Fathers then vsed for convincing of Heretickes to wit the holie Scriptures but also in these ancient Heretickes is seene the true picture of our new Romanistes who when they are in lyke-manner convinced by Scripture they fall out lyke-wyse into the accusation of the Scriptures that they are not rightlie translated by vs and are not of sufficient authoritie of themselues without the Churches declaration that they are also ambiguous and obscure and that the trueth in all poynts of Doctrine can not be had out of them without vnwritten Tradition bringing also for the mayntayning thereof this same place of Scripture adduced by these ancient Heretickes The same doeth Tertuâ—â—ian lykewyse testifie of the Heretickes in his tyme who would not graunt sayeth hee that the Apostles revealed all thinges to all men but some thinges they taught secretlie and to a few even as Bellarmine speaketh which were to bee preserved from age to age by vnwritten Tradition for which cause the Apostle sayeth to TIMOTHIE O Timothie keepe that which was committed to thee The Author also of that Booke de Vnitate Ecclesie thought to bee Waltram Bishop of Naâ—â—â—rg showeth that this â—aven spâ—ed most and prevayled in the Romane Church wâ—en the Papacie came to an hight in Hildibrandes tyme about the yeare 1072 by the monasticall sort of that age of whom hee beeing living in that same age sayeth That despysing these doctrines that are of GOD to wit in holie Scripture they affect other doctrines sayeth hee and bringeth in into the Church commandementes of humane institution And agayne hee showeth why they suffered not their Novices as they ought to exercise themselues diligentlie in Scripture to wit that their vnpolished myndes might bee fedde with the huskes of Devils which are sayeth hee the customes of the traditions of men And which thing was so farre contratie to the ancient custome vsed at first in Monasteries that their owne Duarenus testifieth they were nothing else but Seminaries of Divinitie wherein they studied sayeth hee diligentlie the Scriptures and out of which as out of a Seminarie these were chosen and taken out for vndergoing Ecclesiasticall charges who were amongst them of best lyfe and learning Whence it is lyke-wyse that venerable Beda testifieth that this was the exercyse of those who were in that Famous and Religious Monasterie of our Land called Colmekill to wit that they might onelie learne these Doctrines which were in the Propheticall Evangelicall and Apostolicall Scriptures sayeth hee Which thing is farre different from the Doctrine of the Romane Church now who teacheth that the Scripture is the least part of revealed trueth and the farre greater part of the Gospell is come to vs by vnwritten tradition as sayeth Hosiâ—s of which sort Petrus à Soto granteth these to bee to wit the sacrifice of the Masse invocation of Saynctes the Popes Supremacie Prayers for the Dead the fiue Sacramentes beside Baptisme and the LORD'S Supper Wherevnto their Canisius joyneth worshipping of Images and their Bishop Lâ—ndanâ—â— addeth Transubstantiation the Communion vnder one kynde Indulgences and Purgatorie so that by their owne confession the mayne bodie of Poperie is not built vpon the sure foundation of Propheticall and Apostolicke writ as on the Rocke but vpon the sandie and vnsure foundation of pretended vnwritten tradition CHAPT. IV. That these Doctrines of Fayth for which the Romanistes pretende onlie vnwritten tradition as their warrand are not onelie beside but also plainly contrarie to the written word by their own confession and so can not bee but the latter sowne Popple in the Lord's Field BELLARMINE in his fourth Booke of the Word of God professeth in the name of all Romanistes saying That such traditions as are repugnant to Scripture we never doe defende sayth hee seeing there-fore hee renounceth such and abdicateth them both from his profession and patrocinie Let VS inquyre concerning some poynts of Poperie by their owne confession whether they bee Babels babes or the brood of such a bastard birth And first wee know that publicke prayer and performing of divine worship in an vnknowne tongue to the People is a doctrine and practise of Poperie having no ground but vnwritten tradition But if it bee asked whether this bee agreeable to Scripture 1. COR. 14. or contrarie thereto their owne Cardinall Cajetane on that place will tell vs saying By this doctrine of S. Paull it is to bee helde that it is farre better for the edifying of the Church that publicke prayers which are vttered in the hearing of the people bee said in a language common and knowne both to the Clergie and people And agayne sayth their owne Benedictus Montanus altho the Apostle would haue prayers sayde in a language that is vnderstood yet notwithstanding it is to bee helde that the Church to wit of Rome for most just causes hath decreed and ordayned the contrarie Heere then wee see that the Romane Church can decree clean contrarie to the doctrine of the written Word Agayne wee know that the prohibition of people to reade the Scriptures is a doctrine and practise of Poperie having no warrand but the Churches tradition but if it bee asked whether this bee agreeable to Scripture or no and especiallie to COLOSS. 3. 16 their owne Bishop Espenceus will tell vs saying It is manifest by the doctrine of the Apostle to the Colossians 3. 4. and by the practise of the Church sayeth hee that of olde the vse of the Scriptures was permitted to the people Therefore sayeth the Iesuit Azorius wee confesse that in S. Ierome and Chrysostomes tymes the Laicke people were exercysed in reading of the Scriptures because they were written in these Languages which they did vnderstâ—d and so sayeth also their Alfonsus à Castro Agrippa and others Lyke-wyse wee know That the making the Image of GOD the Father after the likenesse of an olde man is a doctrine and practise of Poperie having no warrand but the tradition of the Romane Church But if it bee asked whether this bee agreeable to Scripture EXOD. 20. 4. and DEVT. 4. 15. a clowde of witnesses of their owne Doctors will tell vs the contrarie as Bellarminâ— confesseth Abulensis to bee Durand and Perésius to whom wee may joyne also the late Iesuit Vasquez and others Wherefore Iohannes Ragusius in his Oration at the Councell of Basil is forced to confesse That altho in the olde Law the visible Images of GOD and of his Saynctes were forbidden by the Law of GOD and no libertie was graunted since eyther in the Olde or New Testament to make anie such yet the Church taught forsooth by the holie Ghost sayeth hee hath not onelie permitted but decreed and ordayned the contrarie Where wee may see a strange libertie assumed by the Church and a farre stranger inspiration of her by the holie Ghost hee to bee contrarie to himselfe and shee to trangresse GOD'S expresse command in Scripture by his
onelie given him for the dignitie of the Citie beeing the imperiall seat The third generall Councell that giveth evidence of Romes Innovation heerein is that Famous Councell of Ephesus of 200 Bishops celebrate in Anno 434 resolutelie thus decreeing Let it be observed say they in all Provinces and Diocesses that no Bishop draw vnder his subjection anie province which was not his from the beginning lest vnder pretence of Priesthood hee bring into the Church arrogancie and pryde The last but not the least evidence of the Noveltie of this Papall vsurped supremacie is that of the Famous and fourth Councell of Chalcedon of 430 Bishops and helde Anno 451 decreeing peremptotilie that how-so-ever the Bishop of Rome had the primacie of place before the Bishop of Constantinople yet that the Bishop of Constantinople in all other thinges should bee equall and haue alyke priviledges with the Bishop of Rome Now wee know that the equalitie of power priviledges betweene two dissolveth ipso facto Monarchie which can not bee but in one as the verie word importeth This sacred Conncell and the Act thereof so galleth the romaenistes that forgetting all pretended reverence to Antiquitie and authoritie of auncient Councells Bellarmine spareth not to impute to these godlie Bishops fraude and deceat saying They decreed this indeed but not sayth he without fraude and guyle Which as sayeth Lyrinensis What is this else but to treade vnder foot the decrees of the holy Bishops almost of the whole Easterne Church for preventing so wyselie pronounciâ—g so clearlie opposing so stoutlie and decreeing so piouslie agaynst aniâ— such Noveltie of the new Romane Hierarchie CHAPT. IX The Novelty of the Popes Supremacie which hee claymeth over Princes as well as Prelates and in thinges temporall HEEREIN in these two poynts the Novation standeth made by the Bishops of Rome 1. in subducing their neckes from that homage and subjection which they yeelded of olde to the Emperours as their dread Soveraygnes and 2. in reducing them to such subjection vnder thâ—m that they haue troden vpon some of their neckes First then for witnessing of the Bishops of Rome their homage and subjâ—ction which from the beginning and of olde they gaue to the Emperours Bellâ—â—mine himselfe will instruct vs speaking of that tyme which was manie hundreth yeares after the Apostles saying At that tyme alâ—ho the Bishâ—p of Rome in spirituall thinges was the head of all even of Empeâ—â—â—res themselues yet in temporall thinges hee was subject to the Emperoures sayeth hee and because hee acknowledged the Emperour to bee his temporall Lord therefore hee made supplication to him that hee would command a Councell to bee conveaned Whence it is that Cardinall Cusanuâ— declareth That the eyght first generall Councells were convocate by the Emperoures and no wayes by the Popes in so much that Pope Leo with much intreatâ—e desired to Theodosius that a Councell might bee celebrate in Italie and yee could not obtayne it Gregorieâ—yke-wyse the great everie where in his Epistles to the Emperour Mauritius styleth him his supreame Lord Soveraigne and wryting vnto him concerning his imperiall command that hee should cause publish a certayne Law which Gregorie thought vnjust hee sayeth I as the most vnworthie servand of your sacred Majestie beeing subject to obey your command I haue caused sende your Law which yee haue made thorow sundrie parts to bee published and because the same is nowayes agreeable to the Law of Almightie GOD Beholde I haue by my letter signified the same to my most excelleâ—t Lord there-fore everie way I haue performed what I ought to doe who hath both given â—â—edience to the Emperour and haue not beene silent in that which I thought fit to speake for GOD And yet in a more humble manner doeth Agatho the first profesie his subjection to the Emperour supplicating in thâ—se wordes Bowing humblie the knees of the mynde wee intreate your royall Clemencie Where-with also Adrian the first joyneth the prostration of the bodie saying Prostâ—ate vpon the ground and â—alling downe grooflinges at the soles of your feete doe I intreate your Majestie Thus wee see that servitude and subjection with prostration and humble supplicating was the auncient practise and profession of the Bishops of Rome to the Romane Emperoures manie hundreth yeares after CHRIST till in place of humilitie Luciferian pryde was installed in seat of Antichrist The next poynt of Innovation is the reducing of Emperours and Kings by the Bishops of Rome vnto their subjection and dominiering so over them as to inthrone or dethrone them at their pleasure as BELLARMINE de facto instanceth to haue beene done to Emperoures and King's and yet that the auncient Bishops of Rome never vsurped such power nor vsed such practises agaynst eyther Heaâ—hen Hereticall or Apostate Emperoures Bellarmine himselfe clearlie acknowledgeth The particular tyme then when the Noveltie of this vsurpation began to peepe out their owne Charter Monke author of that booke intituled Fascicâ—lus temporum telleth vs That it was in the dayes of Boniface the second Anno 523 for remarke sayeth hee that about this tyme the Popes began to oppose themselues to the Emperoures even in temporall thinges farre more than of olde they were wont Thereafter their owne Bishop Otho Frigensis condescendeth vpon the verie tyme of putting this vsurpation first into practise showing that Gregoriâ—â— the seaventh was the first who deposed anie Emperour so that till 1060 yeares after CHRIST this bolde Noveltie began not to bee practised Therefore sayeth their owne Barclay For the space of a thousand yeares and more altho the Church did flowrish with all wealth and that there was also a great number of the wicked Princes and Tyrants yet none of the auncient Fathers or Orthodox wâ—yters in these tymes are found sayeth hee who either by word or writ taught anie such thing And when it began to bee practised Sigebert the Monke who lived in the â—leventh hundreth yeare of CHRIST and tyme of Gregorie the seaventh sayeth thereof Let it bee spoken with leaue of all good men sayeth hee that this NOVELTIE I will not say Heresie before this time was ever hatched or peeped out in the world And last to put on the kepstone of Antichristian pryde and Tyranâ—ious vsurpation the Author of Fasciculus Temporum telleth vs that Beniface the eyght rose vp to that hight of pryde sayeth hee that hee called himselfe Lord of the whole world as well in temporall as in spirituall things as if Kings onelie did reygne by them and with the Tempter they might dispose of the Kingdomes of the Earth to giue them to whom they will Who-so-ever then they bee who may so clearlie see the Noveltie of this vsurpation and yet so highlie advance the Bishop of Rome as onelie that they make him not GOD sayeth their owne Cassander and who extolleth his authoritie to bee not onelie aboue the whole Church as well in
inspiration More-over wee know that the giving of the Communion to the people vnder one kynde onelie is a doctrine and practise of Popeperie having no warrand for it but the tradition and authoritie of the Romane Church but if it bee asked whether this bee agreeable to Scripture or no the Councell of Constance all in one voyce will tell vs the contrarie and confesse that neyther was it so in CHRIST'S institution set downe in holie Scripture nor was it the practise of the Apostles or of the primitiue Church but is brought in later for such reasons as the Church of Rome thought good For so sayeth the Councell Albeit CHRIST after Supper did institute this venerable Sacrament and gaue it to His Disciples vnder both kynds of bread wine As also tho in lyke-manner this Sacrament was receaved by the faythfull vnder both kyndes Notwithstanding there-of this custome for eschewing of certayne dangers and scandalls that might ensue vpon good reason is now brought in that the same shall bee receaved by Laickes vnder one kynde onelie Where wee see that the Church of Rome thinketh her selfe wyser and more provident in fore-seeing of dangers than CHRIST His Apostles and the primitiue Church was and that lyke the Pharisees and Scrybes of olde by her traditions shee hath made the word of GOD to bee of no effect CHAPTER V. That these Doctrines of Fayth for which the Romanistes pretende onlie vnwritten Tradition by their owne confession are neyther necessarie nor profitable to salvation and consequentlie not onelie superfluous but vnjustlie vrged to bee believed vpon danger of salvation CArdinall Bellarmine in his fourth Booke of the Word of GOD confesseth that the Apostles did preach vnto GOD'S people all these thinges which were necessarie and profitable vnto them sayeth hee vnto their salvation But what they preached so to all that also they wrote and left registrate in Scripture for so sayeth Bellarmsne in lyke-manner I affirme that all these thinges were written by the Apostles sayeth hee which are necessarie for all men and which they publicklie preached to all Therefore it followeth that in the Apostles writs are contayned all thinges which are necessarie and profitable to salvation But to subsume These doctrinall Traditions whereon is grounded the mayne bodie of Poperie were not written by the Apostles as is confessed Therefore it followeth that the same are neyther necessarie nor profitable to salvation and so wee see what doome their owne mouthes by the force of trueth are made to pronounce vpon these vnwritten Doctrines and Traditions and consequentlie how vnjuâ—â—lie they are obtâ—uded vpon Gods people Next I aâ—gue What the Apostles did preach vnto all as necessarie and profitable vnto salvation and which S. PAVLL calleth else where the whole councell of GOD that onelie should their successoures teach vnto all as necessarie and profitable vnto salvation But the Apostles as is confessed did preach nothing vnto all as necessarie and profitable vnto salvation but that which is written in holie Scripture vnder the payne of that curse denounced by S. Paull GAL. 1. 8. Therefore nothing should bee taught by true Pastors as their successoures vnto all as necessarie and profitable vnto salvation but that which is written in holie Scripture Where-fore sayeth Augustine if wee or an Angell from Heaven preach vnto you any thing beside that which yee haue receaved in the Legall and Evangelicall Scriptures let him bee accursed As also sayeth their Aquinas It is to bee affirmed that no other thing ought to bee preached but that onelie which is contayned in the Gospells and Epistles and in the holie Scripture playnlie or more obscurelie Whosoever then teacheth for doctrines of fayth anie vnwritten traditions neyther contayned in holie Scripture playnlie nor obscurelie as Canus affirmeth most poynts of their doctrine to bee it followeth that hee is no true teacher nor successour to the Apostles but controlling Scripture and deserting their practise hee declareth himselfe to bee an impostor guiltie of prophane Noveltie a sower of Tares in the LORD'S Field and will-fullie to incurre that Apostolicall Anathema CHAPTER VI Of the Noveltie of withholding the people from reading of the Scripture FIrst then omitting Testimonies of Scripture formerlie set downe which make for this poynt I come to the Testimonie of one of their late and famous Bishops Espenceus by name whereby hee witnesseth That this with-holding of Scripture from the people was neyther in the Apostles tyme or agreeable to their doctrine nor yet was it in the tyme of the primitiue Church whose practise was contrarie to their now-a-dayes his wordes then are these It is manifest sayeth hee by the doctrine of the Apostle COLOSS. 3. 16. and by the practise of the primitiue Church that of olde the publicke reading of the Scripture was permitted to people Whence it was that Chrysostome in his tyme did vehementlie vrge the same vpon his auditors saying I beseech you all that are Laickes that yee get Bibles to your selues the medicine of the soule and if yee will not get more get to your selues the New Testament at least And agayne hee sayeth What is it then that wee so earnestlie requyre of you but that one of the dayes of the weeke or at least vpon the Sabbath day yee would haue a care to reade the Gospells which before yee come to these Sermons ye haue amongst your handes at home and that yee would frequentlie repeate the same and diligentlie search out the meaning and note what is cleare and what is â—bscure therein By doing whereof he showeth what good will redound both to him who was their teacher and to them who were his heareâ—s to wit that hee should neede the lesse labour and paynes to make them vnderstand the meaning of the Gospell when at home they haue made the Text samiliare to themselues and they also should thereby bee made the more shaâ—pe and quicke in vnderstanding not onlie onelie to heare and perceaue what is sayde vnto them but also to teach others And if anie should pleade the want of scarcitie of Bookes hee showeth concerning this that it were ridiculous to answere these who were rich and as for the poore sort hee showeth also that it is a shame to them to want the Scripture which can afford so great profit to them as their soules instruction and yet carefullie to acquire such tooles or instruments as their severall Trades requyred for winning their bodilie Foode but if anie bee so poore sayeth hee that by no meanes hee can acquire Bookes â—o himselfe then by the continuall reading of the Scriptures which is in this place hee needeth not to bee ignorant of anie thing that is therein Which thing made the Iâ—suit Azortus to say Wee confesse that in the tymes of Ierome and Chrysostome which was 400 yeares and aboue after CHRIST that the Laickes were exercysed in reading of the Scripture because they were written in these Languages