vvere euer counted and called heretikes The eight Chapter discourseth vppon the eight marke of an heretike vvhich is to be condemned for an heretike by that Church vvhich vvas commonly counted the true Christian Church AS vvhen the subiectes beginne to make rebellion the prince suppresseth them or cutteth them of and vvhen any sheep of the flocke are infected the good shepheard separateth them from the rest least they infect the vvholl flocke as the surgeon cutteth of the rotten member least it corrupt the vvholle body and the carefull Husbandman pluckes vp the vveedes least that they ouergrovv the good corne so the supreme pastour of the Church vvhen any rebellious heretikes rose vp in armes against the Church to vvhom they ought of right to be subiect assembled allvvayes his forces together that is called Generall Councels of his Bishops and by the censure of excommunication suppressed these rebelles least that by their ciuil vvarres they should molest the peace of Christe his Church and endeuoured to separate these infected sheepe least that they should infect the vvholle folde of Christ and to cut of these rotten and rotting members least they should corrupt the vvholl body to pluck vp these noysome vveeds least they might peraduenture ouergrovv the good corne of the Catholike Christians And although in the beginning by reason of persequution and vvant of habilitie the Church could not haue her Generall Councels yet euen then the pastours of the Church assembled them selues together in vvriting by vvhich they refuted their heresies and made the autours Knovvn that others might the better auoid them But after that the Church had gotten a Constantine for her champion and temporall princes for her Protectours then against Arius she gathered a Councell at Nice consisting of three hundred and eighteen Bishops Aâ—han ep ad Iou disp con Arian Socr l. 1. c. â— Gen. 14. by vv ch number as Abraham once subdevved fiue Kings so our Sauiour Christ by Pope Siluester his Vicare at Nice the citie of Victorie for so much the Greek vvord impotteth by Victor also and Vincentius vvhose names are victorious gotte the victorie of Arius and the Quartadecimanes and defined against the Arrians that the sonne vvas consubstantiall to the father and against the Quartadecimanes vvhat day Easter should be kept and obserued Vvhich being done the excommunication condemnation curses and anathems vvere thundred our against them and a Synodicall Epistle vvas vvritten to Pope Siluester vvho confirmed the Councels sentence in another Councel at Rome The Emperour Constantine reuerencing this sentence as the sentence of Christes church banished Arius commaunded his bookes to be burned and him and his to be taken for accursed heretikes and after a banquet to vvhich he inuited the holy Bishops he conueighed them home as honourably as he called them together So against Macedonius vvas gathered the second Synode at Constantinople by the authoritie of Pope Damasus for the defence of the holy ghosts diuinitie Against Nestorius a generall Councell vvas called at Ephesus by Pope Celestinê° vvherin vvas defined that in Christ is but one person At Chalcedon by the authoritie of Pope Leo the first in a generall Councell Eutyches vvas condemned for affirming but one nature in Christe And the like generall consent of the Church in condemnation of the Pelagians Berengarians Vviclephistes and such others I could easily alleage out of Ecclesiasticall histories and the Councells them selues But this may suffice to shevve that vvhensoeuer any preached nevv doctrine the Christian vvorld vvondered at theÌ„ the Churche admonished them and if they refused to obey her shee in Generall Councelles condemned them and the Emperours and Catholike Princes executed their lavves vppon them vvhich vvere enacted against heretikes and then all good Christians shunned them as infected and infecting persons l. con proph haeresum nouitates c. 1â— For as Vincentius Lyrinensis sayeth Annunciare aliquid Christianis Catholicis praeterid quod acceperunt nusquam licet nunquam licebit anathematizare eos qui annunciant aliquid praeterquam quod semel acceptum est nunquam non oportuit nusquam non oportet nunquam non oportebit To preach vnto Christians other doctrine then that vvhich they haue allready receiued noe vvhere is lavvfull and neuer shall be lavvfull and to accurse as heretikes those vvhich preach other doctrine then vvhich before hathe been accepted it vvas euer behoueable it is euery vvhere behoueable and euer shal be behoueable And vvhosoeuer readeth the Ecclesiasticall histories shall see hovv allvvayes they vvere taken for heretikes vvho vvere coÌ„demned by Generall Councells and holden so by that Church vvhich commonly vvas called Christian And good reason for he that vvill not obey the Churche muste be by Christes commaundement eschevved as an Ethnike and Publicane Mat. 18. Let novv the indifferent reader be Iudge vvhether this note and marke aggreeth not as properly to Luther Caluin their follovvers as euer it did to Arrius Macedonius Nestorius Eutiches and suche like vvho by their ovvn confession vvere infamous heretikes They taught strauÌ„ge doctrines neuer allovved by that Church vvhich vvas coÌ„monly counted Christian so did Luther and Caluin At them vvhen they began to preach the ChristiaÌ„ vvorld vvondered so did it vvhen these men began Vvhen they by the Churches admonition could not be reclaimed the Churche by a generall Councell in vvhich the Pope ruled by his Legates condemned them as heretikes so vvhen Luther begane to preach Leo the tenth Pope of that name vvarned him of it and sent Cardinall Caietane a larned and famouse diuine to conferre vvith him but he being protected by the Duke of Saxonie though some tymes he fayned that he vvould submit him self remained obstinate vvherfore a generall Councell vvas called at Trent vvherby the sentence of the learnedst grauest and vvisest Prelates of the vvorld for ther vvere present six Cardinalls fovve Legates three Patriarches thirty and tvvo Arch-bishops tvvo hundred and eight Bishops and fiue Abbors seuen Generalls of religions and Proâ—utatours of religions and other learned men very many Luther and all the heretikes and heresies of this age vvere condemned euen as Arrius and other heretikes in other Councels before had been But they say that it vvas not the true Churche vvhich condemned them And might not Arrius haue sayed the same And vvhen I pray you did the true Churche that once vvas and vvhich condemned Arrius degenerate Vnder vvhat Pope and Emperour In vvhat age in vvhat year of our Lord vppon vvhat occasion But this miserable refuge of theirs is already reiected At least that Churche vvhich vvhen Luther began to preach vvas commonly counted the only true Christian Church condemned them and so if euer ther vvere any heretikes these men also must be counted so else Arrius sentence vvhich that societie vvhich vvas coÌ„monly counted Christian pronounced against him must be reuersed or at least again examined To these markes may be added others as vvante of mission allegation of bare scripture bragging
for if this nevv Clergie be deuided into many sects as all the vvorld seeth that it is then seing that vve haue noe more assuraunce of one Secte then another vve may refuse to be iudged by any of them especially they them selues refusing to be iudged by one a nother Yea not all this nevv Clergie nor any sect of the same can proue their mission and therfore are not to be admitted for true pastours and iudges in religion vnless vve vvill receiue all false prophets also false Apostles Is ther no iudge then nether in Ingland nor in all the nevv Church of the ghospellers If ther be let them name him if they can if ther be none as it seemeth that ther is not for I haue named and teiected by good reason all vvhom I thinke they can name then is not their Churche the Churche of Christ in vvhich as is before proued is alvvayes resident a visible iudge to compose controuersies yea then the Churche vvhich as I shall proue in the next booke is a peaceble kingdom shall be a commoÌ„ vvelth the vvorst prouided for that euer vvas it shall be a body vvithout a head a kingdom vvithout a king or Prince to commaund a conuenticle of vvranglers the vvorst ordered and the most disseÌ„tious societie that euer vvas to be breef the Church militaunt in earth shall more resemble that mutinouse route of the damned in hell then the peaceable societie of the Church triumphant in heauen yea then shall that follovv vvhich I intented to proue to vvit that in the nevv Churche of the ghospellers there are noe meanes to compose determine coÌ„trouersies bicause vvhere there is no visible Iudge there euery man may beleeue and preach vvhat he lift and no man can controlle him and if diuers preach contrarie doctrine they may go together by the eares and noe man shall be to part the fraye bicause ther is noe iudge to take vp the matter betvvixte them and so the gappe is open to all false prophetes vvhose doctrine must goe for currant be it neuer so absurd bicause ther is no Iudge to giue sentence of the truthe or falshood of the same And to make the matter more plaine suppose that novv in Ingland some nevv preacher should preach a nevv heresie yea that many at once should preach contrary opinions and so fall together by the eares ther vvould be no meanes to compose these controuersies bicause ther is no Iudge to take vp the matter nether is ther any vvay to preuent them bicause vvher there is no Iudge to define euery man may teach vvhat he list and vvhere euery one may teach vvhat he vvill there arise iarres and discords and vvhere no meanes are to appease them the societie is ruined 〈◊〉 11. Bicause euery kingdom diuided vvith in it selfe shall be made desolate But in this case peraduenture they vvould call a Prouinciall or generall Councel and so compose matters by common coÌ„sent Bee it so that they could call such a councell and could also all or the most parte aggree yet I see not hovve vve are vvarraÌ„ted to assure our selues that they all can not erre and that therfore vve may rely vppon their sentence for if they say that vve are vvaranted bicause they are the true pastours I caÌ„ tell them that this is not so sure bicause they can not proue their mission I demaund of them vvhether the Catholike Clergie vvhich is farre greater and vvhich for fifteen hundred yeares before Luther vvas hard of vvas counted the only Clergie may not haue their voice and if they may certainly their voice vvil be negatiue and opposit to their affirmatiue But this is spoken vppon supposition that they could calle a councell and aggree also in the same for I haue good cause to doubte that they nether can call a councell nor aggree in a councell For if ther bee no visible supreme Iudge nor Pastour in their Church as I haue proued that ther is not vvho should calle this councell suÌ„mone all the Clergie to appear Lut l cont â—â— Calu. â—i â— Inst 6.7 Luther and Caluin say that this belongeth to the Emperour but seing that this is an Ecclesiasticall office concerning religion it can not appertain vnto a temporall Prince and novv that the Emperour is a Catholike and a Papist as they terme him I thinke they vvould not obey him if he should summone them to apeare especially bicause he vvould call Catholike bishops vvould giue the preeminence to them But I haue proued all ready that the Emperour though in the name of the Pope as an assistauÌ„te he may by the Churches permission call a councell yet of him selfe he can not meddle in spirituall matters Act. â—â— Vvherfore the Councell vvhich the Apostles called vvas called vvithout the Emperours authoritie vvhere theÌ„ there is noe Suprem Pastour as I haue proued that amongest them is none vvhosoeuer should take vppon him to call a councell should vsurpe and the others might refuse to obey his calle Peraduenture they vvould choose one by common consent and so vvould all stande to his arbitermeÌ„t But in this also is difficultie for vvhere ther is none to commaund vvho shall call them together to aggree in the election of this one man Yet let vs suppose that they should meet by chaunce as crovves do in the Pease-feeld vvhen they are met it is not so easie to aggree vppon one vvhen they haue aggreed it is not so easie to aggree vnto his sentence For if he pronounce sentence for the Protestaunte the Puritane vvill repine and may say that he hath noe vvarraunte of his sentence vvho is but a man constituted by men and can shevv noe scripture to proueth at he can not erre But truly I can not thinke that in this matter they vvould euer proceed so farre For as yet they neuer called a Councell together out of all partes of their Churche and those that vvere called together for vvant of a Iudge to determine could neuer aggree in any one point of religion Anno 1554. Surius relateth hovv on a tyme tvvelue Catholique Doctours and tvvelue Ministers met at Vvormatia to make some attonement betvvixte the Confessionistes Gen. Cron. but after a litle disputation fiue of the tvvelue ministers vvere excommunicated by the rest Stapl l 4. de prim fed c. 13. and cast out for vvranglers and so nothing vvas concluded Diuerse other assemblies and meetings they haue attempted but all ended in thundering excommunications bitter taunts and infamous libels and as yet they neuer could aggree in any councell vppon any controuersie in religion and all for vvant of a visible Iudge and pastour to vvhom all the rest are subiect And this they haue gotten by leauing the ancient Catholike Churche vvhich acknovvledgethe the bishope of Rome as Sainct Peters successour and Christes Vicaire and relyeth vppon his sentence as infallible Luc. 22. bicause Christ in fainct Peter prayed for him
dull pate and such like names for pressing him vvith the authoritie of fathers thus he decideth the matter Hencricus dicta patrum inducit pro sacrificio missario c. Henrie for his massing sacrifice bringes in the sayinges of fathers Here say I that by this meanes my sentence is confirmed for this is it vvhich I sayed that the Thomisticall asses haue nothing vvhich they can alleage but a multitude of men and the ancient vse But I against the sayings of fathers men angells and deuills put dovvne the ghospell vvhich is the vvorde of the aeternall maiestie here I insult ouer the sayings of men thoughe neuer so holy so that I care not though a thousand Austines and Ciprianes should stand against me Thus one Martin Luther braueth them all thus this good child reuerenceth and respecteth his ancient fathers for as I sayed in the last chapter although he seemeth only to preferre the scripture yet seing that they admitted and alleaged scripture also the question is vvhoe hath better skill in expounding scripture and if vve beleeue this man all the fathers might haue gone to schoole to him in expos a. 6â— fol. 167. Zuinglius vvill not be behind Luther in this matter They affirme sayeth he and vve deny that the masse is a sacrifice Vvho shal be iudge of this controuersie The sole say I and the only vvord of God But by and by thou beginnest to crye The fathers the fathers haue thus deliuered vnto vs. But I bring to thee not fathers nor mothers but â— require the vvord of God Caluine desireth to be counted modest but herin also he could not conteine him self l. â— Inst ca. 8. â— 10. Vvhen the aduersaries obiect to me sayeth he that this vvas the cusstome I ansvverre that the old fathers in this matter vvanted both lavv and exemple vvere caryed avvay into an errour vvhilest they attributed to much to the name of poenaunce and the common peoples opinions And again I ame litle moued vvith those things vvhich occurre cuery vvhere in the vvritings of fathers concerning satisfaction I see truly many of them yea I vvill speake simply as it is all allmost of them vvhose bookes are extant vvere in this matter deceâ—ued and spoake hardly And in another booke of his he calles the fathers of the councel of Trent hogges asses in Antid can â— Peter martyr calleth papistes Patrologos not Theologos 〈◊〉 votis for alleaging fathers Doctour Humphrey in the life of levvell perceiuing that levvell had offered to much vvhen in the heat of his sermon he vvas content to be tryed by fathers sayeth that he might haue vsed a better defence for him selâ—e then the authoritie of fathers Vvhoe sayeth hee if they teache contrarie it litle skilleth for vvhat haue vve to do vvith fathers vvith flesh bloud or vvhat perteineth it to vs vvhat the false Synods of bishops do decree Vide â—undem in praefat in Orig. Beza calleth Athanasius Satanasius and the fathers of the Nicen Councell blind sophistes ministers of the beast and staues of Antichrist â—â—ont PapatuÌ„ And althoughe Luther affirmeâ—h that sainct Gregorie the great vvas the last good Pope yet Bibliander calleth him in derisioÌ„ the Patriarch of ceremonies Melancthon condemneth him for allovving of the sacrifice of the masse for the dead praef ep Zuiâ—â— gl Mel. Paulus Vergerius vvrote a booke of the toyes and fables of Gregorie Horne in his booke against Abbot Fecnam calleth this sainte to vvhome vve English men ovve noe lesse then our conuersion from paganisme to christiantie a blind bussard Cent 1. pag. 66 72 Cent. â— par 678. Bile the cronicler sayetâ— that this saint sent Austin the monke to plante in England his Romish religion but yet sayeth he Latâ—mer is much more vvorthy to be counted Englands apostle bicause Austine brought nothing but mans traditions masse crosses letanies vvheras Latimer vvith the hooke of truth cut of these superstitions Vvhitaker in his booke called reprehension Pag. 8â— sayeth that the fathers for the most part vvere of opinion that Antichrist is but one particular man but in that as in many other things theâ— erred The like respecte they bear to generall Councells in vvhich the vvisest and grauest fathers of the Church vver allvvayes assembled Luther in his booke of Councels calleth them Sicopâ—ants and flaterers of the Pope and sayeth that the canoÌ„s of the Councell of Nice vvhich Constantine reuereÌ„ced and honoured vvith his presence are hay stravve stickes and stubble Ibidem Yea in this councel he findeth a playn coÌ„tradiction bicause the councell forbiddes all Eunuches to be promoted to preesthood and yet commaundeth preestes to liue chastly As though only they vvho are gelded could liue chast and as though ther vvere no mean betvvixt vviuing and gelding Yea sayeth Luther l. â—â—nt Regem Angliae if all the decrees of councells vvere povvred into theee vvith a pipe yet vvould they not make thee a christian l. 4. Inst c. 9. sect 8. Caluin vvill examine all councells by the vvord before he vvill giue any credit vnto them and seing that the fathers in councells examined their decrees by scripture also Caluin vvill make an examination vppon their examinatioÌ„ and so vvill bee Iudge of them all But least I vveary the reader vvith to longe a catalogue of reuiling speeches of these contumelious chammes and parricides I report me vnto the indifferent reader vvhether they deserue not the punishment of parricides vvho so scoffe taunte contemne and reuile their forfathers But my meaning vvas not to condemne them vppon vvhom God his sentence must passe my drifte is herby to shevv hovv much in reuiling fathers they crack the credit of their religion and hovv vvithall in reiecting this authoritie they open the gapp to all heretikes and heresies And as concerning the first point it is vvell knovvn that antiquitie vvas allvvayes reuerenced old age vvas euer respected olde coynes priced ancient statues admired old vvritings esteemed and in all artes the moste ancieÌ„t professours of the same bear the bell a vvay In painting Appelles hath the credit aboue all painters in statuary vvorks Lycippê° in comedies Plautus and Terence in Tragedies Seneca in histories Liuie Salust Iustine in Poetrie Homer Virgil Ouid in Rhetorick Demosthenes and Cicero in Philosophie Plato and Aristotle in Diuinitie Peter Lombard sainct Thomas of Aquin Scotus and such other subtile schoolmen And shall not the ancient fathers and doctours of the Church vvho by their arte professed exposition of scripture be reuerenced and credited in their arte before oure vnlearned and vpstart ministers shall antiquitie giue credit to Poets and painters and not to Doctours interpretours of scripture Vvhat is this but to preferr ê“phane literature before religioÌ„ Philosophie before fayth diuinitie paganisme before Christianitie yea Poetes painters before Doctours fathers of the Church If any one novv should say that Plato and Aristotle vvere but
intended conclusion vvhich I maye doe vvith as muche breuitie as facilitie For if God bee the autour of all sinne then if vvee maye gather vvhat the tree is by the frute hee is of a malitious nature as is before proued and if hee commaund vs impossibilities and punishe vs vvith Hell fyer for not fullfilling them then is hee vnreasonable cruel and barbarous And if vvee once make this conceit of God as vvee must needes if vvee beleeue the aduersaries opinioÌ„ then must our hartes of necessitie bee cold in religion and vvorship of God For vvho can bee induced to vvorship loue and honour such a God in vvhome is nothing vvhich is amiable nothing vvorthy honour vvel may vvee feare him for his crueltie but loue him and honour him from the harte vve can not And so religion fallethe The third Chapter shevveth that in contempte of the Churches authoritie they bring all religion in contempte IT is a maxime and almost an article of faithe receued amoÌ„gest the reformers that the true Churche vvhich once vvas hathe erred grosselye in no lesser matters then faithe iustification merit freevvil vvorkes satisfaction purgatorie prayer to Sainctes vvorship of images nuÌ„ber and vertue of Sacramentes Sacrifice such like Yea they confess that the Romain Church vvas once the true Church but thy adde vvith all that aftervvardes it erred grossely and fell sovvlye novv of the Church of Christ is become the Synagogue of the deuil This is the cause vvhy vvhen vvee vrge the authoritie of the ancient and present Churche for the proofe of the reall presence free vvill prayer to saintes sacrifice of the Masse they ansvvere vs that the Church vvas but a congregation of men vvhich hathe erred in these and other matters And therfore Luther careth not for a thousand Churches and Caluin Beza and others despise all the Councelles and ancient fathers as appearethe by their vvordes vvhich are related in the first booke and the third and fourth chapter So that vppon the bare authoritie of the Churche they vvill not hange their faithe as they saye least they hange their soules bicause the Churche as it maye bee deceued so it maye deceue I demaund of theÌ„ therfore vvhat assuraunce they haue of scripture and by vvhat meanes they come to the knovvledge of it A Catholique vvould say that he beleeuethe these bookes to bee the vvorde of god bicause the Catholike Church vvhich is it the piller of truthe vvhich by the sonne of God vvas promised a spirit vvhich should teach her all veritie 10.14.15 l. on t epist fund c. â— hath cuer so beleened and defined Vvherfore saint Austine sayeth that hee vvould not beleeue the ghospel vnlesse the Churches authoritie mâ—ued him not that the Church maketh scriptures or giueth them their truthe and veritie for that they haue of God vvho vvas the indighter of them but bicause vvee can not knovv vvhich is Scripture vvhich is not but by the voice of the Church to vvhich only in this matter the ancient fathers vvere vvont to harken as Ireneus l. 2 c 2 3. 4. l prâ—esc de expos Symb. l. 2 c 1. 46. l. 4. c 11. Tertulian sainct Hierom Leo the first and dâ—uers others of vvhom Nicephorus maketh mention Vvherfore the first Toletane Councel in the one and tvventith canoÌ„ accurseth theÌ„ vvho accept of any other Scriptures theÌ„ those vvhich the Catholique Churche receiueth Hee vvould alleage for an argumeÌ„t that Christemade Peter his successour the Pope supreme pastour of the Church and commaunded him to feed his sheep lo. 2. and seing that a principal office of the shepheard is to shevv them suche pasturs as are most holsom for them it perteineth to the â—uprem Pastoure of the Churche to tell vs infallibly vvhich are the true scriptures for vvhen hee declareth vv ch are the true Scripturs he shevves vs our pasture the place vvher vvee are to graze and vvhen hee expoundethe them hee feedethe vs. And seing that the Pope of Rome is this Pastour as is proued in the last chapter of the first booke it follovveth that vvee must receue that for scripture vvhich hee allovveth of as scripture He vvould alleage also the antiquitie of scriptures for a profe of their sinceritie l. 2. cont Ap. 〈…〉 prabar Euangel in Apolog c 19. 20. 24. bicause Moyses vvhoe vvas the vvriter of a great part of the old testament as Iosephus Tertulian and Eusebius affirme by many handred yeares vvas more ancieÌ„t then all the vvritâ—rs of the Romains and Grecians also vv ch therfore deserue great credit reuerence 1 Tuse bicause as Cicero sayeth in his Tusculane questions to Antiquitie noe lesse is devve Hee vvould confirme this argument by another of no lesse efficacie to vvit that these bookes haue beene conserued so many thousand yeares not vvithstaÌ„ding so many captiuities of the Ievves and persecutions of the Christians vvhich argueth that God vvho vvas the Authour of them had a speciall care of them and a vigilant eye vnto them as vnto his ovvn vvord and vvriting Hee might alleage also the coÌ„formitie of those booke vvhich vvere indighted of diuers at diuers tymes and yet haue in them no contrarieties and vvere translated out of Hebrevv into Latin by 70 Interpretours â—nstin orat paroen ad geÌ„â—â—â— diuersely disposed vvho yet not vvithstanding soe aggreed as if all their traÌ„slations had been copied out of one For vvhich causes euen the Gentils Paganes them selues haue borne great respect vnto these vvritinges not daring to mingle them vvith their ê“phane vvritinges bicause as Iosephus and Eusebius affirme some that haue atteÌ„pted it l â—â— Aut. c. 1. â— l. â— praeparâ— â— by the diuine and secret povver haue beene very sharpely and seuerly punished all vv ch is vvarraÌ„ted by historie traditioÌ„ This a Catholike vvould saye vvith great applause and no lesse probabilitie for the authoritie of scripture But vvhat vvould or vvhat could our reformers saye vvould they saye vvith the Catholike that they beleeue them to bee holy scripture bicause the Church sayeth so â—â— Hostâ— l. 3. â—â—nt Brent Luther in deed sayeth that hee in this point beleeuethe the Churche and Pope and good reason hathe hee bicause of vvhoÌ„ did hee receue the scriptures vvhen hee began first to preach his nevv doctrine but of the Romaine Churche vvho cuer had the custody of them euen since the tyme of the Apostles And hovve could he knovve that the ghospel of the Nazarens of sainct Barnabas Euseb l. â— c. 25. and sainct Thomas vvere not as rrue scripture as the ghospel of sainct Matthevve and other Euangelistes but that the Romain Churche allovved of these and not of those For this cause some of them do saye that in this point they must needs beleeue the Pope Romain Church bicause they caÌ„ not in deed haue any probable knovvledge of Scripture but by this meanes as shall appeare by the refutatioÌ„ of all other meanes vvhich they