the sixt Age wee haue the Testimony of seuerall * Concil Agath cap 470 GeruÌ„ den cap. 1 Aurelian â— 28. Turonens 2 cap 3. 4. ConstaÌ„tin act 1. citat Gaâ—ret Co. Gualt S. Greg. Magn. 4. Dial. c. 58 Hom. 37. in EuaÌ„ S. Aug. l. 1â— de Ciuit. c 22. Councells celebrated in many Nations wherein there is such expresse mention of the Masse as no tergiuersation can suffice But omitting that as allso the testimony of Remigius Cassiodorus Fulgentius and others of that time I content my self with the place before cited out of S. Gregorie because he was in communion with all the world Christ liuing himself immortallie is AGAINE SACRIFICED FOR VS in this Mysterie of the holie oblation In the begining of the sift age liued S. Augustine wheÌ„ Melchisedech did blesse Abraham there first appeared the Sacrifice which is offered now to God by Christians in ALL THE WORLD wee do not erect Altars wherein to sacrifice to Martyrs Idem l. 22 c. 10. but wee doe offer sacrifice to their God and ours The Sacrifice it self is the bodie of Christ And to the Iewes Open your eies at leingth Ibid. and see froÌ„ the east to the west not in one place as it was appointed you but in EVERIE PLACE offered the Sacrifice of the Christians Idem orat cont Iud. c 9.10.6 vide eundem de Ciuit. l. 17. c. 17. l. 18. c. 35. S. Ierom. adu Vigilant c. 3. vide S. Amb. ad Ps 38. not to what God soeuer but to the God of Israel who foretold it In the fourth age liued S. Ierome Ill therefore doth the Bysshop of Rome who ouer the venerable bones base dust according to thee Vigilantius of deade men Peeter and Paul doth offer Sacrifice and thinks their tombes to be Altars and this the Bisshops not of one towne onelie but of ALL THE WORLD doe who contemning Vigilantius enter into the Churches of the deade And Eusebius Bisshop of Caesarea speaking of those words of the Psalmist thou hast prepared a table in my sight c. He doth saith he Euseb Caesar Demonstr Euang l. 1. c. 10. in this openlie signifie the mysticall vnction and horrour-bringing Sacrifices of the table of Christ wherein operating wee are taught to offer VNBLOODIE and reasonable and sweete VICTIMES in our whole life to the most high God by his most eminent Priest of all And a little after vppon a place of Esaie they shall drinke wine c. Ibid. He doth prophecie to the Gentiles saith he the ioy of wine signifying therein somewhat obscurelie the mysterie of the newe Testament BY CHRIST instituted Idem orat de Lâ—â—d Constant which at this daie verilie IS OPENLIE celebrated in ALL NATIONS The same man in his Oration in the commendation of Constantine tells of Churches Altars Vide Cyp. l. 2. Ep. 3. and sacrifices in the whole world In the begining of the third age Sainct Cyprian did liue who saith S. Cypr. lib 1. ep 9. all that are honoured with diuine Priesthood and placed in Clericall ministerie ought not to serue but the Altar and Sacrifices and to follow their prayers and deuotions Our Lord aÌ„d God Iesus Christ is himself the most high Priest of God the Father Idem lib. â— ep 3. and he first of all hath offered SACRIFICE to God the Father and hath commaunded THE SAME to be donne for a commemoration of him Tertullian Tertall l. ad Scapul c. 2. S. Iren. l. 4. adu Haere c. 32. wee doe offer Sacrifice for the saftie of the Emperour to our God and his In the second age liued Ireneus and Iustinus both Saincts the one saith He Christ tooke that breade which is of the creature and gaue thankes saying this is my bodie and likewise he coÌ„fessed the Chalice which is of the creature which is according vnto vs to be his blood aÌ„d taught the new oblation of the new testament which the Church RECEAVING FROM THE APOSTLES doth offer to god in ALL THE WORLD S. Iustin Dial. cum Tryphone The other Euen then he Malichias foretold of our Sacrifices of Gentiles which are offered IN EVERIE PLACE that is of the breade of the Eucharist and the cuppe likewise of the Eucharist c. Ibid. God preuenting doth wittnes all those to be gratefull vnto him who offer thorough his name the sacrifices which Iesus Christ deliuered to be donne that is in the Eucharist of breade and the Chalice which are donne by Christians IN EVERIE PLACE 76. And heere I name againe the Liturgies of the Churches of Rome of AlexaÌ„dria of Ierusalem and of Aethiopia wherein is euident acknowledgmeÌ„t of this Vnbloodie Sacrifice in forme of breade and wine whereof I speake in so much that all these Liturgies and generallie the Liturgies of all knowne Christian Churches that euer yet were of anie note in the world consent and agree heerein If you denie these were auncient I bringe against you all these Churches who professe and beleeue to haue receaued them from hand to hand euen from the Apostles Thus other bookes haue beene deliuered vnto vs from Antiquitie And this Tradition must haue equall force in the deliuering of these bookes I adde further that all Churches cannot erre in tradition of Bookes otherwise you could neither be certaine of anie worke of anie Father as of S. Augustine S. Ierom c. nor of anie part of the Bible since therefore all knowne Churches agree in the receipt of the Liturgie from the Apostles you must beleeue it or else with the same pretense you may refuse the Bible too 77. Next I name the Apostles who taught a propitiatorie Vnbloodie Sacrifice in forme of breade and wine and did also say Masse Our B. Sauiour also at his last supper did offer this die Sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacrificantibus autem illis domino Act. 13. v. 2. vert Eras remember what I cited but now out of S. Ireneus The Liturgies of S. Peeter S. Iames S. Matthew and Sainct Mark are yet extant as I haue declared by the Gospell in the first booke and the thing is so cleere that you cannot auoide it if you take the words of Scripture in their proper sense as the Church hath euer donne So well is the Masse grounded for which wee suffer now In the Masse you are to distinguish the substance of the sacrifice oblation consecration and the consumption of the sacred hoast or eating of the victime in this vnbloodie forme by the Priest from the Epistle Gospell prayers ceremonies c. the first was euer since and euerie where the same the second not names of Saincts prayers ceremonies might be and yet may be changed by the Church 78. To all this I adde further the testimonie of the holie Ghost the Spirit of Truth and Interpreter of Gods word for that sense wherein the Catholique Church spred ouer the world doth and euer did from the begining vniuersallie consent
fond persuasion any indifferent man who doth vnderstand Latine may do thus In anie maine controuersie of faith which you question and accuse this great companie I now speake of of innouation do you name the tyme when their doctrine first began and let him who would see the triall take Gualterius Coccius or some other of our Authors who write of that matter and he shall find another in the primitiue Church who did teach it before the tyme or partie you assigned whereby it will be euident vnto him that you were deceaued about the begining of it And if he follow the direction of the booke he shall finde the same in the Fathers I said in any maine controuersie of faith and not in any thinge whatsoeuer because the Church hath power to make lawes and prescribe ceremonies and therefore may introduce or alter such thinges according as the circumstances in her iudgment require For this reason I speake of points of faith or such things whose institution wee hold to be Diuine For example the substance of Baptisme is of diuine institution but Ceremonies haue beene added and the substance of the Masse is by diuine institution but prayers and Ceremonies haue beene and may yet be added by the Church 17. If you be discontented with this manner of proceeding from which without a preiudice you cānot disclaime at all I vrge an other and take learned men to scanne the businesse In the seauenth age when the Christian word was Papisticall and of our Religion as you confesse the Schollers and wisest men had the Fathers writinges and the Memories of the sixt age which you must needes graunt because the precedent age did leaue them to their posteritie the Fathers to their Children the Masters to their Schollers Now those of the seauenth age as I haue noted more fullie in the former booke Bysshops Pastors learned mē and generallie all the Church of that tyme hauing these pregnant and infallible meanes of informatiō by writings and otherwise did iudge and beleeue and therevppon did engage their part in heauen and eternall estate that they receaued their faith and Religion from the former age being the sixt Wherefore since a world of men in matter of Facte as whether their Fathers wēt to Masse praied to Saincts c. could not be deceaued the thing being subiect to the eie and there being infinite eies obseruing religiously what was donne it followes cleerlie since the world generally did then beleeue this to be the Religion professed by their Fathers that so it was 18. My fourth argument shall be this Papistrie as you terme it was the generall Religiō of the Christiā world in the tyme of Boniface the third as you may see in the Ecclesirsticall histories of that tyme whereby appeares that all generally did goe to Masse pray to Saincts confesse their sinnes c. and your men allso Arg. 4 do confesse it Againe the true Religion was once in Rome their communion once was withall the world and this Religion did remaine in the communion of Nations till the tyme of S. Leo and S. Gregory the Great as you may obserue in their bookes wherein their communion with the Christian world is manifest so compare the sixt age to the fift the fift age to the fourth c. as I before did the 7. to the 6. Now Sainct Gregory died in the yeare six hundred and fower and Bonifacius the third who in the tyme of S. Gregory had bene imployed at Constantinople came to be Pope and died also within the space of three yeares after in which space the Religion of the Christian world was not generally changed as wee see manifestly by all histories of that tyme therefore the Religion which was vniuersally in the world in Bonifacius his tyme was the same religion with that which was vniuersally in the world in tyme of S. Gregorye which Religion you confesse to be the right Moreouer that in the foresaid space of three yeares it was not changed besides the Testimony which is taken out of the histories of that tyme where no mention is made of such a change by friend or foe but all things currant as before in matters of faith I cōfirme first by the practise of Sainct Augustine and his companie who being sent by Pope Gregorie brought Papistrie from him into England as is largly obserued in the Protestants Apologie and by your learned men there confessed Prot. Apol tr 1. Sect. ◠I prooue it secondly by the writings of such as liued in the sixt Age wherein are expresly contained all pointes of Papistrie which you may finde in Coccius and Gualterius if you take the paines and I will put downe if it be required Thirdly it is not only incredible to any man of iudgment but also manifestly vnpossible by reason of the diuine ordinance and promise of Iesus Christ that all Christiā people in the space of three yeares without meeting in common Councell without resistance of any zealous men without force of armes or other constraint should generally change the religion of the whole world and conspire all generally for you cannot produce any one man who stood for your Religion in that tyme which you would haue vs beleeue was the Religion of the first six hundred yeares there is not in histories mention of any one Protestant man then resisting therefore I say againe it is vnpossible that they should conspire all all kingdomes all states all Prouinces all Natiōs all vniuersities all Bysshops and generally all men liuing learned and vnlearned good and bad Pastors and people against the Euidence of the former Religion against the Religion of the Christian world which you foolishly suppose to haue bene the Protestant howsoeuer against the Religion of the world before them maintayned to that tyme by Fathers Writings and Authority by the force and power of cleere Successiō in the Chaires of Christs Apostles by the word of God interpreted by the Spirit in knowne Saincts by consent of Nations and generally of the Christian world and finally by the seale of infinite miracles recorded euery where and fresh in memory which Religion they had seene exercised in all the Christian world with their owne eies and had practised their owne selues Yet this you make a companie of sillie people to beleeue on your word Isa 59.21 Io 14.16 Ephes 4.14 against a world of eie witnesses against all rhe men of that age yea against Gods couenant with his Church and against the expresse promise of Iesus Christ THIRD CHAPTER Further confirmation that the Companie of Christians in communion with the Bysshop of Rome is the Church 19. THe former Argument because I know you will striue what you can to cauil at it I will second with another taken out of the confession of your Deuines and though I loathe to rehearce their fowle speaches and errours against the Church and her doctrine yet some of thē here I will set in your way desiring the
de assūp sua ad pōtif Onelie Peeter is chosen out of all the world who is put both ouer the vocation of all Nations and ouer all the Apostles and ouer all the Fathers of the Church that allthough there be many Priests and many Pastors amōge the people of God yet Peeter properlie rule or gouerne them All whom Christ principallie doth allso gouerne TRADITION S. Chrys in 2. Thess hom 4. It is manifest that the Apostles deliuered not all things by their Epistles but many things without writing and both the one and the other deserue the same beleefe and therefore let vs esteeme the traditions of the Church to be worthie of faith and credit S. Epiphan Haeres 61. Wee must vse Traditions for the Scripture containeth not all things and therefore the Apostles deliuered certaine things by writing certaine by Tradition REALLE PRESENCE S. Cyrill Hierosol Catech. myst 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 TRANSVBSTANTIATION Serm. de coena Domini apud Cypr. S. Greg. Nyss orat Catech. c. 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With all assurance let vs receaue the body and bloode of Christ for in the forme of breade the body is giuen to thee and in the forme of wine the bloode c. knowing and beleeuing most assuredlie that that which appeareth breade is Not Breade though it seeme so to the tast but it is the bodie of Christ and that which appeareth wine is Not wine as the tast doth iudge it to be but the Bloode of Christ The breade which our lord gaue vnto his disciples being changed not in Shape but in Nature by the omnipotencie of the Word is made flesh Christ thorough the dispensation of his grace entreth by his flesh into all the faithfull and mingleth himselfe with their bodies which haue their substance from breade and wine to the end that man being vnited vnto that which is immortall may attaine to be made partaker of incorruption and these things he bestoweth transelementing the Nature of the things that are seene into it SACRIFICE S. Cyrill Alexand. in declar anathem 11. Conc. Ephes Iren. l. 4. c. 32. Wee celebrate in the Church the holie quickning and Vnbloodie Sacrifice beleeuing not that that which is shewed is the bodie of some common man like vs and his bloode but wee receaue it rather as the life giuing words owne flesh and bloode for common flesh cannot giue life Christ tooke bread and gaue thankes saying this is my bodie and the chalice likwise c he confessed to be his blood and taught the new Oblation of the new testament which the Church receauing from the Apostles doth offer to God in All the world In the books of the Machabees wee reade that Sacrifice was offered for the deade PRAYER FOR THE DEADE S. Aug. l. de cura pro mort c. 1. but were it no where reade in old Scripture the Authoritie of the whole Church which in this custome is well knowne is not small where in the prayers of the Priest which are powered out to our lord God at his Alter the commendation allso of the deade hath a place VVORSHIP OF SAINCTES Iustin Mart. Apol. 2. ad Ant. Wee doe worship and adore God the father and his Sonne who came and taught vs these things and the companie of his followers and the like good Angells and the propheticke Spirit and wee doe worship them both by word and deedes and in truth and wee teach or deliuer this abundantlie to all those which will learne according as wee haue bene taught and instructed PRAYER TO SAINCTS S. Ambros l. de Viduis The Angells are to be beseeched which are giuen to vs for our guard martyrs are to be beseeched whose patronage wee seeme to challenge by the pledge of their bodies They can aske for our sinnes who with their bloode haue washed away their owne if they had any They are Gods martyrs our presidents beholders of our liues and actions let vs not be ashamed to make them intercessors of our infirmitie CROSSING S. Aug. tract 118 in Ioan. What is that signe of Christ which all know but the Crosse of Christ which signe vnles it be applied either to the foreheads of the faithfull or to the water whereby they are regenerated or to the oyle wherewith they are confirmed or to the Sacrifice wherwith they are nourisshed nothing of this is well donne This will serue my turne and now I argue thus If our doctrine be found in the writings of Antiquitie and there approoued it is vnpossible for any man to make it euident that Antiquitie is against vs and for you but our doctrine is there found and approued as the authors before named declare abundantlie therefore c. And in Confirmation hereof I take only that which they alleage out of those writings which are by your selues acknowledged for ancient and currant because I neede not here dispute of the authoritie of such as your men and some of ours do except against Of this sense of Antiquitie I haue here allso giuen you a tast whereby a iudgmēt not distempered will perceaue immediatelie that you cannot make it euident that they were on your side And in naming them for your predecessors you giue no satisfaction to the demaūd which inquires for vndeniable and cleere euidence of a successiō of such men as in Religion you are The third book shall teach you whose interpretatiō must be stood to or of Protestants I knowe that you do offer to delude all the places which wee bringe but men of iudgment may see by your answeares that you dare not stand to the proper sense of the Fathers words an experience whereof they may see presentlie if they will but obiect vnto you these fewe places here cited ād obserue what poore answeares you make and how farre they are from the plaine ād Grāmaticall sense of the words or sentences Now further if your owne mē would open their mouthes and confesse plainlie what they beleeue in their consciences touching the doctrine of Antiquitie your assertiō or challenge would euidentlie yet appeare more vnreasonable and voyde of title muche lesse would it deserue to be supposed for certaine on your side that in those dayes all were yours Wee will demaund of two or three of thē if you please and the rather because their confession shall make roome for the next argument and bringe it in 23. Speake Fulck and begin I confesse that Ambrose Ful. reio to Brist p. 36. Kem. exam Con. Trid. par 3. p. 200. Hierome Augustine held inuocation of Saincts Kemnitius Most of the Fathers as Nazianzen Nyssen Basil Theodoret Ambrose Hierome Augustine did not dispute but auouch the soules of martyrs and Saincts to heare the petitions of those who prayed vnto thē they went often to the monuments of martyrs and inuocated Martyrs by name Whit. Def. p. 473. whitgift All the Bysshops ād learned writers of the Greeke Church ād Latines allso for
the most part were spotted with doctrines of freewill merits inuocation of Saincts c. Cal. Inst l. 3. c. 5. §. 10. Caluin It was a custome a thousand and three hundred yeares agoe to pray for the deade veteres omnes c. 4. §. 38. but all of that tyme I confesse were caried away into errour Those things which occurre here and there about satisfaction in the writings of those of ould tymes moue me little I see indeede some of them I will speake plainlie allmost all whose books are extant haue either slipt in this point or spoken to rigourouslie and to harshlie Whitt Cōt 2. q. 5. c. 7. Whittaker wee confesse that some Papisticall errours are auncient and are held and defended by the Fathers this wee do freelie and openlie professe It is true which Caluine Ibid. and the Centurists haue written that the Auncient Church did erre in many things as touching Limbus freewill merite of works c. Ex Patrum erroribus vester ille Pontificiae Religionis cento consutus est id l. 6. con Dur. s 7. Mart. de Vot col 1559. Dud. ap Bez. ep 1. Collat. R. Chal. l. 2. c. 22. The Popish Religion is patched out of the Fathers errours Peeter Martyr As longe as wee stand to the Councells and Fathers wee shall remaine allwayes in the same errours Duditius If that be the truth which the Fathers haue professed with mutuall consent it is alltogether on the Papists side Stay here is enough for my purpose if any man will haue more let him goe to the Conference of my L. of Chalcedon and reade it there 24. Before I make my argument I will note here an effect of this guiltie cōscience of Protestancie which effect is to decline the way of tryall by the Fathers to labour to persuade mē their iudgment is vnsecure Iew. Ap. part 4. p. 117. and in fine to cōtemne them Hence Iewell in his Apologie hath said that the way of finding the truth by God speaking in the Church and Councells is very vncertaine dangerous and and in a manner franticke Rainold in his conference would haue you beleeue that if the Fathers not onelie one or two but All Rainold Conf. c. ◠diu 1. held a point now questioned and not held it onelie but wrote it nor onelie wrote it but allso taught it not darklie but plainlie not seldome but commonlie not for a short season but cōtinuallie This consent of theirs if any such be foūd were vnsecure Thus bouldly he prepares himselfe to encoūter thē all this reckoning he makes of their Antiquitie their Sāctitie their Spirit their consent But will you see how Luther in his Cupps tramples on them Lut. Coll. mēsal c. de Pat Eccl. In the writings of Hierome there is not a word of true faith and sound Religion Of Chrysostome I make no accompt Basil is of no worth he is whollie a Monke I way him not of a haire Patrum authoritas susque de que faciēda est de ser arbit c. 2. fol. 433. Cyprian is a weake Deuine c. And in generall The authoritie of the Fathers is not to be cared for Let vs now to the last argument which I make thus 25. If the Fathers of the first six hundred yeares haue deliuered our doctrine and contradicted Arg. 3 yours so cleerly that your best Schollers and our greatest aduersaries in this quarrell of Religion haue though vnwillinglie yet by force of euidēce directlie cōfessed it then haue you not yet made it cleere that the Church in those tymes did beleeue as you doe and was of the Religion now currant amongst you But the Fathers of those tymes haue deliuered our doctrine and contradicted yours so cleerelie that your best Schollers being allso our greatest aduersaries haue directlie confest it as is declared particularlie and vnansweareablie in the Protestants Apologie in the points of the reall Presence Transubstantiation Sacrifice of the Masse Inuocation of Saincts Prot. Ap. tract 1. Sec. 3. prayer for the deade Sainct Peeters Primacie Confession Satisfaction Absolution from sinnes by the Priest Merit Iustification by good works Images Vowes Reliques Ceremonies vnwritten Traditions c. Therefore you haue not yet made it cleere that the auncient Church did beleeue as you doe ād was of the Religion now currant among you * Do not rūne away cowardly from this argument and busie your self heere in expoūding or obiectīg Fathers as your appealants impertinētly haue donne for this is but to daunce on a round as Mr. Brerely in his aduertisments tould Morton But consider attentiuely what is heere obiected and answere it directly thorough out point by point The thing vrged is the confession of your owne Deuines What do you say to this Confession I do not aske in this place how you do Glosse the Fathers or what is your opiniō No. But I demand what you say to the Confessiō of your fellowes ād how you do answere the argumēt heere drawne from the said Confession I sawe Mortōs Booke once and when I lookt next into the Prot. Apol. I found Mr. Brereleys discourse to be so full and so far to ouerreach Mortōs answere that it was argument and replie both in one and still will be So that indeed you are so farre frō hauing the better in that part of the question which your answeare doth suppose that your side is infinitely preiudiced and vnpossible that you should euer come to equall termes much more vnpossible is it that you should euer in the consistorie of Reason and Equitie gaine the cause Why then do you perswade vs to followe you before you make it cleere or credible to learned men that you goe right that you goe the same way which the primitiue Church did goe their Posterity which did immediatly follow them tell vs that they went our way not yours the same all Christian Churches euer since for nine hundred years do witnesse the same your owne doctors do confesse and why then must not wee follow there is no right way but one no faith true but one no Catholique Church but one And now I resume the reason often vrged heretofore which the further it goes the more strength it gettes and thus I argue That Religion which neuer had the communion of the Christian world is not Catholique or vniuersall but the Religion now currant in England neuer had the communion of the Christian world for since Luther it was neuer the Religiō of the Christian world nor in the tyme of the primitiue Church nor in the later nine hundred yeers therefore it is not Catholique THE FOVRTH CHAPTER That no satisfaction is giuen by pretense of Scripture 26. THe last shift wherevnto in fine you betake your selfe is to leaue Antiquitie ād to be tryed by the word or Scripture onely And here too you are so nice that you will admit a part onely of Scripture and scarce knowe what your owne selues But of this hereafter
of the Deuil opposed to the Cittie of God or Societie of the Good Others think it to be Rome as it was in S. Iohns time when the Emperours there abiding did persecute the Church of Christ and as it will be about the end of the world Be it this or that or some other nothing is heere auouched against vs. It is not heere said that the Pope is that Woman or that he is the Beast on which the Woman sate or that he is one of the Heades of the Beast or that he is Antichrist No one of all these is heere affirmed why then do you alleage it what is this to the argument wherein I said the Scripture doth no where formallie contradict vs or how doth it iustifie your bragge that you haue Scripture in manifest places free from all ambiguitie on your side 43. And thus farre concerning the texts alleaged by Iohn White which he affirmed to be manifestlie and without ambiguitie for the Protestants where as not any one doth in termes contradict that which our Church doth teach which was the thinge he made his reader to expect But you will bid a man aske the Spirit for the sense of these places And to meet with you at this turning too so will I. You will direct him to the Spirit in your selfe in Iohn white I will direct him to the Spirit in the Church My direction and resolution is well grounded as I will declare here after Yours is not And if by this litle which hath bene said here in this Chapter a man would make a guesse at your Spirit he should quicklie find his nature First he contradicts the Spirit of the Fathers who held Purgatory merit c. SecoÌ„dlie he coÌ„tradicts the Spirit of the Catholike Church which he doth oppose in these things Thirdly he contradicts the Spirit of S. Iohn the Apostle and imputes vnto him a deliberate act of superstitious Idolatrie so you call adoring aÌ„gells together with grosse stupiditie that being tould once and that by an Angell too he would not forbeare but doe it againe But of this I shall speake againe in an other place that which for the present I conclude here is that the Scripture doth not condemne vs in plaine words You haue done all you can to shew it and cannot yet finde one place for this purpose You see allso by the way what I thinke of your consequences though that was not my scope in this discourse as I declared in the begining of the former Chapter THE SIXT CHAPTER That is vnpossible for Protestants to winne the cause by Scripture 44. HEretiques all generallie affect obscuritie they drawe their opponent as much as euer they can into the darke that he may not see there what they doe or their confusion be concealed from the people and so their credit saued I expected cleere places I looked for a coÌ„bate in the light you should haue shewne in plaine words in the Scripture there is no Purgatory Christ is not in the Sacrament reallie Priests and Bysshops may take wiues to worship Angells is Idolatrie These and the rest of your propositions you should haue showne there if you would haue woÌ„ne that way and haue done that which you pretended But you haue not done it you haue cited some places which haue it not in the words and in regard they are obscure to you or to the ignorant you suspect or guesse and preteÌ„d the sense which you would haue may lie secret in the words though you cannot shewe it there and wee knowe it is not there at all Wee haue light enough to see that the Scripture in those places doth not as much as obscurely speake against vs wee haue prayer aÌ„d industry wee haue the Fathers helpe wee haue innumerable eies regardiÌ„g the doctrine of the Church and the Scripture and coÌ„paring them together In a word the assisting Spirit with all his guifâ—s is in our Church 45. Now to shewe further how vnpossible a taske it is for you to declare and make it euident out of Scripture that yours is the true Religion and ours not I will turne the argument which I did vse in the begining of the former Chapter into an other forme aÌ„d make it thus If the scripture doth formallie auouch our doctrine and denie yours Arg. it is vnpossible for you to make it euident by the Scripture that your Religion is true and ours false But the Scripture doth formallie auouch our doctrine and denie yours and this I will shewe running thorough the points wherein our maine difference doth consist which are the Infallibility of the Church in deliuering Scripture aÌ„d Gods word generallie Traditions reall Presence OblatioÌ„ of Christs body aÌ„d blood in the formes of bread aÌ„d wine for the remissioÌ„ of Sinnes which is the vnbloodie Sacrifice The Primacie of S Peeter and his Pastorall office Absolution from sinnes by Priests Indulgences Iustice before God and intrinsecall in meÌ„ or inherent Iustification by works and Reward of them keeping the Commandements Freewill in works of grace Vowes and workes of Counsell not of command Single life prayer for the dead Intercession of Sainctes and Angells and finallie Worship of some things inanimate or sensles in regard of the reference they haue to things truely capable of honour more then ciuile In these generall heads the rest are included and these you name allwayes and stand most vppon them I am now by my promise to bringe their grounds out of Sripture wherein I will be as briefe as I can and will begin with the neerest which is the last aÌ„d so backwards till I meete the first againe Before I begine the taske two thinges are to be noted The first is that I am not in this Chapter to coÌ„tend about the sense and meaning if you pretend it is not that which the words offer immediately but that my taske is donne if I bringe places of scripture which affirme formally if the words be taken in their proper sense that which wee doe A further Iudgment or determination of the meaning and sense of the words I bringe is to be taken from the testimonie of the Spirit The Spirit I say is to be iudge of the sense and meaning not the spirit of externes or in them but the spirit in Gods Church And this Iudgment is euidently on our side as I will prooue in the third booke Here I am not to meddle with it but only to finde our doctrine in the same or equiualent words and to put it here downe This you must beare in minde likewise for the argumeÌ„t which in the third Chapter I made out of the Fathers It suffised there against you to cite our doctrine out of their mouthes Of their meaning the Spirit must be Iudge And not the Spirit in externes but the Spirit in the Church The second is that since to descend vnto particulars and to inquire each ones opinion in matter of Religion among ProtestaÌ„ts is endles and of infinite regard 3. Book
euen as he christ is iust Moreouer you cannot deny that the Apostles and many other haue had charitie or loue Rom. 13 10 and loue is vitall and inherent and is the fulnes of the lawe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. v. 9. Rom. 5.5 and He that loueth his neighbour hath Fulfilled the lawe The Charitie of God is powered foorth in our harts by the holie Ghost which is giuen vs. Wee beleeue that a man which hath charitie may by Gods grace auoid sinne You say No Lut. in 2. Gal. calu de Lib. ar l. 1. all his actions you say are sinnes The scripture 1. Io 3.9 Sinne. eschued 1. Io. 5.18 â— habit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euery one that is borne of God committeth not sinne because his seede abideth in him and againe euery one which is borne of God sinneth not but the generation of God preserueth him and the wicked one toucheth him not 51. Libertie or power to make choise of good to Saluation by the assistance of Gods grace aÌ„d to eschewe that which is bad Allso to make choise of the better in good things occurring wee acknowledge You denie Lut. art 36. Cal. CoÌ„f. fâ—d p. 108. 2. Inst c. 3. Deut. 30. v. 15.19 Libertie The scripture I haue set before thee this day life and good aÌ„d coÌ„trariwise death and euill that thou maist loue our lord thy God aÌ„d walke in his waies aÌ„d keepe his coÌ„maÌ„dements c. I haue proposed vnto you life and death blessing and cursing Choose therefore life that both thou maiest liue and thy seede 1. Cor. 7. â—7 And the Apostle He that hath determined in his hart being setled not hauing Necessitie but hauing Power of his owne Will and hath iudged this in his hart to keepe his virgin doth well Therefore he that ioyneth his virgin in Matrimonie doth well and he that ioyneth her not doth better Let me adde one more out of Genesis Gen. 4 7. Vide S. Aug. l. 15. de ciuit c 7. Ps 118. v. 112. S. Ierom â— 8. Sept. ibid. 1. Cor. 9 2â— The lust thereof shall be vnder thee and thou shalt haue Dominion ouer it wee beleeue that good works may be done in conteÌ„plation of a reward or crowne You say No. Luth. in Fest OO SS Calu. in Antid sess 6. c. 16. Dauid I haue inclined my hart to do thy iustifications foreuer for Reward aÌ„d the The Apostle Euery one that striueth for maistrie refraineth himselfe from all things and they certes that they may receaue a corruptible crowne but wee an incorruptible wee beleeue that meÌ„ haue reward for their works giuen them by Gods iustice You say No. Luth in 2. Gal. Caluin in 4. Rom. Matt. 16.27 Reward and Merit Apoc. 22.12 The Scripture The sonne of man shall come in the glorie of his Father with his Angells and then will he Render to euerie one according to his works Behold I come quicklie and my Reward is with me to Render to euery man according to his works Thou sawest a fewe names in Sardis which haue not defiled their garmente and they shall walke with me in whites Apoc. 3.4 because they are Worthie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they merit and deserue it 2. Tim. 4.8 And the Apostle There is laid vs for me a Crowne of Iustice which our lord will Render to me in that day a iuste Iudge and not onelie to me but to them allso that loue his comming Wee beleeue that a man may increase in Iustice according to that in the Reuelation he that is iust let him be iustified yet and let the holie be sanctified yet Apoc. 22.11 And wee beleeue that men are not iustified by faith onely Ia 2.24 workes iustifie but allso by works done by the Assistance and helpe of Gods grace You say By faith only Luth. in 2. Gal. Cal. in Antid sess 6. c. 9. The Scripture A man is iustified by works and not by faith onelie 52. VVee beleeue that vppon S. Peeter by grace made a Rocke the Church was built You say no. Luth. in 16. Matth. Caluin ibid. The Scripture Mat. 16.18 Primacie Thou art Peeter a rocke and vppon this rocke will I build my Church In the Syriacke in which laÌ„guage our Sauiour spake the thinge is yet cleerer for in both places for that wee reade Peeter and Rocke is the same word Cephas thus thou art Cephas and vppon this Cephas will I build my Church Moreouer the circumstances of the text and the connexion of the speache doe conuince that the Church was built on Peeter and the Fathers vnpartiall Iudges so vnderstood it witnesse your owne men for here I am not to alleage Antiquity Dâ—naeus Dan. Conâ— 3.16.277 pessimè Zanc. de Eccles c. 9. c. 8. col 94 The Fathers interpreted naughtilie those words of Christ Matth. 16. Thou art Peeter c. of the person of Peeter Zanchius another greate Protestant The Fathers exposition vppon this Rocke that is vppon Peeter is not admitted and Luther the great Apostle of Protestancie Here all Lut. in 2. Pet. c. 5. fol 490. either Fathers or Doctors as many as hetherto haue interpreted Scriptures haue stambled as when that of Matth. 16. Thou art Peeter c. They interprete of the Pope Wee beleeue that one of the Apostles peculiarly was made Pastor of the Church You say No. Luth. in Assert art 25. Calu. 4. Inst c. 6. The Scripture Peeter feede My Sheepe Io. 21.18 Wee beleeue that the Apostles and their Successors had power to forgiue and to retaine sinnes You say No. Calu. 3. Inst c. 3. 4. c. 19. Luther here so ouerlasheth oÌ„the affirmatiue side that in his booke de Clauibus he auoucheth the keies to apertaine to all Christians equallie euery way Omnibus modis Luthers Ghostly Father And in another place de abrog mi. pr. he houldes that if the Deuil should absolue it were valid Dum vitant stulti vitia c. In the scripture power to forgiue sinnes I do not say to declare them forgiuen or hidden and not imputed as you mince it but to forgiue and detaine Sinnes is giuen to Men only and to some Io 20. v. 22 Absolution not to all The scripture Whose sinnes you shall forgiue they are forgiuen them and whose you shall retaine they are retained Wee beleeue that power was giuen to S. Peeter and to the Church to release men by way of indulgence from temporall punishmeÌ„t remaining due for sinne You say No. Luth. Cap. Babil Caluin l. vnic Inst cap. 9. The scripture VVhatsoeuer thou Peeter shalt binde on earth shall be bound allso in the heauens Matt 16 19 Indulgences and VVhatsoeuer thou shalt loose in earth it shall be loosed allso in the heauens 53. In the matter of the Eucharist the ProtestaÌ„t schoole is diuided about the reall Presence and you follow Caluine So do Iewell Perkins Rainolds Wittaker BilsoÌ„ White c. And howsoeuer some of your
the rest Againe Out of all the world saith he Peeter alone is chosen who is constituted ouer the vocation of all Nations and ouer ALL THE APOSTLES and ouer all the Fathers of the Church that al though among Gods people there be many Priests and many Pastors yet Peeter PROPERLIE GOVERNE THEM ALL whom principally Christ doth also gouerne Ep. 89. Apostolorū summo And he saith further of the Pastorall office that Our lord would haue the Sacrament of this function so to appertaine to the office of all the Apostles that he placed it principallie in blessed Peeter the chiefest of all the Apostles that from him as from a certaine HEADE he might diffuse his guiftes into the whole Bodie 4. You Obiect that Leo could not prooue by Scripture that he said But I demaund then why do you alleage his authoritie if you will not stand to it your self I demand secondly which of all the Fathers after him did note this doctrine in him an erroneous or not currant He was a greate Scholler and a Sainct and in the communion of all the Christian world in his tyme. Yet to giue you further content I will put downe the Scripture whereon the doctrine of S. Leo S. Hierō and the rest is grounded There be two chiefe places the first is in the 16. of S. Matth. And Iesus answearing said blessed art thou Simon Bar Iona c. and I say to thee thou art Peeter and VPPON THIS ROCKE will I build MY Church or thus I say to thee Simon thou art Cephas and vppon this Cephas which thou art I will build My Church Heere the demonstratiue this doth point at the thing whereuppon the Church is built vppon this Cephas will I build my Church and Simon is this thing Thou Simon art Cephas and vppon this I build This sense you cannot EXCLVDE without contradicting the words of Iesus Christ Now therefore If you aske the Scripture who is * Deus vnus est Ecclesia vna Cathedra vna super PETRVM Domini voce fundata S. Cyprian ep 40. PETRVS super QVEM adificata ab eodem Domino fuerat Ecclesia vnus pro omnibus loquens c. Id. Ep. 55. Sicut ipse lumen Apostolis donanie vt lumen mundi appellarentur caeteraque ex Domino sortiti sunt vocabula ita SIMONI qui credebat in Petram Christum Petri largitus est nomen secundum metaphoram petrae rectè dieitur ei adificabo Ecclesiam meam super TE S. Hieron in cap. 16. Matth. Ego nullum primum nisi Christum sequens Beatitudini tuae id est CATHEDRAE PETRI communione consocior super ILLAM PETRAM adificatam Ecclesiam scio Id. Ep. 57. ad Damasum Dominus constituit PETRVM primum pastolorum PETRAM firmam super QVAM Ecclesia adificata est c portae inferorum non valebunt aduersus eam portae inferorum sunt Haereses Haeresiarihae iuxta OMNEM enim MODVM in IPSO firmata est fides S. Epiphan in Ancorato Hic est qui audiuit ab ipso Pasce agnos meos CVI concreditum est ouile Ibid. PETRVS qui paulo ante eum confessus erat filium Dei in illa confessione APPELLATVS ERAT PETRA super QVAM fabricaretur Ecclesia paulo post Domino dicēte c. S. Aug. Enar. Ps 69. Vide eundem li. 2 de Bap. cont Donat. c. 1. Intuitus eum Iesus dixit tu es Simon filius Iona tu vocaberis Cephas quod interpretatur Petrus c. Vocabulo commode significans quod IN EO tanquam in Petra lapideque firmissimo suam esse adificaturus Ecclesiam S. Cyr. Alex. l. 2. in Io. c. 12. vide l. 12. c. 64. Ego dico tibi inquit tu es Petrus ego SVPER TE aedificabo Ecclesiam meam ego TIBI dabo claues regni calorum S. Chrysost hom 55. in Matth. Vnus de toto mundo eligitur Petrus qui vniuersarum Gentium vocationi OMNIBVS APOSTOLIS cunctisque Ecclesiae Patribus PRAEPONATVR vt quamuis in populo Dei multi Sacerdotes sint multique Pastores OMNES tamen PROPRIE REGAT Petrus quos principaliter regit Christus S. Leo serm 3. de Anniuers Assumpt Tu quoque petra es quia mea virtute solidaris vt quae mihi potestate sint propria sint tibi mecum participatione communia Ibid. Cunctis Euangelium scientibus liquet quod voce Dominica sancto omnium APOSTOLORVM Petro PRINCIPI Apostolo TOTIVS Ecclesiae cura commissa est IPSI quippe dicitur Pasce oues meas confirma fratres tuos tu es Petrus super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam tibi dabo claues c. S. Gregor Magn◠4 Ep. 32. ad Mauritium August Cura ei TOTIVS ECCLESIAE PRINCIPATVS committitur Ibid. Had not these saincts as good eies as Luther the thing in this place vppon which the Church is built it doth answere that it is PEETER here called CEPHAS Moreouer if you aske the Fathers S. Leo S. Hierom S. Aug. S. Cyprian S. Epiphanius S. Chrysostō S. Gregorie they answere it is PEETER If you thinke I interpret them amisse See the 1. Book c. 6. n. 52. As if you should say this points at Christ or any other thing Without inuoluing Peeter aske your Fellowes and they will tell you the Fathers did thinke so And the exclusion of this sense is open violence to the Text and makes it vncoherent Hence I may deduce two things heere The first The Church of Christ was built vppō Peeter for our Sauiour was as good as his word and he said he would doe it The second The rest of the Apostles were built vppon Peeter For if they were the Church of Iesus Christ they were built vppon him because our Sauiours Church which was but one in all was built on him Or if they were in the Church of Iesus Christ as partes in the whole If the Whole be built vppō a foundation each part in that whole is built thereon this Church this whole being built on Peeter on this rocke will I build my Church they being contained therein that is being parts of the whole thing built on Peeter were allso built on Peeter And so Peeter was their Foundation and their Heade subordinate vnto Christ the chiefe Heade and maine Foundation of them all You cannot auoide this discourse because the Apostles were not Infidelles or Heretiques ād therefore either they were the Church or they were in the Church The second place is that in the Gospell of sainct Iohn Peeter Feede my sheepe by which words sainct Peeter peculiarlie is made Pastor of the sheepe of Christ Vide S. Bern. l. 2. de cons ad Eug. pap Hence I argue thus The rest of the Apostles were our Sauiours sheepe therefore sainct Peeter was their Pastor for our Sauiour made him Pastor of his sheepe If you say they were not our Sauiours sheepe then they were not his Disciples he was not