for if this nevv Clergie be deuided into many sects as all the vvorld seeth that it is then seing that vve haue noe more assuraunce of one Secte then another vve may refuse to be iudged by any of them especially they them selues refusing to be iudged by one a nother Yea not all this nevv Clergie nor any sect of the same can proue their mission and therfore are not to be admitted for true pastours and iudges in religion vnless vve vvill receiue all false prophets also false Apostles Is ther no iudge then nether in Ingland nor in all the nevv Church of the ghospellers If ther be let them name him if they can if ther be none as it seemeth that ther is not for I haue named and teiected by good reason all vvhom I thinke they can name then is not their Churche the Churche of Christ in vvhich as is before proued is alvvayes resident a visible iudge to compose controuersies yea then the Churche vvhich as I shall proue in the next booke is a peaceble kingdom shall be a commoÌ„ vvelth the vvorst prouided for that euer vvas it shall be a body vvithout a head a kingdom vvithout a king or Prince to commaund a conuenticle of vvranglers the vvorst ordered and the most disseÌ„tious societie that euer vvas to be breef the Church militaunt in earth shall more resemble that mutinouse route of the damned in hell then the peaceable societie of the Church triumphant in heauen yea then shall that follovv vvhich I intented to proue to vvit that in the nevv Churche of the ghospellers there are noe meanes to compose determine coÌ„trouersies bicause vvhere there is no visible Iudge there euery man may beleeue and preach vvhat he lift and no man can controlle him and if diuers preach contrarie doctrine they may go together by the eares and noe man shall be to part the fraye bicause ther is noe iudge to take vp the matter betvvixte them and so the gappe is open to all false prophetes vvhose doctrine must goe for currant be it neuer so absurd bicause ther is no Iudge to giue sentence of the truthe or falshood of the same And to make the matter more plaine suppose that novv in Ingland some nevv preacher should preach a nevv heresie yea that many at once should preach contrary opinions and so fall together by the eares ther vvould be no meanes to compose these controuersies bicause ther is no Iudge to take vp the matter nether is ther any vvay to preuent them bicause vvher there is no Iudge to define euery man may teach vvhat he list and vvhere euery one may teach vvhat he vvill there arise iarres and discords and vvhere no meanes are to appease them the societie is ruined 〈◊〉 11. Bicause euery kingdom diuided vvith in it selfe shall be made desolate But in this case peraduenture they vvould call a Prouinciall or generall Councel and so compose matters by common coÌ„sent Bee it so that they could call such a councell and could also all or the most parte aggree yet I see not hovve vve are vvarraÌ„ted to assure our selues that they all can not erre and that therfore vve may rely vppon their sentence for if they say that vve are vvaranted bicause they are the true pastours I caÌ„ tell them that this is not so sure bicause they can not proue their mission I demaund of them vvhether the Catholike Clergie vvhich is farre greater and vvhich for fifteen hundred yeares before Luther vvas hard of vvas counted the only Clergie may not haue their voice and if they may certainly their voice vvil be negatiue and opposit to their affirmatiue But this is spoken vppon supposition that they could calle a councell and aggree also in the same for I haue good cause to doubte that they nether can call a councell nor aggree in a councell For if ther bee no visible supreme Iudge nor Pastour in their Church as I haue proued that ther is not vvho should calle this councell suÌ„mone all the Clergie to appear Lut l cont â—â— Calu. â—i â— Inst 6.7 Luther and Caluin say that this belongeth to the Emperour but seing that this is an Ecclesiasticall office concerning religion it can not appertain vnto a temporall Prince and novv that the Emperour is a Catholike and a Papist as they terme him I thinke they vvould not obey him if he should summone them to apeare especially bicause he vvould call Catholike bishops vvould giue the preeminence to them But I haue proued all ready that the Emperour though in the name of the Pope as an assistauÌ„te he may by the Churches permission call a councell yet of him selfe he can not meddle in spirituall matters Act. â—â— Vvherfore the Councell vvhich the Apostles called vvas called vvithout the Emperours authoritie vvhere theÌ„ there is noe Suprem Pastour as I haue proued that amongest them is none vvhosoeuer should take vppon him to call a councell should vsurpe and the others might refuse to obey his calle Peraduenture they vvould choose one by common consent and so vvould all stande to his arbitermeÌ„t But in this also is difficultie for vvhere ther is none to commaund vvho shall call them together to aggree in the election of this one man Yet let vs suppose that they should meet by chaunce as crovves do in the Pease-feeld vvhen they are met it is not so easie to aggree vppon one vvhen they haue aggreed it is not so easie to aggree vnto his sentence For if he pronounce sentence for the Protestaunte the Puritane vvill repine and may say that he hath noe vvarraunte of his sentence vvho is but a man constituted by men and can shevv noe scripture to proueth at he can not erre But truly I can not thinke that in this matter they vvould euer proceed so farre For as yet they neuer called a Councell together out of all partes of their Churche and those that vvere called together for vvant of a Iudge to determine could neuer aggree in any one point of religion Anno 1554. Surius relateth hovv on a tyme tvvelue Catholique Doctours and tvvelue Ministers met at Vvormatia to make some attonement betvvixte the Confessionistes Gen. Cron. but after a litle disputation fiue of the tvvelue ministers vvere excommunicated by the rest Stapl l 4. de prim fed c. 13. and cast out for vvranglers and so nothing vvas concluded Diuerse other assemblies and meetings they haue attempted but all ended in thundering excommunications bitter taunts and infamous libels and as yet they neuer could aggree in any councell vppon any controuersie in religion and all for vvant of a visible Iudge and pastour to vvhom all the rest are subiect And this they haue gotten by leauing the ancient Catholike Churche vvhich acknovvledgethe the bishope of Rome as Sainct Peters successour and Christes Vicaire and relyeth vppon his sentence as infallible Luc. 22. bicause Christ in fainct Peter prayed for him
the Church of God and the first of them in our countrie and in euery countrie proued theyr authoritie by miracles â— 31. and their successours proued the same by succession but as yet the nevv preachers could neuer proue their authoritie and mission to bee ether extraordinarie by miracles or ordinarie by succession as is allready demonstrated in the first chapter So that for learning vertue antiquitie number dignitie by vv ch authoritie is gotten vve and our religion doe carye the bell avvaye Vvhat reason then haue men to forsake Catholikes and their pastours and preachers to harken vnto these nevv prophets vvho nether in learning nor vertue nor antiquitie not number nor dignitie can make any iuste comparison vvith them Suppose some one should be vvauering and doubtfull 〈◊〉 religion and deliberating vvith him â—olfe vvhether to follovve the olde fathers 〈◊〉 nevv preachers should make this discourse vvith him selfe I haue been baptiaed and brought vp in the Catholike religion and so vvere my fore fathers ty me out of mynd but of late yeares some haue been so bold as to auouch that they vvere all deceiued and damned also vnless ignoâ—unce excuse them vvherfor seing that vvithout true fayth noe man can bee saâ—â—ed it is good that I looke into bothe the old and nevv religioÌ„ to see vvhich by all reason I ought to imbrace But before I giue eare vnto these Reformers vvhich say that they come to correct old errours let me see vvhat probabilitie they bring for their pure and reformed religion First I see they aggree not and yet euery one sayeth that he teachethe the true fayth and reformed religion and seing that one bringeth noe more authoritie then another that is scripture interpreted by his ovvn spirit I see no reason vvhy I should giue credit more to one then to another and therfor bicause I can not giue credit to all I see no reason vvhy I should credit any of them all Hier. â—â— Secondly I ame forvvarned that false propheres shall come vnsent and yet auouche also that they are sent from God and therfor vnlesse these men can say more for them selues then they caÌ„ I see noe reason vvhich can bynde me to giue eare vnto them They saye they are sent from God So vvill false prophets say And I examining vvhat is their mission finde therin a great defect for ether it is an ordinarie mission and then they must shevv a succession of pastours vvhose roomes they supply vvhich I see they can not do bicause noe historie makes mention ether of their pastours or their seruice or practise of their religion or it is an extraordinarie by vvhich they are sent immediatly from Christ and then they must proue it by miracles else I must by the same reason harken vnto euery false prophete Nether doth it suffice to say that they preach no other doctrine then the Apostles did and therfore need no other miracles then those vvhich vvere vvrought by them for so euery archeretique may saye and you can not controle him vnless you put him to his miracles But they alleage scripture for their doctrine so haue all heretiques doone as is shevved in the second chapter But heretiques expounded scriptures amiss these men haue hitten vppon the right meaning Hovv shall I knovv that they say they haue the true spirit in interpreting of scripture And hovv shall I or hovv caÌ„ they â—ell that seing that nothing is so secret as is this spirit as is proued in the third chapter And did not Arius say that he interpreted scriptures by the true spirit vvhen he alleaged them to proue that the sonne vvas a creature netherequall nor coequall nor consubstantiall to his father Yea do not all heretiques say so doe not all the Reformers say so euen vvhen they hold contrary opinions I see noe reason therfore not so much as probable vvhy I should harken vnto these reformers vnless I vvill harken allso vnto all the heretikes that euer vvere or shall bee Much lesse can I see any reason vvhy to forsake my ancient pastours vvho made me and my for fathers Christians and to preferre these preteÌ„ded reformers before them For as for learning they surpassed these reformers and for vertu they excelled and so vvere more likely men to see into the sense of scripture and veritie of religion and vvere fitter instruments for God to vse and vesselles more capable of God his spirit and reuelations In antiquitie they are before theÌ„ by many hundred yeares in number they are an hundred at least for one for authoritie they vvere honourable Prelats and Bishops of the Church vvho proued their mission commission and authoritie by succession yea and by miracles also nether of vvhich proofes the reformers can alleag for their mission and authoritie Shall I then leaue such learned men for such young clat kes so vertuouse men for so vicious so ancient Pastours for so nevv so late vpstartes so many for so fevv and men of such pastorall dignitie for them that can not proue their commission no more then a false prophet can doe Surely I see no reason vvhy I should and seing that God vvil not bynde me to giue credit to them that can bring no probabilitie for their ovvn or their Doctours authoritie I see not hovv vvith any shevv of iustice God can at the latter day condemne me for not harkening vnto them for I might ansvver vvith reason that I savv noe reason vvhy I should harken to them rather theÌ„ to euery false prophet much less vvhy I should forsake myne ancient religion for a nevv and myne old graue fathers for a fevv yonge ministers vvho vvere borne but yesterday By this gentle reader thou mayest see hovv litle reason men of vnderstanding haue to giue credit vnto the nevve religioÌ„ But least I may seem to partiall or thou gentle reader mayst be to timorous in pronouncing the sentence let the matter bee brought before an indifferent iudge vvho is net her of the old nor the nevv Religion l. 1â— Aâ—â— In Iose phus his historie I finde an example in the like case of controuersie The Ievves sayeth he and the Samaritanes contended once about the place vvher God should be vvorshipped The Ievves sayed HierusaleÌ„ vvas the place Deus 19.4 Reg. 17.10.4 The Samaritanes vvould haue it to be the mount Garizim The matter vvas brought before a Pagan king yet a discreet and indifferent Iudge Proloquutours vvere appointed on bother sides to plead the cause Sabeus and Theodosius for the Samaritanes Andronicus for the Ievves Andronicus had leaue graunted to speake first vvho recounteth a succession of the high precstes froÌ„ Aaron vnto his tyme all vvhich tyme the Ievves vvere counted the true vvorshippers of God he declareth the Antiquitie of the Temple of Hierusalem and of the sacrifices there offered hee telleth hovv that place vvas euer taken for the true place of vvorship and that therfore it vvas adorned and enriched not only by the guifts
her selfe so faste vnto you that the death of your person can not dissolue this Mariadge bicause her mariadge vvith your person is the spousage vvith your noble posteritie These great fauours and benedictions of th' Almightie tovvardes your Maiestie make the vvorld to thinke that God hath culled you out for some good purpose and that your Highnes to shevv your selfe gratefull vnto him vvill imploy your selfe in some honourable seruice for that Church and fayth of vvhich you are called the Defendour in so much that if the general voice grouÌ„ded only on the great expectation vvhich commonly is conceiued of you vvere as true as common I should not need at this tyme to be the Suppliaunte for the freedom and libertie of your distressed Catholiques And althoughe your Catholique subiectes at home haue not yet obteined so great a benefit yet so ritch hopes and so firme confidence do they repose in your Graces Bountie that froÌ„ the first day of your raigne they hoped that your Maiestie vvill proue another Moyses vvho shall deliuer your Realmes and Kingdomes from a vvorse then Egiptian captiuitie I meane heresie vvhich makes the vnderstanding a slaue to errour vnder a shovv of veritie yea that you vvill be vnto them another losue vvho shall bring them to their lande of promise the Catholique Churche vvhich is the lande of all Gods promises and that after a longe famine more then Ievvishe or Saguntine not of body but of soule you shal be another Ioseph vvho shall store vs by your vvisdome and authoritie vvith the spiritual prouision of the true vvorde of God true fayth and sacrameÌ„tes by vvhich the soule is nourished Yea that you vvill bee another Constantine to appease the boysterous storme of a longe persequution and to repaire the ruines of the Catholique faith and Church of your Realmes of England Scotland and Ireland And I also armed vvith the same hope and bidden by your Bountie and constrained by necessitie to be bolde in the name of all your Catholike subiectes of vvhome I ame the leaste in the name of the Catholike Church of vvhich I ame a member and you a Defendour in the name of all Catholike Princes yea of al the Christian vvorld vvhich hath conceiued such an expectarioÌ„ of your Gracious Goodnes in the name of the Great King of heauen and earth by vvhom you raigne and by vvhom you were preserued and reserued for this Croune scepter that it would please your Maiestie to caste a Gracious regard vppon the great affliction of your loyall naturall and moste anciente subiectes the Catholikes of your Realme and to bende your most compationate eares to their humble suppliaunte petition vvho desire nether landes nor liuinges nor offices nor pardon for offences but libertie for their consciencee vvhose restrainte they counte more greeuous then imprisonment yea death of their bodyes and not to contristate them vvith a heauie repulse at this tyme especially vvhen euen theeues and murderers are pardoned so Graciously Our zeale tovvards Christe his Churche the loue of our Religion the desire of the saluation of your Maiesties Person of your louing Spouse our moste Gracious Queene of your Royal Children our Noble Lordes of your Kingdome also our deare Countrie moueth vs to desire your Highnes to restore vvhollie thaâ— Religion vvhich your Glorious predecessours maintened vvith Crovvne Scepter Sworde as for the defence theâ— of they vvere all svvorne at their sacreâ— Coronation But if it shall not standâ— vvith your Graces pleasure to graunte vâ— so much vvee moste humblie desire oâ— our knees libertie only of our conscience and Religion vvhich the nature oâ— bothe requireth Nether as vvee hope vvill your Maiestie condemne vs of to great presumption for demaunding that vvhich hath been so longe denyed vs bicause there is no PrescriptioÌ„ against conscience vvhen conscience is enforced and your princely Prudence vvel perceiueth that necessitie on our parte is importune Bountie on your parte imboldâ—neth and the Religion on your most Noble Progenitours parte for vvhich we plead promiseth a Gracious graunte For if it much skilleth froâ— what treâ— the graffe or frute is taken vvhy shall it not much importe to come of a Catholique Race True it must be vvhich the Poet sayeth Fortes creantur fortibus bonis Hor Flac. Est in â—â—uencis est in equis Patrum Virtus nec imbecillem feroces Progenerant Aquilae columbam I graunt that ReligioÌ„ is supernatural and is not transfused vvith flesh and bloud but infused by God vvith consent of our vvill and operation of Grace but yet children are naturally bent to like of that in vvhich their parentes haue excelled And truly for zeale tovvards the Catholike Religion almost all the noble Kinges of ScotlaÌ„d vvhich vvere your Highnes progenitours are most famous as the Valiaunt and noble Malcolmus and the blessed saincte Marguerite his spouse Histoire abbregée par Dauid â—hambre King Dauid vvho builded 15. Abbeyes erected 4. Bishop-rickes Iames the fourth your Great Grandfather surnamed protectour of the faith Iames the fifte your GrauÌ„dfather a moste iust King and liberall to the poore to omit diuers others not only of Scotland but also of England yea and Fraunce also and namelie that vvarlike and moste Catholike Hovvse of Guise to vvhich you are allyed but of all your Glorious Mother is moste renovvmed vvho as for her goodly personage she deserued to bâ— Spouse to a King of Fraunce and for heâ— Princely qualities and Roiall bloud vvaâ— vvorthy a double crovvn in Earth so foâ— her Zeale in religioÌ„ and more then manly Fortitude shevved for the defence oâ— the same at her death She deserued the third Crovvn in Heauen called Aureola Martyrum Is it possible then thaâ— your moste Excellent Maiestie beholding such rare vertue in your Mother should not desire it in your selfe Or thaâ— you should not loue to liue in that Religion for vvhich she loued to dye I haue hard of some that vvere belonging to her and entertained by her vvhen she vvas rather detained then entertained in England that she spent many hovven in prayer shed many teares of sorovve gaue great almes of charitie and vsed diuers meanes of prouideÌ„ce that your Maiestie might bee made a Catholike and amongest other She deuised the meanes that you should be baptized Nicol Burne in his preface to king lames the sixt and confirmed by a Catholike bishop That ranne still in her mynde that vvas deepest iâ— her harre and oftenest in her mouthe foâ— that she fetched many a sighe and sigheâ— out many a vvishe and as liuing for thiâ— she shed many teares so dying no doubte she offered no litle parte of her innocent bloud vvhich as it cryeth vengeaunce before God against her enemies so like a pleasing sacrifice as vve hope it cryeth for conuersion of your Maiestie and your Kingdomes to that religion for vvhich it vvas shedde So that as sainct Ambrose sayed once to sainct Monica vvho vvas allvvayes praying vveeping
Churche vvere in vaine all actes of religioÌ„ vvere superstitious all conncells vvhich vvere gathered in this Churche all pastours that ruled in it all doctours that vvrote tanght in it and for it deceiued vvere deceiued Happie then vvas the daie in vvhich Luther leaped out of his Monasterie disobeied the Pope Churche and hauing gotten a yoke fellovv out of a cloy ster of professed and vovved virgins deuised a nevve religion to cloake his villanie And could not Christe all that vvhile fynde out a man fitte to restore his Churche froÌ„ death to life vvas there noc Ambrose noe Austine noe Hierome noe Gregorie fitte for such a purpose and vvas Luther the only man vvhoe for learninge vertue thonghe he vvere an apostata vvas according to God his harte and likinge vvhome God vvished for expected so longe But if I demonstrate that the true Churche caÌ„not die nor decaie theÌ„ is their Churche a bastarde synagogue vvhich as they saie once florishing in the Apostles tyme and after their tyme also for some smalle tyme and astervvardes died for noe litle tyme but rather for some hundred yeares or elfe they must of necessitie shevve a succession of their Churche and Religion from age to age of their pastours from pastour to pastour and if they canot they are not sent by an ordinaire mission bicause they succeed to noe predecessours but are the first of their familie Chap. 5. This I haue demonstrated in the secoÌ„d booke as the reader maie see if he please to tourne oner a fevve leaues so heare I maie suppose it supposinge conclude that they are not seÌ„t by an ordinary missioÌ„ bicause they succeed to none But if this ansvverre vvill not serue as a blinde man maie see that iâ— doth not then they haue another in store and vvhat is that they saie forsooth that they are true successours to the Apostles and that they haue their predecessours vvhoe beleeued as they doe ruled the Church ministred receaued sacramentes but secretly inuisibly bicause their Churche it selfe vvas all that tyme inuisible And so if you demaunde of them vvhoe vvere their predecessours they vvill ansvverre that they had predecessours but they vvere inuisible This is another blinde shifte of theirs vvhich I shall refute in the next booke at large Heare onlie I demaunde vvhether this inuisible Churche vvas inuisible to them selues Chap 5. or to papistes only and paganes vvhoe vvere not of their religion If it vvere inuisible to them selues hovv canne they tell that ther vvas anie religion like to theirs before their tyme or that there vvere anie pastours of their kinde for that vvhich vvas inuisible vnto them coulde not be seene of them and so vvee are noe more to be leeue them in sayinge that they had a Churche pastours before Luthers tyme then a blynde man that vvill determine of coulours If they saie it vvas inuisible only to papistes pagaÌ„nes others vvhich vvere not of their Churche then as it is like Luther and Caluine vvhoe vvere members of that Churche knevv vvell the pastours to vvhome they succeeded of vvhome they receaued authoritie Lett them telle vs then vvhoe they vvere else vve cannot receiue them as ministers of God sent by an ordinarie mission bicause they can not shevve vs their predecessours to vvhom they succeeded Thus I haue plainlie proued that these men are not sent by an ordinarie missioÌ„ bicause they succeed to none vvhoe vvere their predecessours Vvhat novv can they saie vvhy vvee should not reiecte them as false prophetes vvhoe roÌ„ne before they be sent preache before they be called to that function They vvill saie as osten tymes they doe that they vvere sent immediatly from Christe by an extraordinarie missioÌ„ But then vve must put them also to the proofe of this their mission And first of all in sayinge that they are sent extraordinarilie they bevvraie theÌ„ selues to be those Apostles vvhich ronne vnsent bicause it is manifest in scripture that Christe appointing Apostles Ephes 4. ordained a succession of pastours to the ende For as he instituted a visible Churche vvhich is neuer to faile or falle as shall be in the next booke demonstrated so did he appoynte ê‘petuall gouernours pastours to gouerne rule this Church in a visible manner as there also shall be proued Chap 5. else should that visible goodlie misticall bodie of Christe haue bene lefte headlesse vvith out a visible head and bicause the same pastours could not alvvaies lyue to gouerne the Churche visiblie it follovveth that Christe instituted a succession of them consequently that Christe sendeth none to rule it his Churche but by succession to some others by vvhome they vvere ordained instituted therefore he that enters into the gouerment of the Churche and not by this entrie and dore of succession he is a theefe that seeketh vvindovves corners by-vvaies as them selues doe vvho bicause they meane noe good dare not enter into the house as honest men doe by the ordinarie vvaie Let not then the reformers bragge of their extraordinarie mission bicause Christe hauinge instituted a perpetuall succession of ordinarie pastours meaneth not to sende any extraordinarie preachers rather they maie be ashamed of their monstrouse natiuities for they are like vnto those heretikes of vvhom Optatus speaketh qui de se prodigiosè nasci voluerunt l 1. cont Paâ— Vvhich vvould be borne of them selues prodigiously vvithout any ffather or mother They are like to Victor the Donatiste vvhoe as Optatus affirmeth vvas a soÌ„ne vvithout a father l. 2. cont Par. a disciple vvithout a master They are not vnlike the Nouatianes vvhoe as saint Cipriane auerreth l. 1. ep â— Nemini succedentes à seipsis episcopiordinati sunt Succeding to noe man they vvere ordained bishops of them selues But lett vs giue them leaue to saie at least that they vvere sent extraordinarilie that so vve maie see better hovve they canne proue their extraordinarie mission and hovve vve can disproue the same First I demaunde of them vvhere they read in scripture that after Christe had established a succession of pastours to gouerne his Churche to the ende Ephes â— he vvould sende somtymes extraordinarie ministers to put them out of office to enter into the gouerment of the Churche to reforme all absurde abusesâ— for if they can not bring scripture for this they are not to be credited that by their ovvne confession But I knovve they can not alleage anie one lyne of scripture for that purpose and I am sure they are not ignorant Mat. â—â— that Christe saied he builded his Churche vppon a rocke so that it should not need the repairinge of these nevve masons established a kingdome and consequenly gouernours vvhich should continevv for euer and so should need noe innouation Second booke vvhich pointe hear after shall be more amplie proued chap 5. But suppose that our sauiour had foretolde the fall
as diuersly interpret scripture as you may moralize those fables Others calle scripture a nose of vvaxe bicause it may be vvrested and vvried euery vvaye vvhich comparisons although they bee odious and litle beseeming the maiestie of scripture yet are they true if by scripture you vnderstand the bare letter of scripture vvithout an assured interpretour as the Reformers doe For the baâ—e letter of scripture is so ambiguous may haue so many senses and meanings that it may be applyed to vvhat you vvill may be already hath been vsed for the proofe of the moste absurde heresies that euer vvere But vvhilest they alleage the bare letter of scripture for coÌ„firmation of their doctrine vvel may they so delude the vnlerned but men of learning and intelligence are vvel assured that the bare letter is no more scripture then the body of a man is a man For as the soule is the life of the body that vvhich maketh a man so the sense is the life of the vvorde and that vvhich giueth scripture life esseÌ„ce being Com. ad Gal. Vvherfore sainct Hierome sayeth that The ghlospel is not in the vvorde but in the sence not in the barke but in the sappe not in the leaues of the vvords but in the roote of the meaning Let not therfore out Reformers vaunte in their pulpits that they trye their doctrine by the touchstone of scripture nether let them insulte ouer Catholikes as though they relyed only on mens decrees and Popes Bulles for if they giue vs the letter of scripture vvith the true meaning vvhich is the formal cause and life of the vvord vve vvill reuerence it as the vvord of God and preferre it before all the decrees and vvritinges of Pope and Church but take the true sense from it and it is no more scripture then is a man vvithout a soule bicause as the same body may be the liuing body of a man and a dead carcas also so the same letter vvith the true meaning is the vvord of God vvith a false meaning it is the vvord of the deuil As for example those vvords of our Sauiour The father is greater then I Io. 1â— taken in the right sence that is according to Christes humain nature are the true vvord of God but taken in the meaning of the Arrians vvho imagined Christe a creature inferiour euen in person to his father they are noe vvord of God but of the deuil vnlesse you vvill graunte heresie to be the vvord of God The reason of this is bicause vvords are vvordes in that they are signes of the myndes meaning and do explicate her invvard conceipt and consequently that is Gods vvord vvhich explicateth his meaning and diuine conceipt but if it explicate the mynd of the deuil or of his ministers such as all heretikes are then is it not the vvord of God but rather of the deuil Vverfore vvhen the letter of the scripture is ioyned vvith the right meaning then do vve graunt though men vvrote it that is is the vvord of God bicause it explicateh his meaning vvho spake vnto the holy vvriters in that meaning and directed their hartes and handes in the vvriting of the same Isa 1. In so much that God sayeth to Isaie Heb. 1. Behold I haue put my vvords in thy mouthe And saint Paul saieth that God diuersly and by diuers meanes spake in tymes paste vnto our forfathers in the Prophets that is in the mouche of the prophets puttiÌ„g in their mouthes that vvhich they vvere to speake and directing their hands to vvrite it For as the vital spirit of man frameth his vvordes in his mouthe and giueth them their meaning so the vvords of the prophets and other holy vvriters vvere framed in their mouthes by the spirit of God Vvhich is the very cause vvhy diuines saye that God vvas the principal speaker and vvriter of scripture and that the Prophet Apostle or Euangeliste vvas his instrument and as it vvere the pen mouthe and tongue of God Psal 44. Praefat. in Mat. 1. Li. 7. conf â— vlt l â—â— Ciuit. c. 38. Hom 10. in â—exam in that he vvas guided directed by him and his holy spirit Vvherfore Dauid vvho vvas one of these vvriters sayeth that his tongue is the penne or quill of him that vvriteth svviftly and saint Gregorie and saint Austine affirme scripture to bee the venerable stile of the holy ghost and saint Basil sayeth that not only the sense of scripture but also every vvord and tittle is inspired by the holy ghost Vvherin a difference is put betvvixte scripture and definitions of the Church Pope or Councels Bicause these are assisted by the holy ghost only that they may define the truth and so the sense of a Councells definition confirmed by the Pope is of the holy ghost but it is not necessarie that euery vvord or reason in a Councell proceed from the holy spirit of God and therfore diuines say that in a Councell that thing only is necessarilie to be beleeued vvhich the Councell of set purpose intended to define But as for other thinges vvhich are spoken incidently and as for reasons vvhich the Councel alleageth they are not of that credit although vvithout cuident cause they are not to be reiected And this is the cause vvhy the ancient fathers do vvay and ponder euery vvorde and tittle vvhich interpretours of the Councels canons or definitions do not Vverâ—ore as I sayed let them not charge vs vvith contempt of scripture for our opinion and estimation of scripture is most venerable if it be in deed scripture yea vve auouch that in it selfe it is of farre greater authoritie then is the Church or her definitions bicause though God assiste both yet after a more noble manner he assisteth holy vvriters in vvriting of scripture bicause he assisteth them infaillibly not only for the sense and veritie but also for euery vvord vvhich they vvrite and euery reason and vvhatsoeuer is in scripture vvheras he assisteth the Pope and Councell infallibly only for the sence and veritie of that vvhich they inteÌ„de to define but nether for euery vvord nor for euery reason nor for euerie thing vvhich is incidently spoken as is already declared And yet vvee say also that although scripture of it self be greater then the Church and indepeÌ„dent of her bicause not from her but from God it hathe authoritie and veritie yet the Church is better knovvn to vs then scripture and therfore though she make not scripture yet of her vve are to learne vvhich is scripture and vvhat is the meaning therof vvhich is noe more disgrace to scripture then that faint Ihon and the Apostles should giue testimonie of Christe bicause they vvere better knovvn then he though his authoritie in it selfe vvas greater theÌ„ theirs not depeÌ„ding of them yea the reformers euery one in particuler be he a Cobler is according to their doctrine to iudge by his priuate spirit vvhich is scripture and vvhat is the
meaning of scripture vvhich seemeth to haue more difficultie then that the Churche and her common spirit vvhich Christe promised her â—â— 1â— 1â— should chalenge vnto her such authoritie Giue vs therfore true scripture and vve vvill reuerence it as the vvord of God but corrupte this scripture by putting a false sense and signification to the letter as the reformers do and then vve vvill not acknovvledge it for the vvord of God bicause it explicateth not his mynd and meaning but rather vve detest it aboue all other vvords vvritings vvhatsoeuer bicause in that it beareth the name of the vvord of God and yet is not it is the most pernicious vvord that is For as the sovvrest vyneger cometh of the best vvine so the moste pernicious vvord is the letter of scripture corrupted and misinterpreted If then our aduersaries vvill haue scripture to be iudge in controuersies of religion let them alleage true scripture that is the letter vvith the true meaning of vvhich not euery priuate spirit but the common spirit of the Church must be iudge as shall herafter be proued But if they vvill make the bare letter to be iudge vvee deny first that the bare letter is scritpure and then vve auouch that the bare letter is noe good rule nor lavvfull iudge of religion bicause the letter of scripture may haue diuers senses and may serue euery heretike for his purpose as before is declared and so can be no rule nor iudge vvhich bothe must be assured and certaine To this they ansvver that scripture is so easie that the meaning is euident to euery one that hathe eyes to see it so he may as easilie see the conformitie of their religion vnto the rule of scripture For as vvhen the measure is knovvn it is euideÌ„t hovv long the cloth is vvhich is measured by it so scripture as they say being easie it is most euident vvhen religion is true bicause it is euident vvhen it is agreable and conformable to the assured and knovvne measure of scripture by vvhich all religioÌ„s are to be squared out and measured But that scripture is not easie to be vnderstood it is easily to be proued and so this ansvvere is as easilie to be reiected â— Pet. 3. For first scripture her selfe confesseth her ovvn obscuritie For sainct Peter in his epistle vvhich is a parte of scripture auoucheth that in S. Paules Epistles vvhich our reformers vvill not deny to be another part of scripture are certain hard things hard to be vnderstood vvhich the vnlearned and vnstable depraue as also the rest of the scriptures lib. de fid op c. 14. to their ovvn perdition And saint Austine saieth plainly that those hard thinges are his commendations of faith vvhich the ignoraunt euen from the Apostles tyme did so miscoÌ„ster as though his meaning had been that only faith vvithout charitie and good vvorkes doth iustifie Act. 1â— The Eunuch could not vnderstand Esaie vvithout an interpretour Psal 1â—8 Dauid cryeth for vnderstanding at Gods hands before he dareth aduenture to search the lavv Luc 24. the Apostles could not vnderstand scripturs till Christ opened their sense and eyes of vnderstanding and yet our reformers are so eagle-eyed that they can see clearly and that at the first sight into the darkest and obscurest place of scripture The ancient fathers affirme that scriptures are obscure and amongest them sainct Hierome sayeth that the beginning of Genesis and the end of Ezechiel Ep. ad Paul in tymes past vvas not permitted to be read of any till he vvere thirtie yeares of age and vvhy but for the obscuritie vvhich might rather deceue theÌ„ direct the yonger sorte l. 2. con c. 14. S. Austine that great light of the Church miraculous vvitte vvho vvhen he vvas but tvventie yeares of age vnderstood the predicameÌ„tes of Aristotle at the first sight thought nether so highly of him selfe nor so basely of scripturs as to thinke him selfe able by reach of vvit to attain vnto the profound sence and meaning of them but rather though he had studied them more dayes nightes then our ministers haue done dayes only Ep. 3. ad Vâ—lus yea or houres and had vvritten more for the interpreting of scripturs then euer they read yet saieth he So great is the profunditie of them that I might euery day make profit in them if I should vvith greatest leisure greatest studie and a better vvitt endeuour to come vnto the knovvledg of them only and that from my tender youth vnto crooked olde age And in his bookes vvhich he vvrote vppon Genesis in his tractes vppon sainct Ihon and diuers other partes of scripture he moueth many doubtes and difficulties Prafat assert â—rt daâ— and yet Luther sayeth that scripturs are more playn and easie then all the fathers commentaries Petrus Lombardus commonly called the master of senteÌ„ces Liâ— â— d. 12.1 p. q 65. saint Thomas other diuines armed vvith philosophie and furnished vvith the schoole literature apply not vvithstanding all their vvittes to the explicating of the first chapter of Genesis and the creation of the vvorld in the first six dayes 〈◊〉 Hexamâ—â— as also saint Basil saint Ambrose others doe And yet Luther boldly affirmeth that no parte of scripture is to be called our counted obscure l. de seruâ— ar bit Saint Gregorie Nazianzeen and saint Basil studied scriptures for thirtene yeares together and yet durst not svverue a iotte from the interpretation of the auncient fathers Ruff. l. 11. c. 4 Saint Hierom not vvithstanding that he vvas so vvel seen in the Greeke and Hebrevv tongue ep tot â—â— and other both prophane and sacred literature yet vvent he as farre as Alexandria to conferre vvith Didimus Vvho also ronning after a cursorie manner ouer al the bookes of scripture fyndeth such difficultie in euery one as though he vnderstood this only in scripture that he vnderstandeth not scripture or as though this only in scripture vvere easie to be vnderstood that Scripture is not easie ending vvith the Apocalipse thus he concludeth Apocalypsis Ioannis tot habet sacramenta quot verba parum dixt pro merito voluminis laus omnis inferior est in verbis singulis multiplices latent intelligentiae The Apocalipse of Ihon hath as many sacrameÌ„ts as vvords I haue sayed litle for the merit of the volume all prayse is inferiour in euerie vvorde there lye hiddeÌ„ many senses and meaninges And yet Luther and Caluin and commonly Puritanes and Protestants auouch scripture to be facile and perspicuous that by the ovvne light you may see it and see into it and neede noe more helpe of an interpretour theÌ„ of a candle to see the sonne vvhen it shineth in the midde-daye But if this doctrine be true vvhy is ther such contention amongest the Reformers for the true explication of diuers places of Scripture Vvhy did the fathers and vvhy do the Reformers make so large commentaries vppon
vvhich he also did verilie think to bee of God If these meÌ„ thought verily that they had the spirit of God and yet vvere deceiued vvhy may not Caluin vvhy may not euerie brother begin to doubt of his spirit Yea vvhy should vve beleeue him on his bare vvord to haue the true spirit vnless he can proue it by miracles or the authoritie of the Churche to vvhom Christ promised this spirit vvhich he can neuer do For as for miracles heneuer could rayse a dead lovvse froÌ„ death to life and to proue his spirit by the authoritie of the Church vvere to proue it conformable to the coÌ„mon spirit of the Christian Church vvhich he nether can nor vvill do bicause be vvill be singuler If he proue his spirit by the scripture he vvindes him self in a circle out of vv ch he can neuer get him selfe out vvith honour or honestie For euen novve he proued scripture and the meaning therof by his spirit and novv he proueth his spirit by the scripture and if you aske again hovv he knovves this to be scripture he vvill ansvver by his spirit and so vvill neuer get out of this circle but vvill still proue scripture by his spirit his spirit by seripture for vvhich kinde of argument the Logicians vvill deride him and hisse him out of the schoole For to proue scripture by the spirit and the spirit by scripture vvhich scripture according to Caluin is not knovven but by the spirit is to proue the spirit by the spirit and idem per idem But behold I pray you to vvhat the deuill can persuade man vvhen he hath blinded his eyes by depriuing him of the light of fayth Ther is nothing so secret vnto man as is this spirit bicause the harte of man is a bottomless pitt vvhose depth a mans ovvn self can not sound it is a labyrinth into vvhich vvheÌ„ you enter you can hardly finde the vvayto get out spirites also are diuerse vvant not in mans â—arte places to shrovvd means to traÌ„sformâ— them selues They vvill osten times make a shevv of the spirit of God vvheÌ„ indeed they ar the spirite of the deuill vvho long since promised that he vvould be a lying spirit in the mouths of all false prophets and yet every brother of the nevv religioÌ„ vvaranted nether by miracle nor euident reuclatioÌ„ nor Churche nor councell vvill needs be persuaded yea and assured also that his spirit is of God Fourthly God had been vnreasonable if he had giuen vs no other iudge to interpret his lavves then this secret spirit For he hath bound vs to a religion vvhich is aboue reason and often tymes against sence and sensualitie and this he hath deliuered vnto vs in a booke very obscure and harde to vnderstand and vvith all he hath obliged vs to the beleef and obseruarion of this lavv and religion vnder paine of aeternall damnation Novv if he hath giuen vs no other interpretour of this lavve but our ovvn priuat spirit vvhich is to secret and subiect to errour he should seem to haue intended and desired our damnation and to haue giuen vs a lavve not for a rule to direct vs but for a snare to catch vs and a pitfall to ruinate vs by cause vve can not keep this lavve vnless vve vnderstand it and not keeping it vve shal be damned Truly better had princes prouided for their subiectes then God for his bicause princes make plain lavves and yet least the subiectes shousld plead ignoraunce or complain that they are punished for not keeping a lavve vvhich they vnderstand not they haue prouided interpretours vvhose glosses are playne and yet Christ our lavvegiver according vnto Caluins opinion hath giuen vs an obscure lavve and a more obscure interpretour to vvit the secret and vncertain spirit and vvith all exacteth hell paines of vs if vve obserue not his lavve in the right sence meaning Fiftly if this priuate spirit be admitted for an vmpier in matters of religion all Hierarchie and order in the Church falleth for then all are heades none are feet all are eyes to directe none are inferiour members to be directed all are pastours noe sheep all are masters noe schollers Avvay then vvith Bishops yea and superinteÌ„deÌ„ts also avaunte preachers vve are not tyed to any mens spirit in perticuler no not to the Churches spirit in generall bieause euery man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught of God immediatly by his priuat spirit It is not true vvhich S. Paule sayeth that Christ gaue vs some pastours some doctours Ephes â—â— bicause all ar pastours It is not true vvhich the scripture affirmeth in many places vvhich shall herafter be alleaged that the gouernment of the Church is monarchicall no nor Aristocraticall but rather Democraticall and populare bicause euery one of the people by his priuate spirit is supreme iudg and a supreme head in matters of religion euery cobler or tinker if he be a faithfull beleeuer iudgeth all acknovv ledgeth no superiour bicause vvhilest his spirit iudgeth vvhich is scripture vvhat is the meaning of scripture to vvhich all are subiect he sumoneth all to stande to his iudgemeÌ„t and he vvill be adiudged by none so vvhilest all are superiours none are inferiours yea none are superiours bicause a superiour can not be vvith out an inferiour and vvhere is noe superiour nor inferiour there is noe subordination vvhere is noe subordination ther is noe order vvhere noe order ther is confusion and so vvhere the spirit ruleth ther can not be the Church bicause it is compared to a citie yea vnto a kingdome allso in both vvhich is a seemly order Lastly this spirit openeth the gapp vnto all heretikes and heresies vvhich according to my promise I shall proue euidently and laye open manifestly For if that be true sense of scripture vvhich the priuat spirit suggesteth if the reformed nevv religion bee the sincer religion bicause it is squared and ruled by scriptur or rather by scripture interpreted by the priuat spirit then certainly by the same vvay that this pretended religion is entered in to the vvorld for currant by the same vvay may all heretikes and heresies al false prophetes and false apostles claime free passage also and by no equitie can be excluded if Luther Caluin and their brotherhood bee admitted For euery lying prophet can alleage scripture as vvell as they he can bragge of his spirit as vvell as they he can say and svvear that he hath the right spirit vvhich assureth him also that he expouÌ„des scripture rightly and preacheth truly and seing that the reformers of this age can saye noe more for they haue nether miracles nor other authoritie to proue their spirit as all ready is proued it follovveth euidently that if they bee admitted and receiued noe false prophete though neuer so phantasticall can bee reiected The fourth Chapter demonstrateth that in reiecting fathers and councels vvhich consisted of fathers the pretended reformers open the gapp and gate to all heretikes
doltes and Asses that Appelles vvas but a blurting painter that Cicero vvas but a railiÌ„g Rhetorician that Virgil Ouid vvere but riming Poets Vvhose eares could abide such coÌ„tumelies Think then indifferent reader hovv fovvle mouthed the heretiques of this age are vvho thus miscall the ancient fathers renovvmed for their skill in interpretatioÌ„ of scriptur and other learning as appeareth by their learned commentaries homelies and other vvorkes Think hovv arrogaÌ„t these men are vvho preferre them selues before all ancient fathers euen in that learning vvhich vvas their profession and for vvhich they haue been for many hundred yeares as famouse as euer Cicero vvas for eloquence Aristotle for Philosophie or Virgil Ouid for Poetrie But vvhilest they contemne the authoritie of ancient fathers vvhat greater authoritie do they bringe but vpstarte and vnlearned ministers Vvhilest they reiect the fathers as meÌ„ vvho mighterre are they godds or angells are not they men as the fathers vvere and not vvorthy to be their men seruauntes to cary their books after them But novve accordiÌ„g to my promise I vvil declare the first pointe by me proposed to vvit hovv in reiecting fathers they cracke their ovvne credit For these fathers vvere learned graue vvise gloriouse in vvorking miracles and great in bearing of authoritie in the Churche of God Their profession vvas preaching teaching and interpretiÌ„g of scripture in vvhich arte they are ancient and famouse for many hundred yeares Some of theÌ„ vvere schollers to the Apostles others succeeded immediatly the Apostles schollers The nevv Apostles are nevv and yong vvho beganne but the other day to study and to interprete scriptures and peraduenture many of them vvould neuer haue bene able to make a sermon had they not the helpe of the fathers commentaries homelies Let then the indifferent reader be iudge vvhether the religioÌ„ vvhich the fathers taught and professed or that vvhich these nevv Apostles haue deuised be likest to be true and vvhether it be not more probable that they preached teached according vnto scripture rather then our nevv and later Bible-clerkes Truly to say that a Luther Caluin Zuinglins Beza is herin to be preferred before Austines Ambroses Hieromes Gregories vvere as absurdly spoken as if one should preferre the painters of these dayes before Appelles or the Phisitions of this age before Galen More ouer vvhere these fathers vvent ther alvvaies vvente religion vvhere they vvere Doctours that vvas the Churche of Christe vvher they vvere pastours ther vvas allvvayes the folde of Christe of them coÌ„sisted all the general councells by them vvere the ancient Canons decreed and old heresies condemned all the Bishoprikes seas and Churches by them vvere gouerned and by their meanes erected They vvere the men vvho in all ages opposed them selues against heretiques as true pastours against the rauening vvolues vvho had only the coate of shepheards against them their people vvere raysed all the persecutions as against the only Christianes their actions their offices in God his Church their bookes their miracles their liues their deathes do fill Ecclesiasticall histories the vvriters vvherof intending to vvrite the begining progress of the Christian Church vvrite only of the Romaine and Catholike Churche the pastours and Doctours vvherof vvere the ancient fathers So that vvhilest our reformers refuse the authoritie doctrine of the fathers they cut them selues from the Church of Christe bicause that the fathers as all histories monumeÌ„tes declare vveÌ„t euer together and they ioyne in parte vvith all old heretikes vvhoÌ„ the fathers by doctrine and censure euer condemned bicause in one heresie or other they aggree vvith them all as shal be in the next booke demonstrated and they let not to coÌ„fesse vvith Tobie Matthevv that no man can read fathers and beleeue them imbrace this nevv religion Read Genebrard gentle reader and thou shalt see hovv in the end of euery age he setteth dovvne a catalogue of all the ancient fathers vvho vvere counted the only true pastours as allso a liste of all the heretikes them the Catholiques vvhich novv liue professe to follovv as the heretikes of this age vvill confesse those infamous heretikes the reformers adore embrace their doctrine as I shall proue hereafter in the second booke Iudge thou then vvhether the Church and Christian religioÌ„ be vvith these reformers and reuilers of fathers or vvith the Catholiques vhom they haue Nicknamed Papistes This argument of the fathers authoritie put Luther many tymes to his trompes and sometymes afflicted him vvith no litle scrouples but bicause he had a large coÌ„science he svvallovved them vp Praefat l. de abrog missâ— priuata in tyme digested them all Hovv often say eth he did my trembling harte beat vvith in me and reprehending me obiect against me that most stronge argument Art thou only vvise Do so many vvorldes erre Vvere so many ages ignoraunt Vvhat if thou errest and dravvest so many into errour to be damned vvith thee aeternallie And in an other place To. 5. annâ—â— breniss Doest thou a sole man and of no accounte take vppon thee so great matters Vvhat if thou being but one man offendest If God permit such so many and all to erre vvhy may he not permit the to erre Hether to apperteyn those arguments The Churche the Churche the fathers the fathers the Councells the custome the multitudes greatnes of vvise men Vvhom do not these hilles of argumentes To. â— in Gal. these cloudes yea these seas of examples ouer-vvhelme And yet again this scrouple assaulteâ—h him Some sayeth he vvill say vnto me The Churche so many ages hath so thought and taught So haue thought taught all the primitiue Churches and Doctoures most holymen much more great and more learned then thou Vvho art thou that darest dissent from all these and obtrude vnto vs a diuerse doctrine Thus God moued Luthers hart vvhich might haue been a sufficient calle to haue recalled and reclaimed him but he being obstinate thus put this motion by Vvhen satan thus vrgeth and conspireth vvith flesh and reason the conscience is terrified and despaireth vnless constantly thou retourn to thy selfe and say vvhether Cipriane Ambrose Austin or Peter Paule and Ihon yea an angell from heauen teach other-vvise yet this I knovve for certain that I counsayle not men to humane but diuine thinges Art thou sure Luther vvhen thou hast so many Se Reinolds in his refut c. â— and so learned fathers against thee Darest thou preferr thy ovvne particuler iudgment before their common consent Yea layeth M. Vvhitakar Luther in some case may prefer him selfe before all the fathers a thousand Churches For vvhen his doctrine is according to scripture then is it to giue place to noe fathers But this is as much to the purpose as the patch beside the hole bicause the coÌ„parison is not betvvixt fathers and scriptures vvhich are to be preferred bicause the fathers allovved and alleaged scripture euen for those pointes of doctrine for vvhich Luther
doth and all the Luthers in the vvorld can not proue that all the fathers held any one opinion against scripture but the question must be vvhether Luther or all the fathers did best vnderstand the scripture and therfore if Luther hold against the fathers in exposition of scripture he preferreth him selfe before them all As for example Luther alleageth scripture to disproue free vvill all the fathers alleage scripture to proue it and Luther expoundes scripture one vvay they another else they could not both alleage scripture for contrarie doctrine Vvherfore if Luther sayeth that he expoundeth scripture truly and therfor cares not for all the fathers he preferreth his ovvne iudgment before them all and so can not ansvvere that argument grounded in the fathers authoritie nor comfort him selfe vvith this that he forsooth hath the vvord of God vvhich is aboue theÌ„ all And so Luther must giue vs leaue to come vppon him vvith his ovvn argument vvhich he shall neuer ansvver The Church from the begiÌ„ning hathe taught and expounded scripture other vvise then thou doest so many Austines Ambroses Ciprianes Councells and ages haue preached other vvise Are they all deceiued hast thou only found out the truth What if thou rather arte deluded Thou art but one they are many thon art of late they of ancient standing thou a sinner they saintes thou some scholler but they vvere learned doctours thou hast a vvitte but all their vvittes vvere of a greater reach thou seest some thing but so many eyes must needs haue a greater insight Thou hast studyed scripture but they more thou hast vvatched at thy booke but they in night-studie haue spent more oyle then thou though thou peraduenture more vvine theÌ„ they thou alleagest scripture for thy doctrine they for the coÌ„trarie And so their iudgemeÌ„t must be preferred before thine coÌ„sequeÌ„ly theirs shal be the true doctrine they the true Pastours theirs the true Churche so ours novv is the true Christiane religion vvee the right Christianes vvho aggree vvith those fathers and the Church of vvhich they vvere pastours and preachers and Luther and the reformers vvho vvill haue noe parte vvith the fathers are no members of the true Churche bicause the ancient fathers and the true Churche vvere neuer yet separated but alvvayes vvent together The first point being proued vve vvill come to the secoÌ„d in vvhich I shall proue that in reiecting fathers they open the gapp to all heretiques vvho may say vvhat they vvill as the reformers do if that authoritie be contemned But first it shall not be amisse to declare vvhat authoritie the fathers haue vvhether they haue infaillible assistaunce of God to expound scriptures righthly for if they haue not nether are Catholiques assured of their fayth by their authoritie nether do the heretiques open the gappe to heresies by reiecting their authoritie vvhich if it be not infallible may it self also authorise and countenaunce heresie Ephes â— Sainct Paule sayeth that God hathe prouided vs of some Apostles some Prophets others Euangelists others Doctours Pastours to the consummation of saintes to the vvorke of the ministerie vnto the edifying of the body of Christ that if for the instruction of his Church Vvhere the first place is giuâ—n to Prophets Apostles and EuaÌ„gelistes vvho vvrote the scripture in the second place follovv doctours and pastours bicause their office is not to vvrite scripture but to interpret it And the reason is yeelded vvhy these doctours are giuen vnto vs least that vvee should vvauer like childrem and be caryed about vvith euery vvind of the doctrine of men Ibidem Novv if all the pastours and doctours vv ch vve call fathers should of could erre then vvere they not appointed to keepe their sheep from vvaÌ„dering rather should they be the cause of their errour for the sheepe must here the voice of their pastours and so if the pastours erre the sheepe must erre vvith them if they vvander the sheepe vvho knovv nothing but by their pastours can not keepe the right vvaye And if thou saye that in case of errour the people must leaue the pastours I demaund of thee hovv they shall knovv vvheÌ„ the pastours erre vvho knovve nothing but by the voice of their pastours And suppose they should leaue their pastours then is the frame of the body of Christes Church dissolued and the members are separated from the head and the Church is a headless body then do they leaue the salte by vvhich they should be salted and preserued from corruption in religion Mat. 5. Then do they leaue the ligt by vvhich they should be illuminated Mat. 2â— And hovv then is that true vppon Moyses chear sit the Scribes and Pharisies do those thinges vvhich they saye are the pastours of the Church of lesse authoritie then the pastours of the synagogue If they can erre then is it not true vvhich Christe sayed vvhoe heareth you heareth me vnless you vvill say that Christe allso may erre in them and vvith them But our heretiques vvill say that all the fathers are men I graunte it but they are men directed by the holy ghost and Christ vvas a man and yet not only as God but as man also he could not erre and the vvriters of scripture as Moyses and Salomon and the prophetes of the olde lavve and the Apostles and Euangelistes in the nevv lavve vvere men and yet they erred not nor could not erre vnlesse vve vvill call scripture in question But vvhere saye they read you that the fathers haue the infallible affistaunce in exposition of scripture Vvhere I read that they are light that they are salte that they are pastours to vvhom vvhen vvee harken vve harken to Christ Mat. â—â— Io. 21. Vvher I read that vve must doe vvhat they say vvhere I read that the Church caÌ„ not erre vvhich must follovve her pastours vvhere I read that the Church vvhich learneth all of her pastours is a piller of truthe 2. Tim. â— But some fathers haue erred I graunte it but neuer all aggreed in one errour together neuer all the fathers of all ages yea not all of one age for to these also vve must harken haue conspired in an vntrutrh And I demauÌ„de of our reformers Vvhether they bee not men also And I thinke they vvill not denye it If they be men I aske vvhether they can not erre in expounding scripture If they can then haue nether they nor others by them any assuraunce If they can not erre bicause euery one of them hathe the spirit Then say I that more probable it is that so many spirits of the fathers conspiring in one can not erre then that noe particuler and priuate spirit can erre especially seing that these priuate spirites are diuerse and contrarie and vve haue noe more assuraunce of one then another Iudge novv gentle reader vvhether that the Catholiques religion vvhich is conformable vnto the fathers and pastours of the Churche be the sincere christian religion or
rather the religion of the heretiques vvhich is aggreeable to noe common but only to a priuat spirit especially seing that vvee haue such vvarraunt for the common consent of fathers but non at all for the priuate spirit of euery priuate man Novve let vs see in a vvord hovv by reiecting this infallible authoritie of fathers they leaue noe certain rule for exposition of scripture and so open the gapp to all heretiques and heresies For lay avvay fathers vvhich vvere in all ages counted the only pastours of the Church the authoritie of Councells is nothing vvorth for they consisted of fathers the authoritie of the Church is of as litle esteeme bicause she all vvayes beleeued as her pastours did yea she could not tell vvhat to beleeue but by their instruction scripture therfor is only lefte and the priuate spirit seing those tvvoe bare authorities as before is proued open the gappe to all heresies the denyall of the fathers authoritie must needs do the same For suppose a nevv heretique yea a deuill from hell in the likeness of a man should preach a nevve heresie contrarie to all the heresies that euer vvhere might he not alleage scripture for it expounding it as he pleaseth And if you demaund of him hovv he knovveth that he expoundeth it aright might he not say that his spirit telles him so And if you alleage that all that euer taught before him vvere of another opinion and gaue another exposition of scripture might hee not say as casilie as Luther and Caluin do that they vvere men erred all the packe of them And so if authoritie of fathers be reiected he or any other might say vvhat he vvould and noe man could controle him Vvherfore to conclude if vve giue eare vnto the ghospellers of this tyme vvho haue reiected the authoritie of fathers vvill consequently iudge all by scripture sensed by the priuate spirit vve must harken to all heretiques and open the gappe yea the dore to all false apostles vvhoe can not vvithout manifest partialitie bee excluded and repelled if these men bee admitted The fifte Chapter shevveth that they haue noe probable meanes to induce a reasonable man vnto their religion and that therfore if vve giue credit vnto them vve must giue credit to all heretikes preach they neuer so absurd phantasticall paradoxes IT is a common opinion amongest the ancient fathers and diuines that our fay the being supernaturall can not be demonstrated by reason as opinions of Philosophers may bee bicause it aymeth at thinges a boue reason Philosophie soares no higher then reason giues her leaue and so in Christian religion vve ought more to rely on fayth and authoritie then reason and vve can not shevv our selues more reasonable then to leaue of reasoning in thinges aboue reason But all though it be so that vve can not proue our religion by reason yet vve may set it forth vvith such testimonie of miracles antiquitie common coÌ„sent and such like motiues as shall conuince a man of reason that this religion inuolueth noe euident absurditie against reason but rather is very probable and most credibly to be belceued 2.2 〈…〉 ar 〈◊〉 For although as sainct Thomas sayeth our religion be not euideÌ„tely true yet is it euÃdenter credibilis euidently credible bicause though in it self it be obscure yet hath it been so credibly deliuered vnto vs by credible signes and tokens that no man can vith reason thinke it othervvise then very credible if he vvell consider vvhat testimonies maye be alleaged for it vvhich as Dauid sayed are credibilia nimis Psal 〈◊〉 â—o to credible that is so credible as vve caÌ„ not vvith reason desire greater testimonie for things aboue reason In the beginning God cathechised man in this religion by Angells vvhom he sent and by Patriarches Prophetes vvhom he inspired by vvhome he taught the people vvhat sacramentes to vse vvhat sacrifices to offer and other pointes of religion such as then men vvere capable of In the lavv vvritten he deliuered his vvill and meaning concerning lavv and religion and the ceremonies and sacraments belonging ther vnto by his seruaunt Moyses â—uâ—d 〈◊〉 to vvhome he appeared by an angell in thundering and other such signes and by vvhom he vvrougth in Aegipt and in the desert so many miracles for proofe and confirmation of this religion After vvards in the lavv of grace and fullnes of tyme and tyme of spirituall plenty and ritches as in more ample manner so vvith greater testimonies and signes this fayth vvas deliuered vnto vs. For first our Sauiour proued his mission by all the ancient prophetes vvho had fortold his coming and the manner of his coming his office the place and circunstances of his natiuitie life and death vvhich all aggreing to him concluded him to be the Messias Secondly by infinite miracles he proued his authoritie doctrine in so much that he sayed 〈◊〉 10. â— that the vvorkes vvhich he did gaue testimonie of him yea the Ievves confessed that he could not haue doone so straung thinges if he had not been of God And seing that he vvrought these miracles to proue him selfe to be the Messias his doctrine to be of God it could not be othervvise bicause as God can not deceue being prima veritaâ— the first veritie nor be deceiued being vvisdom it selfe so caÌ„ he not giue testimonie of an vntruth by miracles for so should he be bothe a lyer a deceiuer Act. 2. The apostles in like maner after that in Pentecost they had receiued the holy ghoste in a visible forme and manner receiued povver also to giue this holy spirit visibly to others and to vvorke miracles also to proue their mission and doctrine Mar. viâ— in so much that sainct Mark sayeth that they preached and God confirmed their doctrine by miracles and signes that follovved Vvherfore allthough the doctrine vvhich they preached vvas out of reasons kenning yet it vvas made euident by testimonie and so vvas euidently credible bicause if God can not giue testimonie to an vntruth then in that he gaue testimonie by miracle of their doctrine it must needs follovv that it vvas of God Secondly the straunge conquest vvhich the Apostles made of Idolatrie in despite of all the Philosophers and Tyraunts of the vvorld and the miraculouse planting of the Christian fayth is an argument to proue our religion to be of God most pregnaunt a motiue to persuade any reasonable man most forcible For as once the Israelites by making a procession about the vvalles of Hierico Iosus â— and sounding of their trompetes an vnlikely stratagem to surprise such a citie dismantled the tovvn leueled the vvalles vvith the ground so Christ Iesus by the circuit of a fevv Apostles and disciples about the vvorld and by the blastes of their mouthes vvhich vvere the golden trompetes vvhich promulgated the nevv lavve ransaked the citie of idolatrie vvhich then vvas as great all most as the vvorld made the
of their ovvne kinges but of straungers also hamely by the kinges of Asia and that ther vvas neuer doubt of this till the Samaritanes made a schisme After that Andronicus had tolde this tale the proloquutours of the Samaritanes beganne to speake but being demaūded to shovv the like antiquitie and succession they could not but rather vvere enforced to bevvray their infancie and the reuolte vvhich longe after that God had beene vvorshipped in Hierusalem they made from the Ievves Vvherfore the king pronounceth sentence for the Ievves and declareth them to be the right vvorshippers the Temple to be the right place vvhere the Ievvish religion vvas to be exercised If in like manner before the like Iudge I for the ancient Catholique religion and some one of the ministerie for the nevv religion vvere appointed proloquutours for vvhom thinkest thou gentle reader vvould the sentence be pronounced If I should beginne to shevv a succession of our pastours and religion by all histories and monuments euen from the Apostles Iren. l. ◠c. 3. If I should shevve a catalogue out of Ireneus of all the Popes from sainct Peter to Eleutherius l. ◠cont Donatist Epist 16◠out of Optatus vnto Damasus out of sainct Austin vnto Anastasius out of Eusebius Genebrard and others euen vnto these dayes and that in this succession by noe Historiographer vvas euer noted any chaunge or falle in Church or religion If I should proue out of the same histories that this ancient catholike Church vvas that vvhich vvas persequuted by the euill Emperours and aftervvards enriched by Constantine and other good Kings and princes that for this Church Churches and monasteries vvere builded that in this Church all the generall Councells vvere holden that by this Church all heretikes vvere condemned that this Church vvas euen by paganes counted the only christiane Church that all anciēt fathers doctours Martyres Saintes vvere mēbers of this Church should I not incline the Iudge to my parte If vvhen I had doone some one of the Ministery should rise vp and beginne to tell his tale and saye that all the ancient Christians vvere deceiued and liued in errour and ignoraunce vntill that Luther or Zuinglius or Caluin like so many sonnes appeared in our horizont that the religion of these men is the reformed religion thoughe it vvas neuer hard of before And if being by me demaunded hovv their preachers proued their mission he could alleage no proofe at all or being asked hovve they proued their religion he should ansvvere by scripture sensed by his priuate spirit vvhich allvvayes hath been the proofe of all heresies and being commaunded by the Iudge to shevv if their Church bee Christian a succession of their bishopes preachers and practise of religion he should fly vnto an inuisible Churche or saye that the Churche Christian decayed quite after the Apostles tyme and yet could nether tell the tyme nor the occasion of so notoriouse a fall nor alleage one historiographer that vvriteth of so great a mutation in the vvorld If I should tell the first tale and he the second for I see not vvhat better ansvvere hee can make for him selfe thinkes not thou gentle reader that the iudge vvould ansvvere that although hee beleeued not at all in Christe or his religion yet that it seemed most probable that Catholikes are the true Christianes and that their Churche is the place of the practise of this religion as the Tēple of Hierusalem vvas of the Ievvishe seruice and vvorship of God If thē there be no probable reason by vvhich these Reformers can persuade vs to their reformatiō there is noe reasō vvhy vve should forsake our ancient pastours to follovv them vnless vve vvil byndeour selues also to harken vnto all false prophetes preach they neuer so absurde improbable doctrine and so open the gappe vnto all heretikes and heresies The Sixt Chapiter proveth that they haue noe Iudge in matters of religion and so do open the gappe to all heretikes vvho may preache vvhat they list if ther be noe iudge to contrelle them AS yet ther vvas neuer seen any societie vvell ordered vvere it great or litle but some gouernour or moderatour ruled and menaged the same for many men as they haue many heades so haue they diuers opinions and as they are of different complexions and constitutions so are they of diuerse conceipts and inclinations and therfor vvill neuer aggree in one vnless they be directed and commanded by one or at least by diuerse vvhich aggree in one Vvherfore vve see that every kingdom hath his king euery dukedome a duke euery common vvelth a magistrate euery Citie a Maiour or Baily euery army a Generall yea euery village allmoste hathe a constable euery familie a good man of the hovvse euery schole a scholemaister And shall not the Church of god the societie of his faythfull and chosen seruauntes haue a visible head to direct it and a Iudge to rule it by lavves and gouern it by authoritie Or shall vve think that he hath left that societie vv ch hee calleth his spouse vvhich he loued so dearly that he dyed for it as a kingdom vvith out a kinge a Citie vvith out a maiour an army vvith out a Generall a shipp vvith out a Pilot a fold vvith out a pastour or a body vvith out a head No no I vvarraunt you he that descended from heauen to earth to establish this spiritual kingdome and shedd his blood to enrich it hath vvell prouided for the gouernment of the same and so vvell that therby you shall perceiue the skill and vvisdome of the Gouernour And truly if by the effect vve may take a scantling of the cause the good ly order the firme peace and longe continuance of the Church vvill beare vvitnesse of a most prudent princes gouuernement For as diuerse stones in a building could neuer haue kept that order as to make a goodly pallace had not some intelligent vvorkeman disposed them so this goodly order Hierarchie in the Church could neuer haue beene established had not some prince and gouuernour put euery subiect in his roome and place And as many stringes or voices can neuer make one musicall harmonie vnless some coning musician tune the stringes and giue vnto euery voice his tone so shall many people of diuerse dispositions nations sexes conditions such as are in the Church neuer liue in peace free from iarres discords vnless ther be a Superiour to tune these diuerse natures a head to direct these diuerse membres of the body of the Church And as the Sheep vvhich vvant a Shep heard can not longe keep together but are like to vvander and to come in daunger of the vvolfe as an armie can not longe vvithstand the enemie vnless some Generall appoint and commannud euery souldiour to his standing and as the Shippe is neuer any longe tyme free from sandes or rockes vvhen the mariner is absent so could neuer the Church of Christ especially
against so many violent persequutions for so longe a tyme haue endured vnless some potent and prudent gouuernour by his lavves vvisdome and authoritie had vpholden guided and directed it And the reason is bicause in a societie and especially that of the Church are diuerse men yea diuerse nations and diuerse men haue diuerse natures and diuerses natures haue diuerse dispositions and diuerse dispositions cause diuerse opinions and diuerse opinions moue cōtradictions and contradictions ende in factions and factions make an end of all societies vnlesse ther be a moderatour to preuent them by his vvisdom or appease them by his authoritie A head then is necessary in all societies and not only necessary but also principalle For although the obedient complying nature of the subiect doth help much to the maintenaunce of peace and order yet the head and Superiour most of all preuaileth For as the head is the principall part so doth it beare most svvay in the gouernment of the body vvich is the cause vvhy the body is affected according to the head and vvhy the subiect follovveth the princes humour Yea euen as vvhen the head in mans body is intoxicated the vvholle body reeleth and if the head vvant eyes the body tumbleth into ditches and falleth into daunger so if the head of a societie be inconstaunte the vvholle societie vvauereth if the superiour vvant eyes of circumspection the subiectes are in daunger Vvherfore Philip King of Macedo and father to Alexander the great vvas vvonte to say that he had rather haue an armie of fearfull harts gouerned by a Lion then of lions ruled and commaunded by a harte insinuating ther by that as the head in a societie is the principall mēber so is it the most necessary If then the Church of Christe be a peaceble and vvell ordered body it hath a head to guide and rule it And if vve looke into the gouernment of the same euen from the beginning vve shall finde that this goodly common vvelth neuer vvanted a Prince and gouernour In the lavve of nature first of all Adam our first parent as he vvas our common father according vnto flesh so vvas he a preest and pastour of the soules of all those vvhoe liued in his tyme and a gouernour of his familie vvhich vvas descended of him not only in domesticall ciuill or temporall but allso in spirituall matters concerning fayth and religion For this cause he vvas indevved vvith all knovvledg and science that as the first doctour he might instruct and direct his posteritie and although by his falle he lost all infused knovvledg yet did he still so longe as he liued remain pastour and supreme head of the Church Vvherfore Theophilus Bishop of Antioche sayeth l. 2. ad Autol. that God for no other cause framed Eue out of Adams side but to demonstrate vnto vs a mysterie and figure of the monarchie of his Church that as Adam vvas head of the same in his tyme so euer after ther vvas one pastour the cheef of all Ho 34.1 Cor. And sainct Chrisostom sayeth plainly that Adam vvas one head giuen vnto all and his reason is bicause sayeth hee God Knevv that aemulation could not be auoided amongest aequalls vvherfor he vvould haue no popular gouernment but a kingdom After Adams death Seth and others succeeded him in the like pastorall authoritie euen vnto Noe. Noe dying Sem his eldest sonne vndertooke the same charge and euen vnto Aaron the first high preest of the Leuiticall lavve all the heires males of euery familie if vve beleeue sainct Hierom vvere preests q. heb q. 7. vvho ministred sacramentes and offered sacrifices euery one in his familie And amongest all the preests of diuers families one vvas the supreme pastour and Iudge of the rest to vvhom belonged the finall sentence in matters of religion and this supreme authoritie as it seemeth belonged allvvayes vnto the most ancient to vvhom all the rest as they vvere in age inferiour so vvere they subiect in authoritie As for example Abrahame and Sem vvere preests at one tyme bicause Abraham vvas the eldest sonne of Thare Sem of Noe yet bicause Sem vvas the moste ancient he vvas the higher preest Gen. 11. and therfore to him for the Hebrevves as sainct Hierom vvitnesseth affirm that Sem and Melchisedech vvere all one Abraham offered tithes and vvas blessed of him as of his superiour Yea it seemeth probable that Melchisedech in his tyme vvas the highe preest and supreme head of the Church Vvherfor Theophilus speakig of Melchisedech Supra vttereth these vvords 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This man vvas a preest the first of all the preestes of God the highest Vvhere he can not mean that Melchisedech vvas the first in tyme yeares bicause Adam Abel and Noe vvere before him and therfore his meaning must bee that Melchisedech vvas the first preest in dignitie the highest of all the preests of his tyme. So that euen in the lavv of nature that is from Adam to Moyses ther vvas allvvayes an highe preest to rule the Church and to compose controuersies that might arise in matters of religiō After that in the lavve vvriten the high preest ruled all in ecclesiasticall affayres as is playn in the books of Exodus and Leuiticus In Exodus vve read hovv Moyses like a spirituall Iudge giueth sentence in causes ecclesiasticall and ansvvereth all doubtes and questions vvhich arose concerning the obseruation and interpretation of the lavv Exod. 1◠and although to ease him selfe he vvas persuaded to lay part of his charge burden vppō others shoulders yet still he reserueth to him selfe the iudgment of all marters concerning the lavv and ceremonies c. 17. And in Deuteronomie vve finde that the people vvere commaūded in all difficulties of religion to haue recourse vnto the preest of the Leuiticall lavv vvho ruled at that tyme and God threatneth that if any bee so proud and stubborn as to refuse to obey his sentence he shall suffer death by the decree of the Iudge Vvhere a blind man may see that the synagogue had her Iudge to decide all cōtrouersies in religion And shall vve imagin that the Church and spouse of Christe vvanteth a head to direct her and a Iudg to giue her satisfaction in all doubts of religion No no in the lavve of grace as God hath bestovved more grace on his Church then on his Synagogue so hathe he prouided her of a Iudge and gouernour vvhom for his Churches sake he assisteth more particulerly And first of all Christe him selfe vvhilest he liued gouerned this Church him selfe and in all points played the parte of a supreme head high preest and pastour For he instituted a nevv lavv a nevv sacrifice nevv sacramentes he ordayned preestes and ministers and gaue them authoritie to preach to minister and to gouern in the Churche vnder him And after that he had vvithdravven his visible presence from vs he lefte vs not vvith out an vnder-pastour but presently
after his resurrection he appointed saint Peter his vice-gerent in earth that still the Churche might haue a visible iudge to vvhom she might repayer in all her difficulties Io. 21. For after his resurrection he appeareth to his Apostles and singling out sainct Peter from the rest he demaundeth of him three tymes not only vvhether he loued him but also vvhether more then the rest and finding in deed that he did so and that consequeÌ„tly he vvas the fittest for the cheefest thing in a pastour is loue he maketh choise of him before the rest and comitetth vnto him the charge of his sheep in so ample manner that he excepteth none but giueth him authoritie ouer all both lambes and sheepe that is lesser and greater Christianes euen Apostles Bishops vvho all must acknovvledge Peter for their pastour if they vvill be the sheep of Christ For as sainct Bernard noteth l. de consid vvhere ther is no distinction there is no exception And seing that after sainct Peters death the Church hath noe lesse need of a visible pastour then before it had as Christe left him for his vicegerent soe in him did he appoint a coÌ„tinuall succession of his successours that the Church might allvvayes be prouided of a visible pastour And therfore as bishops are the successours of the other Apostles so some one must succeed sainct Peter and must haue that superioritie ouer other Bishops vvhich sainct Peter had ouer the Apostles And truly to omitt other proofes noe man more likely to be this man then the Bishop of Rome For in the Sea of Rome saint Peter did last of all reside there he dyed and there before his death he appointed Clemens vvho refusing Linus succeeded and after him Cletus after him Anacletus after him Clemens and so forth euen vnto ClemeÌ„t the eight vvho novv in Rome residing ruleth the Churche not only of Rome but of all the christian vvorld Vverfore the Bishops of this Sea vvere euer called the vicars of Christ and successours of sainct Peter they haue euer called generall Councells and confirmed the same they made generall lavves to vvhich all bishopsyea all Christians acknovvledged themselues bounde and obliged they haue excommunicated Bishops and Emperours vvhersoeuer they liued thinking none that are Christianes to bee out of their iurisdiction they haue taken appellations from all partes and shevved them selues in all these actioÌ„s supreme pastours not of Rome only but of all the vvorld and yet vvere neuer counted vsurpers and therfore sithence that saint Peter must haue a successour and that needs ther must be one visible Iudge vnder Christe to vvhom in all doubtes vve must repayr the Pope of Rome is likest to be hee or else if any one be more like then let the aduersarie name him And if they name any other but him I vvill auouch that the Church hathe been vvithout an head these 1600. yeares for all this vvhile neuer any executed that office but hee S. Hierom I ame suer tooke the Bishop of Rome to be the man for he in a doubte and controuersie of the highe mystery of the Trinity flyeth vnto Damasus Bishop of Rome Epistolâ— ad Dam. not that he vvas learneder then sainct Hierom but bicause he Knevv that for sainct Peter consequently for his successours Christe prayed that he might not erre Luc. 22. but rather confirm his bretheru A pastore sayeth he praesidium ouis flagito Of my pastour I demaund the helpe devv to a sheep Novv then let our nevv Christianes if they be the Church of Christ vvhich euer had a visible head tell vs vvho is their supreme Iudge and pastour They vvill saye peradueâ—tur that Christ him self is their Iudge and pastour and that they need no other bicause as he planted his Church so still he ruleth the same But this shifte vvill not serue the turne for Christe novve conuerseth not visibly amongest vs and so beside him the visible Church must haue a visible head as hether to she hath euerhad And altoughe Christe still remayneth our highe preest Io. 10. doctour and pastour yet he offerreth not sacrifices immediatly but only by his vnderpreestes nether doth he teach vs by his ovvne voice Ephes 4. or reuelations but by doctours vvhom Sainct Paule sayeth hee hath appointed nether doth he feed vs by his ovvne hand but by the hande of inferiour pastours vvho minister his Sacramentes vnto vs and deliuer his vvorde in the true meaning by vvhich the soule liueth Mat. 4. Vvherfore besids him the Church being a visible body must haue a visible head else vve may say of it as once Epaminondas sayed of a great armie vv ch vvanted a Generall Video pulcherimam bestiam sed sine capite I see a very fayre beast but vvithout a head And the reason herof is bicause a head and Iudge in the Church is necessary to decide controuersies in religion vvhich arise all most euery age yea â—ome tymes often tymes in the same age sith then vve can not novv haue accesse to Christ beside him vve must haue a visible Iudge vvhich Christe him selfe vvell knovveing presently after he had left vs appointed S. Peter as his vicegerent as is all ready proued I demaund then of all the professours of this nevv religion especially of them in Ingland vvho is their Iudge in controuerlies of religion They can not say that Scripture is this Iudge bicause scripture is but a vvritteÌ„ lavv vv ch can not speak nor interpret her selfe and therfore if the controuersie bee vvhich is scripture or vvhat is the meaning of it scripture can giue noe senteÌ„ce yea I haue demonstrated in the second Chapter that bare scripture is no sufficient Iudge in any matter of religion Suprâ— They can not alleage the spirit to bee this Iudge as is euidently proued in the third Chapter nether vvill they confess that the Pope fathers or councels are this Iudge and if they vvould all they vvould condemne them as is declared in the fourth Chapter Peraduenture they vvil be Iudged by their founders Luther Caluin and such others But first these aggreed not nether one vvith another nether vvith them selues for vvhat one affirmeth another denyeth and vvhat one of them taught one yeare he corrected the next but and if they had aggreed yet vvere they no sufficient Iudges bicause they can not proue their mission as is proued in the first Chapter and so are not to be admitted for lavvfull Iudges vnlesse vve vvill admitt also all false prophets Vvho theÌ„ is this Iudge to vvhom in controuersies they repayr and by vvhose iudgement they square out theyr religion They vvil say percâ—â—â—nce that the Prince is this Iudge But this is as vnlikely and as flatte against scripture and practise of the Churche as any thing can be And although her Maiestie of late memorie and her Father before her did chaleng as devv vnto them authoritie in cause Ecclesiasticall of vvhich I dispute not at this tyme
that his fayth might not fayle and bicause he hathe suprem authoritie vvhich all Catholike Bishops haue euer acknovvledged he hathe called many Councells and determined many controuersies and vvhilest the Church euer standeth to his Iudgement vvhich neuer yet vvas contrary to it is selfe she enuoyethe great peace and vnitie in faythe and religion vvher as the ghospellers bicause they haue noe visible head could neuer call Councells neuer aggree vppon any one point of religion vvhich vvas before in controuersie and neuer shall hereafter bicause matters of religiō are hard and therfore vvher ther-are many heads there are many opinions vvhere are many opiniōs there are many cōtradictions so no peace nor vnitie bicause noe one supreme visible iudge to determine And as for vvant of a visible Iudge they can not appease dissensiōs after they are arisen so can they not preuēt them For if ther be noe visible Iudge euerie Cock-brain may preach his ovvne fancies for true fayth and religion and no man shall controlle him nor condemne his doctrine nor forbid his preaching bicause if ther bee no visible Iudge no man hath the authoritie so the gapp is open to all false prophetes vvho may enter into the nevve Church thicke and three fold bicause noe man therin is of authoritie to forbid them vvhence it follovveth that if vve accept of the nevv religiō and incorporate our selues to the nevv Church vve expose our selues to all false prophetes vvho may preach vvhat they please bicause no man hath authoritie to controlle them THE SECOND BOOK CONTEYNETH A SVRuey of the Markes of heretikes vvhich are proued to aggree so fitly vnto the professours of the nevv religion that if euer ther vvere any heretikes they are heretikes The first chapter handleth the first marke of an heretike vvhich is his breach vvhich he maketh out of that Church vvhich is commonly counted the true Christian Church THEY say commonly that although the deuill disguise him self neuer so much yet by one marke or other he bevvrayeth him selfe For although sometymes hee inueste him selfe in the habit of a younge gallaunte or of a mortifyed religiouse man yea although in out vvard shovve he transforme him selfe into an angell of light yet so it happeneth and I think bicause God vvill haue it so that by one marke or other he is discouered For ether his staring eyes or stinking sauour or horned head or forked feet or base voice discryeth this gallaunt creature to be not as he seemeth but as he is indeed a fovvle and deformed mēber of the deuill vvho though he shrovvd him selfe vnder the goodly name of a christian and vvrapp lapp him selfe from top to toe in the innocent habit of a pastour Vincent Lytin ◠contra proph heres nouit c 36. vvhich is scripture and the vvord of God yet by one marke or other yea not by one only but by many he descrieth him selfe to be as he is an heretike And the reason is bicause the counterfet neuer attayneth vnto the perfection of the currant and arte though she may imitate nature yet shall she allvvayes be vvanting in one thing or other The counterfet gold of the Alchimistes hath a great resemblaunce vvith the true gold but ether the sound or vvayte or operation vvill proue the old prouerbe to be true that all is not gold that glisters Appelles paīted grapes on a boyes head so liuelie that the byrds pecked at them but yet arte came short of nature for if the boye had been painted as vvell as nature frameth her vvorkes the byrds vvould not haue been so imboldned yea the grapes vvanted some thing for at least by pecking the byrds perceiued that all is not grapes that seemeth so Lysippus could in marble stone make so goodly a portrait of a man that he vvould shevv euery bone vaine and vvrincle vvith all proportion but the vvant of life and motion vvell declared vvhere in arte vvas enforced to yeeld to nature Vvherfore let the heretike counterfett neuer so coningly let him vse all the arte possible to shevv him selfe a sincere and true Christian yet the counterfet must come shorte of the currant and arte must yeeld to nature and hee in one point or other vvill bevvray him self to bee no true christian vvhich he professeth him selfe to bee but a faythless heretike vvhich he vvould not seem to bee And the first mark by vvhich he is bevvrayed is his breach vvhich he maketh out of the Church and Christian societie For as the vvandring sheep vvas once of the fold and the rebell vvas once a subiect and the bovve cut of once liued and florished in the tree so heretikes especially Arch-heretikes vvere at least for the most part once sheep of Christes fold subiectes of his kingdome and members of his body the Church Vvherfore sainct Ihon giues vs this mark to knovv an heretike by Ex nobis prodierunt l. Io. 8. sed non erant ex nobis They vvent out from vs but they vvere not of vs. That is they liued amongest vs for else they could not haue gone out yet so that they vvere not vvorthy our company and therfor as rotten bovves are soone broken of so they vver soone shaken of and took occasion to go from vs vvho before for their euill life in desert vvere none of vs. Or else to follovv another exposition Aug tract 3. in cp 10. they vvere emongest vs in out vvard shevve bicause they frequented sacraments vvith vs but they vvere heretikes in mynde and so none of vs and therfore they vvēt out from vs. They vvere in the Church but as euill humours in mans body and therfor vvere to be expelled bicause they vvere hurtfull to the body and no part of the substaunce For commonly heretikes liue some tyme secret befor they open and disguise them selues and so before they vvēt out from vs openly they vvere none of vs secretly Or else according to another interpretation they vvere once amongest vs and like true Christianes liued vvith vs Aug tract ◠〈◊〉 10. but euen then vvhen they vvere by present fayth and iustice mēbers of our Church God forsavv by his diuine foresigt that they vvould not continevv amongest vs and therfor they vvent out from vs bicause euen then vvhen they vvere amongest vs they vvere none of vs finally to perseuer vvith vs not that God his presciēce vvas the cause but bicause he forsavv vvhich vvas to be that is that they vvhich vvere as yet of our societie vvere of their ovvn free vvill to leaue vs and so in God his foresight vvere finally none of our company So that one euident marke of an heretike is that he makes a breache out of the body of the Churche of vvhich hee ether vvas or seemed to bee a member The same marke sainct Paule giueth vs also to knovve an heretike vvhen he sayeth that Some shall depart from the fayeth 1. Tim. 〈◊〉 Heb. 10. and that some are accoustumed to
names of Catholikes and Christians but by no name taken from any autour must needs be taken for true Christians vvho as they neuer chaunged name so neuer chaunged religion and the reformers vvho are called Lutheranes Caluinistes Zuinglians and such like of some particuler sectmaster or other must needs be condemned for heretikes And as before that the ancient heretikes forsooke the common receiued faith they vvent by the common names of Christians and Catholikes and neuer tooke vnto them particuler names before they follovved particuler maisters and imbraced particuler doctrines so before Luther and Caluin reuolted from the Church they vvent by the coÌ„mon name of Christians and neuer chaunged their names till they chaunged their religion nether vvere any Christians called Lutheranes Caluinistes or such like before they relyed vppon nevv and particuler masters And as the Arians bicause they could impose no name of any autour to the Catholike Christians vvere fayne to calle them Homoâ—usians of their doctrine as before them they vvere called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is carnall for defending second mariadges against Tertulian and the Montanistes so at this tyme our reformers are fayne to call Catholikes Papists for holding the supremacie of the Pope vvho is no nevv autour of any nevve religion but an ancient succesfour of sainct Peter and Vicare of Christ As for the names of Thomists and Scotists they are no names of autours of nevv religion bicause all held the same fayth but of autours of some other nevv opinions or manners of teaching in Philosophie and schoole pointes like vvise the names of Benedictins Dominicanes Iesuites are names deriued from autours of nevv states of life but not of nevv faithe or religion So that in vs vvhom they call Papistes is no name vvhich argueth vs to be heretikes in the reformers are perticuler names of perticuler authours of nevv pointes of religioÌ„ so they vveare the caracter of the beast and are infamous heretikes if Montanus Marcion Arius vvere vvorthily called heretikes The fourth chapter discouereth another marke of an heretike vvhich is a renouation allmost of all olde heresies vvhich argueth the reformers to be heretiques if euer any hertofore vvere iustly counted so MAny ther are in the vvorld vvho finding many absurdities in the nevv religion and yet some difficulties also in the old vvill nether hold altogether vvith the one nor the other but comfort them selues vvith a flattering opinioÌ„ that a Christian may be saued in all religions so that he retain the principalle articles of Christian beleef For say they if he be firmly grounded in a right fayth of the Incarnation Trinitie persuading him self that God is one in essence and three in persones and that Christ is one in persone yet subsisting in tvvoe natures that he suffred for mankind is the Messias and Sauiour of the vvorld he is a Christian good enough may be saued vvell enough vvhatsoeuer his opinion be in lesser matters as iustification merit Sacraments and such like vvhich to them be but petie matters not of such importaunce as that a mans saluation should depend theron But this opinion of theirs vvould they neuer so fayne that it vvere true is most vntrue and as false as flattering And the reason is bicause one only opinion in a matter of fayth obstinately defended against the Churches authoritie Th. â— â— q. s. a. s p. q. ◠〈…〉 is sufficient to dismember a Christian froÌ„ the mysticall body of Christ his holy Churche in that it depriueth him of infused fayth vvhich is the glevv yea the sâ— nevv vvhich vniteth the members of this body together And in deed as yet vvee neuer hard of an heretike but he professed some principall parts of Christiane faith as that Christ vvas God and man or the Redeemer of mankind or the autour of the lavv of grace or some such like for if he altogether denyed Christe he vvas rather an Apostata then an heretike For he is an heretike vvho professeth Christe in some sorte and him selfe also a Christian yet obstinatelie denyeth some parte of Christian religion and he is an Apostata vvho quite renounceth Christe and his religion Vvherfore vnless vve vvil graunt that all heretikes may be saued vve must needs confess that one heresie is sufficient to damne a man perpetually But in this matter least my censur seem to rigorous my sentence to seuere I vvill alleage scriptures vvhich can not deceiue vs if they be rightly vnderstood Our Sauiour Christ denounceth him to be like an ethnike an publicane vvhich vvill not heare the Churche Mat. 1â— and he sayeth not vvho vvill not giue credit vnto her in principall matters but absolutely he sayeth if he vvill not heare the Churche let him bee vnto theee as an ethnike and publicane that is shonne his company as the Ievves did all familiaritie vvith paganes and publicanes And again Christe threatneth that he Mar. 1â— vvho beleeueth not shâ—lbe damned To vvhich aggreeth sainct Paule saying that vvithout fayth Heb. 11. it is impossible to please God meaning no doubt a vvholle and intier fayth deuoid of all errours For else all heretikes may be saued vvho beleeue aright some parts of Christian beleef Gal. â—â— Vvherfore sainct Paule amongest the vvorkes of the flesh that is of a man vvhich follovveth not the spirit of God but his ovvn sensualitie and liking reckeneth not only fornication dronkennes murder and idolatrie but also dissensions sectes and heresies and against all these vvorkes he pronounceth the sentence of damnation I fortel you as I haue for told you that they vvhich do such thiÌ„gs shall not obtein the Kingdom of heauen vvhich sentence as he vvould haue pronounced agaiÌ„st one fornicatioÌ„ or murder so would he against one heresie To this aggreeth Athanasius in his creed saying that vnlesse a Christian Keep intierly and inuiolately the Catholike fayth Symb. Athâ— he can not be saued Vvhich to me seemeth a sufficient argument that one only heresie is a sufficient matter of coÌ„demnation And truly if vve vvill looke backe to ancient tymes and take a vevve of ecclesiasticall histories councells vve shall sinde that for some fevverrours yea sometymes for one only and that not in the principall points of our beleef many haue been accursed and condemned for heretiques Pelagius beleeued that ther vvere three diuine persons aequall coaequall and coÌ„substantiall he professed that Christe vvas God and man and the Sauiour of the vvorld and that by his grace vve might more easilie come to heauen yet bicause that he auerred that vvithout this grace vve might Keep the commaundements and vvith all that litle infants vvere nether conceiued nor born in originalle sinne hevvas by the common voice of the Church and Christian vvorld Posiid in viâ—â— Aug. condemned fora damnable heretike Vigilantius beleeud also rhe Trinitie and incarnation and yet for that he condemned and contemned reliques vigilles lighting of candels in the Churche prayer to saynts and
corners till at the length Luther vvhom God and his Church all that vvhile expected brought it to light again And all this vvhile bicause Ecclesiasticall histories conuince them they confess that ther vvas a Church commonly called Christian in vvhich Popes ruled and Kings and Princes vvere baptized but that say they vvas not the Church of Christ but the conuenticle of Papists and chappell of the deuill Io. â— and thus these euildoers fly the light This shifte serues them for tvvo purposes for first thus they vvill free them selues from all iudgemeÌ„t-seats for if you conuent them before Ecclesiasticall Iudges or the vvholle Church they vvill say that they are not lavvfull Iudges and that it is not the true Church vvhich summoneth them to appear and therfore they are not bound to stand to their sentence vvho haue all authoritie on their ovvn side And if you aske them from vvhome they had authoritie they vvill say that they had their predecessours to vvhom they succeed and their Church vvhose fayth they preach and that from them they haue authoritie if you then bid theÌ„ shevv some historie or ancieÌ„t monument of their Church they vvill ansvvere that it vvas inuisible and soe vvill say vvhat they liste and by noe Church paste or present shall you be able to controlle them for they haue a Gygas ring to goe inuisible by Secondly if the Church vvas inuisible you can not vrge them to shevv any continuall succession of it from the Apostles For they vvill say that their Church succeeded the Apostles and is the same vvhich they planted but after the Apostles tyme vvas neuer seen till Luther pulled avvay the bushell vvhich couered this light And truly I vvill easilie graunt that their Church before Luther vvas inuisible For that vvhich vvas not could not be seen but that the true Churche vvas at any tyme inuisible is altogegether improbable For vvhen hapned this darkeness I pray you Mat. 30 Psal â—â— The Church vvas once a citie vppon an hill and a tabernacle placed in the sonne hovv then could it on a sodain come to bee inuisible and noe man in the vvorld to note it Historiographers vvrite of earth-quakes and darknesses and all the vvorld noted the darkness vvhich hapned at Christes death and vvas ther no man to note this darkeness vvhich couered the vvholle face of the earth and hapned after so conspicuous a light Aristotle sayeth that the same sense iudgeth of the obiect and priuation as for example the eye vvhich beholdeth colours and light perceiueth also or at least giues occasion to the invvard sence called sensus communis to perceiue darkeness vvhen the light is gone vvhy then could not they vvhich had seen the Churche florish and shine conspicuously perceiue also vvhen first she lost her light And if they perceiued it hovve chaunceth it that none euer vvrote of so straung an accident But vvhat should I aske so many questioÌ„s vvhere I ame sure to finde noe reasonable ansvveres I vvill novv vvith one argument make all this darkeness of this erronious doctrine giue place to the light of the truth to vvit that the true Church can not be inuisible For Christ bidds vs vvhen our brother vvill not harken vnto our admonitions Mat. 18. to coÌ„playn on him to the Church Suppose theÌ„ that some heretike should preach false doctrine and being admonished to correct his errour vvould yet remain obstinate ther is no other remedie but to coÌ„playn on him to the Church and hovve shall this complaint be made if the Churche can not be found out as it can not if it bee inuisible Suppose again some Christian or infidell should beginne to doubt of his fayth and vvould fayne be instructed noe doubt his only remedie is to repayr vnto the Church for a resolution vvhere only truthe is taught and saluation is found but if the Churche be inuisible or decayed hovv shall he haue access to this Churche vvhich ether is not as they saye or at least is inuisible Truly if the Churche ether decayed or vvas inuisible then vvas the vvorld vvithout meanes of saluation for many hundred yeares But let me demaund of them hovv their Churche vvas inuisible vvhich consisteth of men and is gouerned by men and mainteined by visible gouerment visible Sacraments and audible preaching They liued not allvvayes in holes some tymes they came abroad and comming abroad and carying the name of Christians they vvere by Papists allvvayes enforced to frequent Masse and sacramentes and to professe their religion else had they been excommunicated and deliuered to seculare povver vvhence it must needs follovv that ether Luthers and Caluines Churche vvas neuer before them selues beganne to preach or that their Churche dissembled against conscience for fifteen hundred yeares But vvhat do I fight against shadovves and that vvhich neuer vvas or neuer vvas seen Let mee conclude novv that vv ch I intended The ghospellers can not deny but that the true Churche vvas once plaÌ„ted and that therfore novve that is the true Church vvhich can by succession be deriued from it for to say that the Church fayled or vvas inuisible is but a vayne imagination and seing that Catholikes can by all Histories and monuments shevv that their Church is descended from that vvhich vvas in the tyme of the Apostles theirs is the Church and they are the true Christians and seing that the reformers can not thus deriue their Church from the Apostles bicause before Luthers preaching it vvas neuer seen hard nor felt it follovveth that their Church is not Apostolicall but rather apostaticall and hereticall and they noe true Christianes but heretikes The sixt chapter handleth the sixt marke of an heretike vvhich is dissension in doctrine in vvhich chapter is proued that peace is a marke of the true Church and that the dissentious ghosppellers are heretikes if euer any vvere CIcero that famous oratour and Merchaunt of vvords Philippica 13. speaking of peace giues it this vvorthy commendation Pacis nomen dulce est res vero ipsa cum iucunda tum salutaris The name of peace is svveet but the thing it selfe is bothe pleasaunt and soueraine To vvhich opinion of his all men vvill easilie subscribe if they enter into consideratioÌ„ of the nature of peace For vvhat is more pleasaunt then that vvhich all things desire and vvhat more healthfull and souerayne then that vvhich preserueth all things So pleasaunt is peace that euen senseles creaturs seem vvholly to desire it The heauens moue all from the east to the vvest caryed vvith the svvay of the first heauen called primum mobile and yet by their proper motions at the same tyme they moue also from the vvest to the East some svviftly some slovvly yet vvith such vniformitie aggrement as though they desired nothing more then peace and feared nothing more then iarring and disagreeing in their motions The ElemeÌ„tes vvhen they are out of their naturall places do moue speedily and make great hast to get
called Ievv and gentile the Grecian and the barbarous and all natioÌ„s vnder the sonne vnto his faith Churche and religion Vvherfore this Church almost from the beginning euen vvhen it vvas confined vvith in Hierusalem Act. 2. coÌ„teined Parthians Medes Persians Mesopotamians and as the scripture sayeth allmost all nations vnder the sonne And vvhen the holy Spirit descended vppon the Apostles and Disciples in firie tongues Ibidem and gaue them the guifte also to speake all languages that vvas to signifie that the Church of Christ vvas not to speake Englishe only or Scotishe and Flemishe only but all languages Vvherfore God promised our Sauiour Christ that he vvould giue him not England only not Scotland Flanders and Germany only Psal 2. but all nations for his inheritaunce Psal 71. Psal 81. And he auoucheth that his Church shall rule from Sea to Sea and that all nations hall haue access vnto it Mat. 28. And so accordingly Christ gaue authoritie to his Apostles to preach vnto all nations Vvherby I gather that the Church of Christ is not to bee a particuler sect confined vvith in any straites and corners of the vvorld but rather an ample Kingdome reaching ouer all the vvorld Symb. Apost Niceph. And this vvee professe in our Creed vvhen vve say that vve beleeue the holy Catholike Church For Catholike is as much to say as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vniuersall l cont ep fundamenti c. â— Vvhich name sayeth S. Austin holdeth me in the Churche And vvhy bicause he knevv it to bee a signe of the true Christian Churche vvhich neuer yet aggreed to any hereticall sect Ibidem li de verae rel c â— l de vtil credendi c. 7. ether of the Manichies of vvhich once he vvas one or of the Donatistes or Pelagians or any other And this sayeth saint Austine is so manifest a marke of the true Churche that heretikes them selues ambitiously affecte the same but yet if you aske for the Catholike Churche they point to ours knovving in their conscience that ours only is in deed Catholike â—â— â— 2. l. 2. And so saint Austin and Optatus refuted the Churche of the Donatists by this argument especially bicause it vvas confined vvith in the limites of Africa And Pacianus saieth that so soone as certain singuler Sect-masters deuised nevve religions Ep. â— ad So. phr and vvere called by particuler names the true Christians to distinguishe them selues from particuler sectes tooke the name Catholique euen from the beginninge as appeareth by the Creed vv ch the Apostles made vvhich name soundeth nether of Marcion nor Cerdon nor Apelles nor ValeÌ„tinus nor Neâ—torius nor Arrius l. cont Iudeos c. 1â— nor Luther nor Caluin And Tertulian so longe as he remained Catholike him self confessed that the true Churche vvas that vvhich vvas diffused throughe out all the vvorld Yea he sayeth that in his tyme the true Christians not vvithstanding the violence of persecution filled the Paganes Cities Apol. c. 37. Ilands Castles Courts Senats and only lefte their temples to them selues but noe soner vvas this man become an heretike but he affirmed most absurdly that the Churche might consiste of three persons though they vvere of the laitie li de exhor cast c. 7 l. de pudic c. 21. Vvhich he did partely bicause he vvould make vp a Churche of Montanus Prisca and Maximilla to vvhom he had vnited him selfe partlie to deliuer in him selfe froÌ„ the name of an heretike to vvhich hee savve him selfe subiect bicause he vvas novve of a particuler sect So that it is sufficiently proued that the Churche of Christe is Catholike that is a Societie professing one fayth in all countries yea and ages also cap. â— according to that of Vincentius Lirinensis In Ecclesia Catholica tenenduÌ„ quod vbique quod semper quod ab omnibus creditum In the Catholike Churche that is to be holden vvhich euery vvhere alvvayes and of all hath been beleeued For that sayeth hee the name Catholique importeth Novve let vs see vvhether the Romain Church faythe or rather the Church of the reformers be the Catholike consequently the Christian Churche for these tvvoe Catholike ChristiaÌ„ euer vveÌ„t together And here I require noe diuines nor Philosophers to be Iudges in this matter only let me haue meÌ„ that haue eares or eyes I desire noe more For the eye vvill easilie Iudge vvhether of these tvvo Churches bee most like to bee Catholike The Romaine Churche vvhich the aduersary calleth Papisticall hath florished in all ages and in the most parte of the vvorld as all histories vvill testifie And novve at this daye our faythe and Churche one and the same is diffused throughe out Spaine Fraunce Italie Portugall and a great parte of Flanders and Germanie yea it reacheth euen to the Indianes and other nevv found countries conuerted by the Benedictines See the first booke first chap. Iesuites and other religious men And so it is Catholique bicause being one and the same it hathe euer possessed all ages countries and still dothe euen to this daye As for the reformers Church and faythe I see noe signe of a Catholike Church in it For first it began not an hundred yeares since In the fifte chapter as before is demonstrated Secondly it neuer yet possessed the vvholle vvorld nor any great part of it as the eye vvill beare vvitnesse only it hathe gotten entertaynmeÌ„t in certayne partes of the vvorld as England Scotland Holland and some Cantons of Germanie Thirdly it is not one Church nor faythe that possesseth all these places but many yea scarce one religion filleth one shire or citie Vvherfore allthoughe England vvere all the vvorld and this age all ages yet vvere not their religion Catholike bicause it is not one faythe and religion in all the shyres of England nor all the yeares of this age for in Englande are many sectes and religions and they also different from the nevve faythes of other countries for there is great difference betvvixte them and the Lutheranes in Germanie Hugonots in Fraunce and Gues in Flanders Nether is it sufficient for any of them to say that their faythe is Catholike bicause all are inuited to it and coÌ„maunded to accept of it for so euerie sectmaster may saye of his religion and I haue proued that the true Christian faythe Church and religion is Catholike in that it being one possesseth all ages and countries Vvherfore to conclude seing that the Church or rather Churches of the reformers neuer possessed all ages and countries yea neuer one and the same filled any one countrie it follovveth that their Church is not Catholike and consequently not the true Christian Church and so they are no true Christians but heretiques and singuler sectmasters if euer there vvere any bicause in that they are of particuler sectes they vveare the same Badge vvhich Donatistes Arians Nestorians and such like haue vvorne before them and for vvhich they
Christe is the authour of this lavve vvhich surpasseth all lavves greater is his honour renovme then euer vvas the honour of Plato Licurgus Romulus yea Moyses or any other Vvherfore the prophet Esaie recounting other titles of honour devve vnto Christ Isay 13. amongest others calleth him a lavv-maker Dominus iudex noster dominus legifer noster dominus Rex noster The lord is our Iudge The lord is our lavv-maker the lord is our King If he be our Lavve-maker he may make lavves to bynde vs if he be our iudge he may pronounce sentence against the transgressours and if he be our King he may punish vs yea if he had called him only our King it had been a sufficient argument to proue him a lavv-maker bicause the principall meanes for a king to rule his subiects are his lavves and ordinaunces Micheas speaking of the promulgation of Christs lavv at Hierusalem in Penthecoste sayeth c 4. That a lavve shall proceed from Sion the vvord of God from Hierusalem c. 2. c. 4 â— The same Prophecie hath Esaie in the same vvords and addeth that IlaÌ„des shall expecte his lavve By vvhich it is playne that Christ is a lavv-maker vvhoe hathe perscribed lavves and therfore vvhen he gaue his Apostles authoritie to baptise and preach Mat. vfâ— hee bad them also to teache the Gentiles to keepe all those thinges vvhich hee had commaunded See the first chap of this booke And yet our ghospellers vvho bragge that they giue all to Christe despoyle him of this honourable title and auouch that hee vvas a redeemer only but noe lavve-make Luther sayeth plainly that it is the office of the lavve to commaund 〈◊〉 â— Gael Fol. â—18 threaten and terrifie but the office of Christ is only to imbrace sinners vvho haue traÌ„sgressed the lavve Ibidem Yea sayeth he If vve make Christ an exactour of the lavve vve confound Christ and the lavve and make him the minister of sinne â—ol 〈◊〉 Vvherfore thus he concludes vvith this exhortation Quare Chrestum recte definias non vt Sophistae lustitiary qui faciunt eum nouum legislatorem qui abrogata veteri lege nouam tulerit illis Christus est exactor tyrannus Vvherfore define thou Christe ae right not as the Sophists doe and the Iustitiaries so he calleth Catholikes bicause they affirme inherent iustice and auouche that good vvorkes are necessary vvho make him a nevv lavve-maker that hath abrogated the old lavv and enacted a nevv to them Christ is an exactour and a tyraunt Hovv theÌ„ I pray thee vvouldst thou haue vs to define Christ Ibidem hee sayeth that as it is the arte of Christians not to care for lavves nor to imagin that they bynd in coÌ„scieÌ„ce so is it an hard arte vvhich I sayeth hee my selfe can hardly learne to define Christ after this manner â—â—idem But yet this great Logician at lenght giueth vs this definition of Christ Christus autem definitiue non est legislator sed propitiator saluator But Christe definitiuely is not a lavv-maker but ae propitiatour and Sauiour By vvhich doctrine it is playne that Luther is of opinion that Christ came not to terrifie vs or to exacte any lavve at our haÌ„des but only to embrace the transgressours so that they beleeue only that hee is their Redeemer from the lavve vvhich doctrine hovve it openeth the gapp to vice I shal hereafter declare See the seueÌ„tâ— booke here I only note that Luther despoyleth Christe of the title of a Lavvmaker and auoucheth that hee nether made lavve nor exacteth any lavve at our haÌ„ds vvhich hovve iniuriouse it is to Christ may appeare by the comendation vvhich I have giuen to Christ and his lavve Caluin putteth this difference betvvixte the old and the nevv lavve l â— Inst c. 11. §. 17.19 that the old promised grace and glorie vvith this condition if vve keepe the coÌ„maundements but the nevv lavve promiseth these things absolutely vvithout that condition So that Caluin thinkes that glory and saluation is promised by Christ vvhether vvee obserue the lavve or noe and coÌ„sequently he thinkes that no lavv byndeth vs vnder payne of damnation Vvhence it follovveth that Christe nether exacteth nether prescribeth any lavve vnder payne of damnation and so is no lavve maker And the same Caluin after that he had discoursed of Christian libertie vvhich hee sayeth consisteth in a freedom from all lavves l. 3. Inst c. 1â— 3.10 concludeth thus vve conclude that they are exeÌ„pted he speaketh of the faythfull from all lavves Vvhence it must needs follovv that Christe is noe Lavvmaker for vvhere there is no obligation there is noe lavve as shal be proued herafter vvhere noe lavve there is noe Lavv-maker and therfore if Christe exacteth noe lavve at our handes and byndes vs to none he can by noe right haue the name of a Lavv-giuer or Lavv-maker Let the Prophet Esaie therfore looke hovv he calleth Christ our Lavv-maker c. 33. legifer yea let Christ him self correcte and amend that saying of his Mandatum nouum do vobis vt diligatis inuitem I giue you a nevv lavv and commaundement that you loue one another A nevv lavv sayeth sainct Austine Christe giueth vs l â— cont ep par c. 2. bicause although it be old as being coÌ„maunded in the old lavve yet it is nevv ether bicause Christ hathe annexed nevv grace vnto it vvhich in the old lavv it had not or bicause by this grace annexed it makes vs nevv creatures vvho before vvere olde by sinne l. c. const Apost c. 12. or else sayeth S. ClemeÌ„t it is a nevve lavv bicause Christ hathe renevved it Let him also remember his office better vvhich as Luther and Caluin say is not to prescribe or exacte lavves but to imbrace the transgressours He forgot therfore his office vvhen hee bad vs Keept the commaundementes if vve vvill enter into life Mat. 5. vvhy hee corrected the olde lavve commaunding vs not only not to kill but not to be angry not only to loue our freends but our enemies also See See vvhat open iniurie against the playne texte of Scripture yea and against all reason also these men are not a frayed to offer vnto Christ in taking from him the title and office of a Lavvmaker for if he could make no lavv he vvas inferiour to the meanest Prince in the vvorld vvho established a common vvelth his Churche but hathe no authoritie to coÌ„maund his subiects vvho instituted Sacramentes yet could make noe lavv to bynd vs vnto theÌ„ and therfore vvhen he threatneth damnation to them that vvill not receiue his baptisme 10 â— and protesteth that vve shall haue noe life vnlesse vve eate his fleshe drinke his blood to â— vve may boldly contemne such peremptorie commaundementes bicause if Christ bee noe Lavv-maker he could make noe lavv and vvhere noe lavve is there is noe obligation and vvhere is noe obligatioÌ„ all meÌ„ are as
free as they vvhoe are Lordlesse and subiecte to none The sixt Chapter shevveth hovv they despoile Christ of the title of an eternall preest according to the order of Melchisedech ALmighty God being highly offended iustly displeased that so meane a creature as maÌ„ should coÌ„temne his commaundement and not care for his displeasure it vvas necessary that a preest should be found out vvho by some pleasing sacrifie should appease this his indignation so iustly conceiued And many preestes in deed haue assaied by diuerse sacrifices to pacifie this angry God but haue all fayled of their intended purpose For nether vvere they of that authoritie as to bee Mediatours betvvixt God and man for such a reconciliation nether vvere their Sacrifices of that vvorthe as to make amends for so great a faulte Vvherfore God by his Prophetes complayneth of their insufficiencie saying that hee is full cloyed vvith the multitud of theyr sacrifices Isa 1. and telleth them plainly that if they offer vnto him Holocaustes and vovves of Fatlinges he vvill not looke at them Auioâ— 5. Psal 10. Bicause sayeth Dauid God is not delighted in such sacrifices Yea so insufficient vvere all the preestes of the old lavve that God by his prophet Ezechiel threatneth that hee vvill put then out of office c. 34. and in steed of so many he vvill giue vs one Preest and Pastour Christe Iesus vvhom hee calleth his seruaunt Dauid bicause as man hee descended lineally from Dauid and in respect of his humaine nature Phiilp â— he vvas gods seruauÌ„t and inferiour This preest Christe Iesus is the high preest and the only highe preest of the nevv lavve For althoughe in the lavv of Moyses it vvas necessary to haue many highe preestes bicause Hsâ— â— as sainct Paule sayeth their mortalitie vvould not permitte them to liue and remayne allvvayes and bicause death put them out of office it vvas necessarie that others should succeed them in the same authoritie And so the first of this ranke and line of preestes vvas Aaron for Moyses vvas extraordinary to vvhom Eleazarus and others succeeded to the number of fovvrscore and odde Ioseph h. l. 22. Aut. c. 2. yet in the nevv lavve one christ Iesus is sufficient vvho thoughe hee hathe many vicegerentes vvhich are bishops and preestes of the nevv lavve yet hathe he noe successours For noe man succeedeth to another vnless the other ether dye or giue ouer his office vvherfor seing that our Sauiour Christe though he dyed yet rose again neuer to dy agayne and neuer surrendred or gaue ouer his office but still offereth sacrifice still baptiseth still ministreth Sacramentes and ruleth gouerneth his Church by his vicars and ministres he hathe noe highe preest that succeedeth him but is the sole and only high preest of the nevv lavve farie exceeding all the Popes bishops and preests that euer vvere For his preestly authoritie as diuines saye vvas not grounded vppon a caracter vvhich other Preestes receue in the SacrameÌ„t of order but vppon hypostaticall vnion by vvhich he vvas the sonne of God his authoritie exteÌ„ded not it selfe to Christianes only or them that are baptised â— Cor. 5. as the Popes and Churches authoritie dothe vvho haue no iurisdiction ouer them that are out of the Churche and vvho neuer vvere baptized but also eueÌ„ vnto infidels vvhome hee commandeth to receue fay the and the SacrameÌ„t of Baptisme by his preestly povver he instituted Sacraments established a Church pastours and prescribed a monarchicall gouernment vvhich ordonaÌ„ces the Church obeyeth but caÌ„ not alterd by his authoritie he could giue grace vvith out Sacraments as he did to sainct Mathevve Mat. 9. Luâ— 7. Marie Magdalen and others vvheras the Pope bishops and preests of the Church giue noe grace infaillibly but by Sacraments And this is the preest vvho for the dignitie of his person and the valevve of his sacrifice vvas the only preest vvho could appease gods vvrath and indignation 〈…〉 This preest must needs be harde bicause the dignitie of his person suffereth noe repulse and the vvorthe of his sacrifice vvas vnspeakable and hee the same that offered the sacrifice vvas the God vvho vvas angry to vvhoÌ„ vvas offred the sacrifice The preest vvas holyer then the sinner for vvhome the sacrifice vvas offered vvas malicious the sacrifice vvas more pleasing to god Rom. â— then the sinne displeasing So pretiouse vvas the sacrifice that if Christ had put the sacrifice in one ballauÌ„ce the sinne in the other it vvould haue ouer vvayed sinne as a thing of noe vveight vvhich notvvithstanding is so heauy that it vveyeth dovvn to Hell Iâ—b 6. For if euery operation of Christ bee it neuer so litle bicause it vvas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the operation of God and man vvas of infinite valevve by reason of the dignitie of the person vvhat shall vvee say of that heroicall operation of Christs passion vvhich vvas an acte of singuler charitie Io. 1â— Phil. 2. couragiouse fortitude inuincible patience perfecte obedieÌ„ce and sacred religioÌ„ for it vvas a sacrifice This preest offered tvvo sacrifices the one at his last supper vnbloudy the other vppon the crosse bloody or rather one and the same sacrifice in respect of the thing vvhich vvas offered after diuers manners and vnder diuers formes For in his last supper he offered his sacred body and blood after an vnbloudy manner on the crosse he offereÌ„d the same after a bloudy manner at his last supper he offered his body and blood vnder another forme that is vnder the formes of bread and vvine on the crosse he offered the same in their ovvn forme and likenes The bloody sacrifice vvas but once to be offered Heb. 7.9 bicause it vvas so precious that one oblation vvas sufficient But bicause it vvas offered only as a generall cause of all grace price of our redeÌ„ption it vvas coÌ„uenient that this generall cause should be determined by more particuler causes and that this price should be more determinately applyed as by sacrameÌ„tes fayth and good vvorks so by the vnbloody sacrifice of the Masse Yea bicause the sacrifice of the crosse being bloudy could not bee repeated after Christs resurrection he then being impassible and immortall it vvas coÌ„uenient that an vnbloudy sacrifice should also be offered continually in the Church for the vvorship of God and exercise of religioÌ„ vvhich as I shall proue in the fourth booke can not stand vvithout a sacrifice See the fourth booke By the bloody sacrifice Christ vvas a preest and highe preest but nether according vnto the order of Aaron bicause that preest hood by Christs passion vvas abrogated and vvas confined vvhithin the Tribe of Leuie of vvhich Christ vvas not nether according to Melchisedech bicause there vvas noe similitude nor aggreement in their sacrifices Vvherfore seing that our Sauiour vvas a preest according to the order of Melchisedech for God affirmeth it vvith an othe
and the lavve of grace in all vvhich See the first booke sint chapter as I haue declared in the laste chapter of the first booke vvere Preestes and they also diuerse according to the diuersitie of lavves Vvherfore if Christe hathe planted a Church and in it established a lavv and religion certainly he hath also appointed a succession of Preestes bicause they euer goe together and haue such a connexion that the one can not stande vvithout the other For if there be noe Preests to offer sacrifice and to minister sacramentes and to interpret the lavve no shevv or face of religion can remaine and as vvell may a Kingdome florishe vvithout a Prince or magistrate In the first booke and sixt chap. as religion vvithout Preests and bishops Vvherfore as I haue proued before in the lavve of nature the first begotten of euerie familie vvas a Preeste in the lavve vvritten the tribe of Leuie vvas deputed and dedicated vnto Preesthod Ios l. 2. cont App. In vvhich tribe ther vvere inferiour Preests so many that Dauid vvas fayne to deuide them into tvventy fovvre rankes vvhich also conteyned a great number There vvere also Leuits vvho had inferiour offices And ther vvere highe Preestes vvhich succeeded one after anothers deathe to the number of fovvre score odde â—os li. 22. Aut. c. 2. and the laste highe Preestvvas Finasius vvho liued vntill the Citie of Hierusalem vvith the Temple vvas beseeged and ruined by Titus Vespasian These Preestes and Leuites loosing their office vvith the abrogation of the old lavve Christe Iesus vvho gaue vs a nevve lavve appointed a nevv Preesthood of vvhich hee him selfe vvas the first Preest and the principall and the only high Preest to vvhom no man succeedeth in the same authoritie and therfore sainct Paule putteth a difference herin betvvixte the olde and the nevve lavve that in the olde lavve many highe Preestes vvho succeeded one another vvere necessarie bicause one dying another vvas of necessitie to succeed least the Church should vvante an highe Preest but in the nevv lavve there is but one highe Preeste Christe Iesus and he is sufficient bicause thoughe hee dyed yet he rose again and neuer gaue ouer the office but still offereth sacrifice and still ministreth sacraments See the third booke sixâ— chap. by the hands of his vnder-Preestes So that he only is the highe Preest of the nevv lavv and none but he bicause no man succeedeth him in the same authoritie But here the aduersarie vvil insulte and say vnto me that I haue affirmed that vv ch hee desired for if Christe bee the only highe preest of the nevv lavve vvhat neede vvee any Popes Bishops and Preests Thus he argueth but vvth hovv litle reasoÌ„ a blinde man may see For as it is no good argument to say that novv in Ingland and Scotland and Ireland can be but one King at once therfore ther muste bee noe viceroyes nor Deputies nor Chauncelours nor Treasures nor Dukes nor Noble men vvhoe are the Princes Officers and Princes in their kinde vicegerentes also some in more ample some in lesse ample maÌ„ner so it is noe good argument to saye that Christe is the only highe Preest of the nevve lavve Ergo ther are noe other Preelts but he for he may haue many vicegerentes vvho also are true Predsts in their Kind And so the Pope maye be his supreme Vicare in earthe and other Bishops and Preests may be inferiour Vicars and Preests also subordinate in iurisdiction vnto the Pope Yea seing that the high Preest Christe Iesus hathe vvithdravvne his visible presence froÌ„ the Churche and executeth not visibly and immediatly by him selfe his preestly function it vvas necessary that to his visible Churche he should leaue a visible succession of Preests vvho should rule and minister vnder him and for him in his absence not as his successours but as his vicegerents and ministers for as noe Preest noe Churche so noe visible Preest noe visible Church Vvherfore vvhen Christe vvas to bid his Church fare vvell he instituted his Apostles Precsts Mat 26. giuing them authoritie to consecrate 10 20. 10.21 and to offer sacrifie and after his resurrection giuing them povver also to absolue from sinnes and appointing Peter as the highe Preest and Vicare vnder him selfe Iesâ— 22. Can. 2. vvhich to denye vvere not only to coÌ„tradicte the Councell of Trent vvhich defineth that in the place alleaged Christe made the Apostles Preefts but also to contemne and condemne the vvholle Schoole of ancient interpretours yea the vvholle Christian vvorld vvho haue so interpreted the places alleaged This Preestly function the Apostles in their tyme did exercisein preaching teaching baptising confirming and offerring Sacrifice also vv ch is the proper function of a Preest Yea their Disciples did the same Act. 1â— for S. Luke sayeth that they ministred vnto our Lord that is sacrificed as the Greeke vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth and as Erasmus him selfe trassateth yea as the maÌ„ner of speach also importeth For if they had only preached or ministred SacrameÌ„ts vvell might they haue been sayed to haue ministred to the People but not so properly vnto our lord vnless they had offered sacrifice vvhich is proper to him Sainct Paule sayeth that Timothie vvas ordained bishop by imposition of hands of the Presbiterie 1. Tim. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Tim. 〈◊〉 in c. 5â— Isa that is a company of bishops and he affirmeth that he him selfe imposed his haÌ„ds vppon him vvhich imposition of hands is in greeke called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as S. Hierome vvitnessethe signifiethe giuing of holy orders Tit. 〈◊〉 The same sainct Paule vvriting vnto Titus sayeth that he lefte him at Creta that he should constitute and ordaine Preests in euery citie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same sainct Paule vvith Barnabas Act. 10. ordained to the people Preests in euery Church by imposition of hands as the greeke vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth Act. 20. The same sainct Paule as sainct Luke reporteth sent to Ephesus called the elders of the Churche that is Preests for to them he sayed Looke to your selues and vnto your flocke 1. Tim 〈◊〉 And of Preests he speaketh vvheÌ„ he sayeth Preests vvhich do rule vvell are vvorthy double honou Iaeâ— 5. And againe Against a Preest receiue no accusation Of Preests also speaketh Sainct Iames vvhen he sayeth If any bee diseased among you let them call for the Preests of the Churche And bicause our ghospellers see that by these places it is manifest that in the Apostles tymes Preests vvere ordeined they are enforced for other vvise they could not coÌ„ceale this from the People to translate elders for Preestes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presbiter Prestre Prete Preest notvvithstanding that the greeke vvorde yea the Latin frenche and Italian soundeth as much as Preest in Inglish Of Bishops Preestes and deacons vve haue mention in the
to euery magistrate and teÌ„porall superiour vvhom he callethhumaine creatures bicause their authoritie is in teÌ„porall and humain thinges And therfore he addeth as it vvere to specifie vvhat he meaneth by the humain creature vvhether it be to the King as excelling or to Rulers sent from him c. Yea hee bids vs obey not only gentle and courteouse masters but euen those also vvhich are harde to please And this obedieÌ„ce these Apostles commaund vs to giue to Princesalthough they be infidels if othervvise they be lavvfull for vvhen the Apostles vvrote there vvere noe Christian Princes and faithe is not necessarie to iurisdiction nether is authoritie lost by the only losse of faithe But yet this must be vnderstood vvhen Princes commaund vvith in the limits and sphere of their iurisdiction for othervvise if they coÌ„maund vs any thing against God or conscience vve must ansvvere them as the Apostles ansvvered the Ievves Act. 4. vve must obey God before men Bicause Princes are appointed by God and so can coÌ„maund nothing vvhich is against God or if they do vve must obey the supreme Prince before the inâ—eriour and the King before his viceroy Eâ— Eâ—sâ—â— Vvherfore sainct Policarpe although he refused to obey the Proconsul vvho commaunded him to do that vvhich vvas against God religioÌ„ and conscience yet he sayed Vvee are taught to giue to principalities and Potestates ordained by God that honour vvhich is devv to them and not hurtefull to vs. This being so theÌ„ that Princes haue authoritie to commaund and to bynde also in conscience to obedience and that from God vvhose ministers they are and by vvhome as the vviseman sayeth Kinges do raigne and the lavv makers decerne vvhat is iuste Prâ—◠〈◊〉 it remaineth that vvee examine our aduersaries doctrine in this point that vve may see vvhat they giue to superioritie authoritie higher povvers But peraduenture some vvill thinke that this is a vaine examination bicause they are so farre from suspicion of detracting from Princes authoritie that rather they seem to graunte them to much Luther affirmeth that Bishops and Prelates are subiect to the Emperour euen in Ecclesiasticall causes A◠〈◊〉 and that Ecclesiasticall iurisdictioÌ„ is deriued from the temporall And vvhen Catholikes in Ingland refuse to go to the Churche bicause profession is made there of a religion contrarie to theirs the reformers vrge nothing so much as that vve must obey Princes and their iniunctions But this they doe only vvhen Ecclesiasticall povver calleth them to an accounte or vvheÌ„ the Princes lavves doe fauorize their doctrine for then they flatter Princes and preferre their authoritie before the Church not bicause in hatte they reuerence their authoritie but bicause by their povver they vvould establish their heresie Soe Arius by the meanes of Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia first in sinuated him selfe to CoÌ„stantia the Sifter of ConstaÌ„tine the great Ruff. l. 1. â— 11. and by him he getteth audience of Constantine him selfe and by flattery and dissimulation be procureth a commaundement from the Emperour to Athanasius to receue him againe into the Church And aftervvards he crept by this meanes into credit vvith Constantius the Ariane Emperour and sonne to Constantine by vvhome he banished Catholike bishops called many councels and propagated his heresie in so much that saint Hierome sayeth Ariâ—â— vt orbem deciperet Ep. ad Ctesiph forerem principis ante decepit Arius that he might deceue the vvorld first deceiued the fister of the Prince They curried fauour also vvith luliaÌ„ th' Apostata and they offered their seruice â—heod l. 4. c. 3. to Iouinian the Emperour but he vvould none of their proferd seruice knovving that they vsed to â—latter Princes for promotion of their heresies So that one Themistius a Philosoâ—her vvas vvont to say that heretikes adore the Purple not God are as mutable as Euripus Luther backed also by the Duke of Saxonie contemned the Popes legate vvho sought to reclaime him and preached confidently those heresies vv ch othervvise he durst not haue doone and perseuered obstinately in theÌ„ also vvhich other vvise peraduenture he vvould not haue doone Prafat Inâ—â— ad Reg. Gaâ— Caluin sought by a flattering epistle to procure fauour and credit vvith the king of Fraunce and our Inglish Protestauntes by the fauour of our late Prince vvhose guiftes of nature they abused gotte credit amongest the people graced heresie vvith her roiall crovvne And to vvinne this fauour they vvill not sticke to flatter Princes yea to adore them and to giue them higher Titles and greater povver then euer God bestovved vppon them In king Edvvards tyme vvhen the state fauoured them they acknovvledged him Supreme head not only in temporall but also in Ecclesiasticall causes In Queene Maries tyme bicause that Princesl vvas not for them theÌ„ vvoemen could not gouerne but in Queene Elizabeths tyme bicause they had insinuated them selues into her Protection then vvoemen might gouerne as vvel as men and so they are the beste temporizers in the vvorld But if you marke their proceedings or dectâ—â—ne you shall see that they honour not authoritie but loue their heresies vvhich if Princes vvill not like then they conteÌ„ne and despise all authoritie and vvill not let to make a mutinie and stirie vp the subiects to rebellion to â— p st duâ— Edista Caesarea Luther exhorteth the Germaines not to take armes against the Turke bicause the Turke for pollicie consaâ—le integritie and moderation excelleth all 〈◊〉 Princes And in the same place he called the Emperour Charles the fifâ—e a roâ—â—â— and fraile carcase And in his booke againâ— the king of Ingland he calleth him all â—â—naught l. cont Reg. Angl. l de potestaâ—â— seculari by the name of blocke heade sâ—â—le and so forthe In another booke he not only inueigheth agaiust Princely aâ—thoritie but hee also calleth them fooleâ— knaues tyrauntes In another bookevv hee vvrote against the tvvoe edicts of 〈◊〉 Emperour he calles the Princes of thâ— Empire fooles madmen furiouse teâ—â— tymes vvorse then the Turke Sur. an 1â—2â— Of vvhâ—â— doctrine and example Thomas Munsâ—â— taking holde vvith an hundred thousaâ— Rustickes troubled all Germaine and one Franconie he destroied tvvoe hâ—dred nyntie three monasteries The lâ— therane Princes also armed vvith this 〈◊〉 ample of Luther tooke armes against the Emperour therby vvere the cause that the Turke surprised many holdes Sur 1530. â—â—66 and stronge fortes of the ChristiaÌ„s And vvhat stirres the Caluinistes and other sectes haue made in Fraunce Scotland and the lovve countries all the vvorld knovveth and Flaunders to this day â—eeleth And truly this contempte of lavvfull Princes this disloyaltie and rebellâ—on is altogether according to their doctrine o. â— Luther in his commente vppon the first Epistle of saint Peter sayeth plainly that he vvill not be copelled nor bound to obey any prophane magistrate bicause he vvill not loose his libertie vvhich is to bee freed in conscience from all Princes
intended conclusion vvhich I maye doe vvith as muche breuitie as facilitie For if God bee the autour of all sinne then if vvee maye gather vvhat the tree is by the frute hee is of a malitious nature as is before proued and if hee commaund vs impossibilities and punishe vs vvith Hell fyer for not fullfilling them then is hee vnreasonable cruel and barbarous And if vvee once make this conceit of God as vvee must needes if vvee beleeue the aduersaries opinioÌ„ then must our hartes of necessitie bee cold in religion and vvorship of God For vvho can bee induced to vvorship loue and honour such a God in vvhome is nothing vvhich is amiable nothing vvorthy honour vvel may vvee feare him for his crueltie but loue him and honour him from the harte vve can not And so religion fallethe The third Chapter shevveth that in contempte of the Churches authoritie they bring all religion in contempte IT is a maxime and almost an article of faithe receued amoÌ„gest the reformers that the true Churche vvhich once vvas hathe erred grosselye in no lesser matters then faithe iustification merit freevvil vvorkes satisfaction purgatorie prayer to Sainctes vvorship of images nuÌ„ber and vertue of Sacramentes Sacrifice such like Yea they confess that the Romain Church vvas once the true Church but thy adde vvith all that aftervvardes it erred grossely and fell sovvlye novv of the Church of Christ is become the Synagogue of the deuil This is the cause vvhy vvhen vvee vrge the authoritie of the ancient and present Churche for the proofe of the reall presence free vvill prayer to saintes sacrifice of the Masse they ansvvere vs that the Church vvas but a congregation of men vvhich hathe erred in these and other matters And therfore Luther careth not for a thousand Churches and Caluin Beza and others despise all the Councelles and ancient fathers as appearethe by their vvordes vvhich are related in the first booke and the third and fourth chapter So that vppon the bare authoritie of the Churche they vvill not hange their faithe as they saye least they hange their soules bicause the Churche as it maye bee deceued so it maye deceue I demaund of theÌ„ therfore vvhat assuraunce they haue of scripture and by vvhat meanes they come to the knovvledge of it A Catholique vvould say that he beleeuethe these bookes to bee the vvorde of god bicause the Catholike Church vvhich is it the piller of truthe vvhich by the sonne of God vvas promised a spirit vvhich should teach her all veritie 10.14.15 l. on t epist fund c. â— hath cuer so beleened and defined Vvherfore saint Austine sayeth that hee vvould not beleeue the ghospel vnlesse the Churches authoritie mâ—ued him not that the Church maketh scriptures or giueth them their truthe and veritie for that they haue of God vvho vvas the indighter of them but bicause vvee can not knovv vvhich is Scripture vvhich is not but by the voice of the Church to vvhich only in this matter the ancient fathers vvere vvont to harken as Ireneus l. 2 c 2 3. 4. l prâ—esc de expos Symb. l. 2 c 1. 46. l. 4. c 11. Tertulian sainct Hierom Leo the first and dâ—uers others of vvhom Nicephorus maketh mention Vvherfore the first Toletane Councel in the one and tvventith canoÌ„ accurseth theÌ„ vvho accept of any other Scriptures theÌ„ those vvhich the Catholique Churche receiueth Hee vvould alleage for an argumeÌ„t that Christemade Peter his successour the Pope supreme pastour of the Church and commaunded him to feed his sheep lo. 2. and seing that a principal office of the shepheard is to shevv them suche pasturs as are most holsom for them it perteineth to the â—uprem Pastoure of the Churche to tell vs infallibly vvhich are the true scriptures for vvhen hee declareth vv ch are the true Scripturs he shevves vs our pasture the place vvher vvee are to graze and vvhen hee expoundethe them hee feedethe vs. And seing that the Pope of Rome is this Pastour as is proued in the last chapter of the first booke it follovveth that vvee must receue that for scripture vvhich hee allovveth of as scripture He vvould alleage also the antiquitie of scriptures for a profe of their sinceritie l. 2. cont Ap. 〈…〉 prabar Euangel in Apolog c 19. 20. 24. bicause Moyses vvhoe vvas the vvriter of a great part of the old testament as Iosephus Tertulian and Eusebius affirme by many handred yeares vvas more ancieÌ„t then all the vvritâ—rs of the Romains and Grecians also vv ch therfore deserue great credit reuerence 1 Tuse bicause as Cicero sayeth in his Tusculane questions to Antiquitie noe lesse is devve Hee vvould confirme this argument by another of no lesse efficacie to vvit that these bookes haue beene conserued so many thousand yeares not vvithstaÌ„ding so many captiuities of the Ievves and persecutions of the Christians vvhich argueth that God vvho vvas the Authour of them had a speciall care of them and a vigilant eye vnto them as vnto his ovvn vvord and vvriting Hee might alleage also the coÌ„formitie of those booke vvhich vvere indighted of diuers at diuers tymes and yet haue in them no contrarieties and vvere translated out of Hebrevv into Latin by 70 Interpretours â—nstin orat paroen ad geÌ„â—â—â— diuersely disposed vvho yet not vvithstanding soe aggreed as if all their traÌ„slations had been copied out of one For vvhich causes euen the Gentils Paganes them selues haue borne great respect vnto these vvritinges not daring to mingle them vvith their ê“phane vvritinges bicause as Iosephus and Eusebius affirme some that haue atteÌ„pted it l â—â— Aut. c. 1. â— l. â— praeparâ— â— by the diuine and secret povver haue beene very sharpely and seuerly punished all vv ch is vvarraÌ„ted by historie traditioÌ„ This a Catholike vvould saye vvith great applause and no lesse probabilitie for the authoritie of scripture But vvhat vvould or vvhat could our reformers saye vvould they saye vvith the Catholike that they beleeue them to bee holy scripture bicause the Church sayeth so â—â— Hostâ— l. 3. â—â—nt Brent Luther in deed sayeth that hee in this point beleeuethe the Churche and Pope and good reason hathe hee bicause of vvhoÌ„ did hee receue the scriptures vvhen hee began first to preach his nevv doctrine but of the Romaine Churche vvho cuer had the custody of them euen since the tyme of the Apostles And hovve could he knovve that the ghospel of the Nazarens of sainct Barnabas Euseb l. â— c. 25. and sainct Thomas vvere not as rrue scripture as the ghospel of sainct Matthevve and other Euangelistes but that the Romain Churche allovved of these and not of those For this cause some of them do saye that in this point they must needs beleeue the Pope Romain Church bicause they caÌ„ not in deed haue any probable knovvledge of Scripture but by this meanes as shall appeare by the refutatioÌ„ of all other meanes vvhich they
can faine or imagin But I vvill bee so bold as to take this meanes from theÌ„ and then I vvill aske them hovv they knovve that the nevve and old testameÌ„t are not meere fables and fictioÌ„s as the Atheistes say that they are For they are of opinion that the Romaine Church maye deceue bee deceeued and therfore they vvill not beleeue her for the number of canonicall bookes nor for the meaning of scripture hovv then can they credit her vvhen shee defineth that the old and nevve testament are holy scripture her authoritie is one and the same in the affirmation of this and of other thiges if theÌ„ they beleeue her not in those thinges they caÌ„ not beleeue her in this For as if the Astrologer saye that to morrovv shall be rayne that vvith in three monethes ther shall bee rayne I caÌ„ not beleeue this to bee true for his assertion vnlesse I also beleeue that bicause his authoritie is the same and yet I maye beleeue rather that vvithin three monethes vvee shall hauerayne theÌ„ that to morrovv vvee shall haue rayne bicause that in it selfe is more likely so if vvee beleeue one thing vvhich the Romain Church affirmethe and not another vvee beleeue not any thing bicause shee sayeth so but ether for the probalitie of the thinge or for some other reason vvhich pleasethe vs. Vvherfore seing that out reformers beleeue not the Romain Church in all pointes it must neede follovve that they can not beleeue that the old and nevve testament are holy scriptures bicause shee sayeth so but for some other imaginations vv ch they haue for if they belecued this bicause shee sayeth so they vvould beleeue other thinges also vvhich shee auouchethe bicause her authoritie being the same deserueth the same credit in the one and in the other But let vs suppose that they beleeue that the old and nevv testament are holy scripture bicause the RomaiÌ„ Church sayeth so yet bicause they affirme that the Romaine Church maye lye and hathe also lyed loudly in many importaunt matters it follovveth that they haue herby no assuraunce of Scripture bicause as the Church in their opinion hathe erred in other thinges so may she in this if she may peraduenture she hathe erred and so they haue no assuraunce of scripture They vvill saye peraduentur that they are assured by tradition froÌ„ tyme out of mynde vnto this present that those bookes are holye Scripture bicause our forfathers euer esteemed them soe But nether can this bee a sufficient vvarrauut bicause they are vvont to saye that all thinges necessarie to bee beleeued are conteined in scripture and that therfore they vvill beleeue no traditions And if they beleeue that these bookes are holy scripture bicause by tradition so it is deliuered vnto them vvhy do they not beleeue the real presence and the Sacrifice of the Masse Vvhy coÌ„temne they the Fast of lent Images holy vvater the signe of the crosse such like vvhich vvee haue by the same tradition by vvhich vve haue the scriptures Yea seing that Tradition is nothing else but an opinioÌ„ or custome of the Churche not vvritten in holy vvritte but yet deliuered by the handes of the Churche from tyme to tyme and from Christians to ChristiaÌ„s euen vnto the last age and Christians if the Churche can erre she may allovv of euil traditions and so traditions also may bee erroneous coÌ„sequently can be noe sufficient vvarrant vnto the Reformers for the authoritie of holy scripture They vvill say peraduenture that they beleeue most voices and therfore seing that all the vvorld allovveth these bookes for holy scripture they vvill ioine vvith them in this opinion bicause the voice of the people is the voice of God but nether can this voice assure theÌ„ for ether they vnderstand by this commoÌ„ voice the voice of the vvholle vvorld or the voice of the Christian vvorld if they meane the voice of the vvholle vvorld theÌ„ haue they moe voices against them then for them bicause the greatest parte of the vvorld vvas euer Pagane if they meane the ChristiaÌ„ vvorld then in deed the most voices are for Scripture bicause the Catholike Church vvhich allovveth of scripture vvas is and shal be the greatest part of Christianitie but bicause they saye that this Church may erre they can haue no assuraunce of scripture by this voice They vvill saye peradueÌ„ture that they belceue that scâ—ipture is the vvord of God bicause their ovvn Churche vvhich is the true Churche affirmeth it to be so But nether vvill this shifte serue their turne Bicause first of all they caÌ„ not proue their Churche to bee the true Churche not their Pastours to be the true Pastours Bicause their Church hathe not the markes of the true Churche hauing nether succession from the Churche planted by the Apostles vvhich should make it Apostolique nether hauing euer possessed the greatest parte of the knovvn vvorld vv ch should make it Catholike and being so farre froÌ„ being one that it is diuided into coÌ„trarie sectes so farre also from being holy that it leadeth to all vice and Atheisme yea hauing all the Markes of heresie as my second booke demonstrateth As for their pastours they can not proue their mission as also is proued But if I should graunt them that their Church is the true Church yet by their Churches vvarraunt they can haue no assuraunce of Scripture bicause they are of opinioÌ„ that the true Church maye erre and consequeÌ„tly their Church also maye erre and if it maye erre in other thinges it may erre in this and if it may erre in this peradueÌ„ture it hath erred in this and so they haue no assuraunce of Scripture Vvherfore laying a side the Churches authoritie as insufficient in their opinion I demaund vvhat assuraunce they haue of scripture They can not alleage Scripture to proue scripture bicause no part of scripture affirmeth that the bookes called Scripture are the vvord of God dictated and indighted by his spirit And if Scripture did affirme it selfe to be holy Scripture yet vvere not that a sufficient vvarraunt for as I may doubt vvhether the bookes called Scripture be the vvord of God so may I doubte of that testimonie vvhich scripture giueth of her selfe vnlesse by some other meanes I bee assured that these vvritinges are the vvord of God They vvill say peraduenâ— that the very maiestie of the phrase of Scripture and the diuine matters and mysteries vvhich it conteinethe do argue that it is the vvord of God But this ansvvere is also insufficieÌ„t bicause to a vvordly man or Prophane Philosopher the stile of Scripture seemeth base and barbarous and the mysteries seeme to bee nothing else but dreames and imaginations the histories seeme tales and the matters seeme ether follies or impossibilities and so they vvould seeme vnto vs also vvere it not that vvee haue a reuerent conceite of them bicause vvee beleeue them to bee the vvord of God Vvherfore Iulian the Apostata Celsus Porphirius Apion
and others contemned scriptures bothe for the Phrase and matter and esteemed no more of them then vve do of Aesops fables They may ansvvere mee peraduenture and novv I knovv not vvhat else they can ansvvere that the spirit assurethe them that these bookes no other are the holy Scripture But against this spirit I haue disputed at large in the â—rst booke and third Chapter and so I might referre the reformer and the reader vnto my argumentes vvher vvith in the afore sayd place I haue refuted this phantasticall spirit yet to ease them bothe of that labour I vvill in a vvorde reiecte this ansvvere by reiecting this spirit I vvill aske of him that thinkes him selfe moste deeplye inspired vvhy bee beleeueth this his ovvn priuate spirit rather then the common spirit of the Churche especially seing that it is more like that God vvil more amplye communicate his spirit to his Churche then to a priuate man and if the Churche may be deceued as they say shee may not vvith standing that Christ promised her a spirit vvhich should teach her all veritie Io. 14.15 vvhy maye not euery priuate maÌ„ doubte at least least his ovvne priuate Spirit bee a lying and deceiuing spirit hee ansvvereth that his spirit assures him that it is a true spirit But hovve dothe it assure him by vvhat reasons miracles or reuelations by no such meanes saieth hee it dothe assure me but yet I ame sure Vvhy art thou sure if nether for reasons nor miracles nor reuelations then art thou sure only bicause thou thinkest thy selfe sure And so did Suenlkfeldius thinke him selfe sure of a right spirit vvhen he denyed all scriptures and vvould bee ruled only by the invvard spirit and yet hee for all his suernes vvas deceued and consequently so mayst thou bee thoughe thou thinke thy selfe assured And do not all heretiques thinke then selues to bee inspired vvith the right spirit As they therfore are deceued So mayst thou bee vnlesse thou haue some certaine rule and Iudge suche as the Churche is to acertaine thee of thy spirit If novve some infidel or atheist vvould deny the old and nevve testament to bee holy scripture hovve vvouldst thou conuince them vvhat a Catholike could saye for the proofe of scripture I haue allready declared I demaund therfore vvhat thou vvho takest vppon the to bee a reformed Christian couldst alleage for the authoritie of Scripture Vvouldst thou alleage the Churches definition or tradition or common coÌ„sent hee vvould saye Tushe tell mee not of Churche Tradition Fathers Councels all these by your ovvn confession maye erre and haue erred in other as great matters as this and therfore this can bee no sufficient vvarraunt Vvouldst thou saye that scripture giueth testimony of her selfe that shee is Scripture hee vvoulde aske thee vvheare and thou shouldst not bee able to quote the place if thou couldst yet hee vvould say that Scripture is not to bee beleeued in her ovvne cause and that as hee doubteth of scripture so hee doubteth vvhether it bee Scripture vv ch affirmethe these bookes to be Scriptur Vvouldst thou say that the phrase of scripture argueth it to bee god his ovvn vvord Hee vvould tell thee that hee vvill shevve thee as good phrases in Tullie Liuie other ê“phane vvriters And if thou shouldst saye that thy spirit assures thee that these bookes are of Gods ovvn indighting hee vvould laughe at thee and tell thee that Suenkfeldius by his spirit denyed all scripture and that hee hathe no more assuraunce of thy spirit then of his Yea hee vvill come vppon thee vvithe the coÌ„mon spirit of the Romain Churche and tell thee that if that spirit maye deceue as thou sayest it maye muche more may thy priuate spirit deceue thee and all that vvill bee so mad as to beleeue thee And so if thou contemne the authoritie of the Romain Churche thou shallt bee able to assure him no more of Scripture then of a Robin Hoods tale If the Churches authoritie then bee reiected as insufficient vvee haue no probable assuraunce of scripture and so vvee may iustly doubte least it bee but some Apocriphal vvriting vv ch hathe hetherto been called the vvord of God to keepe fooles in avve And if vvee may doubte of the bookes of Scripture vvee maye as iustly doubte of the conteÌ„tes and so the mysteries of the Trinitie and incarnation Christes life doctrine Passion death and resurrection may bee called in question and soe Christian religion falleth and seing that after an Apostasie from Christianitie vvee haue noe reason to imbrace Turcisnie or the Iudaicall ceremonies much lesse the superstitions of Paganes and Idolatours adevve all religion and vvelcome Atheisme And thus thou seest gentle reader hovve contempt of Scriptur must needs follovv the contempte of the Churches authoritie vvhich being layed a side vvee haue not so much as probable assuraunce of Scripture or Christian religion Vvherfore let vs holde faste vvith the Catholike Apostolike and Romaine Churche and let vs neuer linke our selues in religion vvith the reformers vvho like Chammes contemne their mother the Churche least vvee bee inforced to shake handes vvith Atheistes vvhose frendship vvee can not refuse if vvee breake amitie and league vvith the Romaine Churche as is most euidently demonstrated The fourth Chapter shevveth that in admitting some bookes of Scripture and reiecting others they open the gapp to contempt of all Scripture and religion Vve say commonly that a lyer had need to haue a good memorie for othervvise he being allvvayes ready to speake not as the truthe requireth but as he may best for the present serue his ovvn turne vvill bee in daunger to contradict him selfe and to varye in his ovvn tale for vvant of vvhich memorie the reformers do often eate their vvordes and goe from that vvhich before they stood vnto And amongest many other examples this may serue for one that they vvill needes receue scripture at the Romain Churches hand and for this point accompte her authoritie sufficient but their memorie is so shorte that forgetting them selues they vvill not accepte of the number of the bookes of scripture vvhich shee hathe deliuered vnto them althoughe they haue not any other vvarrauÌ„t of Scripture then they haue of the number of the bookes of Scripture vvhich is the Romain Churches authoritie I must therfore desire them better to remeÌ„ber them selues For if the Romaine Churche bee of sufficient credit to vvarraunt vs of Scripture vvhy is not her authoritie a sufficieÌ„t vvarraunt also for the nuÌ„ber of the bookes of Scripture Or if shee maye erre in the nuÌ„ber of the bookes of scripture she may erre also in scripture and so if they vvould remember them selues better and tubbe their brovves harder they vvould see plainly that ether they should take all or none of her bicause her authoritie is as sufficieÌ„t being one and the same to vvarraunt vs for the number of the bookes of Scripture as for scripture If they beleeue then that ther is scripture bicause shee
Sacrament as vve haue for the blessed Trinitie and vvee are as sure of the real meaning of the textes vvhich are alleaged for the real presence as of them vvhich vvere vsed for proofe of the Trinitie or Incarnation bicause the texte is as plaine and the Interpretours as many and as plain also the circunstances also of the texte make as much for the real presence as for those other tvoe mysteries The real presence is no more impossible nor incredible to mans conceite then those mysteries are yea those are of greater difficultie Vvhy then do the reformers deny the Real presence rather then the Trinitie or Incarnation If vvee haue as good proofes for this as for those verities vve can not beleeue those but vvee must beleeue this or if these testimonies bee not sufficient for the reale presence they are not sufficient for those verities and so if not vvith standing plaine texte circunstances of the texte Interpretours of the texte and practise of the Church vve deny the real presence or doubte of it vvee must necessarily doubte of the Trinitie and Incarnation and call them and all the other mysteries of Christian faithe in question for vvhich vve haue no greater nor no other proofe bicause one proofe is for all and as good for the Euchariste as for any And if all the mysteries of christian faith be called in questioÌ„ then seing that vve haue no reason to ioyne vvith Turck or Ievv in their Religion vvee may bid adevv to all Religion and sorte our selues vvith Atheistes vvho are of no Religion FINIS Errours in Printing Imyliethe for implyeth page 3. line 25. hie for hee pa. 3. lin 29. to for do pa. 10. li. 9. oner for ouer pa. 24. li 12. veary for verye pa. 18. li. 28. branisicke for braynsicke pa. 27. li. 6. shovve for shevve pa 36 li. 4. veale for veile pag. 36. li. 8. thy for they pa. 61. li. 6. Hugo for Richardus pag. 114 in the marg they for then pag. 129. li. 9. they for thy pag. 247. l. 4. it is selfe for it selfe 155. li. 31. biourrouinge for borrovvinge pa. 175. lin 8. some for sonne pa. 198. li. 29. larned for learned 240. li. 19. fovv for foure pa. 240 li. 28. fellovved for follovved pa. 252. li. 23. ruled reason for ruled by reason pa. 253. li. 15. bodely for boldlye pa. 259. li. 31. vvoo for tvvo 294. li. 17. demoÌ„strate for bee demoÌ„strated pa 299 li. 27. this for his 337. li. 20. ther for other pa. 354. li. 13. as it vvell for as vvell pa. 355. li. 20 havv for lavv pag. 382. li. 10. is not for it is not pa. 422. li. 29. prauers for prayers pa. 436. li. 28. am for and pa. 346. li. 16. I me for I am pa. 546. li. 22 they for then pag. 588. lin 18. boidled for bridled 606. li. 29. farthe for faythe pag. 607. lin 20. staunge for straunge pag. 632. li. 16. this for his pa. 635 li. 4. greate for greeke pa. 727. li 23. laue for haue pa. 728. li. 6. vvordes omitted page 158. line 2. vvhich come in after the second vvord of the same line Feind So it hapneth to the Heretike the THE TABLE A SAint Peter and the rest of the Apostles sent extraordinarily pag 8. they proue theire mission by theire vvorkes pag. 22. Antiquitie in all kyndes of artes allvvayes reuerenced p. 91. The Arrogancie of heretikes in this age p. 92. An admonition to Atheists p. 112. S. Ambrose his vvords to Valentinian the Emperour concerning his office p. 147. Infallible arguments to proue the stabilitie of the Catholike or Romaine Church p. 198. 202. The agreement and consent in opinions that is in the Catholike Church p. 214. that the same can not but proceede of God p. 218. Arius condemned for an heretike by the councell of Nice consisting of three hundred and 18. Bishops p 237. The tvvo aduents of Christ p. 294. Adame endevved vvith all naturall scieÌ„ces 308. The diuers affections of the superiour and inferiour patte of the soule in respect of the same thinge p. 328. hovv they vveare bothe in Christe in respect of his passion vvithout sinne ibid. The reason of the abrogation of the olde sacrifices and sacraments p. 382. No morall or probable assuraunce of any sacraments at all amongest the reformers p. 409. The Arian heresie 32. No probable assuraunce of scriptures if the Romaine Churche bee reiected 679. vsq 688. Tvvo kyndes of Atheistes 640. Authoritie hovv it is gotten 118. Authoritie of the Fathers and the nevv preachers compared 93. The Sacrament of the Aultare 223. 703. B BAptisme is of no force and to noe purpose according to Caluins doctrine 422. The prodigious beginning of heretikes 17. Nothing in our beleife against reason allthoughe aboue reason p. 276. Vvhat manner of beleife or confidence is required in prayer p. 440. Beza his presumption in correctinge an Euangelist 720. Diuers bitter blasphemies vvhere vvith most spitefully Luther Caluin and a rabble of other miscreants barke at the blessed virgin 343. That the Catholike Churche neuer made breache out of any other Churche as allvvayes heretikes haue 163. C THe successe Caluin had in his pretended miracle p. 25. his smalle accounte of fathers 88. marked in the backe not for his goodnes 121. his herodian deathe ibid. his assertions iniurious to Christ to vvhich in some sorte suscribe vvhytaker and Ievvell p. 249. his levvde distinction betvvixte the olde and nevve lavve 281. his absurde blasphemie 304. his execrable doctrine concerning God 303. hee take the from Christ the title of a Iudge 300. hee makethe him a desperate man 325. hee bringethe him to hell and make the him a compagnion of the damned 332. his miserable end 338. hee make the God a greater Patron of sinne then the deuill is 450. His iustifyinge faythe taketh avvaye prayer vnder penaltye of becominge an infidell 439. His opinions of iustifyinge faythe 442. of sinne ibid. of good vvorkes 442. of free vvill ibid. vvhich makes the Pater noster or our lordes prayer to bee needles yea pernicious to fayth 443. His opinion of the number of Sacramentes 408. of vvhat smalle importauÌ„ce hee maketh them 413. The good alteration that Catholike religion vvorketh in those vvhich sincerely embrace it â—23 That in sondry perfections Catholikes excell the reformers p. 120 vsq ad 124. The effecte of true Charitie 341. Christ him selfe sent p 4. hee prouethe his mission by his vvorkes 22. the reason vvhy hee instituted a succession of Pastors in his Churche 16. in vvhat sence hee is sayed to haue been the Preist the sacrifice and the God to vvhom the sacrifice vvas offred pa. 251. hovv hee is sayed to haue satisfied for our sinnes notvvithstanding that sanctification is required at our haÌ„des pag. 261. that he played all the partes of a spirituall Phisitian q 271. hee hathe no successour allthoughe many vicegerentes pag. 285. 364. Hovv his sole supreme authoritie ouer the Churche consistethe vvith the necessitie of a