the Euangelist expoundeth himselfe So Hilarius saith Dictorum intelligentia aut ex praepositis aut ex consequentibus expectetur that is The vnderstanding of the sayings is to be looked for either of those things which goe before or those that follow after So Clemens saith Ex ipsis scripturis sensum capere veritatis oportet From the Scriptures themselues we must take the sense and exposition of truth Finally so Pope Pius the second Ab ipsa scripture recipiendus est sensus veritatis that is The vnderstanding of the truth is to be receiued from the Scripture it selfe Now how carefully and diligently we endeuour to doe this that is to expound the holy Scriptures truely and sincerely by the Scriptures themselues God knoweth our writings and sermons doe shew and the consciences of those that reade and heare them can witnes with vs. And this is also an argument hereof that you cannot bring forth any places of the Scriptures which we falsely expound or seeke violently and wickedly to wrest from the true and simple sense of the holy Ghost contained in the holy Scriptures The which this cauiller should haue done and thereby declare how we builde our faith vpon priuate and false expositions But let vs see and examine his proofe of his Minor which is that because we builde not our faith vpon the exposition of the Church the Fathers or Councels therefore we builde vpon our owne priuate expositions I answere that although we reuerence the iudgement of the true Church of God the holy Fathers and Councels yet by this that I haue before alledged it plainely appeareth that we are to fetch the sense and exposition of the Scriptures not from them but from the Scriptures themselues And whereas you by the Church doe meane the Romish Church I will shew hereafter that she hath corrupted and falsely expounded the Scriptures As touching the Doctors we are not bound vnto their expositions which sometimes be not sound and sometimes differ among themselues Yea Cardinal Caietanus plainely auoucheth this and doubteth not to bring sometimes senses and expositions to the Scriptures which be not in all the Doctors His words be these Nullus itaque detestetur nouum sacrae scripturae sensum ex hoc quod dissonat à priscis doctoribus Sed scrutetur perspicacius textum ac contextum scripturae siquadrare inuenerit laudet Deum qui non alligauit expositionem scripturarum sacrarum pristorum doctorum sensibus c. that is Let no man hereupon detest or dislike a new exposition of the holy Scripture because it dissenteth from the ould Doctors But let him more sharpely search the text and Coherence of the Scriptures and if he finde it to agree therewith let him praise God who hath not bound the exposition of the holy Scriptures to the senses and expositions of the ancient Doctors Yea Bishop Fisher a great patrone of the Popes doubteth not to affirme that many things in the Gospel and other Scriptures be now more exactly discussed and more plainely vnderstoode then they were of old time of the Fathers and that there be yet many obscure and hard places which will be much better vnderstoode of the posteritie whereby it appeareth that his Iudgement was that the exposition of the Scriptures is not to be tyed vnto the Fathers and then much lesse to the Councels which doe not expound in order the bookes of the Scriptures as the Fathers did but onely examined some places and discussed some Doctrines which were in controuersie Moreouer whereas Saint Augustine in his foure bookes de doctrina christiana entreateth largely of the exposition of the Scriptures and giueth many good and learned lessons concerning the same and namely seuen rules of Ticonius the Donatist which he commendeth and calleth them keyes to open the Scripture neither he nor Ticonius doe make mention of these rules which the author of this pamphlet doth here set downe nor referre vs vnto them Therefore these be new coined rules of your owne voyde of the testimonie of antiquitie But that the Christian reader may see who they be that builde their faith vpon priuate and false expositions of the Scripture let vs come to the examination of some particular places of the Scripture and see who they be that follow priuate and false expositions The wordes of our Sauiour Christ drinke ye all of it they expound that Christ spake them onely to his Apostles which as they terme them were priests and therefore this bindeth priests to drinke of the Cup but not the lay people So saith Iohn Fisher the Bishop of Rochester Bibite ex eo omnes Quae verba proculdubio solis erant dicta sacerdotibus quibus potestas tum fuerat collata conficiendi sacramenti nimirum hijs verbis hoc facite in meam commemorationem that is Drinke all of this which words without all doubt were spoken onely to priests to whom power also was giuen to make the Sacrament that is by these words doe this in remenbrance of me The same in effect wrote Cardinall Hosius Doctor Harding Andradius Aeneas Siluius and others This exposition although peraduenture it wil not be counted priuate for that it is maintained by so many great men yet it is a very false absurd exposition and easily to be discerned by any simple man For if these words Drinke ye all of it were spoken onely to priests then likewise these Take ye eate ye were spoken onely to priests And so by your wise exposition as none but priests by these words are bound to drinke of the Cup so none but priests are bound to take and eate the bread as it was the manner and custome of the common people in Liuonia not to receiue this Sacrament at all as Gerson writeth But if our Sauiour Christ did speake the one to all both priests and people why not theother If the one doe binde all why not the other Moreouer Saint Paul deliuering to the Corinthians the Supper of our Sauiour Christ according to the institution which he had receiued of Christ deliuered not onely the breade but also the Cup to the whole Church of Corinth which I suppose you will not say were all priests This Cup is the new Testament in my bloud As often as ye shall eate this breade and drinke this Cup ye shew the Lords death till he come Wherefore whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the Cup of the Lord vnworthily shall be guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. Paschasius expoundeth these words thus Bibite ex hoc omnes hoc est tam ministri quam reliqui credentes that is Drinke ye all of this that is to say both ministers and the rest that beleeue The glosse as it is alledged by Cassander thus Bibite ex hoc omnes scilicet sine personarum acceptione that is Drinke ye all of this that is all without respect of persons So doth
Chrysostom Omnibus vnum corpus proponitur poculum vnum One body and one Cuppe is propounded to all So saith Theophilactus Tremendus calix pari cunctis conditione traditus est The fearefull Cup is in like sort deliuered vnto all Yea this absurd exposition of theirs is contrarie to the practise of the Primitiue Church and to all antiquitie as might be shewed and of some Papists is confessed But to proceede and to shew how they handle other places I will ioyne two places together because they doe often alleage them together to proue the Popes supremacie ouer the whole Church of God dispersed ouer the whole world The one Hosea 1. 11. Then shall the Children of Iudah and the Children of Israel be gathered together and appoynt themselues one head The other place is Iohn 10. 16. There shall be one fold and one shepheard These places be alleaged by Pope Pius the second epist 288. by Iohannes de Parisijs by D. Harding c. expounding the same not of Christ but of the Pope to be this one head and one shepheard The which what a priuat and false exposition it is I neede not greatly to shew it is so plaine and apparant The first place of Hosea Saint Hierome expoundeth thus Haec omnia fient quia magnus est dies seminis Dei qui interpretatur Christus i. All these things shall come to passe because it is the great day of the seede of God which is expounded not the Pope but Christ so also doth Frier Lira Congregabuntur filij Iudae id est Apostoli c. There shall assemble together the Children of Iuda that is to say the Apostles and the Children of Israel that is to say the heathen conuerted together that is to say in one Church and shall appoynt vnto themselues one head that is to say one Christ So doth S. Augustine de ciuitate Dei lib. 18. cap. 28. Whose words for shortnes sake I omit The other place is so plaine that a Cobler by hearing or reading of it may perceiue that our Sauiour Christ spake it of himselfe and not of the Pope He saith I am the good shepheard and knowe mine and am knowne of mine I lay downe my life for my sheepe Other sheepe I haue also which are not of this fold them also must I bring and they shall heare my voyce and there shall be one sheepefolde and one shepheard Therefore doth my father loue me because I lay downe my life that I might take it againe Who is so blind as seeth not these words to be spoken of our Sauiour Christ himselfe and not of the Pope Yet that doughtie or rather doltish Doctor Iohannes de Parisijs is not ashamed to say that it is not to be vnderstoode of Christ but of some other Minister which should rule in his place His words be these Congregabuntur filij Iuda filij Israel vt ponant sibi caput vnum Ioan. 10. fiet vnum ouile vnus pastor Quod quidem de Christo intelligi non potest sed de alio aliquo ministro quipraesit loco eius i. The Children of Iuda and the Children of Israel shall be gathered together and shall appoynt themselues one head and Ioh. 10. There shall be one fold and one shepheard which cannot be vnderstoode of Christ but of some other minister that must rule in his place Behold the absurditie of this saying and exposition and let this cauiller who in his questions and challenge so disdainefully despiseth our learning consider what a blind ignorant and vnlearned Doctor and writer this was that so absurdly expoundeth this place and contrarily to the plaine words denieth them to be vnderstoode of our Sauiour Christ and blasphemously attributeth y t vnto the Pope which is only proper and peculiar to Iesus Christ Frier Lira was of better iudgement who writeth thus Fiet vnus pastor id est Christus i. There shall be one pastor that is to say Christ I will shew another place or two in like manner expounded for the proofe of the same matter In the booke of the ceremonies of the Church of Rome the which I wish were in English that our English Catholikes might see the goodly ceremonies and orders of that Church it is thus written Papa in nocte natiuitatis domini benedicit ensem quem postea donat alicui principi in signum infinitae potentiae pontifici collatae iuxta illud data est mihi omnis potestas in coelo in terra Item dominabitur à mari vsque ad mare à flùmine vsque ad terminos orbis terrarum i. The Pope in the night of the feast of Christs Natiuitie blesseth a sword for a signe of the infinit power giuen to him which hee afterward bestoweth vpon some Prince according to that saying All power is giuen to me both in heauen and in earth also He shall rule from the sea vnto the sea and from the stood vnto the ends of the world Are not these sayings thinke you finely expounded of the Pope whereof the one our Sauiour Christ himselfe spake and the other the Prophet Dauid prophesied of Iesus Christ himselfe And the former of these places Stephen the Archbishop of Patraca applied vnto Pope Leo the 10. in the Councell of Lateran in the audience of the Pope himselfe who thankefully accepted it and suffered it to be published and printed and so to this day was neuer by any Papist disliked By these places any man may discerne and iudge whether this Romish prelate be not that man of sinne and sonne of perdition an aduersarie that exalteth himselfe against or aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped sitting as God in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God of whom S. Paul before prophecied in taking these things vnto himselfe which Gods spirit spake properly and peculiarly of Iesus Christ The place of Saint Peter 1. chap. 4. Loue or charitie couereth the multitude of sinnes they expound in this sense that charitie maketh satisfaction for our sinnes and couereth and hideth our sinnes before God Iohn Fisher the Bishop of Rochester writeth hereof thus Tertius modus est per vehementis charitatis affectum Nam vehemens vtique charitatis affectus peccatorum etiam expurgat reliquias quum dicat diuus Petrus Charitas operit multitudinem peccatorum i. The third meanes to purge away sinne is by the affection of vehement charitie for surely the vehement affection of charitie doth also purge out the remnants of sinnes for S. Peter saith Charitie hideth the multitude of sinner That this is a priuate and false exposition a simple and meane man may see especially if he looke vpon the place in the Prouerbs chap. 10. 12. from the which Saint Peter doth alleage it and is commonly quoted in the margent Hatred stirreth vp contention but loue or charitie couereth all trespasses Where Salomon sheweth that
are they then baptized for dead To picke Purgatorie pickpurse out of this place passeth my skill Here is mention made of baptisme for the dead but neither of Purgatorie nor of prayer for the dead I am not ignorant that there be sundrie expositions of this place yet I doe not remember that euer I read it expounded of Purgatorie or applied vnto it And therefore I will write no more at this present of it but wil expect a syllogisme to be made of it for the proofes of Purgatorie and then I shall further consider what to say vnto it We doe beleeue that they onely be members of that bodie whereof Christ Iesus is the head which be either triumphing with him in heauen or be fighting for him against Satan sinne and the world here vpon earth Saint Paul saith that Christ came to make peace by the blood of his crosse and to reconcile the things which are in earth and the things which are in heauen That is to say his whole vniuersall Church whereof part was alreadie in heauen and part remained behinde vpon the earth They therefore that be in Purgatorie be no members of his bodie nor are to be deliuered by him but being the Popes creatures are either by him who can at his pleasure emptie and scoure Purgatorie to be deliuered or else still in that fained fire to be tormented Neither hath true Christian charitie so much as the cursed couetousnes of Priests been the bellowes to blow that forged fire for the heating of their kitchens Now that I haue answered your reasonlesse reasons of our denying this article of Christian faith the communion of Saints I will briefly shew what is our beleefe of it We beleeue that al the Saints of God and members of the holie Catholike Church haue communion and fellowship with Iesus Christ and are partakers of all his benefits Of this communion Christ speaketh I am the vine ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruite Of this speaketh S. Paul God is faithfull by whom ye are called vnto the fellowship of his sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. This communion or fellowship is wrought by faith by the which Christ dwelleth in the hearts of all his elect and faithfull people and by which wee be graffed into him to receiue all grace and goodnes from him as the branch doth from the vine or stocke And we beleeue that all the faithfull and godly be knit together in loue as the Apostle speaketh whereby they are to communicate those graces and gifts which God hath bestowed vpon them to the edifiyng and helping of others in such sort as God hath appointed Yea we beleeue that all the faithfull haue communion and fellowship together in that they haue all one heauenly father one Iesus Christ their redeemer and mediatour one holy Ghost their sanctifier are iustified by one faith common to all the elect dedicated to God by one baptisme called by one Gospell to be partakers of one kingdome of glorie This is the summe of our beleefe concerning this article wherein wee would know what fault you can finde But your communion and vnion consisteth in being vnder one Pope of Rome vnder whose obedience whosoeuer is not you think he cannot be saued as is before shewed neither will you haue communion with him And therefore whereas Christianitie hath continued as I said before in Greece Russia Aethiopia Armenia and other countries amongst whom no doubt but God hath had and now hath his elect and chosen people yet you haue no communion or fellowship with them because they be not vnder your owne Pope And much lesse haue you communion with the Saints in heauen because you haue not the faith of Gods elect For did the faithfull Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and others beleeue to be deliuered from the fire of hell by the merits of Nicholas or to ascend into heauen by the blood of Thomas Becket Nay Iesus Christ is the onely mercie seate into the which the two Cherubinis did looke that is as I take it both the faithfull before his comming in the flesh and they that be after doe looke onely vpon Christ in him onely to seeke and finde mercie Now let vs see the third article of our Creed which you say we denie which is Remission of sinnes Here I beseech the Christian reader to consider who they be that denie this article containing a principall point of Christian religion and saluation whether wee or this accuser with his partners Wee beleeue that whereas wee be children of wrath vnprofitable seruants and prodigall children that haue sinned against heauen and our heauenly father and are so deeply indebted to God that wee be neuer able to make payment for the which he might iustly throw vs into the dungeon of damnation for euer wee I say beleeue that he hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life by whom wee haue redemption through his blood euen the forgiuenes of sinnes according to his rich grace and that our sinnes are forgiuen vs for his names sake And we beleeue that God of his great mercie in Iesus Christ doth forgiue vs not onely our sinnes but also the punishment due vnto them and which wee haue deserued by them accepting vs for vessels of his mercie and heires of his glorie Now this accuser of vs and his companions doe first beleeue that they doe make satisfaction to Gods iustice for their sinnes which is a flat deniall of the forgiuenes of our sinnes For whereas our sinnes be called debts and satisfaction is a paiment it followeth that if we doe make satisfaction for them then we neither need nor can haue forgiuenes of them For our satisfaction and Gods forgiuenes cannot stand together For euen as if I owe a man a hundreth pounds and I pay him he doth not forgiue it and if he forgiue it I doe not pay it So if we by satisfaction make paiment to God for our sinnes then hee doth not forgiue them if hee forgiue them then wee doe not make satisfaction for them Now let vs see what is the doctrine of these men concerning this their satisfaction whereby they make paiment themselues to God for their debts Bishop Fisher whom I suppose the Pope hath sainted for standing so stifly in his cause writeth hereof thus Thirdly some there be which by grace in this life haue so punished themselues for their offences that they haue made a sufficient recompence for them Againe So doth heartie weeping for sinne expell sinne and is a sufficient and iust recompence for it And againe But whereas any creature haue made due satisfaction in this life he neuer after shall suffer more paine and also is cleane out of debt and nothing after that shall euer be claimed of him Againe They be called recti corde that haue made satisfaction
himselfe and not God of God So that he receiueth not his diuinitie from his father I answere that if we consider of Christ absolutely in respect of the essence he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God of himselfe to whom all things doe agree which are spoken of the diuine essence by it selfe but if we consider of him in respect of his person he is not of himselfe but sonne of the father yet coëternall and coëssentiall So saith Saint Augustine Christus ad se deus dicitur ad patrem filius dicitur that is Christ in respect of himselfe is called God and in respect of the Father is called sonne Saint Basil saith that it was an vndoubted principle of diuinitie in all ages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The godhead to be begotten neither of it himselfe nor of any other but to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnbegotten And that Christ is God of himselfe I proue it thus He that is Iehoua is God of himselfe Christ is Iehoua ergo Christ is God of himselfe The first proposition cannot be denyed for God is called Iehoua because he hath his being of himselfe and all others haue their being of him And that Christ is Iehoua I thinke you will not deny and if you doe it may easily be proued For he that appeared to Esaias the Prophet cap. 6. and is there called Iehoua vers 3. is said of Saint Iohn to be Christ in these words These things said Esaias when he saw his glory and spake of him That which Esaias cap. 18. 13. 14. speaketh of Iehoua Saint Paul Rom. 9. 33. expoundeth of Christ The Angel that appeared to Moses in the bush is called Iehoua but Christ who is called the Angel of the couenant and the Angel of the great counsell was that Angel ergo Christ is Iâ—houa And so consequently is God of himselfe And therefore Epiphanius whom I trust you will not terme a Puritane calleth Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God of himselfe The Fathers of the Nicene councell in calling Christ God of God did thereby signifie that he is coëssentiall and of the same substance with the Father and not as you falsely affirme that he receiued his diuinitie of his Father which is in effect to make Christ no God For it is proper to God to be of himselfe The deitie is the diuine essence which is one and singular and the same wholy in the Father in the sonne and in the holy Ghost And so we acknowledge a Trinitie of persons and a vnitie of essence that is one only God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Basil c. it is manifest that the names of Father and sonne doe not signifie the essence but the proprieties of the persons So Damascene saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is The deitie signifieth the nature or essence the word Father the person And the essence is wholy in the Father wholy in the sonne and wholy in the holy Ghost as euen your great Master of the sentences Peter Lumbard confesseth so that the Father is God of himselfe the Sonne God of himselfe the holy Ghost God of himselfe and yet not three Gods but one true and immortall God And therefore with Athanasius wee worship a vnitie in Trinitie and Trinitie in vnitie The fift article which you say those whom you disdainfully call Puritaines doe deny is the descension of Christ into Hell Can you shew and name any such puritanes which omit this article either in rehearsing it or in expounding it as you haue done the second commaundement of God I am sure you cannot Why doe you then say that they deny it forsooth because they receiue not your exposition of it to wit that Christ descended in soule to Hell and was there as long as his body was in the graue and there harrowed Hell and deliuered thence the patriarkes and all iust men there houlden in bondage vnto his death as your Rhemists write And doe all that receiue not this exposition deny this article Then did your owne Doctor Durand deny this article who held and published in writing that Christs soule did not in respect of the substance and essence thereof but by effect efficacy and operation descend into Hell Then did Iohn Picus that learned Earle of Mirandula and Cardinall Caietane whom the Pope sent into Germanie to suppresse Luther deny this article who concurre and agree with Durand yea I might say that then either Saint Cyprian or Ruffin denyed this article who expoundeth it of Christs buriall But you say that these nameles Puritans defend that Christ suffered the paines of Hell vpon the crosse whereby they blaspheme most horribly that sacred humanitie as if Christ had despaired of his saluation as if God had hated him and he had hated God c. I answere that this doctrine of Christs suffering the paines of Hell vpon the crosse is not so desperate as your collections thereof are false and blasphemous What desperatnes or absurditie is this that Christ our Sauior not in respect of himselfe but in that he became our suretie and tooke vpon him our debts and bare our sinnes in his bodie vpon the wood as Saint Peter saith did beare and indure in his humanitie the wrath of God and the paines and torments which our sinnes had deserued to deliuer vs from the wrath of God which we by our sinnes had prouoked and from the said paines and torments which we had merited We are not to thinke that Christ did suffer onely an externall and corpoÌ„ral death for then he had shewed greater weakenes then many meere natural men haue done who with great courage and cheerefulnesse haue gone vnto death but Christ our Sauiour was in such an Agonie that his sweate was like drops of bloud trickling downe to the ground so that an Angel appeared from heauen comforting him He cryed and said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Whereby it doth euidently appeare that he suffered not onely an outward death of the body but did in his soule wrastle with the paines of Hell and beare the burden of Gods wrath dewe to our sinnes to deliuer vs from the same and to purchase the loue and mercie of God vnto vs. And when the prophet saith of him He hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was laid vpoÌ„ him and with his stripes we are healed All we like sheepe haue gone astray we haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquitie of vs all Did not our Sauiour Christ heerein suffer the punishment which was due to our sinnes Saint Paul saith that Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law being made a curse for vs for it is written Cursed is euery one that hangeth on the tree yet Iesus Christ
painted the which he foule errors If you will not allow the worshipping of Images to be an errour then you cannot say but that the Councell of Constantinople vnder Leo the Emperour where were present 338. Bishops and another of Frankford vnder Charles the Great in which the worshipping of images was condemned did erre Some of these Councels erred To omit for breuitie sake manie other Councels a Councell at Rome vnder Stephanus the sixth or as some reckon seuenth condemned Pope Formosus and his doings Another Councell at Rauenna vnder Pope Iohn the tenth restored Formosus and condemned Stephen and the actes of his Councell I hope you will not or cannot say but that one of these Councels erred Another Councell at Rome vnder Pope Nicholas the second caused that excellent learned and godly man Berengarius to recant and to confesse that the verie true bodie of Christ is indeed handled and broken by the priests hands and torne with the teeth of faithfull people The which is a grosse false and blasphemous doctrine The Councell of Constance erred most wickedly in taking away the cup of the Lord from the lay people contrarie to the word of God and the testimonie of all antiquitie And that their last Councell of Trident hath fouly erred and confirmed false doctrine repugnant to the truth of Gods word and the Canons of ancient Councels both these excellent learned men Martinus Chemnicius and Innocentius Gentilletus haue shewed and we do and will proue to the consciences of all those whom the God of this world hath not blinded I am not ignorant what colours that Iesuite Bellarmine seeketh to cast vpon the foresaid errours of these Councels and such others and what simple shifts he seeketh to elude and auoid them the which I wil not stand here to answer but I will referre the reader to the answers of Lamb. Danaeus and to that excellent man of blessed memory D. Whitakers where he may find the weaknesse and nakednesse of Bellarmines said shifts plainly discouered and the same fully confuted the which I thinke will stand as other of his works haue done long vndefended Whereas you note in your margent the ancient Councels of Nice Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon wherin old heretikes were confuted and condemned and thereby claime them to appertaine to your Church I answer that as it is most certaine that those Councels were not called not gouerned and directed by the Bishops of Rome as now by vsurpation they are so you shall neuer proue that those godly and learned fathers agreed with you in manie great and principall points of Christian doctrine It were easie to shew that sundry things were condemned by them which be receiued and vsed by you And therefore you vainly brag of their names whose doctrine and proceedings you haue forsaken neither haue you so much by disputation in Councels as by cruel persecution through fire and fagot suppressed such as in all ages haue complained of your idolatry and abominations as plainly appeareth by histories As it is true that we admit the holy Scripture or rather the holy Ghost speaking in the Scripture to bee the supreme vmpier and Iudge in matters of controuersies and acknowledge him to be the onely infallible interpreter of his own words so is it false that we admit no other iudge but remit al to euery mans priuate spirit and singular exposition We say that as the holy Ghost in the Scriptures is the high infallible iudge and interpreter of the Scriptures so we acknowledge inferiour Iudges and interpreters both priuate and publike Euerie man is a priuate iudge to discerne and iudge of the doctrine which he heareth or readeth in the Scriptures So Saint Paul saith I speake as vnto wise men iudge ye what I say Let the Prophet speake two or three and let the other iudge Despise not prophecying Try all things and keep that which is good Abstain frō all appearance of euill Beloued beleeue not euery spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God The spirituall man iudgeth all things Good Christians ought to haue their wits exercised to discerne both good and euill The true sheepe of Christ heare and know his voice and they will not follow a stranger but they flie frō him for they know not the voice of strangers whereby our Sauiour Christ sheweth that those which be his sheepe and be truely gathered into his fold can iudge and discerne betweene his voyce sounding in the Scriptures and the voyce of strangers deliuering a strange doctrine differing and dissenting from the same such as is the false doctrine of the Church of Rome We also admit publike iudges of controuersies both seuerally as learned Bishops pastors and doctors who may giue their sentences and iudgements in matters in question and coniunctly when they be assembled in Synodes and Councels to examine questions of greater difficultie and to decide the same How beit their iudgements be not infallible for all men be lyars and subiect to ignorance and errour neither haue they any absolute power and authoritie to iudge after their own spirit or mind but according to the canonicall Scriptures from the which if they bee found to decline and swarue their iudgements are not to be followed But your meaning is that the Pope with his Councell is the supreme vmpire and iudge in matters of controuersie and the infallible interpreter thereof How they haue most falsly interpreted the Scriptures I haue in some part shewed before and that he who is a partie and whom a great part of Christendome doth accuse to bee Antichrist and guilty of most grieuous crimes as of impietie idolatrie tyrannie ouer the Church sacrilege treason c. should be iudge in this his owne cause is against all law and reason It is written in your owne Canon lawe Si Papa cum aliquo causam habet non debet ipse esse iudex i. If the Pope haue matter with any other he ought not himselfe to be iudge And againe Quando Papa est in statu qui plerisque est offendiculo scandalizat Ecclesiā noc est corrigibilis tunc non potest esse iudex quia videtur male sentire de fide i. When the Pope is in that state that he is an offence to manie and scandalizeth the Church and is incorrigible then he canot be Iudge because he seemeth to be of an euill faith And euen so not only we do but also manie of his owne fauourers haue iustly accused the Pope to be You vainly and falsly exaggerate controuersies and irreconciliable iarres as you terme them among vs in essentiall points of faith But why do you not particularly expresle some of those essentiall points of faith Surely because you cannot I cōfesse there hath been in our Church some controuersie concerning externall ceremonies and forme of gouernment as there hath beene heretofore betweene good men as betweene Peter and Paul betweene Paul and
charity then was Dauids procuring of Vrias death by the sword of the Ammonites But notwithstanding these and such other tragicall and tyrannicall acts these Popes faith neuer failed For they neuer had any but a false and dead faith such a faith as the Diuell hath The Pamphlet The Protestants shall neuer haue life euerlasting because they will haue no merits for which euerlasting life is giuen 7. Article WHatsoeuer is giuen as wages is giuen for workes But the kingdome of Heauen is giuen as wages Ergo the kingdome of Heauen is giuen for workes The Maior or first proposition may bee declared after this manner for example her maiestie may bestow 1000. pounds by yeare vpon some suiter either gratis of meere liberalitie and so it is called a gift donum a grace or fauour or vpon condition if he behaue himselfe manfully in the warres of Ireland and in this case the reuennew is called merces wages Remuneratio stipendium a reward or paiment and although her maiestie did shew him a grace and fauour to promise such a reward for performing such a worke the which he was bound vpon his allegiance otherwise to performe yet once hauing promised and the worke being performed her maiestie is bound vpon her fidelitie and iustice to pay that she promised In like manner God may giue vs the kingdome of Heauen without any respect or regard of workes as he giueth it to little children which are baptised and so it is a meere gift and a pure grace Or he may giue it with some respect vnto our workes and so he giueth it to all them who hauing vse of discretion keepe his commaundements and for this cause it is called wages merces a reward and thus the Maior must be vnderstoode to wit that whatsoeuer God giueth as wages is giuen for workes and such wages are called merits Wages then and merits haue a mutuall relation for what are wages but a reward of merits and what are merits but a desert of wages The Minor is most plaine and inculcated in Scriptures Voca operarios redde illis mercedem Call the workmen and pay them their wages Ecce venio merces mea mecum est reddere vnicuique secundum opera sua Loc I come and my wages with me to giue to euery one according to his workes Vnusquisque propriam mercedem accipiet secundum suum laborem Euery one shall receiue proper wages according to his labour The like we haue in twentie other places of Scripture all which infallibly proue that the kingdome of heauen is giuen as wages for merits and consequently that Protestants who are enemies to merits shall neuer attaine to the kingdome of heauen which is purchased by good workes and merits And for such men we may well say that heauen was neuer made no more then learning for him that will neuer studie nor vertue for him who despiseth the exercise thereof Answere A euerlasting life is not in your bestowing so we want not merites to obtaine it to wit Gods mercies and Christs sufferings for vs with the which wee content our selues and nothing doubt but they be sufficient to discharge vs of damnation and to bring vs to saluation Of these merits sweetly saith Bernard Meum proinde meritum miseratio Domini c. My merit is Gods mercie I am not cleane voide of merite as long as he is not voide of mercies And if the mercies of the Lord be much I am much in merits What though I be guiltie to my selfe of many sinnes Surely where sinne hath abounded grace also hath superabounded And if the mercies of the Lord be from euerlasting to euerlasting I will also from euerlasting sing the mercies of the Lord. Shall I sing my owne iustice O Lord I will remember thy iustice onely for that is mine also in that thou art of God made iustice to me So Augustine saith Meritis suis nihil tribuunt sancti totum non nisi misericordiae tuae tribuunt ô Deus i. The Saints attribute nothing to their own merits they attribute all O God onely to thy mercie Hierome saith Tunc ergo iusti sumus quando nos peccatores fatemur iustitia nostra non ex proprio merito sed ex Det consistit misericordia i. Then are wee iust when wee acknowledge our selues to be sinners and our iustice or righteousnes consisteth not in our merits but in Gods mercie S. Basil saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. Eternall rest or life is propounded to them that striue lawfully in this life not rendred according to the merite or desert of workes but according to the grace of the magnificēt God bestowed vpon them that trust in him But these counterfeit Catholicks not content therewith nor thinking the same sufficient will put vnto them the merits of Saints departed and of men liuing and their owne workes and satisfactions thereby fully to effect that which Gods mercies and Christs merits are not able perfectly to performe This their doctrine appeareth both by their prayers in their Masse-bookes and Porteises and also by the forme of a Monkes absolution in these words Meritum passionis Domini nostri Iesu Christi bonta Maria semper Virginis omnium sanctorum Meritum ordinis grauamen religionis c. i. The merite of the passion of our Lord Iesus Christ and of blessed Mary alwaies a Virgine and of all Saints The merite of thy order the heauines of thy religion the humilitie of thy confession the contrition of thy heart the good workes that thou hast done and shalt doe for the loue of our Lord Iesus Christ be vnto thee for the forgiuenes of thy sinnes to the increase of merite and grace and to the reward of eternall life Thus these men by their doctrine make Iesus Christ not a full perfect and sufficient Sauiour and so infringe the saying of S. Peter There is not saluation in any other for among men there is giuen none other name vnder heauen whereby wee must be saued What is this but to deny the Lord that hath bought vs as Peter also saith Whether this doctrine be agreeable to the word of God let the Christian reader by these places discerne and iudge Christ came to giue his life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a raunsome for many He is that lambe of God which taketh away the sinne of the world In him we haue redemption through his blood that is the forgiuenes of sins He hath made peace by the blood of his crosse and hath reconciled vs in the bodie of his flesh through death We are not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from our vaine conuersation receiued by the traditions of the Fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lambe vndefiled and without spot He himselfe bare our sinnes in his bodie on the tree that wee being dead to sinne should liue in