men without authoritie of the Pope and for priuate men he counteth the bishoppes of Spaine and Fraunce in their prouincial councels these binde not generally except the Pope allowe them some things are receiued by tradition custome generally receyued vnaltred such is the crosse some are brought in by tradition and custome but not generally receyued as that infantes should receyue the communion c such the crosse is not But seeing he hath not concluded the contradiction of Maister Calfhils sixte rule it standeth still vnmoueable That some things are brought in of a good intent whiche are not allowable The seconde rule is what so euer hath bene vpon good occasion receiued once must not necessarily be reteyned still but by aduice of Stephanus bishop of Rome if it be turned to superstition be altered by them that come after These aftercōmers saith Martiall are none other but the bishops of Rome his successours who as they made the lawe so they must repeale it But Stephanus sayeth Si nonnulli ex praedecessoribus maioribus nostris fecerunt aliqua Naming not onely his praedecessours but also his Elders wherefore he meaneth y t not onely his successours but also his after commers in euery particular Church as well as his successours in the Church of Rome ought to abolish with good authoritie such abused customs But Martiall wil not acknowledge that crossing hath bred such inconueniences y t the inward faith hath bene vntaught that the vertue hath ben giuen to y t signe which onely proceedeth from him which is signified For crossing was not the cause but the negligence of the Cleargie As though there may not be many causes of one thing And if crossing were but an occasion of such inconueniences there were good cause to take it away Also he denyeth that they attribute the vertue of the signe without relation to the merites of Christes passion whereas M. Calfhil speaketh not of suche shiftes as craftie Lawiers can make for their excuses but of the opinion of the ignorant people who haue thought without any further relation that the signe of the crosse was an holy blessed and wholesome thing And what do they that vse the example of Iulian who crossing himself of custome and not with any relation to Christe whome he despised prooue what vertue the signe of the crosse hath when the diuels immediately auoyded do they not manifestly ascribe vertue to the signe without relation of the maker Yea sayth Martial but Christe gaue such vertue to that signe by his death and passion Shewe that out of the Scriptures and the controuersie is at an end But Martial the Lawier for the vertue of the crosse citeth Martiall the Apostle for so he will be called was as his cosin Martial the Lawier affirmeth one of of the 72. Disciples of Christ. But seeing hee and his epistles haue slept seuen or eight hundreth yeares in a corner y t they were neuer heard of by Eusebius Hierome Gennadius nor any other of those times he commeth to late nowe to challenge the name of an Apostle or Disciple of Christe whose name or writinges in so many hundreth yeares no man hath registred But this argument is of authoritie negatiue quod Martiall But what argument haue you so good to prooue him authenticall as this is probable to proue him counterfet Nay if we beleeue Martial Maister Calfhil hath falsified the Scripture in saying that no man dare come neare nor resist Leuiathan and Behemoth the deuils for beside the quotation is false cap. 40. for 41. The Popishe translation hath not so and Christe his Apostles and faithfull doe resist the Diuel Yea sir but not with sworde nor speare whereof he speaketh nor with your crosse but with spirituall armour As for the errour of the quotation your translation euery childe may see how fonde a quarrel it is The excuse that Maister Calfhill maketh for Damascen seeing Martial doth not allow let him make a better himselfe for some of Damascens errours were such as Martial himselfe and the Papistes will not allowe But Lactantius maketh the bloud of the pascal Lambe sprinkled on the dore post a figure of the crosse on mens foreheads That is false in your sense Maister Martiall for he speaketh allegorically of the spirituall impression of of the bloud of Christe by faith and that his wordes declare where he saith that Christ is saluation To all which haue written the signe of bloud that is the signe of the crosse vpon which he shed his bloud on their foreheades But Christ is not saluation to all that haue your signe of the crosse on their bodily foreheades But whereas Lactantius in the next Chapter saith that deuils are chased away both by the name of Christ and by the signe of his passion if it pleased God in those times by such outward signes to confound his aduersaries what is that to defend the superstitious and erronious abuse of those signes at this time And here Martiall falleth into another brabble for mistaking his argument which is not worth a strawe the end is the crosse is like a sacrament although that it be not as good as a sacrament But wherein it is like it hath neither institutiō nor element nor promise nor effect of a sacrament then it is as like as an apple is like an oyster You say it is instituted by tradition Proue y t tradition to haue come from Christ and his Apostles I haue shewed it came from heretiks Again God said to Costantine In hoc signo vince I haue shewed that God spake neither of a crosse nor of a signe And yet if he had it was but a particular vision authorizing no generall obseruation You say it may be a sacrament as well as bread and wine whiche hath no promise you lie like an arrogant hypocrite For bread and wine in the vse of the Lordes Supper hath as good promise as water in baptisme Concerning the effect of the sacramentes and howe they be causes of grace not as principall efficients but as instrumental meanes by which God vseth to worke in the faithfull it were to begin a newe matter to stand in argument with you which doe nothing but wrangle scoffe and rayle in this argument as you doe in all the rest Wherefore to returne to the crosse Maister Calfhil saith that if there were such necessitie in the crosse to fight against Sathan the Apostles dealt not wisely to omit such a necessary weapon Martiall aunswereth that neither he nor the Fathers defende it as necessary Well then we haue gayned thus much that the crosse is a needelesse weapon against the diuel But if it had ben necessary he saith it had bene none ouersight in the Apostles which haue in some epistles omitted more needefull matters As though they were bound to speake of all matters in euery Epistle But of the vse of the crosse they neuer speake no not where they instruct a Christian man to fight against the
of their Emperour in the consecration of their dead Emperours images whom they worshipped as Gods For which causes Iustinus thought it vnreasonable that they should contemne Christ for his crosses sake But of vsing the signe of the crosse in all sacramentes there is no mention in Iustinus That in Chrysostomes time other more ancient fathers y e signe of y e crosse was vsed at the celebration of the sacramentes M. Calfhil granteth as a ceremonie you confesse It is but a ceremonie and that our sacramentes lacking the signe of the crosse and that vsual ceremonie be perfect notwithstanding And yet you exclaime against vs for omitting a needelesse ceremonie where we see it hath bene turned from that indifferent vsage of the forefathers into an idolatrous custome opinioÌ„ of necessitie The credite of Dionysiê° for so ancient a scholler of S. Paul as you would make him it too much cracked by Erasmus to be cured by Martial Where M. Calfhil truly faith you can not deny but he hath as good authoritie for honie mike wine to be restored in baptisme and the communion to be giuen to children as you haue for the crosse you aunswere these were altered by the Church of Rome which hath authoritie so to do y e crosse stil remaineth but marke what you say were these traditions of the Apostles if you say no y e like wil I say of the crosse for y e same authoritie coÌ„mendeth theÌ„ al a like for traditions of the Apostles Wel if they were traditions of y e Apostles by the holy Ghost which you hold to be of equal authoritie w t y t scriptures y e Church of Rome hath abolished the one why may she not abolish the other so y t your answer conteineth manifest blasphemie To fortifie your traditions you alledge y t Iesus did many thinges which are not written c. but you leaue of y t which foloweth but these are written y t you might be leeue in beleeuing haue eternal life Io. 20. yet S. Iohn speketh of miracles not of ceremonies to be vsed in baptisme wherunto you apply it But Iesus himself saith he hath many things to say that y e apostles could not then beare c. Ioan. 16. And you would know in what worke of the Apostles those thinges are written yea you would haue the Chapter noted Pleaseth it you to looke your selfe in the Actes of the Apostles and in their Epistles c. And you shall finde that the scriptures will instruct the man of God vnto all good works make him wise vnto saluation if these wil not serue your turn seeke where you wil find y e deuil eternal damnatioÌ„ But I pray you could not y e apostles beare y t hearing of the signe of the crosse of salt oyle spittle in baptisme were these such harde lessons to learn or heauy to beare if you think they were I enuy not vnto you so wise a thought But you will teach vs how we shal know y t these are traditions of y e apostles to this inquire you answer euen as we know y e gospels epistles to be y e Canonical scriptures by authoritie of y e church which you think sufficient for y t purpose But so do not we for although we receiue the testimony of y e Church yet we haue greater authoritie out of y e scriptures of y e old TestameÌ„t y t spirit by which they were writeÌ„ being alwais y e same by which we are perswaded y t y e gospels epistles are the holy scriptures Againe y e vniuersal Church of all times places giueth witnes to those writings so doeth it not to these traditions Therefore we are neuer the neare to knowe Apostolical traditions by authoritie of the Popish church whiche ascribeth thinges manifestly contrary to the worde of God and writinges of the Apostles to Apostolike traditions as Images halfe communion priuate Masse c. After this brabbling of traditions followeth a long brawle about numbers which the Papistes do superstitiously obserue and of the authoritie of the seuentie interpreters whose translation if it were extant no doubt but it were worthie of great reuerence but seeing these questions are fruitelesse and impertinent vnto the article I wil clearely omit them Martial returning to proue that the signe of the crosse was vsed in consecrating the body and bloud of Christ findeth himselfe greatly greeued that M. Calfhil calleth the Masse the sacrifice of the deuil wherein be so many good things as the Collets Gospel epistle Gloria in Excelsis c. by which reasoÌ„ I might proue a diuelish coniuration in which be so many names of God and good words to be an holy peece of worke Therfore it is not many good parts abused to make a wicked thing good that can iustifie the Masse which is an hurrible blasphemie against the death and onely sacrifice of Christ. But M. Calfhil doth not satisfie him where he citing out of Albertus Magnus That Christ did blesse the sacrament with a certeine signe of his hand as Iacob laide his hands on Iosephs sons and Christ laid his hands vpon the children lifted vp his hands blessed his Apostles c. asketh why we might not say Christ made a signe of y e crosse considering that Chrisostome Augustine and Euthymus testifie that in their time the signe of y e crosse was vsed in consecration this question he saith is not soluted This is sone answered because laying on of hands and lifting vp of handes which be sometime vsed in blessing doth not proue a crossing with the finger of ones hand as the Papistes vse and because the Euangelistes which describe all that he then saide or did for vs to followe make no mention of any such signe of hand made by him in blessing The long discourse that followeth of blessing and giuing of thankes is needelesse for we know and confesse that as they somtimes signifie all one thing so they differ sometimes we confesse that the bread and wine in the Lords supper were blessed that is to say sanctified and consecrated but not with any signe of hand which is the mater in question but with the worde of God and with prayer not onely as bodily meates but as heauenly and spirituall mysteries to feede the soule But it is a sport to see how Martiall when he hath prooued that which was not in question that the bread wine were blessed sanctified by Christ that they must nowe be so consecrated by the Church he runneth away with the signe of the Crosse whereof he hath brought no proofe of the vse by Christ saying There must be consecration by honouring the wordes of Christ and calling vpon his name making the signe of the crosse which maner of coÌ„secration the Church learned of Christ hath continued euer since so that we may boldly say with Albertus He blest it with a certeine signe of his
iustificatioÌ„ by which God purifieth our harts sufficiently proueth that the signe of the crosse is no worker in these cases Chrysostome speaking of our conuersion c. saith Hom. 14. in Ep. ad Rom. Vnum hoc c. We haue offered this one only gift of GOD that we giue credite to him promising vs thinges to come and by this onely way we are saued This Doctor ascribeth all to faith therefore nothing to the signe of the crosse Whether the Parisiens approue Erasmus his censure it is not materiall the censure is true and approued by as wise and well learned as they Touching the next quarell that Cyrillus acknowledgeth it no fault of the Christians to make the signe of the crosse at their doores it is very foolish as all the rest be for although he defend it as a good deede and in his time tollerable yet if any did worship the wood of the crosse as Iulian charged them it was a fault which Cyrillus doth excuse and seeke to couer but of that matter you may reade more in mine aunswere to D. Sanders booke of images cap. 4. or 3. after the errour of his print That S. Basil alloweth images in Churches he citeth his sermon vpon Barlaaâ— where he exhorteth painters to set foorth the valiant conflictes of the martyr by their art but of setting vp those tables in Churches there is no word Neither do I perceiue he speaketh of other Painters then eloquent Rhetoricians For immediately before he saith Quin magnificentioribus 〈◊〉 ipsius lingâ—is Cedâ—â—us Sonantiores doctorum tubas ad illius praeconia aduocemus Exurgite nunc ô praeclari athleticorâ—m gestorum pictores c. But let vs giue place to more magnificent tongues vtterers of his praises Let vs call hether the lowder sounding trumpets of learned men Arise nowe ô ye noble Painters of the valiant actes of champions c. And it is vsuall among learned men to compare good Orators to cunning Painters The counterfet oration of Athanasius brought in the idolatrous Councel of Nice we reiect as a matter forged by heretikes and idolaters The other Doctors places whome he quoteth are all considered and aunswered in seuerall places of mine aunswere to Doctor Sanders booke of images before mentioned Whether an image may be made of Christ which is both God and man you shall finde it more at large intreated in my saide aunswere cap. 7. or 6. That the crosse in the time of Cyrillus had none image vpon it it is to be proued by this reason 〈◊〉 Iulian would not haue omitted to obiect the worshipping of images vnto Christians which they condemned in the Heathens if any images had bene vpon their crosses which he charged them to haue worshipped Concerning the calling of Churches by the name of Saints we haue spoken alreadie That S. Paul ioyneth not pictures with scriptures to be our instruction and comfort it is an argument of better force then Martiall hath wit to aunswere For if any such instruction comfort or commoditie had any wayes come to Christians by pictures he would not haue written that the scriptures are able to make the man of God perfect prepared to all good workes 2. Tim. 3. vers 17. Articl 3. The tenth Article The adoration and worship of the crosse allowed by the ancient Fathers Martial thinketh it not reason that he should proue the adoration of the crosse by some testimonie of scripture bicause God hath not so tied him selfe to the written letter of the scripture that nothing can be taken for trueth which is not written in scripture But God hath so tied vs to the written letter of the scripture that we are bound to beleeue nothing but that which may be proued thereby The baptisme by heretikes the baptisme of infants the authoritie of the Epistle to the Hebrues of Saint Iames and Iude and of all the canonicall scriptures haue proofe and approbation out of the holy scriputres and are not receiued of vs by the onely tradition and authoritie of the church which yet we doe not refuse when it is warranted by the holy scriptures inspired of God The auncient Fathers Athanasius Chrysostome c. were not exempted from the infirmitie of men that they could so order their termes as no heretikes shuld take occasion of error by them when euen the termes of holy scripture are often times abused by theÌ„ cleane contrarie to the meaning of the spirite by which they were written But Martial like a proud foole disdaineth to be called to define adoration bicause euery terme is not necessarie to be defined And yet I suppose he would claw his poll twise or euer he could make a true definition of it or a description either At the least wise seeing the word of adoration is taken so many wayes but that he would walke vnder a cloud of ambiguitie he shuld haue expressed what manner of adoration he doeth speake of But he is content to take adoration for bowing downe prostrating putting off the cap c. which he thinketh may be done to a sensllesse image as well as to the Queenes cloth of estate her priuie seale c. as though there were no difference betweene ciuil reuerence and religious worship and yet I weene no man doeth this honour to those senslesse things although he shewe reuerence to the Prince at the sight of them The second coÌ„mandement Exod. 20 he saith toucheth not Popish images more then politike images of Dragons Eagles Owles c in armes or other pictures So good a lawyer he is that he can not interprete the lawe according to the matter wherevpon it is made namely religioÌ„ but fantasieth that bicause images out of the vse of religion be not forbidden to be made by a lawe of religion therefore they be not forbidden to be made no not in the vse of religion The Prophets he saith cry out against the images of Gentiles and by his leaue against the images of the Israelites also The image of the brasen Serpent was a figure of Christ and yet the Prophets condemned and Ezechias destroyed the worship of the brasen Serpent For the examination of the sentence of Ambrose de â—bitu Theodosij I referre the reader to mine aunswere to D. Sander of images cap. 13. or 12. Augustine in Ioan. T. 36. sheweth howe reuerently y e crosse was esteemed of the Romaines that now malefactors were no more punished vpon it least it should be thought they were honoured if they sâ—ffered that kinde of death which our sauiour Christe died As among vs if rascall theeues should be beheaded at the Tower hill where only honourable persoâ—ages vse to suffer it might be saide they were honoued with that kinde of execution Herevpon Martial both foolishly and lewdly dreameth that if theeues had bene put to death vpon the crosse the people were likely to haue honoured them for the crosses sake Hierome saith that Paula worshipped lying before y e crosse as though she had seene Christe hanging
is a worthie witnesse of such a worshipfull ceremonie In the end of this chapter he inueigheth against a newe tricke which he saith y â— preachers haue to make their audience cry Amen CoÌ„paring it with the applause and clapping of handes vsed in the olde time but misliked of godly fathers Chrysostome and Hierome So that for the preacher to pray to God anâ— to giue God thankes whereto the people aunswereth â—â—en it is counted of Stapleton a newe tricke and yet it is an auncient as S. Paul 1. Cor. 14. vers 16. But to make such a loude lye that Sathan him selfe the father of lyes I suppose for his credites sake would be ashamed to make in his owne person Videlicet that To teares to lamenting or to bewayling of their sinnes no Protestant yet moueth his audience It is an olde trickes of a cankared stomaked Papist CAP. VIII Differences betweene the former faith of Catholikes and the late newes of Protestants concerning the gouernement and rulers of the Church The 30. difference is Synodes of the Cleargie which is a lewd and impudent slaunder for we allowe them and vse them as all the world knoweth but saith he no conclusion is made in them but such as pleaseth the Parleament This is a false lye for although no constitution made in the conuocation hath the force of a lawe except it be confirmed by Parleament yet many constitutions and Canons haue bene made that were neuer confirmed by Parleament The 31. difference is imposition of handes which is a meere slaunder for that cerimonie is vsed of vs in ordeining of Ministers likewise where he saith that wheÌ„ all the Popish Bishops were deposed there was none to lay handes on the Bishops that should be newely consecrated it is vtterly false For there was one of the Popish Bishops that continued in his place there were also diuers that were consecrated Bishops in King Edwardes time and although there had bene but one in that time of reformation it had been sufficient by his owne Gregories resolution Bed lib. 1. cap. 27. An other example is Lib. 3. cap. 28. of Ceadda Archbishop of Yorke consecrated by Wini Bishop of the West Saxons assisted by two Bryton Bishops that were not subiect to the see of Rome Bicause at that time there was neuer a Bishop of the Romish faction in England but this Wini who was also a Simoniake and bought the Bishoprike of London for money I speake not this as though in planting of the Church where it hath bene long time exiled an extraordinarie forme of ordaining were not sufficient but to shewe that the Papistes doe picke quarels contrarie to their owne pretended recordes of antiquitie and Catholike religion Where he inueigheth against the vnsufficiencie of a number of our Ministers which are come out of the shop into the Cleargie without giftes sufficient for that calling as I can not excuse them nor their ordeiners so I dare be bolde to affirme they are no worse either in knowledge or conuersation then the huge rable of hedge Priestes of Poperie The 32. difference that such Bishops as were created by the Archbishops of Canterburie and Yorke were created by the appointment of the Pope This is a shamelesse lye for which he can bring no colour either out of the first sixe hundreth yeares or out of Bedes historie Where he saith If it can be shewed by any historie that at any time by the meere temporall authoritie euer any Catholike Bishops were created he dâ—re yelde and graunt that ours are lawfull Bishops For aunswere that Catholike Bishops of olde by as meere temporall authoritie were created as any are created among vs I referre him to Bede lib. 3. cap. 7. 29. lib. 4. cap. 23. of Agilbert and Wini by authoritie of Sonwalch Wighard nominated by authoritie of Oswine and Egbert Ostfor consecrated at the commaundement of king Edilred beside Wini made Bishop of London for money by Wulfher king of Mercia which authoritie he could not haue abused except it had bene in him lawfully to vse The 33. difference is that Princes had not the supreme gouernement in ecclesiastical causes For proofe whereof he alledgeth Gregorie Nazianzen and Saint Ambrose both which speake not of chiefe authoritie but of knowledge of spirituall matters which is not to be sought ordinarily in Princes but in the Cleargie Secondly he citeth Caluine and Illyricus which do write against such ciuill Magistrates as thinke by their supremacie they haue absolute authoritie to decree what they wil in y e Church wheras we in England neuer attribute so much to the Princes authoritie but that we alwayes acknowledge it to be subiect to God and his word The Papistes right well vnderstand this distinction but it pleaseth them to vse this ambiguitie of supreme authoritie to abuse the ignorance of the simple The 34. difference is that the Bishops and godly men in matters of doubt counselled with the Pope of Rome so did the Pope of Rome with them while there was any modestie in him so did Pope Sergius aske counsel of poore Beda Math. West Nay but Saint Hierome so well learned consulted with Pope Damasus which entred his See with the slaughter of sixtie persons I might aunswere that Damasus also asked counsell of Saint Hierome So that in him which is consulted there is rather opinion of knowledge then of authoritie But Hierome confesseth that he will not separate him selfe from the Church of Rome c. Ep. ad Dam. 2. So long as the Church of Rome was the Church of Christ there was great cause he should ioyne with it But nowe is it ceased to be the spouse of Christ and is become an adulteresse as the prophete saith of Ierusalem yea it is become Babylon the mother of all abhominations and therefore that heauenly voice commaundeth all Christians to depart out of her But concerning the Popes authoritie I haue aunswered at large to D. Sanders rocke of the Popish Church The 35. difference but I knowe not howe it differeth is the Popes authoritie abolished by whom Christianitie was first in this land receiued It is wel known that there was Christianitie before Gregorie sent Augustine not of Popelike authoritie but of godly zeale as it seemeth to winne the English nation to Christe After followeth a large complaint for abolishing the Popes authoritie a Canon inuectiue against discentions among vs and slight fortification of the Popes authoritie for vnities sake out of Hierome Cont. Iouinian Cyprian de simpl prael aunswered at large in the discouerie of D. Sanders Rocke The 36. difference Augustine came first in presence of the king with a crosse of siluer and an image of Christ painted in a table The Protestants beganne with taking away the crosse and altering the Letanie But this part is left vnfortified except it be with a marginall note that Chrysostome vsed in Letanies crosses of siluer and burning tapers In deede I reade Chrysostome had certaine candlestickes or cressets
onely begotten sonne of God and not he in deede Againe he sayeth Cùm fecisset quasi flagellum when he had made as it were a scourge master Vsher will conster it so that was not a scourge in deede because he sayeth as it were a scourge But Martiall will still vrge the fact of Paula in worshipping the crosse of Christ vntill it be shewed out of Epiphanius by better euidence then yet is shewed that he woulde haue no crosse no crucifixe nor image in the Church A mā would thinke this were sufficient euidence when hee sayeth Cùm ergo hoc vidissem in ecclesia Christi contra authoritatem scripturarum hominis pendere imaginem c. Wherefore when I sawe this that in the Church of Christe did hang an image of a man contrary to the authoritie of the scriptures I rent it c. Further euidence out of Epiphanius you may see in the place before cited Martiall would haue vs make a Kalender of Christian men that refused to blesse them selues with the crosse which were 〈◊〉 infinite matter seeing from the Apostles vnto the Valentinian heretikes it is not read that any such estimation was of the crosse y t it should be any blessing or confirmation Master Calfhils rule that we must liue not after examples but after lawes meaning not followe what soeuer hath beene done by good men but whatsoeuer was well done according to the lawe of God Martiall reiecteth vpō vaine foolish and friuolous reasons as that some examples are to be followed that the lawe serueth not for a iust man that custome must be followed where lawe faileth c. Beside that he slaundereth Luther as one that would haue all lawes and orders of Princes put awaye Againe whereas M. Calfhill sheweth that the fathers taught other things more oft more earnestly then the vse of the crosse As that it was a wickednesse to fast on Sonday or to pray on our knees beside the oblations on birthdayes milke and hony with the communion giuen to infants c. Martiall answereth these are abrogated by the church this is not But seing none of them hath ben in worse abuse then this custome of crossing this ought to be abrogated of euery church as well as those But whereas Martiall compareth the doctrine of S. Paul 1. Cor. 11. for couering or vncouering of men womens heads and the decree of y e Apostles for bloud and strangled Act. 15. with those abrogated customes he doth verye lewdly for beside y t the authoritie of y e one is certeine the other vncerteine of some forged the doctrine of S. Paul as he there deliuereth it is perpetuall the decree of the Apostles was neuer ment of them but to be temporall for auoiding offence of the Iewes As touching the credit of the olde writers who had all their errors we like well y e councell of Vincentius Lyrinensis y t we should stil haue recourse for triall to y e most ancient in which we must needes accompt y e writings of the Apostles both of moste antiquitie and of greatest authoritie Wherefore seeing the manner of blessing with the crosse is not found either in the writings of the Apostles or in the most auncient fathers Iustinus Irenaeus Clemens Alexandrinus by Vincentius councel we may iustly accompt it for a corrupt custome crept into the church either by aemulation of heretikes or in contention against the Paganes But Martiall slaundereth vs and the Apollogie of the church of England that the chiefe cause of our seperation from the Church of Rome was the euill life of the gouernours thereof and vainly spendeth time to proue out of Ciprian Augustine and Caluine that for that cause wee ought not to separate our selues whereas we are departed out of Babylon not so much for the abhominable life thereof as for the corrupt false doctrine taught therein by which it is shewed to be y e Synagogue of sathan not the church of Christ. And here Martiall hudleth vp a nomber of quotations for the authoritie of the Pope and of the church of Rome which seeing they haue beene all often times answered and by mee also in aunswere to D. Saunders rocke it were folly here to stand vpon thē But he will not be counted a falsifier of Tertullian when of diuerse copyes and impressions he wilfully chooseth the worst that he might wring it to his purpose although the matter be not worth the strife about it For Tertullians iudgement of tradition without scripture in that place is corrupt for Martiall him selfe confesseth that a tradition vnwritten should be reasonable and agreable to the scriptures and so he saith the tradition of blessing with y e crosse is because the Apostles by the holy ghoste deliuered it But who shall assure vs thereof Tertullian Basil are not sufficient warrant for so worthie a matter seeing S. Paul leaueth it out of the vniuersall armour of God But where M. Calfhill distinguisheth traditions into some necessary as necessarily inferred of the scripture some contrary to the worde and some indifferent Martial like an impudent Asse calleth on him to shewe in what scripture doctor or councell he findeth this distinction of traditions As though a man might not make a true distinction in disputation but the same must be founde in so many wordes in scripture doctor or councell when he him selfe cannot deny but y e distinction is true euery part to be founde in y e scriptures doctors councels But the examples please him not for the couering of women and their silence in the church are taught in expresse words of scripture and therfore are not necessarily inferred of scripture Therefore there is one lye quod Martiall Who would think such a block worthie of answere which thinketh a trueth may not be inferred of the expresse words of scripture when of nothing it can be better in ferred Againe he calleth it another lye y t S. Paul proueth his tradition by y e scripture for he bringeth no text nor sentence of scripture to proue y t women shuld be couered in the church But Martiall doth not onely belye M. Calfhill but also slaunder S. Paul seeing he alledgeth out of Genesis both y t the man is the image glory of God y t the woman was made for man The examples of the second sort as Latine seruice worshipping of images c. Martiall will not allowe but the scripture is plaine to them that haue eyes and be not like the images whome they worship Againe he liketh not that there should be any limitation in obseruing traditions of the church in things indifferent as if cases of necessitie of offence might not make a limitation without contempt of the churches authoritie But he will learne in which kinde of traditions we place the signing with y e crosse y e rest named by Basil. I aunswere y t marking with the crosse in some respect as it was first vsed of y e old
See heere the fface of Romes renowned ffoe Graue larned Fulk whose worth his works best show T. STAPLETON and Martiall two Popish Heretikes confuted and of their particular heresies detected By. D. Fulke Master of Pembrooke hall in Cambridge Done and directed to all those that loue the truth and hate superstitious vanities Seene and allowed AT LONDON Printed by Henrie Middleton for George Bishop ANNO. 1580. A CATALOGVE OF ALL SVCH Popish Bookes either answered or to be aunswered which haue bene written in the Englishe tongue from beyond the Seas or secretly dispersed here in England haue come to our handes since the beginning of the Queenes Maiesties reigne 1 HArding against the Apology of the Englishe Church answered by M. Iewel Bishop of Sarum 2 Harding against M. Iewels challenge aunswered by M. Iewel 3 Hardings reioynder to M. Iewel answered by M. Edward Deering 4 Coles quarels against M. Iewell answered by M. Iewell 5 Rastels returne of vntruthes answered by M. Iewel 6 Rastell against M. Iewels challenge answered by William Fulke 7 Dorman against M. Iewel answered by M. Nowel 8 Dormans disproofe of M. Nowels reproofe answered by M. Nowel 9 The man of Chester aunswered by M. Pilkington Bishop of Duresme 10 Sanders on the Sacrament in part aunswered by M. Nowell 11 Fecknams Scruples answered by M. Horne B. of Winchester 12 Fecknams Apologie answered by W. Fulke 13 Fecknams obiections against M. Goughes sermon answered by M. Gough and M. Lawrence Tomson 14 Stapletons counterblast answered by M. Bridges 15 Marshall his defence of the crosse answered by M. Caulfehill 16 Fowlers Psalter aunswered by M. Sampson 17 An infamous libell or letter incerto authore against the teachers of Gods diuine prouidence and predestination answered by Maister Robert Crowley 18 Allens defence of Purgatory answered by W. Fulke 19 Heskins parleâ—â—ent repealed by W. Fulke 20 Ristons challâ—ng answered by W Fulke Oliuer Carter 21 Hosius of Gods expresse worde translated into English answered by W. Fulke 22 Sanders rocke of the Church vndermined by W. Fulke 23 Sanders defence of images answered by W. Fulke 24 Shaclockes Pearle answered by M. Hartwell 25 The hatchet of heresies answered by M. Bartlet 26 Maister Euans answered by himselfe 27 A defence of the priuate Masse answered by coniecture by M. Cooper Bishop of Lincolne 28 Certeine assertions tending to mainteine the Church of Rome to be the true and catholike church confuted by Iohn Knewstub 29. Sander vpon the Lordes supper fully answered by D. Fulke 30 Bristowes motiues demaâ—des answered by D. Fulk 31 Stapletons Differences Fortresse of the faith answered by D. Fulke 32 Allens defence of Priestes authoritie to remit sinnes of the Popish Churches meaning concerning Indulgences answered by D. Fulke 33 Martials Reply to M. Calfehill answered by D. Fulke 34 Frariâ—s rayling declamation answered by D. Fulke These Popish treatises ensuing are in answering If the Papistes know any not here reckoned let them be brought to light they shall be examined 1 Stapletons returne of vntrruthes 2 Rastels replye 3 Vaux his Catchisme 4 Canifius his Catechisme translated AN OVERTHROW BY W. Fulke Doctor of Diuinitie and Master of Pembroke hall in Cambridge to the feeble Fortresse of Popish faith receiued from ROME and lately aduaunced by THOMAS STAPLETON Student in Diuinitie THOMAS STAPLETON student in Diuinitie translated the 5. Bookes of Bedes historie of y â— English Church into the English toung before which historie it pleased him to set a table of 45. differences betweene the Primitiue faith of England continued almost a thousand yeares and the late pretended faith of the Protestants all which we will consider in order First are fiue Apostolicall markes found in their preachers and wanting as he saith in ours 1 Augustine whome he calleth their Apostle shewed the token of his Apostleship in all patience signes and wonders Bed 2. lib. 1. c. 30. 31. l. 2. c. 2. Miracles in confirmation of their doctrine Protestantes haue yet wrought none I aunswere Peter Paul Matthewe Iames Iohn c. are Apostles to vs sent not from Gregorie of Rome but by Christ him selfe out of Iewrie y â— signe of whose Apostleship being shewed in all patience signes and wonders and our doctrine being the same which we haue receiued of their writings needeth no other confirmation of miracles to be wrought by vs. If Augustine sent from Gregorie a man haue planted any humane traditions and confirmed them by liâ—ing signes and miracles as a forerunner of Antichrist which was euen immediatly after his time to be openly shewed or if by subtill practice miracles haue bene feigned to haue bene done by him and reported by a credulous man Bede it hurteth not our cause seeing other writers report him to haue bene both a proud and a cruell man And yet we receiue all that doctrine which he taught agreeable to the doctrine of the Apostles of Christ what so euer he taught beside we are not to receiue it of an Angell from heauen much lesse of Augustine from Rome 2 Their Apostles tendered vnitie labouring to reduce the Britaines to the vnitie of Christes Church Nothing is more notorious in Protestantes then their infamous dissention Augustine in deede laboured to bring the Britons in subiection to himselfe and to the Church of Rome which argueth no desire to Christian vnitie but fauoureth of Antichristian ambition and tyrannie as his cruell threatening executed vpon them did shewe sufficiently The dissention of the Protestants is not in articles of faith nor such but that they are all brethren that vnfeignedly professe the doctrine of saluation although they dissent in the matter of the sacrament in orders rytes and ceremonies 3 Their Apostles were sent by an ordinarie vocation Protestantes haue preached without vocation or sending at all such as the Church of Christ requireth They were sent by Pope Gregorie who had none ordinarie authoritie to send Apostles or preachers into foreigne countries Wherfore if they had any sending it was extraordinarie of charitie and not of office The Protestants that first preached in these last dayes had likewise extraordinaire calling But if the calling of the Papistes may be counted a lawfull calling they were called of the Popish Church to be preachers and teachers before they knewe or preached the trueth of the Gospell 4 Their preaching was of God by Gamaliels reason bicause their doctrine continued 900. yeares whereas the Protestantes faith is already chaunged from Lutherane to Sacramentarie in lesse then 20. yeares This reason of Gamaliel would proue Mahometes enterprise to be of God bicause it hath likewise continued 900. yeares yet it is false that the Popish faith hath had so long continuance For the Papistes are departed as from many other points of doctrine so euen from that of the Lords supper which Augustine planted among the Saxons vnto carnall presence and transubstantiation the contrarie of which were taught by Augustine as appeareth by the publique Saxon
the Latine and learned tongue lib. 1. cap. 29. lib. 4. cap. 18. which the Protestants haue altered There is no such thing to be proued in the first place nor any thing sounding the way but only this that Gregorie sent into England to Augustine many bookes of which it is a Popish consequence to gather that they were bookes of Latine seruice In the latter it is declared that Iohn y e Chaunter of Rome brought from thence the order of singing and reading and put many things in writing which pertained to the celebration of high feastes and holidayes for the whole compasse of the yeare But this being almost an hundreth yeres after the cōming of Augustine it appeareth the Church of England had no such Latine seruice before For Gregorie willed Augustine to gather out of euery Church what ceremonies he thought expedient for the English Church and bound him not to the orders or seruice of the Church of Rome And it may be gathered that long after there was no certain forme of administration of the sacramentes put in writing generally receiued but that the priestes which then were learned ordered the same according to their discretion for their chiefe labour was in preaching and instructing For Beda reporteth vpon the credite of one which liued in his time and was Abbot of Wye Herebald by name that he being in great extremitie and daunger of death by falling from an horse S. Iohn of Beuerlaye the Bishop that was his master asked him whether he knewe without all scruple or doubt that he was baptized or no to whome hee aunswered that he certainely knewe that he was baptized and tolde the priestes name that baptized him To whome the Bishop replied saying If you were baptized of him doubtlesse you were not well baptized for I knowe him well and am right well assured that when he was made priest he could not for his dulheaded wit learn neither to instruct nor to baptize And for that cause I haue streightly charged him not to presume to that ministerie which he could not do accordingly By this it may be gathered that the forme of baptisme was not set downe in writing which euery dulheaded dogbolt priest can reade but that it was referred to the learning of the minister which did instruct them that were of age and came to receiue baptisme But this ignorant priest whome S. Iohn of Beuerlay depriued of his ministerie could neither cathechise nor baptize for which cause the yong man being cathechised againe and after he recouered of his fall was baptized a newe as one that was not rightly baptized before Moreouer lib. 4. cap. 24. Beda sheweth of one Cednom in the Abbay of Hilda to whome was giuen miraculously the gift of Singing and making Hymnes for religion in his mother tongue of the creation of the world and all histories of the olde Testament of the incarnation passion resurrection and ascention of Christ c. which by all likelihoode were vsed in the Churches And when Latine seruice was first vsed it is not incredible but that the people did meetely well vnderstand it for the Latine tongue was in those days vnderstood in most places of the Westerne Church And Beda noteth some especially which vnderstoode no language but the Saxon. The interpreters which Augustine brought out of Fraunce do confirme this coniecture For the rude Latine tongue spoken in France was better vnderstood of the vulgar people then that was spoken at Rome and in Italie for which cause there was a Canon made in the third Councel at Toures that the Homilies should be turned in rusticam Romanam linguam into the rude Latin tongue that they might more easily be vnderstoode of all men Againe the Britaines and Pictes which conuerted the greatest part of the Saxons howe could they haue been vnderstood preaching in Welsh but that the vulgare Latine tongue was a common language to them both Finally the manifolde vses of diuers Churches as Sarum Yorke c. declare that the Latine seruice was but lately in comparison set downe when knowledge decayed both in the Priestes and the people 27 Protestants haue plucked downe altars which they had of olde time They had altars but standing in the middest of the Church as y ◠tables stood in the Primitiue Church 28 Altar clothes and vestments vsed of them Protestants admit not A sorie ceremonie in which no part of Christianitie consisteth The like I say of the 29. holy vessels 30. holy water and 31. Ecclesiasticall censure about which there was no small adoe 32 Their primitiue Church was gouerned by Synodes of the Clergie only in determining controuersies of religion which Protestants haue called from thence vnto the Lay court onely The latter part is a slaunder vpon the Protestantes the former part a lye vpon the auncient Saxons for at the Synode holden at Strenshalch not only the kings Oswine Alfride were present but also king Oswine did order the Synode and in the end concluded the matter in controuersie lib. 3. cap. 25. 33 The spirituall rulers of the primitiue Church were Bishops and pastours duely consecrated protestants haue no consecration no true Bishops at all This is an other lewd slander against y e Protestants for they haue true Bishops though not cōsecrated after the Popish manner Laurence the second Archbishop of Canterburie acknowledgeth the Ministers of y e Scots and Britaines for Bishops although they were not subiect to the Church and See of Rome lib. 2. cap. 4. Aidanus Finanus Colmanus are iudged of Beda for true Bishops although they were deuided from the Church of Rome and so are such Bishops as were ordeined by them for they conuerted the greatest part of the Saxons vnto Christian faith As Northumbrians Mertians and East Saxons 34 Protestants haue brought the supreme gouernement of the Church to the Lay authoritie in the primitiue faith of our countrie the Lay was subiect to the Bishop in spirituall causes And so are they nowe in suche causes as they were subiecte then But that the supreame authoritie was in the ciuill Magistrate at that time it may appeare by these reasons First Pope Gregorie him self calleth the Emperour Mauritius his souereigne Lord lib. 1. cap. 23. 28. 29. 30. and after him Pope Honorius called Heraclius his souereigne Lord lib. 2. 18. King Sonwalch Preferred Agilbert and Wini to be Bishops afterward he deposed Wini which for mony bought for Wulfher king of Mercia the See of London lib. 3. cap. 7. Earcombert king of Kent of his princely authoritie purged his realme of idolatrie and commaunded that the fast of 40. dayes should be kept lib. 3. cap. 8. King Oswine ordered the Synod at Strenshalch li. 3. cap. 25. Oswine and Ecgbert kings deliberate touching the peacable gouernement of the Church and by the choice and consent of the Cleargie did nominate Wighard Archbishop of Canturburie lib. 3. cap. 29. King Ecgfride deposed Bishop Wilfride li. 4. ca. 12. Ost for
Christ these many hundreth yeares he alledgeth the sayinges of some Protestants miserably wrested from their meaning that Latimer was our Apostle that Luther begat trueth that the Gospel doth arise in the first appearing of the Gospel c or as though by these sayings such like they should deny that euer there had ben any Churche in the worlde before these times whereas euery childe may vnderstand they speake of the restitution of the truth of the Gospel into the open sight of the world in these latter days Likewise where some haue written that the Pope hath blinded the world these many hundreth yeares some say a thousand yeres some 1200. some 900. some 500. c. And the Apologie affirmeth that Christ hath saide the Church should erre he cauilleth that all the Church for so many yeares is condemned of all error Whereas it is euident to them that will vnderstande that although some erronious opinions haue preuailed in processe of time haue increased in the greatest part of the Church for many hundreth yeares yet so long as the only foundation of saluatioÌ„ was reteined the vniuersall Church of Christe so many hundreth yeares is not condemned But when Antichrist the mysterie of whose iniquitie wrought in the Apostles time 2. Thess. 2. was openly shewed and that apostasy which the Apostle foresheweth was fulfilled then and from that time whensoeuer it was not the vniuersall Church of Christ is condemned but the general apopasie of Antichrist is detected THE ARGVMENT WHEREVP-on this first part of the vawmure of this Fortresse is builded is thus framed by the builder himselfe The knowen Church of Christ doth continew and shall continue alwayes without interruption in the true and vpright faith But papistrie was the onely knowne Church of Christ all these nine hundreth yeares Ergo papistrie all these nine hundreth yeares hath continued and shal continue alwayes euen to the worldes end without interruption in the true and vpright faith This argument hath neuer a legge to stande vpon for vnderstanding as he doeth the knowen Church to be that which is knowne to the world to continue without interruption so knowne to the worlde the maior is false For although the Church shall continue alwayes without interruption yet it shall not continue alwayes so knowne but as in the dayes of Elias be hid from the outward viewe of men Againe the minor that Papistrie was the only knowen Church vnderstanding as he doth that it was only reputed taken and acknowledged so to be it is vtterly false For the Greeke Orientall Church which is not the Popish Church hath beene reputed taken and acknowledged to be the Church of Christ by as great a nomber of professors of Christianitie as haue acknowledged the Popish Church So that where he thinketh and saith al his labour remaineth to proue y e maior you see that if he could proue it yet al his labor is lost But to follow him in his maior he deuydeth it into two partes The one that the Church doeth alwayes continue in a right faith The other that this is a known Church Both these he promiseth to proue by Scripture And the first truely he shall not neede but yet it followeth not but that the church may erre in some particuler points not necessary to saluation although it continue in a right faith concerning all principall and necessarie articles CAP. III. Euident proofes cleare demonstrations out of the Psalms that the Church of Christ must continue for euer without interruption sounde vpright He is plentifull in prouing that which needeth no proofe that the Church of Christ shall continue alwayes and first out of the 88 Psalme which he rehearseth and interpreteth of the Church out of Augustine lest he should trust his owne iudgement as he fantasieth that our preachers do altogether refusing to read interpreters Wee affirme that the Church of Christ hath and shall continue to the worldes ende but we deny that the Popish Church is that which could not be before there was a Pope before their heresies were brought out of the bottomlesse pit which were not breathed vp all in 600. yeares after Christ no not in 1000 yeares after Christ and some not almost in 14. hundreth yeares after Christ I meane the sacrilegious taking away of the communion of the blood of Christ from the people in the councell of Constance What impudencie is it of Papistes to vrge the perpetuall continuance of Christes Churche without interruption and then to begin at 600. yeres after Christ and not to be able to shewe a perpetuall course of all their doctrine from Christ his Apostles and the primitiue Church But to proue that the church of Christ cannot possibly as Protestants wickedly do fable haue fayled and perished these many hundreth yeares he citeth the 61. Psalme with Augustines exposition thereupon But what Protestant so fableth M. Stapleton you had neede to make men of paper to fight against the paper walles of your fantasticall fortresse The Papistes when they cannot confute that we say they wil beate downe that we say not How saye the Protestantes that these 900. yeares and vpward the Church hath perished it hath beene ouerwhelmed with Idolatrie and superstition The Protestants neuer sayde so M. Stapl. The Church hath not perished though the greatest part of the worlde hath beene ouerwhelmed with idolatrie and superstition God can prouide for his chosen that they shall not be drowned when all the worlde beside is ouerwhelmed Another testimonie to the like effect and with the like conclusion he bringeth out of y e psal 104 thereupon a pithy syllogisme We proue the Catholike Church by the continuance of Christianitie The continuance of Christianitie only in Papistry is cleare ergo Papistry is only the true Church of Christ. Nego tibi minorem M. Stepl When will you proue the continuance of Christianitie only in Papistrie when Papistrie began since Christ his Apostles and if you meane Christianitie for the externall profession of Christes religion then will you proue the Orientall Churches to be papistrie which defye the authoritie of your Pope Last of all out of the Psalm 101. and Augustines application of the same against the Donatistes which sayde that the church was perished out of al the worâ—d except Affrica where they were he would compare the Protestants to them whereas in deede the Papistes are more like to them For they holding that there is no Church of Christ but the Romish church affirme in effect as the Donatistes that the Church of Christ for many hundreth yeares hath perished out of all partes of the world beside Europa where onely yet not in all partes thereof they haue borne the sway Whatsoeuer therefore Augustine writeth against the Donatistes for shutting vp the Church of Christ onely in Affrica may be rightly applyed to the Papistes for restraining it onely to a part of Europa But contrary to the Papistes and
Donatistes we affirme that the Catholike church of Christ is and hath beene euen in the most darke times of Antichristes kingdome dispersed throughout the whole world nothing doubting but God which preserued 7000. in one corner of Israel not much greater then some shyere of England hath preserued seuen thousand thousande in all partes of the wyde world which neuer bowed their knees to the Romish Baal nor kissed him with their mouth CAP. IIII. Proofes and testimonies one of the Prophet Esay that the Church of the Messias continueth for euer vnto the worlds end assisted alwayes by God himselfe The testimonies of the perpetuitie of the Church out of the Prophet Esay with the exposition of Hieronyme vpon them maketh nothing against vs which willingly acknowledge the same But denye that they perteine to the Popish Church which had her beginning long after Christe and his Apostles and her full tyranny confirmed more than 1000. yeares after Christe The same Hierome disputeth against the custome of the particular Church of Rome and appealeth to the Church of all the worlde Si auctoritas quaeritur orbis maior est vrbe c. If authoritie be sought the world is greater then a citie And againe Quid mihi profers vnius vrbis consuetudinem What bringest thou forth to mee the costome of one citie Euagr. We stand for the Catholike Church of Christ dispersed ouer all the world against the particular schismaticall hereticall and Antichristian church of Rome which though shee haue inuaded by tyranny ouer a great part of Europe yet neuer did shee preuaile ouer the whole Church throughout the world not yet ouer all Europe CAP. V. The doctrine of Caluine touching the Church is examined to the touchstone of the holy Scriptures alledged Wherein also is treated and disputed by what markes the Church may be known First he confesseth that Caluine hath learnedly largely and truely treated of the vnitie authoritie and obedience of the Church He affirmeth also that he acknowledgeth a visible Church in the worlde whose communion we ought to keepe and of her to receiue the spirituall foode of doctrine and sacraments which ought not to be forsaken for the euil life of the members thereof All this he commendeth and alloweth But herein he sheweth his malicious cauilling stomak that he supposeth Caluine to affirme that the vniuersall Church of Christ is visible where he speaketh but of particular congregations members of the whole which are visible not to the world always but to the members of the same The markes of the Church which Caluine sayeth to be true preaching of the worde of God and due administration of the sacraments although he confesseth them to be in the Church yet he denyeth them to be the markes of the Church For the marke must be better knowne then the thing whereof it is a marke but the Church is more euident then those markes ergo they be no true markes The minor he proueth by that which Caluine teacheth that wee must learne of the Church the true meaning of the Scripture But hereof it followeth not that y e Church is better known then these markes For there is a farther tryal which ought to be better known by which both are to be knowne namely the worde of God whereunto wee must haue recourse to trye whether those things that are preached are euen so in deede as the Thessalonians did by the preaching of Paul Barnabas Act. 17. ver 11. The vnmouable trueth is to be sought in the Scriptures what preaching or Church agreeth with that trueth is to be receiued none other And whereas he sayeth that Heretikes challenge these markes as well as Catholiks I grant they do so but no more do they challenge these markes then they challenge the Church to be on their side for there was neuer heresie but they bragged as much of the Church as of the trueth Therefore the Church is not more cleare then these markes but these marks tryed by y e worde of God are more cleare then the Church which is therefore the Church because it maintaineth true doctrin The doctrine is not true because the Church maintaineth it The cause is better known then the effect for knowledge is to vnderstand by causes But M. Stapl. hath two better markes then Caluine describeth To wit the vniuersalitie and communion of all nations The continuance and euer-remaining thereof among Christians These markes by no Logyke can be causes of the Church but adiuncts vnto it and therefore the worst arguments that can be to knowe it by euen such as the foolish mans argument was that knew his horse by the brydle But admitt these to be proper adiuncts of the Church yet shall not the popish Church be able to prooue those to be her markes For Popery neither doth neither euer did possesse all the worlde except a peece of Europe be all the world The Church of Christ is Catholike although there were but three of foure persons in all the worlde that mainteined true doctrine as there was not many when Christ his Apostles and a fewe other were the onely Church in all the world and the Catholike Church before they were dispersed into many nations For y e Church is called Catholike or vniuersall not because all men or most men do pertaine vno it but because all that be members of Christ howe many or howe fewe so euer they be and wheresoeuer they be are members of that Church But M. Stapl. sayth The vniuersalitie of the Church is a matter euident to the eye therefore the Catholike Church is alwayes visible To this I answer that if the Catholike Church or the vniuersalitie thereof were alwayes visible or at any time visible or the vniuersalitie thereof euident to the eye it should be no article of faith for faith is of such things as are not seen with the eye but beleued with the heart Heb. 11. ver 1. We agree with Augustine against the Donatists that no heresie was in all countreys in all ages For Papistrie which is the greatest heresie apostasye was neuer in all countryes all ages But if an heresie were in all countries and ages yet proueth it not it self to be a Catholike trueth Idolatrie hath beene in all countries and ages yet is it not thereby prooued to be a Catholike trueth The Church of Christe whereof we are members hath bene in al partes of the world and in all ages though not alwayes not euer receiued of the greatest part of men And if this be a most cleare and euident marke as he saith that no heretike can pretende to be ioyned in communion with all Christian countries The Popish Church hath not this marke which is not ioyned in communion with the Greekes Armenians Chaldeans Aethiopians and so many nations as at this day and since the Apostles times haue bene Christened Countries But nowe wee come to the seconde marke of the Church The continuance thereof
the Priest should kepe knowledge and men should require the law of his mouth Agg. 2. Aske the priest the Lawe But what dronken Flemming of Douaie would reason thus The Scribes and the Pharisees sate in Moses chaire therefore the Synagogue did either neuer or not then erre Our Sauiour Christ willed thē to be heard while they spake out of Moses chaire not while they taught to worship God in vaine preferring their traditions before the commandement of God But who would spend any more time in reasoning against such a one as defendeth that the Scribes and the Pharises did not erre whose false doctrine cōcerning adulterie murther swearing the worship of God not onely the person but also the qualitie of Messias and his kingdome our sauiour Christ him selfe so often so sharply doth reproue But the whole synagogue saith he in necessary knowledge of the lawe of Moses did neuer erre If he vnderstand the whole synagogue for euerie man we confesse the same and so we say that the whole Church that is all the elect neither in the first sixe hundreth nor in the latter nine hundreth yeares did neuer erre in necessary knowledge of the Gospel But if you take the whole synagogue for the whole multitude that had the ordinary authority and did beare the outward face and countenance of the Church they haue erred before the comming of Christ Example in the whole synagogue in the dayes of Iosias when the very booke of the lawe was vnknowen vnto the Priestes vntill it was found by occasion of taking out of mony out of the temple by Hilchiah the priest So that from the beginning of the reigne of Manasse vntill the 18. yeare of the reigne of Iosias which was almost 80. yeares Idolatry openly preuailed in the temple of God the whole synagogue that is all in authority and countenance embracing the same except a fewe poore Prophetes that were slaine for crying out against it 2. King 22. 2. Chro. 34. And such was the state of the Church in the most corrupt times continuing as then but yet in persecution aduersity and beeing vnknowen vnto the worlde except now and then God stirred vp some witnesse to testifie his truth which was slaine of the beast Apoc. 11. Now concerning the childish sophisme that although it was not possible that the Church could erre yet it is not proued that it hath erred what shold I speake When the defender directly oppugneth that paradoxe which the Papistes holde namely that the Churche cannot erre To conclude while he walketh vnder a cloude of the Church sanctified and assisted by the holy Ghost defended by the presence of Christ c. He playeth bo peepe vnder a coverlet For what so euer promises are made to the faithfull spouse of Christe pertaine nothing at al to the Popish Church of Antichrist which is departed from the faith carrying the brandmarks of hypocrisie in prohibition of marriage and meates so euident that all the water in the sea can not wash them out CAP. XI Obiections out of the News Testament moued and assoyled The first obiection is the abhomination of desolation standing in the holy place that is the Church Matth. 24. He asketh where the defender hath learned to expound this holy place of the Church Forsooth where M. Stapleton learned that it may be vnderstood of the temple at Ierusalem where Pilate placed Caesars image or of the Image of Adriane Namely in Hierome vpon this text Matth. 24. which vnderstandeth the abhomination of desolation to be Antichrist of whom Saint Paule speaketh whom he denieth not but that he shal sit in the Church his wordes are these De hoc Apostolus loquitur quòd homo iniquitatis aduersarius eleuandus sit contra omne quod dicitur Deus colitur ita ut audeat stare in templo Dei ostendere quòd ipse sit Deus cuius aduentus secundum operationem satanae destruat eos ad Dei solitudinem redigat qui se susceperint Potest autem simpliciter aut de Anti christo accipi aut de imagine Caesaris c. Of this abhomination of desolation the Apostle also speaketh that the man of sinne and the aduersary shalbe lifted vp against all that is called God or worshipped so that he dare stand in the temple of God and shewe himselfe as God whose comming according to the working of Satan may destroy them bring them to solitarines frō God which shal receiue him and it may either be taken simply of Antichriste or of the image of Caesar c. Let him now reason with Hieronyme howe the sacrifice should ceasse after the ende of 62. weekes Although for my part I thinke the pollution of the temple whiche was a token of the desolation imminent was a figure of the corruption of the Church by AntiChriste The 2. obiection S. Paul witnesseth that Antichrist should sit in the temple of God that is in the Church What of this saith he will it followe that he hath sitten there these 900. yeares As though the defender were to proue how long Antichrist should sit and not rather that the visible and outwarde multitude of the Church should erre Like madnes shal I say or impudence he sheweth where he saith the protestantes commonly name S. Gregorie to be that Antichrist Which I am sure he neuer read nor heard any protestant affirme But the Pope cānot be Antichrist saith he because Antichrist should then labour to extirpe the faith of Christe for the Pope hath called people from infidelitie to Christianitie That letteth not but that he is Antichrist for the Pope calleth none but vnto the name of Christianitie vnder colour of which he exerciseth tyranny otherwise he laboureth to extirpe the faith of Christ and to preferre himself before Christ whose redemption he teacheth to take away onely the guilt of sinne whereas his pardon taketh away both the paine and the guilt of sinne The thirde obiection is out of S. Peter that in the Church should be many masters and teachers of lyes But these sayth he shall not tarie 900. yeares for their destruction sleepeth not A wise shift as though the Apostle gaue not a generall admonition for the Church in all ages euen in that wherein he liued himselfe The last is out of 1. Tim. 4. that in the latter dayes such should come which shall giue eare to the doctrine of deuils forbidding to marrie and eate suche meates as God hath created to be receiued with thanksgiuing In this matter he professeth to be short as he hath no lust to tarrie being in that wherein his cauterized conscience is so galled But he aunswereth briefly it was fulfilled in the Manichees what then doth it followe that it is not fulfilled in the Papistes Doth the spirite speak euidently of the Manichees an obscure heresie and not rather of the Apostasie of Antichrist whose hypocrisie should be cloaked by fained chastity and fasting No no Master Stapleton your conscience
point at it with his finger Let him I say point out with his finger what Kinges in euery age for the space of the first three hundreth yeares did walke in the brightnesse of the Churches arising It will not serue him to name Algarus of Edessa or Lucius of Britaine But he must shewe a continuall succession of Kinges for all that time or if he can not let him confesse that the externall glorie and brightnesse of the Church is not in all ages to be seene as the spirituall magnificence and light thereof is euerlasting His nexte reason is of the continuance of Pastours and teachers in the Churche which he imagineth to haue fayled in our Church for nine hundreth yeares but he is altogether deceiued For when the state of the Romishe Churche was growen to be such a confuse Babylon that it was necessary for GODS people to goe out of it Apoc. Chap. 18. verse 4. Which came not to the full ripenesse of iniquitie vntill a thousande yeares after Christe GOD sent Pastours and teachers to his Churche so departed out of Babylon in these partes of Europe which continued by succession euen vntill GOD restored his Gospell into open light of the worlde againe Beside that a great number of Easterne Churches haue continued euen from the Apostles time vnto this day though not in soundnesse of all opinions yet in open profession of Christianitie among whome doubtlesse some reteyned the foundation alwayes which were neuer obedient to the see of Rome neither partakers of a greate nomber of her horrible heresies so that if it were graunted that the Churche must alwayes be visible yet the Papistes are neuer the neare to proue their faction to be the Church because the Greeke Church for outward shewe of a Churche hath bene alwayes as notorious in the East as the Latine Church in the West Finally where Augustine sayeth although vpon a text wrongly interpreted that the Churche is placed in the sunne that is a manifest place of the worlde not in a corner like the conuenticles of heretikes He meaneth not that the Church is alwayes seene of all men but that it seeketh no corners or couerture of darkenesse as heretikes doe to shrowd their falshoode in although in the time of persecution it be driuen into streightes and is content to be hidden from the aduersaries thereof except in some cases where the glorie of CHRISTE requireth an open confession The same Augustine would haue the Churche to be known onely by the Scriptures De vnitate Ecclesiae Cap. 16. Sed utrum ipst Ecclesiam teneant non nisi divinarum scripturarrum Canonicis libris ostendunt But whether they holde the Church let them shewe by none otherwayes but by the Canonicall bookes of the holy Scriptures If the Papistes were able to proue their doctrine by the scriptures they would not labour so muche for the title of the Church which of necessitie would followe them if they taught nothing but that and all that which the holy Scriptures doe teache CAP. XIIII Three reasons why the Church of Christ ought of necessitie alwayes to be a cleare euident visible and knowen Church In the seconde of which reasons a sensible disputation is made to trie whether our countrie among other might possiblie haue attayned to the right Faith without the helpe of a knowne Church in all this pretensed time of Papistrie The first reason is that except the Church and true pastors thereof might be openly knowne the infidell seeking for Christianitie shall come from paganisme to heresie c. the grace and gift of Christ shoulde bee vnprofitable as a riche treasure fast locked vp c. which were inconuenient in many respects c. therefore the Church must be openly knowne and euident c. I aunswere this reason sauoreth of Pelagianisme which is enimie to the grace of God presupposing that Infidels of their owne good motion without the grace of God may seeke Christianitie But if wee remember what our Sauiour Christ saith No man commeth vnto me except my father drawe him Ioan. 6. ver 44. Wee must acknowledge that as it is the onely grace of God that moueth in infidels a desire to seeke Christ so the same grace and no outward appearance to be iudged by carnall reason shall directe them whom he hath chosen to eternall life among so many sectes in the worlde to finde see and acknowledge the onely true Church and piller of trueth out of which there is no saluation Wherefore this reason hath no grounde but vppon a supposition of Pelagianisme that GOD hath onely reuealed his trueth vnto men of the worlde and lefte men to their owne reason to find it out by external notes such as Infidels not lightened by Gods grace by the light of naturall reason may descerne The seconde reason is that it hath pleased God that because The seconde reason is that it hath pleased God that because faith leaneth vpon authoritie and authoritie is strong in a multitude although in the primitiue Church by miracles euident giftes of the holy ghost the authoritie of a fewe drewe whole countryes to the faith yet miracles ceasing to keepe the Church alwayes in a knowen multitude whose authoritie might drawe the simple persuade the learned and keepe out the heretikes If this carnal reason were good there were smal or no vse of the scriptures at all The authoritie of the Church and that alwayes knowne might suffice for all matters But Augustine saith hee in his booke de vxilitate credendi ad Honoratum Cap. 14. vseth this reason to bring Honoratus from the Manichees to the Catholikes out of whome he citeth a long discourse to this effect That as the common multitude and fame moueth a man to beleeue that there was such a one as Christ and that his writings and scriptures are to be credited so of the head rulers of that multitude and not of any priuie and newe sect such as the Manichees was he must learne the vnderstanding of this booke and scriptures This he taketh vppon him to exemplifie by the state of our countrey at the firste conuersion thereof by Augustine Although this carnal reason might haue some shew with Honoratê° a straunger from the Church and one not lightened with the spirite of God yet howe vaine it is being applyed to the Papistes you may easily see by this that since the Church of Rome hath been the Church of Antichrist as great a multitude which might and hath moued many infidels to receuie the profession of Christianitie hath beene seperated from it as hath cleaued to it Put the case then of an infidell in the East which moued by the fame and consent of many nations hath thought well of Christ hath giuen credite to the Scriptures to what head rulers shoulde be resort for instruction in the Scriptures to the rulers of that multitude by which he was first moued to beleeue then shoulde he neuer become a Papist For all the Patriarches
of the East Church haue been and are stil at vtter defyance with the Pope of Rome You see therefore by plaine demonstration that this reason holdeth no further then Augustines authoritie extendeth who in other places appealeth onely to the Scriptures and euen against the Manichees confesseth that the playne demonstration of the trueth which is to be founde in the holye Scriptures is to be preferred before the consent of nations authoritie of miracles succession of Bishops vniuersalitie consent name of the Catholike Church and whatsoeuer can be taught beside Contra Epist. Manich. quam vocant fundamenti Cap. 4. The thirde reason why the Church must alwayes be a known multitude is for keeping out of wolues and heretikes which must be y t they which are tryed may be made manifest which cannot bee in a secrete congregation Yes M. Stapleton very well The Church was neuer so secrete but it was knowne to the members of it which might vse the authoritie thereof for trying auoyding and excommunicating of heretikes according to the holye scriptures But euermore you do wilfully deceiue your selfe when you affirme that there was no Christians knowen in the worlde by the space of 900. yeares but Papistes You cannot denye but Brytannie Scotlande Irelande had Christians at and since the comming of Augustine which were no Papistes as by the history of Beda is manifest What should I here name so many nations of Europe Asia and Africa which yet to this day continue in profession of Christianitie neuer were subiect to the tyrannye of the Romishe byshop and from whome the Romish byshop with his sect of Papistes hath clearely departed many hundreth yeares agoe Wherefore according to Augustines sentence the Catholike church is not a particuler sect in Europe but an vniuersall gathering of y e dispersed ouer all the world where God hath his elect in all places Or if you vnderstande the Church for a visible multitude professing Christ there is no reason why the churches of the East so many so large so ancient should be excluded and the multitude of Papists holding of one citie in Italy only to be receiued CAP. XV. A number of shamelesse shiftes and seely surmises which Protestants haue inuented to establish their variable doctrine and to confounde the authoritie of the Church In deede a number of these which he rehearseth as shamelesse shiftes are shamelesse lies and impudent slaunders deuised by the diuell to bring the trueth in disdaine but yet so openly proued to be false that they neede no confutation First he sayeth that Luther condemned all councels and fathers yea al learning of Philosophy and humanitie so that bookes were burned and common schooles ceased for certein yeares in Germany with other like monstrous lyes alledging for his author that beastly Apostata Staphylus This slaunder deserueth no aunswere being raysed by one shamelesse lyer against an hundreth thousand witnesses The seconde shift is that Luther did afterwarde receiue Philosophy and bookes of humanitie yea diuines of 500. or 600. yeares and some Councels also with this perilous condition so farre as they repugned not to holy Scripture This seemeth an vnreasonable condition to Stapleton who belike would haue all gentylitie and many heresies absolutely receyed The thirde The fathers should not be admitted when they taught any thing beside the expresse scripture As worshipping of Images praying to Saints c. which they had by tradition If such things came from the Apostles why were they not written by them as well as such fathers of later time yea why did the Apostles write that which is contrary to such traditions The fourth The first 600. yeares they did admit because they knewe there was litle in them against them cleare open because fewe bookes were writen in that time and many lost that were written And yet there remaine more writen in that time then a man can well reade ouer in seuen yeares Agayne cities being stuffed with heathen Iewes and heretikes euery mystery was not opened in pulpit nor committed to writing These belike were greater mysteries then the Apostles and Euangelistes haue committed to writing But I marueile howe they were taught if neither in pulpit nor in writing belike in secrete confession but our Sauiour Christe woulde haue his mysteries preached in the house toppes Last of all for that many controuersies nowe in hand were neuer heard of in those dayes Therefore M. Iewell made his challenge of the first 600. yeres which Stapleton thinketh he was not able to abyde by and that M. Nowel suspected no lesse because he accounted it a very large scope But howe he hath abyden by it is sufficiently proued to the glory of the trueth and the confusion of Papistrie The fifth They reiect the latter 900. yeares because Paynims yelding to the faith and heretikes to the Church the mysteries of our faith were more openly published in Pulpits writings It appeareth and that in recordes of the latter 900. yeares that many old heretiks still remained in the cities beside the Iewes remaining vntil this day of which he made the fathers of the first 600 years so much afraide for vttering the mysteries a◠of Paynims and heretikes The sixt Some holde that all the Church might erre for a time None euer helde that all the Church might erre so farre as that they fell away from Christ. The seuenth Other said there was a Church all this 900 yeares but oppressed by the miscreants being priuie and vnknowen This he sayth is vaine blasphemous being against holy Scripture and good reason as he hath proued What he hath proued you haue seene and howe the Scripture must be fulfilled which prophecyeth of the comming of Antichrist and the apostasie of men from the faith which cannot be if the Church should alwayes florish in multitude externall appearing of visible glory The eyght That Protestants bookes haue beene lost The ninth Bookes of holy fathers haue beene corrupted The tenth False writings haue beene deuised and fathered vpon the first Popes of Rome All these he compteth to be but suspitions surmises which are yet so manifest truthes that euen Thomas the vnbeleeuing Apostle without the iudgement of his senses might feale them with both his hands and be satisfyed although Thomas the Apostata from God and traytour to his Prince countrey will neither see nor handle them But all these surmises he will ouerthrow with supposing one case If a man haue continued in possession and coulde bring recordes of his right from William the Conquerour and all his neighbours to say for his quiet possession without checke or nay as the Papistes can deduct the possession of their religiō from 800. yeares c. were it a good plee against such a man to say his recordes are false his euidences forged his possession iniurious c. without bringing in any affirmatiue proofes recordes euidence or witnesse c. I answere it were no good plee But firste I
the Greeke and Easterne Churches from him which they count to be a schisme and heresie The third reason No heresie can continue and ouergrowe the true Church Papistrie hath continued Ergo Papistrie is no heresie The minor of this syllogisme is false for Papistrie hath not continued from the time of Christe but hath had her beginning long since and was not growne to a ripenesse of all her heresies in more then a thousand yeares after Christ as I haue shewed in the table of differences Therefore what so euer he saith to proue the maior is to no purpose when the minor is manifestly false CAP. XX. The third reason of the former chapter is fortified out of the aunicient and learned Fathers Nowe he taketh in hand a goodly piece of fortification and like a worthie surueior of the Popes buildings he bestoweth great cost out of Hilarius Chrysostome and Clemens Alexandrinus for defence of such a point as none of his aduersaries would euer offer to assaile Nameley the continuance of the Church and true religion which can not be ouercome not kept downe by any tyrannie or heresie but the more it is persecuted and oppressed the more it will flourish and increase And for this cause the true Church and faith of Christ although it haue bene long troden downe and afflicted by the tyrannie of Antichrist euen to such time as God had appointed that Antichrist shuld rage in the world for the sinnes thereof and especially for the contempt of the trueth 2. Thess. 2. yet hath it in the end preuailed encreased and flourished and by no craft or crueltie of Antichrist could any longer be suppressed or kept vnder Let not Papistes therefore bragge that they haue preuailed so long but let them nowe behold their ouerthrow by the increase of Gods Church and looke for their finall destruction at the glorious appearing of our Sauiour Christ. We doubt not therefore but determine with Augustine De vtilitate credendi to rest in y e bosome of that Church which from the seate of the Apostle by consent of mankind hath continued by succession of Bishops and hath obtained the height of authoritie all heretikes barking about it which partly by the iudgement of the people partly by the grauitie of Councels partly by the maiestie of miracles haue bene condemned But we vtterly denie the Popish Church to be this Church which hath had no continuance of succession from the Apostles seate in faith and doctrine though it claime neuer so much the succession of persons and places with the Donatistes Symon Magus Martion Eunomius and other heretikes we haue nothing to doe If trueth in Aerius and Vigilantius was condemned for errour not by the scriptures but by the tradition of men such condemnation can be no preiudice to them or their opinion when being called againe into iudgement they are found by sentence of Gods word the iudgement of the more ancient Fathers to haue ben wrongfully condemned To conclude Papistrie hath not preuailed against the church of God which hauing sought by all meanes so long time to roote her out of the earth yet was neuer able to bring to passe her wicked deuice but that the Church of Christ and the true religion thereof hath at last in the sight of al men gotten the vpper hand in despight of the Pope and Papistrie and all Papistes THE SECOND part of the Fortresse CAP. I. CErtaine demaundes to Protestantes putting the case that Papistes these many hundreth yeres haue liued in a wrong faith all which the case so put they ought of necessitie to satisfie WHat so euer the Protestantes can say for them selues as their credite is not great with him except they can proue one of his two demaūds he thinketh no godly or wise man will regard any thing they can say The first demaund is where or vnder what Pope or Emperour Papistrie beganne I aunswere Papistrie being antichristianitie the mysterie of that iniquitie began euen in the time of the Apostles 2. Thess. 2. Claudius being Emperour of Rome and so contiuned increasing in Apostasie vntill the time of Sigismund the Emperour who procured the Councel of Constance in which the lay people were robbed of the cup of the Lordes bloud Stapleton must beare with me if I can not name the Pope bicause at that time there were no lesse then three Popes at once and no man then liuing but as he was affectionate to one of those three could determine which of them was Pope This Stapleton though he haue a brasen face will not denie He requireth vs further to shewe the complaint of other Churches against Papistrie First for the beginning of the mysterie of iniquitie S. Paul complaineth 2. Thess. 2. And for the proceeding of that which was y e chiefe point therof namely the tyrannie of y e Bishop of Rome alwayes as it shewed it selfe some there were which complained of it Victor is the first Bishop of Rome which discouered the hid mysterie of iniquitie in vsurping against his fellowe Bishops in the time of the Emperour Seuerus against whome complained sharply reproued him Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons Polycrates and many other Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 25. Afterward in the dayes of Theodosius Honorius and Arcadius the Emperours when the Bishops of Rome Innocentius Bonifacius Zosimus Anastasius and Celestinus vsurped more openly in so much that they forged among them a decree of the Councel of Nice whereby they claimed their authoritie they were complained of by the Bishops and Church of Africa in open Councel the forgerie detected and decrees made that none in Africa should appeale to any Bishop ouer the Sea And that the Bishop of the first See should not be called prince of Priestes nor by any such name of pride but onely Bishop of the first See Conc Mileuit c. 22. Conc. Carth. 6. cap. 4. Conc. African c. 92. Ep. Concil ad Bonifac. Caelestinum Afterward in the dayes of the Emperour Mauritius when Iohn of Constantinople vsurped the title of vniuersall Bishop as the forerunner of Antichrist Gregorie him selfe Bishop of Rome complained of him and pronounced that he was the forerunner of Antichrist Wherefore Stapleton lyeth shamefully when he saith we make him the first Antichrist for as I haue testified before although there was in him a superstitious affection vnto ceremonies and that he was infected with certaine olde errours that had preuailed before his time yet bicause he helde the foundation of saluation by Christ onely and detested the vsurpation of that Antichristian title we account him for a member of the true Church of Christ. But after him when in the dayes of Phocas Bonifacius by pride and symonie had vsurped the same Antichristian authoritie and procured that the Church of Rome should be counted head of all Churches he was complayned of by the Church of Rauenna in Italie which would not acknowledge that Antichristian title neyther would submitte her selfe vnto the whore of
Babylon before the time of Donus the Pope which was almoste seuentie yeres after that Maister Stapleton misnameth Martianus in steede of Mauritius I will impute it to no ignorance although if such a faulte escape any of vs we are by and by cried out vpon to be ignorant in all antiquity c. Thus haue I aunswered Maister Stapletons demaunde concerning the principall foundation and rocke of Papistrie although no necessitie suche as hee supposeth doeth moue mee For albeit the precise time of the entring of any heresie can not be named yet it followeth not that the same heresie is a trueth therefore The second demaunde is when and by whome Luther was called when he begunne to preache the Gospell I aunswere if calling of the Popishe Churche be lawfull as the Papistes will not denye Luther had suche ordinary calling as the Churche where he liued did allowe for he was called to be a publike teacher before the Popes pardoner came into Saxony against whose moste impudent blasphemies and shamelesse errours he first inueyghed in his publike sermons Wherefore concerning his vocation the mouthes of Papistes ought to be stopped But Stapleton will not be so satisfied for he sayeth that the Popish Churche would neuer call him to preache against her selfe that is not materiall the Popishe Churche gaue him such authority as she had to preache whiche he vsed first to seeke her reformation if she had bene reformable but when he sawe her oppose her selfe against the manifest trueth he had iust cause to departe from her vnto the Catholike Churche of CHRISTE It sufficeth not Stapleton that hee learned by the Scriptures that the Churche erred bycause all heretikes abuse the Scriptures as thoughe there were no certainty of trueth to be founde in the Scriptures which blasphemie derogateth all authoritie from the holy Scriptures inspired of GOD whiche the Apostle sayeth to bee able to reprooue all errours that the man of GOD may be perfecte prepared to all good workes 2. Tim. 3. ver 16. Againe where hee affirmeth that he had the interpretation of the Scriptures from heauen Stapleton vrgeth that then he must shewe some miracle as if the ordinary inspiration of Gods spirite without the which no man can vnderstand any of Gods mysteries of necessitie requireth confirmation of miracles But Luther him selfe he sayeth requireth miracles of Muncer whiche boasted of Reuelation and so ought we to doe of Luther No sir Muncer boasted of an extraordinary Reuelation and taught a doctrine directly contrary to the worde of GOD written and therefore the case is nothing lyke After this hee telleth a slaunderous fable out of that runnagate Baldwine of the conference at Poissie that Beza and Martyr could not agree whether their calling was ordinary or extraordinary the conclusion whereof was this that Beza was ordeined of Caluine and Caluine as Beza sayde of none Which how impudent and shamelesse a lye it is that Beza should reprote of Caluine it is manifest to all men that knowe the storie of that Churche and citie of Geneua that Caluine was called and ordeyned by the Churche there when he was altogether vnwilling to remaine in that Citie but in a manner compelled by the earnest obtestation of Farellus Cal. in Praefa in Psalm Beza in vita Caluini And yet more monstruous is that lye that Beza should grant the rebellion that followed to be a signe of his vocation when the worlde knoweth that the beginning of these ciuill warres came altogether from the Papistes the Duke of Guise giuing the occasion by the Diuelishe slaughter and buchery of Vassie But to the principall matter in question that Luther and some other hauing an extraordinary calling from God to teach and reforme the Church need not to conâ—irme their calling by miracles when they teach nothing but that is confirmed by manifest authoritie of holy Scriptures in the consciences of all men that wilfully oppose not themselues against the trueth either y â— they will not knowe it or that they will not obey it It is euident by so many prophets as God stirred vp in the olde time which had no extraordinary calling of the Church being not of the tribe of Leui yet being only interpreters of the lawe needed no signes or miracle to confirme their calling Our Sauiour Christ himselfe confirmeth the extraordinary calling of the Scribes and Pharisees when he willeth them to be heard sitting in Moses chaire of which yet a great number and almost all were no Leuites nor Priestes therefore had no ordinary calling Yet Gregory himselfe in the history of Bede at the first planting of the particular Church in Englande alloweth extraordinary ordeyning of Bishops Lib. 1. Cap. 27. Wherefore if Luthers calling were altogether extraordinary as Papistes can not say except they deny the calling of their owne Churche he is not bound to approue his calling by miracles when his doctrine and all things in which hee departeth from the Church of Rome is proued true and agreeable to the word of God The third demaunde is that we must shewe a succession from the Apostles as the Scripture witnesseth the Churche to haue and the auncient fathers exacted of Heretikes The Scripture requireth no succession of names persons or places but of faith and doctrine and that wee prooue when we approue our faith and doctrine by the doctrine of the Apostles Neither had the fathers any other meaning in calling vpon newe vpstart heresies for their succession but of a succession of doctrine as well as of persons Which is manifest by Tertullian De praescript Ita per successiones c. So comming downe by successions from the beginning that their first bishop haue for his authors and antecessours one of the Apostles or Apostolike men but yet such a one as hath continued with the Apostles These wordes of Tertullian are manifest that succession of Bishoppes euen to the Apostles helpeth not excepte there be a continuance in the doctrine of the Apostles whiche when the Papistes can shewe we will gladly yeld vnto them In the meane time it is not the continual succession of persons in any place which teach contrary to their antecessours which haue taught in that place that can carry away the credite of the whole doctrine and religion of Christe CAP. II. An Introduction to the proofes which followe in the seconde part of this fortresse Repeating what he fantasieth he hath fortified before which howe weake it is I haue sufficiently discouered in this Chapter hee promiseth first to declare by diuerse sure and necessary tokens whiche protestantes doe lacke that the faith then planted was a right faith which in many principall pointes we doe not denye but that it was a right faith Secondly repeating the difference in doctrine gouernement ceremonies course and consequence of both the religions he will prooue all that they had differring from vs partly by Scripture and partly by the faith of the first sixe hundreth yeares To which I replye
First that what so euer was then taught contrary to that we teache for matter of faith can not be prooued by Scripture Secondly that although some errours which then were taught may be prooued to haue bene helde within the sixe hundreth yeares yet they can not bee prooued to haue bene helde alwayes especially in the oldest times and therefore can make no preiudice against our cause which take not vppon vs to allowe all thinges that were helde in sixe hundreth yeares no more then the Papistes themselues doe Finally I haue shewed as many differences of that time from the Papistes as he is able to shewe of vs from them and yet some of his differences are impudent forgeries CAP. III. Fiue apostolicall markes found in our Apostles and wanting in Protestantes who must be our Apostles if the other were not The Protestantes take not vppon them to be Apostles but professours and teachers of the Apostolike doctrine And therefore they boast of no miracles which is with him the first note of Augustines Apostleship which miracles if they were testified to vs by an Euangelist we might well beleeue them but seeing they are written by a credulous man y t recordeth euery fable that was tolde him we haue small cause to credite them Bedes history is no Gospell Beside that y e bryttish histories vtterly deny those supposed miracles reporting Augustine to be a minister of Sathan rather then of God But admit that he did some of those things as are reported of him it might please GOD in respecte of Christian faith which he planted among the English nation to woorke some miracles by him and yet not to allowe all thinges that he taught Shall not the very workers of iniquitie saye in that daye Lorde wee haue wrought miracles in thy name Matth. 7. vers 22. As for the miracle supposed to bee done by Master Lane of Westchester whiche hee scorneth at I see not but it is as good as the best done by Augustine and yet for mine owne parte I thinke it was no miracle but a naturall worke the mayde perhaps being affected with the mother or some such like disease The lyes he telleth of Luther and Caluine out of that vngodly rascall Staphylus I thinke not worthy to be spoken of although he make him selfe witnesse of the one and the other is a monstrous inuention of Sathan which being reported to be done in a noble citie and before so manye witnesses can finde none that had the brasen face like Staphylus to saye he sawe it Which making and louing of lyes sheweth Papistes to be the right begotten children of the diuell the father of lyes The miracles reported by Master Foxe the shamelesse beast when he cannot denye being testified by witnesses aboue all exception he can make affirmeth to be esteemed of his owne fellowes but as ciuile things and such as may happen by course of reason I saye not this as though I woulde haue our doctrine the rather to be credited one iotte more for anye such miracle but to shewe the shamelesse dogged stomacke of this Popishe slaunderer which when hee had none other aunswere to make as concerning such miracles forgeth that wee our selues denye all such to haue beene miracles which he is not able to prooue although he woulde burst for malice against the trueth The seconde marke and difference is that there was one heart of the beleeuers Augustine his company neuer disagreed The Protestants are at great variance among them selues not for learnings sake as the Concurrents in Italye nor vppon quirkes and subtilties in matters indifferent as the schoolemen that holde positions but vpon the weightiest articles of our beleefe as heretikes are wont to holde opinions I answere among them that haue departed from y e Church of Rome vnto y ◠Church of Christ there hath beene some variance about the Lordes supper but yet in no greater matters then hath beene betweene two godly martyrs of the primitiue Church Cornelius of Rome and Cyprian of Carthage about baptisme although not handled with like modestie on the one part as was then of both yea no greater then as yet remaineth vndecided among the Papistes touching y ◠authoritie of the Pope and the Popish generall Councell although they all like Pilate and Herode the Pharisees Saducees can agree together to put Christ to death and to persecute the trueth Finally if in the first restoring of the truth some matters to some men were not so apparant what marueile when your Augustine and ours also as farre as he was Christes was doubtfull and ignorant euen in very small trifling matters which argued some dissention of opinion in him and his monkes or else those questions might haue beene determined without sending to Rome li. 1. Cap. 27. c. The thirde marke is an ordinarie vocation which Luther lacked I denye that Augustine had an ordinarie vocation to preach in Englande or that the Bishop of Rome hath any ordinary authoritie to sende Apostles into the countries of any Infidels which if he had they should be the Bishop of Romes apostles and not the Apostles of Christ. For they be his apostles which hath authoritie to send them But if Augustine had ordinary vocation by the Bishop of Rome why had not Luther ordinary vocatiō of that church which authorized him to preach If you say he could haue no ordinarye vocation because he was an heretike I aunswere It followeth not for euen heretikes haue had ordinary vocatiō namely so many bishops and priestes of Rome Alexandria and other places as after their calling haue fallen into heresies Wherfore leaue his vocation which against you is good ynough and trye his doctrine If his doctrine be found true and agreeable to the worde of God who hath stirred him vp to discouer openly the heresies of Antichrist let not his doctrine be refused for his extraordinarie calling The slaunders and vnlearned conclusions against Luther I omit as vnworthie any aunswer being either false lyes of Staphylus or inconsequent collections of Stapleton The fourth Apostolicall marke is the continuance of 900. yeares whereas the Protestants doctrine hath continued but 30. yeares or as the blockheaded Papist scorneth at M. Haddon 30. yeeres except 6. with Gamaliels counsell vpon the matter which with this Popish priest is good diuinitie If this Councell or worke be of men it will come to nought c. whose antecedent being true the conclusion is stark naught To this I aunswere I haue shewed by many differences that the religion brought in by Augustine hath not continued without alteration in many pointes these 900. yeares And albeit it had yet it is not therby proued true because diuerse heresies haue continued much longer time which are not thereby iustified as of the circumcisers Nestorians c. yea Mahometisme hath continued 900. yeares begon with fained miracles commended by Sergius a monke which had ordinary vocation to teache continued with great cōsent these 900. yeres which
are 4. of Stapletons apostolik marks also techeth many things that before were vnknowen which is the fifth marke Whereas Protestants haue added nothing to the faith of Christ but taken many things away from it I answere if Augustine with him brought in all trueth and besides that some errours which haue encreased in processe of time thicke and threefolde Protestants were worthie of thankes for remouing the errours though they brought in no new matters of faith as he is thankes worthie which weedeth a garden or feelde although he sowe no newe seedes therein But it is most vntrue that Papistes had all trueth before we discouered their errours for the doctrine of iustification of the worship of God of the vse of good workes and of the sacraments was either almost or altogether lacking in Popery which by the doctrine of the Gospell is restored But now let vs see what Protestants haue taken away Forsooth From the quicke from the dead from faith from the Church from Saints from God From the quicke free will state of perfection and all merite of good workes Yea sir Pelagian the Scripture sayeth No quicke man shalbe iustified in the sight of God Psalm 143. v. 2. which taketh away all that you haue giuen him From the dead all prayer intercession for them When you can allow the dead these things out of the Scripture we will not denye it to them From the faith an article of Christes discention into hell A lewd lye of a slaunderous Papist From the Church as it is the whole bodye fiue sacraments Three more then Christ instituted The continuall assistance of Gods holy spirite promised by our Sauiour A shamefull lye And the visible sight in this world assured vnto vs by holy scripture That Scripture is yet to shewe whereby the Churche should be promised alwayes to be in open sight of y ◠greatest parte of the worlde From the Church as the spirituall parte they haue taken supreme gouernement in matters Ecclesiasticall None other then such as is against the Scripture Let euery soule submit it selfe to the higher powers Rom. 13. ver 1. Authoritie of making that which Christ had them to make in his last supper If you saye you make the body of Christ in such sence as you affirme the sacrament to be the bodye of Christe Gods cursse light on you The doing of all that Christe commaunded to be done in remembrance of him we take not away The power of binding and loosing with most of the authoritie due vnto that estate and vocation A very slaunder From the Church they take Altars crosses Images c. Because the temple of God hath nothing to doe with Images 2. Cor. 6. ver 16. From God him selfe an externall sacrifice the true proper seruice due to God onely and continually as Saint Augustine prooueth at large De ciuitate Dei A slaunder of Augustine which lib. 10. Cap. 20. calleth the Lordes supper a sacrament of the oblation of Christe the onely singuler sacrifice so that nowe there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne for by one sacrifice once offered he hath made perfect for euer those that are sanctified Heb. 10. ver 14. by which only sacrifice there was forgiuenesse of our sinnes and where there is forgiuenesse of sinnes there is no more sacrifice for sinne Heb. 10. 18. You see what sure and stedfast apostolike markes these are which are founde in Mahomet as much as in Augustine so that if Augustine had not the worde of God to warrant the principall partes of the faith which he preached in Englande by these fiue markes he might neither be proued to bee an Apostle nor yet a true preacher CAP. IIII. Differences in doctrine betweene the primitiue faith of Englande and the heresie of Protestants And first of Masse of the propitiation thereof of intercession of Saintes of their commemoration at Masse time of confession of sinnes and of merite of good workes Concerning the differences I haue written alreadie in answere to his table of differences Nowe must we see how he proueth them by testimonye of y ◠firste 600. yeares The first in this Chapter and sixth in number is the Masse whose name he may in deede finde within the compasse of 600. yeares although otherwise taken then it is of papistes but yet frō Christ vntill 400. yeares be complete the name of Missa is not founde in any auncient authenticall writer And therefore he beginneth with Ambrose in his Epistle E. 33. which place you shall finde discussed in mine aunswere to Heskins lib. 3. Cap. 32. letting you to vnderstande by the way that he citeth the wordes otherwise then they be and so doeth M. Heskins and yet neither of thē both as they be in Ambrose by which it appeareth that neither of them both read them in Ambrose Stapleton citeth them thus Missam facere caepi Dwum offerrem nuntiatum est c. I began to say Masse whyle I offred worde was brought to me c. Ambrose saith somewhat otherwise The next testimonies he citeth are out of Augustine Ser. 251. 237. de tempore which all learned men knowe to be none of Augustines but if they were they be after 400. yeares beforesaide The next is Leo Ep. 81. Cap. 2. which in mine answere to Heskins before quoted you shall finde handled at large After this followe the Canons of 7. or 8. councels prouinciall in which the name of Missa is found but all kept aboue 400. yeares after Christ and therfore proue not a perpetuall continuance of that name from Christ vntill the first 600. yeares ended Besides that the Masses so named were neither informe nor matter that which the popish Masse is For concerning y ◠forme it was patched together in many partes long after the first 600. yeares as their own Pontificall and other histories witnesse Concerning the matter it was not the Popish Masse for that there was in it a Communion and the naturall bodye of Christe was not offered therein which within the first 600. yeares was not beleeued to be really and corporally in the Sacrament The seuenth difference is that the Masse is a propitiatorie sacrifice and was so beleeued in the first 600. yeares Whereof he reporteth him to Cyprian Ser. 5. De lapsis who sayth The conscience of sinners is purged with the sacrifice of the priest But Cyprians words are not so he speaketh of them which being fallen in time of persecution made hast to the communion without dewe repentance and publike satisfaction to y ◠church and prayer of the priestes made for their sinnes Ante exomologesin factam criminis ante purgatam conscientiam sacrificio manu sacerdotis before confession of their offence being made before their conscience be purged by sacrifice hand of the Priest c. These words do shewe y t he meaneth none other purging of their conscience by sacrifice then by imposition of y ◠priests hands which can be no propitiatorie
a sacrifice but of thanks giuing as the same Augustine writeth De fide ad Pet. Cap. 19 Cont. aduers. leg Proph. lib. 1. Cap. 20. Wherefore his Popish bragg notwithstanding here is neuer an ancient father within the 600. yeares that acknowledgeth the propitiatorie sacrifice of the Masse The eight difference is intercession of saints which Protestants abhorre There is no man denyeth but that this errour preuailed within the time of the first 600. yeares and namely in the later 300. years For in the first 300. there is nothing to be found whereby it may be gathered Epiphanius accompteth inuocation of Angels an heresie of the Caiani Tom. 3. H. 38. And although some shewe of inuocation of saints in the later time may be excused by rethorical exornation as M. Grindall truely sayd some prayers for the dead as y t of Ambrose for Theodosius whome both he calleth a perfect seruant of god yet prayth fos his rest which agreeth not with popish prayers for them in Purgatory yet it is confessed y t this was one of y â— spots of that time which being not proued by scripture can be nothing else but a superstition of men What said I can it not be proued by scripture beholde the learned clerke M. Stapl. proueth it out of S. Peter Ep. 2. Ca. 1. I thinke it right as long as I am in this tabernacle to stirre you vp and admonish you being certeine that I shall shortly leaue this tabernacle according as our Lord Iesus Christ hath signified vnto me But I will endeuour also to haue you often after my death that you may remember these things Here is a strange kind of translation of these wordes of his owne Latine texte Dabo autem operam frequenter habere vos post obituÌ„ meuÌ„ vt horum memoriam faciatis But I will endeuour also y t you may haue after my departure whereby to make remembrance of these things For I wil neither trouble him with the Greeke text which perhaps he regardeth not nor with Erasmus translation which are without all ambiguitie But I apeale to GraÌ„marians whether habere vos in this place may be reasonably construed to haue you or else be resolued by vt habeatis vos that you may haue His collection is more monstrous then his construction for thus he addeth immediatly after his translation I aske here How will S. Petter after his death endeuour and procure that the people may remember his sayings They will not I dare say say that he will come in a vision or by reuelation vnto them What remaineth then but that he will further them with his good prayers And so doe the auncient Greeke Scholies expound this place And I aske here Howe prooue you that S. Peter after his death will endeuor procure for them O shamelesse corruption S. Peter saith that bicause he hath not long to liue he will not only put them in remembrance liuing but also leaue his Epistle that it may be a perpetuall admonition of them euen after he is deade But the auncient Greeke Scholies as he saith doe so expound it Why are not those Scholies set downe and their antiquitie shewed to be within the compasse of the first sixe hundreth yeares In deede Occumenius which liued about fiue hundreth yeres last past reporteth that some did wrest that text vnto such a sense but they which did simplie handle y â— words of S. Peter did expound it as I haue done before The 9. difference is commemoration of Saintes at Masse time If you meane commemoration onely as I haue shewed before we make it in our Communion and therefore this is no difference but a lye of Master Stapleton for we say Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all the holy companie of heauen we laude and magnifie c. Likewise in the Collectes mention is made of the Apostles whose memorie our Church doth keepe In deede we vse no inuocation of Saints which was vsed within the latter 300. yeares but not to be proued in the first 300 yeares Neither do we thinke the honour of Saintes to be a dishonour to God but such honour as robbeth God of his glorie which he will not communicate with any creature But Augustine sheweth the memorie of Martyrs to be kept of the Christian people Ad excitandam imitationem vt merius eorum consocietur atque orationibus adiâ—uetur To stirre vp imitation and that they may be ioyned in fellowship of their merites and helped with their praiers The fellowship of their merites he meaneth to be made like them in good workes For he acknowledged no desert of our good workes but onely the mercy of God It is pitie that Iulian the Apostata had so great occasion to charge the Christians with superstition of sepulchres whereof they had no ground in the Scriptures Although Cyrillus defendeth no superstition but only a reuerent estimation of the tombes of the Martyrs for their vertues sake after the example of the heathen Againe he saith that the reliques of the dead were not seene bare and negligently cast vpon the earth but well laide vp and hidden in the bosome of their mother in the deapth of the earth wherein they differred not a little from the vsage of Papistes about their reliques Cyrill Contr. Iulian lib. 10. The pride of Eustachius in contemning the publike Churches ministring in corners we condemne with the Councel of Gangra Concerning the reading of the passions of Martyrs in the Church which he cauilleth that Master Iewell left out in his replie to Doctor Harding out of the seuen and fourtie Canon of the Councel of Carthage 3. Bartholmewe Garizon confesseth that it is an addition and without all such addition the same that M. Iewell requireth that nothing be read in the Church but the canonicall bookes as the 59. Canon of the Councel of Laodicea The 10. difference is of confession and penance in which he maketh two kinds open confession priuate for the open confession vsed in the primitiue Church he bringeth many proofes out of Actes 19. Augustine Tertullian Cyprian the councel of Nice Which need not for we graunt that it was vsed we our selues according to such discipline as our Church of England hath doe vse it that publique and notorious offenders make publique confession of their faultes for satisfaction of the congregation But when this publique confession was abused he saith that this practise of the Church and the counsel of S. Iames willing Christians to confesse one before an other was restrained to the auricular confessioÌ„ of y â— priest only But neither he sheweth when nor by what authoritie the counsel of y â— the Apostle and practise of the Church was thus altered He citeth an Epistle of Innocentius ad Decentium cap. 7. to proue That particular confession was not first instituted in the Councel of Latarane as Caluine babbleth but that if a man were diseased he should not tarrie for the time
to the Bishop toward his hospitality the other to the Cleargie the third to the poore the fourth to the reparation of the Churches So that there is no rule for the Cleargie of other Bishops y t were no Monkes but that they might marrie if they could not liue chaste as wel within holy orders as without so was the practise of the Churche of England more then 400. yeares after vntil the decree of Lanfrancus Anno 1076. who yet was more fauourable to them that had wiues then Stapleton which would haue them put away Decretū est vt nullus Canonicus vxorē habeat Sacerdotū verò in Castellis vel in vicis habitantium habentes vxores non cogantur ut dimittant non habentes interdicantur ut habeant Et deinceps caueant Episcopi vt sacerdotes vel diacones non praesumant ordinare nisi prius profiteantur vt vxores non habeant It is decreed y t no Canon may haue a wife But of Priestes dwelling in townes and villages suche as haue wiues let them not be compelled to put them away But such as haue not let them be forbidden to haue And from hencefoorth let Bishops take heede that they presume not to ordeine priestes or deacons excepte they doe first professe to haue no wiues This decree prooueth that before this time not onely married men were ordeined priests but also that priestes after they were ordeined did take wiues The same is prooued by the woordes of the Epistle of Gerardus which was afterward Archb. of Yorke vnto Anselm Archb. of Canterbury Cum ad ordines aliquos inuito dura ceruice renituntur ne in ordinando castitatē profiteantur When I call any to orders they resist with a stiffe necke that in taking order they doe not professe chastitie But nowe when this iolye fortifier should proue the single life of all the Cleargie in the first sixe hundreth yeares he can bring nothing but certaine decrees that such as were promoted to priesthoode vnmarried should not after marrie yet he confesseth that there were many married men taken vnto the order of priesthoode but seldome he saith in the Latine Church Yet let vs see his authorities first Augustine lib. 2. cap. vlt. de adulter in coniugis sayth that they were wont to bring example of the continencye of Clearkes to perswade men to absteine from adulterous marriages Solemus eis proponere etiam continentiam clericorum qui plerumque ad eandem sarcinam subcundam capiuntur inviti eamque susceptam vsque ad debitum finem Domino iuuante producunt We are wont to set before them the continencie of Clearkes which are oftentimes taken against their willes to beare the same burthen when they haue taken it vppon them doe bring it to the due end the Lord assisting them Of this he gathereth that the Cleargie in Saint Augustines dayes refrained from wiues all the dayes of their life which as it is true of some so it is vtterly false of all Againe the compulsion which he speaketh of was not vnto continencie but vnto the ministerie and in the ministery not of necessitie of greater estimation As the words immediately following do declare Dicimus ergo eis quid si vos ad hoc subeundum populorum violentia caperemini nonne susceptum castè custodiretis officium repentè conuersi ad impetrandas vires a Domino de quibus nunquam anteà cogitastis Sed illos inquiunt honor consolatur Respondemu◠vobis aempliùs limor moderetur Si enim hoc multi Dei ministri repentè atque inopinatè impositum susceperunt sperantes se illustriùs in Christi haereditate fulgere quanto magia vos adulteria cauendo vivere debetis metuentes non in regno Dei minus lucere sed in Gehennae ignibus ardere We say therefore vnto them What if you also were taken by the violence of the people to beare the same Would you not keepe chastely the office taken vpon you being sodenly turned to obtaine of the Lorde suche strength as before you neuer thought of But the honour say they doth comfort them We answere And feare should more restraine you For if many ministers of God haue taken vpon them this thing beeing layde vpon them sodenly and vnlooked for hoping that they shal shine more notably in the inheritaunce of Christ howe much more ought you to liue so as you beware of adulterie fearing not to shine lesse in the kingdome of God but to burne in the fiers of hell Next he citeth a Canon ascribed to the Apostles out of Iustinian confirmed in the sixt generall councell of Constantinople in Trullo Ex coniugatis c. Of suche as come to the cleargie vnmarried and after wil marrie we permit that onely to the readers and singers Neuerthelesse he confesseth that Zonoras expoundeth this so that if any refuse to liue chaste beeing asked at his orders taken he is permitted first to marrie and then admitted to the ministery And the councell of Constantinople in the same sixt Canon Si quis autem eorum qui in Clerum accedunt velit lege matrimonii mutieri coniungi antequam Hypodiaconus vel Diaconus vel presbyter ordinetur hoc faciat But if any of them whiche come into the Cleargie will be ioyned to a woman by the lawe of matrimony let him doe it before he be ordeyned Subdeacon Deacon or Priest Where is nowe the necessitie of single life in the Cleargie After this he citeth the councell of Ancyra Can. 10. which is cleane contrary to his purpose if he had recited it whole as he only taketh the tayle The Canon is this Diaconi quicunque cùm ordinantur si in ipsa ordinatione protestati sunt dicentes velle se habere vxores nec posse se continere hi postea si ad nuptias venerint maneant in ministerio proptereà quod his Episcopus licentiā dederit Quicunque sanè tacuerunt susceperum manu◠impositionem professi continentiam si postea ad nuptia◠venerint a ministeria cessare debebunt Whoso euer when they are ordeyned Deacons if in the very time of their ordeyning they make protestation and say that they will haue wiues that they can not conteyne if these afterward come to be married let them remaine in the ministery because the Bishop hath giuen them licence But truely whosoeuer hath helde their peace and receiued imposition of handes professing continence if after they marrie ought to ceasse from the ministery This Canon sheweth that it was lawfull for the Cleargie beeing in holy orders to marrie if they professed not continence to which profession none was bound as they are in Poperie Againe if after profession they married they were not deuorced as Papistes vsed in Queene Maries time but commaunded to absteine from the ministerie The last authoritie he citeth is out of the Synode of Neocaesaria presbiter c. A priest if he marrie a wife ought to be deposed from his order It followeth in the same Canon
fortification of this piece by the elder times he referreth vs to Doctor Hardings proofe against Master Iewels challenge And to the same Bishops learned replie doe I referre the reader for ouerthrowe of the same feeble fortresse of Harding The 26. difference is of Alter clothes Church vestments c. Such Alter clothes and such vestments as Christ vsed in the celebration of the holy sacrament we thinke not onely to be sufficient but also most conuenient for the administration of the same Neuertheles if any other vestments without superstitiō be appointed by lawful authoritie we thinke no strife or contention is to be raised for so small matters But let vs see of what antiquitie he will make the holy vestments First Tertullian Lib. de Monogam maketh mention of Infulas the vpper garment of the Priest But he might vnderstand Tertullian if he were disposed to vse that terme but in derision of them that when they would be proude against the Cleargie they alledged that we are all Priestes c. but when we are called saide he to the same seueritie of discipline with the Cleargie deponimus infulas pares sumus we put off our Rochets and we be priuate men This infula was the apparell of the Heathen Priestes to which he alludeth when he scoffeth at them that in dignitie would be Priestes but in discipline Lay men The Albe which is spoken of Con. Carthag 4. Can. 41. was nothing like your Popish Albe but a white garment which was vsed in signe of dignitie and was forbidden of the Deacons to be worne but onely in time of the oblation and reading Saint Iohns Petalum if he could tell what to make of it he would not call it generally a pontificall vestment Saint Iohn was a poore Pontifex to goe in pontificalibus The rich garment which Constantine gaue to the Church of Ierusalem if it had bene a cope as he saith it had bene an vnhandsome garment to daunce in as the storie saith it came into the handes of one that daunced in it The admonition that he giueth to such as sleepe in Church goodes meaning belike such as haue their beddes garnished with olde copes were more meete to be made to some of his benefactours that sleepe in Abbeyes and yet will not awake out of them To conclude although there is some mention of garmentes applied specially for the vse of diuine seruice yet the Popish tragicall trumperie of this time differeth as much from them in forme and vse as they doe in time and age The 27. difference is of holy vessels such vessels as are comely and decent for the ministration of the sacraments we haue without superstition which beginning to growe in the auncient times the Fathers did rather reproue then foster Gregorie Nazianzen whome he citeth in his Oration aduers. Arrianos de se ipso speaking of the ministring vessels that might not be touched of many meaneth Allegorically of prophaning the mysteries of Christian religion alluding to the prophanation of the vessels of the Iewish temple by Nabuzardan and Balthasar as his words doe plainely shewe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. What ministring vessels not be touched of many haue I deliuered to the handes of the wicked either to Nabuzardan or to Balthasar which rioted wickedly in holy things and suffred punishment worthie of his madnesse Chrysostome reproued the preposterous superstition of the people which durst not touch the holy vessels but yet feared not to defile them selues with sinne In ep ad Eph. H. 14. Non vides c. Doest thou not see those holy vessels Be they not alwaies vsed to one purpose Dare any man vse them to any other purpose Nowe art thou thy selfe more holy then these vessels and that by much Why then doest thou pollute and defile thy selfe He hath forgotten Exuperius Bishop of Tholosse which caried the Lordes body in a wicker basket and his bloud in a glasse when he maketh so much adoe about holy vessels Hier. ad Rusticum Acacius Bishop of Amida is commended for melting the vessels of the Church of golde and siluer to redeeme prisoners from the Persians The 28. difference is the shauen crown◠of Priestes for antiquitie whereof he citeth Eusebius in Panegyric Vos amici Dei sacerdotes lōgae talari veste corona insignes Ye friends of God ye Priests seemly by your long side garment and crowne Verily he is worthy to be shorne on his poll with a number of crownes that vnderstandeth this of a shauen crowne If nothing else could haue driuen him from this dreame at least he should haue remēbred the solemne disputation whereof he spake immediately before in Beda li. 5. ca. 22. by which it appeareth that y ◠Greekes were shorne square and not round and therefore Eusebius speaking to Greeke Priestes would neuer haue called their square tonsure a crowne But the wordes of Eusebius put all out of doubt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. O ye friendes and Priestes of God which are clothed with the holy long garment and the heauenly crowne of glorie and with the diuine vnction and the priestly robe of the holy Ghost c. Is there any blocke so senselesse to thinke that he called a shauen head the heauenly crowne of glorie Who seeth not that in commendation of the spirituall dignitie of the Ministers of the Church he alludeth to the Aaronicall attire of the Priestes of the lawe The next testimonie is out of the tripartite historie that Iulian the Apostata to counterfet religion shore him selfe to the hard eares therefore religious men were then shorne There is no doubt but the Cleargie and such as professed sobrietie and modestie vsed to poll their heades whereas the licentious multitude delighted in long haires which shearing or polling after grewe to a ceremonie from a ceremonie to a superstition but small mention of the ceremonie there is within the 600. yeares and that toward the latter end of them But where he compareth the scoffing that the Turke might make at the blessed passion of Christe with such pleasant railing as Protestantes vse against their Friers coules and shauen crownes he sheweth in what blasphemous estimation he hath such vile dung of mens inuention to compare it with the onely price of our saluation The 29. differēce is holy water for antiquitie wherof he alledgeth two myracles the one out of Bede li. 1. cap. 17. of Germanus which with casting a fewe sprinkles of water into the sea in the name of the Trinitie assuaged a tempest The other of Marcellus Bishop of Apamea which when the temple of Iupiter could not be burned with fire after praiers made commaunded water signed with the crosse to be sprinkled on the Alter which done the diuels departed and the temple was set on fire burned But these miracles wrought by water proue not an ordinarie vse of holy water in the Church in those times as for the counterfet decree of Alexander the fift Bishop of Rome
of siluer made in fourme of a crosse to carie lightes vpon them in the night season but not of any tapers burning by day caried before the crucifixe after the Popish maner Socr li. 6. ca. 8. but hereof ye may see more in mine aunswere to Martials replie Articl 7. The 37. difference Augustine and his companie to the number of fourtie were Monkes The first preachers of this no faith were runagate Monkes and Apostate Friers Their learning godlinesse and iust cause of departing out of those Cloysters of vncleane birdes is sufficiently testified to the world The 38. difference the preachers which were traded vp by them were of a vertuous lowly simple poore and meeke conuersation Then were they very vnlike your Popish prelates But Luther complaineth that his schollers were more wicked then vnder the pope If some were so it followeth not that all are so Againe Beza solde his benefice to two men if he had no confessed it him selfe Stapleton might neuer haue knowne of it Afterward he raised rebellion for a signe of his vocation and persuaded Poltrot to murther the Duke of Guise or else Stapleton belyeth him What Mallot and Pieroreli were I knowe not I doubt not but they were honester then many Popes haue bene Knokes was a Galley slaue three yeares The more wicked those Papistes which betrayed him into the Galley The master whereof was glad to be rid of him bicause he neuer had good successe so long as he kept that holy man in slauerie whome also in daunger of tempest though an errant Papist he would desire to commend him and his Galley to God in his praiers The eiection of the Nobles from Zuicherland is as truely imputed to the Zuinglians by your authour Staphylus as al the rest of his slaunders and monstrous lyes are to be credited which was done by the Papistes in that countrie almost two hundreth yeares before Zuinglius was borne Christerne King of Denmarke was expelled his realme for his tyrannie by all the states before they receiued the Gospell Howe dutifull the doing of the Protestants in Fraunce hath bene let the kinges owne actes of Pacification testifie which alwayes dischargeth them of rebellion and acknowledgeth all that they haue done to haue bene done in his seruice The 39. difference voluntarie pouertie in Augustine not found in the first planters of this newe trim tram A matter worthie to be aunswered with a whim wham It were easie to shewe howe many haue forsaken great dignities and liuings among the Papistes to become poore preachers of the Gospell CAP. X. Differences concerning the consequences and effectes of the first faith planted among vs and of the pretensed faith of Protestantes The 40. difference they that were conuerted builded Churches and Monasteries Protestants pull downe Monasteries Churches Chappels Hospitals and Almes houses In the table of differences I haue shewed howe much those Monasteries then builded differed from Popish Abbeyes where he chargeth Protestants with pulling downe all Monasteries he forgetteth that Cardinall Wolsee by the Popes authoritie pulled downe the first in our time that were suppressed and that the Popish Cleargie consented to the acte of suppression which were y e diuell rather then Protestants For Hospitals and Almes houses it is a slaunder except some priuate person of couetousnesse hath ouerthrowne any As for Churches and Chappels builded by vs so many as are necessarie it is apparant to the world Almes houses and Hospitalls by vs are erected such as are none in Poperie The Vniuersities also are augmented both in buildings and reuenues since the pulling downe of Abbeyes The 41. difference in Monasteries God God was serued day and might with externall prayer at midnight Although rising at midnight ordinarily be an inconuenient houre in many respectes and therefore we haue no ordinarie praier at that time yet haue we earely in the morning before it be day in many places exercise of prayer and preaching neither was it at midnight that the nunnes of Berking sung their Lawdes Hymnes lib. 4. cap. 7. for it was after Matutines which could not be but in the morning although early before day The 42. the deuotion of those christians brought in voluntary oblations which are now ceased and due tithes grudged as The voluntary oblations of the godly are not now wanting where neede is The 43. the Princes higher power endewed the bishopriks with landes now they take them away It was necessary when they had none before but were newly erected If any be now taken away and sufficient left it is not the matter we regarde but good proceeding of the Gospell if couetousnesse of any man procure from the Churche where it wanteth they shall answere it and not we The 44. Ethelbert established Christianitie by lawes Making special statutes and decrees for the indemnitie and quiet possession of the Churche goodes and of the Cleargie Now no state is more open to the oppression then the Cleargie If Ethelbert established Christianitie by lawes he did more then Papistes would haue Princes to doe nowe But if the Cleargie be nowe oppressed it is not for want of good lawes or good will in the prince higher powers to defende it but by occasion of a number of dissembling Papistes to whome execution of iustice in some places is committed The 45. difference is vnitie them where is discention now God be praysed we consent in all articles necessary to eternall saluation and if the Scottes by our example are come to the same vnity of faith with vs it is the Lordes worke for whom we giue him harty thanks The conclusion of this fantasticall Fortresse is an exhortation to Papistes not to dissemble their Papistry nor to communicate with vs disswading them by many examples of such as yeelded not to the persecution of the Arrian heretikes But seeing by the worde God we can not be conuinced of heresie those examples make nothing a-against vs. And yet I wishe the Papistes if it be not Gods will to open their eyes that they may see the truth yet to giue ouer their dissembling and openly to shew them selues as they are For whether their religion be good or badde dissembling and counterfetting can not be but euil God be praysed A REIOYNDER TO Iohn Martials reply against the answere of Maister Calfhill to the blasphemous treatise of the Crosse. By W. Fulke D. in diuinitie To the Reader OF all the treatises sent ouer within these twentie yeares from the Papists there is none in which appeareth lesse learning and modesty nor greater arrogance and impudencie then in this one Booke of Martiall Who as he tearmeth him selfe a Bacheler of Lawe so more like a wrangling petty fogger in the Lawe then a sober Student in Diuinitie doth in a manner nothing else but cauil quarel and scolde Which as it were an easie matter to wype away with a sharpe answere for him that would bestowe his time therein so I thinke it for my parte neither
Apostles haue preached vnto vs be he accursed Here the quarreling lawyer findeth fault with his translation because Euangelizauimus may be referred as well to the Disciples as to y e Apostles so that y e Disciples preachings are to be credited as well as y e Apostles No doubt if they preach the doctrine of the Apostles of which the controuersie is and not of the persons that preach it But these quarels sir Bacheler are more meete for the bomme courtes where perhaps you are a prating proctor then for the schooles of diuinitie Wee are gone out you say and that we confesse in our apologie Yea wee are gone out of Babylon but not out of the church of God but abyde in the doctrine of Christ. And you are gone out of the Church of God which remaine in the synke of Rome that is departed frō that which was heard from the beginning and was sacrosanctum apud Apostolorum Ecclesias moste holy in the Apostles Churches You cannot abyde to be charged with the saying of Christ. They worship mee in vaine that teache the doctrine and precepts of men First you saye the Apostles were men whose traditions the Church must receiue yea sir but they deliuered no doctrine of their owne Secondly Christ speaketh of the Scribes Pharisees and their fonde traditions and not of the Church and her Catholike traditions and customes And they be Scribes and Pharisees which euen in the Church teach a false worshipping of God according to the doctrines and traditions of men disanulling the commaundements of God as the Popish teachers in their doctrine of Images communion in one kind priuate Masse c. That Augustine framing a perfect preacher willeth him to conferre the places of Scripture together you say it is a profounde conclusion to inferre that he sendeth him not to doctours distinctions censure of the Church Canons of the Popes nor traditions of the fathers but onely to quyet and content him selfe with the worde of God And these last wordes you saye are not found in Augustine de doct Chr. Cap. 9. sequentibus as though Master Calfhil recited the words not the sense for which he referreth you not only to that Chapter but to the rest following in al which there is no mention of doctors distinctions Popes Canons c. But this is an argument ab authoritate negatiuè Make as much and as little as you will of Augustines authoritie Master Calfhill hath rightly inferred vppon Augustines iudgement that if conference of Scriptures wil make a perfect preacher which you graunt he needeth neyther doctors distinctions nor Church censures c. but may quyet and content him selfe with the onely worde of God But it would make an horse to breake his halter to see howe Martiall prooueth out of Augustine that God teacheth vs by men and not by Angels and that knowledge of the tongues and instructions of men is profitable for a preacher yea the consent of moste of the Catholike Churches and the interpretations of learned men as though all those were not to be referred to the dewe conference of scriptures where onely resteth the substance of doctrine and the authoritie of faith and not in doctours distinctions Church censures Popes Canons c. which haue no grounde in the Scriptures or else be contrary to them Where Master Calfhill sheweth that as before the newe testament was written all things were examined according to the wordes and Sermons of the Apostles so after the newe testament was written all thinges ought to be examined according to their writings because there is none other testimonie of credite extant of their sermons writings Martiall replyeth out of Saint Augustine that wee haue many thinges by tradition which are not writen which being vniuersally obserued it were madnesse to breake Ep. 118. But Augustine speaketh not of doctrine but of ceremonyes or obseruations Out of Hierom ad Pam. he obiecteth that our Creede is not written in the Scriptures which is vtterly false although the fourme of the symbole be not set downe as wee rehearse it Thirdly out of Epiphanius contra Apostolic li. 2. Heres 61. that wee must vse tradition because all thinges cannot be taken out of the holy Scriptures Therefore the holy Apostles deliuered certeine things in writing and certeine things in tradition c. But they deliuered nothing in tradition contrary to their writinges neyther omitted they to write any thing that was necessarie for our saluation The matter whereof Epiphanius speaketh is that it is a tradition of the Apostles that it is sinne to marry after virginitie decreed and yet he holdeth that it is better to marrye after virginitie decreed then to burne contrary to the doctrine of the Papistes But Martiall frankely graunteth that no doctour is to be credited against the Scripture and the content of the whole Church Yet where Master Calfhill sayde that no man in any age was so perfect that a certeine trueth was to be buylded on him bringing examples of Aaron and Peter the one the high Priest of the Iewes the other affirmed by the Papistes to be the same of the Christians He quarreleth at his induction because he sayeth not sic de singulis where as his argument followeth not of the fourme of induction but of the place a maiore ad minus After this as he doeth nothing but cauill hee chargeth Master Calfhill for corrupting Saint Augustine saying Truth mee not nor credite my writings c. Proem lib. 3. de Trinit For Saint Augustine sayeth not trust mee not But he confesseth that he sayeth Do not addict thy selfe to my writings as to the Canonicall Scriptures See what a corruption here is when Master Calfhill rendereth not the words but the meaning of Augustine Againe saint Basil he sayeth is vilely abused because Master Calfhill sayeth Saint Basil setteth forth by a proper similitude with what iudgement the fathers of the Church should be read Conc. ad Adol wheras Basil speaketh of prophane writers As though Basils similitude may not serue to shewe howe both should bee read because he speaketh but of one sorte Likewise he cryeth out that Saint Hierome is not truely alledged because the Printer in the English translation of Hieroms words hath omitted this word not which he hath set downe in the Latine The 4. pretie persons he putteth vppon Master Calfhill as foolishe and childishe I omitt onely the slaunderers persons I will touche In saying that the fathers declyned all from the simplicitie of the Gospell in ceremonies He chargeth M. Calfhill to be a slaunderer Because God hath not suffered all the fathers to declyne lest hell gates should haue preuailed against his Church Although M. Calfhill speake of those fathers onely whose writings are extant yet the gates of hell in ydle ceremonies did but assault they did not preuaile against the Church And these fathers departed not from the Gospell but declined from the simplicitie thereof But you Papistes haue departed
prefigured in the law of nature foreshewen by the figures of Moses lawe denounced by the prophetes and shewed from heauen in the time of grace Maister Calfhil saide that the signe of the crosse was neither prefigured in the lawe of nature nor foreshewed by the figures of Moses law nor denounced by the prophetes nor shewed from heauen in the time of grace but the passion of Christ manner of his death Against whom commeth forth Martiall and offereth to prooue that the crosse whereon Christe died was prefigured c. which is no contradiction of M. Calfhils assertion Although the fathers rather dallie in trifling allegories then soundly to prooue that the crosse was prefigured in those places which he alledgeth as August Contra Faust. lib. 12. cap. 34. that the two stickes which the widowe of Sarepta gathered did prefigure the crosse whereon Christ died not only by the name of wood but by the number of the stickes Et de 5. heres ad quod vult de cap. 2. that Moses lifting vp his handes to heauen did prefigure the crosse whereby Christ should redeeme the worlde So saith Tertullian and Augustine in diuers places All which proue not that the image or signe of the crosse but that y e crosse it selfe whereon Christ died was prefigured whereof we make no question but it might be seeing it was in Gods determination that Christe should die on the crosse although we would wish sounder proofes then these for such prefiguration Here would Martiall excuse his ridiculous argument because it is not in mode and figure but in deede it fayleth both in forme and matter for his minor is false y t the signe of y e crosse was prefigured by y e hands of Moses As though there were no difference between the crosse on which Christ suffered a superstitious signe of the crosse y t a Papist maketh Concerning the signe Thau in Ezechiel cap. 9. I haue spoken sufficiently in the first article that it was not the figure of any letter like a crosse but a marke vnnamed or described as Apo. 7. And wheras Hierome saith that the Samaritanes had a letter somewhat like a crosse it is not to be throught y t the Samaritanes had the true forme of letters and the Iewes lost it Chrysostome draweth it to the Greeke letter and trifleth of the number which the letter Tau signifieth Tertulliā is indifferent betweene the Latine latter and y e Greeke setteth this T for the marke of his forehead differing somewhat from our Popishe ✚ for which cause Martiall calleth the character of the Latine letter Tau saying Our Tau is a signe of the crosse But of this marke more Art 1. and in my answere to D. Sanders booke of Images Cap. 13. or 12. Concerning the figure of y e crosse that was in the olde time in the idol Serapis wherunto he thinketh scorne to be sent for the antiquity of that signe he answereth out of Socrates that it was there set by the prouidence of God as the inscription of the altar in Athens and among the Hyeroglyphical letters of the Aegyptian priestes signified life to come But this proueth no more y e superstitious vse therof then y e alter in Athens proueth that we should set vp such altars and dedicate them to the vnknowen God Next followeth the brawle about the story of Constantines crosse which should be the figure of the crosse shewed from heauen in the time of grace wherein Martial noteth no lesse then sixe contradictions foure lyes in in M. Calfhil but of them let the reader iudge The signe shewed I haue prooued before not to haue bene Martials crosse but the Character of the name of Christ and so doth Constantinus himselfe cal it speaking to Christe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Holding forth thy Character I haue ouercome c. meaning the standerd in which that Character was imbrodered But of this I haue spoken sufficient Art 1. and against D. Sanders booke of images cap. 13. Ar. or after the errour of his print After much wrangling and brabbling about M. Calfhils principles wherein it were easie to displaye Martials follie but that I haue professed to omit such by matters he cōmeth to the signe of the crosse shewed to Iulian marked in his souldiers apparell which if it were true as Sozomenus reporteth it yet proueth it not y t the signe of the crosse was shewed from heauen that it should be vsed of Christians and the lesse because it was shewed to none but Iewes and forsakers of Christian religion as Maister Calfhill noteth which might probably be thought to be the marke of persecuters rather then of Christians But seeing the Signe of the crosse hath very often times appeared not onely in cloudes but also on mennes apparell with diuers other sightes as Conradus Lycosthenes in his booke De Prodigijs obserueth whether the cause of those apparitions be naturall or supernaturall or sometime perhaps artificiall the appearing of that signe from heauen doeth no more argue an allowance of the Popish ceremonie of crossing in religion then the appearing of other shapes and sightes in heauen doe teache vs to frame ceremonies of armour of horsemen of beastes of trees of pillers of circles and such like because the figures of them haue ben shewed from heauē So that hitherto the signe of the crosse hath not bene prooued to haue bene prefigured in the lawe of nature nor of Moses neither denounced by the prophetes nor vsed by the Apostles nor shewed from heauen to be a pattern of y e allowance of superstitious crossing among y e Papistes The thirde Article That euery Church Chappell and Oratorie erected to the honour and seruice of God should haue the signe of the crosse First it is to be remembred that for this position he hath no shewe of the authoritie of the holy scriptures nor yet the testimony of any auncient writer that any Church Chappell or Oratory should haue any crosse grauen or painted within it or vpon it for 500. yeares after Christ. Eusebius describing diuerse Churches builded in his time sheweth no such necessary furniture of a Christian Church although he set foorth euen the fashion of the stalles or stooles where the ministers should sit lib. 10. cap. 4. But Martial to haue shewe of antiquitie beginneth with a newe found olde doctour called Abdias whose authoritie seeing Maister Calfhill reiecteth as a meere countefet Martial spendeth certaine leaues in quarrelling at some of his reasons and the rest he passeth ouer because he can say nothing against them But touching the credite of this Abdias if any man be not satisfied with M. Calfhils reasons I referre him further to the Bishop of Sarums booke against Harding Art 1. Diu. 5. p. 8. To speake of the vowe of virginitie supposed to be made by the virgine Marie it is impertinent to the cause It commeth somewhat nearer that he defendeth building of Churches
Caue of an Island by Rhodes and a rode there where no anchor nor cable will holde the ship vnlesse the mariner make the signe of the crosse ouer y e place where he casteth anchor It may be he reported it as a fond persuasion of superstitious people but I thinke no that he gaue any credit to it Poperie is full of such tales But why doe you charge M. Calfhil with a lye for saying that in the Popish catholike time the churche of Pauls was twise burned within 50. yeares space Marie bicause it was not on Corpus Christie eue nor the Communion table was burned with al the foure yles within the compasse of three or foure houres therefore it was no the like plague But howe often hath the sacrament of the alter your God bene burned when Churches were fiered Moe thinges in which there is any diuersitie shall be like by Martials logike or lawe I can not tell whether it is by which he condemneth M. Calfhil for a lyer Touching Lactantius he reasoneth to and fro of his authoritie him selfe and yet chargeth M. Calfhil for so doing Our iudgement of Lactantius as of all olde writers is this that what so euer they speake contrarie to the trueth of the holy Scriptures we may boldly reiect it what so euer they say agreeable vnto them we doe willingly admit it The chiefe matter touching this article is this that certaine verses are ascribed to Lactantius exhorting men to worship the crosse which verses M. Calfhil denieth to haue bene written by Lactantius First bicause S. Hierome in the Catalogue of his works maketh no mention of them but they might be vnknowne to Hierome saith Martiall It is not like they could be vnknowne to Hierome and knowne to Martial Secondly bicause he speaketh of Churches that were scarsly builded in Lactantius time but Martial proueth that Christians had churches euen in the Apostles time and euer since as though any man doth doubt of y t but of such churches as this versifier speaketh of Thirdly bicause the doctrine of these verses cōcerning images is contrarie to y t Lactantius taught and was generally receiued in his dayes Martiall replyeth that all which Lactantius did write against images was against the false images of the heathen and not against the holy images of the Christians But Christians in his time had no images as holy in any vse of religion and his argumēts are generall against all images in religion Finally it is also manifest that his versifier making a Poeticall prosopopeia induceth Christe hanging vpon the crosse and speaking to him that commeth into the Church and therfore no argument of crosse or image may be rightly gathered out of the poeme who so euer was the author For immediatly after this verse Flecte genu lignúmque crucis venerabile adora followeth Flebilis innocuo terrámque cruore madentem Ore petens humilis lachrymis suffunde subortis Bowe thy knee worship the venerable wood of y e crosse And lamentably kissing with humble mouth the earth which is moyst with myne innocent bloud wash it ouer with teares flowing out By these verses then Martial may as wel proue that the Church floore was moyst with the bloud of Christe as that there was a crosse in the Church To Lactantius he ioineth Augustine De Sanctis Hom. 19. saying that Churches are dedicated with the signe of the crosse where he not onely chaunged the worde charactere into mysterio but also translated the worde mysterio by the signe where he confesseth his fault he may be pardoned but where he iustifieth mysterio and sign◠to be all one he sheweth him selfe as he is But howe will he persuade vs that those Homilies de tempore and de Sanctis of which some one is ascribed to so many authours were either written by Augustine or by any of those times the stile is so dissonant that any man learned and of indifferent iudgement will confesse Although it is not to be denyed but the signe of the crosse was superstitiously abused even in the dayes of Augustine and long before Whereas Augustine reporteth of a woman called Innocentia which had a canker healed in her brest by the signe of the crosse if it were a miracle it proueth not that euery Church Chappell and Oratorie should haue a crosse Great miracles were done by imposition of handes yet it followeth not therefore that euery Church must haue imposition of handes Againe not onely Cankers but also Fistulaes tooth ache and many other diseases haue bene healed by charmes And yet these charmes are not iustifiable thereby much lesse to be brought into the Church as wholesome ceremonies and prayers But albeit the crosse be no ordinarie meane whereby God vseth to conserue health saith Martial yet may you not conclude that he hath not ordained it to remaine in the Church for any remembrance of his death and passion For thinke you saith he he hath left no more meanes but the preaching of his worde which euery one can heare Yes it hath pleased his maiestie to ordaine by general Councels the signe of the crosse and images to be a meane to put vs in remembrance of Christes death c. But seeing y e Church flourished 300. yeares without a general Councel and neither that general Councel which was first holden not three other which folowed make mention of any such matter where was the ordinance of God by generall Councels for the crosse He will say it had the appointment of the prelates of the Church Which and when euery idle ceremonie and vngodly heresie that preuailed had y e prelates of the Church either for the authors or for the approuers But Christ committed to the prelates saith Martial the charge and gouernment of his Church Yea syr to feede them with his word and not with dombe signes and dead images which things he hath forbidden Now come we to Paulinus Bish. of Nola by whom it appeareth that y e signe of the crosse was set vp 1100. yeres agoe in some churches but the title of the Article is that it should be set vp in al Churches But Martial wil proue that it was wel done by Paulinus to set vp the signe of the crosse in his Church bicause he was an holy and learned Bishop and no Catholike Bishop or generall councel did find fault with him for whatsoeuer any holy learned father did at any time and was not controlled of any Catholike father for his doing was well done and must be so taken I denye this maior For Augustine was an holy and learned Bishop which did giue the Communion to infants and thought it necessarie for their euerlasting saluation neither was he controlled therefore yet did he not well neither was his opinion true And where Martial taketh vpon him the defence of Paulinus in commending a woman that separated her selfe from her husband vnder pretence of religion he playeth the prattling proctor picking of quarels against M. Calfhil without all
fathers is of the third kind but as it is vsed of you Papists for a blessing sanctifying of y e second kind If it be tolde him y t the fathers builded some strawe wood as wel as gold siluer he saith those wordes were meant of maners not of doctrine wherin he sheweth himself a profound student in S. Pauls Epistles Yet if y e fathers haue any priuate opinions or y t some bastarde bookes be intituled to them yet wil he follow y e rule of S. Basil Hom. con Sabel Dominus c. Our Lord hath so taught the Apostlâ—â— haue preached the fathers haue obserued the martirs haue confirmed It shall suffice to say I haue beene so taught I would he would or could follow this councel but he leaueth out al y e rest taketh but the taile We haue been so taught But if he will haue vs to allowe blessing with y e crosse let him begin with the head and shewe where our Lorde hath taught it the Apostles preached it and so forth continue his gradation to the end But hitherto he hath beene hammering of tags to his two taglesse pointes as M. Calfhil nameth them and now he commeth to worke vpon his third point that a crosse was set vp in euery place And firste he goeth to worke with the authoritie of Martialis one of the seuentie two disciples of Christ which was as surely a disciple of Christ as a kinsman of his Of whose credite I haue spoken before therefore wil not here repeate it Wheras he is accused of falsifying of Athanasius he coloureth the matter by following two or three corrupt prints wilfully refusing the true edition best reformed according to y e moste auncient written coppies His leauing out of words material which he cannot excuse by the print he defendeth by his written coppie and layeth the fault on the printer Better a badd excuse then none at all lawyers haue manye such shiftes But the place is Quaestion 16. ad Antioch Quare credentes omnes ad crucis imaginem cruces facimus lanceae verò sanctae aut arundinis aut spongiae figuras nullas conficimus cum tamen haec tam sint sancta quà m ipsa crux Responsio Figuram quidem Crucis ex duobus lignis compingentes conficimus vt si quis infidelium id in nobis reprehendat quod veneremur lignum possimus duobus inter se disiunctis lignis crucis dirempta forma ea tanquam inâ—ilia ligna reputare infideli persuadere quod non colamus lignum sed quòd crucis typum veneremur in lancea verò aut spongia vel arundine nec facere hoc nec ostendere possumus Why do all wee beleeuers make crosses after the image of the crosse but we make no figures of the holy speare or of the reede or of the sponge whereas yet these are as holy as the crosse it selfe The answere Wee make in deede the figure of the crosse by putting two pieces of wood together that if any of the infidels reprehende that in vs that wee worship wood wee may by seperating the two pieces of wood and breaking the forme of the crosse accompt them as vnprofitable pieces of wood and persuade the infidell that wee worship not wood but that wee worship the type of the crosse but in the speare or sponge or reede we can neither do not shewe this Here Martiall obserueth that all Christian men made crosses yet can he not proue that they did set these crosses in the church but that they vsed them in other places it appeareth by that they were made so as the infidels seeing them they might be taken asunder But I will obserue that seeing they made no images of the reede sponge speare c. they made no images of Christes passion which the Papistes accompt so profitable Secondly Martiall vrgeth that they worshipped the type of the crosse which Master Calfhill sayeth is not the figure but the thing represented by y e crosse And verily the Gentyles should haue as great cause to reprehend them for worshipping the shape of a creature as for worshipping the creature it selfe Wherefore except Martiall will saye the Christians made a fonde excuse let him not play the foole so magnifically in cauilling vppon Master Calfhils interpretation when he cannot otherwise reasonably defende the authors meaning Finally let Martiall remember that the speare sponge reede be as holy as the crosse it self therfore in respect of no holynesse thereof the crosse was made rather then the rest but because the fourme thereof being easily broken in two stickes the Gentyles might acknowledge that the Christians made y e crosse neither for the wood nor for y e fashion but for a remeÌ„braÌ„ce of Christ crucified whoÌ„ they worshiped From the crosse he digresâ—eth a while to y e marriage of vowed priests complaining that Innocentius Siricius popes of Rome are slandered where they are saide to take marriage for a satisfying of lustes of the flesh where they speake only of the marriage of Priestes that had vowed to liue vnmarried which is false for they speake of Priestes that were married lying with their owne wiues Plurimos enim sacerdotes atque Leuitas post longa consecrationis suae tempora tam de coniugibus proprijs quà m etiam de â—urpi coitu sobolem didicimus procreasse For we haue learned that many Priestes of Christe and Leuites long time after their consecration haue begotten children as well of their owne wiues as of filthie copulation Thus do they account both faultes alike Againe the reasons they bring are such as concerne marriage generally That they which be in the flesh can not please God c. reade the Epistle of Syricius ad HimeriuÌ„ Tarraconen Innocentius ad Victricium which are all one word for word concerning this matter But where Martiall taketh vpon him to charge vs with a statute in force against the marriage of Priests in EnglaÌ„d vnrepealed he is miscoÌ„ceiued For we haue a clause of a statute in force that all marriages lawfull by the lawes of God shall be accounted lawfull by the lawes of the realme So long therefore as the marriage of Priestes may be approued by the lawe of God there is no daunger in the lawe of the realme Concerning the filthie liues of the Popish Cleargie it is needlesse to speake being so well knowne in the world yet it is not their wicked life that separateth vs from their Synagogue but their hereticall doctrine But returning againe to the crosse he burdeneth M. Calfhil with a lye bicause he saide that Martial hauing named houses markets wildernesses highwayes seas ships Garments parlors walles windowes armor c. where the crosse should be nameth not the Church whereas a little before he cited out of Chrysostome that it was vsed in the holy table at y e holy mysteries But Chrysostome saith not that the crosse was erected and set vp or painted in any Church although he
say the figure thereof was vsed Wherfore here is no lye proued Touching the saying cited out of Augustine Serm. 130. de tempore although the authoritie is not greatly to be regarded of those Sermons yet admit it were Augustines in deede M. Calfhil saith truly that he speaketh neither of Martials materiall nor mysticall crosse but of the death of Christ and the crosse whereon he suffered as al the discourse of that Sermon declareth Before the crosse was a name of condemnation nowe it is made a matter of honour before is stoode in damnation of a curse nowe it is set vp in occasion of saluation This nowe Martiall would either craftily or impudently referre to Augustines time which is spoken of the time of Christes passion when the crosse was set vp in occasion of saluation and not an idol therof in Augustines time He complaineth that to an other place of Augustine wherein mention is made of the signe of y e crosse nothing is saide where nothing needeth when it is coÌ„fessed that the signe of the crosse was vsed in his time And concerning Constantines crosse we haue spoken alreadie sufficiently To conclude therefore here is nothing replied in this article to proue that the Apostles and Fathers of the first Church did blesse them selues with the signe of the crosse although the Fathers of latter time vsed to marke them selues with that signe and counselled others so to doe Neither is there any thing but the forged newe found Martiales Epistle which is worse then nothing to proue that the signe of the crosse in the first age of the Church was vsed by the Apostles or their immediate successors before the dayes of Valentinus the heretike The sixt Article That diuers holy men and women got them little pieces of the crosse and inclosed them in gold c. It is confessed that diuers made great account to haue little pieces of the crosse to inclose them in gold and hang them about them but their superstition is reproued both by Hieronyme and Chrysostome To Hierome Martial aunswereth that he reproued not the hauing of those pieces but the confidence put in them as the Pharisees did in their Phylacteries hanged vpon their bodies and not printing the lawe in their harts Be it so but what accounteth he the hauing of them euen the strayning of a Gnat Culicem liquantes cameluÌ„ degluâ—ientes lib. 4. cap. 23. But in other places saith Martial he wisheth him selfe to kisse the wood of the crosse Apol. 3. cont Ruff. This was a small matter and yet it was more then hauing a little piece of the crosse for he speaketh of his visiting the places of the death buriall and birth of Christ in which he might take more occasion of meditation vpon the mysteries of our redemption To Chrysostome which counted it impietie in certaine priestes that hanged Gospells about them and pieces of the coat and haire of Christ he maketh like answere alledging out of his Demostr ad Gentiles that all the world desired to haue y e crosse and euery man coueted to haue a litle piece of it to inclose it in golde c. and whereas M. Calfhil aunswereth that this was no praise of the parties but a practise of the time Martial replyeth that it was a praise of the parties repeating what Chrysostome doth write in commendation of the signe of the crosse c. whereas in deed Chrysostome speaking of the matter in question onely sheweth what was the affection of Christians to the crosse which was sometime the wood of condemnation Which affection although in some it were immoderate yet Chrysostomes reason against y e Gentiles should not turne him to perpetuall shame as Martial saith for he proueth that Christ was God in that he had wrought so great a conuersion vnto the faith that no man was nowe ashamed of the signe of the crosse which before was a token of condemnation To conclude where Martiall abuseth the wordes of Christ Haec oportet facere c. These things ought to be done the other not omtted to proue that the fact of hauing these pieces of the crosse and inclosing them in golde was good he must either bring the lawe of God as the Pharisees did for tything of Mynt and Anise or else we can not be persuaded that such estimation of pieces of wood is good and godly The seuenth Article That a crosse was borne at the singing or saying of the Letanie c. That processions came not from Gentilitie to Christians Martial will proue bicause processions came from tradition of y e Apostles and that he proueth by a saying of Leo What so euer is retained of the Church into custome of deuotion commeth of the tradition of the Apostles and doctrine of the holy Ghost So is procession c. but the minor is false for the Church of Christ for many hundreth yeares after Christe knewe no processions But if processions came from the Gentiles saith Martial shal we therefore condemne them Haue we not y e liberal sciences many politike lawes from the Gentiles as though there were one reason of religion and politike laws or liberal artes the one we are forbiddeÌ„ to learne of the Gentiles the other being the giftes of God we may take them euen from the Gentiles Neither doth Augustine against the Manichees whome Martial citeth lib. 20. cap. 23. Con. Faust. speake of any heathenish ceremonies receiued in Christian religion but of such thinges as we must haue common with them like the sunne and the ayre as meate drinke apparel houses c. Whether processions came from the Montanistes or Arrians certaine it is they came not from Christe nor his Apostles Tertullian a Montanist maketh meÌ„tion of certaine stations but I suppose they were no processions but standings The miracle of water turned into oyle to serue for light in the Church reported by Eusebius I maruell to what end Martial bringeth foorth and counteth that it was an hundreth yeares before the heresie of Arrius The Letanie or supplication prescribed by the Councel of Ments Martial saith the Papistes do obserue for they ride not in the Rogationweeke nor weare their copes But how obserue they that the Canon commaundeth them to goe barefooted in sackcloth and ashes The Councel of Orleans anno 515. calleth these Letanies rogations but of processioÌ„ or going abroad it speaketh nothing S. Ambrose in deed is ancienter then this Councel but whether that Commentarie vpon the Epistles that goeth vnder his name were of his writing it is not agreed among learned men at least wise there be diuers additions and the written copies varie Besides that the worde wherevpon he buildeth dies prâ—cessiâ—nis both in written and printed copies is dies purgationis the days of a womans purification or if algates he wil haue it processionis as some printed bookes haue yet the very circumstance of the place wil proue that it is the dayes of a womans going