pray God the Father of Iesus Christ that he would open the eyes of your mind and direct you in his waies least you cast away that silly soule so deerely bought which you desire to saue Therefore leaue off to resist the truth and wittingly to â—ick against the prick you cannot by force stop the waues of the sea you cannot darken the beames of the sunne nor restraine the arme of God Falshood driuen back shall giue place and truth at the length resist while you will shall haue the victorie The Conclusion vnto the Vniuersitie men CAmpian most worthy men would present this gift of his vnto you which of what worth it is you can best iudge I will not go about to turne or allenate your affections from him whom I know more firmely resolued then that any such slender reasons can any whit moue you He may I graunt make some shew and get some applause from the vnlearned multitude but that he should be able to beguile you or cast a mist before such and so great iudgements if I should suspect it I should be too inâ—â—tioâ—s to the Vniuersities Therefore I aâ— well content that Campian haue such place is your conceipts and affections as he can procure and referre the censure of the matter most willingly vnto you This worke he composed at vacant times us he trauelled if we may beleeue him of his word He would not seeme to write any thing purposely and â—â—â—rately wherein he both apparantly distrust his cause and bewraies the vanitie of his disposition For whereas before he had prepared it with great deliberation and brought it into England from Rome he would seeme to vs to haue penned it on a suddaine at idle times in his trauaile which plainely shewes the badnes of his cause and argues more then ordinarie arrogancie But this is ordinarie with our Papists to pretend all their writings are done of a suddaine and ex tempore hoping thereby to be easily excused in their errors besides they will hereby make vs beleeue that when they write more deliberately and take greater paines then their writings shall be vnanswerable After Bishop Iewell that famous preacher of the truth had challenged all Papists and called them to the triall of antiquitie some yeares ago certaine bookes were published by men of great name Harding Rastall Dorman but obserue their notable policie When they had been full three yeares in preparing their answere and at length had finished somewhat fearing they should be but lightly respected by the learned and circumspect reader they dissembled their intent alleaging that they were written in hast not with purpose of publishing them but only to satisfie the particular request of some priuate friends what could they haue fained more foolishly or affirmed more featefullie But Campian thought good to follow their politique example affirming this worke of his was made by the way 〈…〉 houres when he at great leisure had prepared is beyond the seas And yet the matter of the booke the manner of his stile and his whole gift as he calleth it is such as I easily beleeue it was rather done in great hast then by mature deliberation For what 〈◊〉 these his â—en reasons but a little summe of slanders laid and drawne together out of the bookes and lectures of Lindane Sanders Canisius Melchior Canus Bellarmine in composing whereof Campian might easily make hast especially seeing his greatest care was not how true but how slanderous all things were that he should set downe For I doubt not but you that are the learned of the Vniuersities perceiue by this time that those things written in this booke by Campian are such as for the matter are most vntrue for the stile spitefull and malitious I testifie before God and I call heauen earth and whatsoeuer creatures in the world to witnes that either there is no truth or those things thus by Campian propounded are most false View it well search it and know it altogether Campian is an aduersary and deceiptfull trust him not he is deceiued himselfe and laboureth to deceiue you By him none can be deceiued but such as willingly will be intangled with error Al things he hath are common only his audaciousnes in affirming and faining any thing it is strange and incredible If it were fit that he should be respected more then Luther then Caluine then Christ himselfe the teacher of truth then he had some cause to hope but seeing this is vnmeete and vnreasonable he can preuaile nothing at all with you by his reasons Night remaines till the day be light but the Sunne rising darknes is dispelled and the truth appearing falshood vanisheth God the father of lights the only teacher of heauenly wisedome vouchsafe vs his spirit that ignorance and deceiueâ—â—â—â— error being 〈◊〉 we may harken to the voice of that gâ—â—â—â— Shepheard auoid the intiâ—â—ments and bâ—â—tes of Antichâ—â—â—â— and may know God the Father in Christ Iesus to whom with the holy Spirit bee all praise and glory asâ—â—â—ed for euer FINIS Errata Pag. 29. liâ—â—â—1 put in called p. 42. in the note l. â— readâ—â—â—cite p. 43. l. 1. r. Mâ—lito p. 43. notâ— l. 36. r. them p. 53. the notâ— should be referred to pag. 54. p. 70. l. 1. r. Macariâ—s p â—3 l. 41. r. 275. p. 83. nota l. 18. r. 294. p. 100. l. 11. r. the. ibid. l. 23. r. reserued p. 104. l. 17. r. words ibid. l. 37. r. the. p. 1â—â— l. 17. â—â— Maslouius p. 137. l. 5. r. principle p. 148. noâ—â— l. â— 1 hold p. 15â— nota l. 2â— r. dâ—â— p. 161. l. 2. the superiori â— should be in p. 260. at forbiddeth p. 1â—6 l. 32. r. Orosius p. 168. l. 20. r. Pope p. 17â— l. 10. r. as though p. 176. l. 29. r. when p. 186. l 21. r. lucre p. 18â— l. 13. r. â—â—cking p 235. l. 25. put in of hell p. 243. l. 10 r. medling p. 253. l. 2â— â—â—e superior â— should be in l. 17. aâ— beleeâ—â— p. 260 l. 〈…〉 in where are they now p. â—61 l. 23. r. fast p. 266. l. 17 〈…〉 p. 290. nota l. 13. r. your p. 292. l. 10. r. Siluister p. 298. l. 17. r. world p. 305. l. 1. r. 1â— p. 310. nota l. 9. r. Pauli ibi l. 14. r. â—7â—
but because he was forced to follow a fellow that rode a wilde goose chase The benefit of which epitomie may be this If you reade the summe of euery answere before you reade each particular answer it will well prepare you to conceiue of the answere it selfe if after which I could wish also you would doe then it will present to you the whole as it were in a mappe When you haue read both and the whole booke if at any time you remember some thing you would see more particularly and can but tell or make some nie coniecture in what answere it is laid downe with reading of one page you may finde in what 〈◊〉 of the 〈…〉 be found Finally let it incourage you the â—â—ther to reade this Treatise because you shall finde in it whatsoeuer is by our late Papists in their Pâ—â—phlets and Treatises which they haue audaciously sent abroad in these few last yeeres when the lawes haue been laid asleepe and the iust seueritie of them greatly qualified I say whatsoeuer is in them either obiected against our Church and doctrine or spoken in their owne defence is here to be found and a solid answere giuen vnto them if any thing would giue them satisfaction If you bee but well exercised in this one booke out of it you may gather some smooth stones as out of a brooke by which though you should not be enabled to hold any long warre with a cunning Papist yet you may smite him in the forehead and fell him groueling to the earth 1. Sam. 17. as Dauid did the vncircumcised Philistine The Apostle exhorts that we earnestly contend for the maintenance of the faith Jude vers 3. which was once giuen vnto the Saints A naked and vnarmed man may well contend but shall neuer be able to maintaine any thing committed to him but it will soone be taken from him so may I say for the truth it is not words but weapons and weight of diuine reason that must defend it therefore must euery Christian souldier that thinkes to haue the crowne take to him such armour as Gods Armourie will affoord him Now those weapons if so be you cannot fetch so readily in the word of truth it selfe because of your infirmitie they are here brought to your hand and you withall are led by the hand to the particular places where they are in the word it selfe Now the Lord of hosts strengthen you in the truth and arme you with his grace that you may be able to stand against all the enemies of your saluation 2. Tim. 4.7.8 and that you may fight a good fight and finish your course and keepe the faith that you may obtaine the crowne of righteousnes which the Lord the righteous Iudge will giue at the last day vnto all those that loue his appearing Yours euer in the Lord Richard Stock The summe of the answere to the first Reason which is holy Scripture 1 PApiste account themselues disarmed if they must fight onely with the scriptures Page 24. nota 2 Of the number of the Canonicall scriptures that Luther and Caluine and their followers haue put out none which antiquitie and the purest Churches haue receiued Page 26 3 Campian was an Apostata not Luther Page 26 4 Luther onely thought not basely of the Epistle of S. Iames but antiquitie also Page 27 5 All Protestants highly reuerence this Epistle of S. Iames. Page 28. 30 6 Luther neuer writ so contempteously of the Epistle of Saint Iames as Campian affirmes Page 29 7 S. Paul and the Fathers haue taught iustification by faith alone Page 30 8 The place of S. Iames expounded and prooued not to be contrary to the doctrine of iustification by faith onely Page 31 9 Not Protestants of late but the Fathers of old haue put out of the Canon Tobias Ecclesiasticus the two bookes of Machabees and diuers other bookes Page 32. 33 10 The Papists cannot defend the Articles of their religion by the Canonicall scriptures but are forced to flye to the Apochrypha Page 34 11 Duraeus contrary to the Councell of Trent denieth traditions to be of equall authority with the scripture Page 34 12 Protestants haue denied no one booke or word of any booke of Canonicall scriptures Page 35 13 Angels do defend the elect but their hirarchy and degrees are without warrant of the word and their worship flat against the word Page 35. 36 14 Man hath no frâ—â—will by nature Page 37 15 The bookes of the Machabees are reiected by diuers Fathers and the Laodicene Councell ibid. 16 Neither prayers to the dead nor for the dead are lawfull Page 38 17 Seâ—â—en bookes of the Apochrypha were put out of the Canon by Hierome a thousand yeares before Caluine was borne Page 39 18 The 3. and 4. bookes of Esdra sometime were highly accounted by the church of Rome Page 39 19 Protestants haue not cut out of the Canon sixe epistles of the new Testament but honour them much neither haue the Lutherans Page 40 20 Augustine and Hierome in their difference for the number of the Canonicall bookes reconciled Page 41. 42 21 Meliâ—o Bishop of Sardis though he put the booke of Wisdome in the Canon yet he excludeth all the rest Page 43 22 The Laodicene Councell forbiddeth the reading of those bookes which are without the Canon and alloweth only the reading of thâ—se which we put in the Canon of the old and new Testament 43.44 The Councell of Carthage allowed them only for manners nota for three hundred yeares these bookes were not in the Canon so confesseth Duraeus nota Page 43 23 The Councell of Carthage denied the Pope to be vniuersall Bishop Page 43 24 The Papists crueltie farre surpasseth the Protestants iust seueritie Page 45 25 The scriptures haue in themselues many proofes that they are the word of God but the certaine infallible and sauing assurance is from the spirit of God Page 46. 47 26 Campian scorneth the iudgement of the spirit in respect of the iudgement of the Church as if they were contrary Page 46. 48 27 The Church can make no writing Canonicall neither doth the authority of it depend on the Church It hath in it selfe his owne authority Page 48 28 Without the spirit a man may haue some knowledge of the scripture but no faith The testiments of the spirit as not 〈◊〉 confute others but confirms our selues Page 45. nota 29 The Lutherans did not onely surde somewhat lacking in the Apocalyps but ouen antiquitie receiued it not you reâ—ected it Page 50 30 Luther preferreth the Gospell of S. Iohn and Paules Epistles before the other Gospels and why Page 50. 51 31 What a Gospell is and who especially is an Euangelist Page 51 32 Campian slandereth Luther as touching S. Lukes Gospell Page 52 33 Beza hath no more offended in charging S. Luke with a solecisme then Hierome did in charging S. Paul Page 53 34 The words of institution in the Supper of the Lord a little examined
corrupt and counterfeit and with this you were put to silence and had not to answere only that you might probablie in shew conuince Luther of blasphemie you demaunded of our men their iudgment of this Epistle They cleerly answered that they accounted this Epistle of S. Iames as all other the Epistles and bookes of the new Testament to be Canonicall Affirming that all our Churches were of the same iudgement And from this you would conclude that Luther therefore was blasphemous because he had written that some probablie called the authoritie of this Epistle into question To this our men replied the consequence was naught from our reuerent opinion of this Epistle to inferre that whosoeuer made any question of it did blaspheme And heere you plainely yeelded For when you boasted of two other reasons that you had you produced none at all After this you came to the old Testament where you accuse vs to haue raced many bookes out of the true Canon The testimonie of Antiquitie was laid before you whence it was cleere that those bookes were not Canonicall Heere you preferred the late Councels and Fathers before the auncient which may not be permitted you And you set Austine in opposition against Hierom when it had been fitter you would haue reconciled them Augustine he affirmes these bookes to be Canonicall Hierome denies them yea expresly plainly and euidently For Augustine our men answered that he vsed the word Canonicall doubtfully or in diuers signification And that they shewed plainely out of Augustines owne words and Cardinall Caietans Augustine you shifted off and Caietan you audaciously reproached affirming that the Cardinall lost all his grace and elegancie when he once began to Comment vpon the Scriptures At length Campian you were forced euen in Gratian not without blushing to acknowledge this ambiguity of the word And whereas you could not be ignorant of auncient records it was a wonder to our men to see you write that we had of a sudden raced out these bookes Surely this word escaped you very vnlearnedly and inconsideratly we haue store both of auncient witnesses and of others succeeding them who will and can free vs from such imputation of Noueltie To passe by Origen and Eusebius Cyprian or whosoeuer he was that writ the exposition of the Creed we find among his workes after he had reckoned vp all the Canonicall bookes of the old and new Testament he addeth These are those bookes which the Fathers haue included in the Canon Cyprian in expos Symbo where they would that all the grounds of our faith should haue their foundation Yet we must know that there are other bookes which were not called of our predecessors Canonicall but Ecclesiasticall as the booke of Wisedome said to be Salomons and another booke of Wisdome said to be Syrackes Of the same rancke is the little booke of Toby and Iudith and the bookes of the Machabies To him I will adde another later in time and yet he writ 400. yeeres agoe Hugo de sancto victore a very learned man and famous in his time If you haue not read what he hath written in this kind reade it if you haue read it remember it with me after he had reckoned vp by name the Canonicall bookes of the old Testament in the end he thus writeth There are besides in the old Testament Hugo de Sanct. victore in prologo pomi lib. de Sacram. cap. 7. certeine other bookes which indeed we reade but are not written in the corpes of the text or in the authentike Canon As the booke of Toby and Iudith and Machabees and the booke called the Wisdome of Salomon and Ecclesiasticus I omit others and many which I could produce in this kind and that of all ages out of which the constant iudgement of the Church touching these bookes may be discerned Which being so doth it become you Campian to be so iniurious vnto vs so boldly to affirme that we haue latelie crossed out those bookes out of the Canon or which of vs wil be afraid of you triffling so childishly please not your self too much with your wit neither abuse the gifts and parts which you haue gotten by nature or industry to defend falshood and to vphold the kingdome of Antichrist Lay your hand vpon your hart and know your selfe well and cease from that arrogancie with which your vaine sect hath puffed you vp leaue off your lying shake off that Iesuiticall light be hauiour of yours And as Augustine perswaded Hierome take to you the grauitie of a Christian and make recantation For it is no dishonor to recant an error but to persist in it But let vs againe come to your preface There remaineth only for me say you an account to be giuen of my fact and euidently to shew and as it were with the finger to point at those Chapters and fountaines which breed in me such confidence But we Campian can see no cause at all why you should promise so great things of your self or so trust in those fountaines which are as vaine as may be and light as water for these your ten heads which haue made you so headie and bould are so many guilded lies vpon which if you relie your case is farre more lamentable then of those Iewes whom the Prophet Ieremie reproues Trust not in lying words Jer. 7.4 saying The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord. And what is your Euensong but this or that which is farre more foolish and desperate But you say You are able enough to proue that this Sunne shineth now at midday Your sufficiencie all men may see You are as wel able Campian to turne the day into night and to pull the Sunne out of the heauens as defend these heads Those vnusuall boastings and promises so vsuall with you argue a mind proud and swelling with arrogancie and not indued with sound knowledge and learning The emptier the vessels be the lowder they sound VVhat insolencie I pray you made you adde that of Roscius Supposition as if the things you defend were as manifestly true as it is impossible any man should run 700. miles in two daies I am ashamed Campian to see how vaine you be and full of boasting and arrogancy What dare you vndertake to conuince all the most famous and excellent Churches of the world of error as directly and plainly as it is impossible for a man to walke 700. miles in two daies If Campian you can compasse the world in three daies if you can outgoe the Sun if touch the heauens with your fingers if number the starres if drinke vp the sea you may demonstrate the truth of your cause to which you are so deuoted But if those things surpasse your strength then shall you neuer make this good no though the whole knot of Iesuits ioyne with you Now whereas you intreate vs to haue a care of our soules health we take in good part your desire and endeuour of our saluation And indeed
light and euidence of the storie hath wrung this from you But tel vs who made question of them Did heretikes onely Then account Eusebius Hierome amongst heretikes who haue reported to vs their owne iudgement of these Epistles with the iudgement of the Church Can you prooue that they were accounted heretikes in the first and pure ages of the Church who tooke out of the Canon these Epistles For the Epistle of Saint Iames I haue answered sufficiently we neither reiect that nor any of the other Epistles which you falsely accuse the Lutherans to haue cut out this is no fauit of ours whom you knowe to be farre from Lutheranisme quarrell then with them as for vs we neuer cunningly shifted off the testimonies and allegations of those Epistles Can you in equitie require any more of vs At length then forbeare to vpbraide vs with I knowe not what desperation frowardnes and presumption wee willingly admit receiue and allow of your owne bookes which your selfe make vse of in disputation to their iudgment will we stand if you can conuince vs by these you winne the field That which you adde of the booke of Ester and of almost three whole chapters of Daniel is nothing but cauilling The booke of Ester we account Canonicall as much as by Gods authoritie is written in b DVR As if the Hebrevv tongue were the rule of the Canon and of diuine authority WHIT. pag. 90. No booke is a part of the new Testament which is vvritten in Latin yet is not Greeke the rule of the Canon Hebrew but those fragments which commonly are annexed to that holy history of Ester we cannot so highly account of as for those three chapters they are none of Daniels of which read if you please c DVR Hicrome to Ruffinus seemeth to approue those three chapters of Daniel WHIT. pag. 92. Erasmus noted that Hierome delt craftely hauing in his preface shevved he thought othervvise Hieromes preface vpon Daniel And there you shall find that not the Anabaptists only but the auncient Iewes haue reiected and derided them But Campian why doe you trifle thus were you wont to build much vpon the authority of those bookes did you in these lay the foundations of your faith why then do you seeke to make vs odious by these bookes which if they were neuer so Canonical would further your cause neuer a whit the more Now you much commend Augustines modestie VVho August de doctrin Christ. lib. 2. cap. 8. say you hath made a Catalogue of the bookes of holy Scripture farre better then either the Iewes or Sectaries I could wish you Iesuits had a little more modestie that ye might be more like Augustine for all men speake and cry out of your male pertnes and insolency But Augustine counted those bookes Canouicall which we do not true I deny it not but what of that is not Augustine opposite to Hierome for Hierome expressely denies those bookes to be nuÌ„bred in the Canon And Augustine setting downe the whole Canon of the Scripture doth annex these to it It seemeth there is a great difference in their iudgements for those which Hierome denies Augustine affirmeth to be Canonicall both famous men and such as haue deserued well of the Church of God how then may we satisfie Augustine whom Campian obiecteth vnto vs No otherwise then as the truth is The termes of Apochrypha and Canonicall Hierome vseth in one sense and Augustine in another Hierome accounted all these bookes Apochrypha which were not written in Hebrew Augustine though in deed and in truth he differed not yet he gaue this name especially to those bookes which were not fraught with fables and lies such as those times afforded very many For so he writeth lib. 15. cap. 23. de ciuit Dei Though there be some truth found in the Apochrypha bookes yet they haue no Canonicall authoritie there being so many lies in them Therefore he names in the Canon the booke of Iudith and Toby and Ecclesiasticus other of that sort because there was more truth and sinceritie in them then in those common and diuulged fables Therefore Augustine vseth the terme of Canonicall Scripture more largely then Hierome and of Apochrypha more strictly vnlesse happily we will suppose that of set purpose Augustine would differ from Hierome in a thing of that moment Besides the Romish Cardinal Caietan in fine comenta in histor veter Testameuti of whom we spake before writeth that certeine Councels with Augustine accounted these bookes Canonicall because they were rules for manners not for faith and doctrine And what reason Augustine had to plead for the booke of Wisdome De predest Sanct. c. 24. least it should be turned out of the Canon let him looke to it himselfe this very booke Hierom whom you Iesuits vsually preferre before Augustine hath by name excluded and from the selfe-same place where Augustine confirmeth the authority of this booke euery man may gather that it was not commonly receiued in the Canon for when Augustine cited a testimony out of that booke He was taken away Wisd 4.11 least wickednes should alter his vnderstanding many of the brethren who were present cried out It was not alledged out of a Canonicall booke d DVR But you reuiue not Augustines ansvvere and hovv he obiected against them the consent of all Bishops faithfâ—ll Laitie c. WHIT. pag. 97. Augustine doth not accuse them of impudency or sacriledge for denying it nor reprouâ—s them much only he saith it is better then other treatises vvhich I acknovvledge And the consents of the former he alledged to proue that a sentence of this booke is not lightly to be reiected seeing many Churches did reade it though all did not receiue it as himselfe saith de ciuit Dei lib. 27. cap. 20. Now it is like they neuer would haue reiected the argument and testimony of this speech if the authoritie of that booke had been Canonicall in the Church And yet I denie not but that Antiquitie might thinke more reuerently of this booke then of other of the bookes of Apochryphaes For I obserue in Eusebius that c DVR Melito affirmeth this booke to be Canonicall WHIT. pag. 98. Be it so yet he reiectes all your other and what haue you got by it But by the name of Wisdome some thinke he meaneth the Prouerbs of Salomon Melita the Bishop of Sardis in a certeine Epistle written to Onesimus wherin he setteth downe exactly the number of the sacred bookes of the old Testament and accounteth this booke as one of the Canon yet he mentioneth not one of the others which we call Apochrypha neither Toby nor Iudith nor the Macchabees nor Ecclesiasticus nor yet any of the rest for which you striue so much yet he affirmeth that he tooke great paines to know exactly those auncient bookes and professeth that he fully attained his end Eusebius lib. 4. cap. 26. After saith he I had learned exactly what
gainsay that this Denys cannot be the partie you report him to be You then haue no reason to be angrie with Luther or Caussaeus if they handled this a DVR You say that Denyâ— is counterfeite but proue it by no reason But Origen Nazianzene Zophâ—ine Archbishop of Hierusalem Damascene Nicephorus Euthemius Dionysius Archbishop of Alexaâ—dria acknowledge his bookes him to haue been a disciple of S. Paul WHIT. pag. 357. But I say that Antiquitie was altogether ignorant of his bookes which could not be if they bad been written of Denys Arcâ—pagita for Eusâ—biu diligently searching out and setting downe all auncient writers and all thâ—â—r bookes and Epistles which they writ mentioneth not â—im nor his workes neither doe any 〈◊〉 the Greeke and Latin Fathers speake of him But who can thinke that the bookes of a disciple of Saint Paul should be vnknowne and not highly esteemedâ— of all in those daies Besides he citeth the Epistles of Igâ—â—tius as also the Gospell and Reuelation of S. Iohn which must needs be written diuers yeares after the death of Denys Arâ—â—pagita hee writeth an Epistle to Polycarpus and calleth him a ruler of the Church when at his detah Polycarpus must needs be very yong for Denys was slaine Anno Dom 96. Polycarpe died 1â—6 being but 86. yeares of age he calleth Timothy his sonne who was conuerted before euer that Arâ—â—pagita vvas he acknowledgeth that his maisters had their learning from the Apostles doth he not thereby deny himselfe S. Paules scholer finally the Church Hierarchie and all the names of the officers reckoned vp by him were neuer knowne in the Apostles time For your authors they are all new and late writers but two The first Origen whom Erasmus denieth Annot. in Act. 17. once to haue made mâ—otion of him in all his writings neither euer doth Nazianzene counterfeit somewhat roughly and censured him freely Where you say Caluin and the writers of the Centuries were offended with Ignatius Ignatius I confesse they had iust cause of offence If heretikes alleaged him to bee a patron of a wicked and detestable opinion Caluin might with reason and discretion reiect him how aptly and truly he was by them alleaged I cannot tell let them look to it Howsoeuer it be the truth ought not by his authoritie to be borne downe whose credit is little if any at all you are not ignorant what the iudgement of all the learned is those Epistles of Ignatius Eusebius indeed makes mention of some of his Epistles and Hierome of others but now many more goe vnder his name which they haue not mentioned Hierome b DVR If diuers of those things there cited out of him bee not to bee found hovv follovveth it that those works of his vvhich are extant bee forged and noue of his WHIT. pag. 360. From thence verely it will follow that his works are not perfect yea many things are found in his Epistles which are incredible to haue been taught in those daies as the strict keeping of Lent and fasting vpon the Sabbath daies yea it was but latelie that these Epistles were printed and published and so of the lesse credit and authority also reports a saying of his Hierâ—n Dial. 3. con Pel. Theod. Dial. 3. and Theodoret another which are not found in those Epistles which are caried about what would you haue more Gratian himselfe fauours not ouermuch this your Ignatius You see then of how obscure suspected and vncertaine reputation are these two which you place in the forefront of your armie You are offended that the Censors as you call them vpbraide Irenaeus as in some thing fantasticall We vse not to speake reprochfully of Irenaus whom we confesse to haue been both holy and learned but what is this to the purpose If Iraneus haue written something foolishly must be therefore by and by be wholy yours And if some where we haue noted his opinion as not true and sound doe we therefore reiect all his works Is this your manner of disputing Campian is this your skirmishing are you of opinion that neuer any word passed from Irenaeus vnaduisedly or which might iustly be tearmed vnreasonable Then tell c DVR You that acknovveledge and admit nothing but the Scriptures can by no argument confute this errâ—r WHIT. p. 362. What may worse beseeme a liuine then thus to speake What thinke you of these places Christ when he began to preach the Gospell was about thirtie yeares of age Luke 3.23 After his Baptisme Iohn maketh mention of three Pasleouers and that in the third he was put to death Is not the time then very plainely set downe and indeede what can be more plaine and casie Hence we may obserue that the Fathers haue plainely erred where you would hardly beleeue any man could erre me Campian Lib. 2. cap. 39.40 how Christ preached onely one yeare yet was baptized the thirtieth yeare of his age and died the fiftieth what shall we beleeue that Christ taught onely one yeare and that the fortieth yeare will you denie this to be a very new strange and almost franticke noueltie Besides that many write Irenaeus to haue been one of them whom the Fathers call Millenaries thinke you that was not a franticke opinion And can you doubt of Clemens whether hee hath sometimes sowne Tares what call you that where he denieth that Christ indeed did either hunger or thirst Againe that Christ taught but one yeere which he had of Irenaus Againe Clement Stromat lib. 3. idem lib. 1. idem lib. 5. that the Philosophers in hel expected the comming of Christ being taught by owne mouth beleeued Wil you deny those to be Tares and many of this kind are his to be found in the worthiest writers of that age If you denie it bring me one whom I will not conuince to haue erred by your owne iudgement You dare not say Tertul. we haue wronged Tertullian But you will vs to remember that the book of Prescriptions was neuer taxed which for ought I remember neuer was though I confesse that writing which you name is notable in which many things are written very diuinely against your Church d DVR But you tell vs not any one particular whereby this may appeare WHIT. pag. 365. I suppose you neuer read this booke or else you would not make doubt of it Is any thing more against your traditions then that hee pronounceth a curie to them that shall bring any doctrine but the selfe same which the nations receiued from the Apostles and they from Christ himselfe And that men cannot be otherwise perswaded of the things of faith then from the writings of faith when he gathereth from Christ sending of his Apostles that no Ministers are else to be receiue but such as Christ hath ordeined when whatsoeuer is later brought is forraine and false when he wâ—â—â—eth that faith must be built and borne vp vpon the writings of the Law and of the Prophets
the Euangelists and Apostles I wonder you are not ashamed of Hippolytus of whom Harding himselfe was almost ashamed Hippolyt Thinke not that we are ought moued with e DVR VVhy do you reiect this booke of Hippolyte as counterfeite Hierome affirmeth that he was a Bishop and hath written many Commentaries vpon the Scriptures WHIT. pag. 367. Will it therefore follow that this booke is not counterfeit nay it is the rather forged because Hierom doth not number it amongst his bookes Hyppolitus was a very worthy man of whom Eusebius Hierom Theodoret Nicephorus haue made verie honorable mention But this booke is childish in the beginning and in the whole altogether vnanswerable to his eloquence and iudgement authors of so small credit so lately drawne but of darknes as they scarse yet haue learned to looke vpon the light For what was this Hippolytus He writ you say of Antichrist But how worthily that foolish booke of Hippolytus which a certaine man I know not who of late daies published gesseth that the Diuell is Antichrist and faineth many other things which neither can be true nor were euer esteemed for true And yet you marueile we set him so light whom no man regards or reads or almost knowes I can giue you good leaue to recken him for your owne and if you will let him haue a better note in your armie The accusation concerning Cyprian Cyprian is more haynous whom all men reuerence for his singular faith and excellent learning But Caussaeus tearmeth him senselesse and without God They of Magdenburge call him a corrupter of penance Shall I be tied to take vpon me and defend euery speech which any man hath at any time vttered This Caussaeus I neuer saw nor before this euer heard of him But in as much as you so odiously accuse him I suppose him to bee some learned and godly man Vnto that he saith of Cyprian I answere that which I remember I haue read in f DVR That Cyprian which Nazianzene speaketh of was not our Cyprian the Father of the Church WHIT. pag. 367. Nazianzene certainely speaketh of the same Cyprian for see how hee describes him He did not only gouerne the Church of Carthage and all Affricke but the vvhole VVest and almost the East the Southerne and Northerne parts how thinke you is it not the same Cyprian Nazianzene viz. that he was in his youth dissolute and giuen to much vice and worshipped Diuels and vsed the helpe of Diuels He was saith Nazianzene a worshipper of Diuels and after a disciple of Christ. Nazian de Cypri Your vnreasonablenes forceth me to mention those things which I had rather haue concealed For in the Fathers imperfections you sticke fast like a burre and cease not to rub vp the remembrance of those things which you should doe better not once to touch If these things which Nazianzene reporteth of Cyprian be true then Caussaeus might say that Cyprian at that time was foolish and godlesse For I cannot thinke that Caussaeus would write so of him but in regard of those times or that any man would conceiue so iniuriously of that godly Martyr whereas they of Magdenburge complaine that hee corrupted the doctrine of repentance therein they forge against him no new accusation but rather disclose that which all men know to haue been too true Cyprian wrote some thing of Repentance very vnseasonably and vndiscreetly and not he g DVR O singular impudencie O intollerable arrogancie what haue all the Fathers in that age erred so sousely in so great a matter As if they were ignorant that the works of repentance had any vertue any where else but from the merits and blood of Christ. WHIT. pag. 369. What neede all this heate It had been your part to haue shewed that the Fathers who then liued haue spoken nothing vnfitly of repentance so had you confuted that I charge them with which your heare will not cure And what if the Fathers haue thought that mens works haue all their vertue and power from the merit of Christ will it thence follow they haue spoken nothing vnfitly of repentance and works As if Christ by his death had onely merited that we might by our works and merits deserue eternall life or that they who hold the foundation may not build timber or haie vpon it alone but all the holy Fathers of that time were tainted with that error For being desirous by seuere lawes to limit and restraine the euill manners of men they made the greatest part of Repentance to consist in certaine outward disciplines which they appointed which seuere censuring of sinne sharpe punishing of wickednes might happely be borne withall but when they thought the punishment of sinne to be discharged Gods iustice satisfied freedome from sinne and certeine forgiuenes with righteousnes hereby to be procured herein they diminished the power of Christs death they attributed too much to their owne inuentions and in a word depraued the doctrine of repentance because our sinnes are clensed and remoued by no offices or workes of ours but only by the blood and passion of Christ And so your obiection of Repentance is answered We doe not for all this deny the workes of Cyprian nor reiect the bookes of any Father of that age as you falsely affirme seeing both he and they agree with vs in the greatest questions but this is the priuiledge of you and your fellowes that you euen greedily hunt after and pursue whatsoeuer is faulty in any author as if all the Fathers errors serued to make vp the body and faith of your religion Something you say Cyprian wrote to Cornelius which if we giue credit vnto then Peter Martyr and his cōfederats must be held for worse thē adulterous sacrilegious but what that is I cannot so much as couiecture I know that Cyprian sent many letters to Cornelius but none of them accuse vs either of adultery or sacriledge neither can you out of those letters alleadge any thing to our preiudice or your aduantage but this is euer your manner to proue nothing clearely and distinctly but only to name the Fathers and from their names to raise certaine rouing vncertaine suspitions That which you write of Chambers and pillowes I passe ouer as nothing else but scoffing and reproachfull taunts such as is common in euery varlets mouth Now you come to the next age and heere you mention Chrysostome Nazianzene Ambrose and Hierome But to what purpose I pray you Chrysostom for what if Luther do censure Chrysostome sharply because by too much aduauncing our works and merits he obscureth the righteousnes of faith what though Caussaeus find some thing fabulous in Nazianzene Nazian h DVR You freely graunt that Chrysostome Nazianzene Ambrose and Hierome are on Campians side and yet you pleasantly demaund are these Fathers wholy yours we who are then true sonnes doe not challenge them as halfe Fathers but wholy our Fathers WHIT. pag.
Therefore you see there is no reason why for this cause Luther should either find fault with or feare the Epistle of S. Iames. And thus Augustine hath reconciled these two Apostles Iames and Paul that you may see that we are not broachers of any Noueltie Wherefore saith m DVR Augustine maketh nothing for you but against you WHIT. pag. 50. Augustinâ— affirmâ—th directly that S. Iames speaketh of a vaine and fayned faith which is as much as we here produce him for Augustine Aug. quaesâ— 85 quaeâ—t 76. the iudgements of the two Apostles S. Paul S. Iames are not contrarie each to other when the one saith a man is iustified by faith without workes and the other saith that it is a vaine faith which is without workes because S. Paul speakâ—th of workes which goe before faith Saint Iames of workes which follow faith at S. Paul himselfe sheweth in many places Therefore the Apostle S. Iames would not neither ought to detract any thing from the doctrine of iustification which Luther learned from S. Paul Yea all Papists and Iesuits shall sooner be torne asunder then this iudgement of Luther touching faith alone shall either quaile or be ouerthrowne From Luther you turne the edge of your speech to the whelpes of Luther for so you as an vncleane dogge terme men famous and flourishing with all good qualities But why you should so call them I well conceiue not vnlesse it be for that they neuer cease barking against your Bishops and Monkes and other Church robbers like your selfe But let vs heare what heynous thing those whelpes haue committed They haue on a suddaine put out of the true Canon of the Scripture Tobias Ecclesiasticus the two bookes of the Macchabees and many other bookes Say you of a suddaine Campian Is it true indeed that you are such a stranger in the writings of the auncient Fathers that you know not that long agoe these bookes were raced out of the Canon Looke I pray you into Hierome and out of him call to mind what antiquitie hath done That we may know saith n DVR Hierome saith that the former Churches did not receiue these bookes for Canonicall but denies them not to be Canonicall WHIT. pag. 52. Hicrome affirmeth not only that these bookes were not receiued of the fore-going Churches for Canonical but himself oâ—ten times denies them to be such and plainely cals them Apochâ—ypha bookes which he wâ—uld neuer haue done if the Church then had taken them for Canonicall yea and as Duraeus confesseth they were not so taken vntill â—lmoâ—t 70â— yeâ—res afâ—er Christ Hierome Hieron iâ— Prologo Galiato Whatsoeuer bookes are more then these they are to be accouÌ„ted among the Apochrypha Therefore Wisdome which commonly is called the Wisdome of Salomon and the booke of Iesus the sonne of Syrach and Iudith and Tobias and Pastor are not in the Canon Will you that are but a Frier put these bookes in the Canon which Hierome following the iudgement of the auncient Church and the truth it selfe denieth to be in the Canon marke well his owne words They are not in the Canon You say that we haue dashed them out and why should we not so doe For saith Hierome they are not in the Canon Desire you any further testimonies Epiphanius saith as much as Hierome who after he had recited diuers bookes which you say we haue put out of the Canon he thus writeth as Cornarius renders his words out of the Greeke These bookes verily are profitable and helpefull Epiphan in lib. de mensur Ponder but they are not reckoned in the number of those which are receiued Therefore they are not to be found in Aaron neither in the arke of the Couenant But see out of Hierome more manifest and pregnant things Hieron praefat in lib. Solomon As therfore the Church readeth the bookes of Iudith Tobias and Macchabees but accounteth them not Canonicall Scripture so also these two bookes he meaneth Wisdome and Ecclesiasticus it reades for edification of the common sort not for confirmation of any doctrine of the Church If Campian you be ignorant of these auncient testimonies you are but a young souldier in that kind of fight where you would be thought a well experienced Captaine but if you know them you are too vniust and iniurious vnto vs to obiect to vs I know not what desporation because wee admit not those bookes in the Canon of the Scripture which Antiquitie tels vs directly were neuer admitted neither are to be admitted Caietan in cap 24. Mattb. And verily Cardinall Caietan feares not to auouch that he that writ the booke of the Macchabees in a certeine prophesie of Daniels was a lyer but the holy Ghost was neuer wont to be deceiued in the interpreting of the Scripture Now wheras you imagine that we are conuinced by those Oracles as often as we dispute against the defence of Angels as often as we dispute against freewill as often as we dispute against praying to Saints You must fiâ—st before you can conuince vs proue that an argument will conclude necessarily out of those bookes to confirme the doctrine of the Church which Hierome demeth and you shall neuer be able to proue though you call all the Iesuits to a consultation And seeing you obiect desperation to vs see hoâ— you bewray your owne miserable â—esperation who cannot establish the Articles of your faith by the Canonicall Scriptures but you she to the Apocâ—ypha whose authority hath bin and for euer shall be doubted of in the Church The Lord hath commited his Will and Woâ—d to writing and commended it to his Church Those writings with all diligence and piety we receiue and reuerence we are content with them and we maintaine theiâ— sufficiency let goe then these questionable obscure and Apochrypha bookes and out of these contend with vs about religion But your religion long agoe hath passed beyond the bounds of the sacred Scripture and hath broken forth into many superstitions And hence it is that you doe the thing than which nothing can be more malapert and intolerable that is make of like authoritie with holy Scripture not only the Apochrypha bookes but euery o DVR Pag. 5â— â—â—e do not affâ—me Traditions to be of the same authority with the holy Scriptures WHIT. pag. 59 Though Duraeus heere denieth it yet the Councell of â—rent doth with the like holy affection and reuerence receiue and honor them as it doth the bookes oâ— the old and new Testamâ—nt See Decâ—et 1. Sess 4. vnwritten Tradition whersoeuer you come by them at the second or third hand But what do I telling you of these things who shamefully haue aduentured long since to violate and infâ—inge all the lawes both of God and man Take this from me if you can demonstrate that we haue condemned or reiected any one booke or any p DVR Pag. 64. You haue raced out these words out of S. Iohn Euery spirit
refuse life or death at our owne pleasure I am not so bound by the authoritie of this booke and testimonie but that I may appeale from his Apochryphall sentence to the tried Oracles of God Now for your booke of the z DVR No Church euer reiected the booke of the Macchabees WHIT. pag. 83. The Church of the Iewes did wholy and the Church of the Christians as I haue shewed before Yea Gregory the great who was Bishop of Rome in Iob. lib. 17. Cap. 16. denies them to be in the Canon And the Fathers though they cite them as he did yet so accounted them for no better DVR Augustine placeth them in the Canon WHIT. pag. 83. Yet Gregory vvho liued 200. yeeres after him denies them to be Canonicall besides Augustine so calleth them because the Church of Christians read them and did not reiect them so as the Ievves did August de ciuitat Deâ— lib. 18. cap. 36. August cont Gauden lib. 2. cap. 23. further Duraeus confesseth that they were neither written by a Prophet nor confirmed by a Prophet then certeine it is they are not in the Canon DVR Christians must be ruled by the iudgment of the Catholike Church WHIT. pag. 85. The Catholike Church cannot make those bookes which are not Canonicall to be Canonicall besides I haue shewed that the Catholike Church doth reiect them Macchabees I make far lesse account of it which Hierome Epiphanius Athanasius Cyprian haue hissed out and the Leodicene Councel hath reiected Moreouer that which is therein spoken of the sacrifice offered vp for the sinnes of the dead is meerely matter of supposall and forced into the text for neither in Iosephus is any such thing to be found in the Greeke neither in Iosephus the sonne of Gerion who yet writ the self-same history in Hebrew is there any mention of any such sacrifice neither had the a DVR The Iews Machzor sheweth that they do pray and offer sacrifice for the dead WHIT. pag. 85. I much â—egard not what the Ievves do now I affirmed that the old Ievves had neither precept nor practise for it Iewes either by precept or practise any such custome to offer sacrifice and prayers for the dead Lastly in the Greeke copy there is that inuersion and disordered placing of the words that you can hardly make any true sense or any whole sentence hang together View the place in the Greeke text and if you can fitly translate it so that all things may hang well together I will yeeld you are a better Grecian then I tooke you for Shall I be tied then by the authority and force of this booke place or sentence to offer with you prayers and oblations for the dead you are too too childish Campian to thinke such things can incline the Students of our Vniuersities to like your side other manner of matter must you bring and of more force if you will gaine our fauourable audience and good conceite for these things long agoe we haue distasted and spit out but who euer said your selfe excepted that this place of the Macchabees doth proue and confirme inuocation of Saints It is one thing to offer sacrifice for the dead and another thing to say that the Saints departed make intercession for vs. As for Iudas b DVR Many things were declared to the Prophets by dreames WHIT. pag. 87. Must I therefore beleeue euery dreame written in the Apochrypha bookes as diuine oracles neither did that dreame make the Macchabees pray to Onia or Jeremie but to the Lord only 2. Mac. 15.21 DVR The Ievves thought that Christ had praied to Eliah vvhen Matth. 27.47 he said Eli Eli Lamb. c. therefore praying to Saints vvas familiar and common vvith them WHIT. pag 87. It is plaine that the Iewes said this only to deriâ—e Christ whom they thought God had forsaken and therefore he fled to Eliah for helpe dreame touching Onia of which we read 2. Macchab. 15. I passe it ouer as a dreame but the matter is not great whether you vnderstand the intercession of the dead or oblations for the dead both is yours and both most false And heere againe you cry out with great vehemency Is it true indeed is there such frowardnes is there such presumption among men heere is neither the one nor the other Campianâ— we haue done nothing frowardly nothing presumptuously I wonder at your frowardnes and presumption that those bookes which God disclaimes as none of his which reuerend antiquitie hath put out of the Canon yet you in your horrible detestable frowardnes presuÌ„ption will bring into the Canon whether God wil or no the holy Fathers denying them the bookes themselues disclaiming it The Caluinists say you haue cut off from the body of the old Testament These are Baâ—uch Tobâ—as Iudâ—th Suâ—â—ent a. Ecâ—â—ejiasâ—icus tâ—â—o Macchabees Hâ—â—ron prae fâ—t in Ier. seauen whole bookes Why you shamelesse Frier did not Hierome a thousand yeeres before Caluin was borne race them out Why then slippe you ouer Hierome and quarrell with Caluin only when they are both in one predicament Heare yet againe what Hierome saith Whatsoeuer is besides these bookes is to be accounted Apocrypha but these seauen bookes which you reckon vp and calumniously auouch that we haue raced them out are besides those Hierome makes mention of they are then to be accounted Apochrypha For most of these we haue sufficiently answered For Baruch Hierome saith We neither reade it nor find it in the Hebrew all the other he casteth out of the Canon Hieron ad Domnion Rogatian and writeth freely Those bookes which are not to be found in the Hebrew neither are any of the 24. are tobe reiected of those who are of ripe yeeres and knowledge But you Iesuits are alway Children as the Egyptian Priest answered Solon touching the Grecians I wonder why you say neuer a word touching the third and fourth booke of Esdra it may be you are ashamed of them being bookes as Hierome writeth full of dotages yet your Church hath had them in great account and the Fathers often times haue alledged testimonies out of them why do you Campian suddeinly dash these bookes out of the Canon If you iudge they must be kept in the Canon why doe you not taxe the Caluinists who as all men know haue cut them out of the old Testament Why when you number vp all those sacred bookes cut out of the Canon by the Caluinists omit you these altogether Or if these be Apocrypha why should we deeme the rest to be Canonicall I am not a little desirous to know what is your iudgement of these bookes but you say further Epist. Iacob Ep ad Heb. Epist. Juda. Epist. 2. Pet. Epist. 2. 3. Ioan. The Lutherans haue cut off Saint Iames Epistle and for spite of it fiue others which somewhere else also were once called in question That these were once and elsewhere in question you cannot deny The
bookes belong to the old Testament I sent them here vnder written vnto you And this it may be induced Augustine to attribute the more to this booke and yet it cannot be proued hence as you would haue it that this booke was Authenticall and Canonicall by the account of the Church for Augustine himselfe witnesseth that it was not allowed as Canonicall by the iudgement of the Church neither indeed if the Church would haue giuen it all the allowance she could could she haue made it Authenticall except it had before it owne Authenticalnes in it selfe from aboue But you who glory so greatly in Antiquitie in the voice of the Church in Councels what will you answere to the Laodicene Councell Concil Laodic Canon 59. which forbids the reading of those bookes which are without the Canon and commaundeth the reading of those only which are of the Canon of the old and new Testament f DVR It hath been answered a thousand times that as yet in this age all the bookes vvere not receiued into the Canon WHIT. pag. 102. Then by your confession for 300. yeeres after Christ these bookes were not in the Canon it skilleth not much what the latter Churches haue affirmed when the purest and most auncient Churches affirme the same wedo DVR The Councels of Carthage Florence and Trent haue allovved them for Canonicall WHIT. pag. 102. We acknowledge not the two last to be lawfull Councels the first allowed it for manners not doctrine and faith and if the authoritie of it bee so great with you then you may not call your Pope vniuersall Bishoppe for that Councell denied it to him Carthag 3. cap. 26. distinct 99. prima sedis But which are they are all those which the Tridentine Councell hath put in the Catalogue nothing lesse but those only which our Church doth hold Canonicall If Campian you will stand to the iudgement of this Councell neither the booke of Wisdome nor any one of the other shall haue place among the Canonicall Scriptures Now then whatsoeuer Augustine should say if he were aliue doth not much trouble vs for whatsoeuer he should say in this kind he could speake nothing against vs but it would touch the Fathers of the Laodicene Councell whose decree in this point touching the Canonicall Scriptures either he had seene or at least might take notice of it Now for the things which follow you shew much colour but little reason You call this a horrible and detestable shift Then doe you Campian if you can driue vs out of this hold Me thinketh it is so safe and well fortified that it will easily beare off and repell all your assaults Though say you their armes be blased neuer so far abroad by their owne disciples though they buy and sell benefices though in their sermons they cry out against Catholikes though they procure them the sword racke and gallowes yet are they ouercome naught set by horrible in mens sight and quite ouerthrowne But yet young Frier â—ow thus much by Gods blessing we hitherto stand vpright on our seete neither euer were we soyled at your hands but haue long agoe by the helpe of God scattered ouerthrowne and put to flight many of your armies And the whole huge forme of your pontificall and glorious synagogue hath long since tottered and in short time will fall to the ground as Dagon before the Arke vnlesse you Iesuits manfully vphold and susteine it for it is impossible for vs to be vanquished of you in the defence of this cause Therfore with good courage and cheerefulnes we pursue this flight nothing doubting but that the Lord in the end will represse you and all the enemies of his name and glorie and make you his footstoole And for that you write touching buying selling of benefices if any be yet amongst vs it is but the reliques of your wicked practises heretofore among vs. For you know the custome of the Romish Court you know their filthines their auarice their Simony yea you know how the whole world crieth out and that continually of your most gainfull Marchandizes Haue you now leisure since you left Rome to prie into our carriage are all things so wel at home that you can without shame find faults abroad Suppose you were now become honest and holy yet you shall neuer bee able to cleere your Church of those filthie blemishes wherewith it hath bin desiled in former times And if there be any yet amongst vs that vse so foule a trade they are well worthy to heare such reproaches from you as such practises do deserue But I maruell the lesse that you obiect to vs buying and selling of Benefices when you complaine of our crueltie Now good God are we so cruell and you so mild what shall I say to it or what answere may I make sure it is there is nothing more inhumane then cruelty or more opposite to a Christians vertue for the disciples of Christ ought to be gentle clement and meeke master-like what then are we more cruell then you I will neuer deny this triall that their cause should be iudged the worst whose cruelty appeares to be the greatest I call to witnes all the people of the Christian world who haue yet any sense of humanity and equity remaining in them Let Italy speake also Germany Spaine Fraunce and our England It were tedious to recite the horrible murders the fearefull burnings and exquisite punishments you exercised amongst vs. Your cruelty is knowne and is yet fresh in memory neither shall euer be buried in obliuion what like to these did we euer practise or wherein is our cruelty so great was it because we suffered not our throats to be cut by you nor receiued your weapons into our bodies nor laid our neckes vpon the block nor willingly gaue vp our liues that we might giue you leaue to liue as you list This is it indeed you wished for for this you labour and goe about we poore wretches are accounted cruell because we liue and liue to withstand your proceedings But I doubt not but all indifferent men do sufficiently discerne g DVR Campian himselfe had experience of your cruelty WHIT. pag. 105. If Campian was by publike proceeding condemned for treason and put to death who will accuse our cruelty and not the greatnes of his offence yea and that he suffered not for religion appeareth thus others who were condemned with him at the same time and for the same offence when they renounced the Popes authority of deposing of Kings and freeing of subiects from obedience were not put to death as he was how iniuriously you lay this crimination vpon vs for these things which you name as the sword the racke the gallowes and fier are the instruments of your cruelty and had it not been for these your Church had been ouerthrowne long agoe for by these weapons it was first founded after increased and is now maintained if once these faile you questionlesse it
liued in great distresse yet answered his challenge That subtiltie follie impudency and saucines of Iewel which the fore said writers haue luckily discouered hath done so much good to the coÌ„mon sort of people in England that within my remembrance I dare boldly say there scarcely hapned any one thing more profitable to the afflicted English Church then this ProclamatioÌ„s forth with were set on euery gate that no such * But Bishop Iewel published the whole booke of the Aduersaries that all might reade them bookes might lawfullie be read or kept in their houses whereas Iewels exclamations at Paules Crosse did almost extort the same out of the writers hands But they that came to the scanning of this matter found that the Fathers were all Catholike that is on our side Neither did g Lib. de vita Iuclii Laurence Humphrey conceale this blow giuen him and his fellowes who when he had highly extolled Iewel otherwise noted yet want of * This is false he neuer vpbraided him with any impudencie discretion in him for this one thing that hee for his part had allowed the iudgements of the Fathers in matters of controuersie which when the said Laurence Humphrey without any circumstances plainly protesteth that he neither hath nor will haue any thing to doe I did once also familiarly request Toby Mathew who new for preaching beareth the bell whom for good learning sake and likely seedes of other good vertues I dearely loued that he would plainly tell me whether he that so diligently read the Fathers could be of that side whereunto he laboured to allure his audience He replied no if he both read them and withall beleeued them * This is most false they who giue most to the Fathers are most dissenting from you This his answere is very true and I perswade my selfe that neither hee now nor Mathew Hutton who as I heare is a famous man and bent much to study the Fathers nor any other of the Aduersaries which do the like do otherwise thinke Wherefore yet I might come surely to this combate to encounter with such who as though they had a Wolfe by the eares are inforced to discredit their cause for euer whether they reiect the Fathers or stand to their iudgement For by doing the one they trusse vp their trinckets to flie away and by doing the other they are streightwaies strangled WILLIAM WHITAKERS The answere to the fifth Reason which is the Fathers NOw Campian calleth vpon the Fathers from whom because hee presumes of a firme defence he earnestly desireth a conflict not like those light skirmishes of men in the streets but a serious and constant disputation such as Philosophers vse Campian you see hath a better minde to conuerse with Philosophers than with Diuines for being furnished with Rhetoricke and Logicke and hauing spent most of his time in often declaiming and in inuenting and answering sophisticall captions he doubteth not of a famous victorie if Philosophers were Iudges But Campian these matters are not to be disputed among Philosophers which are otherwhiles deceiued with probabilitie and apparance of truth following that opinion which themselues iudge most agreeable to reason This question in hand must be discusted in the assemblie of most graue and learned Diuines whom no iugling of words no subtiltie in disputation no wit no cunning no youthfull insolent boldnes in quarrelling lying or soolish vaunting can once moue much lesse remoue them from the truth they are perswaded of Here can you not haue libertie to bragge of your counterfeit deuises Philosophie may not sit as iudge in these controuersies neither will those things wherein you chiefely trust be heere of any authority you must leaue your owne erroneous and endlesse walkes and be drawne perforce into the compasse and limits of Scripture and true diuinitie For Christ and his Apostles as that discreete man said in the Nicene Councell commended not Logicke and vaine subtiltie vnto vs Socrat. lib. 2. cap. 8. but a naked opinion consisting in faith and good works And this simple and sincere word of truth will easilie dissolue all your cauils will dispell your artificiall mists and will hold you fast as in a net so that the more you struggle to get out the faster and straiter are you tied But you haste to the Fathers and say If we may once come vnto them the warre is ended Now I must tell you you make too much hast and ouerslippe many things Is the battaile ended say you Why who had the victorie This is verily childish and too ridiculous but yet vsuall in your combats to triumphe before the victorie But I would heare how you haue finished the warre with such admirable expedition For say you the Fathers are as surely ours as Gregorie the thirteenth himselfe the most louing Father of the Children of the Church Giue me leaue to answere you in your owne words My friends who are present can you forbeare langhing What could be affirmed more weakely fondly or absurdly Call you him the most louing Father of the Churches Children whom wee knew to bee their furious and mortall aduersaries And conclude you that other to bee as true as this I graunt aswell the one as the other for both are most false What thinke you haue you not got a famous victorie And thus Campian you vse to make an end of battailes and put to flight great armies of aduersaries What remaineth but that as Conqueror you bee crowned with a Laurell garland and carried with triumph into the Vatican and solace your self many yeeres with your deare Father Gregorie that good old man But now Campian proceed and prosecute the victorie which you haue gotten We haue say you whole volumes of the Fathers which doe fully distincty and purposely declare that Euangelicall religion which we now defend Now you muster and reckon vp your armies whereby you procured this victorie looke well to them you were best and lay sure hold of them lest they reuolt and forsaking you come to our Tents for you force them to bee with you against their wils So that in the most dangerous and important fight they flie vnto vs with speede and doe most sharply assault and batter you But let vs consider your volumes The two fold Hierarchie of Denys the Martyr what orders doth it teach vs what sacrifices what rites Assuredly it teacheth vs nouelties vnheard of in the Scriptures we therefore leaue both them and their author wholy vnto you For though this Denys whosoeuer he were was both for time ancient and in his stile of writing not vnlearned yet that he should be the Arâ—â—pagitâ— whom Paul at Athens conuerted to the Faith is altogether incredible If you aske me a reason of this my opinion I pray you reade diligently and consideratly that which Laurentius Valla and Erasâ—us of Roteradam haue written of him Both of them perswade by no fained surmises but by very weightie reasons and such as I weene you will hardly
any Schoole-learning that they will heedfully obserue how current these your conclusions be and examine them by the rules of right and true disputation And indeed to chuse I will there begin where you your selfe haue made an entrance We mainteine that it is lawfull for Ministers of the Gospell and for Deacons to be maried You skorne the arguments whereby we make it good Wherefore let vs consider what goodly stuffe is brought on your side for the contrarie Pope Innocent the second of that name Distinct 82 Proposuisti Rom. 8.8 thus concludeth you must suppose by diuine inspiration against these mariages They which are in b DVR Pope Innocent spake of Priests who had vowed single life of their ovvne accord but aftervvard yeelded to lust WHIT. pag. 735. Nay he spake that of all Deacons and Priests for hee saith further Distinct. 82. cap. proposuisti It is not lawfull to admit them to holy offices which vse carnall companie â—ith their wiues because it is written â—â—e yee holy for 〈◊〉 the Lord your God am holy for then hee esteemed marriage duty to bee an vnholie thing in it selfe not in respect of their vow of which he speaketh not a word the flesh cannot please God Tit. 1.15 Vnto the pure al things are pure but vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing is nothing pure Be yee holy because I the Lord your God am holy And because S. Paul permitteth married people by consent to sleepe apart for a season to the end they may more conueniently giue themselues to fasting praier Distinct 31. Tenere here heÌ„ce the Pope gathereth that this is much more c DVR This argument is good and can haue no shew of error For aboue all men a Priest must be chaste saith Origen Homil. 6 4. in Leuit. Also Ierome and Ambrose and Epiphanius taught the same WHIT. pag. 736. Yea you erâ—e and mistake S. Paul in theree things 1. What he wrote to all Christians you expound of Lay-men only 2. He speaketh only of extraordinarie fasts prayer but you applie it vnto all sorts thereof That the Apostle speaketh of extraordinarie appeares 1. Because he hath ioyned fasting with them 1. Cor. 7.5.2 Because Christ and his Apostle haue commanded all to pray continually and so all ought to lâ—ue a single life 3. From a short abstinence of Lay-men you childishly would proue a perpetuall single life to be necessary for Ministers You abuse also Origens words play the heretike as if chastitie were contrary to matrimony whereas the Fathers of the Nicene Councell consented to Paphnutius who said openly that society with a lavvfull wiâ—e is chastitie Socrates lib. 1. cap. 11. Jerome indeed disputed too sophistically against matrimony seeking victory more then verity as himself confessed Ambrâ—se and Epiphanius disswaded Ministers only from second mâ—â—riages allowing their fiâ—st to be done of Priests whose office is to pray alwaies to offer that daily sacrifice Distinct 28 Decernimus Last of al seeing they must be a teÌ„ple of the Lord and an oratory of the spirit d DVR Tertullian vsed this same argument against second marriage WHIT. pag. 739. Tertullian therein erred with Montanus as all the learned know condemning second marriages of vncleannes not only in Ministers but in all Christians yet he himselfe being a Priest was married and liued with his wife continuing his Ministery so that he neither iudged marriage to be vncleanenes nor vnlavvfull in Ministers simplie but only second marriages they ought not to abase themselues with bed-pleasures vncleannesses Now out of all these he coÌ„cludeth that which he propounded that Deacons and Priests are flatlie forbidden to marry Harding and Dorman and others If these things be absurdly disputed let vs heare others Seuerall Pastors haue rule ouer seuerall flockes c DVR The Pope challengeth no Lordship ouer the Churches but professeth himselfe the seueruant of Gods seruants WHIT. pag. 740. But his deeâ—s bewray his tyranny for he prescribeth commandeth threatneth punisheth and doth whatsoeuer any Lord can do DVR You can disproâ—e this consequent by no argument WHIT. pag. 741. It is an absurd argument like these Euery seuerall man hath one head therefore all men must haue one head Euery seuerall flocke hath his shepheard therefore all flockes must haue one to rule them Againe no one man can possiblie teach and feed the whole Church with the Word and Sacrament as a faithfull Pastor should and may doe in a particular Church Christ only can thus feed al particular Churches which can neuer be made one visible body and therefore can haue none but Christ the generall head and Pastor ouer them DVR Ierome Cyprian and Ireneus haue written the same we doe WHIT. pag 742. Not one of them First Ierome defendeth the superiority of one Pastor in the Church not as a matter of accessitie but of conueniency to preuent schismes and saith that the Church is founded vpon all the Apostles alike and that euery one equally hath receiued the keies of the kingdome of heauen euen in that place where you quote him against Iouinian lib. 1. Secondly Cyprian coÌ„cludeth only that there should be but one Pastor in one Church and neuer thought vpon the Popes primacie but saith plainly that euery particular Bishop hath all whatsoeuer any one hath by right in the same booke which you alleadge of the Churches vnity Lastly Ireneus called the Romane the chiefe Church not for any superiority but because she excelled all others in constancie largenes fame and soundnes of faith therefore the Pope ought to haue dominion ouer all Churches Christ said to Peter feed my sheepe f DVR Jt is manifest by this place that Christ gaue greater authoritie of feeding to Peter than to the other Apostles and so made him head of all his Church WHIT. p. 744. It will not follow vpon this place that Peter had greater authority to feed or that he only must feede all for he said to them all alike Matth. 28.19 Goe yee teach all nations and Iob. 20 21. As the Father sent me so I send you Therefore he spake so often then to Peter to confirme him after his grieuous fall that he might not doubt of his Apostolicall calling as saith Augustines treatise on Iohn 123. so that it no whit concerneth the Pope therefore Peter is the chiefe principall Pastor of the Church The Lord made two great lights the Sunne g DVR The Pope vseth this as a similitude to amplifie not as an argument to prooue by authoritie WHIT. pag. 746. This is an idle shift a similitude is an argument and Johannes Andraeas would prooue hereby that the Pope excelleth the Emperor in dignitie seuentie times seuen degrees the Moone therfore the Pope excelleth the Emperour in honour and greatnes Heere are two swords therfore the h DVR VVe gather nothing hence but vvhat Bernard did saying This sword of temporall povver is thine