ancient church accounted apocryphal as g In epist ad Paulin. in prolog in prouerb Hierome h In Synops Athanasius and diuers of the ancient fathers 〈◊〉 witnesse It alloweth also the old latin translation of the bible though different from the originall bookes the same also admitteth for principles of faith the sentences of popes the doctrine of the Romish church that now is the traditions of the Romish church the consent of fathers and diuers other grounds as Stapleton disputeth in his bookes De doctrinalibus principijs argument 7 i Arg. 7. Neuer certes did the church of Christ speake euill of scriptures k Lib. 3 aduersus haeres c. 2. Irenaeus saith It is the property of heretikes when they are conuinced by scriptures to fal into dislike of them and to accuse them as for the children of God they cannot either calumniate or lightly estéeme their heauenly fathers testameÌ„t or refuse to heare his voice but the scriptures conteine a declaration of the eternall testament of our heauenly father and therefore they are rightly called his testament in the scriptures also God speaketh vnto vs. and therefore if we be Christs sheepe we caÌ„not but hearken to his voice My sheepe saith our l Iohn 10. Sauiour heare my voice but the Romish church is still carping at scriptures as if they were neither sufficient nor perspicuous m Lib. 4. de verl die c. 4. Bellarmine saith they are neither necessarie nor sufficient without traditions n Praefat in reâ—act princip doctr Stapleton denieth them to be a sufficient foundation or rule of our faith the authors of the annotations vpon the Rhemish testament doe call them most blasphemously a killing letter and signifie that the reading of them is pernicious o Censur coloâ— others slander them as if they were a nose of waxe or a matter and subiect of contention argument 8 The church of God neuer called the bishop of Rome either a god on the earth or Christes vicar generall or vniuersall bishop but the church of Rome admitteth all this the canonists exalt him like a god p Epist ad Gregorium 13. ante princip doct Stapleton calleth him supremum numen in terris generally they call him vniuersall bishop and condemne all that hold contrary argument 9 The church of God doth kéepe the doctrine of the apostles and prophets q Gal. 1. without addition alteration or corruption and the apostle pronounceth him accursed r Aduers haeres c. 34. that teacheth any other Gospel than that which he taught Vincentius Lirinensis saith that this is the propertie of catholicks to kéepe the faith and doctrine of the fathers committed to them in trust and to condemne prophane nouelties CatholicoruÌ„ saith he hoc ferè proprium deposita sanctorum patrum commissa seruare damnare prophanas vocum nouitates sicut dixit iterum dixit apostolus si quis annuntiauerit praeterquam quod acceptum est anathematizare but the papists kéepe not entire the originall writings of the olde and new testament nor allow them as authenticall neither will they yéeld the canonicall scriptures to be a perfect and sufficient rule of faith nor doe they allow the law of God to be a perfect law nor doe they kéepe Christes institution in the Sacrament of the Lords supper distributing the kinds of bread and wine to the communicants but haue vnto this rule added vnwritten traditions and the determinations of popes concerning matters of faith they haue also encreased the numbers of Sacraments and added many precepts and rules not receiued in the Apostolicke church argument 10 The true Church can not endure hereticks and false apostles that teach doctrine contrary to the faith of Christ and doctrine of Christes apostles Christ Iesus speaking of his shéepe saith They will not follow a stranger but flie from him for that they know not the voice of strangers The apostles gaue vnto Christians a speciall charge concerning this point If there come any vnto you saith S. Å¿ Epist 2. Iohn and bring not this doctrine receiue him not to house neither salute him Tantum apostoli horum discipuli saith t Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 3. Irenaeus habuerunt timorem vt neque verbotenus communicarent alicui eorum qui adulterauerant veritatem Let vs separate our selues saith Cyprian as farre from them as they separate themselues from the church The true church certes can not embrace erroneous doctrine neither can any heretiks be accounted Christians Si haeretici sint saith u De praescrip aduers haeret Tertullian Christianiesse non possunt But the Papists communicate with hereticks as Liberius Felix Vigilius Honorius Iohn the 22. and 23. whom in my treatise De pontifice Rom. I declared to be heretiks they do also embrace the heresie of Angelicks in worshipping angels of the Collyridians in worshipping the blessed Virgin of Marcion Valentinus and others in denying Christes true bodie in the Sacrament to be solide and palpaple of the Pelagians in magnifying their merits and the force of frée will of the Carpocratians in burning incense and worshipping the images of Iesus and Paul and diuers others as we shall héereafter particularly declare argument 11 The true Church of Christ admitteth not the apocryphal legends of S. George Cyricus and Iulitta for these are condemned by the censure of Gelasius who testifieth that the olde Church of Rome receiued not any such legends but the latter Church of Rome and papists of our time doe admit these legends and out them they gather their traditions which they make equall to the word of God argument 12 The Church of God is the mistresse and teacher of trueth and admitteth no falshood nor vntrueth the apostle doeth call her the pillar and ground of trueth Est fons veritatis saith x Instit diuin lib. 4. c. vlt. Lactantius speaking of the church hoc est domicilium fidei that is she is the fountaine of trueth she is the house where true faith dwelleth but the church of Rome that now is is not only a receptacle of leud opinions but also the mother and mistresse of lies and vanities and so Petrarch for aboue two hundred yéeres doubted not to call her Madre d'errori e tempio d'haeresia saith he which authoritie albeit they regard not yet the same which he auoucheth is prooued first in that the church of Rome auoucheth lying traditions as for example the tradition concerning Ember fasts and fasts vpon Saints vigiles concerning the ceremonies of the masse concerning the words aeterni mysterium fidei thrust into the words of consecration of the challice and such like secondly the same approoueth lying and forged decretals as for example C. Constantinus dist 96. and c. ego Ludouicus dist 63. and c. quis nesciat dist 11. infinit more of that nature thirdly the same giueth credit to Caesar Baronius his most lying and fabulous narrations and the popes haue commended them
by solemne decretals although we doubt not but to make the vanitie of them appeare partly in this discourse but farre more at large hereafter finally the same admitteth most lying legends and now and then permitteth them to be read publikely in the church as for example the legends of Catherine Clement Gregory called also Thaumaturgus Peter Martyr a dominican S. Catharine of Siena S. Christopher and diuers others in the legend of S. Catherine y In breuiaer Ro. in festâ— Catharinae they write that she was a maiden of Alexandria and so well learned that at the age of eighteene yeeres she passed the most learned and in dispute ouercame fiftie Philosophers and that also she conuerted Faustina the empresse and Porphyrius a captaine of the emperors to the faith they say also that she broke the tormenting wheele with her praiers that after her death her body was buried in mount Sinah by angels in the feast of S. Clement in the Romish breuiary we read that Clement Peters successor was by Traian sent into the wildernesse of z Let Parsons tell vs where this is Cersona and that there he saw a lambe make a well to sally out of the top of the mountaine and that he being cast into the sea with a millstone about his necke the sea fled three miles from the shore and that in the very same place a little chappell was found in the sea where his body was bestowed On the festiuall day of Gregory of Neocesaria the church of Rome a In breuiar Rom. appointeth his legend to be read where it is said that he caused the riuer of Lycus to keepe within the chanell by planting his staffe on the banke and that his staffe grew presently into a great tree in the rituall books of Sarum we read that Gregory the first deliuered Traians soule out of hell which if it were true why is it now crossed out of the new bookes if false how hapeneth it that the church of Rome so long beléeued that tale b I'n breuiar Rom. in fest Petr. Mart. Peter Martyr one of Dominickes order as they write I thinke beléeue did keepe his virginity both in body and minde and in that sort that he neuer felt himselfe defiled with any mortall sinne they tell vs also that he did fast so long that he could scarce open his mouth to eat They tell vs further many wonders of Saint Nicolas Valerian and Tiburtius Lucia Christopher and other saints in the c Historia Louâ—bard del volto santo italic legend of Ieames of the colepit for else I cannot tell how to English Iacobus de Voragne we read that a certaine picture of our sauiour did lift vp his foot and cast off his slipper to a certaine pilgrime that deuoutly stood before it and would haue offred somewhat having nothing to offer Of Saint Catherine of Siena they say that she was betrothed to our sauiour Christ all which points are very incredible and not to be found in any authenticall writing If then the church of Rome publish and teach these fables and lies then is she no mistresse of trueth but of lies if Robert Parsons will say they are no lies I would pray him to declare vs the trueth out of authenticall histories argument 13 The faith of Gods true church cannot be built vpon any vncertainty or vntrueth for faith is an argument certaine or an euidence of things not seene est fides saith the d Hebr. 11. apostle sperandarum rerum substantia argumentum non apparentium and it is built on Christ Iesus that is trueth and on a rocke that is unmouable neither neede we long profes for this point for the aduersaries themselues confesse this to be true Nihil saith Thomas Aquinas cadere potest sub fide nisi inquantum stat sub veritate prima sub qua nullum falsum stare potest and afterward he saith quod fidei non potest subesse aliquod falsum if then the faith of the church of Rome be grounded on falshood then is it no true faith and if that churches faith be no faith then is not that church the true church but that the faith of the church of Rome is built vpon diuers false positions it may easily be proued for first the same beleeueth that the traditions of the church of Rome are either descended from Christ or the apostles for the most part and namely such as concerne the canon and ceremonies of the masse fastes praiexs for the dead praiers to saints and such like secondly it beleeueth all the determinations of popes concerning faith and manners to be true and infallible as for example that it is necessary for euery christian to be subiect to the Pope that he hath power to depose kings to giue power to cutthrotes to kill kings to dispense with the vncle to marry his neece with the brother to marry his brothers wife and such like thirdly that church beléeueth what is contained in the breuiary and missale as for example the stories or rather legends of Saint Christopher Saint George Saint Catherine and such like finally the same must beléeue whatsoeuer the Pope shall determine to be de fide But among such traditions determinations and legendes there are diuers both false and ridiculous fables neither can it be denied but that the Pope hath determined and may also determine falsely and contrary to the faith and this is shewed in my bookes de Pontifice Rom. at large e Lib. 4. de pontif Rom. and cannot be denied unlesse Robert Parsons can prooue vnto vs that all the Popes decretales concerning matters of faith and maners and all the traditions of that church and all legendes are true which to him will be a matter of some difficulty argument 14 The church of Christ is bounded within the limits of the holy canonicall scriptures habet vrbes legis prophetarum euangelii saith Saint f In Mich. lib. 1. c. 1. Hierome and againe non est egressa de finibus suis id est de scripturis sanctis he g Ibidem c. 7. saith also that it is the property of heretickes to flie to mens commandements and the leauen of the pharisees S. h Lib. 19. de ciuit Dei c. 18. Augustine also concureth with him and saith that the city of God beleeueth the holy scriptures that are called canonicall but of other reports he saith she doubteth but the church of Rome will not be bounded within the limites of holy scriptures neither will she acknowledge the canonicall scriptures to be a perfect rule of faith the same also from scriptures flieth to vnwritten traditions and is much soured with the leauen of the pharisées and mixture of Popish and Iewish ceremonies deuised and established by men finally the same doth rather or at the least as soone beleeue the determination of the Pope as the letter of holy scriptures for in the Pope Stapleton placeth the chiefe authority of the church
alter his iudgement according to the iudgement of the church we sée also that the popes are still publishing decretales of faith and that one destroieth that which another buildeth and contrariwise 4. it were plaine impudency to affirme that the doctrine of the church of Rome concerning frée will and works sacraments and the popes authority and such like points was alwaies taught and receiued of all nations and in all places and that shall appeare by diuers perticulars where wée declare that the papists are no catholickes 5. that church hath no certaine nor continuall succession of bishops for neither doe the aduersaries know who succeded Peter nor what bishops from time to time succeded one another nor haue the popes bene true bishops a long time wanting due election and ordination and relinquishing vtterly the office of bishops to rule the temporall state of Rome nor can they deny but that the succession of that sée hath bene often interrupted by long vacations distraction by schisme intrusion of Dame Ioane into the popedome 6 we shall easily proue that the doctrine of that church agréeth not with the apostles doctrine for I doe not thinke that Bellar. can shew the decretales to consent with Paules epistles or to haue bene written with the same spirit 7. the papists haue not onely ouerthrowne Christs propheticall office in teaching new doctrine but also his regall and priestly function appointing a new gouernment neuer established by him and erecting a new priesthood and sacrifice contrary to Christes doctrine furthermore that church not onely hath bene oftentimes distracted by schisme but also is much distracted by contrary opinions of schoolemen monks and friers in euery point of doctrine as to goe no further appeareth both by Dionysus Carthusianus vpon the master of sentences Iosephus Angles his Flores doctorum and Bellarmines disputations wherein he alledgeth in euery point diuers opinions 8. their decretaline doctrine is neither sound nor holy standing more on temporall iurisdiction then pointes of faith and establishing the blasphemies of the masse the idolatrous worship of saints departed and of images and the tyranny of the pope 9. the same doctrine is without effect being vpholden with lies fables fraud fire and sword and not being otherwise able to stand 10. Gregory the 9. was a most wicked ambitious man of Boniface the 8. it is said that he sought rather to rule by force then religion Clement the 5. was a notorious adulterer as f Villani Vrsperg stories write Iohn the 22. was an hereticke an ambitious man yet were these the principall authors of Romish doctrine for as for friers and monkes they might prate their pleasure but the chiefe authority to allow or disallow was in the pope 11. the reportes of Romish miracles and prophecies are nothing but lies and fables and stand onely vpon the report of their legendes 12. Bellarmine shall neuer prooue that any of vs haue confessed the doctrine of popery to be true finally it appeareth that the popes of Rome and their agents in most of their attempts haue had no good successe Charles the fift and his sonne Philip the greatest protectors of the popish cause died discontent to say no more Henry the third the principall agent in the massacre of France was killed by a frier The duke of Guise and other massacrers came to violent ends contrariwise it hath pleased God to maintaine true Christians against all the forces and ambuscadaes of their enimies by small meanes if then Bellarmine say true the Romish church will prooue no true church argument 68 The church of Rome is also conuinced not to be the true church by the confession of g Relect. doct princip contron 1. q. 5. Stapleton for if the true church began at Hierusalem and is vniuersally dispersed ouer the whole earth and hath continued in all ages and hath a true and certeine succession continued from the apostles and disagreeth not about matters of faith nor dissenteth from the head of the church and hath planted christian religion and preserued the same throughout the world and hath kept the apostolike forme of gouernment and preuailed against all heresies and temptations keeping the rule of faith sound and intiere and also sheweth the true way of saluation and keepeth the scriptures sound pure from corruption and finally holdeth the decrees of general councels as blundring h Princip doctrinal relectis Stapleton not onely confesseth but after his rude and most odious and tedious fashion with multitude of words goeth about to prooue then is not the church of Rome that now is the true church of Christ Iesus for to say that the church of Rome began at Hierusalem is as absurd as to say that Rome is Hierusalem or to affirme that Rome now is like to old Rome Robert Parsous should do vs a speciall fauour to shew vnto vs that the glory and fulnesse of power that the pope challengeth with his glorious cardinals masse priests mitred prelats idle monks lying friers and all the popes doctrine concerning the law faith sacraments ceremonies and other matters came from Hierusalem he may do well also to prooue that the latter scholastical decretaline doctrine which the church of Rome mainteineth was vniuersally receiued throughout the world nay that it was receiued in any part of the world during the apostles times or the times of the ancient fathers of the church as for the rocke of succession of popes vpon which our aduersaries build so large conclusions i Lib. de pontif Rom. de notis ecclesiae we haue shewed it to be nothing but a banke of sand for neuer shall the popes agents be able to shew the same to haue beene certeine or continued without interruptiō it is also apparent that popish doctrine is not onely diuers from Christs doctrine but also contrarie to the same and that there are infinit contradictions and contrarieties in the opinions of the chiefe patrons of popery albeit all dissent from Christ the head of the church the church of Rome hath also béene torne in pieces by diuers schismes further we shall héereafter shew that the later popes haue not planted but rather rooted out Christian religion out of diuers places and in the rest haue corrupted it with diuers nouelties and heresies finally the church of Rome hath not onely abrogated ancient canons and changed the ancient forme of church gouernment but also corrupted the rule of faith by adding of vnwritten traditions determinations of popes and their fancies to the canonicall scriptures the gates of hell therefore preuailing against the church and popes of Rome it is easily to be inferred that the same is not the true church argument 69 Héere we will also adde the testimony of Bristow a man as the aduersaries imagine well séene in motiues and markes of the church He k Bristowes motiues commendeth that for the true church that is catholike and apostolike and which abhorreth all nouelties heresies and
they professe their religion will neuer prooue ancient nor catholike not ancient for that diuers doctrines and traditions which they hold are new and vnheard of in the ancient catholike church argument 1 First they teach vs that the holy canonicall scriptures are no perfect canon of our faith for this doctrine is gathered out of the decrée of the councell of Trent that with equall affection embraceth vnwritten traditions and canonicall scriptures e Lib. 4. de verbo Dei c. 12. Bellarmine saith that scriptures are a part of the canon or rule of faith and not a whole rule dico secundò saith he scripturam etsi non sit facta praecipuè vt sit regula fidei esse tamen regulam fidei non totalem sed partialem f De doctrin princip li. 7. c. 1. Stapleton beside scriptures frameth a new rule which he calleth the order of tradition but this doctrine is new and contrary both to scriptures and fathers The g 2. Tim. 3. apostle he teacheth vs that the scriptures are able to make the man of God perfect and furnished for euery good worke he teacheth vs also that they are able to make vs wise to saluation likewise the fathers testifie that the scriptures are a perfect canon sufficiunt sanctae ac diuinitus inspitatae scripturae saith h Lib. contr idola Athanasius ad veritatis indicationem Basil in serm de fid confess saith it is an argument of infidelity and pride either to reiect scriptures or to bring in matter not conteined in scriptures he meaneth in questions of faith cum habeamus omnium exactissimam trutinam gnomonem regulam diuinarum legum assertionem saith i In 2. ad Corinth homil 13. Chrysostome oro vos omnes vt relinquatis quid huic vel illi videatur de his à scripturis haec omnia inquirite Tertullian writing against Hermogenes saith that he adoreth the fulnesse of scriptures And saint k Lib. 2. de doctr Christian c. 9. Augustine teacheth that all things concerning faith and maners are found in scriptures clearely propounded to conclude this point most derogatory it were to Gods diuine wisedome if any man should suppose the scripture to be an imperfect canon or halfe a rule or maimed doctrine as the papistes lately haue begun to teach argument 2 They haue made the bookes of Tobia Iudith Wisedome Ecclesiasticus Machabeies and such fragments of bookes as are in the old Latin interpreter and not in Hebrew equall to the bookes of Moyses and other prophets and to the writings also of the apostles this is the determination of the councell of Trent and the common doctrine now of the Iebusites and papists but new and no way approoued by the ancient church for these bookes were neuer allowed by any prophets or by the church of God before Christs time nor did the ancient fathers allow them Gregory in his morals lib. 19. c. 16. directly affirmeth the bookes of Machabeis not to be canonicall sicut ergo Iudith Tobiae Machabaeorum libros legit quidem ecclesia saith l In Prouerb Solomon Hierome sed eos inter canonicas scripturas non recipit he saith m In praefat in lib. paralip also where controuersie is concerning Apocryphall writings we must haue recourse to the Hebrews neither doth Augustine so make them canonicall as he reputeth them equall to other scriptures as appeareth by his words lib. 18. de ciuit dei c. 36. conrra Gaudent lib. 2. c. 23. nay Sixtus Senensis albeit he make all these bookes canonicall yet doeth he not giue to all equall authoritie let vs therefore sée any ancient writer that alloweth the decrée of the councell of Trent if the papists will not haue all men sée that they haue innouated the very canon of the Christian faith argument 3 They haue also made the old Latin translation authenticall contrary not onely to reason séeing it differeth not onely from the originall bookes but also is contrary to it selfe as may appeare by the editions of Sixtus Quintus and Clement the 8. but also to antiquity which as appeareth by the testimony of Hierome and Augustine alwaies preferred the originall bookes in matter of difference before translations argument 4 Concerning the interpretation of scriptures the conuenticle of Trent n Sess 4. determineth that no man shall interpret them against that sense and meaning which the holy mother church holdeth to whome it belongeth to iudge of the true meaning and interpretation of scriptures end by the church they vnderstand the the pope and church of Rome but this act is altogether new for we do not finde that euer the easterne or African churches were forbidden to interpret scriptures as well as the church of Rome or that the fathers of the church were tied to expound scriptures after the opinions of the bishop of Rome nay we finde that no interpretations are more absurd then theirs or more contrary to the meaning of the holy ghost as for example may appeare in these two points In the law of Moyses we are expresly forbidden to make grauen images to worship them but the church of Rome interpreteth these words so galantly that men may both make grauen images and worship them our sauior Christ saith bibitē ex hoc omnes but the Romanistes turne it contrary and will haue no communicantes to drinke of the Lords cuppe but the priest onely argument 5 In time past o Dist 15. c. sancta Romana Christians were forbidden to read the legends of Quiricus Iulitta and George the 8. books of Clement the acts of Tecla and Paul the booke of the assumption of the virgine Mary and such like The acts also of Siluestre bishop of Rome and writings concerning the inuention of the holy crosse and of the head of Saint Iohn Baptist were doubted of but now these legends for the most part are the grounds of Romish traditions which the church of Rome placeth in equall ranke with holy canonicall scriptures is it not then apparent that the very grounds of Romish traditions are laid vpon fables and of late inuention argument 6 The foundation of the ancient apostolicke faith was laid vpon the scriptures as is euident for that the city and church of God is built vpon the prophets and apostles Christ Iesus being the corner stone p Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 1. Ieremy saith that the apostles first preached the gospell and afterward by the will of God deliuered the same in scriptures that they might be a foundation and piller of our faith but now Bellar. teachech vs that the pope is the foundation of the church and Stapleton doubteth not to q De doctr princip in praefat say that the pope is the chiefe subiect of ecclesiasticall authority and r Cancanonicis dist 19. Gratian like a shamelesse fellow vnder the name of Saint Augustine doubteth not to recken the popes decretale epistles among the canonicall scriptures argument 7 Stapleton
eat all swéet meates and dainties on their fasting daies fourthly we find not that in the ancient church men were commanded to come to auricular confession once euery yéere at the least for that was first decréed by Innocent the third as appeareth by the chapter omnis vtriusque de poenit remiss finally the ancient church did not forbid Christians to solemnize marriages as of late time the Romish church hath done in regard of holinesse of times and for that maried men cannot so well serue God as those that forsweare them such humane doctrines therefore our Sauiour Christ condemneth and such voluntary worships the holy apostle misliketh neither can such additions of humane precepts binding mens conscience stande either with the liberty of Christians or perfection of gods law argument 38 The doctrine of purgatory for satisfaction to be made for temporall punishments due for mortall sinnes which the papists doe holde was not knowne in ancient time Augustine maketh a question whether any purgatory is after this life and Gregory the dialogist séemeth to grant that small sinnes are purged after this life but that men doe satisfie for temporall punishments in purgatory neither of them doeth once affirme neither was any such thing knowen or taught before the conuenticles of Florence and Trent the first founders of this deuice in the church argument 39 The solemnity of the yeare of Iubiley amongst Christians was first ordeined by Boniface the 8. and afterward altered by Clement the 5. and last of all brought to 25. yeares by Paule the second but not borrowed from Christians but either from the heathen that euery hundred yéeres had solemne plaies called Iudos seculares to which these plaies and pageants of Romish indulgences may well be resembled or from the Iewes that euery fifty yeares celebrated a Iubiley and now agréeing neither with Iewes Gentiles nor ancient Christians the popes also when they please grant extraordinarie Iubileies and as great pardons as are granted the very yeare of Iubiley argument 41 That the popes indulgences depend vpon late lawes and authority without proofe out of scriptures or fathers it appeareth by the defences made by the principall patrons of indulgences those also that are not altogether past shame confesse so much ſ Art 18. aduers assert Luther Fisher sometime bishop of Rochester saith that before purgatory was feared no man sought for indulgences he confesseth also that in the beginning of the church there was no vse of them quamdiu saith he nulla fuerat de purgatorio cura nemo quaesiuit indulgentias and againe in initio nascentis ecclesiae nullus fuerat earum vsus as for indulgences for not onely hundreds but also thousands of yeares neither Bellarmine nor Parsons can alledge either good proofe or ancient precedent argument 42 The taxe of the popes chancery for the dispatch of pardons for murders parricides rapes adulteries incestes sodomitry yea apostacy and Iewish and Turkish blasphemies I doe not thinke that the most shamelesse Iebusite in the whole order will auow to be ancient argument 43 Scholasticall diuinitie which is nothing else but a mixture of fathers authorities philosophicall subtilties and popes decretals began but from Peter Lombard some eleuen hundred and odde yéeres after Christ how then can the Romish faith that relieth wholly vpon this diuinity be accounted ancient argument 44 t Lib. 1. de verb. dei c. 3. Bellarmine saith that the new testament is nothing els but the loue of God shed into our hearts by the holy Ghost which argueth that the Gospell and new Testament of papists is a new Gospell differing much from that of Christ Iesus for Christs Testament was established in his blood and is a couenant concerning remission of sinnes most especially but charity is wrought by the holy Ghost in those that are alreadie reconciled by the blood of the new Testament Chrysostome Theodoret and others writing vpon the second epistle to the Corinthians chap. 3. say that the spirit quickning is the grace of God that remitteth our sinnes and that charity is not the new testament it is most euident for that then Christ had died in vaine and then we might haue had the new testament established by the law that requireth charity and not by the testament in Christ his blood which is a declaration of Christ his satisfaction and remission of sinnes argument 45 The same u Lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 12. man teacheth vs that it is a matter of faith to beleeue that the pope hath succeeded Peter in the gouernment of the vniuersall church but this is new and neuer heard of in the ancient church of Christ is it not then a new Christian faith which these new vpstart Iebusites defend argument 46 That there are iust seuen sacraments and neither more nor lesse albeit the same was talked of in the instruction of the Armenians in the conuenticle of Florence yet it séemeth to bée first established by the conspirators of x Sess 7. Trent for neither can Bellarmine nor any of that faction shew any authenticall law of greater antiquitie for the ioint and iust number of sacraments then the authoritie of the instruction of the Armenians deliuered in the name of the councell of Florence and the conuenticle of Trent is it not then a new religion that hath so new sacraments argument 47 The papists also teach vs that the sacraments conteine grace and doe iustifie those that are partakers of them but since the world began it was neuer heard of till of late idle monkes and friers began to resolue it that Christians were iustified by orders confirmation matrimony and extreme vnction let Bellarmine or any papist if he can prooue that men are iustified by these sacraments if he cannot then can it not be denied but as the papists deuise new meanes of iustification so they deuise vs a new religion argument 48 That the formes of confirmation and extreme vnction are new it appeareth by the decrées of the Trent councell and instruction of the Armenians fathered on the councell of Florence if any deny this he must shew where these words signo te signo crucis confirmo te chrismate salutis were receiued by any authority before and where the words and greasings of diuers parts of the body vsed in extreame vnction were established by the church Wherein to auoid cauilles I would haue Robert Parsons and his seditious brood of rebelles to marke that I deny not but that idle schoolemen might prate of such matters before but I say the same was not before those times confirmed by law nor generally receiued would he please to try his strength in demonstrating the contrary he should soone be forced to confesse that I say true argument 49 That spirituall gossips may not intermary and that such mariages being once contracted should be of no force is also a new doctrine flowing from the stinking sinke of popery argument 50 It is also new doctrine that man and wife
1.7 out of whose cup the nations of the earth haue drunken so many abominations and that the pope should be the louer and spouse of this adulterous and vnchaste congregation argument 26 The true church of Christ is not necessarily tied to the obedience of the church of Rome nor neuer was subiect to his decretaline lawes quae sursum est Hierusalem saith the q Galat. 4. apostle libera est quae est mater nostra so likewise are her children for it is a rule of law if the mother be frée so likewise are her children but the church of Rome is necessarily tied to the obedience of the pope r C. Vnam sanctam extr de maiorit obed Boniface the 8. determineth that it is a point necessary vnto saluation to be subiect to the pope and Å¿ Lib. de eccles milit c. 2. Bellarmine doth exclude all out of the church of Rome that liue not vnder the subiection of the pope finally it is the common opinion of all papists that such as acknowledge not the popes authority are t Ibidem c. 5. schismatikes is it not then manifest that those that liue vnder the slauery of Antichrist are not the true church argument 27 The church of Christ hath but one iudge and lawgiuer that is able to saue and destroy soules vnus est legislator index saith saint u Iacob 4. Iames qui potest perdere liberare but the church of Rome doth acknowledge the pope for a supreme iudge and lawgiuer and hold that his lawes are of power to binde the conscience as Bellarmine teacheth his disciples lib. 4. de pontif Rom. c. 16. and that is the common opinion of all casuistes and the ground-worke of those that worke on mens consciences can this then be the true church that liueth in such bondage argument 28 The true church neuer commanded christians to make publike confession of their sinnes to the virgin Mary to the archangell Michaell to saint Iohn Baptist or to the holy apoples Peter and Paul and to all the saints of heauen the confessions of saint Augustine are extant and to be séene so likewise are there diuers confessions to be found both in the writings of the fathers and publike liturgies and yet can we not finde any of this nature nay in the forme of the masse prescribed by x Ordo Rom. cap. de forma celebrat missae an ancient order of the Romish church we do not finde that forme of confession that is now vsed neither can Robert Parsons or Bellarmine or any of that faction shew that any christian was wont to say confiteor deo omnipotenti beaâ—ae Mariae semper virgini beato Michaeli archangelo beato Ioanni Baptistae sanctis apostolis Petro Paulo omnibus sanctis do they not therefore that vse this forme in al their masses shew that they are not the true church that ioine angels and saints with God and séeme to confesse that they know our sinnes and that they are our iudges and haue power to pardon our offences argument 29 Christs true church reteineth no sacraments but such as Christ first instituted and are declared in the apostles writings and that may be prooued by Iustines 2. apology directed to Antoninus by Dionysius supposed to be the Ariopagite and all ancient formes of liturgies for we doe not reade in any of them of more sacraments than two but the popish congregation hath made euangelicall sacraments of matrimony order and penance of which the first two were instituted in the olde testament and the third is an act alwaies necessarie for obteining of remission of sinnes but neuer accounted a sacrament as wanting a sacramentall signe and also â—ormall institution they haue also made sacraments of confirmation and extreme vnction and giuen them both signes forms which notwithstanding were neuer knowen in ancient time are they therefore not likely to prooue a new church that haue instituted diuers new sacraments argument 30 The ancient and true church of Christ neuer beléeued that matrimony and order conteined grace in that sort which the papists teach neither did they beléeue to obteine iustification through confirmation and extreme vnction but the popes church beléeueth that these sacraments doe conferre grace ex opere operato and that héerein they differ from the sacraments of the old law for that the new sacraments doe worke iustification and not the old the first is apparent by Bellarmines discourse de sacrament lib. 2. c. 3. sequent the second by his dispute lib. 2. de sacrament c. 12. sequent neither will any papist deny this let them then shew how men may be iustified by greasing and crossing in extreme vnction and confirmation or else they will appeare to be strangers to Christes church argument 31 The ancient catholike church did y Can. apost 10. concil antioch c. 2. excommunicate such as coÌ„ming to church departed before they receiued the communion qui non perseuerauerint in oratione vsque dum missa peragitur say the canons necsanctam communionem percipiunt velut inquietudines ecclesiae mouentes conuenit coÌ„munione priuari the Romanistes themselues also C. peracta dist 2. de consecrat doe confesse that this was the ancient practise of the church peracta consecratione saith Anacletus omnes communicent qui noluerint ecclesiasticis carere liminibus sic enim apostoli statuerunt sancta Romana tenet ecclesia the same is also confirmed by the testimony of Iustine Martyr apolog 2. of Dionysius de eccles hierarch and other ancient fathers but the church of Rome now doth take them for good cacolickes that will come to masse and looke on She doth not certes excommunicate any for not receiuing the communion doth it not then appeare that the Romish church is not the church of Christ argument 32 The church of Christ did neither vse nor thinke it lawfull to reserue the eucharist in pixes ouer euery altar nor to cary the same about with procession nor to light candles before the pixe nor to bury together with dead bodies either the sacrament of Christes body or the chalice our sauiour Christ z Matth. 26. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11. said accipite comedite bibite that is take eate drinke and so forth and the apostles and first christians did receiue and not kéepe the sacrament in pixes but the church of Rome doth quite contrary argument 33 The true church neuer prohibited those that receiued the sacrament of Christes body to receiue the cuppe also neither did good catholickes abstaine from the cuppe hauing rerceiued the sacrament of Christes body a Serm. 4. de quadrages Leo saith they were Manicheyes that receiuing the sacraments tooke the body of Christ but in no wise would drinke the blood of our redemtion and this act he affirmeth to be sacrilegious Gelasius also saith that it is plaine sacrilege to diuide one and the same mystery and receiuing a portion of the sacred
idolatries and whose doctrine is confirmed by scriptures most certeine traditions councels fathers and practise of the ancient church and which teacheth the narrow way and maketh subiects obedient and is sure to continue but neither is the church of Rome catholike nor apostolike which embraceth vncerteine traditions and apocryphall scriptures with equall affection to canonicall scriptures and which receiueth all the popes decretales concerning matters of faith albeit they conteine doctrine neither apostolicall nor general secondly it will be an easie matter to shew that the Romish church abhorreth neither heresie nor idolatrie nor noueltie thirdly in diuerse discourses against Bellarmine I haue shewed that popish doctrine hath neither ground of scriptures councels nor fathers thereby also it may appeare that popish traditions are most vaine vncerteine and superstitious fourthly the way which that church teacheth is broad and easie for what is more easie than to heare masses and to eat fish and to confesse sinnes and to obserue diuers externall ceremonies and yet by these small things papists hope to be saued fiftly we finde that all the rebellions of England Ireland and France haue wholly procéeded from the church of Rome and the doctrine of the seditious Iebusites and Cananites and masse priests neither will euer rebellion be rooted out vnlesse the tyrannicall vsurpation of popes be repressed and their parasites taught to submit themselues to their liege princes sixthly what certeinty in iudgement can the papists haue that depend vpon the resolutions of blinde vnlearned and wicked popes finally we sée Antichrist to be reuealed and the city of Babylon to fall to confusion who then doth not expect and beléeue the vtter ruine and desolation of Antichrists state Further Bristow telleth vs that euery church that is risen after the first planting of religion and gone out of the catholike church and from apostolike doctrine and is not the communion of saints nor euer visible and which is not the teacher of all diuine trueth and the vndoubted mother of Christes children is not the true church But the church of Rome as it is now visible in the pope and cardinals in the officers of the popes chamber in popish prelates sacrificing priests monks friers and nunnes and their officers and adherents whose faith is built on popish decretals and mincing scholasticall distinctions as fine wouen as any spider webbe rose out of the earth long after the apostles times and first planting of religion and that the Romish church crept out by little and little out of the catholike and apostolike church for apostolicall doctrine embracing apostaticall and light fancies and traditions and for the maintenance of mens bellies and the popes authoritie is departed from Christ and hath made war vpon the saints in the same also whores are openly mainteined cutthrotes by rewards incited to kill and poison princes and a way to all periuries and vices by the popes indulgences opened how then can any call this a communion of saints finally he that expecteth trueth at the popes hands shal be gulled with fables and he that calleth Rome a mother can be content for gaine to call the whore of Babylon and mother of errours his mother argument 70 The church of Christ neuer allowed the decretals of popes or the extrauagants or rules of Chancery concerning the popes authoritie and procéeding but in these lawes the church of Rome hath diuers rules of the Romish faith and thereby gouerneth her procéedings argument 71 In the church of Christ clerks were not exempt from the subiection of princes The apostle saith Let euery soule be subiect to higher powers But in the church of Rome all clerks are quited and exempted from the princes power as Bellarmine in his booke of that argument by the popes canons and all his wit endeuoureth to proue argument 72 The true church neuer baptized belles nor held monkes coules to be equall to baptisme but the popish church as the l Grauam 51. Germanes in their grieuances declare baptizeth belles and compareth the entrance into monkish profession with baptisme argument 73 Finally neuer was Christes church or any part of Christes church within any kingdome gouerned by an archpriest and certeine seditious Iebusites masse priests and such like vermine Howsoeuer then they deny it in others yet can they not deny but that the papists of England are not members of Christes church but rather of the synagogue of Satan CHAP. II. That the doctrines and traditions of the Romish church which the church of England refuseth are mere nouelties and late deuised fancies IF when the papists doe recommend vnto vs their old religion they meant nothing els but the religion of Christ Iesus which the apostles first taught and which the apostolicall and most ancient Christians receiued and deliuered to posterity we should not much contend with thim for that is the religion which we professe not varying in any thing from the apostles créed and other créeds either set out by Athanasius or the most ancient generall councels of the church nor denying any thing that is expressed or proued out of the holy canonicall scriptures But when they talke of old religion they meane the religion of the church of Rome which was either established by later popes or taken vp by lewd custome and vncerteine tradition the which though it séeme to some ancient yet in very truth is new and no way to be compared to the religion that was first deliuered by Christ and his apostles neither doth it deserue the name of old religion for as Ignatius said a Epist ad Philadelph sometime antiquitas mea Christus est so we may say that Christ is the top of our ancestry that the apostles doctrine is both ancient most true id verius quod prius saith b Lib. 4. contra Marcion Tertullian id prius quod ab initio id ab initio quod ab apostolis if thē the papists as they bragge could prooue their religion to be deriued from the apostles then would we indéed confesse it were ancient if they cannot then we must say to them as c Epist 65. ad Pammach Ocean Hierome said to one in his time cur profers in medium saith he quod Petrus Paulus edere noluerunt why doe they produce articles of faith vnknowen to the apostles nay why doe they teach vs points of religion which in times of the ancient fathers of the church were vnheard of will they haue that accounted old which the fathers of the church which were long after the apostles neuer knew nor the ancient church euer receiued they would so d Contra. haeres c. 35. but Vincentius Lirinensis doeth call him a true catholike that doeth onely beléeue and hold whatsoeuer the ancient catholike church did vniuersally beléeue quicquid saith he vniuersaliter antiquitus ecclesiam catholicam tenuisse cognouerit id solum sibi tenendum credendumque decernit if then the papists will hold all the religion which now
the law the prophet also doeth shew that our righteousnesse is like a defiled cloth of an vncleane woman neither can this distinction of first and second iustice or that wicked doctrine that followeth of it be found in all the fathers argument 41 In the sacraments also most fouly they haue digressed from the catholicke saith y Apolog. ad Antonin Iustin Martyr where he hath occasion to describe the sacraments and rites of the first church doth onely mention two sacraments this number also may be prooued by the testimony of Ireney Dionysius Tertullian lib. 1. 4. contr Marcionem Ambroses books of sacraments Cyrilles catechisticall instructions and all the fathers that in no place mention 7. sacraments nor compare any rite or sacrament to baptisme and the Lords supper Pauca pro multis saith z Lib. 3. de doctr Christ c. 9. Augustine eademque factu facillima intellectu augustissima conseruatione castissima ipse dominus apostolica tradidit disciplina sicut est baptismi sacramentum celebratio corporis sanguinis domini and this may be proued also by the weake dispute of Bellarmine for his 7. sacraments who is not able to bring either good argument or testimony for his opinion argument 42 The councell of a Sess 6. c. 1. Trent doth anathematize all that hold that the 7. sacraments of the Romish church were not all instituted by Christ Iesus or that there are either more or lesse then iust 7 which doctrine if Robert Parsons can proue to be catholicke let him take a cardinals hat which he hath so long desired for his labour his friends doe much doubt of his good successe in this matter for they finde that matrimony was instituted in paradise and that repentance hath alwaies béene in the church priesthood was either established by the law of Moyses or else then by lawes and rites adorned confirmation and extreme vnction were neither instituted by Christ nor déemed necessary or ordinany rites by the church as the silence of fathers that speake of the sacraments of the church may teach vs. argument 43 In the sacrament of baptisme the papists vse exorcismes blowings salt spitle hallowed water anointings light and diuers ceremonies neither vsed by the apostles nor practised by the ancient church now in the b C. Benedict fontis missales they pray that the font may be sanctified and made fruitfull with the oile of saluation to those that shall be regenerate by it to life then the priest powreth in oile and chrisme in forme of the crosse they also sprincle all the assistants with holy water out of the font and none of all these ceremonies they c Sess 7. c. 13. concil Trid. say may be omitted without sinne if then Robert Parsons cannot proue these ceremonies to haue bene either ancient or generally vsed he cannot deny but the papists are no catholicks argument 44 They denounce them acursed that shall not hold baptisme to be necessary to saluation which curse and doctrine cannot be sound in ancient catholicke fathers nay we read in ancient writers that not the want but the contempt of baptisme condemneth and the d Bellar. lib. 1. de baptis c. 6. papists to mollifie this hard sentence haue found diuers meanes to supply baptisme argument 45 They dissolue mariage contracted by entring into monkish religion although both the parties consent not and after mariage consummated they holde that maried couples may depart asunder and that it shall not be lawfull for them afterward as man and wife to company together which doctrine is neither catholicke nor true for e Matth. 19. what man can seperate them whom God hath ioined together againe what reason haue maried couples kéeping asunder for exercise of deuotion not to come together againe séeing the apostle commandeth such to returne and cohabite together least Satan should tempt them Iterum f 1. Cor. 7. saith he reuertimini in idipsum ne tentet vos Satanas argument 46 They seperate also mariages for spirituall kinred and force priests monks and friers to forsweare mariage yet can they not shew that catholicke religion forbiddeth spirituall gossips to entermary nor that monkish vowes and abiurations of mariages haue bene allowed in the ancient church and by catholicke doctors nay where God g Leuit. 18. appointeth limits and degrées within which it is not lawfull to marry there is no signification that spirituall gossips are forbidden to entermarry and the apostle signifieth that mariage is honorable among all sorts of men and the bed of maried folks vndefiled happie were popish priests and votaries if they were able to say that their beds and bodies were vndefiled argument 47 They beléeue that penance standeth vpon contrition confession and satisfaction and that these thrée are the parts of it and yet themselues say that absolution is the forme of penance and that confession is not alwaies necessary the catholicke church certes did neuer thinke either auricular confession or publicke satisfaction inioined by priests to be required necessarily in repentance argument 48 They h Sess 14. concil Trid. pronounce him anathema that beléeueth not that penance is properly a sacrament of the new law or that denieth auricular confession in the priests eares to haue béene instituted by Christ in the new testament and yet are they not able to shew that any catholike father saith that our Sauiour Christ in the new testament did institute the act of repentance nor can they denie that the people of God vnder the law vsed to repent themselues of their sinnes nor can they shew any place where Christians were commanded to confesse their sinnes to the priest and were otherwise excluded from all hope of pardon nay they cannot shew that any was tied to confession in the Romish church before Innocents decretale beginning omnis vtriusque sexus de poenit remiss and in the Gréeke church there was neuer any such course established as for the power which monkes and friers claim in hearing of confessions that dependeth wholly vpon the popes grant beneuolence and authority argument 49 They i Concil Trid. sess 13. c. 1. teach that our Sauiour Christes body that was borne of the virgine Mary and crucified on the crosse is properly and substantially present vnder the accidents of bread and likewise that his blood is conteined really and properly vnder the accidents of wine as may be séene in the acts of the conuenticle of Trent but true catholikes beléeue that his body is k Mâ—… vlt. act 1. taken vp into heauen and that concerning his bodily presence he hath left the earth and that his blood is in the veines of his body and not properly shedde foorth in the chalice further they know that when we are commanded to eat Christes flesh and to drinke his blood we are to vnderstand it and to doe it spiritually and not carnally as doe the Canibales and that Christ when he said this is my
owne sinnes much lesse for the sinnes of others n Bellar. lib. 1. de indulgent papists beléeue that a mans sufferings may be so great as they may serue for his own and other mens sinnes and are laid vp in a treasury whereof the pope hath the dispensation argument 74 Catholicks neuer beleeued that there are 7. orders and euery one of these a sacrament and yet all but one sacrament for that is as much as if a man should deny one and one to make two yet papists beléeue this o Sess 23. concil Trid. and accurse them that shall say contrary argument 75 Catholikes doe not beléeue that Christ ordeined seuen orders in the church or that exorcistes doore-kéepers and subdeacons were instituted by him or that they are a holy sacrament the papists notwithstanding doe hold contrary or at the least the contrary may be gathered out of their doctrine argument 76 Catholikes doe not deny but that second mariages are as well to be blessed as first mariages why then doe papists obserue and teach the contrary if they will be accounted catholikes argument 77 Catholikes doe not beléeue that by almes and fasting they are either iustified or able to satisfie for their sinnes but papistes as appeareth by Bellarmines disputes holde contrarie argument 78 Catholikes did neuer tie themselues to beléeue whatsoeuer the church of Rome or the pope determined for not onely the Asian churches dissented from Victor and the African churches from Sozimus but long since all haue left the popes that would not be oppressed by them Saint p Lib. de sacrament Ambrose sheweth that he was not bound to follow the church of Romes direction in all ceremonies but papists are tied to Peters chaire as they séeme to confesse by Pius 4. his constitution are bound to beleeue all things conteined in the Creed which the church of Rome vseth seruilly also they submit themselues for the most part to the decrées of the counsell of Trent argument 79 Catholikes doe not condemne all for heretikes that either teach or thinke otherwise of the sacrament of the altar or of confession of sinnes or other Romish sacraments then the church of Rome for concerning the Lords supper I haue q Lib. de missa papist cont Bellar. shewed that al antiquity is against the Romanistes and the rest shall be prooued as occasion serueth but papists condemne all that dissent from the church of Rome in the points aboue mentioned argument 80 Catholiks beléeue the catholike church but the papists only beléeue the catholike Romane church that is so much of the Catholike church as agréeth with the Romanists for so the Iebusites of Bordeaux in their confession doe signifie and the same is prooued by Bristowes 12. motiue the 5. epistle of cardinall Cusanus to the Bohemians and Sanders in his fift booke of his visible monarchy r Lib. 2 de eccles milit Bellarmine also admitteth none to be of the church but such as are subiect to the pope and that is Boniface the eight his determination c. vnam sanctam extr de maior obedientia argument 81 Catholikes are the shéepe of Christ and therefore kill none especially none of Christs shéepe but papists like woolues murder all that like not of the popes gouernment and doctrine argument 82 Catholikes are a society of saints and true beléeuers as S. Augustine sheweth lib. de ver relig c. 6. 7. but to be a true member of the popish church neither faith nor holinesse nor inward vertue is required as saith Bellarmine lib. de eccles milit c. 2. but onely an outward profession and obedience argument 83 Catholikes neuer beléeued that the pope of Rome was by Christ made his vicar generall or the spouse or the monarke or head of the church ſ De pontif Rom. lib. 2. c. 31. Bellarmine albeit he searcheth all corners yet cannot finde that any catholike writer had any such conceit is it not then apparent that the pope is a plaine intruder into ecclesiasticall gouernment and that the papists holding with him haue forsaken the catholike doctrine of the church argument 84 In ancient time the bishops of Rome were subiect to councels and at their entrance into their bishopricks professed and acknowledged their canons as appeareth by the chapters sancta Romana ecclesia and sicut sancti dist 15. but now papists will haue them to be aboue councels argument 85 In times past the bishops of Rome were subiect to emperors as appeareth by the lawes of Iustinian and diuers other emperors before him which are to be séene in the code vnder the titles de summa trinit fid cath de episc audient authent de ordinat episcop but now contrary to the old forme of gouernment of the church papists exclude the emperour and giue all authority to the pope t Sic omne dist 19. Agatho determines that all the decrees of the apostolike see are to be receiued as if they had beene established by the voice of Peter argument 86 Saint Cyprian teacheth that the apostles had all equall power and that is prooued for that they had like calling and u Luk. 9. Matth. 28. Iohn 20. like commission and for that the church was equally founded vpon them all but papists beleeue that Peter was head and monarke of the church x Summa de ecclesia and that the rest of the apostles were to him as the cardinals are to the pope for so Turrecremata a cardinall séemeth to holde argument 87 Among catholiks Christian emperors were alwaies wont to assemble generall councels as appeareth by the first foure generall councels of Nice Constantinople Ephesus the 1. Chalcedon and diuers others and that the cardinall of Cusa and Anastasius the popes principall agent in his library confesse ex superioribus habetur saith y De Concord Cath. li. 3. c. 13. Cusanus imperatores sanctos congregationes synodales vniuersalium conciliorum semper fecisse ita ego perlustrans gesta omnium vniuersalium conciliorum vsque ad octauum inclusiuè Basilij tempore celebratum verum esse reperi z Ibid. Anastasius also affirmeth vniuersales synodos de omni terra imperatores colligere solitos fuisse but to the papists this catholike forme of assembling councels is much displeasing argument 88 Our Sauiour Christ committed the gouernment of the church to his apostles and a Ephes 4. ascending vp on hie gaue some apostles some prophets some euangelists some pastors and teachers and these he thought to be sufficient for the gouernment and building vp of the church and gathering together the saints and worke of the ministery and he is no catholike that thinketh contrary the hierarchy therefore of the church of Rome where we sée a triple crowned pope a multitude of carnall cardinals a heard of fat abbots and generals of orders of friers and whole swarmes of monkes and friers is not catholike these friers a certeine popish b
tormenta sunt quà m corona victoriae his meaning is that they cannot be martyrs that séeke the applause of the multitude for vain-glory die obstinate in their opinions if then the popes agents in England sought nothing more then their owne glory praise and the applause of the pope and cardinals and the simple people adhering vnto them it were but a simple imagination to suppose them to be martyrs Christian martyrs certes sought not their owne glory nor the applause of men nor did they solicite the inuasion of their countrey and domesticall tumults that they might reigne like yoong lords Eightly it was not the fashion of martyrs in ancient time to renounce their kings and soueraigne princes to refuse to acknowledge their authority for wel they knew that the apostle had taught them obedience not rebellion nor contumacious resisting against the princes power omnis anima saith k Rom. 13. he potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit neither did the holie martyrs of Christs church set out most slanderous libels against men in authority or allow any such course finally we doe not read that euer any godly martyr did beare armes against lawfull princes or go about to depose them or murder them vpon bishops or other mens commandement whatsoeuer Hieremy he had more authority then hath the pope constitui te hodie super gentes saith l Hierem. 1. God vnto him that is I haue appointed thee ouer nations and he had power to pull vp to destroy yet we read not that he commanded any prince to be deposed or murdred but Campian and his consorts whom the papists notwithstanding celebrate repute martyrs did disclaime her Maiesties authority and adhered to the popes declaration as appeareth by their answers yet to be séene all priests also that come from Rome in their cases of conscience which they will not deny are taught to deny her Maiestie to bee their lawfull Queene Robert Parsons Campians fellow hath since his execution prooued a notorious libeller both the pretended martyrs themselues haue set out slanderous libels against their prince and the state and haue well liked of the slandrous and lying writings of Sanders Harpsfield Ribadineira Rishton Parsons Bristow Creswell others When the army of the Pope Spaniard was ready to come for England anno 1588. then was Parsons they say very busie in printing pope Sixtus his scandalous declaration against her Maiestie and Allens railing and scurrilous letters to the nobility and people of England and Ireland A m In an answere to a libell set out by Parsons friend of his also doth charge him that his finger was both in the making and dispersing that infamous libell and yet the pretended popish martyrs would neither mislike the authors nor these wicked libels nor any thing els that might worke disgrace either to her maiesty or the state Finally the earle of Northumberland and the two Nortons and diuers priests whom Bristow in his Motiues and Sanders in his books De visibili Monarchia and diuers others do celebrate for martyrs are in the Crowne office and publike records registred for men of a far diuers qualitie Among these certes the earle of Northumberland and the Nortons were principall actors in the rebellion anno 1569. and diuers of the rest were spotted with other treasons But percase it is a matter not vnusuall for the pope to put those in the Calender of martyrs whom publike executioners register in their books for rebels and traitors in which ranke it may be that Iames Clement that murdered king Henry the third of France and Ghineard the Iesuite that allowed that murder and was therefore executed and Chastell that assaulted Henry the fourth of France now reigning shall sometime or other be entred and be reputed as good saints as the best No martyrs of Christ Iesus did euer suppose it a thing lawfull to breake their others of allegeame to their princes vpon any excommunication or other warrant of popes or bishops n In Chronic. Auentin annal 7. Sigebertus Gemblacensis saith it is a pernitious heresie to beleeue that the pope can discharge subiects from the bond of an oth and from their allegeance but the popes martyrs or rather vnnaturall and churlish masâ—ifs did not only take themselues to be discharged from their allegeance and ioyned with forren enemies but also perswaded as many as they could to take armes against their prince and countrey In ancient records of ecclesiasticall stories we do not reade that any martyr of Christ Iesus did euer denie his name qualitie kindred and prince all together nor that they vsed equiuocations and dissembled their faith nor finally that they went apparelled like spadassins and ruffians but these pretended popish martyrs doe not only all this but also are resolued by Allen and Parsons that it is lawfull so to do The o Resolut quorundam casuum nationis Anglicanae c. 1. case being put vtrum sacerdos possit habitum mutare comam nutrire nomen patriam parentes negare they answer thus potest nec videtur in ea re dubium potest enim quis veritatem tacere vel dissimulare The same good fellowes determine also quod dissimulatio est licita that is that dissimulation is lawfull and afterwards they say it is pious to vse dissimulation for that it is lawfull to lay ambuscadoes for enemies so it appeareth they take all their countreymen that fauor the state for enemies and would take them in ambuscadoes if they could and this if we looke not to it they haue fully purposed and resolued as may appeare by their resolued cases Concerning the Queene they say shee is not lawfull the more they to blame that holde them for lawfull subiects Regina haeretica say p Ibidem they non est legitimè regina and againe non gerit se vt reginam sed exercet tyrannidem Finally the disciples of these traitors are taught to renounce their countrey and to giue no respect to their parents if they be not of the Romish religion It was not the fashion of Christian martyrs in times past to vse machiauelian tricks nor to equiuocate in places of iudgment nor to forswere themselues being examined and interrogated by their superiors but the schoolemasters of our popish priests and the popes calues and designed popish mastifs doe enforme them that they may doe both without any scruple of conscience sciant say q Ibidem c. 3. cas 3. they se vti posse aequiuocationibus iurare sine peccato Now by aequiuocations they meane promises and othes made not according to common and literall meaning nor according to the vnderstanding of the iudge but according to a certaine hidden meaning of the party and by swearing they vnderstand false forswearing according to our common vnderstanding they r Ibidem teach also that a priest is no more to regard an oth to the Queenes officers then if he should sweare to pirates
decreeth that due honour is to be giuen to Images but not so as that wee are to put trust in them as the Gentiles did sometimes But what if the Papists regarde not the decree of this absurd conuenticle And what if the Papists doe more trust in the Image of the Ladie of Loreto then the Gentiles did in the Images of Aesculapius or Mercurie Wist not Owliglasse then confesse that his consortes doe put some trust in these Images But that is apparent for they beleeue shee is able to doe more then euer the Gentiles beleeued that Aesculapsus or Mercurie was able to doe Furthermore the Gentiles did excuse themselues that they did not worship their Images mateâ—ially but rather the persons represented by their Images as appeareth by Lactantius li. 2. ca. 2. and Augustine in Psal 11â— and doth not this selfe same excuse serue the Papists likewise It is apparent by all their writings and Bellarmine and Gregorie de Valentia haue no better defence for this their Idolatrie in their treatises of the worship of Images That the Papists do pray vnto Saints and offer their praiers before their Images it cannot be denied Bellarmine calleth Saints Deos per participationem Lib. 3. de cult sanct c. 9. Votum saith he non conuenit sanctis nisi quatenus sunt dij per participationem That is vowes are not conueniently made to Saints but as they are gods by participation I trust therefore hereafter Owlyglasse will not charge me with desperate vntruth in this point nor vrge me to exhibit proofes for the more I bring the more shame will fall vpon his face In the meane while I would haue the Papists to obserue for their learning that Owlyglasses metaphores are drawne either from gamesters as here Page 20. 21. where he talketh of playing at barestake and laying downe sufficient pawnes or from women Page 6. as where hee talketh of more towe to our Rockes Which sheweth that he is a better gamester then a disputer and is as much conuersant in womens closets as in his study Wherefore if Recusants be wise they will take better heede hereafter howe such compagnions come neare their houses that are so well acquainted with their wiues rockes and frockes to say no more Sect. VI. That the Popes decretales before Gregorie the 7. his time had no force of lawe THe sixt exception which Owlyglasse taketh against me p. 22. is for that I say that before Hildebrands time which otherwise is called Gregorie the seuenth the Popes decretales had no force of lawe This saith Owlyglasse is vntruth And he prooueth it by a certaine decree of Pope Hilarie that liued long before Gregorie the seuenth who threatned all with danger of their state that should violate either diuine lawes or the decrees of the Apostolike see and by a constitution of Gelasius c. sancta Romana dist 15. where he determineth that the Popes decretales are with reuerence to be receiued But his proofes are too weake to conuince me of vntruth For first neither of these authorities are authenticall seeing it is not likely that Hilarie would match the Popes decretales with Gods lawes nor the Church of Rome neglect Gelasius his decree concerning apocryphal writings if his authoritie were so great as is pretended Secondly albeit Hilarie threaten yet it appeareth not that his threats were regarded Thirdly it is one thing to accept mens letters with reuerence and another thing to accept them as lawes Fourthly it is a ridiculous thing to require men to beleeue the Popes in their own cause Fiftly lawes are not enacted by letters nor recorded in scrowes but solemnly established by publike seales and monuments that giue them credite which Owlyglasse cannot shew to haue beene practised in Hilaries or Gelasius his decretales Finally the state of the Church was not such then as that the Popes could command or binde all Churches by their letters That therefore which he saith is nothing But I doe alleadge the testimonie of the Records of the church of Rome which containe no ancienter decretales then those of Gregorie the seuenth as appeareth by the book of Bulles called Bullarium Secondly Bellarmine that is a man of greater knowledge then Owlyglasse doth faile where hee goeth about to prooue that the Popes had power alwaies to make lawes For his records lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 19. are weake and all of them refuted in my answere to him Cod de sum Trin. fid Cath. de episc audient acta concil Finally it is euident that for diuers hundred yeares Emperors and councels made lawes and not the Popes and that this course continued vntill such time as Popes by suppressing the authoritie of both preuailed and vntill the power of Antichrist began to shew it selfe in Gregorie the seuenth In this point therefore Owlyglasse sheweth himselfe ignorant of the storie of the Church and not onely vagrant from his purpose Sect. VII That the fasts of the synagogue of Rome their vsual formes were not established by the ancient Church IN the seuenth article of his supposed vntruthes because Owlyglasse could not otherwise fasten the lie vpon me conueniently hee doth curtall my words with an c. and mangleth my sentence applying that to one particular which I direct to diuers matters I say that if we seeke all antiquitie we shall not finde where the church of Christ hath commanded vs to keepe this Popes day and that Popes day and to abstaine froÌ„ worke on S. Francis and S. Dominicks and other canonized Friers daies or where the same hath enioyned Christians to heare masse or to fast lent and embre daies vigils of Saints other tides according to the fashion of the Church of Rome But our aduersarie doth vnhandsomely place my wordes thus as if I had said that if we seeke all antiquitie we shall not finde where the church of Christ hath enioyned Christians to fast lent and embre daies and vigils of Saints c. But if he had done me right he should haue added these wordes and other tides according to the fashion of the Church of Rome Which if he had done my wordes would haue giuen him no occasion of cauill For then neither out of the 50. canon of the councell of Laodicea nor out of the 63. canon of the fourth councell of Carthage nor Hieroms epistle to Marcella nor S. Augustines sermon de tempore nor Leo nor Epiphanius his wordes nor any other authoritie by him alleadged could he haue brought any thing to contradict my assertion neither doth master Willets confession any whit relieue him The Councell of Laodicea doth not establish the fast of lent nor saith any thing of choyce of meates or the manner of fasting but would that men should fast vpon thursday before Easter Which argueth that before that time that day was not necessarily fasted Besides that the Councell hath nothing concerning embre daies or fasts on vigils of Saints and therefore short of my aduersaries purpose Finally
in England is nothing but a packe of impostures lies fables and superstitious toyes I shall haue occasion to declare at full in some other treatise But least any might thinke that I wronged the sée of Rome from whom all these abuses are deriued I would pray euerie man that hath skill and leysure with indifferencie to reade the Legends of the Romish Church the Rubtikes of the masse their rituall and ceremoniall bookes their treatises of the Popes authoritie the fabulous lies of Caesar Baronius that filthy lying Cardinall and such like testimonials as they prooue their religion by Now we will onely talke of the definition of a Romish Catholike that euery man may sée what a bare fellowe he is and how little religion and honesty he hath I say that Bellarmine teacheth that he is a good Romish Catholike and a true member of the Romish church that professeth the Romish faith and communicateth with the Romanistes in their sacraments and is obedient to the Pope yea although he haue neither inward faith nor charitie nor other inward vertue And thereupon I conclude that the Papists are like to the Eunomians that taught that so a man were of their religion it skilled not what sinnes he committed That Bellarmine so teacheth it is apparant by his words in his second chapter de ecclesia militanti Nostra sententia est saith he ecclesiam vnam esse non duas illam vnam veram coetum hominum eiusdem christianae fidei professione eorundem sacramentorum communione colligatum sub regimine legitimorum pastorum ac praecipuè vnius Christi in terris vicarij Romani pontificis And afterward he saith Non putamus requiri vllam internam virtutem sed tantum externam professionem fidei sacramentorum communionem scilicet vt aliquis aliquo modo dici possit pars verae ecclesiae de qua scripturae loquuntur If then he be a good Romane catholike of whom the true definition of a Romane catholike may be affirmed then may all wicked and damnable heretikes be true Romish catholikes if they professe the Romish faith and communicate with the Romanists in sacraments and submit themselues to the Pope But saith Owlyglasse Bellarmine saith not that such as want inward verrues are good Catholikes but onely that they are true members of the Church As if the true members of Christs church were not good catholikes or as if he were not a good citizen of whom the definition of a citizen may truly be affirmed and as if he could not be a good and true pope that is no good man Of which point our aduersarie must beware least he touch too rudely the sores of his holy father and of a pope make no pope He saith further that this obiection of Eunomianisme is rather to be charged vpon Lutherans and Caluinists for so this papal swad doth call Christians and vpon M. Willet they giuing excessiue prerogatiues to faith and such as teach that a true faith cannot be lost But albeit he take his pleasure to rayle vpon me yet should he forbeare to wrong those that are either at rest or at the least neuer wronged him And in this place hauing his hands so full of me he might well haue spared to contend with others being no match for any To his charge I answere that Eunomius his heresies touch vs nothing For neither doe we déeme them good Christians as Eunomius did that haue no inward faith nor workes nor did Eunomius talke of the faith of Christ Iesus as we doe when we say the iust shall liue by faith but of his owne new deuised faith Owlyglasse therefore hath no reason for any thing done by me to crie out that Bellarmine is abused and his words falsified nor to charge vs with Eunomius his heresie But his consorts will and iustly may thinke him an idle fellow if he can no better either cleare himselfe or conuince others especially taking vpon him to doe both Sect. XIII Of second mariages and whether the Papists dislike them or no. THe last place out of which our aduersarie goeth about to fasten an imputation of falsification vpon me is for that I say that the Papists like to the Montanists dislike second mariages and denie to blesse them accounting these mariages not so holy a sacrament as the first And this he saith is a slander for that Papists doe not mislike second mariages But here as before oftentimes he forgetteth the subiect of his discourse for he should haue conuinced me of falsifications if he had remembred what he had in hand And yet in this place he doth not so much as touch any place by me alleadged or supposed to be falsified Onely to conuince himselfe of notorious ignorance he hath quoted a marginall note belonging not to this but to the next place as he might haue perceiued by the direction if hee had not béene blinde and hath set the same ouer against my words in this place as if I had proued my sayings of the Montanistes by Damascens chapter beginning Christianocategori in his booke de haeresibus such a learned aduersarie haue we to deale withall I answere further that I doe not slander the Papists as my aduersarie chargeth me when I say that they sauour of Montanisme in disliking second mariages for their counterfeit canons doe pronounce them punishable by excommunication that marie more then once De his qui frequenter vxores ducunt say they de his quae saepius nubunt 31. q 1. de hi◠tempus quidem poenitentiae his manifestum constitutum est And afterward Cum praecipiatur say they Ibidem secundis nuptijs poenitentiam tribuere quis erit presbyter qui propter conuiuium illis consentiat nuptijs It appeareth therefore that they enioyned penance for second mariages as for a grieuous crime and forbad the priest to be present at the feast of such maried folkes Beside that they doe not allow that a Priest shall blesse the second mariage nor doe they accompt the second mariage to be so holy a sacrament as the first Finally Syricius calleth maried folkes C. Plurimos dist 82. and defenders of priests mariages followers of lustes and teachers of vices sectatores libidinum C. proposuisti Ibidem praeceptores vitiorum And Innocentius as if they were vnholy and could not please God and were in the flesh excludeth maried folkes from the ministerie of the altar Which sheweth that they sauour of Montanisme if not worse But saith Owlyglasse if it be Montanisme to denie second mariages to be so holy a sacrament as the first what then be they that denie first and second mariages to be any sacrament at all But this is a balde kinde of disputing to propose a mans argument otherwise then he frameth it We doe not say they be Montanists in denying the second mariages to be a sacrament but that they sauour of Montanisme in disliking second mariages and preferring the first before the second Of which that is
no part of my meaning but I say that the true Church cannot longe want true bishopes and teachers and that therfore the Romish Church is not the true Church hauing no bishops nor préestes at all but in name And that I proued for that they wanted true priesthood and true ordination and were ordayned and sent by antichrist by heretikes and simoniacall persons and such as had no authority to ordayne or sende forth bishops and preestes He answereth finally that I haue no reason to carpe at the Romish clergie for their bad life and lacke of learning seeing Pag. 96. our Church as he saith admitteth most base lewd vnlearned artisās this he indeuoureth to proue by M. Parries words in his preface before Vrsinus his catechisme But he lyeth like a lewde and base fellow if he suppose that such are admitted by our Church they do thrust in I confesse by the abuse of sōe on or more but the church alloweth thē not nay there are canōs made that none is to be ordained minister but bachilars of art or men otherwise well qualified and knowne to be able to teach If any doe otherwise by indirect meanes come into the ministery which abuse Master Parry noteth yet I hope they are not so rude or so lewde as masse Preests which are the scumme of all vileny for the most part as those that trauell Spayne and Italy knowe by practise and our rinegat English masse Preestes by their lewdnesse and insufficiency playnly proue Hauing answered according to his best skill and broken as he thinketh all our bonds like Dalilaes cords though some of his friends say that a certeine Dalila hath strong hold of him he goeth about to retort this argument vpon vs and saith if the true Church hath alwayes true bishops and preests that the Church of England Pag 100. is not the true Church as wanting true preestes and bishops And with this argument hee hopeth to giue vs such a drie shauing as he doubteth not but he will marre the whole beauty thereof but he sheweth himselfe to be but a simple barber and a worse drie shauer for nowe he cannot shew but that we haue true bishops hauing both lawfull ordination and our bishops exequuting the office of bishops loyally and orderly Before this reformation also our bishops had all that which our aduersaries thinke necessary in the outward calling of bishops Besides that there fayled not among our bishops and préestes at all times diuers men which detested the abominations of the Romanistes as Robert Grosted bishop of Lincolne Richard Vllerston that liued about the councell of Constance Iohn wicleffe and diuers others But saith he who layd hands on bishop Parker He séemeth also to make the like question of Luther and Zuinglius I answere that bishop Couerdale and Skory and others which were bishops in King Edwardes time layde hands vpon bishop Parker I confesse also that bishop Cranmer Luther and Zuinglius had an externall calling though corrupt in a corrupt state yet such as Owlygalsse dare not deny to be sufficient And beside that externall calling it pleased God to reuele to them his will extraordinarily and to call them out of Babylon to the knowledge of his truth our aduersary therefore of all men hath least reason to challenge them for their calling Beside that he cannot conclude because that externall calling was then thought sufficient that now the popish Church hath a calling sufficient For albeit the préestes of the Iewes that worshiped Baal had an externall calling which was not disabled when they returned to the true worship of God yet was not their Idolatrous seruice doon to Baal nor that preesthood lawful the like wee may say of masse préests They should haue serued God aright yet whē they serued at their massing alters they worshipped strange Gods But when they left their Idolatrie then their calling tooke effect they doing that for which they were principally called Furthermore he cannot say because now all Idolatry and superstition being abandoned we are the true church that the papists that reteine still their superstitiōs are the true church for the true church is tryed by true faith true worship and seruice of God not by externall rites and ceremonies and succession without Gods true worship or the true faith Owlyglasse would also gladly haue me to set down the names of those bishops that gouerned our Church euer since Christ As if all bishops that mayntained the Apostles créede and catholike faith were not our bishops If they digressed from the faith we are not to séeke for a new ranke of bishops but to acknowledge them to be true bishops that professed the true faith He talketh also of my being at Cales but it is more honesty for me to goe in the seruice of my Prince and contry against forreine enemies then for him with forreine enemies like a disloyal traytor to fight against his prince and contry and like a base slaue to serue the popes turne And this may serue to iustifie my argument against the popish préesthood It resteth now that I answere his friuolous obiections concerning some points which he supposeth to conteine matter of contradiction which he vanteth that hee will handle to the little commendation of my learning as he saith But if he would indéede haue disgraced me he should haue taken in hand the aunswere of some latine treatise which I haue published against Bellar. For therein he might haue shewed lerning whereas this discourse concerning falsifications and vntruthes is nothing but a little fardle of foolery and a vaine bable for his clients to sport themselues with all Well in the meane while let vs know his worships pleasure concerning these supposed contradictions First he chargeth me with saying that the number of seuen sacraments was not certainly established nor receiued before the late councell of Trent and this he supposeth to be contrarie to that which I affirme in another place viz. that the iust number of seuen sacraments and neither more nor lesse was first deliuered by the councell of Florence vnder Eugenius the fourth and afterward confirmed by the councell of Trent But the poore ideot doth rather bewray his owne ignorance that knew not how this doctrine of seuen sacraments crept into the Romish church and great dulnesse that could not distinguish betwixt instructions and canons talking or mentioning matters and confirming them by solemne act and decree To reforme his errour therefore I must let him vnderstand that the conuenticle of Florence did not by any solemne canon establish the iust number of seuen sacraments but certaine idle Friers or others in that conuenticle or at the least vnder the credit thereof deliuered this doctrine of seuen sacraments to the Armenians Furthermore not all Churches but the Armenians had this doctrine deliuered vnto them I speake therefore warily where I say that albeit that doctrine was talked of perhaps and deliuered to the Armenians yet it was first confirmed by solemne
a spiritu sancto dictatas c. pari pietatis affectu ac reuerentia suscipit ac veneratur scilicet haec synodus and afterward they pronounce alâ— cursed Lib. de verbo Dei that shall conteÌ„ne the sayd traditions Bellarmine also and the rest of his consorts teach that there is one word of God written and another vnwritten and that both are of equall authority But it is playne falsity to forge any part of a testameÌ„t Galat. 3. or to interline it or to adde to it hominis testamentuÌ„ saith the Apostle nemo spernit aut super ordinat that is no man addeth to a testament or taketh on him to superordinate or set downe more then is declared by the testators will And he signifieth that it is much more odious to adde to Gods testament and as it were with pretended nuncupatiue additions to corrupt Gods writen will and testament Qui testamentum falsum scripserit signauerit recitauerit dolo malo saith Paulus L. qui testameÌ„tum ad L. Cornel de falsis cuiusue dolo malo id factum erit legis corneliae de falsis poena damnatur Againe si quis legatum sibi ascripserit saith Africanus tenetur poena legis corneliae So if the Romish Church haue added to Gods eternall testameÌ„t any traditions vpon the credit of the church L. siquis legatum ff ad L. cornel de falsis and made them parte of Gods testament or meane to receiue benefit or as it were a legacie or authoritie by any thing therein contained the same is guilty of falsification falsification 5 Fiftly the Romish Church hath committed falshood by making the old latin translation authenticall which differeth in many poynts from the originall bookes of the old and new testament Statuit declarat saith the conuenticle of Trent speaking of it selfe vt haec ipsa vetus vulgataeditio quae longo tempore tot seculorum vsu in ipsa ecclesia probata est Sess 4. in pub licis lectionibus disputationibus praedicationibus expositionibus pro authentica habeatur Now that this translation doth differ from the originall bookes it cannot bée denyed For that by collation of both is apparent Beside that it is proued by the testimony of Isidorus Clarius in his preface to his translation of the Bible of Erasmus and diuers other learned men and sometime confessed by the aduersaries theÌ„selues that this is falshood it is proued for that to exhibit a false copie of a testament is falsity It is also a notorious absurdity to preferre a translation or a copy before the originall falsification 6 Sixtly it is falsity to adde to the rule of faith or canon of scriptures For if a man may not add to the rules and lawes of men but he shall falle within the danger of the law cornelia de falsis much lesse may a man adde to the rule of faith and canon of scripture Concil Trid. Sess 4. but he shall bee condemned for falsification But the Church of Rome hath in two sorts added to the rule of faith first making the bookes of Tobias Iudith Ecclesiasticus Wisedome the Machabees and others by the councell of Laodicea and Hierome and other auncient Fathers excluded out of the canon canonicall and next by making the Popes determinations and vnwritten traditions the rule of faith as is proued by Stapletons discourse de doctrinalibus principijs and other treatises of the Romanistes concerning that argument Neither hath the Romish Synagogue any thing to alleadge in excuse of her falsitie but that such bookes haue sometime béene accompted canonicall by the councell of Carthage Can. 47. and S. Augustine and next that traditions haue béene much stood vpon by the auncient Fathers But the third councell of Carthage and S. Augustine speake onely of the bookes of the Bible that were publikely read and of the canon as it prescribed a rule for the reading of bookes and not otherwise and by tradition they meane no other doctrine then that which is contained in holy scriptures and gathered out of them falsification 7 7. Either hath Sixtus Quintus or Clement the 8. egregiously falsified the holy scriptures For both of them hauing taken vpon them to set out the same according to the olde latin translation we finde in diuers places either manifest contradictions or at the least notorious differences betwixt them As for example Gen. 4. the Clementine edition hath in foribus pettatum aderit In Sixtus Quintus his edition set out at Louain peccatum tuum aderit Gen. 5. v. 3. Clement readeth genuit ad imaginem similitudinem suam Sixtus hath genuit filium ad imaginem Contrariwise Genes 1.27 Clement readeth creauit deus hominem ad imaginem suam ad imaginem dei creauit illum and Sixtus hath creauit deus hominem ad imaginem similitudinem suam ad imaginem dei c. Genes 9. Clement readeth de manu viri fratris eius requiram Sixtus hath onely de manu fratris eius requiram Exod. 16. Clement readeth cur eduxistis nos in desertum istud Sixtus contrariwise readeth cur induxistis Exod. 23. Clement readeth victimae meae and Sixtus victimae tuae Leuit. 27. Clement readeth iuxta aestimationem tuam Sixtus iuxta aestimationem suam and it the 28. verse of the same chapter Clement readeth non vendetur and Sixtus non veniet Deut. 24. Clement readeth animam opposuit tibi Sixtus apposuit tibi Deut. 29.19 Clement readeth absumat ebria sitientem Sixtus readeth assumat ebria sitientem Iosue 11.19 Clement readeth non fuit ciuitas quae se traderet and Sixtus quite contrarie quae se non traderet 2. Reg. 6. v. 13. These words that are found in Sixtus his edition dixitque Dauid ibo reducam arcam cum benedictione in domum meam are not found in Clements bible 2. Reg. c. 15.23 Clement readeth contra viam quae respicit ad desertum Sixtus readeth contra viam oliuae 2. Reg. 16.1 Clement hath vtre vini Sixtus readeth duobus vtribus 3. Reg. 7.9 Clement hath extrinsecus vsque Sixtus intrinsecus vsque 1. Paralip 8. v. vlt. Clement readeth vsque ad centum quinquaginta omnes Sixtus readeth ad centum quinquaginta millia lib. 1. Ezrae c. 2. v. 66. Clement readeth septingenti triginta sex Sixtus sexcenti triginta sex Sapientiae c. 2.11 Clement hath sit fortitudo lex iustitiae nostrae Sixtus readeth lex iniustitiae Eccles 8.8 Clement readeth in gâ—udium nolumus venire Sixtus readeth volumus venire c. 21. v. 15. Clement readeth est autem sapientia Sixtus hath est autem insipientia Iohn 6.65 Clement readeth qui essent non credentes Sixtus readeth qui essent credentes Heb. c. 5.11 Clement readeth grandis sermo ininterpretabilis Sixtus readeth grandis sermo interpretabilis Infinit repugnances also there are more betwixt these editions which who so list to sée let him peruse M. Th. Iames his painefull treatise intituled Bellum papale wherein he hath
I haue shewed that it is not onely new and false but also superstitious and hereticall Againe if Parsons can say nothing why the religion professed in England is not Catholike and apostolical then all his reasons fall to the ground and all his pretenses of feare of infection of scandale of schisme of casting away the marke of distinction of participation with vs of dissimulation of naughty seruice of the benefit of popish religion may be retorted against himselfe and his clients For neither are Christians to suffer the practise of the idolatrous masse nor the faction and packing of wicked dissembling papists nor may any magistrate or other good christian with good conscience suffer Gods true religion by schismatickes and heretickes to be scorned And these reasons are so effectuall that I doubt not but those that haue the managing of these causes will both take vp such Howlets and deliuer Christian religion from contempt of such impostors and Atheistes Secondly purposing and promising three things whereof the first was a demonstration of reasons why Papists should not goe to the Church the next contained a declaration of meanes how papists should remedy or ease themselues of their afflictions the third was an instruction how with patience to endure affliction the first he handleth most lewdly and loosely the other two parts he was not able to make out abusing both his friends and his aduersaries with his false promises Further it may be that his remedies were nothing but practises of treason and rebellion and that he meant nothing lesse then to exhort men to patience and that therefore he omitted to speake of these two points But why then did he promise doth he promise that which hee purposeth not to performe and doth he meane to kéepe no touch in any thing His directory also is a most idle and vaine discourse It should consist of thrée partes whereof the first as he saith appertaineth to resolution the second treateth of entrance the third of perseuerance but as his fashion is of thrée partes promised he kéepeth backe two and performeth the third most simply For first that which he hath written concerning resolution is very impertinent for it is a very euil signe of resolution in matters of christian religion for a man to dispute whether there be a God or no and whether christian religion be true or no as Parsons doth Againe despaire of Gods mercy temptations feare of persecution and such like impediments as Parsons alleadgeth doe rather hinder a man to leade a christian life then helpe to resolue him to doe it Secondly the greatest part of his discourse is either stollen out of Gaspar Loarti or Granatensis or Stella or such like frier like and idle discourses Thirdly it argueth that he hath a bad conceit of popish cacolikes in England for if he tooke them to be christians he would neither go about to teach them that there is a God nor that christian religion is true nor that there are rewards offered to those that doe well both in the life to come and in this life and punishments likewise for euill doers both in this life and after this life for euery childe among christians knoweth all this without his teaching Fourthly we doe not finde that this directory hath made any one christian or directed him the way to life But I doe heare many complaine that diuers simple young men haue béen directed by him to the gallowes Fifthly it should séeme that this booke hath wrought little good effect in Parsons himselfe that hauing so long stood vpon resolution is not yet come to the entrance of religion Sixthly as lawes are made to restraine common abuses so likewise divines should discourse of such matters as may make most for reformation of christian mens manners This discourse therefore of his wherein he endeuoureth to prooue that there is a God that there is one true religion that there is a heauen and a hell among christians already well perswaded is impertinent and woulde better haue béene bestowed vpon Italians and Spaniardes that scarce beleeue in God or know any of the principall points of christian religion Furthermore intreating of resolution which as himselfe declareth goeth before entrance and perseuerance yet doth he very wisely diuide the treatise of resolution into speculation and practise The first part saith he shall containe matter of discourse speculation consideration the second shall handle things appertaining to exercise vse and practise As if a man could practise that is not entered into the exercise of religion or as if resolution were not farre different from practise Finally the booke is so full fraught with idle discourses and the principall points so weakely proued that it will rather make Christians to doubt of religion then Atheistes to beleeue It doth also containe so much poyson that no physicke can make it holesome I would therefore aduise all Christians to beware of his booke of resolution by him intituled a directorie containing little truth but much superstition and hereticall poyson The same is also a disgrace to all papistes whome he presumeth as yet not to be resolued that there is a God or that christian religion is true To christians it can yeelde no instruction being a packe of stollen and bad stuffe euill trussed together Neither is the same good although it hath béene purged the whole substance being leud and full of poyson Much I wonder that any christian would sette it forth in this Church and more that christians should beleeue that any good was like to come of such a wicked writing And I doubt not but that such as are in authority will remoue both that and other such venemous treatises out of all true Christian mens handes being rather fit for Italian atheistes then the English nation To leaue the rest of his treacheries heresies and other faults which are rather to be corrected by the publike exequutioner then noted by the stile of a writer I will only in this discourse set downe certaine notorious falsifications committed by him in sundry pamphlets set out vnder diuers counterfect names and giue you a tast of his vnsauory lies of which in Parsons writinges there is great store And this so much the rather for that in his relation sent vs from Rōe concerning the conference some two yeares agone passed in France betwéene Monsieur de plessis and the pretended bishop of Eureux he séemeth earnestly to desire a triall concerning these points The man also in his preface before his reasons of refusall of going to the Church vnder the name of Iohn Houlet desireth that some indifferent triall may be had either by disputation or otherwise wherein I desire he should be satisfied falsification 1 First then I challenge the man as a notorious falsificator in that he hath set forth his owne booke concerning titles vnder the name of another preist called Dolman who was neuer acquanted with the matter Wherein albeit he hath cōmitted far more haynous faults then
and last resolution for matters of faith argument 15 The Church of Christ neuer burned the scriptures no albeit there were errors in the Gréeke translation of Theodosion and Symachus and the seuentie interpreters and in all the Latin translations the vulgar and olde edition not excepted z yet did the true church neuer burne the scriptures for that was practised by Dioclesian and other persecuters of the church and by heathen men rather than by any that carried the name of Christians but the church of Rome hath caused Gods holy word to be burnt vnder pretence of false translations which notwithstanding she was neuer able to prooue to be false she doth therefore plainly declare her selfe to be the synagogue of Satan and not of Christ argument 16 The true Church did neuer prohibit the scriptures to be publikely read in such tongues as the people of God were able to vnderstand nor did she euer condemne them and burne them for hereticks that read them in vulgar tongues for our sauior commanded his apostles to teach all nations and no question but it was lawfull to teach them as well by writing as by word In Psal 86. S. Hierome saith that scriptures do not only belong to priests but also to the people Non scripserunt saith he speaking of the holy apostles paucis sed vniuerso populo and our sauiour where he commanded his auditours to search the scriptures meant that it should be lawfull for all to read them finally what is more vnreasonable séeing the scriptures conteine Gods holy lawes and his eternall testament than that the lawes of God should not be red in a knowen tongue and that it should not be lawfull for children to vnderstand their heauenly fathers testament and last will but the Romish congregation prohibiteth the scriptures to be publikely read in vulgar tongues and i Index libr. prohib à Pio 9. prohibiteth all translations but such as themselues set forth which are most wicked peruerse The bloody inquisitors haue also burned diuers poore people for reading scriptures in English as appeareth by the Registers of Lincolne and London in king Henry the eighth his daies Finally Nauarrus a braue Romish doctor teacheth that it is mortall sinne for a lay man to dispute of religion Laicus disputans de fide saith k In primum praecept c. 11. Nauarrus peccat mortaliter argument 17 Our sauior Christ l Iohn 4. teacheth vs that all true worshippers do worship God in spirit and trueth Venit hora nunc est saith our sauior quando veri adoratores adorabant patrem in spiritu veritate And God by his prophet m Isay 29. Matth. 15. Isay doth condemne his people that honored him with their lips their hearts being farre from him The apostle also Coloss 2. would not haue Christians condemned in respect of meat drinke and holy daies and reprooueth those that make decrées concerning touching and tasting and such like ceremonies he doth also vtterly n 1. Cor. 14. condemne praiers in a strange language and not vnderstood of those that vse them but the worship of God which the papists vse and most commend doth wholly consist in externall ceremonies as knocking lifting vp of the Sacrament censing lights and such like they also rather honor God with their lips then their hearts not vnderstanding what they say thinking that to gaze on the masse is to serue God finally they haue many decrées concerning meats drinks saints daies and also concerning touching and tasting and such like is it not then apparent that they are no true worshippers argument 18 The Church of o Exod. 20. Christ doth worship but one God according to this commandement Thou shalt haue no other gods but me and according to the words of p Matth. 4. Christ Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serue but the papists worship the images of God as God himselfe and giue as much honor to the image as to the originall Cum Christus saith q P. 3. q. 25. art 3. Thomas Aquinas adoretur adoratione latriae consequens est quod eius imago sit adoratione latriae adoranda Séeing as Christ is honored with diuine worship saith he it followeth that his image is also to be worshipped with diuine worship and friers in their sermons speaking to the crucifix are wont to say to it Thou hast redeemed vs thou hast reconciled vs to thy father which r Bellar. de cult imag lib. 2. c. 23. Bellarmine himselfe can not deny he confesseth also that images may be worshipped with that honor that is due to the originall Admitti potest imagines posse col◠improprie vel per accidens eodem genere cultus quo exemplum ipsum colitur they also worship the Sacrament with diuine worship and fall downe before it but neither are images gods nor is the Sacrament God Finally they confesse that the worship of seruice or doulia is due to saints and this they wil not deny how then can they shew that they worship and serue one true God argument 19 The catholike church only saith ſ Instit 4. c. vlt. Lactantius doth reteine the true worship of God neither can any society be termed Gods church which reteineth not Gods true worship but the papists doe not reteine Gods true worship for first they worship God according to the doctrines and commandements of men which our Sauiour t Matth. 15. Christ condemneth secondly they giue diuine honor to creatures as we shewed in our last argument thirdly their worship consisteth principally in the sacrifice of the masse which is nothing els but a masse of many superstitions impieties and blasphemies as I haue shewed particularly and largely in my treatise of the masse against Bellarmine argument 20 The true church of Christ beléeueth that Iesus Christ is perfect God and perfect man and that Christ Iesus is ascended vp into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of his father for these two points are articles of our faith the first being in termes conteined in the créed of Athanasius the second being expressed in the apostles créed but the papists attributing to Christ in the sacrament such a body as is neither visible nor palpable and can neither sée nor féele nor helpe himselfe nor others being oftentimes deuoured by mise and other brute beasts cannot shew how these qualities can be in a perfect man neither can they shew that a perfect man is both in heauen and in earth and in many places at once or that the flesh of Christ can be properly in heauen and earth and not onely beléeued but also apprehended with mens hands and téeth u Cōtr. Eutyth lib. 4. c. 4. Vigilius saith that the flesh that is in heauen is not in earth Fulgentius writing to Thrasimundus saith that the bodie of Christ hath the properties of a true body x De resur carn Tertullian teacheth vs that the body of Christ