it most euidently appeareth that blessing and thankesgiuing is all one thing And yet this is more manifest For whereas Saint Matthew and Saint Marke say as is before declared that our Sauiour when hee tooke bread blessed Saint Luke Luke â—2 19. 1 Cor. 10 24. â— Cor. 14. 16. and Saint Paul say hee gaue thankes Hereunto also pertaineth that plaine place of Saint Paul When thâ—â— blessest in the spiâ—it how shall hee that occupieth the place of the vnlearned say Amen to thy giuing of thankes seeing hee knoweth not what thou sayest Who is so blinde and so ignorant that heere seeth not blessing and thankesgiuing to be all one thing And therefore againe I say that by blessing is not here meant a secret whispering of fiue words to the conuerting of the substance of bread and wine into Christs body and blood as Priests foolishly vse and falsly teach but a thankesgiuing to GOD for so louing vs that hee hath giuen his onely begotten Iohn 3. 26. Sonne for vs that as many as beleeue in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life For the which cause this Sacrament is of the ancient fathers called Eucharistia that is to say thankesgiuing As touching the breaking of bread which mâ—y resemble to vs the breaking of Christs body vpon the Crosse wee doe follow our Sauiour Christ therein and doe breake it when we distribâ—â—e it vnto the people the which the Papistes doe not but thrust in a whole vnbroken wafer into their mouthes Indeed I know that the Priest himselfe doth in his Masse breake his hoste into three parts One to signifie the Saints in heauen another the faithfull vpon the earth the third the soules in Purgatory But this deep diuâ—nity they haue found vpon the back side of the Bible But because this Gentlewoman or author of this scrole vrgeth eagerly the breaking of bread I would faine know what the Priest doth breake when he breaketh his Hosâ—e as they call it into three parts First hee breaketh not by their doctrine the substance of bread for they say there is none remaining to say that they breake Christs body wre blasphemy although it pleased that holy Pope Nicholas with his Councell to prescribe that godly and learned man Berengarius in his De consecra dist 2 â—go Berengariuâ— recantation to affirme the body of Christ Manibus Sacerdotum tractari frangi fidelium denâ—â—bus atterâ— i. To be handled with the Priests hands to be broken and torne with the teeth of the faithfull And to say they breake accidents without a substance were folly or rather madnesse These things before being considered let the indifferent reader vprightly consider how truely this Catholike Gentlewoman saith that we obserue none of these Now it followeth in the sayd paper The truth of the Catholike religion and of euery part thereof is proued euidently by the testimony and consent of all writers in all ages since Christ and his Apostles As for example the Real presence of Christ in the Sacrament the Sacrifice of the masse Purgatorie Prayer for the dead Prayers to Saints the vse of Images the signe of the Crosse Pilgrimage to holy Places and the rest now in controuersie Answere HEere bee things as boldly affirmed as they bee barely proued or rather cleane omitted and therefore they might without further proofe as well bee denied of mee as they bee affirmed of them And although I minde not long to stand vpon these particular poynts yet I will not let them goe so nakedly as they do but will somewhat touch them But heere let the Christian reader consider and marke that whereas this Catholike Gentlewoman saith that the truth of their Catholike religion and euery part thereof is prooued euidently by the testimonies of all writers in all ages since Christ and his Apostles they seeme to exclude from this proofe the Law and the Prophets the Gospell of our Sauiour Christ and the writings of the Apostles contained in the canonicall Scriptures For if they had meant otherwise they would haue sayd that the truth of the Catholike religion and euery part thereof is proued euidently by the testimony of the holy Scriptures and of all writers in all ages since Christ and his Apostles Therefore if their meaning bee as their words seeme to import to exclude from this proofe the canonicall Scriptures then they exclude the onely true triall of Christian religion for if the holy Scriptures Caâ—s 8. quest Nec suffâ— â—erâ— bee the onely rule of our faith and life as Beda saith in these words before alledged Nobis sacris literis vnica est credendi pariter viuendi regula praescripta i. The onely rule both of faith and life is prescribed vnto vs in the holy Scriptures then in the proofe of Christian religion we ought not to exclude them but chiefely yea onely to admit them And if Saint Aug. de natu â— grat cap. 60. Augustine doe truely say that wee ought without refusâ—ll to giue our consent onely to the Canonicall Scriptures then surely wee ought to trie and examine all matters by them Therefore I may say vnto you with the same Saint Augustine Auferantur ergo De vâ—itat Eccle cap. 2. c. Let these things bee taken away which wee recite and bring one against another not out of the holy Canonicall bookes but from else where And so let vs trie these points of your Catholike Religion by the holy Canonicall Scriptures the testimony whereof is sufficient and all other testimonies without the same bee of no force so saith the same Saint Agustine Qui diuina testimonia non sequuntur c. Arg. Epist 50. i. They that follow not the diuine testimonies haue lost the waight of mans testimonie Therefore I conclude this point with the same Saint Augustine Non audiâ—mus c. i. Let vs not heare This say I This sayest thou but Aug. de vnitat Eccles cap. 3. let vs heare This saith the Lord. There bee the Lords books whose authority we both consent vnto we both beleeue and wee both obey there let vs seeâ—ke the Church there let vs discusse our cause Bring then plaine proofes out of the holy Canonicall Scriptures for those your catholike points of Religion and I will yeeld And without them whatsoeuer testimonies you bring else where you shall nothing preuaile Well saith Saint Ierome Omne quod loquimur debemus affirmare Hier. in Psalm 98. de Scripturis sacris i. Whatsoeuer wee speake wee ought to affirme or proue it out of the holy Scriptures Idem ad Titum And againe Sine authoritate Scripturarum garrulitas non habet fidem i. Without the authority of the Scriptures pratling hath no credit Now to come to your particular points As touching your Real presence of Christ in the Sacrament if you meane thereby not a Real presence of Christ to the faith of the godly and worthy receiuer whereby wee affirme and beleeue that hee doth
an Heretike for all Heretikes doe as much But Maister T. W. for I will not misname you by H. T. dic sodes tell vs in sooth and sadnesse Do Heretikes beleeue the scriptures I in my poore ignorance haue heretofore thought that Heretikes beleeued erronious and false doctrines repugnant and contrary to the scriptures and that therevpon this argument would haue holden water viz. that they which beleeue false doctrines doe not beleeue the holie Scriptures which containe nothing but new doctrine but Heretikes beleeue false doctrines ergo they beleeue not the holie Scriptures Tell vs also will Heretikes haue the sphere of their faith extended solie and wholie to the worde of GOD set downe in holy writ Then this saying of Tertullian which in my poore ignorance I haue thought that neuer any misliked vnlesse hee were an Heretike will not goe for currant Aufer deniquae haereticis c. Take away from Heretikes Tertul. deresurrect carnis whatsoeuer the Ethnikes haue thought and taught that they may trie their questions Onelie by the Scriptures and they cannot stand For how can this bee that they which beleeue the Scriptures cannot stand if their doctrines bee tried onely by the scriptures But you will say that Heretikes professe that they beleeue the scriptures But is this all one with you for Heretikes to profeâ—â—e the beleefe of the scriptures and in Tiâ— 1. 16. deede to beleeue them Saint Paul saith that some professe to know GOD and by workes do denie him Some also professed themselues to bee Iewes that is to say worshippers Apoca. 2. 9. of GOD as you doe now professe yourselues to bee Catholikes and some to bee of the societie of Iesus when both they were and you are the synagogue and of the societie of sathan Some professed themselues to bee Iohn 8. 39. 40. the Children of Abraham which did not the workes of Abraham but their faither was the diuell as our Sauiour Christ told them Euen so Heritikes may professe Psal 44. that they beleeue the Scriptures when indeede they beleeue them not but reiect the truth of them and beleeue false and damnable doctrines repugnant vnto them Heretikes bee theeues which endeuor to steale away the truth from the people of whom Saint Chrysostome saith Qâ—i sacra non vtitur scriptura sed ascendit aliunde Chrysost in Iorm hom 58. idest non concessa via fur est Hee is a theefe that vseth not the scripture hee saith not that beleeueth the scripture but clymeth into the sheepefold by an other way which is not allowed Of the true sense and exposition of the Scripture I haue intreated at large before Onely now I will ioyne this issue with you vpon these words of Saint Hierome recorded 24. Quaest 3. Haeâ—sis by Gratian in the decrees Quicunque aliter scripturam intelligit c. Whosoeuer expoundeth the scripture otherwaies then the sense of the Holie Ghost by whome it was written doth require although hee haue not departed from the Church yet hee may bee called an Heretike Let them with good will of vs and you that shall soundlie bee prooued to expound the Scriptures other-waies then the sense of the Holie Ghost requireth bee called accounted condemned and punnished Heritikes yea your Expositions bee so false and for ours true that some Papists and euen some of your sweete bretheren the Iesuites are forced by the euidence of Apa Cathel part 2 lib. 5. cap. 17. 18. 19. c. truth to forsake yours and to approoue ours as M. D. Morton hath learnedly and largely declared What you or any other Heretikes say of our Religion beleefe and expositions wee little regard as long as you cannot prooue them to bee hereticall and wee are by the worde of GOD well assured that they bee orthodoxall As touching the book of the Canticles of Sollomon we by the Scriptures doe beleeue that it is the worde of God Saint Paule speaking of the Scripture contained in the canonicall bookes of the old Testament and receiued by the Church of Israell saith that the whole Scripture is inspired of God But this booke of the Canticles was with the other books both of Sollomâ—n and of the rest of the old Testament receiued by the Church of Israell therefore by Saint Paules 2 Tim. 3. 16. iudgement it was inspired of God and so consequently the worde of God as well as others But if we did ioyne herein either with some wicked Anabaptistes now or with some old Hertikes heretofore who haue denied this book to be of the Canon of the Scripture as Phylastrius writeth some did whose opinion we abhorre yet from this particular Jn Catall cap. 133. you could not inferre the proofe of your article being generall that the Protestants know not what they beleeue But herein you do as soundly and substantially reason as Bellarmine and others of you do that because the Enuch did not vnderstand that obscure propheticall speech of Isaias which hee was reading when Philip came to him therefore hee vnderstood nothing in the Prophet Isaias Yea and that all the Scripture is so hard and obscure that it is not expedient for the lay people to read it Concerning the alteration of the Sabbath wee gather by the Scriptures and thereby do beleeue that it was made by the Apostles 1. Cor. 16. 2. Apoca. 1. 10. As your owne fellowes of Rhemes in their annotations vpon these places do confesse And therefore the Sabbath we now obserue is warranted by the Scriptures As for that idle speech of yours of generall and perticuler beleeuing thinges in the Scripture little pertinent to the proofe of your article I answer briefly that although neither all Protestants nor Papistes haue perfect and distinct knowldge of all the Scripture Yet God hath so manifestly expressed therein all thinges needfull to our saluation that it is a most perfect rule of faith and life as is before out of Beda alledged although some men blinded by sinne and mallice do not see them no more then men blinde in body see the cleare light of the Sunne nor doe rightly vse this right rule giuen of God vnto them Chrisostome saith Quaecunquâ— necessâ—ria sunt manifesta sunt Whatsoeuer In 2 Thess Hom. 3. thinges are necessary are manifest Againe Scripturae et seruâ— c. The Scriptures are easie to bee vnderstood both of seruants and misticall people of widdowes In Math. Hom. 1. and boyes and to him that is very Ignorant And whereas you would haue the Councels Doctors and Church the rule of our faith and life bring such like plaine places out of the Scriptures and Doctors for the proofe of it then we wil yeeld vnto you As touching the Apostles creed we acknowledge it to be a briefe abridgement of the especiall and principal points of Christian faith doctrine yet there bee some truthes which are not particularly expressed in the same But whereas you say or rather falsely slaunder that the
and beleeued of which to giue fol. 251. the reader a taste I will set downe two or three It is there sayd that Iohn Damescene hauing his hand cut off for writing letters against the Emperour the same was suddenly set on againe to write a praier which he had made to fol. 254. the Virgine Marie Also that a theefe which vsed to fast the vigiles of the feastes of our Ladie and vsed to pray vnto her beeing hanged by the space of three daies could not die for the Virgine Marie susteined him on the gibet infinite such other fables swarme in that booke And wee may wonder that men of any wisedome knowledge or iudgement should bee deluded and mocked with such false fained reliques as were and are in Popery as with Saint Peters finger at Walfingham as bigge as if it Erasmus in Colloquio peregriergo Blondus de Roma instaurata lib. 3. prope sinem Holingshead in Henry 8. p. 946 Caluinus admonitione de reliquijs had beene of some Giant and also the virgin Maries milke there which seemeth by Erasmus to haue beene the white of an egge and chalke mingled together and a vessell of the same at Rome as writeth Blondus the bloud of Hales the which was prooued and declared at Paules Crosse by the Bishop of Rochester in king Henry the eights daies to haue beene clarified honey coloured with saffron In Geneua there was worshipped for the arme of Saint Anthonie that which afterward was prooued to bee the pisle of a Stagge for a peece of Saint Peters scull that which was found to bee a pumish stone But this will not bee beleeued of this writer and of his fellowes because Caluin did write it But why Caluin should write and publish euen in the French tongue in Geneua such a thing of Geneua vnlesse it were true which the Inhabitants thereof might know to bee false I see no reason it could purchase no credit to him or to his doctrine But why might not that as well bee true as the things before alleaged or as that which Gregorius Turonensis who liued sundry hundreth yeares past writeth Gregâ—â— Turoâ—ens lib. 9. ca. 6 that there was found in a boxe of reliques of a certaine Sainct rootes of trees the teeth of a Mole the bones of Mice and the clawes of Beares which were worshipt for holie reliques But of these iuglings I will write no more at this present GOD may giue occasion hereafter more largely to intreate of them At these things we may wonder but yet wee doe not ouermuch meruaile and wonder at them for that the spirit of GOD by Saint Paule hath foreshewed vs that the time would come when men shold 2. Timoth. 4. 4 turne away their eares from the truth and bee giuen to fables and that the comming of Antichrist should bee by 2. Thessal 2. 9. the effectuall working of sathan with all powre and signes and lying wonders and in all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnes amongst them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might bee saued therefore GOD should send them a strong delusion to beleeue lies that all they might bee damned which beleeued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnes Whereas you request that hee that shall answere this your pamphlet will doe it briefely orderly and seriously I will indeuor to doe the two last as GOD shall inable me But concerning breuitie I will vse my libertie and peraduenture more largely lay downe your absurdities then you would bee willing I should doe But whereas you say that you make this request for that you perceiue that the Protestants cannot answere with breuitie because their Religion lacketh both certaintie and perspicuitie I say that with one breath you doe vtter two vntruthes The first that wee cannot answere with breuitie which how vntrue it is let it be tried first by the briefe and pithy answeres of that great learned man Doctor Fulke who answering many of their bookes which yet to this day stand vndefended how briefely and pithily hee answered the same let any man that hath but a graine of indifferent iudgement consider and iudge And particularlie I referre them to his answere to Rishtons challenge and to Allens booke of Purgatorie both in one volume yea many times in his writings hee called them from long and impertinent discourses to short syllogismes wherevnto â—ee could neuer bring them How closely that pretious Iewell and excellent ornament of this Church of England did hold himselfe to the matter and how vnlike hee was to Doctor Harding in his long discourses and digressions who in his booke intituled A detection of lies c. discoursed two hundred and sixe whole sides of paper onely in preambles and prefaces before hee once stept into his matter as Maister Iewel truely told him let the vpright Preface to the defence of the Apology edition 2. reader indifferently iudge The like I may say of that worthie man of famous memorie Doctor Whitakers who how briefely soundlie and learnedlie hee hath answered Campion Saunders Duree Stapleton William Reynolds Bellarmine any man that hath an incorrupt eye may see and discerne And if T. W. bee the author of this pamphlet as I nothing doubt but hee is he may remember that one which had conference with him did write a briefe Epistle vnto him and did therein set downe short sillogismes concerning the controuersies of praier to Saints and the sacrifice of the Masse and required to haue the like short syllogismes set downe of him for the defence of his assertions and could not receiue one but along tedious discourse concerning praier to Saints which was confuted and neuer defended But whether answeres be briefe or long it maketh no matter so that they be learned sound and true to the effectuall confuting of the errour and satisfying of the reader Now as touching certaintie which you say but doe not shew that our Religion lacketh I answere and auouch that our Religion is farre more certaine consonant and agreeable to it selfe then the doctrine of the Church of Rome is the which if I do not effectually proue hereafter in place more conuenient I will not require any man to vse your owne words to accept or affect it But with what forehead can this man charge our doctrine with want of perspicuitie seeing hee cannot bee ignorant how obscure darke and intricate the popish Religion and doctrine is as may appeere by their manifold both curious questions and intricate distinctions which be their chiefe shifts to elude the plaine truth And if any would see how darke the doctrine and writings of Papists are let him looke into the Schoolemen Tho. Aquine Io Scotus Alexander de Hales Gabriel Biel and many such other amongst whom he may finde as much certaintie vnitie and perspicuitie of doctrine as hee may in hell But how we study for perspicuitie and seeke to make all matters plaine both in our preachings and
deliuering to the Corinthians the supper of our Sauiour Christ according to the institution which he had receiued of Christ deliuered not onely the bread but also the Cup to the whole Church of Corinth which I suppose you will not say were all Priests 1. Cor. 11. 25 26. 27. This Cup is the new Testament in my bloud As often as yee shall eate this bread and drinke this Cup yee shew the Lords death till hee come Wherefore whosoeuer shall eate this bread and drinke the Cup of the Lord vnworthily shall bee guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord. Paschasius expoundeth these words thus Bibite ex hoc omnes hoc est tam ministri quam reliqui credentes Drinke ye all of this that is to say both ministers and the rest that beleeue The glosse as it is alledged Cassan de vtraque specie by Cassander thus Bibite ex hoc omnes scilicet sine personarum acceptione Drinke yee all of this that is all without respect of persons So doth Chrysostom Omnibus vnum corpus Chrysost in 2 Cor. hom 18 Theoph in 1. Cor. 11. proponitur poculum vnum One body and one Cup is propounded to all So saith Theophilactus Tremendus calix pari cunctis conditione traditus est The fearefull Cup is in like sort deliuered vnto all Yea this absurd exposition of theirs is contrary to the practise of the Primitiue Church and to all antiquitie as might bee shewed and of some Papists is confessed But to proceede and to shew how they handle other places I will ioyne two places togither because they doe often alleage them together to prooue the Popes supremacie ouer the whole Church of God dispersed ouer the whole world The one Hosea 1. 11. Then shall the Children of Iudah and the Children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselues one head The other place is Iohn 10. 16. There shall be one fold and one shepheard These places bee alleaged Ioan. de Paris de potest regia Papali ca 3. by Pope Pius the second Epist 288. by Iohannes de Parisijs by D. Harding c. expounding the same not of D. Hard. confut Apolog. cap. 3. dâ—â—s 2. Christ but of the Pope to be this one head and one shephard The which what a priuat and false exposition it is I neede not greatly to shew it is so plaine and apparent The Hieron in Oseam cap. 1. first place of Hosea Saint Hierome expoundeth thus Haec omnia fient quia magnus est dies seminis Dei qui interpretatur Christus i. All these things shall come to passe because it is the great day of the seede of God which is expounded not the Pope but Christ so also doth Frier Lira Congregabuntur filij Iudae idest Apostoli c. There shall assemble Nicol Lira in Oscam cap. 1. together the Children of Iuda that is to say the Apostles and the Children of Israel that is to say the heathen conuerted together that is to say in one Church and shall appoynt vno them-selues one head that is to say one Christ So doth S. Augustine de ciuitate Dei lib. 8. cap. 28. Whose words for shortnes sake I omit The other place is so plaine that a Cobler by hearing or reading of it may perceiue that our Sauiour Christ spake it of himselfe and not of the Pope He saith I am the good shepheard and knowe Ioh the 10. 14. mine and am knowne of mine I lay downe my life for my sheepe Other sheepe I haue also which are not of this fold them also must I bring and they shall heare my voyce and there shall be one sheepefolde and one shepheard Therefore doth my father loue me because I lay downe my life that I might take it againe Who is so blind as seeth not these words to be spoken of our Sauiour Christ him-selfe and not of the Pope Yet that doughty or rather doltish Doctor Iohannes de Parisâ—â—s is not ashamed to say that it is not to bee vnderstoode of Christ but of some other Minister which should rule in his place His words be these Congregabuntur filii Iuda filii Vbi supra Israel vt ponant sibi caput vnum Ioan. 10. fiet vnum ouile vnâ—s pastor Quod quidem de Christo intelliginon potest sed de alio aliquo ministro qui praesit loco eius i. The Children of Iuda and the Children of Israel shal be gathered together and shall appoynt them-selues one head and Ioh. 10. There shall bee one fold and one shephard which cannot bee vnderstood of Christ but of some other minister that must rule in his place Behold the absurdity of this saying and exposition and let this cauiller who in his questions and challenge so disdainefully despiseth our learning consider what a blind ignorant and vnlcarned Doctor and writer this was that so absurdly expoundeth this place and contrarily to the plaine words denieth them to be vnderstood of our Sauiour Christ and blasphemously attributeth that vnto the Pope which is onely proper and peculiar to Nic. Lirâ— in Ioha cap. 10. Iesus Christ Frier Lira was of better iudgement who writeth thus Fiet vnus pastor idest Christus i. There shall be one pastor that is to say Christ I will shew another place or two in like manner expounded for the proofe of the same matter In the booke of the ceremonies of the Church of Rome the which I wish were in English that our English Catholikes might see the goodly ceremonies and orders of the Church it is thus written Papa in nocte Lib. 1. Caerem titul 7. natiuitatis domini benedicet ensem quem postea donat â—â—cui principi in signum infini â— potentiae pontifici collatae iuxta illud data est mihi omnis potestas in coelo in terra Item dominabitur à mari vsque ad mare à flumine vsque ad terminos orbis terrarum i. The Pope in the night of the feast of Christs Natiuitie blesseth a sword for a signe of the infinit power giuen to him which hee afterward bestoweth vpon some Prince according to that saying All power is giuen to me both in heauen and in earth also He shall rule from the sea vnto theÌ„ sea and from the flood vnto the ends of the world Are not these sayings thinke you finely expounded of the Pope whereof the one our Sauiour Christ himsefe spake In Concil Lâ—teron sub Leâ— 1â— pag. 671. and the other the Prophet Dauid prohesied of Iesus Christ him-selfe And the former of these places Stephen the Archbishop of Patraca applied vnto Pope Leo the 10. in the Councell of Lateran in the audience of the Pope him-selfe who thankefully accepted it and suffered it to be published and printed and so to this day was neuer by any Papist disliked By these places any man may discerne and iudge whether this Romish prelate be not that
you prooue little The GOD of patience and consolation giue vnto Rom. 15 5. vs and you that wee may bee like minded one towards an other according to Christ Iesus that we may all with one minde and one mouth praise God euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Amen Whereas you say that we haue no argument to prooue that we haue the true Church true religion and true faith but such as al heretikes haue euer vsed I answere that wee haue that argument and proofe for these things which although Heretikes haue falsely pretended as popish heretikes now do yet the Godly learned Fathers haue sincerely vsed And that is the holy word of God the only touchstone of truth and piller of the Church for as the Church 1. Tim. 3. 15 in one respect is the piller of truth as Saint Paul saith so in another the truth is the piller and prop of the Church as Chrysost in illum locum ho mil. 11. Math. 4. 4 7 10. Math. 19. 4. ibid. 22 29. Luk. 24. 27. 32 44 46 Rom. 1 2. 3 21. 4 3. Chrysostom saith For by what meanes els haue the Godly and learned Fathers in all ages confuted heresies and proued the Church but by the scriptures by them our Sauiour Christ foyled the diuell and put him to flight By them he answered the Pharisies By them he confuted the Sadduces By them he proued himselfe to be the promised Messias and Sauiour of the world By them Saint Paul confirmed the Gospel which he preached By them hee perswaded the Iewes those things which concerned Christ Iesus both out of the Law of Moses and out of the Act. 21. 23. ibid. 18 2 8 Prophets By them Apollos confuted the Iewes with great vehemencie shewing by the Scriptures that Iesus was the Christ By them the Godly and learned Fathers confuted and confounded the Arians and other Heretikes whom you here name as by their bookes and particular sayings it euidently appeareth Athanasius speaking of the Godly Athanas de de cretis Nicen. Synod pag. 528 decrees of the councell of Nice against the Arians writeth thus Atque harum rerum non aliunde nos quà m ex scripturis persuasionem habemus that is We be perswaded of these things by no other meanes but by the Scriptures Epiphanius saith In Scripturis sanctis Trinttas nobit Epipâ— contra pâ—â—umaiomachos haeres 7â— annuÌ„tiatur ac creditur citra curiositatem c. The Trinity is in the holy Scriptures preached vnto vs without curiositie beleued And that by theÌ„ al doctrines are to be confirmed al errors and heresies to be confuted they plainely and plentifully shew Tertullian saith that if Heretikes Tertul. lib de resurrec carnes Eâ—iph contra pâ—ulum Samosa haeres 66 Basii epist 80. bee brought to examine and try their questions onely by the Scriptures they cannot stand Epiphanius saith that wee are not to discusse questions by our owne wittes and reasons Sedex Scripturarum consequentia By the consequeÌ„ce of the Scriptures Saint Basil saith Let vs stand to the arbitrement of the Scripture inspired of God and with whome bee found doctrines agreeable to those diuine words let the truth be iudged to be with them Constantine sayd vnto the Bishoppes in the Nicene Councell The Euangelicall and Apostolicall bookes and the Oracles of the Theod. lib. 8. cap. 7 sol 284. Prophets doe plainely instruct vs of GOD wherefore laying away all enimitie and discord let vs take the explication or resolution of the questions in controuersie out of those saying inspired of GOD. So saith Saint Augustine Verum nos sacris literis accommodemus auditum c. August in Euang Ioan. tract 60. August de cura pro mortuis cap. 2. Let vs hearken vnto the holy Scriptures and according to them let vs helpe by the grace of God to dissolue this question And againe Non secunduÌ„ opinionem c. We must consider of this matter not according to yâ— commoÌ„ opinion but according to the holy Scriptures of our religion And of yâ— Church he saith thus Sed vtrum ipsi ecclesiam De vnitate ecclesiae cap. 16. teneant non nisi diuinarum ScripturaruÌ„ canonicis libris ostendant but whether they haue yâ— church let them shew by no other meanes but by the Canonical books of the diuine Scriptures Chrysostom saith yâ— we cannot know Chrisostom in Math. Homil. 44. which is the true Church of Christ Nisi tantummodo per Scripturas but onely by the Scriptures Therefore by the Scriptures proue your doctrine and shew your Church Math 4. But you say the Arians others Heretikes alleadged the Scriptures whereunto I adde that so did the Diuel also but in such sort as you and your fellowes doe in mangling them falsly expounding and applying them as I haue in some part before shewed I am conteÌ„t to ioyne this issue with you that they with be proued to depraue detort mangle and falsly expound and apply the scriptures be heretikes and to bee condemned with these old heretikes whome you here name To whome whether you or we bee more like let the vpright Reader indifferently iudge The Arians seeing that they could haue nothing out of the Scriptures fled as Athanasius saith vnto the Fathers and euen so do you The Arians vsed subtill distinctions Athanas tomâ— 2. to elude and shift of the truth and so do you They denied the person of Christ and you deny the office of Christ in not acknowledging him to be our onely Prophet and teacher whose onely voyce wee must heare and obey nor the only King and head of his Church nor our onely high Priest with the sweet smelling sacrifice of himselfe once for euer offered to redeeme and reconcile vs vnto God nor our only mediator to make intercession for vs. The Arians did cruelly persecute the true Christians Ruffin lib. 1. cap. 17. Socrates lib. 1. cap. 17. zozo in lib. 4. cap. 27. Gregor Nazi anz artic ad Arianos and so do Papists when power is in their hand to doe it The Arians when they could not preuaile against that excellent man Athanasius fell to raile vpon him and to slaunder him accusing him of adulterie murther and sorcerie and euen so do you now deale with such as for their godlinesse and learning may well bee compared with Athanaesiuâ— I meane especially Caeluin whome the Author of that vnlearned libell and beastly booke intituled A quartron of reasons of Catholike religion c. is not ashmed 5. reasoÌ„ pa. 30. to call a seare backt Priest for Sodomie O thou shamelesse man or rather monsterlart thou not ashamed to slaunder and belie such a man of whome they that knew him did truly write of him ipsâ— Ã quo potuit virtutem discere virtus Theo Beza that euen virtue it selfe might as it were haue learned vertue of him How doest thou know that Caluin was such a man I assure my selfe
were called Sadduces which in the Hebrew tongue doth signifie iust and righteous men Another sect were Pharisies so called as some thinke because they were expounders of the Law as others iudge Tanquam separati i. as separated from the societie of others in effect the same that Monachi that is to say liuers alone yet notwithstanding this glorious title and sundry austere and straite obseruations which in their liues they vsed they were the greatest aduersaries our Sauiour Christ had The Valentinian Epipha herae 31. â—ertul de mongam and Montaniest Heritiques called themselues Spirituales spirituall men and counted others carnall Therefore we are not to be moued with such outward titles which are but sheepes clothings to hide rauening Wolues But Rom. 2. 28. as S. Paul saieth hee is not a Iew which is one outward euen so euery one is not a Catholique that is so outwardly called but hee is a true Catholique that truly in his heart beleeueth and obeieth the heauenly doctrine of almightie God contained in the holy canonicall Scriptures in which the onely rule both of faith and life is Caus 8. Quaest 1. â—ec sufficere prescribed vnto vs as Beda saith the which holy doctrine deliuered and sanctified vnto vs in the holy Scriptures if this Gentlewoman and other of the same sect not obey as most certainely they doe not and as hereafter shall be proued they be no true Catholiques howsoeuer they be so outwardly called and doe vainely bragge of the same to whom may be well applied that saying of the Prophet Heare yee this O house of Iacob which are called by the name of Israel and come out of the waters of Iuda which sweare by the name of the Lord and make mention of the God of Israell but not in truth nor in righteousnesse But now I come to the questions 1. First whether Masse or Communion was brought first to England at the conuersion of our English nation to Christianitie 2. Secondly whether Masse or Communion be more ancient 3. Thirdly whether the CoÌ„munion as it is now practised in England were extant in any nation before the Raigne of King Henry the eight Answere AS touching the administration of the Sacrament of Christs body bloud which is commonly called the Communion because it is a pledge vnto vs of that Communion and fellowship which wee haue both with our Sauiour Christ and also one with another two kinde of things are to be considered First such as be of the substance and essence thereof which are vnchangeable Secondly such things as be Accidentall pertayning to the forme and fashion of the ministration thereof which be variable Of the former sort is the hauing of bread and wine the distribution of the same to them that be present prayer and thankesgiuing in a knowne tongue that all with one mouth and heart may giue thankes to God for his great and infinite mercies towards vs in nor sparing but giuing his owne deare sonne for vs euen his body to be broken vpon the Crosse and his bloud to be shed for our saluation whereof the bread and wine is a Sacrament that is to say a holy signe remembrance and pledge vnto vs yea and a meane and instrument whereby wee are made partakers of Christes body and bloud giuen for vs and of all the benefits of his passion These things be of the substance of the Sacrament and ought alwaies to be vsed and may not be altered Other things there be accidentall as the time and place of ministring the same the habit or tire to be vsed of the Minister the forme of praier and thanksgiuing in respect of the words These and such other be not of the substance of the Sacrament and haue no expresse commandement but be variable and changeable so that all things be done decently and to edification Now to come vnto your questions If you meane by the Communion and Masse the forme of praiers and Liturgie vsed by vs and you I may well say that neither of them both were first brought into England at the conuersion thereof to Christianitie altogether in such forme as now they be vsed for both what diuersities of Liturgies and seruice bookes haue beene and also what additions haue beene put to the same is not vnknowne Gregorie Lib 7. iud 2. Epist 6 3. saith the Apostles did consecrate and minister the Sacrament only with the prayer of our Sauiour Christ There be extant diuers sundrie Liturgies of the which the Papists attribute one to S. Iames another to S. Basil another to S. Chrysostome one differing froÌ„ another And in this small Iland within the time of Popery there were three or foure sorts of Masse bookes one after the manner of Yorke another after Sarum another after Bangor And about thirtie yeares past there was brought in a Romane Missall which abolisheth the rest It appeareth both by Augustine the Monkes questions and Gregorie the first answeres that there were diuers and different orders in diuers Churches Augustines question hath these words Cum vna sit fides sunt Ecclesiarum diuersa consuetudines Beda Ecclesiast hist lib. 1. cap. 28. altera consuetudo missarum in sancta Romana ecclesia utque altera in Galliarum tenetur i. Whereas there is but one faith there be diuers customes of the Churches and there is one custome or order of Masses in the holy Church of Rome and another in the Churches of France So also wee confesse that in the Churches where the truth of Christs Gospell is taught there be sundry Liturgies differing in forme of words and yet agreeing in substance of matter which may well be vsed to the glory of God and comfort of his people So that it forceth not though our Liturgie or forme of prayer vsed at the ministration of Christs holy supper were not brought into this Land at the first conuersion thereof or were neuer vsed before the raigne of King Henrie the eight as long as it cannot be prooued that it containeth any thing vngodly and dissenting from the word of God neither doth it auaile them though they could proue that their Masse as it is now vsed was brought into this Land at the conuersion of it which they cannot doe as long as we can plainely proue that it containeth a false sained sacrifice and hath many wicked prayers and superstitious toyes contrarie to the word of God Well saith Tâ—rtullian Quadâ—unque Tertul. de Virgin vâ—land aduersus veritatem sapit hoc â—rit Hâ—resiâ— ettam vetus consuetudo i. Whaâ—soeuer is against the truâ—th the same is Heresiâ— euen an olde custome But I will shew that some of their olde prayers which they vse in their Masse be wicked and dissenting from the word of God The Priests in the Canon of the Masse after Consecration prayeth in these words Supra quae propitio sereno vultu respicere digneris c. That thou wouldest vouchsafe to looke with a mercifull and fauourable
c. The inuenting of Idols and Images was the beginning of VVis 14. 2 Cor. 6. 16. 1 Ioh. 5. 21. Apoca. 9. 20. whoredome and the finding of them is the corruption of life What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols or Images Babes keepe your selues from Images The remnant of the men which were not killed by these plagues repented not of the workes of their handes that they should not worship deuills and Idols of gold and of siluer of brasse and of stone and of wood which neither can see neither heare nor goe Also they repented not of their murther and of their sorcerie neither of their fornication nor of their theft I wil for shortnes sake omit many other places of Scripture wherein Images in the worship of God are condemned and the vanitie of them liuely painted forth Now as touching the state of the Church after Christ and his Apostles it is most certaine that the Christians in Lib. 3. cap. 23. the primitiue Church neither had nor worshipped Images Eusebius writeth that Plinius secundus a Pagane writing to Traiane the Emperour a persecutor of Christians did certifie him that hee found no wickednes in the Christians but that they would not worshippe Images Origne writeth that Celsus that railer and Blasphemour of Christianity did obiect this as a fault against the Con. Celse lib. 4. Apolog. cap. 12. Christians that they had no Images Tertullian writeth thus If we worship not vaine pictures and Images that are like dead men which Kites Mise and Spiders know what they be doth not the forsaking of this knowne errour deserue rather praise then punishment Lactantius saith that God is greater then man therefore he is aboue and not below neither Lib 2. de Orig. 9. error cap 19. is he to be sought below vpon the earth but in the highestrehioÌ„ of heauen wherefore ther is no doubt but that there is no religion wheresoeuer there is an Image Clemens writeth Lib. 5. recog cap 6. thus That Serpent the Deuill vseth by others to vtter such words we to the honor of God do worship visible Images the which is most certainely false for if you would truly worship the Image of God by doing well vnto man you should in him worship the true Image of God for in euery man is the true Image of God But yet not in all the true similitude but where there is a good soule and a pure minde If therefore you would honor the Image of God wee doe shew you what is good that you do good and giue honor and reuerence vnto man who is made after the Image of God giuing meate vnto the hungry and drinke vnto the thirsty apparell vnto the naked seruice vnto the sicke hospitality vnto strangers and things necessarie vnto him that is in prison And this is that which shal be accepted as truely done vnto God And these things doe so farre forth tende vnto Gods Image and the honor thereof that he that doth them not is thought to offer iniury vnto the Image of God Therefore what honour of God is this to gâ—d after Images of stone and of woode and to worshippe as God vaine and liuelesse Images and to despise man in whom is truly the Image of God Hitherto Clement Epiphanius comming into a church and there finding a Com. 3. opem Hicronimi vaile hanging and hauing on it an Image as it were of Christ or some Saint did teare it in peeces willed them to wrap some dead body in it and not to hange such in the churches contrary to the authority of the scriptures This Epistle wherein this is contained hath the authority not onely of Epiphanius which did write it but also of Saint Hierome who did translate and alledge it against Iohn the Bishop of Ierusalem Saint Augustine commendeth that Lib. â— de ciuit dei cap. 9 learned Romaine Varro for that hee affirmed that they which ordained Images for the people both tooke away feare and brought in error And againe hee writeth of the Ibim cap. 31 same Varro in this sort Wherefore seeing that Varro did say that they did know what was God who did beleeue that hee is a soule or spirit gouerning the world and did thinke that religion might more chastly bee obserued without Images who did not see how neare hee came to truth Heare Saint Augustine affirmeth that Varro came neare vnto the truth in thinking that religion might more chastly and purely be obserued without Images then with them The same Saint Augustine writeth thus Vere mendatia c. Our fathers haue indeed worshipped lies euen Images in which is no profit Saint Ambrose sayth The De fug â—culi cap. 5. cap. 36. Church knoweth not idle formes and vaine figures Images The counsel Elibertimum decreed that Images ought not to be in the Church and that which is worshipped or adored 〈◊〉 lib. 1. a coas a. Euangel cap. 10. should not be painted â—poâ— walls I will conclude this matter o Images with an other saying of S. Augustine Sic omnine errare meruerunt quia ChristuÌ„ et Apostolos eius non in sanctis condicibus sed in pictis parietibus quaesiueruÌ„t i. They haue altogither deserued to bee deceiued because they haue sought Christ and his Apostles not in the holy bookes of the scriptures but in painted walls And thus much at this time for Images expecting that this Catholike gentlewoman or some of her friends will proue by the testimony of the holy scriptures and the testimony of all writers in all ages since Christ and his Apostles not onely the vse of them as here they say but also the horrible abuse of them such as was in Popery in running a pilgrimage to them in kneeling creeping to them in burning candles and tapers before them in offering incense and all kinde of other oblations vnto them in making them to nodde with their heads and their eyes to gogle to deceiue the simple c. This shal be as easie for them to doe as to moue mountaines As touching the crosse and pilgrimage I will for shortnesse sake write nothing requiring them by the foresayd testimonies for to proue them Now it followeth in the sayd scroole or paper I Would know whether it bee not true that Aerius was condemned an Heretike aboue these thousand yeares for denying praier for the dead and Vigilantius for denying the praiers to Saints and the Nouatianes for denying the power of the Church to forgiue sinnes and Eustathius for denying Pilgrimage to holie places and Simon Magus for denying free will and Iouiniane for affirming the marriage of Priestes all the which opinions and many moe that are now preached for Gods word haue beene these thousand yeares condemned for heresies as I am told out of bookes of Saint Ireneus Saint Ambrose Saint Augustine Saint Epiphanius Saint Hierome and other holy fathers of the primitiue Church Answere AS touching these here charged with