of the ancient Church are to be repelled from the Catholike Communion 4. That Schisme is a farre greater sinne then Heresy These your new conceits haue been mentioned and refuted already 40. Other foure sayings you haue wherin you make fayre with Kings by depressing the authority of the Church The first is That Kings can do many thinges in the Church The second That the Church can do nothing at all in temporalls specially towards Kings The third That all iurisdiction is to be remoued from the Church These three propositions you haue in the 28. and 29. page In the first the English Parlamētarians agree with you The two other be new not only repugnant to the ancient Fathers but also to the Heretikes of this age to Puritans and Protestants and to the eager defenders of the late English Oath For these deny not the Churches authority ouer Kings yea they graunt that euen in temporalls the Church may commaund them though they mantayne that Kings obstinate rebellious against the Church may not be deposed from their gouernement And what is Iurisdiction but power to appoint what is right to enact Lawes to call the transgressors of their lawes before them to sit vpon them and punish thē being conuinced of punishable offences Now that the Church did in former times exercise this power as deriued to her from Christ is so cleere that he that is ignorant therof or so impudent as to deny it I thinke him not worthy to be disputed with 41. The fourth doctrine I dare say is new and properly yours then which scarse any more base can be deuised to flatter Kings Which doctrine you may seem to haue coyned of purpose that therby
vnsauory and contemptible what wonder though as salt without sauour you were cast forth vnto the dung-hill 45. The second difference betweene the King and the Pope deuised by you is that the Pope is the brother and colleague of Bishops but the King is second after God inferiour to God only By the first because the Pope is the brother of Bishops you inferre that the Pope may be rebuked by his fellow bishops And your inference is good if the Pope giue iust cause if the correction be giuen with due modesty in due time place and manner that it may be for the good both of the Pope the Church By the other because the King is second to God you gather that no man may rebuke him but God only and the Prophets that are stirred vp by God sent purposely for that end You be then of this mind that the dignity of a King which is to be next vnto God doth make him not to be the sonne of the Church nor the brother of Christians For if his being supreme after God in temporalls hinder not but that in spirituall things he is the sonne of the Church why may he not be rebuked by his Mother If he be the brother of Christiās the brother of the Children of the Church why may not they warne him of his faults freely yet with modesty with prudency and with Charity Hebr. 12. vers 7.8 The Apostle saith What son is it whom the Father doth not correct If you be not vnder discipline and correction you be not sonnes but bastards You can neuer exempt the King from being vnder the discipline and correction of Bishops except you put him from the number of the children of the Church 46. But take heed you do not this not because therein you should contradict the ancient Fathers for to do that you would not greatly care but for feare least you offend his gratious Maiesty of Great Brittany whome by this flattering diuinity you endeuour to sooth For William Tooker Deane of Lich-field in his booke called Duellum aduersus Martinum Becanum in the 34. page thereof hath these words Our most gracious and potent King Iames doth accompt nothing more glorious and more honorable for him then with Valentinian to professe himselfe the sonne of the Church and with Theodoricus King of Italy most willingly to acknowledge himselfe the pupill of the Church and the disciple of his Arch-bishops and Bishops Marke me Antony Either you deny the King to be the sonne of the Church or you grant it If you deny it you take from the King the title which if we beleeue Maister Tooker most and aboue all other he esteemeth If you grant the King to be the sonne of the Church and yet will exempt him from being vnder her discipline you make him if we beleeue S. Paul not a lawfully begotten sonne but adulterous Which way so euer you turne your selfe you are in bryars you both dispute impertinently and flatter foolishly 47. The third difference you put between the Pope and the King is that it is not for Prophets to meddle with the Pope but to reprehend Kings God himselfe appoints speciall messengers and Prophets This difference you proue by the example of Dauid who when he was to be rebuked for murder and adultery no man no not the High-priest himselfe durst attempt it because Dauid being King was inferiour to God only Heere you suppose things that are false yet were your false supposalls granted you yet your argument is naught First it is false that Dauid was to be rebuked for adultery and murder Dauid sinned closely he cunningly made away with Vrias by the sworde of his enemyes This his wickednes mortall men could hardly know much lesse could they reproue him for it Secondly it is false that the high-priest durst not reprehend Dauid because he was a King next vnto God He rebuked him not because he knew not that he was worthy of rebuke for had he knowne it why might he not haue dared to do that to Dauid 2. Paral. cap. 26. which Azarias High-priest did to King Ozias whome after sharpe reprehensions he turned out of the Temple And how vaine your discourse is though your premisses were solide hence may it appeare that by the same kind of argument I will easily proue that the Pope may not be rebuked but by some Prophet and speciall messenger sent for that purpose from God For God to reprehend the High-priest hath sent speciall messengers 1. Reg. cap. 2. 3. When Hely the High-priest out of fond affection and indulgence towards his sonnes permitted them to staine the worship of God with most heynous and scandalous sinnes and so deserued to be rebuked and soundly tould of his fault yet none of the Priests nor of the Leuites nor of his friends and familiars durst that we read of rebuke him for it but God sent singular Prophets and speciall Heraldes for that purpose Therfore the high Priest may not be rebuked but of Prophets by singular commission from God This argument is much stronger then yours is yet if I should seriously bring it as placing any force therein I were a foole But you that would haue earthly power preferred before the heauenly what wonder though your arguments in this behalfe be earthly The eight Gulfe Fond and idle Talking YOvv write in the 28. page that you heare a voice which doth thunder still in your eares and say vnto you Cry You follow the instinct of this voice In cap. 22. Isa you do as Heretikes vse to do whose doctrine saith S. Hierome consistes not in knowledge but in clamors and in idle multiplicity of words without sense You powre forth words and make a noise wherewith you beate the ayre and touch no body yea sometimes you strike your selfe with one sentence destroying what in another you had set vp Examples in both kinds of this fond talking are very plentifull in your booke I shall gather you a few 49. In the 35. page being now Gouernour of the Vniuersal Church created by your owne authority you very grauely exhort and rebuke the Bishop of Rome and other Catholike Bishops in this māner Articles in themselues indifferent that were neuer yet in the Church sufficiētly discussed established or defined let vs not admit as articles of fayth except they be first sufficiently defined to the full or be shewed to be sufficiently already defined Let vs not also condemne any for Heretikes except it be first cleare that they haue been formerly or now are sufficiently condemned by the Church In things indifferent then let free scope be left to euery one to thinke and practise as they please let euery one abound in their owne sense till the Church taught and gouerned by the spirit of Christ shall make an end of Controuersies and separate the true chaffe from the true grayne Thus you talke And to what end are so many wordes cast into the wind Whome
cup. 3. to witt the consent of people and notions the authority which was first bred by miracles nursed by hope brought vp by charity founded in antiquity The succession of Priests euen from the seate of Peter the Apostle to whome our Lord after his resurrection committed his flock vnto this present Bishoprick Lastly the name Catholike which not without cause this Church only amongst so many heresies hitherto hath enioyed But say you she smothers oppresseth and destroyeth the aduersaries books by all meanes possible she doâ—h so indeed like a mother she wisely and piously tenders the good of her children like a shep-heard she lookes carefully to her flocke as the seruant of seruants Whome our Lord hath placed ouer his family forbiddeth them to tast of poysoned meates warily preuenting least such deadly food should be brought into her house what fault is there in all this This is no diffidence but prouidence nor is the weaknes of her doctrine which is diuine the cause of her feares but the frailty and inconstancy of mans mind For experience sufficiently approues nor do you deny that which S. Aug. cont Epist Fund Augustine affirmes That there is no errour whatsoeuer but may be so glossed that it may easily steale in by a faire gate to the minds of the ignorant And who sees not if dangerous Bookes for the vse of the learned should be freely brought into Countries that are not tainted with heresy that scarce truly or rather not scarcely can it be but that they must light into the hands of the ruder sort especially if they should be permitted in such a number as you would haue that is to say to all Bishops and Deuines Pag. 9. that haue fully ended their studies Yea and moreouer to Students and scholers also to see whether their maisters truly alleadge the testimonies of heretikes This were too great a multitude and would make poyson ouer coÌ„mon Wherfore the Catholike Church with great wisedome hath thought it more expedieÌ„t that the learned which may securely read such books rather should want this vaine contentment of curiosity or vnnecessary furtherance of learning then that the vnlearned by so common bringing in of such infectious merchandize should be brought into manifest daunger of their saluation 11. Neither truly as you suppose doth this daunger of drinking falshood by perusall of hereticall books belong to the common sort of men only whome you tearme voyd of iudgment and discretion I take it you meane heardes-men shepheards craftes men such like which kind of people notwithstanding for the most part is safest of all of they be not more by others example and authority then by their owne reading peruerted The daunger indeed threatens the vulgar sort but the vulgar sort of the learned In which number are found not a few rash hoat spirits men rather died then imbued with sacred learning that seeme to themselues and many times also to the people learned Catholikes constant when rather they are like vnto men easily remouable from their faith vnlearned apre to worship their owne fancies as diuine oracles Wherfore no Catholike vnles some giddy fellow voyd both of experience and reason will mislike this Roman sollicitude in prouiding so carefully that books condemned be not read rashly and promiscuously euen of those that are otherwise held learned but with choyce mature counsaile and regard had to places times persons and causes And if there be any that would read these books not out of an impious leuity to find out perhaps some better faith nor out of daungerous curiosity by such reading to become more learned but with a purpose to confute them the Catholike Church will neuer deny them faculty if charity be their motiue and they thought meet for the burthen What is there heer done but with great counsaile and wisedome What practise that the Church vsed not in auncient times Aboue 800. years ago more or lesse the seauenth Oecumenicall Synode the second Nicene Canon the ninth decreed that the bookes of the heretiks which they had condemned should be conueyed to the Bishop of Constantinople his pallace there to be laid vp amongst other hereticall bookes You will say that this Canon was directed only to the vulgar not to the Deuines to Bishops much lesse Hear what followes But if there be any that conceale these bookes be he Bishop or Priest or Clergy man let him be deposed and if he be a lay man or a Monke let him be anathematized What can be more manifest Leo ep 48. But Leo the Pope for learning holines surnamed the Great but much the greater by his office with no lesse carefulnes ordeyneth that with all Priestly diligence care be had that no bookes of heretikes differing from godly sincerity be had of any yea and that some of theÌ„ should he consumed by fire Moreouer the fourth Councell of Carthage or rather the fifth held in S. Augustines time permitted not hereticall bookes to be read for Bishops curiosities but restrained them to their limites of time Can. 16. necessity Canon 16. ordeyning thus Bishops may read hereticall books according to the time and necessity Is not this practise then of the Roman Church both ancient pious and full of wisedome What will not the reprobate catch at to their owne destruction that are offended with so holsome a custome Aelian lib. 4. cap. 16. The spider suckes poyson from flowers the beetle being toucht with the breath of the purest Rose dieth yea that flower of flowers by whose odour we breath life to the Iewes was an odour of death to death And you Antony are scandalized with the Churches piety in suppressing hereticall books her prudence in this practise strikes you blind her motherly care you calumniate you wrest the motiues of loue to causes of bitter hatred 12. Now as this other saying of yours that the Roman Church for so seuerely prohibiting the books of heretiks may wel iustly be called in question for her doctrine is not only in it self false but in the sequele impious For that which is said of a thing hoc ipso per se that is as belonging to the thing of it self by it selfe is spokeÌ„ likewise of euery such thing according to Philosophy nor any man that knowes what he saieth will deny it Therfore that which agreeth to the Roman Church of it selfe and meerly for this respect that she prosecuteth her aduersaries books must agree likewise to euery Church that with like industry suppresseth her aduersaries bookes If you do graunt but this once then you must giue sentence against the ancient Church and restore to life all those Heretikes who with their bookes haue beene long since turned into ashes For we haue already declared with what diligence our Forefathers and ancient Councels haue prohibited their aduersaries bookes which care and solicitude Christians and pious Princes haue imitated by their Edictes Iustinian the Emperour being in person at the
so that except the Churches reasons do so fully conuince you that it manifestly appeare to you that she proposeth to our beliefe that only which is conteined in the Scriptures except you see this I say you will not yeild nor do you thinke it meet that you should yeild being a man of such yeares Thus to stand vpon reasons drawne from Scripture is I say an hereticall tricke For those ancient Heretikes amongst whome as S. Augustine saith it was ordinarie to oppose their reasons and arguments to countermaund the definitions of the Church these heretikes I say did not vrge reason without Scripture but they boasted that they had and exacted likewise of the Church argumēts out of Scripture so cleere and so perspicuous that mans vnderstanding cannot resist against them And the same kind of conuincing arguments our Nouellestes require of the Catholike Church nor will they graunt any man to be an Heretike but such a oneas being conuinced by testimonies of Scriptures cleerly seeth that to be affirmed in Scriptures which the Church would haue to be beleeued notwithstanding he refuseth to belieue This is their doctrine which if we once admit to be currant t' is impossible there should be any men in the world properlie Heretikes For if that which the Church proposeth to be belieued they find not cleerlie deliuered in Scripture although they disagree from the Church they be not Heretikes as they say And on the other side if they see the doctrines of the Church to be cleerlie contained in Scripture they cannot dissent from them vnles they belieue either that God can lie or that the Scriptures of Christians be not the word of God And if they beleeue either of these two things they be not properly Heretiks For if they beleeue that God can lie they are not Heretikes but Atheists if they beleeue that God is true but thinke that Christian Scriptures be not his word they be not Heretikes but Infidells seing they wholy deny Scriptures and as Tertullian saith There can be no Heretike without Scriptures Praes c. 39. And if you say they be Heretiks that deny the Scriptures not wholy but in part then this followes that there can be no Heretike which doth not refuse some part of Canonicall Scriptures And then I aske of Protestants how they can taxe vs Catholikes for Heresy who from the Canon exclude no booke which they themselues admit nor do we find the doctrines cleerlie deliuered in Scriptures which they so boldly and clamorously contend to be conteined in them But my purpose is not at this time to ouerthrow this proud Tower of Heresy which is not to beleeue the Church vnlesse they see with their owne eys that her doctrine is conteined in Scripture 30. This only I vrge that you Antony were come to this last step towards Apostasy which is not to yield to the Churches authority without she make her word good by weighty reasons that out of presumption of your Wit and Learning but especially out of a great opinion of the ten Bookes you promise to print you haue shamefully reuolted frō the Church That which we read of Agar Sara's handmaide Gen. 16. may very well be applied to you Who perceauing that she had conceaued with child set light by her Mistresse For as soone as you had conceaued in your braine that new forme plot of an Ecclesiasticall gouernement and Christian vnion you forthwith contemned the iudgment of the Roman Church to whō you should haue beene obsequious submitting and captiuating your iudgment But it seemes by your manner of proceeding that you be of opinion that in those your ten Bookes more is conteined then in the whole Catholike world besids For you promise many great wonderfull Benefits which by your Reuolt from the Pope shall redound to the Church to witt the suppression of Schisme the vniting of Churches the extinguishing of Heresies the pacification of Princes from open Hostility and the combining of their forces for the subuersion of the Turke with the infranchisement of Christiā Captiues groaning vnder their yoke These are great and glorious things Let vs now see by what power you will performe them As Dauid with fiue stones encountred Goliah so you with the same number of bookes twice told will enter into combat with the aforenamed Monsters The Church say you shall shortly heare my voyce I will speake to the hart of Ierusalem I will call her forth Thus you and yet if I be not deceaued God only is he that speakes to the hart as for men euen the greatest the most learned and eloquent while they inuite men to heauenly matters of themselues can do no more but knocke at their eares Nor do I see vpon what grounds you may be so sure that your voyce should penetrate into the hart of the Church though I see very well that you imagine there is no small force but rather some diuine efficacy in your voyce Well what is that you will proclayme that shall be heard ouer Christendome Let vs now heare it from you own mouth I will say you shortly put forth my ten Bookes of the Ecclesiasticall Common wealth in which principally I endeauour that the Roman Errours may be detected the truth and soundnes both of Doctrine and Discipline may appeare that many of the Churches cast forth and reiected by the Roman Church may be reteyned still in a Catholike sense That the way of vnion betweene the Churches of Christ may be demonstrated or at least pointed at with a nod or finger And that if it be possible that is if it be possible my bookes wil do the deed we may all say and thincke the same thinges and so all Schismes may be repressed that the occasions may be taken away from Christian Princes of oppressing one another that therby the better they may direct their forces in such sort that the Churches of Christ groning vnder Infidel Tyrantes may be recouered to their former liberty Thus you write of your Booke What victories will this your Child yet in wombe get for the Church What ouerthrowes and woes will he worke vpon Heretiks if he may be once happily borne into the world 31. Whose birth therefore you iudge a matter of such consequence that any wickednes may be committed that he may be borne For I pray you is it not a wicked thing to forsake the Church Yes certainly and yet you finding no possibility to print your booke in a Catholike Country rent your self wholy from the Catholike Church that so your ympe finding no other way of passage to life might worke himselfe into the world by renting his mother Againe is it not great wickednes for Pastours to forsake their flock to the continuall tuition whereof the law of God seuerely bindeth them Without question it is Yet you write in this manner It was very necessary for me to leaue my flocke that so hauing broken also these bandes being at more liberty I might be the
of Christ And in the 38 page you name the Bishops in the Roman communion your most holy Colleages or fellow Bishops When you writ this you were in no Church but in the Roman into no other Church or cōpany were you then by visible externall profession admitted Wherfore you were Bishop in no Church of Christ but as you were Bishop in the Church of Rome or if you were Bishop in some other Church then were not our Catholike Bishops your colleags or fellowes If then you were a Bishop in the Church of Christ and the Bishops of the Roman were your follow-Bishops most holy it followes out of your owne confession that the Church of Rome is the Church of Christ the society of Saintes Which seing you forsake you cannot deny but you forsake the company of Christ and of his Saints which is to be peruerse to be delinquent and to Apostate Praes c. 8. Well saith Tertullian Erring is without fault where no delinquishing is He wanders securely who by wandering forsaketh nothing This is most true but he that forsaketh the Church of Christ he that abandoneth his Saintes he leaueth somthing yea a thing of great esteem he leaueth and so delinquisheth not without fault yea with great impiety is such wādring And if also he leaue that companie whome he iudgeth whom he tearmeth most holy which is your case then questionlesse he is a delinquent condemned by his owne iudgement Serm. 30. Marke what S. Ambrose expounding these words of the Apostle commenteth against your Apostasy The Heretike condemneth himselfe who casteth himselfe out of the Church of Christ and not being forced by any of selfe accord departs from the companie of Saints Well doth he declare what he deserues at the hands of all who by his owne proper doome is seuered from the company of all For whereas other criminous persons by Bishops censures are driuen out of the Church the heretike preuenteth all and becomes a forlorne from the Church by the choice of his owne will The Heretike then doth suffer the like condemnation that Iudas did being both delinquent and Iudge himselfe the authour and the punisher of his owne misdeed 3. You will say that you forsake the Roman Church with body not with hart that you fly for feare of persecution but are most ready so you may do it with your safety to haue peace and communion with the Church of Rome If you now pleade in this sort you will not be longe of so good a mind neither can this answere consort with your other deeds and doctrine For in the 34. 35. page you write that you are ready to communicate with any that agree with you in the essentiall articles and creeds of faith yet so say you that we all likewise detest new articles either openly contrary to the sacred scripture or els opposit to the aforenamed Creeds Now I aske you whether the Church of Rome teach new articles manifestly opposite to holy Scripture or no If not then you fly from her without any iust cause she being subiect to no cleere or notorious errour If she teach new articles that cleerly repugne with Scriptures and will not detest them yea seeing you say of her that she doth obtrude new articles that containe in them manifest falsity and doth persecute all that dare but mutter against them euen to the death this supposed I say cleere it is that you haue carried away not only your body but also your hart your loue cōmunion and profession from the Roman Church which yet you grant to be the church of Christ and the Company of Saints 4. You will say againe that you indeed abandon the Roman Church which is a Church of Christ notwithstanding you forsake not the Church of Christ but from one Church of Christ defiled with diuers errours you passe to another Church of Christ more pure and more sincere both for doctrine and discipline but this deuise wil not serue to quit you of the crime of Apostasy For Antony the Churches to which you fly be themselues fugitiue and fleeting Churches Companies which haue deuided themselues from the Roman which had they not done no Church no Company had been now in the world to haue receaued you in your flight This do you your selfe in a manner insinuate when you call the Churches to which you depart the Churches which Rome hath raised vp to be her aduersaries The time then was whē they were not Romes aduersaries when they were not raised vp but addicted to that which you call Romish Idolatry lay prostrate on the ground at the Popes feet So that also these Churches haue abandoned the Church of Christ and the Company of Saints if the Roman Church be as you graunt it to be the Church of Christ and the Company of Saintes Now then did these fly to a Church more pure then the Roman when they reuolted from her No but forsaking the Roman Church they departed to themselues being made purer then the Roman in their owne opinion not by cleauing to the purity of some Church before extant in the world but by the purity of a new Company raysed vp made more pure then any other by forsaking and abandoning the rest of the whole Christian world So Caluin sayth It is absurd that we that haue departed from the whole world should now fall out and quarell amongst our selues Caluin ep 107. Your strifes and contentions M. Caluin are in very truth absurde and ridiculous but much more absurde is this your confession that you made a separation from the whole world besids For straight out of S. Augustine I subsume they that forsake the communion of the whole world must needs be Apostata's God forbid wil you say for we haue iustly reuolted from the rest of the world we runne away from errours abuses we haue weighty reasons for what we do No saith S. Augustine you haue no iust reasons you are without doubt reuolting Apostata's Epist 48. for we are certaine saith he none could iustly separate themselues from the communion of the world and againe Ibidem It is no way possible that any should haue reason to separate their Communion from the communion of the whole world to call themselues the Church because vpon iust reasons they deuided themselues from the society of all nations Thus S. Augustine leauing you Antony no way to escape from the gulfe of Apostasy but by returning to the Roman Communion 5. But say you I will haue this my departure or flight to be free from all suspition of schisme You speake peremptorily like a Prince You will but you should know you haue not authority to ouerule the Natures of things If you will take another mans goods without his leaue and not be a theef If you will vpon priuate reuenge bereaue a man of his life and not be a murderer If you will abandon the Church of Christ and not be an Apostata or Schismatike
drawne by that counterfayt weping approacheth his feet fayle him and suddainly falleth a ioyfull pray to the mourner 16. Fourthly you faigne that Scriptures fauour you in the fift page Neuer say you did I at any tyme square the motions and thoughts of my mind by any other ruler then such as the Holy Ghost prescribeth in Sacred Writ This is soone said what Heretike said it not Neither could their talking saith S. Hierome gayne them beleeuers did they not make shew to confirme their peruerse doctrine by diuine authority You still gouerned your thoughts inclinations by the rules of scripture other ruler or direction you vsed neuer at any time A great praise which I cannot say agreeth to any of the Saints if from that number we exempt Christ and his Virgin Mother If this be true surely you neuer sinned vnles one may sinne and do amisse in following the rule and gouernment of Gods spirit perchance you meane not so rudely as you write and I can beleeue these your words may be more vayne then your mind I only warne you not to be hasty to beleeue these thoughts and motions of the spirit that present themselues to you vested with testimonies of scripture wherwith euen serpents are couered and walke about Will you not beleeue me then beleeue Luther who writeth they are wretches that do not consider that the Diuell doth dart venemous fiery thoughts into their hartes Tom. 2. Germ. wit fol. 122. art 552. which be nothing els but most fine thoughts adorned with testimonies of Scripture that they cannot perceaue the subtill poyson that lurketh in them Wherfore seing you make your boast of Scriptures you might not wonder though we should answer you as S. Augustine did the Manichees Being bad you read them not well being ignorant you vnderstand them not right being blind you cannot behold their truth 17. Fifthly you pretend to follow the Fathers After the inward motiōs of the holy Ghost only the holy Fathers say you haue beene the most honorable authors aduisers of this my enterprise You be not wise to trimme your selfe with the shew of ācient Fathers authority seing you go towards those Churches that professe to follow neither Fathers nor Mothers but only the pure Word And if you haue your Passe-port frō the auncient Fathers to leaue Rome why haue you not alleadged so much as one cleere testimony out of them in your behalfe and against the Roman Bishops Preeminency Pag. 35. You bring indeed out of the Councell of Carthage this testimony which you call the most renowned saying of the most renowned Cyprian We do not iudge any man saith he nor remoue them from the right of communion that be of a contrary mind For not any amongst vs doth make himselfe the Bishop of Bishops nor by tyrannicall terrour force his fellow-Bishops to obey him You could not Antony haue produced a cleerer testimony to conuince that in truth you haue found no matter of substance in the Fathers to obiect against vs. Cyprian was indeed most renowned for sanctity learning and eloquence but he was also renowned for an errour which God permitted this worthy light of the Church to fall into This errour he sought by all meanes to establish in that Councell of Carthage out of which you bring this testimony so finding in the approued writings of S. Cyprian not any saying that might steede you Septem libris de baptismo you fly to the testimony of this erroneous reiected councell which S. Augustine hath by name confuted in a most renowned worke And this seemeth to be the weightiest authority of all that in ten yeares study you haue gathered Moreouer when you prayse the charity patience wisedome of Cyprian in his contention with Pope Stephen depressing as much as you can the Pope it is cleere that hatred against the present successour of Stephen makes you forsake the knowne iudgment of antiquity For S. Augustine a most moderate and friendly Censurer of S. Cyprian doth say in plaine tearmes that in his contention with the Pope he wrote with so great indignation Lib. 5. de Baptis c. 25 and addeth this prudent aduise that it were best not to mention all the things which Cyprian irritated against Stephen powred forth in his anger which brought with them danger of pernicious dissention Finally the words of S. Cyprian sound more of indignation then of any errour nor do they crosse the power of the Roman Bishop in deciding the controuersies of faith For he doth not say that none was in the Church appointed by Christ whome the rest of Christian Bishops were bound to obey and endued with authority to put an end to the controuersies of faith but he saith that in that concell of Carthage there was not any Bishop of Bishops nor any that did challenge to himselfe such authority by which words he doth rather insinuate then deny the knowne authority title of the Roman Bishop though perchance he grudged and girded at the present exercise therof accompting it Tyrannous because he found it opposed to his errour which shews that S. Cyprian was then ouer feelingly moued against the Pope as S. Augustine sayth who with great reason exclaimeth against you and such mates as would iustify their rebellion by Cyprians example Oh how detestable is their errour who thinke they do laudably imitate the faultes of some worthy men De vnico Bapt. cont Petil. lib. 1. cap. 13. when they haue not any part of their excellent Vertues The fourth Gulfe Mendacity against the Church NOTHING more notorious in former ages nothing whereof the books of the Fathers do more sound then the impious mendacity of Heretikes whereby they shew themselues to be borne of him that was false from the beginning and the Father of falshood They put their confidence in vntruth nor is there any man held for perfect amōgst them saith holy Irenaeus that hath not fruclified and begot very great and mighty vntruths Antony Lib. 3. ca. 1. you desire to be perfect in your generation and the fertility of your soile is sufficiently proued by this little plant you now haue set forth which is more stored with lies then with leaues Out of which multitude I will gather and present you with ten which be both notorious for their sent and very remarkable for their bignes 19. The first whereof before we made mention but heere in the proper place to be repeated is set downe in your 15. pag. I saw now most cleerly and did fully perceaue that at Rome without any lawfull authority yea by great violence wronge innumerable new articles dayly were coyned and obtruded vnto vs. If you marke well your owne wordes perchance you your selfe will remaine amazed at the hugenes of this vntruth You say that doctrines new cleerly false without any ground by extreamest wrongfull violence are euery day without number coined at Rome and forced vpon the Church euen as articles of faith
And yet you neither do nor can name any article of the Roman faith which hath not beene euer intertained as a point of faith in former times or els defined not in Rome but in some generall Councell 20. The second vntruth in greatnes equalleth the first in malice surpasseth it This vntruth standes recorded in your 24. page where you say that you left the Church of Rome ranne away fearing the ordinary sequells of hatred that are poysoning stabbing For to this passe say you matters are brought in this age that at Rome by authority frō Rome the controuersies of the Church are committed no longer to Deuines nor to Councells but to racke-maisters to hang-men to cut-throats to bloud-suckers to parricides Here Antony you are seene to be in a fury and to haue your hart imbued with the bloudy disposition of the men you haue named The Church of Rome doth not practise that which you hatefully charge her with she referred the Church-controuersies of this age not to be maintained with poysoning stabbing by bloud-suckers and parricides but to be treated of and decided by Fathers by Bishops by graue and learned Deuines in the Councell of Trent Such as obstinatly defend doctrines accursed by Councells such as reuiue the controuersies that haue been already decided such men I say being conuicted of the crime and confessing themselues to be contemners of the Churches Councells she deliuers vp to be punished not to bloud suckers nor to Parricides but to Christian Princes and to the Iudges by them appointed she doth not reproue the endeauours of Deuines who discusse points of doctrine that are yet vndefined but the temerity of Heretikes whose labours are as S. Leo saith to seeke for the things that already are found Epist 60. to reuiue controuersies that are ended to repeale the doctrines that haue byn formerly established You lay to our charge Antony the cruell demeanour of your Caluinists who with swordes and weapons do not defend Decrees of Councells which were laudable do not put an end to controuersies that were neuer before determined which were an euill not altogeather so vntolerable but the doctrines that Councells haue builded and set vp they with their poyniards swordes and lances beate downe the beliefe which the tradition of Ancestours which the Decrees of generall Councells haue rooted in Christian breasts togeather with their bowells they draw out and cast into the fire 21. The third vntruth is page 16. that We Romanists haue contracted the Church Catholike to which Christ promised the perpetuall assistance of the holy Ghost to be the very Court of Rome What Catholike euer wrote spake thought or so much as dreamed of this fond conceite The particuler Church of Rome we tearme the principall Church with which all Churches must haue agrement and accesse vnto in regard of her more powerfull Principality we tearme the Church of Rome the head of that Catholike Church to which Christ promised perpetuall infallible assistance but we say not that the sole Roman is the vniuersall Catholike Church taking the Roman by it self without the rest of the Christian Churches adhering vnto her 22. The fourth vntruth is in the same 16. page where you say that It is exacted of vs that we belieue firmely as an article of our Faith that the whole spirit of Christ is resident in the Court of Rome only yea in the Pope only What greater falshood can be vttered or deuised The spirit of Christ is indeed but one nor is he in any one man in whome he is not whole if we respect his substance and in this sense we say that the spirit of Christ is whole in the Pope yea in euery Christian But this one and same spirit worketh very different and diuers things according to which he is not whole in euery one and in this sense to say that we beleeue the whole spirit of Christ to be abiding in the Pope only is a great vntruth First the spirit of Christ assisteth the Elect whome through the dangerous miseries of this life he guideth by sure meanes to the land of the liuing Do we make this spirit resident in the Pope only Do we not acknowledge that there be others Elect besides the Pope Secondly the spirit of Christ is the spirit of adoption in whome we crye Father Father Do we teach that this spirit is in none but in Popes that the Pope only is Iust Holy and the Sonne of God Thirdly the spirit of Christ signeth and sealeth the hartes of euery one that is faithfull and annointeth them that they may belieue And is this spirit also made by vs proper to the Pope only Do we say that there is not any true beleeuing Christian besides him Fourthly the spirit of Christ teacheth his Church so that the whole Church can neuer erre And do we not place this spirit infallible in the whole Church So that whatsoeuer hath byn in any age receaued by the vniforme beliefe of the whole Church that without doubt as being a most certaine Christian verity we imbrace Fiftly the spirit of Christ decideth the controuersies which concerning faith in euery age may arise in the Church neither do we make fast this spirit to the Pope only but we teach that the same is abiding in the rest of the Catholike Bishops who be the Iudges of Faith and togeather with the Roman Bishop their Head do determine assuredly the cōtrouersies of the Church Wherefore I wonder where your forehead was when you did not blush to write that we make the whole spirit of Christ to be abiding in the Pope only 23. The fift vntruth is in the 26. page That whatsoeuer hath byn formerly fortould by the Prophets for the honour of the vniuersall Church we by extreme violence and wronge draw it all to the Roman Court only It is certayne that some sayings of Prophets do particulerly concerne the Church of Rome and haue byn accordingly performed in it But that whatsoeuer is sayd glorious of the Church in the ancient Prophets we turne it all to the Church yea to the Court of Rome only you speake it indeed in your splene against the Pope but in speaking it your knowledge cannot choose but giue a checke to your tongue 24. The sixt vntruth is That the Roman Court hath now a longe while suppressed the holy Councells so hath put out the eyes of the Church If you speake of the Councells that haue byn celebrated already none do more Religiously obserue their Decrees then the Church of Rome If you meane of Councells that should be gathered that she hinders that they cannot be now assembled did not the Church of Rome I pray you call of late the Councell of Trent to say nothing of Nationall Prouincial and Episcopall Councells which are very frequently held And if your accusation be limited to General Councels you must know that to gather so great and vniuersall assembly is not an easy thing nor necessary for the
suppression of euery heresy as S. Lib. 4. aduersusduas Ep. Pelag. cap. 13. Augustine writeth You greeue I perceaue that the Roman Bishop is able to condemne you without a generall Councell Vnhappy were the Church could he not do it Out of pride innated to heretiks you ayme at this honour that a Coūcell of the whole Church should be called about you which glory also the Pelagians as being most proud Heretikes sought greiuing exceedingly that euery where by the Roman Bishop and others without any Generall Councell they were condemned accursed They desired saith S. Augustine a generall Coūcell that at least they might trouble and disquiet the Catholike world seing they could not God being against them peruert it 25. The seauenth Vntruth is in the 22. pag. That the Episcopall administratiō of Bishops is wholy perished the whole gouernment of Churches is altogeather translated to Rome the Bishops are scarse the vicars and seruants of our Lord the Pope That Church-busines of most weight should be referred to the Roman Bishop the Fathers in all ages haue ordayned This is now adayes still practised in the Church what besides and aboue this you add is not the Roman custome but your slaunder 26. The eight That Bishops be subiect not only to the Pope Cardinalls c. but also to innumerable Religious Orders of Regulars and to their Friars who by their priuiledges deuoure and swallow vp the power of Bishops Verily Antony you seeme to haue lost all regard of your good name that dare in this manner range without the bounds of truth 27. The ninth That Catholike teachers namely your maisters the Iesuites do not furnish their Diuinity with the sayings of holy Scripture exactly discussed and declared that amongst them and in the Church of Rome there is extreme ignorance of Scripture He that will but peruse some Catholike writers in matters of sacred learning specially the Iesuites will soone see how false a slaunder this is 28. The tenth That the books of our Aduersaries are wholy concealed from vs that such as are excellent for their piety and knowledge yea the learnedst Doctours or Bishops we haue are not permitted in any sort to read them Thus you write shewing that hatred against the Pope so transports you that you mind not what you say How could the Catholiks of all nations confute your hereticall books did none of vs read them Are they in no sort permitted no not to the learnedst of vs all You may see Antony that though your booke be forbiden yet I haue read it Therfore S. Cyprian saith truly Lib. 1. ep 2. Amongst prophan men that are departed from the Church and from whose breasts the holy Ghost is departed what els is to be found but a depraued mind a deceitfull tongue cankred hatred and sacrilegious lying To which whosoeuer giueth credit shall at the day of iudgment be found to stand on their side The fifth Gulfe Contumelious speach against the Pope AFTER the Falshood of Heretiks followeth their railing as being a neere neighbour vnto it Heretikes sayth S. Lib. 16. mor. c. 14. Gregory with violency of words assayle the weake minds of the faithfull and robbe the poore people Not being able to supplant the learned they take from the vnlearned the veyle of faith by their pestiferous preaching I shall not need Antony to search into your booke for stormes of angry and rayling speach which in euery page meet with the Reader and rage against the Pope that so you may take from Catholikes the veyle of faith by furious blastes of words seing you can not with solide reasons persuade them to cast it away In the 16. page thus you thunder out against the Church of Rome At Rome many thinges are made articles of Faith which haue not any institution from Christ yea moreouer the soules of the faithfull be miserably deceaued and consequently being blind togeather with their blind guides be lead and fall headlong into the gulfe of Perdition And in the 22. page you rage yet more angerly against Rome It is not a Church say you but a Vineyard to make Noe drunke it is a flocke which the Pastour doth milke till bloud follow which he pouleth shaueth fleaeth and deuoureth In the 32. page It is not for Prophets to deale with the Roman Bishop that now doth so mainly trouble scandalize robbe oppresse the Church The Maiesty of the Roman Pope is counterfayt temporall proude vsurped nothing at all 30. Finally your splene against this present Pope moueth you to reuile the most holy Pope and Martyr S. Stephen For in the 37. page you say that S. Stephen out of indiscreet zeale by importune excōmunications ranne headlong into a mischeiuous Schisme But Cyprian by his Patience Charity and exceeding great Wisedome was the cause that the separation did not ensue This you charge the most holy Martyr as though he had gone headlong into schisme a sinne in your opinion much worse then Heresy How wrongefully and without any iust cause For no man could proceed more religiously more modestly and more prudently then Pope Stephen did in this Controuersy with S. Cyprian When S. Cyprian impugned mightily a doctrine which as he did not deny was confirmed by the perpetuall custome of the Church what did this most holy Bishop appoynted of God to be Iudge and to giue sentence in this Controuersy where this perpetuall custome of the Church was opposed against by the excellent learning and sanctity of Cyprian He shewed a reuerent respect to them both as farre as truth conscience would permit him That the learning and sanctity of S. Cyprian might not ouerthrow a perpetuall custome without the assent of a generall Councell Vincent Lyrinens com c. 16. he set out that Decree so much commended by the Fathers Nihil innouandum praeterquam quod est traditum That nothing should be innouated contrary to that which had byn deliuered by tradition On the other side to shew the regard he had of S. Cyprians learning and sanctity he would not haue that custome should so preiudicate against S. Cyprians doctrine that thereupon it should be accompted Heretical before a generall Councell but that S. Cyprian though stil cleauing to his opinion should notwithstanding be retayned in the Catholike communion A most prudent and temperate decision 31. Neither did he with any bitter speach prouoke S. Cyprian who yet as S. Augustine saith too much moued against Pope Stephen powred forth such speachs as it were better to bury them in obliuion then to record and reuiue them Wherfore by the iudgment of antiquity not only truth stood on the Popes side but also modesty charity wisedome in his proceedings for the defence of the truth Take heed Antony that you be not a member of him Apoc. 15. to whome was giuen a wide mouth speaking bigge things and to blaspheme the tabernacle of God and the Saints that dwell in heauen You are as good as your word according to your