of god to reuenge and punish malefactours Nor Luther hath no cause nowe so proudely to demaunde VVho dare be so bolde as to restore to libertie the presonner prince For he whose parte it was to do it was not onely bolde and able to do it but did it in dede princely and scourged worthely those whiche had offended But nowe let vs see what punishment and satisfaction this pope of Germany enioyneth the Duke VVhereas this captiue saithe he is depriued of his estat and dominion he ought not to thinke that this is a worthy punishment for his deserts but that being touched onely gently as with the flappe of a foxe taile he is but prouoked and inuited to penaunce and thus he must saie O most mercifull god whereas I haue deserued a greate deale worse and thou yet dost but whip me with small roddes verely I will gladly beare this punishment all daies of my life and I will vtterly renounce my dominion and estate as of the which thou hast moste iustely na rather most mercifully depriued me and from the which I am rightly and worthely thrust out for I am not as I perceaue nowe fit to gouuerne the same Thou art iuste o lorde and thou hast dealed iustely with me yet not according to my desert for as I saide before we muste entreate with god from the bottom of our harte and obediently yelde to his punishment if we do not so he as the trier and sercher of mens hartes from whom nothing is preuy and whom no man can deceiue will easely espie it and if any man go aboute to deceiue or delude him he maketh his cause be it neuer so god starke naught which all we Christen men knowe well inoughe or ought at leste to knowe Marke here nowe diligently good Christen Reader Nowe Luther will haue this poore prince beinge prisonner not to make his confession after the Lutheran order that is that he confesse his fautes onely to god in his harte but euen after the papisticall maner as touching the confessing of his sinnes by mouthe will that he kepe nothing preuy from him or them that shall be his confessours nor be not so bolde as to denie any thinge what then must this penitent of Luther confesse Forsothe all those thinges whiche his open and notorious enemies do falsely accuse him of to the entent that if being forced by cruell emprisonment he happe to yelde vp his owne right then all the worlde might thinke that his voluntary confession was the cause of such satisfaction for they will haue him confesse that he suffreth such emprisonment worthely and that for his deserts he is thrust out of his estate and dominion and that he will neuer require it againe but will of his owne accorde yelde vp all his right and the right of his heires for euer to his aduersaries and mortall enemies here in earthe abiding for and expecting an other estate in heauen Is not this thinke you a swete and pleasaunt satisfaction and merely inuented of Luther and very ghospell like when the Lutherans offend against the Catholikes then in the whole penaunce there can be founde no satisfaction contrition suffiseth But nowe in this case we must haue all thre degres of penaunce Contrition confession and satisfaction But nowe Luther to showe that he is not only the holy Father the highe bishop and pope in Germany but also that he is a prophet and the third Elias he comforteth the princes vnderneth him and dothe prophecy of thinges to come taking occasion of a certayne coyne brought vnto him oute of base germany vnto Wittenberg in the yeare 1545. whereof in this his litle booke thus he writeth This yeare there goeth a talke that certain straunge coynes are brought hether out of base Germany which bothe declare the greate knowleadg off the Papistes and threaten wonderfull perills to the two princes the Electour Duke of Saxony and the Lantgraue of Hesse These coynes of one side haue two pillers Crowned the one with the Emperours the other with a kinges Crowne betwene the two pillers are fetters and giues and two chaines prepared for two men I thinke this shitten prophet would bynde the Prince Electour off Saxony and the Lantgraue there with for in the circle of the coyne thus it is grauen Ad alligandos reges eorum in compedibus that is to binde their princes in fetters The other side of the coyne hathe a spread egle climping in his clawes the two swordes which are painted in the Duke of Saxony his armes Beside the pointes of these swordes strike through a virgin lieng on her side vnderneathe and fire droppeth on her like raine the virgin is tituled Infidelite the writing aboute is Ad faciendam vindictam in nationibus that is to worke vengeaunce in nations whereby they declare what they wrought againste vs and howe they would haue interpreted the leage of defence if those thinges that they saide had come to effect We nede not here to aske whether of these two in this foresaide prophecye was the true or that I may by your good leaue vse Luthers ciuilite the shitten prophet The foure and twentith daie off Aprill in the yeare 1547. in Locher filde and the xix daye off Iune off the same yeare at Halles in Saxony hath manifestly declared it I can not without greate grefe remembre howe our Noble countre of Germany hath suffred a rennagat monke thus to blinde them and delude them to our perpetuall shame and ignominy in the face off all other countres to the vtter destruction of thousands off soules murder of our bodies and spoiling off our goods Truly I fully persuade my selfe that this foresaide coyne was sente vnto vs out of the lowe countres not without the instinct of the holy ghoste either mercifully to admonishe vs to looke better to our matters or that the vaine prediction off this false prophet Luther might by so euident and true a prophecy be conuicted For he that can not see maye yet sensibly feele that this whole matter had the very same euent that the coyne foreshowed cleane contrary and repugnant to Luthers dreame Luther persuaded the simple germans that this prophecy was fulfilled in Duke Harry then presonner and that thereby the popes dominion was vtterly destroied and therefore pricked forwarde the Duke and the Lantgraue to fight and rebell against their liege Souuerain For thus he addeth yet farder in the same booke But nowe for whom they haue painted these giues and fetters we see thanked be god which hath iudged according to the saieng of the psalme They haue opened the pitte and digged it vp and haue fallen in to it them selues their sorowe shall be turned vpon their owne heades and their iniquites shall fall vpon their owne crownes therefore we thanke the iuste and allmightie god and praise the name of the highest Amen Se howe this proude prophet boasteth and triumpheth as thoughe all the element
when that S. Paule calleth it idolorum seruitus that is seruice of idols bicause the couetous man maketh his mony his idoll But this shift serued them to digge vp againe the olde carren heresy of the I conoclaste image breakers condemned in the seuenth generall councell and second off Nice and to throwe downe images out of churches setting in their places their owne and their wiues as in some parte of Germany it is practised Likewise to take away the sacrament of holy Orders and to renewe the olde heresy of the Arrians and the Pepuziani denieng priesthood aboue a thousand yeres past as the Sacramentaries and zelous Lutherans do now for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in greke and presbiter in laten they turne allwaies elder not priest as though euery presbiter in S. Paule were an elder then Timothe was no lawfull bishop being but young and farre from the accompt of an elder onles by these mens doctrine a bishop may be younge but the priest may be only an elder And these men marke not that this worde priest is the very proper etimology of the worde presbiter For of presbyter in laten cometh first the frenche worde prebstre and the dutche worde priester Oute off which two languages we as in thousands of other wordes shortning yet more the terme haue made of prebstre and priester priest So for churche they turne allwaies congregation and that of a very wicked intent meaning thereby to disanull the authorite and estimation of Christes churche making it to be euery peltinge congregation of priuat heretikes or as iff that which we call the churche were nought els but the stones and morter it is made of But as touching the corrupted text of our common translation nowe vsed it is beside our purpose to make any speciall note thereof and in our Discours we shal haue occasion to specify some other places of more importaunce As for these false and hereticall foistinges of Luther here noted by Staphylus though in the cōmon translation of our countre thanked be God they are not readen one excepted which when I come to the place I shall in the margin note you yet it may serue to the Lutherans of oure countre for a most euident argument of the sprit of Antichrist speaking in Luther and of a wicked and detestable archeheretike For what is more conuenient for Antichrist or more proper for an archeheretike then to corrupt gods holy worde and geue vs in stede of it his owne poisonnous and hereticall worde Neither may the sacramentaries of oure conntre thinke that this toucheth not them For they are of Luthers broode no lesse thē the other Beside that their master Caluin is not behind hand for his part as in our Discourse we shal by occasion declare vnto youe in diuers textes and passages of holy scripture by him corrupted The third part of the booke is an euident and sensible detection of the abhominable schismes of these protestans what soeuer smothe countenaunces they beare to the world not only profitable for the laye and vnlerned common people but right worthy to be read waighed and considered of the rulers and higher powres to the entent that seing euidently before their eyes the horrible schismes diuision and disordre that these protestants haue caused in Christendom and do foster vp and brede daily where they may haue their full swaie and course they may thinke vpon some spedy remedy for the restitution of vnite and agrement amonge them and the church of Christ from whence they haue parted And truly by the example of this cōfusion in Germany where heresy hath had his free course in a state of liberty these fourty yeares and more we may see as in a glasse the like inconueniences to be feared amonge vs if it should continew many yeares which God of his tender mercy forbid as also it would ere this haue showed it selfe amonge our protestāts at home if worldly policy had not refrained their vnruly liberty And yet amonge the pretended bishops of oure countre it is well knowen that some allowe the order of priesthood as the ciuill Lutherans do at Wittenberg some preache openly that all men and wemen are priestes as the Illyricans do in Saxony and all the flocke of the zelous Lutherans Againe some in the matter of the blessed Sacrament are very Zuinglians as the Apologie and their articles at the laste Cōuocation declare some yet and that not the smallest starres of the realme are in that point Lutherans as the trouble of certain of them after the ende off the last parlement witnesseth Notwithstanding according to the counsell of Melanchthon in his booke against Fridericus Staphylus they pretend outwardly agrement and vnite amonge them selues to the entēt that like the people of Creta whereof such protestans are called Syncretisantes they may with more ioyned force sett vpō their cōmon aduersaries the Papistes and ouercome them the sooner The late suppressed abhominable booke of Bernardinus Ochinus the Apostata Peter Martirs companyon lately printed defending stoutely amonge other straunge heresies the pluralite of wiues which began to be opēly practised in Polevntel the Kinge banished him thence may geue vs to vnderstand what ioyly newe doctrines and heresies the scholers of Peter Martir which are not fewe nor of the basest sorte in our countre woulde plant and preach amonge vs were it not that matters being not yet ripe nor thouroughly settled they were like to marre all the game if they kept not wel their countenaunces Where in they folowe wel and wisely the counsell of Nicolaus Amsdorffius which he writeth in his booke entituled Publica cōfessio purae doctrinae euāgelij confutatio praesentium Suermerorū In the which complaining that Brentius and the masters of Wittenberg being at a conference and diet helde at Wormes would not condemne Zwinglius and Osiander whose doctrine vtterly repugneth to their Confession of Augspurg he writeth these wordes In this doing they haue departed from the Confession of Augspurg although they pretend to remaine in it they haue also caused dissension and taken away all meanes of agrement for if they would as we doe condemne the errours of Zuinglius and Osiander then might we al agre together against the papistes These be the very wordes of Nicolaus Amsdorfius a famous Superintendent amonge the Lutherans well and truly obserued of our protestant preachers and Ministers And is this the pure worde of the gospell so to beare two or rather twenty faces in one hood For although amonge our protestants bicause of the estate of our countre where not whatsoeuer listeth them is lawfull also to sett forth there semeth in this newe religion an apparent vniformite of doctrine yet they vary not only amonge them selues as we haue before touched but also from their owne doinges The order of communion now practised in England differeth as much frō the first order of cōmunion vsed in King Edwardes time as the Lutherans do
from the Zuinglians and as the Illyricans do now from the Melanchthonistes For the first bothe allowed the real presence in the Sacrament as Luther did and vsed also many olde ceremonies of Christ his church as the Melanchthonistes and the ciuil Lutherans do yet in Wittenberg in Misnia in Franconia at Norimberg at Vlmes where passing by of late we sawe in the churche the holy Roode and aultars of stone yet standing in the Dukedom of Wirtenberg at Breslaw at Briga in Silesia and in many other places The last and present order off communion denieth the reall presence as Zuinglius and Caluin do and reiecteth the ceremonies of the Masse as the Zuingliās and Caluinistes do in the fiue Cantons of Suitzerland Basil Zurich Berna Schafusa and Clarona at Geneua in Sauoye in Scotland and emong the seditious rebelles in Fraunce Now Luther in his litle confession De caena Domini condemneth Zuinglius and his cōplices for heretikes So do Nicolaus Amsdorfius in the booke aboue alleaged and Nicolaus Gallus in his booke intituled Theses hypotyposes etc. Likewise Melanchthon condēneth Illyricus and his felowes as in diuers writings of Illyricus it is to be sene By the iudgement then of Luther of Melanchthon and of all the ciuill Lutherans yea and by the iudgement of all the ghospellers in Kinge Edwardes time and of the stinking martirs of that age our communion now practised in England is hereticall and against the pure doctrine fo the ghospel It were ouer long to recite here all the variaunces in doctrine amonge our protestants I remitt you to the daily experience which you may see better at home then we which are abrode And thus much of the argument of this booke What remaineth then for our part to do but as S. Paule commaundeth vs that we be Solliciti seruare vnitatem spiritus in vinculo pacis that is carefull and diligent to kepe vnite off minde in the bonde off peace being one body and one minde as we be called in to one hope and vocation For there is but one lorde one faith one baptim one God and father of all that we hence forth be no more children wauering and caried aboute with euery winde of doctrine by the wilynes of men and craftines laying waite to deceaue vs. It is truly a world to see what labour and toile what posting and running what paines and charges men sustaine for their right in temporall traihe in worldly commodites and present pleasures which we haue renounced in our baptim which with care being gotten with sorow is kept and yet soone loste and how colde negligent and careles we are aboute the true and sincere worshipping of God which we haue promised and professed in our baptim and which only hath his sure certain and euerlasting rewarde We spare no labour no coste no trauail for the one we moue not a foote nor will not departe from a peny for the other but nodding and sleping in wilfull ignoraunce fuffer our selues to be lead by the noses with euery tinkard and cobler prating in pulpets and planting poisonnous doctrine If rebells arise ageinst their Prince they are with all spede possible and force brought downe again Well and worthely And shall we winke at the rebelles of Christes holy worde and his church The thefe that robbeth and pilleth our temporall riches is hanged and worthely and will we not labour to espie oute and auoy de heresies which bereue vs of the treasure of eternall life If we be thus recheles and careles for our saluation we perish worthely and the plage of god ligh teth vppon vs for our deserts if we will not wittingly be deceiued but haue a care of our soule helth and think vppon the life to come let vs in this perilous ti mes of schismes and abundāce off iniquite harken to such as can teache vs to discerne the true and right in terpretation of gods worde from the peruerted persuasions of heretikes let vs beware of such guides in matters of conscience as stick not to corrupt the ve ry text of gods worde against all honesty and conscience Let vs behold for the better assurance of our Catholike faith which is but one the horrible schismes of the Lutherās Sacramētaries Anabaptistes Cōfessionistes and other amonge them selues all the which are here liuely and expressely sette forth by Fridericus Staphylus and we shall I trust gladly kepe our selues vnder the wing of our mother the Catholike church and geue no more eare to euery new forged fantasie of seditious schismatikes As touching the Author of this booke Fridericus Staphylus in his life time for within these fewe moneths he departed the worlde to the great grief of all good men he was a vertuous lerned and wise Noble mā His vertu wel appereth not only in the feruēt zele of gods worde and the truthe for the setting forth of the which he toke such trade of life as bothe empaired much the helth of his body and procured also greatiosse of his substaunce as he writeth in the first part of this worke but also in the great patience and modesty that he vsed alwaies against his aduersaries writing pasquils libels and famous epigrams against him calling him Iudas runneagat traitour and so forth as the modesty of this new ghospel vseth bycause he forsoke their abhominable heresies after a thourough knowledge of them and detected their iuggling deceites to al the worlde as especially he doth in this worke folowing And this only were they able to obiect against him which declareth well the innocēcy and vprightnes of his life For as herein they spared no kinde of rethorike to exaggerat his departing from them which was a singular grace of God and most in him to be commended so if they had had better matter it should not haue lacked the telling on their part Smidelinus one that of all other to his perpetuall shame and ignominy toke vppon him to encounter with Staphylus labouring to fasten vppon him some great blow of reproche and shame at the lēghth for lacke of better aduauntage entuiteth him his naturall behauiour that he vsed commonly to loke downe to the grounde as he walcked thinking he had thereby raught him a great rappe Which how light a philip it is euery wise man seeth And that gre at ghospeller and doctour of Gopping had forgotte it was writen of our Sauiour that Non secundum visionem oculorum iudicabit He shall not iudge according to the eye sight Truly it is no small argument of his innocency that his most aduersary could laie no greuouser matter vnto him His lerning well appeareth in this and other his workes as in his Absolut apology his epistles and orations against Melanchthon Flaccus and other where he showeth him selfe no lesse lerned Diuin then eloquent oratour and expert of the tongues But of his education in lerning and prospering in the same of what estimation also he was amonge the protestants them selues yow shall vnderstand
Wittenberg the newe Lutheran Papacye Holy order he added to the entent that the Masters of Wittenberg sending abrode their preachers might binde them with an othe to preache and teache no otherwise then they had lerned of their masters as the tenour of the othe set forthe in the Ordonnaunce of the vniuersite of Wittenberg declareth Although therefore the Lutheran protestants raile and inueigh without measure against the Pope bicause vnder him doctours and other be sworne to the obedience of the Catholike church and vniforme consent of doctrine in the same yet they them selues swere and charge by othe against all reason their scholers for the mainteaunce and vpholding of their heresies and abhominable doctrine Notwithstanding these Masters of Wittenberge could not obtaine their purpose Amsdorfius and Illyricus two great masters of Luthers schole woulde neuer agree vnto them but prouoked to the former writings of Melanchthon and Luther wherein they plainely teache that all laye people men and women are priestes may minister the sacraments may baptise expounde holy scripture teache and preache This Illyricus lately wrote against Menius who had obiected him the saying of the prophet that he ranne being not sent that is that he toke vppō him the highe vocation of a bishop that he interpreted scripture after his owne pleasure corrected his brethen cōdemned them of heresie ruled the churche not in one place only but through out the whole state of Lutherans whereas yet Melanchthon and the masters off Wittenberg neuer permitted him but had decreed against him finally that he was neuer called to the ministery like a Lutheran nor neuer ordained priest as a Catholike but from teaching of a grammer schole had taken vppon him the authorite of a bishop Thus in this bely fest kingdome of Lutherans you may see howe soone visards be chaunged and howe easie a matter it is to come a lofte For when Menius and Maior two great masters of the Lutheran ghospellers obiect vnto Illyricus that he was neuer called to the ministery neuer appointed to the worde nor sent to preache and therefore he should be ashamed to plaie the bishop in the churche of Luther and to cōdemne all other Superintendts and Ministers that would not agree to his propre and seuerall doctrines he awnswereth them againe that according to the doctrine of our father Luther Euery man was a priest as cacthepolles millers barbers Phisicians vshers and scholemasters especially such as professed the Hebrewe grammer But consider here I beseche the gentle reader how soone this wether is ouercast Now faire now fowle now clere now darke For here as you see while Illyricus hath to do with the masters of Wittenberg the Scripture saieth that Euery man is a priest and fit to teache in the cōgregation But a litle after the same Illyricus hauing to do with Osiāder and his cōpaniōs in Prussia curseth and banneth them crying and writing that to dogged Phisicians naming so the Phisicians of the prince who then were preachers of Osianders doctrine Matters of religion and ruling of churches ought not to be committed for that Phisicians were not called nor appointed to any such function Be not these trim preachers and masters of the newe ghospell is there not a ioly vniformite in their doctrine Maior and Melanchthon when they fight against the Catholikes if then you aske them what authorite they haue with their newe reformation to comptroll the whole corps of Christendom and the church of Christ being neuer called nor ordained of the churche to any such office by and by they will awnswer you out of Luthers bookes De Christiana libertate de Captiuitate Babilonica that euery man is a priest euery man hath authoritie to reade the Bible to discerne true and false interpretation of holy scripture But euen in the same moment before they moue a foote furder you maye see them accuse and crie out at Illyricus that he being nother priest nor called to the ministerie behaueth him selfe very seditiousely in Germanie taking vppon him to comptroll the masters of Wittenberge and of Lipsia by his owne priuat and proper authorite Notwithstanding all these enormites and aburdities ensuing of the bare text of scripture the Lutherans seing them selues on euery side entrapped and coūicted yet euer they plaie fox to the hole and rūne to this impudent shift to saie that The next of holy scripture is sufficient for all instruction and doctrine that it may be vnderstanded of all men and nede no gloses nor expositions Is not this I beseche the good reader a captious and suttle shift to thrust only the writen text to the people defrauding thē off the true meaning and interpretation of the text Euē so did the Sadduces heretikes of the olde lawe before Christes time as Iosephus in his Chronicles witnesseth So did after Christ the Arrians Dimeritae Apostolici and many such other heretikes as it is to be senein S. Basill Epiphanius and S. Augustin If the text of holy write nedeth no expositiō what meaned oure Sauiour when after his resurrection He expounded to his disciples all such scriptures as were writen of him beginning with Moyses and so all the prophets What meaned Philippus to aske the Eunuche of the Quene of Candace sitting vppon his chariot whether he vnderstoode that whiche he reade in Esaie the prophet and after the Eunuches awnswer saying howe can I if some expounde it not vnto me to expounde him the text declaring the right interpretation and meaninge thereof Againe what will they saie to that which the Apostle writeth That the holy ghost diuideth and distributeth to euery one his giftes as it pleaseth him so that all men haue not all giftes but euery man certaine and seuerall as some the gifte of healing other the gifte of diuers tonges and other the interpretation of tonges Euery man is not a Phisician diuine or lawier as S. Paule to the Corinthians largely declareth taking a comparison of the body of mā where are many mēbres and euery membre hathe his propre and seuerall function for what could be more absurde then if the feete would playe the handes or the hādes do that which belongeth to the head The like reason is to be cōsidered of functions offices and giftes in the gouuernement of Christen religion to the setting vp whereof God hath appointed diuers and sundry ministeries especially for the instructing and teaching the right vnderstanding of holy scripture that we might thereby knowe his will and pleasure in all thinges without doubt or controuersie Whiche if euery priuat and meane man without a teacher and interpreter were able to vnderstande to what purpose hathe the holy ghoste geuen in his churche vnto some the gifte of interpretation But what nede we spend herein many wordes let vs reade the bookes of Moyses the psalmes and the Prophets see we not there a number of highe and secret misteries which before the coming of Christ
Osiander wickedly wretheth and corrupteth holy scripture this man saith that the interpretations of them bothe are not contrary Againe in the same booke of the Countes of Mansfeld thus we reade Neither is this errour of Osiander sightely to be passed ouer by the which he bindeth the benefits of Christ to certain circunstaunces to bring men thereby to desperation while the minde of man hangeth in doubt whether he be fit to receaue the benefits of Christ or no. But cleane contrarely writeth Smidelin in the booke aboue named If that Osiander saithe he or his aduersaries bicause of this contention inschole pointes only are to be counted heretikes what shall we saie I praie you of the olde fathers But howe swetely agree the semen The Ministers of Mansfeld saie that the doctrine of Osiander hath such a notable errour annexed vnto it that it forceth men to desperation Smidelin saieth it is but a light contention in schole pointes But this felowe perceauing that such manifeste and diuers heresies can in dede by no meanes be reconciled together he bringeth in the olde fathers for example as thoughe they had vsed to confute heretikes by false interpretation of holy scripture which caÌ„ neuer be proued of them Yea it is impossible that heresies may be ouerthrowen by false doctrine For as Aristotle teacheth it is impossible that of a false grounde any truthe may be coÌ„cluded Farder in this booke of Mansfeld the Ministres saie VVe ought to suspect the doctrine of Osiander bicause it is new and not heard of before in the church and we finde nothing in holy scripture that is anything like to the doctrine of Osiander Let vs nowe here what saithe Master Smidelin in his booke alleaged A childe of seuen yeares olde which had lerned but his cathechisme maye euidently perceaue that bothe these doctrines of Osiander and of the VVitenbergers disagree neuer a whit If there were in oure Germain tongue any one worde that might thouroughely expresse an impudent and shameles felowe surely it would nowe serue well the turne to tricke this doctour in his termes So impudently and so past al shame in the face of al the worlde he lieth so lowdely and boasteth so bestly that amonge them all is no difference in doctrine no variaunce in opinions but all smothe all quiet all vniforme and agreable yea and that so euidently so swetely so like pigeons they agree and coll together that a very childe of seuen yeare olde woulde be the better to see it But seing this good man slepeth so soundely in the swete concent and vniforme harmonie of his brethern that it semeth he hathe forgot all the worlde and remembreth not the prety pageants they haue plaied of late and what notes of discorde hathe fallen amoge I wil be so bolde as a litle to wake him and call him to remembraunce of the fourten Lutheran churches which all of late wrote and set forthe in print their writinges against the Confession of Andreas Osiander amonge the which the chefe are The Ministers or diuines of Wittenberge the Ministres of the younger Lordes of Vinaria the Ministres of Magdenburg The ministers of Franckford on this side of Viader The ministers of Ihon of Costrin the Marquis of the dukes of Pomerain and of the cites on the seacost of Saxony as of Lubek of Hamburg of Breme of Luneburg and diuers other Vnto all the which churches and Ministres Osiander in his booke entituled Schmeckbier awnswered paieng them home with such coine as they laide out so that nowe they are bothe on fire one against an other cursing and charging eche other with hainous and abhominable heresies He that listeth not to beleue me let him proue and trie the truthe in their bookes that are abiode in all mens handes let him serche the printers shops of Germany and he shall finde bitter contentions and greuous controuersies betwene the Lutherans and the Osiandrins Yet Smidelin winketh and noddeth still and will not see all this But if he be an vpright and plaine dealing man let him come forthe and proue in open writing that any thinge here saide in false or fained Well Smidelin goeth forthe after his fashion and laboureth against al reason to make the worlde wene That amonge the Lutherans and the Zwinglians there is no variaunce of any waight or force touching any articles of our faith of Christian religioÌ„ But against this saieng of Smidelin Luther him self directly pronounceth codemning the Swinglians in these wordes I must nedes eschew and auoide them as men condemned by their owne iudgemeÌ„t nether may I ioyne with them in any meanes nor by letters nor by writinges nor by worde nor by dede as the Lorde hathe commaunded whether he be Swenckfeldius Zwinglius or what soeuer he be called For I accompte them all a lyke as in dede they are whosoeuer beleue not that in the Supper of the Lorde the bread is his true and naturall body which as well Iudas and the wicked man doth receaue as S. Peter and all the Saintes VVhosoeuer will not beleue this let him not medle with me or in writing or in talke nor let him not looke for any communion with me For he shall but lese his labour And a litle after It shall nothing helpe the Swermers or Sacramentaries that they trifle aboute the Sacrament of the spirituall eating and drinking of the body and bloud of Christ and of the charite and vnite of Christians c. It is in vaine that they beleue in the father the Son and the holy ghoste and in Christ our Sauyour All this I saye nothing auaileth them howe truly and sincerely so euer they pronounce this faith with their false and blasphemous tongue as longe as they denie this one article or reproue it as false where Christ saith of the Sacrament Take breade and eate This is my body For this is the maner of all heretikes first to beginne but with one article and then after to denie all the rest euen as a ringe if it be ones broken or cleft it is vnprofitable and vnfite and as a bell if he be crackt or crased in any part he leseth his so wnde and is worth nought Thus farre Luther Let vs nowe on the other side here the awnswer of the Swinglians of Zuriâ—h In the third treatise of their booke made against the last Confession of Luther thus they write Luther craketh him selfe to be the prophet and Apostle of the Germans which neuer lerned of any man but all other of him that no man did any thing but Luther hath done all and whatsoeuer he hath not done hath remained vndone VVhatsoeuer he hath saide it must stand and no man so hardy to gainsaie it Iff men speake not iust as Luther doth then they are cursed and persecuted as heretikes And a litle before Luther hath forsaken god and all his honour calling vs a condemned and cursed
Smidelin a trim pacifier doth he not by good reason reconcile these protestants together In the booke against my table he raileth and saith he must nedes be a wicked person which woulde saye that amonge the Swinglians were eight diuers and seuerall opinions and who is so blinde that seeth not Luther him selfe in his wordes aboue alleaged to recite eight contrary opinions of the Swinglians It foloweth then by the iudgement and sentence of Doctor Smidelinus that Luther is a wicked and pernicious felowe Surely very well and as it should be for such honour vse kinde scholers to geue to their masters But truly they are bothe vsed according to their deserts while the Master proueth his scholer a liar and the scholer proueth his Master a knaue and nowe it happeneth as we commonly see of a frowarde curre a peuish whelp But what will Smidelin saie if that amonge the Lutherans them selues be sacramentary sectes and schismes and that not a fewe This present yeare 1560. in the seconde of Octobre was printed at Heidelberg the iudgement of Philip Melanchthon touching the Supper of our Lorde dedicated to the honourable prince Electour CouÌ„te palatin of the Rhene where he writeth thus It is not hard but somewhat dangerous to awnswer yet I will declare that debate and controuersie which happened at Heidelberg and admonish men as much as I may at this time I will also praie vnto Christ our Lorde that it will please him prosperously to directe these our aduises and their doinges Greate and greuous coÌ„tentions shal vndoubtedly arise in the worlde vpon the Controuersie of our Lordes supper for the worlde must nedes be punished for their idolatry and other hainous offenses Let vs then praie that the Son of God teache vs and direct vs. But seing that many are yet in many places feble in the faith and not well instructed in this doctrine off the church but rather nouseled in many errours it is mete that first we take order for such I like ther fore very well the aduise of the most honourable prince Electour that all such as contend of the Supper of the Lorde be put to sileÌ„ce lest dissensioÌ„ and variaunce arise in the church yet tendre and weake whereby the febleiÌ„ faith might perhaps be seduced and disquieted And I would wish also that the contentious persons on bothe sides were some other where VVhich being seÌ„t awaie the rest might agree into some forme of wordes And in this controuersie me thinketh it were best to kepe the wordes of S. Paule The bread which we breake is the participation of Christ his body much also must be saide of the frute of the Supper to stirre vp men more to loue this pleadge and the oftener to vse it Againe the worde Participation is to be declared and expounded For S. Paule saith not as the papistes do that the nature of bread is chaunged nor that the bread is the substaÌ„tiall body of Christ as the ministers of Bremesaie Nor as Heshusious saith that bread is the true body of Christ but that it is a participation or communion that is by the which we are coupled and made one with the body off Christ. VVhich copulation and making of one consisteth in the vse not without it imagining that mise could knawe that bread The papistes and such as are like them to earnestly contend that the body of Christ is vnder the forme of bread or included in the bread beside the vse and when it is not receaued they wil haue it adored also as Doctor Morlin of Bruns wicke saith Thou must not saie Mum. Mum But what is that which the priest hath in his handes Sarcerius would haue all the parcels that sal doune to be gathered vp and to be burned together with the earth on which it fell Two yeres past wheÌ„ we were at wormes a quaestioÌ„ was asked vs out of the Courte whether the body of Christ passed downe in to the bely and so forthe Such absurde questions ought not to be moued better it is that the forme of S. Paules wordes be kept and that men be well instructed of the vse and frute of this Sacrament The forme of wordes of the Supper ye may see in the ordinatioÌ„ of the church of the Megapolians where also aduertisement is geueÌ„ of the frute thereoff The Son off God in the ministery of the ghospell is present and worketh also in those that beleue But he is present not for cause of the bread but for mans sake as he saith him selfe Tary in me and I in you I in my father and you in me and I in you And with this true Comfortes he maketh vs his membres and testifieth that he wil raise vp and quicken our bodies Thus do olde writers expounde the Supper of the Lorde but some terme this true and plaine doctrine buskins or showes mete for euery foote and will haue that the body is in the bread or in the forme of bread as though the Sacrament were made for the breads sake or to be adored papistically Then other imagin that the body should be enclosed in the breade some will haue it euery where and in all places Melanchthon dalieth here at his pleasure but all holy fathers and olde writers haue continually hitherto taught the conuersion transmutatioÌ„ and chaunging of the creature of bread in to the body of oure Lorde that we may truly say with Christ This is my body Heshusius saith he can not agree with Origen terming the bread and wine the signes of the the body and bloud So he reiecteth Clemens Alexandrinus ready to do the like to Augustin Ambrose Prosper Dyonisius Tertullian Bede Basill and Gregory Nazianzen which calleth the body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Theodoret which writeth that the nature of bread remaineth Is theÌ„ the authorite of Heshusius so great that we will rather bâ—leue him theÌ„ the olde writers which testifie clerely that the church in their time had no adoration nor no such doctrine as the papistes no we teache For seing these are newe and straunge in the church we doubt whether it be conuenient to bring in newe doctrine in the church And I am not ignoraÌ„t that many alleage forged bookes vnder the name of olde writers but let the lerned iudge hereof I will not make any longe debate of this matter presently nor entre to dispute with contentious men defending the idolatry and robberies of their forefathers VVhose tyranny and cruell persecutions I feele also I thought good only to declare my minde herein what were best to be done in respect of our weake and tender church Therefore I am still of that minde that bothe partes be put to silence and that one forme of wordes be vsed VVhich if some like not and will not therefore come vnto the Sacrament they may be permitted to do as they see good so that yet they styrre vp no dissension amonge the
protestants are hotte and seditious and after a sorte kepe vnite and peace with all other sectes as in times paste the heretikes Meletiani amonge the Arrians and Rhetorij Biblijstae Scripturians whiche affirme that nothing is to be admitted read or sette forthe to the people in the church or to the youthe in scholes but onely the bare text and holy scripture of the Bible â–ª and that there nedeth no interpretation for that we be all instructed froÌ„ God So writeth MelanchthoÌ„ to Georgius Spalatinus in his preface vppon the Canons off the Apostles Againe that no parte off Philosophie is to be lerned bicause S. Paule forbiddeth vs to folowe vaine philosophie And againe bicause it is writen of Moyses that men ought to eate their bread in the sweate of their browe Therefore while Luther remained in his Pathmus Carolostadius and Melanchthon persuaded the scholers of Wittenberg that burning their humanite bookes euery man should gette him to some haÌ„dry crafte worke Many did as they were counselled Carolostadius in a certain Village by in the grounde of VVittenberg being before Archedeacon of the cyte became a labouring husband man and Melanchthon getting him to a bakehouse lerned to bake This decree of so great diuines was dispersed abrode in to many cytes of Germany And to omitte the rest it is wel knoweÌ„ that in Silesia at Breslau and Suidnicia graÌ„mer scholes were for the espace of two yeares shet vp and abolished al which time the scholers of the Master ghospellers did reade nothing but the very text of scripture There be at this daye liuing which can well testifie all this The same allso appeareth well in two bookes of Luther set forthe in the yeare 1522. writen to the Magistrates and cytes off Germany for the setting vpp agayne off scholes Adiaphoristae Indifferents which teache that the lawefull constitutions of the churche and of Councels also the cerimonies are thinges indifferent which to obserue or to breake is no sinne So teache the Masters or diuines of Wittenberge and of Lipsia in their Interim made at Lipsia Trisacramentales which admitt onely thre Sacraments Baptim the Supper of our Lorde and Absolution or penaunce such is the practise in the Ordynaunce of Lipsia Quadrisacramentales which alowe foure sacrameÌ„ts Baptim the Supper of our Lorde Penaunce and holy Order so is it obserued in the Ordinaunce of WitteÌ„berg out of Melanchthons common places Lutherocaluiniani which counterfaite that the Lutherans and the Zwinglians accorde smothely in the matter of the Sacrament and would make men wene that the contention is in wordes not in the thinge See Iames Smidelins booke of the Supper of the Lorde See also Nicolaus Amsdorffius in his CoÌ„feâ—sion who vehemently reprehendeth this guile and deceite of Smidelin Semiosiandrini which against Osiander taking the parte of the Antosiandrini teache that man in this life is accompted iuste and righteous by imputation onely â–ª and againe taking Osianders part against the Antosiandrins teache that in the life to come man must in dede be iustified with that very iustice where with God him selfe is essentially iuste of this opinion are the diuines and Masters of Tubing Reade the duke of Prussia his booke set forthe vpon this controuersie of Osiander and the epistle of Brentius writen vnto his prince of the very same controuersie and printed at Wittenberg in the yeare .1552 Maioristae which denie that any man yea infants them selues can be iustified or euer haue ben saued without good workes going before Georgius Maior in many writinges against Illyricus Poenitentiarij which haue corrupted the doctrine of penaunce with seuen grosse errours Illyricus accuseth hereof the diuines of Wittenberg and of Lipsia in a writing set forthe against the corruption of the ghospell printed in Iene in the yeare .1559 and thus intituled Beriche M. F. Illyrici von ethliken artikelen Nouipelagiani newe pelagians which write that a man may dispose him selfe by his owne naturall power to receiue the grace of God so Illyricus accuseth Melanchthon in the writing aboue named and Amsdorfius in his Confession Syncretisantes politik Lutherans whiche persuade and counsell al other sectes that they pretend at leaste vnite amonge them selues seing they can not come to any true agremeÌ„t that like the people of Creta they may with more yoined force sett vpon their common aduersaries the papistes and ouercome theÌ„ the sooner This writeth Melanchthon in his booke against Staphylus The third secte of the confessionistes wherein are the disorderly and vnruly Lutherans althoughe they manifestly oppugne and resist the doctrine of the Confession of Augspurg yet vnder pretext of the same Confession the mayne flocke of these shepe of Melanchthon beare them selues for Lutherans Swenck feldians haue hetherto ben all moste all of one opinion but nowe they begin to scatter and swarue amonge them selues For of the selfe same points in doctrine those of Breslau haue one opinion approuing one point and reprouing an other in Swenckfeldius those of Suidnicia haue an other finding faute with those Swenck feldians whiche call baptim ein Sewbad that is a bathe for swine and those of Glogouia haue yet an other measuring by their proper sprit the writings of Swenckfeldius But the peculiar and speciall doctrines of that man are these That the manhood of Christ is the begetting of the holy ghoste not the creature of God as other men are but a middle thinge betwene God the Creator and man the creature but yet in suche wise that the same manhood of Christ after his ascension in to heauen was made very God This testifieth manifestly his legat at Augspurg and his bookes offred off late to a certain frend off his there Againe that euery man is endued with the same righteousnes the same wisedome the same charite and all the same vertus with the which God is essentially endued of like worthines and in like maner and by this very diuine nature is God Beside that the same vertu or operation which is in the worde of God preached is the very son of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the worde as scripture termeth it Thus he writeth in his booke de duplici statu Christi de vero euangelij vsu and in many other writings whiche he presented to a certayn frende Truly this man wrote many thinges not amisse but these and many other very euill a man not so malitious as vnlerned in true diuinite Osiandrini which saie that Christe iustifieth man by his diuine nature onely vtterly excluding his humanite againe that a Christen man ought to be iuste with that very iustice where with god him selfe is essentially iuste farder that Christe the onely begotten son of god according to bothe natures off god and man as he was in his mothers wombe is the very same image after the which the firste man was created therefore when man in the sacrament of baptim putteth on Christe according to bothe natures of god and man that he is made the
very same image generally not particularly as the lerned vse to speake And this is the meaning sayth he of the wordes of S. Ihon that Christe is come in to sleshe Martin Luther in the yeare 1539 at Smalcaldiū where the Leage or rather conspiracye was then made preaching vnto the estats and orders of protestants interpreted these wordes of S. Ihon that Christe is come in to fleshe after this sorte That Christe came not therefore in to flesh that he might communicat vnto vs his owne iustice or righteousnes but that he might accepte vs for iuste and righteous outwardly so that our inwarde man should not in dede be iustified or made righteous from vniuste and vnrighteous but we should onely be accounted for suche before God after the maner of acceptation as in times paste the Lacedaemonians made and decreed Alexander a God with these wordes Alexander wil be a God let him he a God and let Alexander be coūted and accepted for a god though he be no god And Luther saith that this doctrine was the sure foundation vpon the which the Leage of Smalcaldiū for the defence of the ghospell might and ought right worthely be builded erected and absolued But anon after when it came to Osianders course to preache he toke the very same theme of S. Ihon that Luther did But leauing the interpretation of Luther he interpreted it after his owne minde in suche sorte that it directly repugned Luther as that the very essentiall iustice or righteousnes off God proceding and flowing out of the foresaide image off God which he calleth Christe is planted in man and at the last though preuely he gaue them to vnderstāde that this his doctrine was the very iewell and treasure of the ghospell farre better then that of Luther in consideration whereof bothe the Leage and the warre of Smalcaldium should be entred made and finished And this sermon of Osiander was allmoste the laste that was made at that meting as I am able to showe by the hande of Melanchthon Thus Luther for the grounde of his iustification would haue as in his owne printed disputation it is euident a kinde of relation and imputing which is the lest of all thinges that are and in dede nothing But Osiander putteth for his grounde the diuine essence God him selfe whiche is all thinges See howe iumpe these two ghospellers and Archeprotestants mete in the very highest point of our religion Vpon this faint and frickle foundation of two false and contrary opinions was that leage of Smalcaldium stroken whereof ensued that lamentable and cruell warre to the greate waste and destruction of Germany with the murder of infinit thousands of men Then experience it selfe declared howe true that prophecye of Luther was when in the yeare .1545 in a certayn litle booke writē to two noble princes of the sight of a certayne coyne brought oute of base Germany whereof we shall speake more anon he warranted vpon his othe and faith all the confederats that by this his doctrine of imputed righteousnes they might boldely and hardely assure them selues of the victory at Brunswicke and off euerlasting saluation at the hande of God But as touching Osiander and his doctrine it may be sene in a litle booke printed in the ye are of our lorde .1550 with this title De imagine dei There be many other articles of the Osiandrins whiche to be short I omitte See the disputation of Osiāder had at Coiningsberg in the yeare 1459. and his open confession sett forthe there also in the yeare 1550. Stancarians which against Osiander vrge and affirme vehemently that Christ iustifieth vs by his manhood onely not by his godhead at all So Stancarus bothe taught openly and wrote against Andreas Musculus at Francford by Odera Antistancarians whiche to refute the opinion of Stācarus do so farre affirme that Christ iustifieth mā and worketh oure righteousnes bothe by his manhood and by his godheade that they doubte not to teache the very godhead of Christ to haue suffered on the Crosse with his manhood that Musculus is of this opinion his extemporall treatise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 off Luthers doctrine witnesseth and the condemnation of the Swiceran ptotestants for this opinion as it is notised in the writing of Petrus Statorius the frenche man printed this yeare 1560. at Pinczouia in Pole Noui Pelagiani New Pelagians which saie thereis no originall sinne in children but that it is onely an infirmite not worthy of death So teacheth Swinglius in his litle booke of baptim against Vrbanus Regius Againe that Numa Cato Scipio and such other notable men of the ethnikes although they lacked the true faith in Christ to come yet that they are saued by the vertu of the lawe of nature It is the doctrine of Swinglius in the booke aboue alleaged and Luther entwiteth the Swinglians with it in his laste cōfession of the supper of our Lorde Noui Manichei New Manichees be and haue ben diuers protestants in our daies First Luther then Melanchthon Caluin and many other as Amsdorffius Illyricus Gallus Beza VVestphalus Luther and Melanchthō teache that all thinges bothe good and bad come to passe by absolute necessite that God is not only the cause of sinne by permission but also by operation as the worker of it It is the doctrine of Luther in his Assertions against pope Leo and in his Resolutions of Melāchthon in his annotations vpon the epistle to the Romans Againe that The aduoutrie of Dauid the crueltie of Mālius the betraieng of Iudas be as well and as much the worke and operatiō of god as the very Conuersion of S. Paule Melāchthon in his annotations vpon the epistle to the Romans But he recāted this heresie afterwarde as it maye appeare in his common places of the laste edition Luther continued still obstinat in his errour whom also al the obstinat and zelous Lutherans folowe yet as Illyricus Amsdorfius Gallus and other Manichaei Marcionitae Caluiniani which as scholers of Ihon Caluin do professe and spreade abrode these detestable and blasphemous doctrines against God and man as folowe That god chefely created mankinde for to be perpetually damned that god created Adam not onely that he should die but allso from the beginning predestinated him to mischefe and therefore he coulde not choose but sinne That the sinnes committed by men are not onely done by gods permission but by his will and compulsion That all sinnes committed of men are absolutely the workes of god That god worketh in men theft horedome aduoutrie and all suche sinne as man doth That the lawe of god and the will off god be oftentimes contrary one to an other That the deuill by gods commaundement and will lieth in mens hartes That not onely God is the cause of euil but also doth inspire in mēs hartes euil thoughtes to worke euill so that men sinne not but God is the willer and efficient cause of sinne This is the doctrine
vnto the and we shall be turned And what necessite driueth vs to this crie and lamentation surely euen the very same which moued that Prophet so to bewaile and lament when he saieth VVo be vnto vs bicause we haue sinned For truly I thinke we germans haue sinned tentymes more greuousely then those Iewes And what was the plage of their hainous offences the prophet declareth The crowne and garland of our head is fallen of I feare me we germans shall heue the selfe same plage onles we spedely do penaunce for our wickednes It foloweth in the lamentatiō Therefore my harte is heauy and full of griefe We alas are not yet come so farre towarde penaunce that our harte hath ben heauy for our sinnes For we yet contynew in them and why spede we not to penaunce Bycause our eyes are darkned and wherefore for the hille of Sion that is the Catholike church why what is befallen it bycause it is destroyed O Mercifull god this is to to true with vs Germans For amonge vs one saythe Here is Christ an other saythe there is Christ. this man saythe Amonge the Caluinistes is the churche an other saythe Amonge the Illyricans the thirde amonge the Indifferents the fourthe amonge the Osiandrins the fifte amonge the Swenck feldians and so with the reste whereas yet it is vnpossible it should be amonge them all why so bicause it is destroied it is scattered it is vndone And howe cometh it o holy Ieremije that the holy hill of Sion the Catholike churche is so wasted and destroied Foxes haue walked in it In dede foxes that is as S. Ambrose and S. Augustin expounde it suttle crafty deceitefull stinking and lurking heretikes These foxes haue onerrunne spoiled and destroied the holy hil of Sion the Catholike church of Christ. And as soone as the light that shineth from this hill the Catholike church of whom it is saied I haue set the vp as a lighte to all nations was ones in Germany darkned and extinguished mens eyes and hartes were so blinded that with open eyes they see nothing and are so sicke that they fele no paine at all nor perceaue not howe daily the Croune falleth awaye from their heades Let him therefore pray that can praye and who so euer feareth the smarte of gods rodde let him labour to escape it and crie with the prophet Turne vs o lorde vnto the. and that he faile not also on his parte let him saie with mouthe and perfourme in dede And we will be turned But bicause that as S. Augustin teacheth repentaunce which procedeth not of faithe is vnprofitable there is no hope of true repentaunce amonge vs onles we embrace the true doctrine of Christen fayth To the entent therefore that euery common laie man may be sure and perfit of the faith and religion which he foloweth I will adde hereunto to knitte vp this our simple treatise a litle piece out of a booke that Vincētius lyrenēsis wrote aboue twelue hūdred yeares past vnder Theodosius the Emperour for the mayntenaūce and setting forth of Catholike religiō A man peraduenture maye demaunde saith he seing the Canon of holy scripture is sufficient off it selfe for all pointes what nedeth the interpretation off the Church to be added thereunto to the which question he answereth For bicause forsothe holy scripture being depe and mystical is not of all men after the like sorte expounded but the sentences thereof some man expoundeth one waie some an other that allmoste as many men so diuers expositions may be drawen thereof For the Nouatian expoundeth it one waie Sabellius an other waie Donatus Arrius Eunomius Macedonius Photinus Apollinaris Priscillianus Iouinianus Pelagius Celestius and Nestorius al founders of sundry heresies folowe eche of them their owne proper and peculiar waie of interpreting holy scripture Wherefore it behoueth that in consideration of so many crekes and by erroneous pathes the line of interpreting holy prophets and Apostles be drawē and directed according to the rule of the Catholike and ecclesiasticall exposition In the Catholike churche it selfe we must seriousely prouide that we folowe onely that which is receaued in euery place at al times of al mē for this is Catholike in dede and properly as the worde it self emporteth comprehending all vniuersally This we maie so do if we folowe vniuersalite Antiquite and Consent Vniuersalite we shall folowe if we acknowledg that faith and belefe which the whole church through out the whole worlde acknowledgeth Antiquite if we departe not from those expositions which the holy awncient fathers haue lefte vnto vs. Consent likewise if in the antiquite we cleaue vnto the determinations of all or allmoste all priestes prelats and teachers of the church What then shall the Catholike and Christian man do if any part of the churche cutte it selfe of from the communion and societe of the generall belefe What other then that he muste preferre the whole body before the deseased parte What if some newe infection plage not onely some parte but the whole church Then must he diligently cleaue vnto the Antiquite or awncient receaued faith whiche can be seduced by no guile of nouelty VVhat if two or thre men or some one cyte or countre swarue from the Antiquite and receaued doctrine Then against the rashe ignorance of a fewe he must set the awncient and vniuersall decrees of some generall Councell What if such doubtes arise that no such decree can be founde Then let him labour to seke out and confer together the saiengs of the fathers such as though in diuers times and in diuers places yet remaining in the vnite and belefe of the Catholike church haue bē approued for teachers and doctours of the same and what soeuer he shal finde that not one or two onely of them but that al with one Consent haue clerely taught oftentimes writen and continually helde this without all doubte and stagger he ought to be leue Thus farre that holy father Vincentius Lyren It were much to be wished that this good and profitable booke were soundely and truly trāslated in to the vulgar tongue and so sett in printe to be read of all men For this holy father aboue twelue hundred yeares since hath so writen of this matter that he semeth thereby to cal to the Catholike vnite and prouoke to amendement off life not only the heretikes of his time but also euen these of our time To thentent that shaking off all sinne and heresie we might liue here in peace vnite and cōcorde and obtaine hereafter the euerlasting life praising with all the sainctes our Lorde and God for euer the which his dere son our Sauiour Iesus Christ by his tēder mercie and blessed merites graunte vs. AMEN FINIS A DISCOVRS VPON THE DOCTRINE OF THE PROTESTANTS TRIED BY THE THREE FIRST FOVNDERS and fathers thereof Martin Luther Philip Melanchthon and especially Iohn Caluin oute of whose workes are gathered sundry olde heresies absurdites and contradictions by
which is but one are they agreed Truly as cattes and dogges Luther neuer wrote so bitterly against vs Catholikes as he doth against the poore Sacramentaries of Zurich You haue the greuous complaint of the brotherhood of Zurich in the third parte of this booke against Luther Reade the later wordes of the place and see howe charitably he vseth them Caluin likewise calleth VVestphalus a papist and findeth faute with Bullinger for teaching that to eate Christ and to beleue in Christ is all one And Brentius woulde proue against all the swarme of Sacramentaries that Christ is euery where really not only in the Sacrament What then is there no meanes lefte vs sure and certain to knowe and vnderstande the right meaning of holy Scripture by Sothely if you take the shameles brode waie that Luther prescribeth you none at all But if ye acknowleadg and reuerence the authorite of holy fathers of awncient Councells off the Catholike and vniuersall Church of Christ during continually from the time of the blessed Apostles hetherto there is a right sure and infallible waie to obtaine your desire In the preface of Staphylus to the Bishop of Eystat and the first parte of this his Apologie you haue a very euident and sensible declaration thereof As you tendre your soule health and the inestimable treasure of life euerlasting which without right belefe is not to be had reade and peruse diligently the Authour And you shall I trust in God finde your felfe satisfied to the vttermost For howe thinke you May you not worthely suspect that mās cause that disableth so many witnesses so lerned so holy as Luther doth condemning all holy Fathers and Councels Is it not a pride comparable to the loftines of Lucifer him selfe to saie I will no iudgement but I require obedience Is it not a most impudent arrogancy and a detestable blasphemy to saie that al holy men of the Church are damned if they thought as they taught Neuer sence the worlde stode was there heretike that vttered such horrible blasphemies as the cursed mouthe and penne of Luther hath done But sithen that Luther condemneth the olde fathers of the Church is he nowe the first father thereof hath he no predecessours in his doctrine Surely the Lutheran protestants of our countre crie so much vpon the fathers that seing their Master denieth all fathers it may much be maruailed where the scholers haue founde them After longe study I haue at the length espied who are their fathers And for the instruction of my dere deceiued countremen I will not lett to declare them S. Paule to the Corinthians saieth Though ye haue thousands of masters in Christ yet not many fathers For in Christ Iesus by the ghospell I haue begotten you Such thē are to be accompted the fathers of Christes Church or of heretikes whose doctrine the church of Christ foloweth or heretikes Let vs see then whose doctrine Luther and his scholers the protestants do folowe First not the doctrine of the Fathers of Christes Church For they pardie by the vardit of Luther are all damned if they thought as they taught Off what fathers then hath he and his scholers lerned their doctrine We shall see by the particulars Luther in his Assertions against Pope Leo teacheth that fre wil after the fal of mā is but a bare title and that man while he doth as much as lieth in him sinneth deadly yea and that the iuste man in his good worke sinneth also deadly And Melanchthon his scholer in his Annotations vpon S. Paule to the Romans saieth that the aduoutry of Dauid is as properly the worke of God as the calling of Paule blaming the glose of such as saie that God permitteth euill but doth none for fonde and foolish So teacheth also Iohn Caluin and Beza his derling This heresy they lerned of Simon Magus of Marcion of the Manichees of Petrus Abailhardus all cōdemned heretikes as in S. Augustin ad Quoduultdeum in Epiphanius in S. Clement of Rome and in S. Bernard it is to be sene The allegations of these places we note only at this present without recitall at large to auoide prolixite Vpon this doctrine it folowed that good workes by the deniall of fre wil being wiped away faith must do the dede Luther therefore and all his felow heretikes teache the sufficiency of only faith to saluation Yea and our protestants are not ashamed to putt it in to their Crede songe in their churches And for this purpose where S. Paul writeth VVe thinke man to be iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe Luther translateth it thus VVe thinke man to be iustified by only faith This olde dānable and most enormous heresie they haue lerned of olde heretikes aboue a thousand yeares ago for ye may not thinke these mē lacke antiquite in their doctrine Their Fathers herein are Eunomius and Aetius who taught likewise only faith to suffise condemned therefore for heretikes off the Church as S. Augustin and Epiphanius recordeth Luther and all his scholers can not abide worshipping of Saints calling such seruice idolatry Their fathers touching this doctrine are Faustus Manicheus the heretike and Maximus Madaureusis the pagan finding faute with the Christians for such deuotion as S. Augustin mencioneth They condemne praieng for the dead they abhorre the blessed Sacrifice of the Masse celebrated for the dead they would make men beleue it was neuer vsed before S. Gregories time how saie we then if the contrary opinion denieng praier for the dead were condemned for an heresy longe before S. Gregories time was not troweye such praier allowed and practised S. Augustin reakoning vp the heresies before his time writeth of the Aerians thus Aeriani ab Aerio qui cum esset praesbyter dolens quôd episcopus nō potuit ordinari in Arrianorū haeresim lapsus propria quoque dogmata addidit nonuulla dicens orare vel offerre pro mortuis oblationem non oportere that is The Aerians so called off Aerius who being priest for grief that he could not be made a bishop fell in to the heresy of the Arrians and added also certain doctrines of his owne saying that men ought not to praie nor to offer oblation for the dead The like writeth of him before S. Augustin Epiphanius in his booke of heresies It was preached of late before diuers of the honourable Nobilite of the Realme in the solemne funerall of the late most Catholike Emperour Ferdinandus that praier for the dead was bothe superfluous and superstitious It was saied a third place such as purgatory is could not be iustified by Scripture and that the auncient fathers before the time of S. Gregory acknowledged no suche place nor praier for the dead in such sence as the Catholikes now take it and vse it This sermon also hath ben thought worthy to be printed and sette forthe to the vewe of the whole world
this vncleane spring and the branches of this roote Much more might be saied of other proper heresies of this archeheretike Martin Luther But this one of his maie serue for a taste to the zelous Lutherans of our coūtre that they glory not so much of this their Elias and fiffte euangelist as though all that euer he wrote or sayed were the ghospell it self But nowe to the ciuill Lutherans The ciuill Lutherans are those whiche not with such zele and rigour as the other force men praecisely to euery doctrine and article of Luthers ghospell but are content ciuilly to conforme them selues to better iudgement and take so much of their Master Luther as they shall thinke good and conuenient But these men by this their ciuilite and philosophicall moderation haue conformed them selues to so many frames and facions as there be amonge them Superintēdents and Ministres As for example in the administration of the Sacraments through their ciuilite see in what maruailous vnite their churches be directed At VVittenberg where the see of these ciuill protestants is foure Sacraments are approued and administred to witt baptim the Supper of our Lorde Holy Orders and Penaunce or absolution At Lipsia thre only take place holy orders being wiped awaie At Magdeburg but two are allowed euen as amonge the Caluinistes of our countre And hereof iesting ones merely a lerned mā though with a heuy hart being demaunded why in the Lutherās Churches were not 7. Sacramēts yes forso the quod he there are 7. and two mo For at VVittenberg foure at Lipsia three at Magdeburg are two whiche in all make nyne And these thre cytes be litle distant one from the other The father and head of these ciuill Lutherans is Philip Melanchthon who so longe dalied in this kinde of perilous ciuilite that at the length as you haue heard before he fell to the pestilent heresy of the Sacramentaries And see I praye you how light variable and inconstant a person this man was In the yeare 1540. he wrote bitterly against the Pope defending Luther miserably as if he had ben his slaue or bondmā In the yeare 1548. heenclined again to the Pope and embraced the Interim that was made in Germany that is the delaie and deliberation vntel a generall Councell were called But of late euen a litle before his deathe in the yeare 1559. writing to the Counte Palatin he cōdemned the proper doctrine of his M. Luther and ioyned him selfe to Caluin and the Sacramentaries This graund Captain was the inuentour or rather scribe and writer of that famous Confession made at Augspurg in the yeare 1530. But howe he altered and corrected the same not onely in his Apology in the next yeare after but at diuers other times sometime for better sometime for worse I reporte me to the diuers editions of that booke For who so conferreth the first edition and certain next to the first with the laste he shall clerely see what settled iudgement and constant or grounded knowledge was in that man But after the deathe of Luther howe miserably it hathe ben mangled Nicolaus Gallus a zelous and rigorous Lutherā in opē writing bitterly cōplaineth For thus he reporteth in generall after the reticall of certain particulars Here then saieth he all Christen men may easely perceaue if they wil yelde to reason and consider and conferre together their doctrines howe all those positions whiche our aduersaries in the foresaide articles after the deathe of Luther do teache against vs blasphemousely do in dede in the very grounde touche Luther him selfe and his doctrine though we beare the name thereof yea and beside the person of Luther they belonge properly to the true Confessiō of Augspurg which in the meane while is of them chaunged peruerted and racked in to expresse contrary meaning And this false foisting and iuggling of the ciuill Lutherans though truly very vnciuill in this point is not only euident in the confession of Augspurg the grounde of all their newe broched ghospell but also in the workes of their Master Martin Luther whiche they chaunge and correct daily at their pleasure For Amsdorfius Illyricus and Georgius Rorarius al zelous Lutherans in open treatises and bookes entituled de deprauatoribus librorum Lutheri of the deprauers of Luthers bookes charge the masters of Wittenberg but Melanchthō especially of certain hundreds of places chaūged left oute and corrupted by thē and that as they saie against the ghospel quia non est discipulus super magistrum the scholer is not aboue his master Againe as touching the inconstancy of Melanchthon those whiche haue read and sene his common places can not be ignorant thereof which as ofte as he sette forth so ofte he altered and corrected In the numbre of Sacraments what diuers minde he hathe ben of and vpon what occasion he so chaunged his minde it is very well declared of Staphylus in the first and in the seconde partes of this booke In one other pointeas touching iustification and the workes of man I will showe yow howe contrary he hathe ben to him selfe chaunging his minde with euery wether At the first to gratifie Luther his master denieng fre wil in man In his annotations vppon S. Paule to the Romanes thus he writeth VVe saie that God dothe not onely suffre his creatures to do and worke but him selfe dothe and worketh all thinges properly as we confesse the calling of S. Paule was the proper worke of God so we confesse all other are the proper workes off God whether they be indifferent actions as to eate to drinke and suche like or euill workes as the aduoutry of Dauid the cruelty of Manlius putting to deathe his owne Son And a litle after VVe nede not therefore make that grosse glose commonly vsed to saie that God suffreth euill and doth not worke euill caetera Thus farre Melanchthon where yow see he agreeth with the bonde fre will off Luther and the wicked destyne off Caluin And in this mynde he continewed longe and many yeares But at the length in a conference helde at Wormes he was persuaded by doctor Eckius to reiect this abhominable doctrine And at the next edition off his common places he declared it to all the worlde The zelous and rigorous Lutherans coulde not abyde this his recantation especially Nicolaus Gallus and the Superintendents of higher Saxony But accused him in open writinges of apostasy Farder when diuers vniuersites especially those of Lipsia had subscribed to this later doctrine of Melanchthon directly repugning to Luthers ghospell Nicolaus Gallus a rigorous Lutheran and zelous ghospeller in his booke intituled An awnswer to the booke of the Professours of Wittenberg examineth this their doctrine and chargeth them with Pelagians heresy takē out of Erasmus writings Also in an other litle treatise of his intituled Vox vigilum by certain antitheses and conferences off Luthers sayings he setteth forthe to the worlde the incostāt
Augustin when they sayde that the worde Catholike was not ment of the societe and communioÌ„ of the whole worlde but in obseruing of al gods commaundements and all his sacraments Thirdly the protestants of Lunneburg and of the Lantgraues dominions were offended with the Saxons in the publishing of their coÌ„fession bicause they yelded to much to the Catholikes in the question of ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and authorite off bishops whereupon Melanchthon was expresly commaunded to yeld no farder Fourthly whereas in that confession presented to the Emperour in the yeare 1530. in the tenth article we reade this They teache that the true body and bloud of Christ is truly present in the Supper vnder the formes of bread and wine the next yere after the same Confession being printed at VVittenberg they frame the same article after an other sorte and write That the body and bloud of Christ are truly present and distribued to those which receiue in the supper By the which addition they exclude all reseruation of the blessed Sacrament for the sicke and tie Christ to the pleasure of the receiuers But in the yeare 1540. wading furder in the moire of heresy they make that same article yet fouler For this they saie That with the breade and the wine the body and bloud of Christ is truly exhibited to those whiche receiue in the Lordes Supper Thus lo at the length this monster of Luther was brought to perfection I meane his proper heresy about the SacrameÌ„t But what Doth all the brotherhood of that Confession staye here Nay the zelous Lutherans denie it and complaine of it For from this their Confession Brentius and the Masters of WitteÌ„berg in their conference helde at Wormes in the yeare 1557. haue departed openly yelding to the heresies of Zuinglius and Osiander directly repugning to that ConfessioÌ„ as Nicolaus Amsdorffius a zelous Lutheran chargeth them in open writing His wordes you may reade in the beginning of the thirde parte of this booke Thus you maye see howe the sprit of Melanchthon and his felowes agree with the doinges and behauiour of olde heretikes And although Philip Melanchthon at the first visitation of the protestants in Germany was praysed for his modesty and meakenes yet afterwarde as he grewe in heresy so did he in malice and cruelty The thrusting in of OsiaÌ„der in to Prussia procured by him displacing Morlinus by force his open writing against the visitatioÌ„ of Bauaria his bitter and dispiteous inuectiues againste the lerned vertuous and Noble man Fridericus Staphylus hath sufficiently declared to all the worlde that as good men eunt de virtute in virtutem encrease and go forward in vertu so he proceded in mischefe and malice of harte as the property of heretikes hathe allwaies ben Illyriâ—us and other zelous Lutherans ceased not daily while he liued to entwit this vnto him And I haue here recited onely for the intent God is my witnes that his credit hereafter may be the lesse amonge suche as by his hereticall ciuilite haue ben deceaued and trained into heresies from the vnite of Christes churche where only saluation is to be hoped for For that is the body off Christ as S. Paule saieth and the piller of truthe and as S. Augustin writeth Whosoeuer beleueth that Christe Iesus is come in to fleshe and in the same fleshe hathe suffred for vs hath risen again and is ascended vp and that he is the son of God God with God and one with the father by whom al was made and yet do so dissent from his body which is the church that they do not communicat with all the whole corps of Christendome certain it is that they are not in the Catholike churche What Christen maÌ„ therefore is there so destitut of the grace of God and all good reason that will hazarde his soule to folowe that guide which woteth not him selfe which waie to walcke or to lerne a newe belefe contrary to all Christendome beside that nowe is and euer hathe ben of suche a Master as knoweth not him felfe what he may saie and was euen to his deathe but a lerner and scholer For then onely began he to professe him selfe a Caluiniste and a Sacramentary hauing all his life time before taught and deceaued a number after the trade of Luther And howe can his scholers be assured that theÌ„ he founde out the truthe We will therefore nowe come to Caluin him selfe to whom Melanchthon hathe yelded and see whether he be a ghospeller worthy to be folowed againste the vniforme consent of Christes churche Perusing diligently the doctrine of Iohn Caluin in his Institutions commentaries vppon the holy Scripture his resolutions vppon the Sacraments and other his workes touching his doctrine of the blesâ—ed Sacrament of the aultar whiche he allwaies termeth the Supper off the Lorde and recording with my self howe the greatest swaye of the lost flock of our time forsaking Christ the heauenly shepearde and his vicar here on earthe haue folowed more that wolfe of Geneua Iohn Caluin then the foxes of Germany Luther Melanchthon Osiander and other truly I bothe lamented much the losse of so many ChristeÌ„ soules straiyng after so perilous a guide and maruailed yet more at the blindnes of our wicked time that would be so soone lead out of the highe waie of Christes churche wherein onely saluation is to be sought and folow the trade of such a doctour or Master which like a madde will full man being out off the waie runneth vpp and downe among the bushes and briers this waie and that waie seking of purpose any waye rather then he will take the common highe beaten waie that all Christen people haue walked in I saie this good Readers not as enemy to the man whom thanked be God I neuer sawe nor heard but as finding him such in his writings as I haue saied and intending by Gods helpe to sett him so before your eyes that yow shall also saie and iudge no lesse of him then I do vnlesse you are which God forbidde of the number of those obstinat Iewes who seying would not see and hearing woulde not heare I trust rather in allmighty God that no man hath so pinned his soule to Caluins doctrine but that he will yelde to the expresse worde off holy Scripture and euident reason when he shall see the same doctryne to fight directly against them bothe And first we wil coÌ„sidre how is doctrine fighteth against euideÌ„t reason which by two maner of waies we will declare you First by certain of his propositions importing absurde consequences and impossibilites nexte by clere and most euident contradictions of his owne saiengs wherby not onely the faithfull Catholike but the deceiued protestant may euidently iudge and pronounce that this mans doctrine can not be of god and his holy Spirit which is the Spirit of truthe and vnite but is of the diuel and his wicked sprit which is the sprit of falshood and
at the oblation and distributiō thereof For after the ghospel they we re all by the deacōs excluded And to this daie at Rome where Turkes sometime resort and Iewes alwaies cōtinewe some infidels and some Catechumeni at the solēne festes when most resort of people is at the high masse after the ghospel a staie is made and a serch whether any Catechumeni other of the Iewes or of the grekes be present Notwithstanding these Catechumeni beleued in Christ some off them no lesse then the Christiās S Ambrose was a Catechumin and a beleuer in Christ though not baptised euē when he was elected bishop of Millain S. Augustin being yet a Catechumin wrote diuers litle bookes wherein he declared him selfe not only a true beleuer in Christ but an excellent diuin as it appereth especially by his Soliloquia which he made in that time Nowe if Caluin had liued in those daies and sene S. Ambrose and S. Augustin not yet baptised notwithstanding the faith and lerning they had to be thrust out of the churches after the ghospel and not to haue bē suffred so much as to be present at the sacring time and the residew of the Masse he woulde of al likelihood comforted thē with the faith of his ghospell and whistred them in the eare that they receaued and did eate the fleshe off Christ no lesse thē the other that receaued at the aultar seing they beleued no lesse then the other He might also haue checked S. Ambrose for keping the Emperour Theodosius so longe out of the church for the greate murdre he had caused to be done at Thessaelonica For the Emperour notwithstanding remained in his faith as it well appeareth by the greate lamentations he made at home in his house when he sente Ruffinus one of his Nobles to S. Ambrose to be admitted in to the churche And in very dede Caluin by this his doctrine not onely comptrolleth S. Ambrose and S. Augustin but condemneth all the primitiue church excluding the Catechumeni from receauing the blessed Sacrament if as he saie faith only geueth them this foode I beseche here all good Christen men and such as feare God and loue their owne soules diligently to aduise with them selues howe they folowe the Sacramentary doctrine of our preachers of Geneua lest that in folowing them they departe from the Catholike church bothe that nowe is and euer hath ben which in their Crede they professe to beleue Thirdly if when our Sauiour saied to his disciples Take eate this is my body by the worde eating he badde vs beleue what did he bidde vs in the worde taking do we take by faith as we eate by faith why then call they men so earnestly to their table maye I not as wel eate and take by faith at home as at their table doth not my faith serue me as well in the house as in the church they are wonte to saie we maie as well praie at home as in the church and why maie we not also as well beleue at home as in the church Then if bothe taking and eating the body of Christ be but a matter of faith what nede they storme and trouble such as will not receaue at Easter or other times maie not good men tel them that by their owne doctrine they receaue at home beleuing in the passion and resurrection of Christ Againe when Christ bad the Apostles take and eate his body did they looke vpon him beleuing him and receaued nothing outewardely yes they will saie they receaued the bread what was the bread the body of Christe the Lutherans indede would be glad to heare that For so should Caluin be a Lutheran and agree with Westphalus which while he liued he would not do for his life What wil here the Sacramentary saye What shift hath he yet He will perhaps saye that Christ bad thē take bread and eate his body This were in dede to make Christ a very sophister to witt that bidding the Apostles take and eate both together saying withall it was his body he should meane they should take bread and eate his body Brefely this I cōclude Yf Christ in these wordes Take eate this is my body meaned this Take and eate this bread which is my body then Caluin agreeth with Westphalus and is become a Lutheran against his will If he meaned this take bread and eate my body then was it a sophisticatiō For it is a point of sophistry to ioyne two termes together taking one properly and the other improperly As here by this laste meaning Christ bidding them take ment properly they should take in dede and bidding them eate mēt vnproperly that is they should not eate in dede but beleue For as al the worlde knoweth beleuing is a very vnproper signification of eating and suche as neuer was heard of before the daies of Iohn Caluin being ment of sacramentall eating But will you see that by the doctrine of Caluin the Apostles did not eate Christ at all in the last supper I meane by faithe For Caluin as you haue heard by his wordes in his Catechisme meaneth such faith as beleueth that Christ died for our redemption and hath risen for our iustification Nowe what faith the Apostles had when Christ made is maunde touchinge his death I will not nowe dispute Althoughe it may seme they doubted much thereof whē they wōdered so muche at his wordes signifiēg his deathe as that Iudas should betraie him as also S. Peter after denieng him But as touching the resurrection the scripture telleth vs plain that diuers of the Apostles at that time beleued it not For first S. Ihon in his ghospell writeth of him selfe that after he looked in to the graue and sawe nothing but the winding shete lefte Vidit credidit he sawe and he beleued And straight after he writeth of S. Peter and him selfe Nondū enim sciebant scripturā c. for they knewe not yet the scripture that he should rise frō deathe S. Thomas also an other of the Apostles woulde not beleue that Ghrist had risen vntell he put his finger in to his woundes And therefore our Sauiour saide after vnto him Quia vidisti me Thoma credidisti Thomas thou haste beleued bicause thou haste sene me Lo then S. Peter S. Ihon and S. Thomas beleued not in the resurrectiō of Christ whē they receaued the blessed Sacramēt in the laste Supper therefore if Caluins doctrine be true the Apostles did not eate Christ at all in the laste Supper See what godly doctrine ensueth of this ghospel of Geneua But here perhaps some scoler of Caluin will obiect what Sir Will you then conclude that bicause in the laste Supper the Apostles without such especiall faith receaued the body of Christ therefore nowe any man may receaue it without that faith Truly suche maner of reasoning of it selfe were naught But yet inioyning with Caluin it were not amisse For he vseth the like against the doctrine of the
geue life to the body and raise it also What wicked dreames and inuentions are these off proude and presumptuous heretikes The promis of life and resurrection is made to the fleshe of Christ not to the bread nor to the soule Thus lo it fareth with them which content not them selues with the sure knowen doctrine of the Catholike churche but by drifte of reason or pricke off pride and malice serch out newe inueÌ„tions of their owne It is the doctrine of Caluin and all the sacramentaries that in the celebration of oure Lordes supper be no coÌ„secration of the misteries For that they saie the bread there is no other wise blessed theÌ„ other creatures of god are by the vertu of their creatioÌ„ Caluin in his InstitutioÌ„s saith that Christe in the benedictioÌ„ which he vsed directed not his wordes to the bread and that to blesse the bread is wich crafte and charming The like he writeth in his coÌ„mentaries vpon S. Paul to the CorinthiaÌ„s This doctrine lo is the very heresy of Faustus Manicheus we saith that Maniche vse the same religion in all creatures of god as you vse in the bread and the chalice Lo this heretike acknowledgeth noother kinde of religioÌ„ in the holy misteries then in other creatures of god That is that the one is as much blessed as the other But what aunswereth here S. Augustin For he reporteth these wordes of the heretike in his bookes against him Doth he acknowledge no other benediction in the Sacrament then in other creatures of god Is he ashamed of the benediction vsed in the church of Christ Doth he call it witchecrafte or charming See therefore what he awnswereth Oure bread and chalice saithe S. Augustin is not coÌ„mon but by certaine coÌ„secration is made misticall is not borne so And therefore that which is not so made to witt by certain consecration thoughe it be bread and cuppe it is foode for refection not the sacrameÌ„t of oure religion thoughe allwaies we blesse and geue thankes to god in all his giftes as well corporall as spirituall Thus farre S. Augustin declaring that in the misteries we vse a certain and propre consecration whereby the misteries are made other then they were by nature For he saith of the bread it is made misticall non nascitur it is not so by nature geuing vs vnderstande that by vertuâ— of consecration the bread is made that wiche by nature it was not to witt the body of oure Sauiour Againe S. Augustin saith that whiche lacketh consecration is foode for refection not the sacrament of oure religion So the Caluinistes in their communion by the iudgement of S. Augustin haue foode for refection not the sacrament of oure religion Finally S. Augustin confuting the olde heresy of the Maniches dothe also confute the newe heresy of Caluin yea and the order of oure communion where no consecration nor benediction is vsed Thus we see Christian readers what broken pittes and pudles Caluin hathe digged him selfe and all sacramentaries are forced to lappe in forsaking the fountaine of life Christ him selfe in this blessed sacrameÌ„t of the aultar We see who liste to be a scholer of Caluin a ghospeller of Geneua or a Sacramentary protestant he muste also be an Arrian a Nestorian a Samâ—satenical a Marcioniste a Donatiste a Mâ—niâ—he and a Valentinian diuers waies These heretikes with al their doctrine were condemned aboue a thousand yeares in that state of the churche whiche onely oure aduersaries approue for pure and vertuous If that state had the right doctrine those heretikes were by them worthely condemned If they were worthely condemned these sacramentaries can off no good Cristen men be allowed folowed or supported As in our discours vpon Luther beside a numbre of olde cursed heresies by him renewed and common to al protestaÌ„ts we declared you one proper heresy of his owne for examples sake euen so after the ranke of these olde condemned heresies which Caluin hath incurred only in mistaking or rather willfully departing from the Catholike faith off the most blessed Sacrament of the aultar I will recite you one most horrible and blasphemous heresy of his owne imagination for examples sake of many more which might be brought if we listed in this short discours to saie all that might be saied In his institutions vpon the article of our Crede Descendit ad inferos He descended in to hell he teacheth that Christ there suffred the paynes of hell and mocketh at the belefe of the Catholike Church teaching vs that then our Sauiour deliuered the soules of the fathers off the olde law according as the scripture witnesseth speaking by the prophet most euidently of our Sauiour Tu quoque in sanguine Testamenti tui emisâ—sti vinctos tuos de lacu in quo non est aqua that is Thou also through the bloud of thy testament hast let thy prâ—sonners out of the pitt wherein is no water which â—aying of the prophet the lerned fathers haue allwaies expounded of the descending of Christ in to hell and deliuering there the soules of the fathers of the olde law But as touching the heresy of Caluin which in place of this receiued doctrine this presumptuous heretike auoucheth you shall heare his owne blasphemous wordes and lerne of what a master our ghospellers of Geneua haue lerned their false faith These be his wordes first in latin Nihil actum erat si corporea tantum morte defunctus fuisset Christus sed opera simul praecium erat vt diuinae vltionis seueritatem sentiret quo irae ipsius intercederet satisfaceret iusto iudicio vt cum inferorum copijs aeternaeqâ—e mortis horrore quasi consertis manibus luctaretur Correctionem pacis nostrae illi impositam fuisse propheta docet fuisse propter scelera nostra a patre percussum attrituÌ„ propter nostras infirmitates Quibus significat in locum peccatorum sponsorem vadem adeoque instar rei submissum ad dependendas persoluendasque omnes quae ab illis expetendae erant poenas vno hoc duntaxat â—xâ— pto quòd doloribus mortis non poterat detineri Ergo si ad infâ—res descendisse dicitur nihil mirum est cum eam mortem pertulerit quae sceleratis ab irato deo infligitur Hetherto are his wordes as they lye in his institutions in latin Now let vs see the english Nothing had ben done saieth Caluin if Christ had dyed only by bodely deathe O hainous blasphemy of these cursed heretikes What could be saied more blasphemously Hath not now the death of Christ satisfised for our sinnes Be these the ghospellers that sette forth and commend so much the passion of Christ Is the bodely death of Christ nothing Must his soule suffer also in hell You shall heare forth the wordes of Caluin But it was also requisit saieth he that Christ should fele the rigour of gods vengeaunce whereby he might appease his wrath and satisfie his iust iudgment that he
these fewe what to iudge of the rest and by the soure taste of these mislike the remnant of his vnpleasant and most poisonned doctrine For if in these two blessed Sacraments the one being the gate and entry of saluation the other being a most heauenly foode to preserue vs therein he sticketh not to vtter so harnous heresies and setteth him selfe so wickedly against the church of god what conscience trowe ye is he like to take in other pointes of oure Christen religion lesse necessary and of lesse importance well Though he were in al the rest sounde and withoute blot yet these his heresies of vs recited of him vttered and taught maye be sufficient to discredit him in the cōscience of any Christien harte For I thinke and trust verely there is no Christen man in all the realme of England be he neuer so farre waded in heresy but that he dothe reuerence the primitiue church of Christ of the first fyue or six hundred yeares and will be ready to condemne all suche heresies as were in that time and age cōdemned Nowe the Maniches the Ariās the Valētinians the Marcionistes the Nestorians the Nouatians the Pelagians the Samosatencall and other whose heresies Caluin hath renewed were in the compas of those fiue hundred yeares condēned If we woulde come downe lower we coulde recite a number more of heretikes condemned also in Christ his church with whose heresies the doctrine of Caluin dothe agree But in consideration of the impudent bragges made nowe in euery pulpit that all is reduced to the state of the primitiue churche I haue chosen oute suche heresies in Caluins doctrine as were in that time condemned geuing you to vnderstand that all is not the gospell which is there spoken vnlesse perhaps by reducing all to the state of the primitiue church they meane renewing of olde heresies condemned in the primitiue church And truly so must they meane if they saie truly But let vs returne to Caluin In the doctrine of free will I will make no especiall recitall of his heresies But note you his contradictions of the which euer one part is an heresy In his Institutions the .14 chapter he writeth that God did not only foresee the fall of the first man Adam and in it the fall of all his posterite but also it was his will it should be so Againe in his booke of predestination against Pighius he hath the same doctrine saying that God would not haue suffred Adam to fall but that he would haue it so to be Also that God so determined it and ordained it Now in his booke of free will against Pighius also he saith in two places these wordes I confesse with Origen that those which take away free will from Adā before he sinned be heretikes How agree these sayings of him If it were not only the will of God that Adam should fall but also that he determined and ordained it so to be then he fell of necessite For the determined will of God can not be frustrated Adā therefore could not if he had would continewed in his innocency And yet had he free will If hotte and colde be all one then is this doctrine vniforme Againe in his booke of predestination he saith All wsuchickednes as man committeth by malice of his owne procedethae so of God and that not without good reason although we knowe it not And to make his opinion herein most clere in the same booke he saieth It is a fonde solution of S. Paules saying Esadu odio habui I hated Esau to saie that the reprobats do worke their owne destruction by their owne malice And yet see what he saith in his institutions the .2 chapter Man saith he can not impute the hardnes of his hart to any other cause then to him selfe This lo is most true But why then saied he before the wickednes of man procedeth of God Why reprouueth he that solution which he now maketh him selfe Farder Caluin in his booke of predestination going aboute to mitigat his former doctrine where he taught that the reprobats could not chose but do euill saieth afterwarde he meaneth not of euery particular worke for a litle before he confesseth Saul had done certain thinges well But directly contrary to this shift is an other expresse doctrine of his in the very same booke where he saieth Men can not possibly haue any affection to do well vnlesse they be of the chosen and elected such as reprobats neuer be For of Iudas a sure reprobat Caluin him selfe pronoūceth Certum est Iudam nunquam fuisse membrum Christi Certain it is that Iudas was neuer any membre of Christ. Caluin yet for the better auauncement of his wicked doctrine against free will pretendeth to folow S. Augustin in all pointes And therefore in his booke of predestination he saieth he varieth not from S. Augustin so much as one sillable in this question of predestination Notwithstanding in his Institutions he saieth that S. Augustin was sometime scrupulous and would not tell the truthe of predestination roundely as when in his booke De praedestinatione gratia he saieth that the induration and blinding of the reprobats is not to be referred to the worke and operation of God but only to his foreknowleadg Here in this most gracious doctrine of that good Father Caluin chargeth him with scrupulosite And yet he will beare vs in hand forsothe that he agreeth euen in euery sillable with S. Augustin Where in the one he declareth him selfe a praesumptuous heretike in the other a false contradictour of his owne sayings Finally Caluin as in wordes and doctrine so in doings and behauiour contrarieth his owne self In his Institutions he wrireth It was neuer permitted to preachers of Gods worde to adde any one sillable to holy scriptare or diminish from thence but to preache the only bare worde as it lieth Now as in all his doctrine he talketh more then halfe beside holy scripture so in this matter of predestination he is not afeard to adde to the very text of S. Paule wordes of his owne for the maintenaunce of his wicked doctrine For in his Institutions labouring to refer the induration of the reprobats to the proper and eternall will of God as a superiour cause then their owne deserts and malice thus he talketh Restat nunc vt videamus curid Dominus faciat quod eum facere palam est Si respondeatur sic fieri quia sic impietate nequitia ingratitudine sua meriti sunt homines bene id quidem vere dicetur Sed quia nondum patet istius varietatis ratio cur alijs in obedientiam flexis isti obdurati persistant in ea excutienda necessario ad illud quod ex Moyse adnotauit Paulus transeundum erit Nēpe quod ab initio eos excitarit Dominus vt ostenderet nomen suum in vniuersa terra That is It remaineth nowe to see why God doth that
which it is nowe clere he doth If ye answer that so it is done bicause men by their owne wickednes malice and vngratefulnesse haue so deserued to be forsaken of God that shall be well and truly answered But bicause yet we see not the reason of this variete why some being brought to obedience other continewe indurated in the discussion of this doubte we must nedes haue recourse to that whiche S. Paule noted oute of Moyses to witt that from the beginning the Lorde had stirred them vp to showe his name through out all the worlde Now these wordes from the beginning are not in S. Paule nor Moyses in any text latin greke or hebrewe but are the wordes of Iohn Caluin added to the text of Gods worde for a vauntage to witt to make vs beleue that from the beginning euen before the fall of Adam God was the cause off induration aud harde hart of reprobats For he is not you see coÌ„teÌ„ted to attribut it only to their owne deserts and malice but seketh a superiour cause in God and that by the wordes of S. Paule from the beginning which he nor none of all his scholers are euer able to showe vs in any text of S. Paule that is This is lo the plaine dealing of these ghospellers and refourmers of Christes Church These be the chalengers of Gods worde This is the pure text they vaunte and boaste of They pretend to couet after the pure text and bare letter But as the poet saied ex vno disce omnes By Caluin lerne what the rest are And Time Danaos dona ferentes trust not an heretike though he bringe you scripture it selfe What false tricke is there that Caluin hath not plaied He hath corrupted the text with false translation as we showed you in the 9. chapter of Salomons prouerbes He belieth holy Scripture as yow heard in the S. chapter of S. Paull to the Romans He denieth expresse scripture as we declared you in the 19. chapter of the Actes of the Apostles He requireth to be heard against expresse scripture as we recited you oute of his Institutions And nowe you see he addeth to holy Scripture If this archeprotestant and greate ghospelling doctour behaueth him selfe so in his printed workes which remaine to be vewed of all lerned men what will the nouices of his religion and young prinking preachers sticke to do in pulpits where they knowe their audience to be not allwaies lerned and of the lerned some of a presumed preiudice to take all for good other to winke at all vti foro Albeit the doctrine of Caluin as you haue partly sene be stuffed with abhominable heresies and most absurde contradictions yet in all his doctrine he talketh peremptorely He matcheth him selfe with the Apostles He condemneth and reprouueth at his pleasure all holy fathers Whereby his pride and presumptuousnes sure mates of heresy vttereth it selfe I will for example note you a fewe of his sayinges where you shall see howe proudely he demeaneth him selfe and howe courteousely he ordereth the holy auncient and lerned fathers First as touching his contradictions about free will witting and feeling him selfe very well that he might wottly be charged therewith in one place of his booke of predestination he vtereth his feare and with a worde of his mouthe thinketh to make all the matter smothe These are his wordes I saie again I am not ignorant what apparent absurdite and contradiction this doctrine hath with prophane men and dispisors of God But whatsoeuer they bable or barke our conscience ought to serue vs for a thousand witnesses Is not this a gaie solution trow ye hath he not geuen vs a substaÌ„tiall warrant of the vniformite of his doctrine For what saieth he Forsothe whatsoeuer contradictions we see and beholde with our eyes yet we must trust Caluins coÌ„science that he is so honest a man that he would neuer saie or vtter any such thing Now reade againe those fewe of his contradictions that we haue recited who list and let him iudge in his owne conscience what the conscieÌ„ce of Caluin is and howe farre it is to be trusted Againe as touching the singularite off his doctrine which he knoweth and confesseth to be contrary to the olde fathers what reason thinke ye bringeth he for the defence off it In his treatise of baptim the 17. chapter of his Institutions he expouÌ„deth the wordes of Christ to Nicodemus Vnlesse a maÌ„ be borne again by water and the holy Ghost he shall not enter in to the knigdoÌ„ of heauen to be but an allegoricall speache against the whole practise off Christes church and consent of all holy fathers and lerned writers expounding the wordes off Christ literally as the text hath for necessite of baptim This Caluin knewe and confessed But how then thinke you doeth he excuse the matter what clâ—ke hath he for his singularite Ye shall heare After longe talke thus he concludeth Scio alios aliter interpretari sed hunc esse germanum sensum non dubito that is I knowe that other men haue otherwise expounded this but I doubt not but this is the right sence Lo Caluin doubteth not and therefore we must beleue him more theÌ„ all the church beside What is arrogancy if this be not Likewise in his doctrine and booke of predestination such as finde fault with his doctrine he saieth they blaspheme God and crieth vnto them as S. Paul did to such as Caluin is VVhat arte thou man which disputest with God Now what the doctrine off Caluin is you haue sene partly by this our simple discourse and more especially it appeareth in the third parte of this Apologie Yet he matcheth him selfe with God and vaunteth the coÌ„ptrollers of his hereticall doctrine with the check of S. Paul as curious serchers of Gods depe secrets And therefore no maruail iff he sett light by the holy Fathers off Christes church and reuerence them no deale at all In his treatise of baptim labouring to promote his heresy touching the baptim off S. Ihon that it should be equall with the baptim of Christ remembring that the Fathers of the church laie in his waie and withstode him to make the restafeared he geueth the venter vpon S. Augustin and saieth Nec recipienda est illa Augustini argutia in spe dimissa fuisse peccata Ioannis baptismo Christi baptismo reipsa dimitti that is Neither is that sutteltly off Augustin to be admitted that by the baptim of Ihon sinnes were forgeuen but in hope by the baptim off Christ they are forgeuen in dede In other places he calleth S. Augustin in dogmatibus ecclesiae fidelissimuÌ„ vetustatis interpreteÌ„ a most trusty reporter of antiquite in doctrines of the church But when it pleaseth M. Caluin S. Augustins doctrine is but a suttelty Likewise reprouuing the doctrine of penaunce where it is compared to the borde after a shipwracke which is a vsuall similitude off all
diuinite bicause of the othe of wittenberg fol. 10. b. VVhy he forsoke the Lutherans fol 11. 56. .252 VVhy Caluin maketh the SacrameÌ„t of the aultar but a bare signe fol. 214. b. The Sacramentaries tye Christ to the bread fol. 216. Repugnances in Caluin to holy Scripture fol. 217. The lawe of the Turkes compiled by heretikes fol. 19. A refuge for false translations of Scripture confuted fol. 154. Detestable heresies concerning the Blessed Trinite fol. 17. To cleaue to the writen text only is an olde heresie fol. 47. In the worde of God two thinges are to be considered fol. 34. A wicked persuasion of worldly carelesse men fol. 51. b. A buckler for the vulerned against new preachers fol. 52. b. Zuinglius is a pelagian fol. 111. Faultes escaped in Printing â—l Pag. Lin. 3. 1. 2. Reade for good goods 99. 2. 27. for wrath in wrath as iâ— 157. 1. 28. for the righteous the workes of the righteous FINIS 1. Cor. 11. 1. Cor. 9. Hebr. 6. Rom. 4. Matth. 16. 2. Tim. 2. Apocal. 2. 2. Petri. 2. Iudâ— 2. Dan. 3. Hierem. 5 1. Ioan. 2. The duty of a Christen man in time of heresy Heb. 13. Math. 7. â— Ioan. 4. Scripture hard to be vnderstanded Lib. 2. de doctr Christi Cap. 6. In Ezech. Cap. 45. In anchorae tu Lib. 7. in Leuiticum Iâ—praescrip haereticoâ—uÌ„ 2. Petr. 3. 2. Cor 4. Ioan. 5. Act. 8. Luc. 24. Math. 7. 1. Ioan. 4. 2. Tim. 2. The contents of the Apologie Lucae 9. Genes 1. Ephes. 5. Epiphanius li. 2. coÌ„trea har August ad Quoduult 1. Timo. 4. Disagrement in doctrine among our protestans Caunterbury Chichester Glocester Rochester In the yeare 1557. The difference of the present communion from the first Tomo 6. fel. 60. Ephes. 4. In Apologia absoluta pag. 78. Esa. 1â— Staphylus refuseth to be Doctour bicause of the othe Indefensione contra Musculum VVhy Staphylus forsoke the Luthe rans Lib. 9. cap. 46. histor Epist. 2. ad Clidonium This epistle vvas vvriten in laten by the author him selfe The inteÌ„t of the author in this vvorke Câ—or 3. The principles of the catholike religion Leuit. 13. In his booke de seculari potestate In a booke against the tvvo commauÌ„dements of the Emperour In lib. de Matrimo In libel de matrimo In AssertioÌ„ ad LeoneÌ„ In his sermons at Smalcaldium Caluin in his institutions Abhominable heresies of the Lutherans touching Christ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Detestable heresies coÌ„cerning the Blessed Trinite LutheraÌ„s in Bohem teache the soule to die vvith the body No certainte of faithe in LutheraÌ„s See the third parte of this booke the labels of the LutheraÌ„s priÌ„ciples The lavv of the Turkes compiled by heretikes Note the ende of present heresies â—ib confes The councell being novve ended vve ought vvith other Christen countres conforme ou our selues thereuÌ„to 1. Cor. 13. If Chatite vvere in protestaÌ„ts they vvoulde neuer refuse the Councel The Catholikes desire no other iudge of present Controuersies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A clere example off debating a controuersy Ioan. 14. Ioan. 10. Socrates li. 5. cap. 10. Sozomenus li. a. ca. 17 Nicephor libro 12. Cap. 15. Good Counsell of Sifiniê° to defeate heretiker Olde heretikes dispise the holy fathers as our protestaÌ„ts novv In prescript vvhy it be houeth not to dispute vvith heretikes Vide praefationes Lutheri in hoslibros primae editio In Bohem and in the seacost tovvnes of germany The difference betvvene catholikes and heretikes Actor 8. 2. Tim. 1. The marke of the heretikes of the primitiue church Actor 4. Math. 18. The same marck in our heretikes A notable testimonie of the Caluinistes against Luther In the third treatise of the churche of Zurich against Luther All nevve sectes haue begon of Luther In a booke against the tvvo coÌ„mauÌ„deâ—ments off Caesar. Ican 6. See the 3. treatise of the churche of Zurich and The â—eauenly prophets off Luther The deathe of many greate Princes in a shorte time Moguntia In Noâ—th An. 1560 Esaiae 3. Non nisi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In orat aduers ebrios 1. Cor. 2. Deâ—ost procâ—roâ—a A charitable shifte of the protestants Psal. 141. Lib. confes 9. cap. 13. 1. Cor. 4. Psalm 7. 2. Cor. 1. 1. Pet. 3. Lib. de bono viduita tis cap. 22. Prou. 22. Deute 17. The cause of the protestaÌ„ts grief against Staphylus 2. Tim. 2. 2. Thess. 2. Lib. 5. stâ—matum Math. 16. Mar. 13. The Catholikes haue the vvorde of God no lesse then the ptotestants Actor 3. A lovvdlie of the LutheraÌ„s against the Catholike churche Note vvel In the vvorde of God tvvo thinges are to be considered Ad fratres de monte Dei. Aduers Luciferianos Lutherus inassertio MelaÌ„chthoÌ„ in PauluÌ„ ad Rom. Caluinus iâ—institut Lib. 2. de Trinitate Note vvel VVhat is al the coÌ„trouersy betvvene the catholikes and the protestants RemeÌ„bre the state of germany of Scotland and the late spoyle in FrauÌ„ce The miracles of the nevve ghospell In lib. de vnitate ecclesiae DiffereÌ„ce betvvene life and doctrine Luther in parua Confessione coÌ„tra Zuinglianos Libr. quod Papatus supra infernuÌ„ exstructus sit Libr. coÌ„trae coelestes prophetas The pride of Luther In sua Apologia coÌ„trae postremam Lutheri coÌ„fessionem 1. Pet. 5. Psal. 103. Esaiae 40 Rom. 1. A notable testimonie of Luther of the life of his scholers Math. 7. Luc. 6. Math. 7. 2. Timo. 2. Againe repetauÌ„ce of the most vvicked may be soden and secret A perfit rule to discerne fal se preachers The first part Matth. 23. Esaiae 5. Math. 23. Matth. 7. Ioan. 8. Galat. 6. Rom. 2. The scoÌ„d part of the ruie Matth. 7. Heretikes of greate vertu in appareÌ„ce Matthae 7. The third part of the rule Hovve to knovve doctrine by the frutes Matth. 12. Ioan. 10. Math. 7. The frutes of the LutheraÌ„s doctrine In libro de Matrimonio Tom. 6 Luther in the 6. tome libello de matrimo Marc. 6. In the 6. tome of his vvorkes printed in the yeare 1553 Lib. de christiana libertate Contra duâ— Caesaris maÌ„data RemeÌ„bre the late rebellion in Fraunce In Captiuitate Babilonica Lntherâ—s in 3. ca. ad Gal. Illyricani mulâ—is lib. Aboue in the 36. leafe Caluinus in instituti onibus cap. 14. In assertio nibus art 31. Matthaei 7. Note the differeÌ„ce betvvene the euil life of the Catholikes and the Lutherans Note Matth. 3. Hovve to discerne true doctrine froÌ„ the false 2. Tim. 3. It is not â—ough to reade scripture with oâ—t the true vnderstaÌ„diÌ„g of the same 2. Câ—r 3. Ioan. 5. A daÌ„gerous deceite of the protestants Note An other daÌ„gerous deceite of the protestants Ephes. 4. Heb. 13. The straunge order of seruing the churche in germany Matth. 10. Lutherus lib. de Christiana libertate The frutes of Luthers libertie lib. Contra. 2. maÌ„da a Caesaris in literis ad ducem Saxâ—uiae Vide scriptuÌ„ Philippi ad Com. Palatinum aeditum an no. 1560. Heidelbergae The incoÌ„ stancy
for shame denie partly go about to reconcile with the rest of their doctrine To the ende that hereby they may persuade the worlde that I belied thē hitherto affirming such to be their articles and charging them with dissension amonge themselues With these thre pointes by the grace of god I shal defend my simple conuersation and geue due information of my belief vsing herein a plaine and familiar stile of our vulgar tongue that the simple lay mā may also vnderstande me declaring sincerely and with all modestie the truth in all pointes without railing biting or any other vnciuill demeanour For so it becometh well meaning men to do Although my aduersaries to bring me in infamie and reproche omitte no such kinde of rethorike laieng on greate lode of lies and reproches whereby they haue cut awaie all honest meanes of reconciliation auoiding al maner of iudgement and ciuil triall Being yet frō god commaunded by Moises That all controuersies and debates should be tried by the lawfull Magistrat For this hathe alwaies ben my only desire and is yet that my aduersaries which either priuely or in open libels cease not to backbite me cōuēt me before my ordinary and lawfull magistrat and there make their complainte not making them selues the partie plaintif and defendant yea and iudges in their owne cause as against all order and lawe bothe spirituall and temporall thei haue hitherto most impudently done Truly as I haueben allwaies so am I now ready and desirous to present my self before my ordinary Magistrat and to abide the whole ordre and proces of the lawes against me For thanked be God I knowe my life and cōuersation hath ben such be it not spoken for any pride that I am not ashamed nor afeard to showe my face before any mā a liue And sure I am that if I had not laboured with the Emperours Maiestie and other Catholike princes for the maintenaūce of the Catholike religion against heretikes my life shoulde neuer haue bē touched of thē But seing that the Catholike doctrine it self praised be God can not by any good reason or coulour be impugned they laie at my person and fight against me letting the doctrine it selfe alone Vsing this argument that I against my owne conscience only for honour and riches sake defend the Catholikes whereas yet they knowe well them selues that I haue sustained the losse of some thousands of crownes and empaired much the helthe of my body in the quarell of the Catholike faith But howsoeuer the matter goeth Our Lorde knoweth who are his and he trieth the hartes of men and as Clemens Alexandrinus writeth No man is so great but God passeth him nor no mā so smal but God espieth him and he shal geue to euery man according to his desertes If I therefore do against my conscience herein wo is vnto me For only God knoweth the conscience of man But if I do vprightely herein wo is vnto you that take vpon you the secret iudgement of God Aud thus farre off my selfe inough Let vs nowe come vnto the matter OF THE TRVE AND RIGHT VNDERSTANDING OF HOLY SCRIPTVRE AS touching the first part whereas they laye to my charge that I labour to oppresse and tread vnder foot the holy ghospell and worde of God hauing before professed the same c. To this I aunswere plainely that herein they deale very vncourteously with me and do iniuriously slaunder me And I am very sure they haue not one iote to proue this their saying by But to remoue this their vaine and forged opinion with sure and vndoubted reason I would gladly knowe of them what is that they call the holy ghospell and worde of God Here if they awnswer me that the worde of God is no other thinge then the holy scripture commonly called the Bible that is the olde and newe Testament thē againe I awnswer thē they do most iniuriously slaunder me For they are neuer able to proue that euer I reiected or persecuted any one litle peace or parcell of the ghospell or of the lawe But I embrace and reuerence al the holy Bible the lawe and the ghospel and take it for no lesse thē the very worde of Gods mouth Yea and I graunte that sooner heauē and earth shal perish then any one iote of that worde Which I dare saie not only for my owne part but in the name of all Catholike Christians which hitherto euen from the Apostles time allmost these thousand six hundred yeares without any intermission haue read in churches songe alwaies in publick seruice of the Masse and taught openly in pulpits and haue also in the common breuiaries and portyses of the Romane vse comprised almost the whole corps of the Bible and that in such ordre that the priestes are bounde wekely to reade ouer the whole Psalter and yearely for lessons allmost all the ghospell and epistles and prophets as the most auncient custom practised so many hundred yeares past of the Canonicall howres the Prime the Third the Sixt the Ninth howres Euensong and Complin doth well declare which disposition and ordre of times was off the Apostles them selues as it may appeare in the Actes and other where so well and diligently appointed that to euery daye for the howres of our lordes passion psalmes lessons and ghospells do correspond with a reuerent and deuoute remēbraunce of Christes benefits whereby the church from the beginning vnto our time through out the whole worlde would testifie and teache vnto vs that all holy scripture ought to be construed and grounded on the passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ as in the true corner stone for the saluation of our soules as hereafter we shall in his due place by the scripture most plainely proue It is therefore a wonderfull slaunder that these men saye of the Catholikes That hitherto the ghospell and the worde of God hath ben bannished from the church kept in hucker mucker and at the length vnder the pope to haue ben vtterly extinguished but now is reuoked vnto light therefore those that embrace this newe ghospell to be worthely called men of the ghospell but that we which folow our swete parents and forefathers with the whole Catholike church keping and maintaining the olde Apostolicall doctrine must be called wicked papistes But here he that hath eyes to see let him open them and he that hath any regard of his saluation let him here take hede for this is that suttell deceit of these protestants and the mist wherewith they dimme the eyes of the simple people making them beleue that they only professe the worde of God And yet these newe preachers and masters knowe very well them selues the contrary as Luther him selfe in his booke against the Anabaptistes and the Zuinglians witnesseth saying that among the papistes that is in the churche of Rome the holy ghospell aud all holy scripture with al the bookes sentences wordes and prickes thereof hath remained in
continuall succession of time vncorrupted whole and perfite whiche maketh me more to maruaill what wicked and malitious sprit moued these protestants to terme them selues only ghospellers and professours of Gods worde calling the Catholikes papistes and enemies of the worde of God seing that bothe nowe and in all ages we reade the ghospell in our churches we preache the worde of God in our pulpits and interpret it to the people we expresse it by outward ceremonies rites and gestures such as we haue receaued of our forefathers euen from the primitiue church and the Apostles time And this Luther knewe him selfe well inough But why dissembled he it then forsothe to deceaue and entrappe the easier the simple people in to his preteÌ„ded religion For Luther and all his ministers knowe very wel that in the ghospel and worde of God two thinges are to be considered First that the text be sownd and not corrupted then that the same text be expounded Catholikely and not heretically For as S. Bernard saieth looke with what sprit the scriptures were writen with the same must they be read and vnderstanded Seing then the text by the instinct of the holy ghost hath ben geuen vs true and perfit the vnderstanding also and interpretation thereof coming of the holy ghost must be true and perfit so that one shall be as true and of as much force as the other It is not inough therefore to reade holy scripture perfitly but to vnderstande it well also For as S. Hierom sayeth The scriptures consist not in reading but in vnderstanding All this Luther was not ignorant of But to depraue and corrupt the right interpretation of holy scripture and to bring in place his owne hereticall and forged expositions he maketh no mencion off the text but crieth still the worde of God calling the dreames of his braine pure and holy scripture For if ye aske of the Lutherans when they preache that God coÌ„straineth men to do euill that God was the cause of Iudas his reprobation and obstinat desperation that good workes are hurtefull to saluation and such like matters what maner of doctrine that is they will incontinently awnswer you that This is the pure ghospell the sincere worde of God and holy scripture it selfe But then if ye go farder and desire them to showe yow these very wordes and propositions in holy scripture there they hush Yet will they tell you that the wordes in dede them selues be not in the Bible but the meaning of them is there To the which if ye replie agayn and vrge them farder it will soone appere that the controuersie betwene the protestants and vs is not of holy scripture it self but of the true vnderstanding of the same And so S. Hilary hauing to do with heretikes in his time pronounced Heresie sayth he is in the vnderstaÌ„ding not in the scripture And truly all heretikes neuer cried other thing theÌ„ the holy scripture the worde of God and we that are Catholikes also haue holy scripture allwaies in our mouth Nowe then a man may maruaill and aske howe cometh it to passe that the Lutherans and the Catholikes the protestants and the papistes striue and contend so one with an other where as yet bothe haue the ghospell bothe loue and embrace it bothe cleaue vnto it and bothe are ready to spende their good and their life for it Here I beseche the Christian reader marke and perceaue well that this is not the coÌ„trouersie whether the Catholikes or the Lutherans haue the worde of God but which of them doth truly rightely and sincerely expounde that worde off God For this is the Lutherans common saying The papistes vnderstand not the Bible but we haue founde the right interpretation thereof and the kaye of all truthe And to set a good coulour vppon this holy protestation they saye farder That all bisshops prelats priestes and Monkes be all without lerning all incoÌ„tinent all of euill life geauen to couetousnes to pleasure and to the bely But they theÌ„ selues that is the Lutherans be learned chaste sobre liberall deuowte and of perfit life and such as haue done great miracles and yet do Neither are these impudeÌ„t heretikes ashamed of these lowde lies although all the worlde well knoweth it is nothing so while they see Churches hospitalls religious houses of all sorte colledges and bishoprickes of these men partly cleane ouerthrowen partly rifled all taken into their handes and conuerted into palaces armories barnes cole houses shops of Marchaundrise yea and in some places in to stables These lo be the miracles of this new ghospell abundantly practised all this fourty yeares As for other miracles not one of these new ghospellers was euer able so much as to cure a lame colte or a halting biche so farre is it that these meÌ„ could euer cast out deuils heale the lame cure the blinde restore the deafe or raise vp the dead all which miracles many holy fathers of the olde ghospell as I may so speake which these men call Papistes haue wrought from time to time in Christ his churche as right approued histories do manifestly declare Now as for the good and perfit life of these men and excellent lerning all the worlde seeth it An olde sorte of heretikes called Donatistes obiected in times past to S. Augustin the very same argumeÌ„t saying that their church only was vpright holy pure and lerned But the Catholike churche was nothing so And therefore the doctrine of the Donatistes was vndoubtedly souÌ„de and perfit but that of the Catholikes false and vntrue But what awnswered theÌ„ here S. Augustin The argument saieth he that proueth mens doctrine by their life is false But let vs suppose that these holy protestants passed al the vniuersall Catholike church of Christ sens the time of the Apostles bothe in godlines of life and excellency of lerning Which I thinke in good sothe they wil not al together affirme But if it were so it wil not yet thereuppon ensue that only the Lutherans vnderstande holy scripture and the Catholikes neuer vnderstoode it For if the right intelligence of holy Scripture be only to be sought amonge such as will stoutely affirme of them selues to passe all the rest of men in vprightnes of life and excellency of lerning then in very dede must we nedes leaue this great treasure of the right meaning of holy scripture vnto heretikes For in all ages heretikes allwaies craked of their great lerning and perfit life as the ecclesiasticall histories well declare of the Arrians the Manâ—ches the Pelagians and such like And what other thinge dothe Luther in many of his workes especially in his booke against the pope Then call the olde Catholike writers and holy fathers fooles asses rude and vnlerned babes of the pope hermaphrodites and such like Neither contemneth he only the Catholikes but euen his owne coÌ„panions and felow heretikes also as Zuinglius