to beleeue must be vninersall for all time comprehending allages and vniuersall for place comprehending all nations but that Church which the Protestants beleeue was interrupted all the ages betwixt the Apostles and Luther which was 1400. yeares or in very deede was neuer seene before Luthers dayes therefore that Church they beleeue cannot be Catholike Neither is it vniuersall in place being contained within the narrow bounds of England which is accompted but as a corner of the world for the Lutherans in Germanie the Hugonites in Fraunce and the Guines in Flaunders detest their religion as much as the Catholikes neither will they ioyne issue with them in diuers essentiall points And therefore the Protestants Church which they beleeue can no more be called Catholike or vniuersall then England the vniuersall world or Kent the Kingdome of England or a pruned bough a wheate tree or a dead finger a man or a rotten tooth the whole head The second article is the communion of Saints the which they many wayes deny First by not beleeuing that Christ hath instituted seuen Sacraments wherein the Saints of his Church communicate and specially the true and real presence of our Sauiour Christ in the Eucharist by which all the faithfull receiuers participating of one and the selfe same bodie are made one bodie as all the parts of a mans bodie are made one liuing thing by participating one soule Secondly they denie the communion of the Church militant and triumphant by exclaming against inuocation of Saints by which holy exercise the blessed Saints in heauen and we in yearth communicate we by prayer glorifying them and they by meditation obtayning our request Thirdly they deny the communion of the Church militant and the soules in purgatorie bereauing them of that Christian charitie which charitable compassion and mercifull pitie requireth and by naturall affection the members of one bodie helpe one another The third article is remission of sinnes for they acknowledge no such effect in the Sacrament of Baptisme but onely count it as an externall signe or seale of a prereceiued grace or fauour of God by his eternall predestination against the expresse word of God which therefore calleth this Sacrament the lauer of regeneration for that in it the soule dead by sinne is newly regenerate by grace Moreouer they allow not the Sacrament of penance wherein all actuall sinnes committed after Baptisme are cancelled and that which exceedeth all in absurditie is to deny that our sinnes are all perfectly forgiuen but onely not imputed and as it were veiled or couered with the passion of Christ all the botches and biles the filth and abomination of sinne still remaining and as it were exhaling a most pestiferous sent in the sight of God For let them shift themselues as they list and scarfe their â—ores according to their fancies yet no veile nor mantell can couer their deformitie of sinne from the pearcing eyes of Gods perfit vnderstanding from which nothing can be concealed Fourthly the puritanes in effect deny that Christ is the sonne of God for they peremptorilie affirme that Christ is God of himselfe and not God of God So that he receiued not his diuinitie from his father The which position flatly taketh away the nature of a sonne for the nature of a sonne is to receiue his substance of his Father and it implyeth contradiction that the sonne receiueth his person of his Father and not his substance and essence for the substance of God is essentiall to euery person in trinitie Fiftly finally they deny the descension of Christ into hell and desperately defend that he suffered the paines of Hell vpon the Crosse whereby they blaspheme most horribly that sacred humanitie as if Christ had despaired of his saluation as if God had hated him and he had hated God as if he had been afflicted and tormented with anguish of minde for his offences for which he was depriued of the sight of God and eternally to be depriued all which horrible punishments are included in the paines of Hell and whosoeuer ascribeth them to Christ blasphemeth more horribly then Arius who denied him to be God for lesse absurditie it were to deny him to be God then to make God the enemie of God Answere IN this fourth article the syllogisme promised is not performed But in steede thereof here is an accusation that we know not what we beleeue nor why we beleeue Your proofe before I haue examined and what we beleeue I haue declared whereof the rule is not our owne fancie as you say and shew not as the rule of your faith and life is the Popes folly as hath been in part shewed You say we haue no rule whereby to know what is the matter of faith We haue the word of God contained in the canonicall Scriptures of the old and new Testament and is that no rule I pray you what doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie but a rule and why be the Scriptures called canonicall but because they be the rule of our faith and life Thomas Aquinas saith Doctrina enim Apostolorum prophetarum dicitur canonica quia est regula intellectus nostri that is The Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets is called canonicall because they be the rule of our vnderstanding Dauid when he said Thy word is a light vnto my feete and a lanterne vnto my pathes what did he but make that same the rule direction and guide of his faith and life when Moses said Now therefore hearken O Israel vnto the ordinances and to the lawes which I teach you to doe that ye may liue and goe in and possesse the land which the Lord God of your Fathers giueth you ye shall put nothing to the word which I commaund you neither shall take ought therefrom that ye may keepe the commaundements of the Lord your God which I commaund you what did he but make Gods word declared to him and written by him the rule of their faith and life When God said to Iosua Let not this booke of the law depart out of thy mouth but meditate therein day and night that thou maist obserue and doe according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou haue good successe What did he but make his written word the rule of his faith and whole life When Abraham said to the rich man condemned in Hell They haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them what did he but shew that the writings of Moses the Prophets were the onely rule which his brethren should follow to auoyd damnation and consequently to attaine eternall saluation Chrysostom saith Ne igitur multorum opiniones habeamus sed resipsas inquiramus Quomodo autem non absurdum propter pecunias alijs non credere sed ipsas numerare supputare pro rebus autem amplioribus aliorum sententiam sequi
your selues to be of them whom Christ came not to call who saith I am not come to call the righteous that is to say them that be puffed vp with a vaine and false perswasion of their owne righteousnesse but sinners to repentance And that they whom you disdaine and despise as Publicanes and harlots goe not before you into the kingdome of God We take vpon vs the person of the Publican in acknowledging our owne vilenes and vnworthines and in respect thereof are abashed to lift vp our eyes to heauen but flee in all our workes to Gods mercie and are content that you with the Pharisce glory of your owne workes merits and righteousnes Salomon saith as I haue before alleaged There is a generation that are pure in their owne conceite and yet are not washed from their filthines Now briefly to answere your syllogisme I reason thus No good workes are to be auoyded but fasting prayer and almes deedes being commanded of God and proceeding from faithfull hearts are by our doctrine good works Ergo they are not to be auoyded but diligently in the feare of God to be vsed of vs but the corruptions of our sinfull nature which creepe into them are to be auoided and resisted and we are to pray vnto God in mercy to pardon them And so we may be assured that as in mercy through Christ he hath accepted of vs so he will in like mercie accept our workes as pure and perfit in Christ Iesus Now I will retort your reason vpon your owne head in this sort Euery man is bound vpon paine of eternall damnation to auoide all sinne but fasting praying and almes deedes as they be vsed by Papists to make satisfaction to God for their sinnes and to merite and purchase heauen be sinnes Ergo fasting prayer and almes deedes done in such sort are to be auoided The Minor or second proposition I proue thus He that attributeth that to his workes which is proper and peculiar to Iesus Christ sinneth grieuously but to make satisfaction for our sinnes appertaineth onely to Iesus Christ Ergo he that attributeth the same to his workes grieuously sinneth But I shall haue occasion hereafter more largely to handle this matter therefore now I omit it and so I will also the quotations of Luther Caluine and Melanchthon set in the margent for that they deliuer no other doctrine but that which I haue before declared the which I nothing doubt but it is so sound that it will indure and abide this mans hammer The Pamphlet The Protestants either haue no faith at all or ly most damnably in denying that a man assisted by Gods grace can keepe the commaundements 3. Article WHosoeuer knoweth God keepeth his commaundements But all true Protestants know God Ergo all true Protestants keepe his commaundements The Maior is expresse Scripture qui dicit se nosse deum mandata eius non custodit mendax est in eo veritas non est He that saith he knoweth God and keepeth not his commaundements is a lyer and truth is not in him The Minor no Protestant doubteth of for this knowledge of God is nothing else but a liuely faith wherewith all zealous Protestants as they say are indewed Hence from manifestly it followeth that either the most zealous Protestants lacke a liuely faith and so are Infidels or if they haue a liuely faith and deny that they keepe or can keepe Gods commaundements they are damnable lyars if they chuse the first they are Pagans Heretikes or Iewes if they take the second they are damnable seducers and impostors in religion and consequently their faith is false Answere THis syllogisme according to Saint Iohns meaning is wholy true The Apostles purpose is to shew that the knowledge of God in the faithfull ought not to be idle but effectuall and fruitfull in godlinesse and holy obedience working a care and conscience in them to keepe Gods holy commaundements by diligent endeuouring both to auoyd all wickednesse which he forbiddeth and to yeelde that holy obedience which he requireth The which they that doe not but liue prophanely wallowing in wickednesse and committing vngodlinesse with greedinesse and yet make a profession of the knowledge of God as too many do their profession and knowledge is in vaine For as Saint Iames saith if any seeme religious and refraineth not his tongue but deceiueth his owne hart that mans religion is in vaine So if any seeme to haue the knowledge of God and liueth loosely and wickedly hauing no care to frame his life to the obedience of Gods commandements his religion profession and knowledge is in vaine For not euery one that saith vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth my fathers will which is in heauen But your meaning is that by keeping of Gods commandements is vnderstood an absolute and perfit fulfilling of them in yeelding without any transgression at all that full and perfect righteousnes which God commaundeth The which neuer did any man yeeld but only the man Iesus Christ who neuer did sinne and in whose mouth was neuer guile This your doctrine of the perfect fulfilling of Gods law in this life is false and you in maintaining of it shew your selues to be blind and proud Pharisies not knowing either the perfect righteousnes of God nor the corruption of our nature against the which I reason thus Whosoeuer sinneth transgresseth and breaketh Gods law and commaundements but all men doe sinne therefore all men transgresse and breake Gods lawes and commaundements The first proposition is manifest for S. Iohn saith Sinne is the transgression of the law The second proposition cannot with any face be denied Salomon saith There is no man that sinneth not Saint Paul saith All haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God Saint Iames saith In many things we sinne all Saint Iohn saith If we say that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. Moreouer S. Paul saith As many as are of the workes of the law are vnder the curse for it is written Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the law to doc them Where Saint Paul doth reason after this sort Whosoeuer doth not continue to doe all that is written in the booke of the law are vnder the curse but there is none that continueth to doe all that is written in the booke of the law Ergo there is none but is vnder the curse The first proposition Saint Paul proueth by a place of the law Deut. 27. The second Saint Paul taketh as a thing graunted and not to be denied that there is no man which continueth to doe all that is written in the booke of the law to doe it the which if it be not graunted Saint Paules argument is nothing worth for it might be said that some doe fulfill the law of
AN APOLOGIE FOR RELIGION Or AN ANSWERE TO AN VNLEARNED and slanderous Pamphlet intituled Certaine Articles or forcible Reasons discouering the palpable absurdities and most notorious errors of the Protestants religion pretended to be printed at Antwerpe 1600. By EDVVARD BVLKLEY Doctor of Diuinitie Prouerb 14. 15. The foolish will beleeue euery thing but the prudent will consider his waies Lamenta 3. 40. Let vs search and trie our waies and turne againe vnto the Lord. Chrysost in Genes Hom. 5. Quocirca diuinae Scripturae vestigia sequamur neque seramus eos qui temerè quiduis blaterant i. Let vs follow the steps of the holy Scripture and not endure or abide them that rashly babble euery thing AT LONDON Printed by Felix Kingston for Arthur Iohnson and are to be sold at his shop in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the Flower de-luce and Crowne 1602. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR THOMAS EGERTON KNIGHT LORD Keeper of the great Seale of England Chamberlaine of the Countie Palatine of Chester and one of her Maiesties most honourable priuie Councell grace and peace be multiplied WHen I consider Right Honourable the estate of England in these our daies I cannot better compare it then with the estate of the kingdome of Iudah vnder K. Iosias expressed shortly yet effectually by Sophonie the Prophet who liued and preached in that time For as then God gaue to that people that worthy and godly King who zealously rooted out Idolatrie and planted Gods true worship agreeable to his law so God in great mercy hath giuen vs our most gracious Queene Elizabeth by whose godly meanes Idolatrie hath been abolished Gods true religion and seruice restored his holy word truly and sincerely preached and peace and tranquilitie among vs long maintained And as in those daies vnder King Iosias notwithstanding that godly and zealous reformation there was great wickednes among the people as the said Sophonias sheweth For there were then which worshipped vpon the rouffes of their houses the host of heauen and which worshipped and sware by the true and onely God Iehoua and by Malcham their Idoll and such as were turned backe from after the true God and sought him not nor inquired after him and that did weare strange apparell and others that filled their masters houses with robberie and deceite and such as were frozen in their dregges and said in their hearts the Lord will neither doe good nor euill And Ierusalem was then a filthie and spoyling citie which heard not Gods voyce receiued not instruction trusted not in the Lord and drew not neere vnto her God c. Euen so how these sinnes abound at this time in this land I thinke there are but few but doe see and none that truly feareth God but doth lament To omit other sinnes here mentioned as then there were which worshipped Iehoua the onely true God and Malcham their Idoll euen so there be now not a few which to please the Prince and State pretend outwardly to like of religion established and yet inwardly in their hearts fauour Idolatrie and wicked worshippings repugnant to the same And as then many were turned backe from after God and sought him not nor inquired after him euen so now there are many which be reuolted from Gods holy worship agreeable to his word and vtterly forsake the holy assemblies where Gods word is truly preached the Sacraments are according to Christs institution rightly ministred and Gods holy name faithfully called vpon These with Lots wife looke backe vnto Sodome and are with the Israelites in heart turned backe into Egypt desiring rather to eate onions and garlike there then to feed vpon the heauenly Manna of Gods blessed word Of these thus turned backe from seeking after God they be most dangerous which being deceiued themselues endeuour by all meanes both by speaking and writing to seduce and deceiue others Such be the Seminarie Priests and Iesuites who although they be at this present time at leastwise in outward apparance at deadly fewd among themselues writing most bitterly one against another yet they all agree in resisting Gods truth seducing the simple and in labouring most earnestly to set vp againe their Dagon of the Masse fallen downe before the Arke of Christs Gospell To this end they write lewd lying and slaunderous Pamphlets wherein they traduce the truth and faithfull fauourers thereof deceiue the ignorant and confirme in error their ouer affectioned fauourers who without triall or examination ouer rashly receiue and ouer lightly beleeue whatsoeuer is broached by them Of these lying Libels there came one to my hands a yeere past and more pretended to be printed at Antwerpe 1600. wherein is boldly affirmed but faintly proued that we haue no faith nor religion that of vs both the learned and ignorant of the Greeke and Latine tongues be Infidels that wee know not what wee beleeue that we are bound in conscience both neuer to aske forgiuenes of our sinnes and also to auoide all good workes that wee make God the author of sinne and worse then the diuell These and such other shameles assertions and false slaunders when I read it came into my heart that Master Thomas Wright with whose spirit I had been acquainted was the venter of this ware In which opinion I was afterward confirmed for that both some of his fauourers could not denie it and in a written copie therof taken in a search in Shropshire and sent vnto me these two letters T.W. were set in the end of it This lewd Libell although in respect of the matter voide both of truth and learning deformed rather to be despised then earnestly answered yet because the author of it thinketh so highly of himself and so basely and contemptuously of vs giuing out in certaine written conferences which he hath dispersed abroad in this land and some faithfull men haue seene that wee be vnlearned and so giuen to worldly affaires that we bestow no time or but little in studie I although the meanest and vnmeetest of many was moued to write this answere thereby to confute these calumnies to cleere the truth to confirme the faithfull and if by Gods gracious blessing it might be to reclaime and reforme the ignorant and seduced Whereof I haue the lesse hope for that as they imitate those wicked Israelites which refused to hearken turned away their shoulder stopped their eares that they might not heare and made their hearts as an Adamant stone least they should heare the law and the words which the Lord of hosts sent in his spirit by his Prophets So they doe fully follow the peruerse Pagans which most obstinately refused to reade godlie bookes written by Christians as that ancient eloquent Christian Lactantius in these eloquent words declareth Non est apud me dubium Constantine Imperator Maxime quin hoc opus nostrum quo singularis ille rerum conditor huius immensi operis rector asseritur si quis attigerit ex
surely for to attribute remission of sinnes or any part of saluation to the merits of any other but only of Iesus Christ crucified is to coine a new and false gospell for it is not that gospell of God which he promised afore by his Prophets in the holy scriptures which is concerning his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord c. To conclude this point I say woe woe vnto them that accept or affect any new coined gospell And whereas you wonder that men indued with iudgement and a religious conscience could affect or accept the gospell that we preach which you falsely call a new coined gospell we may well wonder that any man that hath any sparke of knowledge or conscience should beleeue these foresaid false gospels We may also wonder that men indued with reasonable soules and senses being the handy worke of God should bow downe and worship a stone and stock which hath neither soule nor life hath eyes and seeth not eares and heareth not c. and is the workemanship of mans hands especially being so plainely and expresly forbidden in Gods commaundements infinite places of the scriptures We may wonder that any man should be so mad as to worship and thinke that which he doth eate to be his God and maker which is so absurd that euen Tully not without reason could say sedecquem tam amentem esse putas qui illud quo vescitur deum credat esse Doest thou thinke any man so mad as to beleeue that to be his God which he doth eate yet into this madnes by a spiritual phrensie be these men fallen We also may wonder that they should beleeue such false fables and lying miracles as abound in poperie as for example to cast the dung of their abominations vpon their faces That Images did speake did sweate did roll their eyes did bleede that the head of a dog being cut off from the body by theeues which vpon Saint Katherines day came to rob a Priest who was a deuout worshipper of her did still barke That the virgin Mary did for many yeares in a Nunnery keepe the keyes and supply the place of one Beatrix whilest she went away and played the whore These and many such absurd fables were preached published printed and beleeued as may appeare by Sermones discipuli Antoninus the Archbishop of Florence stories Mariale Summa praedicantia the festiuall Vitas patrum and that monstrous booke the Legend written by Iacobus de Varagine Archbishop of Genua Which yet was in so great reputation with them that it was published in print in the English tongue when the holy Bible was suppressed and had this title set before it The golden Legend for as gold excelleth all other mettals so this booke excelleth all other bookes to the which title that worthy and right worshipfull Knight Sir Andrew Corbet of blessed memory did adde these words In lying and so of a false and blasphemous title made it a most true title Yea I haue a booke in English in Folio translated out of French and printed in London in King Henry the 8. dayes Anno 1521. intituled The flower of the Commaundements fully fraighted with such sottish and worse then old wiues fables which yet in those dayes were preached and beleeued And we may wonder that men of any wisedome knowledge or iudgement should be deluded and mocked with such false fained reliques as were and are in Popery as with Saint Peters finger at Walsingham as big as if it had been of some Giant and also the virgin Maries milke there which seemeth by Erasmus to haue been the white of an egge and chalke mingled together and a vessell of the same at Rome as writeth Blondus the bloud of Hales the which was proued and declared at Paules Crosse by the Bishop of Rochester in King Henry the 8. dayes to haue been clarified honey coloured with saffron In Geneua there was worshipped for the arme of Saint Anthonie that which afterward was proued to be the pisle of a Stagge for a peece of S. Peters scull that which was found to be a pumish stone But this will not be beleeued of this writer and of his fellowes because Caluin did write it But why Caluin should write and publish euen in the French tongue in Geneua such a thing of Geneua vnlesse it were true which the Inhabitants thereof might know to be false I see no reason it could purchase no credit to him or to his doctrine But why might not that as well be true as the things before alleaged or as that which Gregorius Turonensis who liued sundry hundreth yeares past writeth that there was found in a boxe of reliques of a certaine Sainct rootes of trees the teeth of a Mole the bones of Mice and the clawes of Beares which were worshipt for holy reliques But of these iuglings I will write no more at this present God may giue occasion hereafter more largely to intreate of them At these things we may wonder but yet we do not ouermuch meruaile and wonder at them for that the spirit of God by Saint Paule hath foreshewed vs that the time would come when men should turne away their eares frō the truth and be giuen to fables and that the comming of Antichrist should be by the effectuall working of Satan with all power and signes and lying wonders and in all deceiueablenes of vnrighteousnes among thē that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued therefore God should send them a strong delusion to beleeue lyes that all they might be damned which beleeued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnes Whereas you request that he that shall answere this your pamphlet will do it briefely orderly and seriously I will indeuor to do the two last as God shall inable me But concerning breuitie I will vse my libertie and peraduenture more largely lay downe your absurdities then you would be willing I should do But whereas you say that you make this request for that you perceiue that the Protestants cannot answere with breuitie because their religion lacketh both certaintie and perspicuitie I say that with one breath you do vtter two vntruthes or to speake plaine English lyes The first that we cannot answere with breuitie which how vntrue it is let it be tried first by the briefe and pithie answeres of that great learned man Doctor Fulke who answering many of their bookes which yet to this day stand vndefended how briefely and pithily he answered the same let any man that hath but a graine of indifferent iudgement consider and iudge And particularly I referre them to his answere to Rishtons challenge and to Allens booke of Purgatorie both in one volume yea many times in his writings he called them from long and impertinent discourses to short syllogismes whereunto he could neuer bring them How closely that pretious Iewel and excellent ornament of this
of Iudas not Iscariot did say what is the cause that thou wilt shew thy selfe to vs and not vnto the world In this sense I may grant that the world hath not had these gifts of Gods grace these thousand yeares and put another thousand and more vnto them But if we take the world more generally for this great globe and all the inhabitants thereof then proue by the testimonie of all antiquitie that the doctrine which we teach and professe hath not been these 1500. yeares in the world and we will yeeld and you shall winne the victorie But it is vsuall with you and your fellowes to make great and braue bragges to amaze the simple and ignorant and to bring small and poore proofes as you doe here none at all to perswade the wise and learned great braggers are no great doers In deede we confesse that the Church is well compared by Saint Augustine to the Moone For as the Moone receiueth her light from the Sunne so doth the true Church receiue her light from Iesus Christ the sunne of righteousnes And as the Moone is sometimes in the full and shineth in full brightnes and sometimes is in the waine and sometimes is eclipsed and doth little appeare euen so the Church is sometimes in the full and shineth in full brightnes and glorie as in the Apostles times and diuers hundreth yeares after it did sometimes it is in the waine and eclipsed as for many hundred yeares last past it hath been in which that Apostasie from the faith is come which Saint Paul by the spirit of God foreshewed and the euent hath proued by Mahometisme in the East and Papisme in the West During which time although the Church hath been driuen into the wildernes and the light of true doctrine which is the soule of the Church hath been eclipsed yet they haue neuer vtterly perished For in all ages God in mercie hath reserued a remnant according to the election of grace by whom the light of his truth hath been preserued and in whom those admirable promises of his mercie haue been performed These haue been not proude Popes treading vpon Emperours neckes deposing them from their Crownes and Kingdomes raysing bloudie battels and pouling and spoyling Christian countries with greeuous and horrible exactions and deuises as might be shewed not carnall Cardinals Princes peeres hauing 200. and 300. benefices apeece as Gerson and Clamangis Parisian Doctors before named doe affirme not popish blinde prelates Abbats Monkes priests c. wallowing in all worldly wealth and for the most part in great filthines of life as hereafter I will shew but such as the Apostle speaketh of that haue been tried by mockings and scourginges yea by bondes prisonment which were stoned hewen asunder tempted slaine with the sworde wandred vp and downe in sheepe-skinnes and in goates skinnes destituted afflicted and tormented whom the world was not worthie of which wandred in wildernesses and mountaines and dennes and caues of the earth Such were those good people in the time of the foresaid apostacie the Waldenses and Pauperes de Lugduno dispersed in diuers countries as namely Calabria Sauoye Prouence in Fraunce of whom many both long agoe in sundrie places and diuers times were burned as it is written in the old booke called Fasciculus Temporum and also of late yeares were most cruelly and vnmercifully perse cuted in Merindoll the valley of Angrone Luserne and Saint Martin Such were they that were called Begardi of whom to the number of 114. were burnt at Paris as the foresaid booke Fasciculus Tempo sheweth Such were they that were called Albingenses inhabiting especially about Tholossa in Fraunce of whom by the procurement of that false Frier and superstitious Hypocrite Dominicus an hundreth thousand were destroyed as writeth Bernardus Lutzenburgus and an 180. were together burned as both Antoninus the Arch-bishop of Florence writeth and Bellarmine himselfe confesseth Such were they of whom Albertus Crantius writeth which in Sueuia publikly preached that the Pope Bishops and prelaces were heretikes and Simoniakes that the begging Friers did peruert the Church with their false preachings for the which they were persecuted and some burned Such were they in Bohemia and Morauia in great number with whom Aeneas Syluius who was Pope called Pius the second hauing had conference writeth thus of one of them Finitis sermonibus istis assurrexit vnus de primoribus Thaboritarum animo satis inflato quid tu nobis inquit apostolicam sedem tot verbis amplificas Nos Papam Cardinales anaritiae seruos nouimus impatientes inflatos tumidos ventri ac libidini deditos ministros scelerum diaboli sacerdotes Antichristi praecursores quorum deus venter est pecunia caelum That is when these speeches were ended there did rise vp one of the chiefe of the Thaborites and with an hautie minde said What dost thou amplifie to vs in so many wordes the Apostolicall seate we know that the Pope and the Cardinals be slaues to couetousnes imputient proud arrogant giuen to the bellie and filthie lust the ministers of wickednes the priests of the diuell and the forerunners of Antichrist whose God is their bellie and whose heauen is money Such also was Arnoldus Brixianus persecuted by that proud English Pope Adrian the fourth anno 1155. Iohn Rochetailada burnt at Auinion by Pope Clement the sixt 1345. Michael Cesenas burnt 1322. Iohn Wickliffe who died 1387. and after his death his body was burnt Two Franciscan Friers burnt at Auinion by Pope Innocent the sixt 1354. Two others burnt at London 1357. William Swinderby burnt 1401. William White burnt 1428. Peter Clarke and Peter Paine 1433. persecuted and forced to flee into Bohemia Thomas Rhedonensis burnt at Rome 1430. Mattheus Palmerius burnt at Florence as witnesseth Sabellicus Dulcinus of Nouaria and Margaret his wife burnt about the yeare of our Lord 1304. Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prage burnt at Constance 1415. 1416. Hieromus Sauonarola burnt at Florence 1499. These and many such other that might be produced with their faithfull fauourers and followers were the true Church of God in whom his mercifull promises were performed These are they that haue mourned in Zion that haue lamented and cryed for all the abominations that haue been don in Ierusalem or rather in Rome that were killed for the word of God and for the testimonie which they maintained and which came out of great tribulation and haue washed their robes in the bloud of the Lamb. But these now haue beautie for ashes the oyle of ioy for mourning the garment of gladnes for the spirit of heauines and are trees of righteousnes the planting of the Lord in whom he is glorified they be now vnder the altar and are in the presence of the throne of God and serue him day and night in his temple and he that sitteth
on the throne doth dwell among them neither doth the sunne light on them neither any heate But this man will say that these were condemned and punished by the Church for heretikes I confesse they were so euen as the Prophets of God Christ our Sauiour and his holy Apostles were before them condemned by the prelates and priests of the Church of Israel which caried the countenance of the Church of God as much and more rightly then the Pope and his prelates now doe Neither were these so few in number but that by confession of some popish writers the Romish false faith was sometimes in danger to haue been subuerted by them Wernerus a Charterhouse Monke of Colen in his foresaid booke called Fasciculus temporum writeth thus Fuerunt nihilominus postea quidam subtilissimi haeretici qui istam haeresim Waldensium defendere conabantur plura regna populos deceperunt that is notwithstanding there were afterwards some most subtill heretikes which went about to defend this heresie of the Waldenses and deceiued or rather truely instructed many kingdomes and nations And againe hauing made mention of certaine popish doctors in those dayes as Hugo Cardinalis c. he hath these words Quos diuina bonitas misit pro fidei defensione alioquin tota pene fides perijsset propter haereticorum multiplicitatem subtilitatem simul potentiam that is whom God sent for the defence of the faith for otherwaies it had like wholy to haue perished by reason of the multitude subtiltie and power of heretikes It appeareth by the testimonie of this popish Monke that in those dayes there were verie many of them whom he falsely calleth heretikes And whereas these detested the enormities and abominations of the Church of Rome and maintained the same substantiall and fundamentall points of doctrine that we doe as it appeareth by the articles obiected vnto them that they did how doth this man say that our religion was not these 1500. yeares in the world It was in the world but hated of the world which hated Christ yet was it constantly confessed euen to death of them whom God the Father hath giuen to Christ out of the world Hereby it may sufficiently appeare that the Synagogue of the Iewes hath not bin more constant in continuance nor more ample in place then the true Church of Christ hath been In deede it may be that the Synagogues of the Iewes haue continued in some certaine places more constantly then the true Churches of Iesus Christ haue done Yet hereupon it doth not follow that either Gods admirable promises haue not bin performed or that the true Church hath perished It is not the Synagogue of the Iewes but the true Church of God that is clothed with Christ the sun of righteousnes treadeth vnder her feete earthly things which be mutable as y e moone and is adorned with the Doctrine of Christs twelue Apostles which is forced to flee into the wildernes Chrysostome saith well Ecclesia est tabernaculū à deo fixum non ab homine ab vno loco in alium fugit sed non à pietate ad impietatem fugit that is The Church is the tabernacle which God hath pight and not man she fleeth from one place to another but she neuer fleeth from godlines to impietie and wickednes As Barrabas found here more fauour with the prelates and priests of Iudah and Ierusalem then Iesus Christ the son of God did So the Popes and Iewes Synagogues haue found more fauour and more quietly rested in this wicked world then the true Church of Iesus Christ hath done As euen in Rome the Iewes professed and open enemies of our Sauiour Christ haue had and yet haue their Synagogues and liue paying their tributes in as great quietnes and safetie as the Curtizans Whores of Rome do which pay yearely to the Pope twentie thousand duckates It is written in the pontificall that at the coronation of the Pope and in his procession to y e Church of Laterane the Iewes vse to meete him and making curtesie do offer the law to him to whom he giueth a gentle answere But whereas the foresaid Arnoldus Brixianus a great learned man reproued the errors and enormities of the Church of Rome Adrian the foure our proud countriman who rebuked the Emperor for holding his wrong stirrop would not go vp to the Church of Laterane to be consecrate vntill he were driuen but of Rome There was also one Arnulphus in Rome a godly mā whom many of the inhabitants thereof acknowledged for a true disciple of Christ that was there murthered by the priests for inueighing against their wickednesse Also in a towne neere Rome called Pole the lord thereof with many others were counted heretikes for saying that none of them which followed Peter were y e true vicars of Christ but such as followed the pouerty of Christ These Pope Paulus the second persecuted and contumeliously intreated as Platina and Sabellicus doe write Hereby we see that it is a thing more allowable in Rome to denie Christ as the Iewes doe then to meddle with the Popes triple crowne or to reproue his pride and enormities This our doctrine of performing Gods admirable promises not in proud Popes and wicked worldlings but in the faithfull which feare God tremble at his word and are for the most part hated and persecuted in the world doth neither shew the path to Atheisme nor open the gap to Machiuilian deuises which by the testimonie of some papists themselues are no where sooner learned then in that schoole wherein T. W. the author of this slanderous libell hath bin as I suppose too much and too long trained I meane the schoole of Iesuites of whom William Watson a popish secular priest in his booke of Quodlibets lately published doth thus write Many Atheal paradoxes be taught in the Iesuites conclaue or close conuenticles Aga. Questionles the Iesuits want neither art nor euill will nor yet malitious meanes to effect it as hauing vsed from the beginning more Machauilian deuises and Atheal practises in secret conference by their inferior agents with schismatikes yea and with our common aduersaries then with catholikes Againe It must needes follow that there is not a Iesuite in all England this day but hath a bitter smack of father Parsons impiety irreligiosity treachery treason Machiuilian Atheisme Again neither Machiuel nor any that euer yet was in Europe came neere vnto the Iesuites for Atheal deuises to preuent the stopples of their stratagems and to further their proceedings Againe But I call them Iesuiticall that is the faction of the Iesuites by abbreuiation to auoyde circumlocution in one word expressing them to be a factious seditious ambitious auaritious treacherous traiterous Machiuilian Atheall consort that abusing the rules of their societie c. By the iudgement of this popish priest let the good reader consider who they be that shew
Chrysostom Omnibus vnum corpus proponitur poculum vnum One body and one Cuppe is propounded to all So saith Theophilactus Tremendus calix pari cunctis conditione traditus est The fearefull Cup is in like sort deliuered vnto all Yea this absurd exposition of theirs is contrarie to the practise of the Primitiue Church and to all antiquitie as might be shewed and of some Papists is confessed But to proceede and to shew how they handle other places I will ioyne two places together because they doe often alleage them together to proue the Popes supremacie ouer the whole Church of God dispersed ouer the whole world The one Hosea 1. 11. Then shall the Children of Iudah and the Children of Israel be gathered together and appoynt themselues one head The other place is Iohn 10. 16. There shall be one fold and one shepheard These places be alleaged by Pope Pius the second epist 288. by Iohannes de Parisijs by D. Harding c. expounding the same not of Christ but of the Pope to be this one head and one shepheard The which what a priuat and false exposition it is I neede not greatly to shew it is so plaine and apparant The first place of Hosea Saint Hierome expoundeth thus Haec omnia fient quia magnus est dies seminis Dei qui interpretatur Christus i. All these things shall come to passe because it is the great day of the seede of God which is expounded not the Pope but Christ so also doth Frier Lira Congregabuntur filij Iudae id est Apostoli c. There shall assemble together the Children of Iuda that is to say the Apostles and the Children of Israel that is to say the heathen conuerted together that is to say in one Church and shall appoynt vnto themselues one head that is to say one Christ So doth S. Augustine de ciuitate Dei lib. 18. cap. 28. Whose words for shortnes sake I omit The other place is so plaine that a Cobler by hearing or reading of it may perceiue that our Sauiour Christ spake it of himselfe and not of the Pope He saith I am the good shepheard and knowe mine and am knowne of mine I lay downe my life for my sheepe Other sheepe I haue also which are not of this fold them also must I bring and they shall heare my voyce and there shall be one sheepefolde and one shepheard Therefore doth my father loue me because I lay downe my life that I might take it againe Who is so blind as seeth not these words to be spoken of our Sauiour Christ himselfe and not of the Pope Yet that doughtie or rather doltish Doctor Iohannes de Parisijs is not ashamed to say that it is not to be vnderstoode of Christ but of some other Minister which should rule in his place His words be these Congregabuntur filij Iuda filij Israel vt ponant sibi caput vnum Ioan. 10. fiet vnum ouile vnus pastor Quod quidem de Christo intelligi non potest sed de alio aliquo ministro quipraesit loco eius i. The Children of Iuda and the Children of Israel shall be gathered together and shall appoynt themselues one head and Ioh. 10. There shall be one fold and one shepheard which cannot be vnderstoode of Christ but of some other minister that must rule in his place Behold the absurditie of this saying and exposition and let this cauiller who in his questions and challenge so disdainefully despiseth our learning consider what a blind ignorant and vnlearned Doctor and writer this was that so absurdly expoundeth this place and contrarily to the plaine words denieth them to be vnderstoode of our Sauiour Christ and blasphemously attributeth y t vnto the Pope which is only proper and peculiar to Iesus Christ Frier Lira was of better iudgement who writeth thus Fiet vnus pastor id est Christus i. There shall be one pastor that is to say Christ I will shew another place or two in like manner expounded for the proofe of the same matter In the booke of the ceremonies of the Church of Rome the which I wish were in English that our English Catholikes might see the goodly ceremonies and orders of that Church it is thus written Papa in nocte natiuitatis domini benedicit ensem quem postea donat alicui principi in signum infinitae potentiae pontifici collatae iuxta illud data est mihi omnis potestas in coelo in terra Item dominabitur à mari vsque ad mare à flùmine vsque ad terminos orbis terrarum i. The Pope in the night of the feast of Christs Natiuitie blesseth a sword for a signe of the infinit power giuen to him which hee afterward bestoweth vpon some Prince according to that saying All power is giuen to me both in heauen and in earth also He shall rule from the sea vnto the sea and from the stood vnto the ends of the world Are not these sayings thinke you finely expounded of the Pope whereof the one our Sauiour Christ himselfe spake and the other the Prophet Dauid prophesied of Iesus Christ himselfe And the former of these places Stephen the Archbishop of Patraca applied vnto Pope Leo the 10. in the Councell of Lateran in the audience of the Pope himselfe who thankefully accepted it and suffered it to be published and printed and so to this day was neuer by any Papist disliked By these places any man may discerne and iudge whether this Romish prelate be not that man of sinne and sonne of perdition an aduersarie that exalteth himselfe against or aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped sitting as God in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God of whom S. Paul before prophecied in taking these things vnto himselfe which Gods spirit spake properly and peculiarly of Iesus Christ The place of Saint Peter 1. chap. 4. Loue or charitie couereth the multitude of sinnes they expound in this sense that charitie maketh satisfaction for our sinnes and couereth and hideth our sinnes before God Iohn Fisher the Bishop of Rochester writeth hereof thus Tertius modus est per vehementis charitatis affectum Nam vehemens vtique charitatis affectus peccatorum etiam expurgat reliquias quum dicat diuus Petrus Charitas operit multitudinem peccatorum i. The third meanes to purge away sinne is by the affection of vehement charitie for surely the vehement affection of charitie doth also purge out the remnants of sinnes for S. Peter saith Charitie hideth the multitude of sinner That this is a priuate and false exposition a simple and meane man may see especially if he looke vpon the place in the Prouerbs chap. 10. 12. from the which Saint Peter doth alleage it and is commonly quoted in the margent Hatred stirreth vp contention but loue or charitie couereth all trespasses Where Salomon sheweth that
this disputation that our Lord Iesus Christ hath as he speaketh in the Gospell put vs vnder his easie yoke and light burthen whereupon he hath bound together the societie and communion of his people by Sacraments in nūber fewest in obseruation easiest in significatiō most excellent as is baptisme consecrated in y e name of the Trinity the cōmunion of his body bloud if there be any thing els commēded in the canonical scriptures The like he writeth in his 3. booke de doctr Christiana cap. 9. by the which it appeareth that he thought these two Sacraments to be sufficient for faithful Christians to communicate in And if he had acknowledged any mo it is maruell y t writing of purpose of thē he did not name them Yet S. Augustine did not deny this article of the cōmunion of Saints Bessarion a Cardinal of Rome a learned man dissenteth frō you saith Haec duo sola sacramēta in Euāgelio manifestè tradita legimus i. We read that these only 2. sacraments are plainly deliuered to vs in the Gospell yet did he not deny this article of faith Your own doctor Alexander de Hales flatly affirmeth that neither Christ nor his Apostles did institute ordain the Sacramēt of Cōfirmation but y t it was afterward ordained in the Councel called Meldense yet he denied not this Article And therfore you ouershot your self in saying that they which beleeue not y t Christ did institute 7. sacramēts deny this article of faith The cōmunion of Saints But to proceed with you concerning y e true real presence of Christ in the Eucharist we denie the same not to the faith of the godly worthy receiuer but to the mouth teeth of y e car nal eater We beleeue and say that Christs bodie bloud in as much as they were offred vpon the crosse for our redēption are the spirituall food of our soules without which we can neither liue vnto God here nor liue with God here after that y e same is offred to vs partly in the promises of the Gospel partly in y e sacramēts of Baptisme Christs supper and is in both apprehended of vs by faith without which neither the word nor Sacraments can profit vs. But here I must put you in mind that you corruptly alleage a place of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 10. 17. foisting in this word Bodie for Bread S. Paules words bethus We that are manie are one bread and one bodie because we are partakers of one bread This shifting of the words of the holy Ghost is too vsuall with your companions Bunderius a Louaine Frier alleaging the words of Saint Paul in the next chapter verse 27. Quicunque manducauerit panem hunc c. He that eateth this bread c. putteth out the word panem and foisteth in the word carnem flesh alleaging it thus Qui manducat carnem bibit calicem Domini indignè c. He that eateth the flesh drinketh the cup of the Lord vnworthily c. D. Harding in his Confutation of the Apology intreating of Purgatorie alleaging the words of S. Paul 2. Cor. 7. 1. to proue satisfaction for sinnes by that fained fire putteth out Sanctification and in place therof putteth Satisfaction alleaging it thus making perfect satisfaction in the feare of God Cardinall Hosius changeth the words of Saint Paul alleaging them thus Neque ferre possunt vt per verbum Dei signo crucis vlla creatura sanctificetur that is They cannot abide that anie creature should be sanctified by the word of God and signe of the crosse He putteth out prayer and putteth in the signe of the Crosse as a more holie thing The foresaid Bunderius doth most shamefully alleage a place of the Apostle in this sort Nam si cinis vitulae conspersus populum sanctificauit atque mundauit quantò magis aqua sale conspersa diuinis precibus sacrata populum sanctificat atque mundat that is If the ashes of an heifer sprinkled haue sanctified and cleansed the people how much more shall water sprinkled with salt being hallowed with diuine prayers sanctifie and cleanse the people c. The words of the Apostle be these If the bloud of bulles goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling them that are vncleane sanctifieth as touching the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the bloud of Christ which through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without fault to God purge your conscience from dead works to serue the liuing God Is not this horrible handling of Gods word blasphemous attributing that to their salt water which is proper peculiar to the bloud of Christ I could shew in like maner how they haue clipped the coine of Gods word in leauing out words of purpose which serue not their turne but I wil omit them only this I say y t if they which counterfeit clip the kings coin deserue hāging what do they deserue y t counterfeit clip the word of the eternal God king of al Kings but corrupt doctrine cānot be maintained without corruptiō of Gods word But to returne to S. Pauls place he there disswadeth the Christians of Corinth from going to Idolatrous feasts by a reason taken from the Supper of our Sauiour Christ shewing that as the faithfull by eating that bread which there is broken drinking that Cup are made partakers of Christ Iesus so they that did eate those feasts ordained to the honoring of Idols were partakers of Idolatrie there committed or rather of the Diuell that was there serued And as the faithfull by being partakers of that bread haue communion together and be made one body to wit the mysticall body of Christ so they that receiue those Idol bankets haue communion together and shew themselues to be of one body videl of the Diuell Now as there needed no transubstantiation for the one no more there doth for the other Also this bread which S. Paul calleth the communiō of the body of Christ is broken yet I trust they wil not say that Christs body is broken although Pope Nicholas caused that excellent man Berengarius so to confesse But of the grosse and absurd doctrine of transubstantiation I will speake no more at this present You say moreouer that we deny the communion of the Church militant and triumphant by exclaming against inuocation of Saints by which holy exercise those blessed Saints in heauen and we in earth communicate we by prayer glorifying them and they by meditation I thinke it should be mediation obtayning our requests Hereunto I answere first that this inuocation of Saints is vnlawfull and cannot bee proued by the holy Scriptures And this offer I doe make you that if you can bring one plaine place out of all the holy Scriptures wherein it was euer commaunded or of any faithfull man or woman vsed I will yeeld vnto you not onely in this but also in all matters of Religion You quote
Barnabas betweene Anicetus Bishop of Rome and Polycarpus betweene Chrysostome and Epiphanius and manie others who all were godly men agreeing in vnity of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God But you that are so eager in traducing our iarres cannot see your own manifold and vnreconciliable iarres and controuersies among your selues As betweene your Schoolemen namely your Thomists and Scotists differing in sundrie matters of moment as not onely Erasmus hath declared but also Iohn Bishop of Rochester hath affirmed Also betweene your Dominican and Franciscan Friers about the conception of the virgin Mary debated not onely by words but also by blowes which controuersie was neuer yet decided but in the Councell of Basil which the Papists count a schismaticall Councell and in the same was the false doctrine approued to wit that the Virgin Mary was conceiued without sinne You cannot see your iarres betweene your great Maister of Sentences Peter Lumbard who iustled Saint Paul out of the schooles and your Sorbonist Doctors of Paris which found and condemned 26. errours in him nor the iarres betweene Ambrosius Catharinus Archbishop of Minorien and Dominicus de Soto confesson to Charles the fift concerning assurance of Gods grace predestination originall sinne freewll and induration of a sinner as in their bitter bookes one against another about these matters appeareth nor y e iarres betweene the said Catharinus and Cardinall Caietane whom Catharinus chargeth with 200. errors of which he writeth thus Quae vt non solum euidenter falsa meritò culpari possent verum etiam vt Christianae religioni perniciosa c. Which may be worthily reproued not onely as euidently false but also as pernicious to Christian religion I might mention many mo iarres among the Papists and namely betweene the secular Priests and Iesuits as appeareth by their bitter bookes one against another and particularly that of William Watson a secular Priest lately published in print against the Iesuits which this camlling exclamor cannot espy who can see a moate in our eyes but cannot behold great beames in their owne but for shortnes sake I omit them at this present onely the learned may see how that great Rabbi Rob. Bellarmine iarreth with all other his pewfellowes and in very many essentiall points of doctrine dissenteth from them and controuleth them Whereof also Iohannes Pappus hath made a large collection Whereas you say y t we haue no argument to proue that we haue the true Church true religion and true faith but such as al heretikes haue euer vsed I answere that we haue that argument proofe for these things which although Heretikes haue falsely pretended as popish heretikes now doe yet the godly learned Fathers haue sincerely vsed And that is the holy word of God the onely touchstone of truth and piller of the Church for as the Church in one respect is the piller of truth as Saint Paul saith so in another the truth is the piller and prop of the Church as Chrysostom saith For by what meanes els haue the godly and learned Fathers in all ages confuted heresies and proued the Church but by the Scriptures by them out Sauiour Christ foyled the Diuell and put him to flight By them he answered the Pharisies By them he confuted the Sadduces By them he proued himselfe to be the promised Messias and Sauiour of the world By them Saint Paul confirmed the Gospell which he preached By them hee perswaded the Iewes those things which concerned Christ Iesus both out of the Law of Moses and out of the Prophets By them Apollos confuted the Iewes with great vehemencie shewing by the Scriptures that Iesus was the Christ By them the godly and learned Fathers confuted and confounded the Arians and other Heretikes whom you here name as by their bookes and particular sayings it euidently appeareth Athanasius speaking of the godly decrees of the Councell of Nice against the Arians writeth thus Atque harum rerum non aliunde nos quà m ex scriptutis persuasionem habemus that is We be perswaded of these things by no other meanes but by the Scriptures Epiphanius saith In Scripturis sanctis Trinitas nobis annuntiatur ac creditur citra curiositatem c. The Trinitie is in the holy Scriptures preached vnto vs and without curiositie beleeued And that by thē all doctrines are to be confirmed and all errors and heresies to be confuted they plainely and plentifully shew Tertullian saith that if Heretikes bee brought to examine and try their questions onely by the Scriptures they cannot stand Epiphanius saith that we are not to discusse questions by our owne wits and reasons Sedex scripturarum consequentia By the consequence of the Scriptures Saint Basil saith Let vs stand to the arbitrement of the Scripture inspired of God and with whome bee found doctrines agreeable to those diuine words let the truth be iudged to be with them Constantine said vnto the Bishops in the Nicene Councell The Euangelicall and Apostolicall bookes and the oracles of the Prophets doe plainely instruct vs of God wherefore laying away all enimitie and discord let vs take the explication or resolution of the questions in controuersie out of those sayings inspired of God So saith Saint Augustine Verum nos sacris literis accommodemus auditum c. that is Let vs harken vnto the holy Scriptures and according to them let vs by the helpe of God dissolue this question And againe Non secundū opinionem c. We must consider of this matter not according to y e commō opinion but according to the holy Scriptures of our religion And of the church he saith thus Sed vtrum ipsi ecclesiam teneant non nisi diuinarum Scripturarum canonicis libris ostendant that is But whether they haue the Church let them shew by no other meanes but by the Canonicall bookes of the diuine Scriptures Chrysostom saith that we cannot know which is the true Church of Christ Nisi tantummodo per Scripturas that is but onely by the Scriptures Therefore by the Scriptures proue your doctrine and shew your Church But you say the Arians and other Heretikes alleadged the Scriptures whereunto I adde that so did the Diuell also but 〈◊〉 in such sort as you and your fellowes do in mangling them and falsly expounding and applying them as I haue in some part before shewed I am cōtent to ioyne this issue with you that they which be proued to depraue detort mangle and falsly expound and apply the scriptures be heretikes and to bee condemued with these old heretikes whom you here name To whom whether you or we bee more like let the vpright Reader indifferently iudge The Arians seeing that they could haue nothing out of the Scriptures fled as Athanasius saith vnto the Fathers and euen so do you The Arians vsed subtill distinctions to elude and shift off the truth and so do you They denied
the person of Christ and you denie the office of Christ in not acknowledging him to be our onely Prophet and teacher whose onely voyce wee must heare and obey nor the only King and head of his Church nor our onely high Priest with the sweete smelling sacrifice of himselfe once for euer offered to redeeme and reconcile vs to God nor our only mediatour to make intercession for vs. The Arians did cruelly persecute the true Christians and so do Papists when power is in their hand to do it The Arrians when they could not preuaile against that excellent man Athanasius fell to raile vpon him and to slaunder him accusing him of adulterie murther and sorcerie and euen so do you deale now with such as for their godlinesse and learning may well bee compared with Athanasius I meane especially Caluin whom the Authour of that vnlearned libell and beastly booke intituled A quartron of reasons of Catholike religion c. is not ashamed to call a seare backt priest for Sodomie O thou shamelesse man or rather monster art thou not ashamed to slaunder and belie such a man of whom they that knew him did truly write of him ipsa à quo potuit virtutem discere virtus that euen vertue it selfe might as it were haue learned vertue of him How doest thou know that Caluin was such a man I assure my selfe that thou didst neuer see him nor know him yea I nothing doubt but that thou wast scarsly borne whē he died And how doest thou know y t he was subiect to such a filthie sinne where was hee euer accused or conuicted of such a matter In that Citie adulteries be punished by death and would Sodomie haue bin winked at in the Preacher And if it were not knowne there how doest thou know it But I will not insist any longer in cōfuting this shamelesse slaunder For most true it is which Tully saith Nonne vt ignis in aquam coniectus continuò restinguitur refrigeratur sic referuens falsum crimen in purissimam castissimamque vitam collatum statim concidit extinguitur that is As fire being cast into water is straight waies quenched so a feruent false crime and slaunder being cast into a most pure and chast life such as Caluines was forthwith falleth downe and is extinguished And euen so let this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. slanderer and Bolsec the Apostata and all other raile and slaunder what they can yet Caluines memorie with God and all good men will be blessed for euer And this railer herein sheweth himselfe like not onely to the Arians but also to that ancient enemie to Christianitie Porphyrius who as Eusebius saith going about to reprehend and finde fault with the Scriptures and Preachers of the Word not being able to reproue their doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is wanting reasons he fell a railing and slaundering the Preachers But to returne to my matter let the reader also with indifferencie consider who be like to the Donatists Pelagians Nestorians and Euty chians we or the Papists The Donatists affirmed the Church to haue perished from the rest of the world and to haue remained onely with them in Africa Doe not the Papists in like manner affirme only them to be the Church of God which in a part of Europe be vnder the obedience of the Bishop of Rome vnlesse now they will adde the West Indians of whom as the Spaniards haue murthered many millions so peraduenture a few be either perswaded or coacted to professe Poperie and submit themselues to the Pope of Rome But the Christian Churches in Grecia Aethiopia Armenia Muscouia and other countries they acknowledge not for the Church of God because they doe not subiect themselues vnto the Church of Rome we acknowledge al them to be of the Church of God which in all the world hold the truth in the chiefe and fundamentall points of Christian religion The Pelagians held first that the grace of God whereby wee be deliuered is giuen according to our merits Secondly that the law of God may be fulfilled of vs. Thirdly that wee haue free will the Papists herein be so like to them that as they maintaine in effect the same matters so for the defence of them they alleage the same places of Scriptures now as the Pelagians of old time did as appeareth by the writings of S. Augustine and S. Hierome against them Nestorius did as Theodoretus writeth of him trouble and intangle the simple and plaine doctrine of Christian faith with Greekish Sophistications How the Papists haue herein ioyned with him and by their curious Questions and vaine Sophistications haue troubled and peruerted the pure simple and plaine faith of Christ by their Schoolemen it doth euidently appeare Entyches confounded the two natures in Christ and the properties peculiar to them So doe the Papists in making the bodie of Iesus Christ to be at one instant in heauen and earth and infinite places of the earth which is only proper vnto the Deitie This shall suffice to shew that the Papists be liker to these olde heretikes then wee are whose doctrine wee abhorre and be farre further from it then they be Yea I may not onely truly say but can also plainly proue Poperie to be an hotchpotch of old heresies long agoe condemned in the Church of God The which as I did once in publike place shew so I may if it be the will of God hereafter more plainly and plentifully proue Now this worthie writer or rather lewd libeller will proue and that by a syllogisme out of the principles of our religion that S. Paul exhorteth vs to infidelitie This subtile syllogisme is thus framed Whosoeuer exhorteth vs to doubt of that which we are bound to beleeue by faith exhorteth to infidelitie But Saint Paul doth exhort vs to doubt of our saluation which we are bound to beleeue by faith according to the Protestants religion Ergo Saint Paul exhorteth vs to infidelitie As the assumption or second proposition of this syllogisme as it now standeth is false so by a small alteration both it and all the rest may be very true that is by putting out the name of S. Paul and putting Papists in place thereof in this sort Whosoeuer exhorteth vs to doubt of that which we are bound to beleeue by faith exhorteth vs to infidelitie The Papists exhort or at leastwise teach vs to doubt of our saluation Ergo the Papists exhort vs to infidelitie The first proposition of this syllogisme is affirmed by this writer to be plaine The second is the doctrine of the Papists concluded and determined in that Tridentine Cōuenticle where it is said that they which be truly iustified cannot without all doubt account themselues to be iustified And againe that no man can know by certaintie of faith which is not subiect to error and falsehood that he hath obtained the grace of God And againe Siquis dixerit omni homini
Erasmus saith we iustly reiect and condemne We exhort men when they come to receiue that holy mysterie the Sacrament and pledge of our saluation in Christ to examine themselues and so to eate of that breade and drinke of that cup For he that eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth and drinketh his owne damnation because he discerneth not the Lords bodie But if as you say sinfull liues conforte not with this sacred mysterie I meruaile how your Priests liues consorted with it which how holy they were I will shew hereafter Lastly you charge vs with a new negatiue religion wholy standing vpon negation of Sacraments ceremonies rites lawes customes and other practicall points of the Catholike Church whereunto I answere that we deny nothing that God hath commaunded in the holy canonicall Scriptures the which as I haue before shewed is the onely rule of our religion and life In deede we deny and defie your trifling traditions and vnwritten vanities and inuentions with the which you haue gone a whoring as the Prophet saith If you can shew that we deny any thing which God hath commaunded as wee can plainely proue that you doe then spare not to charge vs with a new negatiue religion You deny the sufficiencie of the Scriptures and that all doctrine necessarie to saluation is contayned in them You deny the same Scriptures to bee in the vulgar tongue for all Gods people to reade and heare to their comfort You deny prayer and the publike seruice of God to be in the same vulgar tongue You deny Christ to be our only mediator betweene God vs. You deny the Cup of Christs Supper to Gods people You deny the lawful authoritie which Princes haue ouer their people subiects in all causes ecclesiasticall and temporall You deny mariage to ecclesiasticall ministers whereby what great and horrible wickednesse you haue caused I will hereafter declare You say we bring in for fasting feasting for praying playing c. Concerning your fasting consisting in a superstitious obseruing of times and diuersitie of meates and tending to the honouring of Saints and satisfying Gods iustice for your sins we deny it But fasting purely vsed according to Gods word to humble our soules before God to mortifie the wicked affections of our sinful flesh we allow and especially that great and principall fast in abstayning from sinne whereof Saint Augustine speaketh in these words Ieiunium autom magnum gerale est abstinere ab iniquitatibus ab illicitis voluptatibus seculi quod est perfectum ieiunium in hoc seculo The great and generall fast is to abstaine from iniquities and vnlawfull pleasures of the world which is the perfect fast in this world Chrysostome saith Ieiunium dico abstinentiam à vitijs I say that fasting which is to abstaine from vices Hereby let it be discerned who doe most truely fast In deede I know that it is your manner much to glorie in your writings and speeches of your outward fasting from meates as the Pharisee in the Gospell did who gloried that he fasted twise a weeke which neither God in his law had required nor the Apostles of Christ for any thing we reade vsed Whereby wee may note that true godlynes neither is to bee measured by such outward abstinence from meates nor is alwayes ioyned with it Iohn Baptist vsed greater austeritie in his diet and abstinence from meates then our Sauiour Christ did yet was his life nothing so holy Iohns Disciples vsed more fasting then the Disciples of our Sauiour Christ did Yet it is not to be doubted but our Sauiours Disciples liued as godly or more then they did The Montanists Heretikes were greater fasters then were y e true Christians as Tertullian sheweth And S. Hierome writeth y t they obserued three Lents in a yeere and yet were Heretikes condemned by the Church of God although then fauoured by the Bishop of Rome as Tertullian sheweth in the beginning of his booke against Praxeas The Iewes vsed such great abstinence and fasting that they brought weakenesse and sickenesse to their bodies as Saint Hieromie writeth who neuerthelesse were enemies to our Sauiour Christ The Moscouites which neuer acknowledged the Popes authoritie bee as great fasters as Papists are And so also be the Turkes And therefore these men neede not to boast so much of their fasting Saint Paul saith that bodily exercise profiteth little but godlinesse is profitable to all things and hath the promise of this life present and that which is to come Howbeit as I will not deny but that there may be lesse fasting and more feasting then were requisit yet that there is more feasting and superfluitie in fare now especially in ecclesiastical persons I thinke it would be too hard for this man to proue Whence came these phrases As fat as an Abbot he hath a face like an Abbot and an Abbey Lubber but of their immoderate fare and feeding And how these men were giuen to gluttonie and excesse I will shew at this time but by one example Giraldus Cambrensis in his Booke intituled Speculum Ecclesiae writeth that the Abbot and Monkes of Saint Swithens in Winchester came to King Henry the second hunting at Gilford in Surrey and fell downe in myre and durt before him pitifully crying out The King asked them what was the matter They answered that their Bishop had taken three dishes of meate from their dinners and suppers He asked them how many he had left vnto them They answered tenne but from the foundation of their house they had vsed daily to haue thirteene dishes at a meale The king turned to his Nobles and said By the eyes of God for that was his oath I thought their house had bin burnt and now I see it is but a matter concerning their paunches And then turning to the Abbot and Monkes said If your Bishop deale not with you as I haue done with my court to bring you to three dishes I would he were hanged This was the remedie that these gluttonous Monkes found at the hands of that prudent Prince Where the reader may note not onely the great gluttonie but shameles impudencie of these men or monsters in making such a lamentable complaint for wanting of three dishes hauing tenne remayning The same Cambrensis writeth that in some Abbeies they had at euery meale sixteene dishes which slender diet was a good meanes to preserue their vowed virginitie Hereof came the old ryming verse O monachi vestri stomachi sunt amphora Bacchi c. To come to the next I wish there were more praying and lesse playing then there is yet this wil I say that there is now more true praying according to the will of God lesse playing then was euer in poperie Dicing and carding is in some reformed Churches abolished and of those that truely professe the Gospel lesse vsed then it hath been of Papists But I wil not stand to