liued at least on thowsand yeares before these controuersies began cannot be esteemed partiall on our side Thirdly that I expect and exact of him or them that shal goe about to answer this treatise the same roūde sincere and direct dealinge which I haue here vsed Remembringe before all things that he first set doune his faith in direct positions and then proceed inlike methode as I haue done for the rest To whom I willingly graunt this large libertie aboue that which I haue vsed that he tye not himself vnto the first 500. yeares for the fathers interpretations but that he take boldly 1500. yeares so that he bringe not condemned heretiques for his auctours and with all obserue the point followinge Fourthly that it shall not be to anie purpose in waye of answer that anie aduersarie bring another interpretation of some father upon the places of scripture alledged by me besides that which I haue brought For it is not denied that one the same place of scripture maie be and is often diuersly understoode not onely of diuers fathers but of one and the same father But if he will saye anie thinge to the purpose in this kinde he must bring an interpretation contradicting that which I haue brought and withall labour rather to proue his owne Doctrine thē to impugne that of the Catoliques For seeinge it is as all men Knowe à far more easie thīge to impugne anie doctrine though neuer so true then to proue the same no truth espetially of faith being so euidentlie clere but that some thing with shew of probabillitie maie be obiected against it it is not now expected that anie aduersarie should stand to answer those auctorities of scripture and fathers wich I haue alledged for proofe of the Catholique Doctrine or to impugne the same but rather to bring others in proofe of his owne that the iudicions reader maie compare our groundes in scripture both together and by the uieu of his owne eie trie whether of them be more conformable to Gods sacred worde And when anie one shall haue produced his proofes for Protestantisme in the like maner as I haue done in the behalfe of the Catholique religion if he can so doe yet shall he gaine no more therby but an euident demonstration against the cheefest ground of the Protestātes doctrine that ether to the true and full decision of controuersies in matter of faith is necessarily required some other iudgment or triall then the only wordes of holy Scripture or ells that therere is no meanes at all to end cōtrouersies of faithe which later neuertheless to affirme is no less iniuriouse to gods wisdome goodness or power then to saye that he hath prouided noe sufficient meanes for men to know the way to saue their soules For both parties bringing scripture for them selues whoe shall finallie determine whether of them doth applie the said Scriptures more sincerlie and accordinge to their true meaninge Fifthly that wheras before I can proue anie point of Christian beliefe by scripture I should first by good order proue that there is a holy Scripture and secondly in what bookes of the Bible it is contained yet because nether of these two pointes can be proued by scripture vnless wee first beleeue some scripture without proofe therfore that I may proue those pointes of faith wherin the Catholique Romane church doth differ from the Protestantes by holy scripture which our aduersaries vrge me ūto I must necessarilie to satisfie their disordered desire proceede disorderlie and suppose that for truth without proofe which requireth most to be proued I say without proofe if no proofe be good but that which is made out of scripture And here occurr by the way two things worthie of note Thone that the scripture cannot be an vniuersall rule of our faith seeinge some thinges are to be beleeued with out proofe of scripture as are for example that there is a holy scripture contayninge gods word and reuelation and that these and these bookes be suche therfore must there of necessitie be some other rule of our faith more vniuersall then the scriptures and consequently before the scriptures And this cannot be but the aucthoritie of godes church which is clerly S. Augustins Doctrine who was not afearde to saye I would not beleeue the Gospell but that the auctoritie of the church doth moue mee Seeinge therfore the authoritie of the church is a sufficient motiue for vs to beleeue what is scripture why should it not haue the like aucthoritie with vs in other pointes of faith which is also S. Augustins argument in the same place but I will notwithstanding satisfie our aduersaries in their owne humoure The Secund thing to be noted is that they that beleeue nothing but that which is proued by Scripture are euidently conuinced to beleeue nothinge at all For they that cannot beleeue that there is à holy Scripture or what bookes be holy Scripture cannot beleeue anie thinge because it is proued by scripture For it is euident that before they beleeue anie thing because it is proued by scripture they must beleeue that there is a Scripture and what bookes are scripture but they that beleeue not anie thing but that which is proued by Scripture cannot beleeue that there is a scripture nor what bookes are holy scripture for nether of these two can be proued by Scripture Thefore they that beleeue not anie thinge but that which is proued by scripture cannot beleene anié thing at all This Argument is a plaine demonstration and compelleth the Protestantes ether to confess that they haue no faith at all or to acknowledge this their positione to witt that nothinge ought or can rightly be beleeued but that which may be proued by Scripture to be false which notwithstandinge is the maine ground of all their religion But now haueing shewed the absurditie of their Doctrine in this point I will ioyne with them in the Scriptures as they themselues do desire obseringe this method First I sett downe the Catholique Roman belief in direct and playne positions then I bringe in proofe of it one two or moe places of holy Scripture citing the auncient vulgar translation and often times I ad the testimonie of some auncient father of the frist 500. yeares vnderstandinge such Scriptures as I cite in the same sense and meaninge that I cite them for Furthermore those fewe places of Scripture which seeme to sounde directly against the Catholique faith I shewe in brief how they are to be vnderstood And last of all I put downe the position contradictorie to the Catholique doctrine to the end that the indifferent reader be he Catholique or otherwaies may more easely iudge whether Doctrine hath better ground in holy Scriptures And further that he that will impugne this treatise may see what he hath to proue if he wil proue anie thinge to purpose who is to vnderstand that though the Protestantes doe maintayn the negatiue part in almost all the positions
cotrouerted betwixte them and the Catholiques yet is he not for all that to be excused from the proofe of those pointes vnless he will withall confess that in them the Protestantes haue no faith at all but onely a mere deniall of faith For faith beinge not a simple denying or not beleeuing but a possitiue assent and belief of such articles as are reueled vnto vs by God it hath possitiue groundes wherby it may and ought to be proued euen in those pointes which are negatiue And therfore as Catholiques doe proue theire faith in these negatiue pointes that onely faith doth not iustifie that we are not certayn of our iustification or saluation and the like so likewise are the Protestantes to proue theyr faith in these that there is no Purgatorie no reall presence no sacrifice of the Mass and the rest Vnless as is sayd before they will confess that they haue no faith in these pointes but onely a mere deniall of faith Haueinge thus aduertised thee good Reader of these fewe things I leaue thee to peruse the treatise it self desiringe thee to expect onely the bare positiones proued with the self text of holy Scripture and some fewe fathers without anie florishe of wordes at all The worke being such as doth rather resemble the bare bones of a great bodye tied together with dried Sinewes then a bodie throughly furnished with flesh and orher habiliments of friendly narure For which cause though to such as rather respect fashion then substance it may happ to appeare hideous yet to others of contrarie appetite for whose contentment it is speciallie intended it will not paraduenture be iudged altogether without forme THE FIRST CONTROuersie Of Holy Scriptures IT is Knowne that the Catholique Roman Church doth admitt more bookes and percells of holy Bible for Scripture then the Protestantes doe and consequently acknowledgeth a larger canon then they and yet notwithstanding shee teacheth Chatolique PositioÌ„ 1. That all such articles as by her and the Protestantes themselues are beleeued and holden for articles of faith are not so expressly contayned in holy Scriptures as out of them onely full proofe may be made therof Proofe The articles which the Protestantes doe beleeue to be of faith as well as Catholiques and yet are not contayned expresly in holy scriptures are many but wee will giue instance onely in a fewe 1 That there are three distincte personnes and one onely substance in god 2. That the secuÌ„de and third personns are of the same substance â—nd equall gloire with the first â— That the third personn proceedeth from the seconde and from the first 4. That there are two distinct and compleat natures in our sauiour Christ and but one onely personn 5. That there are in him two willes and two operations to witt of god and man about all which pointes haue been diuerse heresies as is well Knowne to the learned And thoughe all these articles haue most true ground and proofe in holy Scriptures yet are they not soe expressly contayned therin as they may be fully prooued by them alone One example shall serue for all To proue the sonn to be consubstantiall or of one substance with the father the Catholiques doe alledg and truly this testimonie I and the father are one yet because there are moe meanes of beinge one then in substance as namely to be of one will desire and affection of which sorte of vnitie specially the Arrianes did explicat this place alledging for them selues that testimonie I pray that they all may be one as thou Father in me and I in thee that they also in vs may be one which cannot be vnderstood of vnitie in substance Therfore this testimonie without the interpretatioÌ„ of the Church which is the piller of truth doth not fully proue the father and the sonn to be one in substance The like may be sayd of the other articles here mentioned Catho posi 2. All such articles as are of faith and so holden by the ProtestaÌ„tes them selues are not contayned so much as indirectly or implicitly in holy Scriptures but onely so farr as the Scriptures contayne and testifie the auctoritie of the Church and traditions Proofe That all the Bookes of the Bible and euerie parte therof which are acknowledged for canonicall scripture ioynthy of Catholiques and Protestantes be such indeed That the most blessed mother of our Sauiour Christ continued perpetually a Virgin That it is lawfull for Cristians to eate strangled things and blood which were expresly forbidden them acts cap. 15. vers 20 are not so much as indirectly contayned in holy Scriptures otherwaies then is mentioned in our position But this being more amply proued in that which followeth of traditions this which wee haue sayd already shall suffice for the present The Positions which the Protestantes in this question are to proue be these ProtestaÌ„t position 1 All articles of faith are so expressy contayned in scripture as out of them onely full proofe may be made therof 2. All articles of faith are at least so contayned in holy scriptures as with out anie testimonie or auctoririe of the Church or traditions they may thence be plainlie and distinctly deduced TE SECOND CONtrouersie of Traditiones Catholique Positions 1. THe holy Apostles deliuered by worde of mouth moe thinges to be beleeued and obserued by the Church then ether they found written or wrot them selues And these thinges are vsually called traditiones Proofe 1. Haueing moe things to write vnto you would not by paper and â—â—â—e for I hope shall be with you and speake mouth to â—outhe 2. And the rest I will dispose when I â—ome where the holy Apostle euidently sheweth that he reserued something more to be ordayned by worde then he wrote 3. The Apostles were commaunded to teache all nationes to obserue all things which our sauiour had commavnded which doubtless they fulfilled but they were not commaunded in anie place to write all the same nether doth it appeare by anie Scripture that they did write all thinges which they taught men to beleeue and obserue This is à demoÌ„stration that they taught more then they wrote if nothing be to be beleeued but what is contayned in holy Scripture 4. They taught Baptisme giuen to infants to be good and lawfull or ells the Anabaptistes are not heretiques for rebaptising them 5. They taught the sonday to be solemnised and the Iewes Sabbathe to be left without all solemnitie though most strictly commaÌ„ded by god to be solemnised as an euerlasting couenaÌ„t 6. They deliuered and taught the creed by worde and not in writing which from they re tyme till now hath continued in the church by tradition onely 7. They taught Baptisme ministered by heretiques to be good and therfore S. Augustin speakinge therof saith Manie things which are not founde in the Apostles writinges nor in latter councells yet because they are obserued by the whole church are beleeued to be deliuered and recommended
ldinge a drawne sworde and he went nere to him and sayde art thou oures or our aduersaries who answered noe but I am a prince of the host of our lorde Iosue fell flatt downe to the grounde and adoreinge he sayd what speaketh the lord to his seruant loose sayth he thy shooe from thy foote for the place where in thou standest is holy And he did as he was commaunded Loe here the Angell not onely adored to the grounde but also the ground it self nere where he stoode duely reuerenced for respect of him Protest pos To the Angelles and Saintes in heauen is due no other honoure or reuerence then ciuil THE EYGHTETH CONtrouersie Of prayer to the holy angells and saintes in heauen Catho pos TO pray to the Angelles or saintes in heauen doth not derogate anie whitt at all from our sauiour Christ his office of mediatoure Proofe 1. S. Paule prayeth to the RomaÌ„s in this sorte I beseeche you brethren by our lord Iesus Christ and by the charitie of the holy ghost that you helpe me in your prayres for me to god The like he hath to the Ephesianes cap. last v. 19. the first to the Thesalo cap 5. and elles where often But if the prayer to saintes on earthe do the not derogat from the mediatorshipe of Christ certes the prayers made to them in heauen cannot Agayne Iacob prayed to his good Angell in this sorte The Angell that deliuereth me from all euilles biess these children Catho pos The saintes in heauen doe heare our prayers and vnderstande our perticuler estates ther fore it is not idle or in vaine to pray to theÌ„ as thoughe they did nether Proofe They are as the Angelles of god in heauen They are equall to the Angelles but the Angelles Knowe our particuler estates see that you dispise not one of these little ones saith our sauiour Christ For I saye vnto you that they re Angells in heaueÌ„ doe alwayes see the face of my father which is in heauen yea they knowe our secret thoughts I saye to you there shal be ioye before the Angelles of god vpon one sinner that doth pennance The saintes haue power ouer nationes to rule them therfore doe they know they re estates He that shall ouercome and keepe my wordes vnto the ende I will giue him sayth our sauioure power ouer nationes and he shall rule them with a rodd of Iron Catho pos 3. God doth somtymes heare accepte the prayers of his seruaÌ„ds or saintes for a nother man wheÌ„ he will not heare that man prayinge for hymselfe therfore is it profitable to praye vnto them God sayd to Eliphas the Themanite my surye is wrothe against thee and thy two freindes Take therfore vnto you seauen oxen and seaueÌ„ RaÌ„mes goe to my seruande Iob and offer holocaust for your selues and my seruande Iob shall pray for you his face I will receaue that the folly be not imputed vnto you They went and did as our lorde had spoken to them and our lorde receaued the face of Iob. Our lord also was tourned at the penance of Iob wheÌ„ he prayed for his freindes Againe Pray one for a nother that you may be saved for the coÌ„tinuall prayer of a iust man auayleth much I alledge not the fathers testimonie for prayer to saintes they beinge confessed by the learned protestantes to haue taught that Doctrine namely Fulke saythe In NaziaÌ„zen Basile and Chrisostome there is some mentione of the inuocatione of saintes to help vs with theyr prayers The like he confesseth of Ambrose Austine and Hierome So that wee see the doctrine of the Greke and latin churche in this pointe by the coÌ„fessione of one of our seuerest aduersaries to haue bene 1200. yeares agoe the same with the doctrine of the present churche of Rome Protest pos To praye to the saintes or Angelles in heauen doth derogate from the office of mediatour of our sauiour Christ 2. The saintes in heauen doe not heare our prayers nor know our particuler estates or necessities and therfore is it in vayne to pray to them 3. God doth neuer accepte of the prayers of his saintes offered for another man when he doth not accept of the same mans prayers for him selfe THE NINTH CONTROuersie of holi Reliques Catho posi 1. God doth honor the Reliques of saintes by working miraculouse thinges by them to his owne glorye the honoure of the saintes the benefit of man and the edification of his churche and therfore are they to be honoured and reuerenced by faithfull Christianes Proofe 1. There were brought from his S. Paule bodye napkins and hand kercheeses vpon the sike and the diseases departed from them and the wicked spirites went out 2. They did bringe forth the sicke into streetes and lead them in beddes and couches that wheÌ„ Peter came his shadowe at the leaste might ouer shadowe anie of them they all might be deliuered from there infirmities 3. Certayne persones buryinge a man sawe the rouers and threwe the bodie in the sepulcher of Eliseus which when it had touched the bones of Eliseus the man reuiued and stoode vpon his feet For the testimonie of the fathers in this pointe I wil onely alledg S. Augustine whom vnâ—ess our aduersaries dare condemne both of erroure in Iudgment and falsitie in historie they must needes confess that holy reliques in his tyme were had in great and publique honoure and reuerence The reader that desirethe to see or heare himself speake must be content to turne the booke himself for this wordes to this purpose are ouer Proâ—ix to be inserted in this briefe treatise The Doctrine and practise of ancient churche is soe euident in this pointe that Chemnitins a renowmed protestant is forced to write in this sort Of translation of riliques followed the caryinge them about in processiones as is mentioned by Hierome against Vigilantius And by Augustine when in the translatione of the reliques of Steuen à blinde woman receaued her sight Lucilius the Bishope streyght ordayned the carieing abont of the Reliques of Steuen And be cause sometimes certayne miracles were done at the reliques all per soÌ„neâ— in any iÌ„firmitie or necessite what soeuer rann to them Augustine mentioneth that flowers and otherthinges Ambrose that garmentes cast vpon the sepulchers or cofines of martyres were caried by Christianes as defenses and preseruatiues froÌ„ euill They did think that the martyres them selues were present with they re ashes Nor did they call vpon god onely but the very martyres did they inuccate at they re reliques and thinkinge grace and heauenly vertue to reside in they re bones by prayer and other worshippe did they seeke them at reliques As Basile discoursethe vpon the Psalme 115. Nor did they seeKe theyr onely corporall cures but did imagine that spirituall graces as holiness and charitie was giuen and creased by tovching and Kissing of liques as Nyssenus doth gloriouslie â—eache of Theodore the
partes of Pennance to wit confession and satisfaction OF CONFESsione Catholique position OF the power of retayning that is not remittinge of synnes giuen to preistes followeth the necessitie of confession of all synnes For if on the one side the synnes retayned and not remitted by Preistes vpon earthe be retayned and not remitted in heauen as is manifest by our Sauioures owne wordes and yf on the other side the priest cannot remitt the synne vnless he knowe it as is manifest he cannot nor caÌ„ he know it vnless it be towlde him it followeth necessarilie that he that will haue his synnes remited must by his owne confessione make them knowne vnto him to whome god hath giuen power to remitt them Confession was practised in the Apostles tymes as appear the for manie of them that beleeued came confessinge and declaringe their deedes It is also probable that S. Iames speaketh of this SacrameÌ„tall confession when he sayth Confess your sinnes one to another for soe doth Origen vnderstand it saying There is a seauen the kinde of remissione of sinnes though verie hard and laboursome when the sinner washeth his bedd with teares they are made his bread both daie and night and when he is not ashamed to declare his sinne to the Priest of our lorde and to seeke remedie accordinge to him which saithe I haue saide I will pronounce my iniustice against my selfe to our lord and thou hast remitted the impietie of mine hart In whom also that is fullfilled which the Apostle saith yf anie be sick lett him bring in the preistes of the churche and yf he be in sinne they shall bere mitted to him The iudgement of the auncient churche is soe clere in this point of confession that Mr. Fulke a most piuishe enimie to all Catholique Doctrine is compelled by the multitude of most clere testimonies of the auncient fathers to coÌ„fess that it is expedient some tymes in these wordes That it is expedient in some cases for men to confess theyr sinnes to they re pastoure we deny not OF SATISFACction Catholique position 3. THe guilt of the sinne beinge remytted the payne due therfore is not alwayes so pardoned but that often tymes ther remayneth a temporall payne to be suffered for it ether here in this life or els in purgatorie Proofe 1. Forgiue I beseche thee the sinne of this thy people accordinge to the greatness of thy mercie as thou hast beene propitiouse to them since their goeinge out from Egipt vnto this place And our lord said I haue forgiuen it accordinge to thy worde liue I and the whole earth shal be replenished with the glorie of our lord But yet all the men that haue seene my maiestie and the signes that I haue done in Egipt and in the wilderness and haue tempted me nowe tenn tymes nether haue obeied my voice they shall not see the lande for which I swore to their fathers nether shall anie of them that haue detracted me behould it The like is recorded of Moyses Deuter cap. 32. v. 49 and of Aaron NuÌ„bers cap. 20. v. 23. yet noe man doubteth but the sinn for which they were punished was forgiuuen them before they re deathe Dauid sayd to NathaÌ„ I haue synned to our lord And Nathan sayd to Dauid our lord also hath taken away thy Syn thou shalt not dye Neuertheless because thou hast made the ennimies of our lord to blaspheme for this thing the sonn that is borne to thee dyinge shall die Catholique position This temporall payne remayning after the guilt of the sinne is remitted may be redeemed by good workes as by fastinge prayer Almes and the like which therfore are truly called satisfactorie Proofe 1. If I shall shut heauen and reane fall not shall bid coÌ„maunde locustes to deuoure the lande and shall send Pestilence into my People And my poeple beinge conuerted vpon whom my name is inuocated shall doe pennance from theire most wicked wayes I also will heare from heauen will be propitious to theyr sinnes and will saue their land 2. O kinge lett me counsell thee and redeeme thy sinnes with almes thy iniquities with the mercies of the poore 3. Therfore are there amonge you manie weake and feeble and manie sleepe But yf we did iudge ourselues we should not be iudged that is yf we punishe or chastice our selues we should not be chastised of god for our synnes remitted for of such the Apostle speaketh as is manifest by the vers followinge But whiles we are indged of our lord we are chastised that with this world we be not damned Catholique Positions 5. workes done for the satisfactioÌ„ of the temporall payne remayning after the sinne be pardoned do no way derogate from the satisfaction of christ his passion Proofe 1. I Paule whoe nowe reioyce in sufferinge for you and doe accomplishe those things that want of the passiones of Christ in my fleshe for his body which is the churche 2. we are heires truly of god and coheyres of Christ yet yf we suffer with him that we may be gloriffied which him Loe here our sufferinge at least a condition necessarie for our glorification 3. To him that is such an one this rebuke sufficeth that is geuen of many where S. Paule speaketh of the PeÌ„nance enioyned vpon the incestious Corinthiane Doe Pennance sayth S. Iohn Baptist and by his life and example shewed what pennance he spake of And agayne yeeld therfore fruit worthy of Pennance But Zacheus standinge sayd to our lord Behould the half of my goodes I giue to the poore and yf I haue defrauded anie man of anie thing I restore fowre fould The doctrine and practise of the auncient churche thouching Satisfaction is confessed by the Centuristes in these wordes The life of those that confessed lesser sinnes was considered iudged whether they had done iust pennance as appreareth by Ciprian lib. 3. epistle 16. and that satisfaction was accustomed to be imposed vpon them according to the quantitie of the fault appearethe by his S. sermone de lapsis Tertuliane also mentioneth the same in his booke of Pennance OF INDVL gences Catholique position THere is in the churche of God power to giue Indulgences or graunte pardonnes that is to remitt and pardonne parte or all the temporall payne pennance or punishment which for the most parte remayneth to be performed or suffered for the satis-faction af the sinne after the guilte of the synn be taken awaye Proofe To the will I giue the keis of the kingdome of heauen and what soeuer thou shalt lose in earthe shal be also losed in the heauens And the same repeated agayne to all the Apostles in another place This power is practised by S. Paule whom you haue pardonned anie â—â—ing I also Formy self also that which I pardoned yf I pardoned anithing for you in the personne of Christ Loe here S. Paule at the prayer of others pardoned and assoyled
therfore he sayth I giue counsell as haueing obtayned mercie of god to be faythfull 3. There are euneuches which haue guelded themselues for the Kingdome of heauen he that can take lett him take Haue care of him and whatsoeuer thou shalt supererogate I will at my returne repaye thee S. Augustine alluding to these two places sayth you that yet haue not vowed who can take take runn whith perseuerance that you may obayne take euerie one his sacrifices and enter into our lordes court not of necessitie but hauing power of yor owne will For as it is said thou shalt not kill it cannot so be sayd thou shalt not marrie For these things are exacted they are profered yf they be done they are commended yf thother be not done they are condemned in these thinges god coÌ„maundeth a debt in those what you shall supererogate or bestowe more he will render at is returne with much more to the same purpose in the whole booke where he proueth virginitie to be onely a counsell to be more perfect then wedlok and to haue a greater glorie in the next life But for the Doctrine of the auÌ„cient churche in this poynt I neede no other witnesse then Mr. Caluins owne confession set downe in these wordes This say they hath from furthest memorie beene obserued that they which would dedicate them selues wholy to our lord should bynde them selues with the vowe of continencie I graunt indeed that this maner hath also beene of ancient tyme receaued but I doe not graunt that that age was so free from all fault that what soeuer was done might bee taken for a rule Protestantes Position No man though assisted with gods grace can doe anie workes of supererogation or of counsell nether are there anie councelles of more perfection then the coÌ„maundementes THE 18. CONTROVERsie Of Preistes not Marrying Catholique Position IT is most conformable to the Doctrine of holy scriptures and practise of the auncient churche that all Preistes and other church men should vowe perpetuall chastitie And leade a single life Proofe 1. I woulde haue you without carefulness he that is with out a wife is carefull for the things that pertaine to our lorde how he may please god But he that is with a wife is carefull for the things that pertayne to the world howe be may please his wife and he is deuided 2. No man being a souldier to god intaÌ„glâ—â— ethe himself with secular businesses that he may please him to whome he hath approoued him self After the dayes of is office were expired he departed into his owne howse It is playne hereby ells where that the Preistes of the ould lawe did abstayne from theyr wiues during the tyme of theyr ofice which they exercised by turnes Yf thou haue aniething at hand yea yf but fiue loaues giue me or what soeuer thou shalt fynde the preist answered Dauid saying I haue no laye breades at hand but onely holy bread yf the seruantes be cleane especially from weomen And Dauid answered the preist and say de to him And truly yf the matter be concerniÌ„g weomen we haue refrayned our selues from yesterdaye and the day before Now yf such cleanesse euen â—â—om the law full vse of weomen was required in laye men to eate the hallowed bread of the owld lawe which was but a bare figure of that which is offered in the newe lawe what cleaness may we think is required in Preistes them selues of the newe lawe For the practice of the auncient church in this poynt I will onely alledge the 2. Councell of Carthage where S. Augustine was preseÌ„t which sayth thus It pleaseth all that Bishopes preistes and Deacones abstayne from wyues that we may also obserue that which the Apostles taught and antiquitie obserued Protestantes positions It is contrarie to the doctrine of holy Scripture practice of the auncient primitiue church that preistes and other church men should vowe chastitie and leade a single life THE 19. CONTROVERsie Of the churche seruice in the learned tongues Catholique position IT is no where forbidden in holy Scripture that the publique Seruice of godes churche should be in a tounge not vnderderstood to all the assistantes Proofe No such prohibition appeareth in all the Scripture Yea the practise of the contrarie is euidently gathered out of these wordes According to the custoÌ„e of the preistlye function he went forth by lott to offer incense entering into the temple of the lord And all the multitude of the people was praying with out at the hower of the incense Loe here the people did not vnderstand nether the prayers nor the actions of the preist yet neuer the less did they participate of both The same is more expresly coÌ„maunded in these wordes Let no man be in the tabernacle when the highe preist goeth in to the sanctuarie to pray for him self and for his howse and for the whole assembly of Israël vntil he come forthe nether doth that of S. Paule yf thou bless in the spirit he that supplieth the place of the Vulgar howe shall he say Amen vpon thy blessing bycause he knowethe not what thou sayest nor anie thing iÌ„ all that chapter make anie more against the practis of the romaÌ„ churche in this point then it doth against that of the Iewishe churche now menrioned S. Paul speaking not of the ordinarie publique receaued and established churche seruice werof all the assistantes are parttakers because it is performed by the preist a publique officer in all theyr behalfes thaugh they vnderstande not the wordes nor see the actions done by the preist but of certaiÌ„e perticuler exhortationes hymes Psalmes and other holy good things vttered by particuler personnes haueing the gifte of tongues which being not vnderstood of others haâ— no other fruit then the edification of the speaker and that nether to his instruction for often tymes he vnderstood not him self but to an eleuation of his mynde or spirit to god as appeareth by that For yf I pray with tongue my spirit prayeth but my vndersting is with out fruite Therfore S. paule would that these exercises showld be vsed with much moderation and in good order but forbiddeth them not Therfore that which he sayth of that matter toucheth nothing â—he publique seruice of the church which the perpetuall practice of the same church a sure rule to all those that desire to be gods children doth shew to be most coÌ„uenieÌ„tly celebrated in the learned tounges Agaynst which yf anie will wrangle or be contentiouse we aunswere theÌ„ as S. Paule doth theyr like in another occatione we haue no such custome nor the church of god Protestantes position It is forbidden in holy scrypture that the publique seruice of the church should be in a tongue not vnderstoode by all the assistants Haueing as thou seest iudicious reader gone throughe al or at least all the cheef poynts of controuersie of these tymes and proued theÌ„ by express scripture