Take ye Eate ye bynde them What moued you here to cite your Clement Ambrose Cyprian with others I knowe not except it were some meriment to ioyne with your similitude of singing for in good earnest you minde not by those places without matter in them to proue that the wordes of Christ Doe this in remembrance of me were onely saide to the Ministers touching Consecration and not to the people also for their participation In the twelfth Article the Iesuites are reported to say Traditions are of equall authoritie with the worde of God wee must beleeue them though they bee manifestly against the Scripture Here the reporte and the texte vouched to disproue their doctrine are both censured The first for adding we must beleeue them though they be manifestly against the Scripture for reporting the rest so generally and confusedly Touching y â— latter point if my report of your doctrine be in these wordes Traditions are of equall authoritie with the worde of God meaning it of some only for who would thinke it of all you hauing so many and so feeble why doe you charge mee as generally and confusedly saying al traditions are equal with y â— scriptures Was it I pray you to deserue your owne note of a sounde lye for a parting blowe which false mis 〈…〉 you haue doubled to make it the sounder For aunswere to the former poyut I doe not onely auow that I haue faythfully reported my authors wordes which is alwayes my iust defence against your vniust flaunder laying them vpon me but I say further that their practise compared with their wordes will â—ustifie the report as truely layde downe against them For proofe whereof not to goe further the Censurer rehearseth amongest these traditions which the Popish Church charge our faith withall the number of the bookes of Scripture the Lent fast Of al other traditions these two are taken out to stande for their owne credit and for the credit of the rest let vs therefore see what treasons there are against God in these your traditions First the Apocrypha bookes are not in the auncient Canon or language of Canaan the fathers haue disauowed them they are euidently repugnant to the doctrine of the holy scriptures and dis 〈…〉 eeing among them selues Yet your Trent conspirarie doeth adde them to the number of the Canonical bookes and bolde all men accursed that holde them not for canonicall scriptures Therefore this your tradition is manifestly against the word of God Further also what is more manifest against the woorde of God then the doctrine of deuils The Lent fast as you commaunde to keepe it for conscience sake forbidding meates created of God to bee taken with thankesgiuing is plainly called a doctrine of deuils Furthermore your opinion is playnely deliuered to be with this distinction Ecclesiasticall traditions are of no greater authoritie then the writings and other decrees of the Church and Apostles traditions are of no lesse authoritie then if they had bene written by them or then are the other thinges which they wrote This is confusedly taught and needeth yet more plainenesse for not all orders deliuered by the Apostles are to bee kept perpetually and vnchangeably of like authoritie with the doctrine of the Gospell which they preached The Apostolique doctrine is perpetuall subiect to no varietie of persons of times or places but some traditioÌ„s that is some orders are altered as that in the acts where they commaunde to absteine from strangled and from blood for it appeareth that the Apostles commanded not this for a perpetuall order alwayes inuiolably to be obserued but onely for a time to auoids offences which cause ceasing the order or tradition was no longer in force Againe some orders might be set downe by them for comlinesse which yet were not to be beleeued as necessary partes of saluation nor yet to remayne for euer in that forme or kynde and therefore can not be matched with the Apostolique doctrine of fayth which is euer al one and which whosoeuer beleeueth not cannot bee saued Nowe touching your pretensed Apostolicall traditions I vtterly denie that there are any such beside those which are euidently shewed or by iust consequence fitly gathered out of the written worde For what so euer is necessary to saluation is in this sort to be proued by the holy Scriptures Therefore your Censureshippe dyd well to adde If they be certaynly descended from Christ and his Apostles But how can this I pray you be certaynely knowen but by the holy writings can any other custome or testimonie assure your consciences what came vndoubtedly from Christ or what from his Apostles Is there any one of your traditions that you can vouch to descend from so sufficient authors otherwise then by report of insufficient witnesses What is it then for you to boast of inuincible arguments to proue diuers doctrines not written but left by woorde of mouth onely whereas you bryng nothing but counterfeyt Couneils erring Fathers fabulous stories and Apocrypha scriptures This is right the bragging Apostle and a shewe of the vaine chalenger Yf a man coulde be feared with the guilte of your armour or with your plume of feathers you woulde bee a worthie champion wounding more with a vayne feare then with the force of your shrinking arme In this encounter of al your profes you haue sorted out two the first is out of that excellent chapter to the Thessalonians conteining a prophecie and reuelation of Antichrist For an answere to which place it is first to be vnderstoode that the worde Tradition in the Apostles speach commeth as it doth in Latin of a verbe to deliuer so that whatsoeuer y â— Apostle deliuered to the Churches those were the traditions hee lefte with them Therefore I denie that Paule doth in any place by tradition signifie any vnwritten veritie but that as in other places he vnderstandeth the doctrine of the Gospel which in the sundrye partes thereof he deliuered This appeareth apparauntly by the place so cited for your purpose without regarde of any more then the worde Tradition For in the verses nexte before the Apostle maketh mention of the Thessalonians faith to the trueth saying God hath called you thereunto by our Gospell to obteyne the glory of our Lorde Iesus Christ and therupon inferreth this conclusion now therefore brethren stand fast holde the tradition which you haue learned eyther by worde or by our epistle Whereby it plainly appeareth that the traditions or thinges deliuered by him partly by word and partly by writing were the diuers partes of the Gospell which hee had taught them Wherefore the written woorde affordeth you no proofe for vnwritten verities The seconde is of doctrines which you say wee holde not by record of writing but by word of mouth from Christ and his Apostles as for example baptisme of infants celebratioÌ„ of Sunday y â— number of y â— bookes of scripture the fast of
betweene good and euill Nowe this heaueÌ„ly knowledge which as Saint Peter sayeth was vttered by the holy men of God inspired with the holy Ghost is recorded in the bookes of holie Scripture Whereupon it foloweth that these bookes of the holy worde and no other being the authenticall words of the heauenly knowledge which God inspired the holy Prophets and Apostles withall are so sayde to be profitable to teache the trueth as it noteth this to bee proper to the holy Scripture and not to agree to any other whatsoeuer Therefore if these bee the writings which contayne the wisedome wherewith God hath inspired his holy men for such vse of the Church as is here spoken of it must needes followe the knowledge which God hath reuealed being sufficient for vs that these holy Scriptures conteining the same knowledge is lykewise sufficient Whereby it appeareth that this cause here noted to witte of inspiration from God being the proper cause of the holy Scriptures and not common to any other writings whatsoeuer doeth implie the effect also folowing in this place of teaching disprouing and making perfecte the man of God to be likewise proper vnto them and which I vndertoke to proue profitable in this place to signifie as much as sufficient To this I adde an other reason out of the wordes which followe wherein because not some things onely which may in parte make a man perfect are attributed to the scriptures and some other thinges left to bee supplied by other meanes but all things whatsoeuer may bee needefull for vs are sayde to be perfected by the Scriptures it must needes follow that the scripture alone is sufficient For that which is profitable to al the partes which may be required to perfection cannot be but sufficieÌ„t for the perfection of the whole but that the Scripture is profitable in such maner the Apostle doth fully declare both in rehearsing all the particular partes which are necessarie and adding also after generally that the man of God may be perfect To this purpose the Apostle hath so set his wordes as hee could not more effectually by any other speach For he teacheth that it is profitable to make perfect which yet is made more full by the compound worde adioined the grace and force of which composition as was noted before is to note perfection added to perfection and to signifie throughly or perfectly perfect and that as hee addeth for all good workes This is yet made more full and more waightie by that hee speaketh not here of the coÌ„mon perfection of all men but of the perfection of the man of God that is of the Minister If the scripture conteine knowledge to make the Minister throughly perfect for euery part of his office both in doctrine soundly to teach the trueth and to confute and remoue error and in life to reforme and correct that which is amisse and to instruct in that which is righteous and holy how much more is it sufficient for the coÌ„mon knowledge of other men in whom like perfection of vnderstanding is not so much required To these two reasons because the question is of importance I will yet adde one other out of the verse next going before There the Apostle vseth an argument to perswade Timothy to abide in y â— doctrine of the holy Scriptures for proofe of which argument this seueÌ„teenth verse is immediatly adioyned His argument is takeÌ„ from the effect of these holy writings wherein Timothie had been brought vp froÌ„ a child Which effect is this that through faith in Christ Iesus they are of abilitie or of power or of sufficiencie to make him wise to saluation For the Apostle sayeth expressely that the Scriptures are able or of power or sufficiencie for all these speaches I take to bee of one signification whereunto to make him wise how farre euen to saluation that is to teache him all wisedome needeful to saluation Whereupon as I sayd the Apostle immediatly bringeth in this sentence that All the Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine c. Which must either be sayde to bee impertinent to the former matter of the power or sufficiencie of the Scripture to saluation which I thinke no man of any reason will affirme or els it must be confessed that the Apostle added it for greater plainnes or for an other proofe For whether of both it be brought in it is absurde to bring the lesse to set out or proue the more And seeing the Apostle had spoken in the former verse of the sufficiencie of Scripture to saye nowe it bringeth but some profite to that purpose were to saye lesse then he had said before Wherefore he saying it is profitable setteth it out as alone and sufficiently profitable being inspired of God and sanctified by his promise and ordinance to make perfect the man of God to al heauenly wisedome Finally the Apostle hauing put into Tiniothies hande al compleat necessarie and sufficient furniture speaketh neuer a whit of your churchreuealed verities but onely of the scripture inspired of God Therefore either he teacheth and concludeth insufficiently or els the Scripture is sufficiently wholly powerfully and in trueth onely profitable For your second reason I denie that the newe Testament is therefore super fluous because the olde was sufficient For this bountifull addition or accesse of scripture by the Newe Testament is not to impeach the perfection and profitable sufficiencie or sufficient profitablenes of the olde Testament seeing the Fathers were aswell faued as we are now vnder the Gospell but for a more full euident and cleare reueâ—ation of that which though to saluation it was sufficient before yet could not shewe the infinite riches of Gods goodnesse toward vs so plainely so fully as these doe Iob had sufficient in his greatest want and no superfluitie in his greatest aboundance A morning light is sufficient for a man to doe his worke by yet the brightnesse of the sunne is not therefore needelesse and superfluous for it serueth to giue a clearer a more certaine and more comfortable direction then the other For your by matter that the wordes omnis and tota differ in Greeke and Latine for proofe wherof you appeale to all Logicioners I dare warrant you they will all condemne your opinion For omnis homo signifieth euery man but omnis populus which is the Vulgar translation doth not signifie euery people neyther can you translate the woordes of Saint Luke concerning the taxing that euery earth or euery worlde should bee taxed in which places the Euangelist vseth the same worde the vse wherof in y â— greeke you did not vnderstand Therefore if you can salue this matter of manifest errour I will acknowledge my selfe to deale deceitfully as you charge me An other point followeth like the rest already answered But the Censurer thus repeateth Saint Paul must vnderstand part of the scripture and not the whole because all was not then
written also nowe wee can not take the Apostles wordes as vttered of all because much scripture is now wanting as he doth imagine Should these be your plaine arguments if you could obteine disputation Should this be the shorter waye I know not your name but know I pray you and teach your fellowes to knowe that the scripture hath bene in all ages sufficient for the time wherein it was written of all that which hath by seuerall encreases bene written nothing was at any time superfluous and whatsoeuer hath bene written and not come to our handes nothing for all that is now missing that is necessary vnto saluation He that hath not giuen vs the bookes of Nathan Gad Achia the Shilonite and Iehdo if they wrote any other then partes of the two bookes of Samuel after his death of the first booke of the Kings also he that hath not giuen vs the rest of Salomons Prouerbes to passe by your ouersight concerning the epistle to the Laodiceans already noted therefore gaue them not because he knewe them not necessarie or expedient for the posteritie Iohn proueth this in the conclusion of his Gospell and Christ teacheth that they which had Moses and the Prophets euen then had sufficient without miracles and traditions And you haue no sound opinion of the wisdome and mercie of God if you thinke his maiestie to leaue any age since he chose a peculiar people voide of scripture profitable and sufficient to the saluation of his Church Thus the reader may see that I neither wrest the former place agaynst my selfe neither can you doe it that would so faine In the fifth article the Iesuites are reported to say The want of holy scriptures must be supplied by peecing it out by traditions For the report of this doctrine the Censurer bestoweth more of his vndeserued tauntes If the Censure of Colen hath no such wordes Gotuisus failed in citing their booke but failed not in charging them with their owne doctrine which all Iesuites and Papistes so vpholde as Peters chaire both to mainteine their false doctrines and to vnderset their Antichristiā tyraunie But although you would for the time dissemble the matter traditiōs are not of so smal force as to peece out the want of scripture For except the Presidēt of y e Trent council haue a forge to coyne lies traditions are a liuing Gospel and hee vttereth it as a question that can not be denied This is most true saith Hosius that if traditions be reiected the very Gospell also seemeth to be reiected for what els are traditions then a certaine liuing Gospell In deede traditions make a quicke court at the Vaticane Thus by your doctors opinion it is most true y ◠traditions are made not a supplie to any wants in y ◠Gospel but an other liuing Gospel after a sort to giue life to that which in y ◠true Gospell seemeth to be dead And may not a man w tout a lie call this doctrine vlasphemous My vttering of y e Cōmandemēt in the singular number is without additiō or alteration of sense For Moses in the same Chapter speaking of the same lawe and to the same men doth change the plurall number into the singular The selfe same Lawe also is recited in the singular number in the twelfth chapter of Deuteronomie by Salomon in the thirtieth chapter of his Prouerbes and euermore that which is said to al is also said to euery one and truly taken as vttered to euery one Surely I cannot guesse what you unagined at this change of the Lawgiuers wordes without change of the sense being done by the example of the same Lawgiuer in another place and without any breach of his Lawe and wherupon your vttermost malice could inferre none absurditie in sense none iniurie to the scripture nor aduantage to my cause but a stinging guesse insinuating some cause mouing mee to this change which whether you cōcealed as forbearing me or ashamed on your own behalfe to bewraye the indifferent reader iudgeth Againe what made you adde so haynous a slaunder as if all thinges were lawfull for me and to charge me as blaming the Apostles and Euangelistes for adding the Gospel Take heede you allowe not your selfe such scope in these suggestions manifestly agaynst the trueth and your owne conscience for you knowe what that sentence implieth Blessed is he that condemneth not himselfe in that thing which hee alloweth The Lorde that addeth grace to grace and light to light he also hath added to the lawe the fulnesse and satisfaction thereof in Christ Iesus which is published in his most holy and most perfect Gospell To expounde Moses wordes forbidding to adde or take away from the Lawe as spoken of the things he deliuered by word of mouth and not of the lawe written 〈◊〉 is a doubtfull speaking and may beare a harder conclusion then I will charge you with His cōmandement respected the law eyther pronounced or written by him 〈◊〉 afterwarde to bee preached and written by the holy Prophets and Apostles in the spirite of God I dare appeale to your conscience though it be deliuered from your pen you do not thinke in your heart that I woulde haue no scriptures beleeued besides that which Moses set downe Wherfore your proofe needed not in this matter To conclude it is a great iniquirie to adde traditions or your unwritten ve 〈…〉 to the written worde of God whereunto no man may adde because nothing is wanting from which no man can take because nothing is superfluous but to him that addeth shal the curses written in the booke be added for euer In the sixth place the Iesuites wordes are thus reported The holy Scripture is a nose of waxe At the true report of this blasphemous doctrine you fall into a storme perswading that I haue therein sinned agaynst God and abused the Iesuices with other most bitter woordes as if I tooke the way to ouermatch both learning and trueth But howe wrongfully all these woordes are cast out against me your owne wordes beare witnesse for presently after the sentence of condemnation you repeale it and acquite me of the fault graunting that as a nose of waxe may bee formed what way and to what forme one list so naughtie men may wrest the Scriptures Notwithstanding because you presse the wordes against me let them be examined First to proue that the Iesuites haue them more plainely then you will acknowledge I appeale from your Censure to Andradius playne confession Hee as you knowe defended the Iesuites in these poyntes agaynst Kemnitius which you defende against mee and hath lent you no small furniture for this seruice This Andradius as hauing more learning and in his kinde more true dealing then you in handling this article doth not at all cry out as you doe but acknowledgeth and defendeth the matter without such needelesse scoffes And for the words he confesseth saying The fathers
to bring 〈…〉 able of myne owne This is to â—all 〈◊〉 to a stâ—â—ight account of that I neuer vndertooke and in nice pointes to take 〈◊〉 of syllables when you can take no iust vantage of wordes and sentences Wherefore to take away from you the only matter of shew in al your Censure I confesse that I doe not deliuer the scriptures in the number of woordes and syllables but in the ful weight of true sense and matter Which practise beside example of the fathers weâ— haue also in Christ and his Apostles This you knowe and yet of an euill purpose you dissemble the matter prouing your selfe thereby to be a manifest cauiller as was declared Therfore I need not bee ashamed to offer my booke in this point to be censured by you or examined by any Neither am I priuie as the Lorde knoweth to any purposed falshoode be it neuer so litle or to any euil practise in allegation of scripture or other writings of any man But you either with shame or without shame in the next sentence vtter w t one breath foure vntruthes For first we haue not all printes to our selues as you say for then you could not so soone haue printed your censure some other bookes Sâ—câ—â—ly our searchers are not so watchfull that nothing can passe our handes as your owne booke wil testifie against it self in this sentence Thirdly we can neither saye nor print what we will but that only which after view and diligent examination hath or should haue â—riuâ—ledge from her Maiesties lawefull authoritie Lastly you would make your reader beleeue that you were beyond Sea when you wrote and sent this shamelesse censure which now is euidently knowen to be otherwise Wherin I note the iudgement of God against you that in o 〈…〉 sentence where you haue falsely charged vs with vttering slaunderous vntrueths you haue your selfe written these foure manifest lies Moreouer that it may appeare who it is in deede that vttereth many manifest and inexcusable vntrueths let it â—â—e also considered what you thinke of the preaching of Gods word in England and what manifest vntrueths you vtter afterward saying that what I my fellowes dare auouche in our sermons speaches and discourses as you cast them we are sure shall neuer come to the examination Daily experience giueth sentence against you in this matter and one of your late bookes repeating certaine articles corruptly gathered out of Sermons made in the countrey the last Sâ—mmer Here also you distouâ—r C 〈…〉 pions veine in charging the Magistrates and learned Bishops as if they were carelesse what docttrine is deliuered vnto the people For my selfe I admitte not your comparison betweene my writings my preachings as if I durst bee bolder to faile in a Sermon then in writing a booke that may be disclosed For to answere also for my godly fellow ministers we preache as before God and Angels and dare as little in their presence presume to preache otherwyse then his worde giueth commission as wee dare to write otherwise before men then the trueth can allowe Nowe followe the XIII articles of doctrine wherewith the enemies of the trueth are charged especially the Iesuites as the chiefe mainteiners thereof And because you offer your selues to bee holden guiltie of al other doctrines whereof you are accused if these articles bee proued against you I woulde haue you stande to your owne condition for my part I accept your conclusion to bee iudged as I haue dealt with the Iesuites in wel reporting or misreporting their doctrine out of mine authour The first article out of the Iesuites blasphemous doctrine hath as â—otuisus reporteth and as you will not deny it is not sinne whatsoeuer is against the word of God The report lieth vpon my authour as I haue sayde yet you charge me with the wordes as guylefully reported as peeced and culled out for my purpose But notwithstanding this charge you presently acquite both mine authour and me graunting the wordes to bee most true in their sense If they be in their sense most true why do you take any exception to my report who onely lay them downe to yeelde what sense you can make Therefore before I wade any further let me aske you a question or two If any one of these XIII poyntes of doctrine bee false why dyd you not playnely denie it If they be all true why dyd you not playnely graunt them why dyd you wrangle making them true and false fast and loose perfect and imperfect at your pleasure Through all your discourse doe you not playnely graunt them and yet to helpe your owne credit and to purchase agaynst mâ—e some note of bad dealing would you not seeme in some fort to denie them But as this pretended deniall of those articles was an iniurie to me so the open mayntenaunce of them agayne was your trustie seruice toward the Iesuites and the couenant of your right hande It was also safe dealing to graunt them because if you woulde deny any one of them in the playne sense wherein it is aduouched yet the aduouchment shoulde bee proued agaynst you by your owne recordes Thus the good reader may see your dealing that so accuse mee that so double and redouble the lie vpon mee for laying downe nothing but knowne groundes of popish doctrine which you coulde not denie and whereof the Iesuites haue lately vndertaken the principall defence To returne to the matter the Censure of Colen was made as you saye agaynst Monhemius Catechisme among other poyntes to condemne him for saying that concupiscense remayning after baptisme is a damnable mortal sinne albeit no consent of heart be giuen vnto the same To auoyde your doubtful speach of damnable mortall sinne and the distinction of mortal and veniall sinne you must vnderstande Monhemius spake not of the sinne vnto death for the wich wee are taught that a man must not pray Otherwise vnderstaâ—diâ—g mortall sinne according to the worde of God and not as you doe without Christ all sinnes are mortall and that one sinne against the holy Ghost excepted in Christ all sinnes venial 〈…〉 which true sense Monhemiâ—s dyd truely affirme that concupiscence is a damâ—able sinne But you deny 〈◊〉 definition to establish your owne Let us therefore examine the grosse faultes which these Ieâ—uites of Colen commit in one definition notwithstanding they were so many and as you say so learned men They teach by your report first that sinne is an action Whatsoeuer they say or Thomas of Aquine in this question you shall finde that iniustice is a sinne and yet no action and that it is a sinne as well not to doe the thing commaunded as to commit the thing which is forbidden which leauing of good offices vndone you knowe is called the sinne of omission and yet no action as you woulde haue it For Andradius distinction in this matter is beside are and to no purpose Also in this place howe
imagined in a â—â—eame tolde it before you were awake In the seuenth article the Iesuiâ—es are reported thus to teach The reading of the holy Scripture is not only not profitable but many wayes very hurtfull to the Church Here the â—ensurer would seeme to denie the doctrine that in so doing hee may both somewhat couer the absuâ—diâ—ie and accuse me for my author as â—â—steporâ—ing the same Yet after a storme of needelesse wordes hee doth in effect graunt the matter But his maner is for some aduantage to report their doctrines otherwise then they are caught or brought into question For the Papistes doe restraine the common people from reading the Scriptures vsing many reasons to proue them hurtful Besides other your bookes to this purpose there is one wâ—â—thie of remembrance written to y e Parliament in Queene Maries time where fiftie reasons such as they be are brought not â—nely to keepe the people from the Scriptures but for a more fure waye to keepe the Scriptures from them not suffering the translation thereof in the English tongue Wherupon the question wee haue in hand is this whether the reading of Scriptures be hurtful and therefore to bee forbidden Nowe the Censurer saith the rash and vnconsiderate reading is forbidden which is from the matter We doe not ioine issue in this whether the people shoulde rashly reade them or without consideration but whether you may make men beleeue that the reading of holy scriptures is hurtfull and therefore to be resâ—râ—yned There is no doubt but you holde both and teach both carefully 〈◊〉 appeareth by a late Iesnites booke written of this matter yet in disputation you woulde seeme onely to forbid the cash and unaduiâ—ed reading whereof we make no question But your reason is to be layde downe Whatsoeuer may hurt though it be in no fault yet it is to be restrayned the worde of God hath done such hurt therefore it is to be restrayned So you may aswell take away the foode of the body that body and soule may perish together because men may surfeit by good meates and fall into drunkennes by wholsoÌ„e wine Here let me for the scriptures fitly plead against you your owne rule pleaded in an other place for Philosophie It is say you a grosse ignorance for an abuse that may be to◠〈◊〉 demne the things which bee excellent giftes of God and sparks of his most high and infinite wisdom If this he true theâ— is it a blasphemie for an abuse not at all growing by the worde yet to forbidâ—◠〈◊〉 vse thereof and to keepe it in an vnknown tongue in a barbarous translation 〈◊〉 condemne not sparkes of Gods most higâ— and infinite wisedome but to conde 〈…〉 euen that high and infinite wisdome it selfe by making such restraintes and taking such sure wayes to debarre the children of God from the most necessary euidences of their heauenly inheritance But in this question agayne Payua doth deale more plainely to the purpose then the Censurer who borowing of Payua this place also yet leaueth out all that which maketh not to his purpose of couering and shielding the Iesuites from the trueth that fighteth against them For Andradius plainely confesseth that this is the first argument of the Iesuites why the Scriptures should not be read because as the Iesuites teach they haue giuen occasion to all heresies A very strange assertion but howsoeuer vnlearned and vnstable men deale yet the Scripture giueth no occasion of heresie much lesse of all heresies as these fellowes doe thus openly maintaine Therefore the Iesuites in teaching that such harme commeth by reading the word of God accuse the scriptures as hurtful many wayes and not profitable which is asmuch as they are charged withall in the 7. place The Censurer commonly faileth in leauing the question and prouing that which is not called into doubt as in this place bee proueth that the worde is without all fault when men misconster it or founde heresies vpoÌ„ the misunderstanding of it This was not in question yet it is wel prooued 〈◊〉 fitly to ouerthrowe the former doctrine of Iesuites for if the scripture be in no fault testraine not the Scripture but reforme the wrangling and peruerting wit if it be in no fault it is neither the occasion of all heresies nor a nose of waxe Your exaÌ„ple of Christ is easely truely returned against you For as Christ is a ruine to none but to those that receiue him not and to those that beleeue not in him so the Scripturè hurteth not but those that despise the reading the hearing and the practise thereof The contrary doctrine to alleaged â—ut of Matthew Yee erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God The Censurer woulde 〈…〉 we the application of this place by two circumstances one to proue the word 〈…〉 articular the â—ther because as he sayth Christ spake not to the ignoraÌ„t people but 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Touching the first 〈◊〉 although the Cen 〈…〉 doth wel lay 〈…〉 the particular application of Christ 〈◊〉 spect of the present matters and hearers yet it will bee founde more then audaritie for any man so to restraine the doctrines of Christ deliuered in particular that they must reach no further then the present circumstances of the matter and of those disciples or aduersaries to whome hee spaket for this is nothing els but to make Christ a Prophet for a time not a Prophet for euer Also by that interpretation his wondeful workes most heauenly doctrines shall bee made to vs nothing els but a bare and naked storie to tell vs what Christ taught others and not what he hath taught vs and to declare what hee reprehended in them not what he reprehendeth in vs. But the Censurer will answerâ— hee mindeth not to 〈◊〉 other doctrines to the particular circumstances And why not any other sentence aswell as this to the Sadduces for nothing can be more generall then errour nothing more vniuersall then the ignorance of Scriptures which is I thinke in y â— Censurers iudgement the fountaine of all errour How commeth it then that he will stop so generalle streame restrayning that to a fewe which apperâ—â—â—neth to all And for the Sadduces they did not only erre in the doctrine of y â— resurrection but were otherwise enemies ignorant of Christ not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God to saluatioÌ„ in him Wherfore Christ noted vpoÌ„ one particular occasion y â— fountaine of al their blindnesse and infidelitie as well as the cause of their ignorance touching the resurrection their foolish doubt of the seuen brethren Thus notwithstaÌ„ding y â— Censurers iudgement it is plaine that the doctrine of this place hath aswel a general vse as a particular that Christ noted the fountaine of all ignorance not the ignorance of Sadduces touching resurrection alone To your seconde point that Christ spake not this to the people but to y â— learned Sadduces first
I answere If the learned erre not knowing the scriptures the vnlearned are in more danger of errour through the same want Secondly if the want were not noted in all the supplie shoulde not be made and commanded to all but all euen the people are commaunded to search the Scriptures therefore not to search them or to bee ignoraunt of them is a fault in al be they learned or vnlearned Your argumeÌ„t that Christ shoulde speake onely to the Sadduces and of the resurrection because it is added you know not the power of God is alreadie answered for it is a generall fault aswell to bee ignorant of the power of God as not to knowe the Scriptures Therefore as the ignorance of the one is condemned in all so is the ignorance of the other and the remedie for both is found in the exercise and search of the holy scriptures Your similitude of woordes spoken as by my Lorde Chauncellor to the doctors of the Arches is vnlearned for with an example of speach concerning a speciall matter you would ouerthrow that which was spokeÌ„ by Christ of a generall cause But let your example stande As the studie of the ciuill lawe is proper to all Lawyers and therefore their lawe bookes to bee read and studied of all Lawyers so the studie of the spirituall and heauenly Lawe is the profession of all christians and therefore the bookes of that law to be read and studied by all professors of the same because to erre not knowing the Scriptures is a thing common to all men as was declared An example of the lyke had bene nothing for your purpose as if my Lorde Chauncellor should say to some Iesuites Yee runne into daunger of treason not knowing the Law against al those that withdrawe the Queenes subiects from their naturall obedience to her Maiestie this should be a note not only to those Iesuites but to al whatsoeuer they be Iesuites or Seminaries or massepriestes or what persons soeuer y â— they must eyther knowe and keepe the lawe or incurre the punishment therein expressed agaynst the offenders Vse good wordes of your countreymen clowne them not for though they bee simple and not trayned in the studie of good letters yet they haue soules to bee fed with the woord and howsoeuer you prayse the Colliers fayth and would put it in execution they are to take heede they find not Christs word verefied against theÌ„ aswell as against y â— Sadduces Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God In the eyght article the Iesuites are reported to say That the righteous man liueth by fayth he hath it not in Christ but by his owne workes First in this question I am charged with vntrueth for the Iesuites haue no such thing as the Censurer affirmeth For answere in this behalfe I referre you to my author whose wordes being truely reported the charge you laye vpon mee is causelesse and must returne But what is this stil to denie the articles to mayntaine quarell and yet to auowe the doctrine to defende the Iesuites Your owne wordes teache that a mans workes are meritorious in Christ and meanes to make him righteous with the seconde righteousnesse as you call it which is playnely to graunt the doctrine denyed before For although you vsey â— name of Christ in this question yet the Apostle coÌ„cludeth that you impute your saluation not to Christ but to your owne workes I testifie sayeth the Apostle speaking of them that dyd not exclude Christ that if yee bee circumcised Christ doeth nothing profit you teaching thereby that whosoeuer will in any part bee righteous in them selues can haue no righteousnesse in Iesus Christ Therefore there was no cause of your impudent lyes You come next to the place auouched for confutation of this errour If righteousnesse come by our workes it is not nowe grace This sentence you truely conster as alledged by mee to prooue that no man 〈◊〉 can bee ryghteous in this life which you say is both from the purpose and false But if the woordes be ful of proofe to shewe there is no righteousnesse in mans woorkes if it be the manifest doctrine of the Apostle what coulde more fitly conuince the blasphemie derogating from the righteousnesse which is by Christ and arrogating to our owne workes then that place which sheweth there is no righteousnesse in our workes but in Christ alone which is imputed to vs by grace onely Nowe let vs see how false it is This you woulde proue by a distinction of a double righteousnesse the first of being called from infidelitie to gayth in Christ which you say is onely of Gods mercie and nor by any merit of our workes the seconde righteousnesse is of such workes as proceede from men after the former calling if they remayne in grace But if this reede whereupon you leane be broken you must needes confesse the former proofe against you to be both pertinent and true For this purpose it is to be considered that as there was but one blessing shewed to Isaac so there is but one onely righteousnes which is not founde in any person or subiect but in our Sauiour Christ Iesus alone This righteousnesse is accounted and imputed to all those that beleeue as their owne In which imputation it is needefull to consider the proportion betweene y t redeemer his redeemed for it giueth great light to this questiâ— As in Christ there was found no cause of death at al yet hee died onely by imputation of our sin so in vs there is fouÌ„d no cause of life at al yet we shal liue onely by imputation of his righteousnes The like proportion is betweene the couenant in the law and the couenant of faith in Christ for as y â— law admitteth no transgression if a man will liue by it so Christ admitteth no satisfaction or merit to ioyne 〈◊〉 his perfect merits if any man will liue by him that y â— whole woorke of our saluation may be of y e grace of God in Christ Iesus the auâ—thour and fynisher of our fayth But to proue this righteousnesse one there is a place to the Romanes in the which the righteousnesse wherby God saueth the beleeuers is called the righâ—eousnes of God and said to be that which is reuealed in the Gospell This is the righteousnesse of faith as the Apostle proueth out of the Prophet witnessing that the righteous maÌ„ liueth by faith which place proueth there is but one righteousnesse of men not onely because the Apostle speaketh of it as one but in naming it expressely the righteousnesse of God and giuing to this faith both righteousnesse and life For if the righteousnesse of faith be the righteousnesse of God that is such as God accompteth for righteousnesse which may also stand before him and make vs holy in his sight what second righteousnesse can there be or what can it doe before God that is
Thus the learned diuinitie of the Iesuites may appeare to them that will beholde it Howe dyd you forgette the two milstones you are wont to alledge for teachers in this matter When a man you saye doeth bebolde that he standeth vpon it maketh him holde but looking vnto that ouer his head he is in feare Wo be vnto them that teach such offensiue and erroneous doctrines deceitfully confirming them with similitudes and distinctions so farre from the trueth and yet easie to be imbraced and deceiue the ignorant It were better for them that a milstone were hanged about their necke they throwne into the bottome of the sea then thus to infeeble the faith and hope of Gods children by their faithles and fearefull doctrines Yet the Censurer and his fellowes if you will beleeue him reconcile all Scriptures together maynteyning confidence and feare in Christian hope whereas we are sayde to confounde and huddle vp matters but hereto I answere let him that offendeth herein beâ— both offend to which himselfe and not reconciled to God till he repent In the tenth article the Iesuites are reported to â—ayr The Scripture in deede neuer teacheth the inuocation of Saintes yet we must beleeue receyue and holde it Here you Censure both the alleadging of the Iesuites opinion and the text auouched to disproue the same You saye it is false that they graunt the inuocation of Saintes is no where taught in the Scriptures Neuerthelesse you graunt afterwarde that Monhemius charging them so and therfore gathering that it ought not to be beleeued they make this answere y â— many things are to be beleeued which are not expressely set downe in the Scripture To which purpose you your selfe adde afterwarde that the inuocation of Saintes is deduced out of many and euident places of Scripture whereby it appeareth that you all confesse that the Scriptures expressely teach it not Nowe that praying to Saintes is by necessary consequence to be gathered out of many euident places of the Scriptures and to be proued by generall Councils Fathers and the vniuersall practise of all Christen dome from the beginning though you boldly affirme it yet you vouch not any one place of scripture nor any one proofe of so many If you haue so good bookes to shewe it standeth vpon your credit to bryng them to lyght For where as your idolatrous praying to saints is detestable in euery sort both for the sinne it selfe and because you commende it without any likely colour of excuse if you bee not able to answere to so grieuous a crime as you are charged with herein being in deede high treason against the heauenly Maiestie of the eternall God yet you may alledge somewhat by waye of excuse to finde some fauour if so great authoritie as you pretende haue carryed you awaye like simple people to ryse vp and rebell agaynst the Lorde You sende vs to your Catholike bookes touching this question which we haue seene and read but fynde not any warrant which may iustifie your doctrine Hauing hoasted of much perfourmed nothing in your second Censure of y â— place alledged agaynst Saintes inuocation you blame me for auouching but that one text of scripture for the disproofe yet your selfe haue brought none for your necessary defence To ouerthrowe the place you bring two answeres but tel vs to which of them you will stand The first is grounded in Limbo patrum that is to say hath no grounde at al as there was neuer any such Limbus but framed setled in your imagination The seconde which you seeme to relie more vpon is in effect this assertion not to knowe is not to allowe This if I might graunt you it doeth not take away the force of the place Out of y â— which allowing you your owne sense I reason thus Because GOD onely is here declared to be of fatherly loue toward vs who also is readie to pardon vs when Abraham by your sense would not knowe vs but condenme vs therefore it is both wisedome and duetie to praie to God and the contrary both vanitie sinne But because you require other reasons and places for this purpose take these of a number It is not lawfull to giue the worship of God to any other according as it is writteÌ„ Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God him only shalt thou serue I wil not giue my glory to any other nor my praise to idols But prayer is a speciall honor and seruice that God requireth of vs as it is said in the fiftieth Psalme Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I wil deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me Whatsoeuer you shall aske the father in my name he will graunt it vnto you Againe a man cannot praye to any but to those in whom he doth beleeue Rom. 10. How shall they call vpon him in whom they haue not beleeued But it is not lawfull to beleeue in any but in God alone which is proued by the former places faith being a principall part of Gods seruice Therefore it is not lawfull to pray to saintes or to any creature whatsoeuer I might here shewe all promises made to prayer all precepts and examples of prayer in all the whole bodie of the Scriptures to be onely of prayer to God and no one precept promise or approued example of prayer to any saint liuing or dead or to any other creature But this place being cleare and mightie against you I will conclude with the Prophet Ionas They which obserue lying vanities let them forsake the goodnes shewed vnto them but with the voyce of thankesgiuing will I sacrifice vnto the Lorde I will pay that which I haue vowed all maner of saluation is of the Lorde In the eleuenth the Iesuites are charged to teach that Christ neuer sayd to the lay men Doe this in remembrance of mee Seeing you pretend that notwithstanding you expound Do this of the Ministers only yet you meane not so but that the people are also commaunded to communicate at the Lordes Supper as well as they I can the more easely leaue you to followe your owne sense for the doctrine against lay mens consecration or ministration is not in controuersie but it is except you faile holden on both that none but called Ministers should minister the sacraments But if as you haue alreadie committed the greatest sacriledge and churchrobbery that may bee in taking away from the people the Cup of the newe Testament and the Communion of the pretious bloud of our Sauiour Christ so nowe by this exposition you would leaue the people at libertie to chuse whether they will be partakers of this bodie too or no y â— you may driue them altogether from the table of the Lorde the sacriledge shalbe so made the more intollerable If the Commaundement Doe this in remembrance of me binde not the people to come to the Lords table howe shall the other wordes
you in this kingdome and in our neighbour kingdomes may behold it with vexatiō of spirit Therefore notwithstanding your bragges before you come to the triall and that you tell vs misusing the place in the forehead of your booke of the fier in the moūtame yet we feare no more to encountre with you then they that see their enemies without armoure or ouerthrowne before they come to giue them the charge Lastly you like not my opinion that only the Scriptures should bee admitted for iudges in disputation But the opinion is good and the practise needefull seeing the holy scripture is the onely touchstone to make triall and the onely iudge to giue sentence in all questions apperteyning to the doctrine of fayth and saluation Howe reuerently I thinke of the chiefe councils of the fathers and doctors and what profit I acknowledge to come by their great labour it was declared in my answere But you euermore omit that which maketh not for your purpose where in you take an euil but yet a readie waye to condemne a good cause Notwithstanding to determine controuersies in iudgement of religion I admit them no seate but refuse them al not onely with one breath but with this one short sentence The rule is not ouerruled You shoulde haue proued that the doctours and councils haue not places contrary one to another and sometimes contrary to themselues If you had cleered them of this warre among themselues you had made them somewhat fitter to make peace amongst vs. In affirming that I say some of the fathers are condemned of forgerie you doe manifestly peruert my playne wordes for I spake of the places and you drawe it to the persons It is one thing to say some places in Austen are forged and an other to say Austen him selfe is forged Now that places in Austen are forged and namely many of his short sermans to the brethren in the wildernes it appeareth by the iudgement of Erasinus and by the notes of bastardie set downe in your owne editions Cyprians places are also acknowledged by your selues especially that notorious booke of the reuelation of Iohn Baptistes head where Cyprian maketh mention of king Pipin that liued fiue hundred yeeres after that Cyprian was dead But I neede not to alleadge any more you wil not deny but there are many Now there followeth a comparison that you ground your beliefe onely vpon the word of God and make it the onely obiect of fayth more thē we do Your reports here and in the ninth place confirmed 〈◊〉 an othe can haue no credit against your knowen doctrine and dealinges to the contrary For doe you not in this verie question pleade the authoritie of men as the warrant whereby we receyue the Scriptures Doe you not denie that wee are saued by faith onely Howe then doe you buylde your beleefe onely vpon the word of God or make that the onely obiect of faith more then we doe In the wordes following you keepe on your course prouing that which is graunted and affirming that which shoulde bee proued I dyd graunt that Councils Fathers and stories yeeld profitable helpes to shewe the estate of the Church from time to time and also for the better vnderstanding of the worde of God yet this is that which you make y ◠questiō as denyed by me and to be proued by you After this strange order of disputation you myght as fitly in forme and more truely in matter proue your doctrine blasphemous and your practises full of rebellion If you woulde proue this it were a true proposition but no confutation of that I say affirming the same So in prouing that doctors bring great helpes to learning you proue a trueth but not in any ouerthrowe of my answere For I haue acknowledged as much The questiō in deede is whether Councils and Fathers be iudges to giue sentence in controuersies and rules to ouer rule interpretations to the proofe whereof you shoulde haue tyed your selfe but without any further proofe you affirme it as a cleare matter and altogether out of dout Is this that disputation which you so boast of to proue that is graunted and to leaue that without proofe which is in question I shall not escape the note of audacitie If vpon your Censures false report I shal be thought to denie that which I doe most manifestly anouch But this note of audacious bouldnes cleaueth to you who blush not to say that the authoritie of Scriptures dependeth vpon the testimonie and allowance of men and that otherwise we know not which is the word of God and which not As many as hold this opinion had neuer their eares bored nor their heartes opened by the Spirite of GOD to heare and see more then the bare letter they neuer felt the lyfe and spirite thereof which is the holy spirite of God not onely bearing witnesse with our spirite that we are the sounes of God but also that the holy scriptures are the worde of God and his power to saluation that they are also the rule which should rule all and not be ouerruled of any Neither haue those disciples of the word humbled them selues at the footestoole of the Lorde to behold his absolute perfection in all his wayes especially in the full reuelation of his will to the sonnes of men by his holy scriptures neither haue they considered y ◠vanitie of vanities y ◠infinite hardnesse of heart and corruption of iudgement which is in all flesh This humilitie would confirme them in the faith of that saying no man knoweth the things of God but the spirit of God This Spirit leadeth vs into all trueth to knowe it and to proue it and to be comforted thereby not in the iudgemēt or after the sense of man but according to the worke of God opening our hearts and sanctifiyng our vnderstanding so that the worke and iudgement is of the spirite according to the woorde of God Herein also standeth an answere to your seconde assertion that by the fathers wee knowe which is the right meaning of the word of God for as the authoritie of the worde is confirmed by the spirit so are the interpretations thereof also As man is not the author so he is not the interpreter of the worde of God otherwise then by the autoritie of the worde it selfe This saint Peter proueth making it a reason why no Scripture is of a priuate interpretation because it came not from man but the holy men of God spake as they were moued and caried with the holy Ghost so that the holy Ghost doeth deliuer and warrant and interprete vnto vs the holy woord of God expounding scripture by scriptures and not leauing this high office to men otherwise then to ministers conteyning themselues within the faithfull seruice of their charge in their written and authenticall commission And you dare not say who dare say much y ◠an interpretation is true because an ancient father hath it
this your spirit attempt in the aboundance of your heart if you durst as well come to open action as you dare cast out these open and intollerable flaunders against all the godly entred We all holde the same doctrine of faith published and mainteined according to the worde of God we come to the same felloweship and communion in the exercises of religion and ioyne all in the same defence of Gods holie Gospell yea we all though not in the same measure seeke the reformatioÌ„ of that that at the Lordes time shalbe reformed to a further growth and beautie in the bodie of Iesus Christ which is the Church Therefore notwithstanding your slaunder vpon examination it wil appeare that those in Englande which are slaundered with the name of detestable Heretiques are farre from the heresie most readie to condemne it or whatsoeuer is contrarie to the publique doctrine of faith mainteined by the present Lawes of the lande which doctrine is pure and holy and agreeable to the most holy word of God which the Lorde continue for his names sake with peace vpon Israel But to returne to the Censurer hee addeth a manifest vntruth saying that all the former heresies ioyne against the Romish Church in receiuing the scripture onely To wade no further the familie of loue which you cite are against you who haue their seuerall Gospell of the kingdome they build vpon the cursed thrise cursed bookes of H.N. also they scorne the scripture learned and in their loue to you acknowledge y e ministerie of y â— word to come froÌ„ the Pope Therefore they do neyther cleaue only to y â— scriptures nor liue in such mislike of your superstitions Nowe for the matter if your argument be good Heretiques cleaue to the word onely therefore it is naught you may aswell conclude that we must not alleadge the Scriptures at all because they alleadge them we must not dispute at all because they dispute which conclusions are all absurd For heretiques eate and drinke they clothe them selues all which are lawfull for all men to doe therefore not whatsoeuer they doe but whatsoeuer they doe as heretiques that is a marke of heresie Furthermore to proue wantes in the worde of God you demaunde howe it commeth to passe that the Scripture doeth not ende controuersies among heretiques I answere they are in the faulte as you also like heretiques are by resisting the trueth the worde is not to bee charged with any want But let me moue the like question and haue your Censure touching the doubt You that haue the Scriptures the Councils the Fathers you that haue Philosophie moreouer and stories and which is most of all the Popes breast and the fulnesse of the spirite you bragge off howe commeth it to passe that you haue not yet compounded your trouble some and long controuersie whether the virgin Marie was conceyued without originall sinne or no If the euidences you so stande vpon cannot in so long time ende so small a matter what will they be able to proue in the great questions of saluation Agayne hedemauÌ„deth how such heresies can be yf y â— truth be so cleare For triall of the truth a manifest proofe what power there is in Gods worde there must be heresies and schismes and God hath alwayes suffered false prophets teachers for a iust punishment of those that loue not the trueth neuerthelesse the Scripture is cleare and plaine where God giueth an eare to heare and a heart to vnderstand if it be hidden it is hidden to them that are lost But you that once or twice beate at mee as one whose zeale ranne before his witte staye your selfe Doe you y â— make no conscience to diminish the authoritie of the worde of God crye out agaynst vs if wee refuse the determination of men will you that haue alreadie in diuers plates pleaded against y â— sufficiencie of Scriptures now pleade for Philosophie Doctours and Councils as able to end al controuersies ratifie your title If we call you onely to the worde not the bare woord but adorned and richly attired with all fulnes of light and trueth the cleerest interpreter of it selfe doe wee in calling you hither depriue you of your euidences and witnesses seeking thereby to set you together by the â—ares for the title I knowe no euidences but the worde no witnesses but the holy Prophets and Apostles if your kingdome can not iustifie it selfe by these euidences and witnesses let her bee condemned by them for euer Your beadroule of fathers naming heretiques y â— abused y â— Scriptures I tooke not the tale of them they are brought in as vnnecessary witnesses of a matter alreadie answered not in question Lastly you conclude that we drawe in one line with the most cursed heretiques and you make them our progenitors because we appeale to the worde of God as the onely teacher and iudge in causes of religion If this be a faulte let it be required at our hande if it be your horrible slaunder against the worde and agaynst the Saints of God for giuing due honour thereunto y â— Lord require it at your handes in the defence of his owne glorie Touching Christian Franken TOuching Christian Franken which is the last of your foure partes it appeareth he hath vsed a true reporte agaynst the Iesuites because as hee assured him selfe before hande yet no man hath denyed the idolatries the superstitious and heathenish exercises wherewith he doth so plainly charge them As for the first part of your answere hereunto it standeth altogether vpon false argumentes as that He departeth from the sect of Iesuites therfore he is an apostata He discouereth their wicked superstition therefore he reuileth al catholike religion Austen confesseth that hee knew none worse then they that fel in Monastical life while he liued therfore FrankeÌ„ must be one of them All these conclusions are barely affirmed without proofe therefore may be truely denied without any further answere Notwithstanding it is to bee noted that againe you find no fitter taunt against M. Luther and Iohn Bale then to call them Friers and therefore you repeate the matter True it is they were Friers but forgiue them that fault seeing they did cast away their habit and kept a better course An other reproch followeth in charging vs plainely with coyning the newes of Rome and with suspition to haue coyned Frankens Dialogue whereunto I answere if we haue not coyned you haue And as for AusteÌ„s place it maketh for him against whome it is alleadged and against them in whose defence you bring it For if in Austens time with some good this Monasticall life brought forth others so euill that none were worse and hath declined euer since it was time for Franken to come out from the middest of you If so long ago in such puritie of the Church as was in Austens time the Monasteries did bring forth y â— worst men of
the argument doeth not necessarily followe For many are in heauen that haue liued in errour because the rich mercie of God doth aswell pardon errour to him that repenteth as other iniquities No man will take this for a good argument one â—f the two that were crucified with Christ is nowe in heauen therfore he was no thiefe therefore he liued not in error yet such altogether is the fifth motiue that moued Xilander to go to Rome in hope perhappes to be a Saint 6 To the sixt reason which maketh the Papistes reuerent in their wordes and the other syde rayling blasphemous and dishonest in their speaches and writinges I answere with Salomons woordes he that iustifieth the wicked and he that coudemueth the innocent are both an abhomination before the Lorde This reason is repeated in the next and is there further answered 7 The seuenth reason hath nothing in prayse of the Papistes as the former had but is altogether a repetition of that which was said against the godly as railing and misreporting their aduersaries Wherein for proofe against this slaunder I appeale to the places of the Censure alleaged against Martin Luther and charging him with most foule opinions such as after his conuersion he neuer mainteined in worde or deede which his practise prooued while he yet liued and his writings doe testifie now after his death Doctor Watson also may make a triall of this matter against you who in a sermon before Queene Marie charged no small men as he saith but our great bishops to say that euery man and woman might at the Lordes table take bread and blesse it which he calleth tonsecration and speake the woordes of the institution aswell as the minister Notwithstanding here I am to aduertise the reader that Papistes misreport theÌ„ selues now saying and at an other time denying the same as appeared in many of the XIII articles by y â— Censurers own practise For when the Iesuites are truely charged he will not graunt that which is truely auouched against them but changing the question will seeme to say lesse then they teach For one example they are charged to commit idolatrie in worshipping images the Censurer will seeme to denie this saying they giue no worship to the image but to God this distinction is not good and further more the assertion is false For it hath been prooued that they giue worship to the very image of Christ and which is more that they giue y â— greatest worship of Christ him selfe to his picture Therefore al men are to consider this both for our defence to auoyde the errour that may come by their deceites For in the fielde where they stand in feare of the aduersarie and in their perswasions when they would win a proselyte the pretended Catholiques will not lie open but cloke a great part of their shamefull doctrine which is their subtiltie to drawe away disciples and to leaue lesse aduantage to their enemies Therefore to a man not acquainted with their double dealing wee may seeme to report them otherwise then they holde in disputation when notwithstanding we report them no other wise then they openly teache in their kingdome and publishe in their writings Wherefore I may conclude that this reason was grouÌ„ded vpon a manifest vntruth Xilander iudged of Iudas by the kisse not by the treason 8 Lastly for a reason we are falsely charged to esteeme all our auncesters damned to breake their willes and conuert to prophane vses that which they gaue to mainteine idle Monkes and Friers and to redeeme them by masses out of purgatory Whatsoeuer he thought in him selfe or imagined in others wee thinke not our ancesters damned but leaue iudgement to the Lorde to whom the iudgement of life and death doth belong not searching out his secret couÌ„sels which are vnsearchable As for the ornameÌ„ts which they bestowed not vpon the seruice of God to the instruction of their soules by the preaching and ministerie of the Gospell but vpon the great harlot and to the inlargement of her kingdome they are brought home agayne to better vses and I thinke many of your best friendes will holde and enioy them as better bestowed Your seconde man commeth ready furnished to your hande out of the former booke of Lindan But because you promise not to deliuer the same reasons that were touched before let vs see how faithfully you keepe art and promise Flaschius first reason is the same that Xilanders seuenth where they say we report the papists to teach that they teach not Also his thirde is but a particular of that which the other man did generally auouch in y â— sixt against y e godly as vsing dishonest speach To speake of them particularly Flaschius his first reason is that your Catholiques teach cleane contrary to that which we report of them We report them to teach that the Pope is supreame head of the Church doe they teach the cleane contrary we charge them to ascribe some merit to workes do they teach cleane contrary Againe we charge them that they auowe transubstantiation do they teach no such thing Wee moreouer chalenge them for giuing worshippe to images do they teach the contrary doctrine wee accuse them for denying the sufficiencie of scriptures do they make them sufficient I might bring infinite such examples but these may be sufficieÌ„t to shew how Flaschius stuÌ„bled at his first going out at the gace 2 The second reason is drawen from Luthers mind in writing against y t Romish Church of enâ—y as the ruÌ„nagate doth suppose How is this prooued out of any place quoted for a shewe of proofe Agayne if it were proued that enuie made M. Luther write against Popery how doth the runnagates reason followe The preacher preacheth of enuie therfore his doctrine is to be forsaken The Phisition vseth his arte for couetousnes therfore his couÌ„sel is to be despised If Flaschius had learned what the place of S. Paul ment where he saith he was glad reioyced that Christ was preached eyther vpon enuie or contention eyther for fashion sake or in synceritie howsoeuer it might haue bin a counterpoyson against y â— disease of this second imaginatioÌ„ 3 His third reason against M. Luther for great dishonestie scurrilitie of speach in his writings is another â—launder in effect all one w t the seconde and there answered You say this bad fellowe was a â—reacher surely theÌ„ he came in by a wrong way went out by a right dore y t neuer had any sound knowledge of the trueth or if he had any he first put back a good coÌ„science theÌ„ made shippe wracke of faith knowledge 4 Fourthly it is but â—lauÌ„derously laid to our charge y t we do easily reiect any booke or peece of Scripture for we admit as the word of God all y â— bookes partes conteyned in y t auncient autenticall Canon of y â— Iewes with our aduersaries all the new Testament
neither doe we vse or suffer the least corruption of y t Scripture knowing what a curse is pronouÌ„ced against such blasphemous audaâ—ity But you haue added the Apocrypha bookes although they neither agree in some pointes with y â— scripture nor yet one with another as hath bene declared Touching Fathers and Councils it is too foule an accusation to charge vs y â— wee esteeme no more of them theÌ„ of y â— Turkes Alcoran Flaschiâ—s appeareth to be some corrupt hypocrite who measured other men by y â— vanity wickednes of his own heart So farre doe wee honour the councils as they can well aske or doe deserue honour For that I may bee suffered to repeate with the Censurer we receiue from them ioyfully and with reuerence whatsoeuer they deliuer vnto vs with sufficient warrant out of the worde of God acknowledging them not only to haue brought great profit to the church in their time but also to their posteritie This honour we giue not to the deuilish Alcaron what the Apostata did or will do I can not report 5 The fifth reason is a slauÌ„der against y â— truth blasphemously cast out against it and the professers thereof It is that our newe opinions as Flaschius our enemies wil needes call them are olde heresies condeÌ„ned by name in the primitiue Church Whereunto I answere that if Saunders most traiterous booke quoted for proofe in the margent or Lindane with his roule of heresies or the runnagate by any good trial can proue that either we pull olde heresies out of the graue or breed newe that should be buried though it be no good reason why Sebastian should flie to them yet wee will grauÌ„t it a full sufficieÌ„t reasoÌ„ why he should take the wings of the morning flie from vs. But if this runnagate in the malice and error of his heart hath spoken good of euil and euill of good if he haue forsaken darknes for light and light for darknes then he hath escaped a blessing and made haste to finde a curse 6. 7. The next two reasons are of y â— same forge with all the rest they prooue nothing but the malice and blindnes of your conuert The sixt chargeth Luther with contrarietie of doctrine the seuenth with a speache of intollerable inâ—quitie against faith in God But his godly writings doe sufficiently iustifie him against these open slaunder 〈…〉 as was declared before against y â— Censurers like slauÌ„derous reports Out of his large volumes of talke at tables wee know not so much what Luther said or vpon what causes as what those men remeÌ„bred or added which did collect the bookes 8 The last reason of Flaschius was cunningly chosen out to make a fit conclusion of your tauÌ„ting and slaunderous Censure hauing nothing but the venim of the aspe that laie vnder the runnagates tongue It standeth vpon many points shuffeled together as that we are partiall that we exaggerate euery litle fault in our aduersaries and liue our selues most vitiously in fornication and chaunge of wiues according to Luthers doctrine the proofe whereof is alledged in one preacher vpon the runnagates credit with other thinges that this shamelesse man is ashamed to vtter What an heape of reproches is this without any proofe Against this I haue proued that M. Luther taught no libertie offornicatioÌ„ but the contrarie as appeareth at large by many his learned and godly treatises Alsâ— the knowne doctrine and discipline of our Church free vs froÌ„ the slaunder who seeke a sharper punishment for such enormities then your petie penaunce If Flaschius euer met with a mate like him selfe that would haue made a match w t him in chaunging of wiues he was to blame except the most fault was in himselfe that he did not bring it before the Magistrate vpon complaint and proofes it woulde haue appeared that y â— religion suffereth no such wickednesse to goe unpunished This may be a particular slaunder like the rest but if it were true in Flaschius and one of his companions both fitte to haue bene thrust out of the Church before eyther departed what is this to all These are your two false witnesses wel able to discredit euen a true matter comming from their report as they themselues are discredited by the testimonies they haue giuen in agaynst the Gospell being reportes so full of manifest reproch and vntrueth It is verie like they omitted the true reason of their departure Perhappes they went out because they woulde not or coulde not any longer abide within as it fell out with Demas and Alexander Nowe for a recompence of your two runnagates the present example not of a straunger unknowen but of one home borne toucheth the quicke He in your faces rendered good reasons of his conuersion from among them where wickednesse of life and abhomination of doctrine striue which may cal downe the greatest vengeaunce But this needeth not my repetition and I labour not to presse you with examples or corruptions of men it is beside the question we haue in hande My prayer and labour is for the defence of his trueth from the which we receiue life and are to striue for it vnto death The Lord requireth this seruice at our hands he will at his good time blesse it with manifolde blessings the fruit whereof it may be some of vs shal not see but our posteritie shal behold it notwithstanding all the wisedome and power and counsell of man to the contrary For the Lord hath reuealed the man of sin by the preaching of the worde hath shaken his chaire with a mightie arme hee wil not withdraw his hand til he hath vtterly coÌ„sumed Antichrist with the spirit of his mouth abolished him w t the brightnesse of his comming In the meane time his little â—locke may bee somewhat scattered for a time of trial but they shal be gathered together againe increased to shewe the Lords power and mercie they may sâ—w 〈◊〉 teares but they shal reape with gladnesse This is the hardest account the godly can make But it may be that the Lord will himselfe correct vs in mercy and not deliuer vs into the hands of our enemies to be punished by them It may be the mother of Sisera shall looke out at the window and cry out at the casement why is his chariot so long a coÌ„ming why tary the wheeles of his charet So let thine enemies perish O Lorde but let them that loue thee and thy trueth continue as the Sunne when he riseth in his might and as Oliue plants in the house of God that flourish for euer Amen FINIS Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie 2. Pet. 2. 1. Iohn 4. 24. 1. Iohn 4. 1. 2. Cor. 2. 5. 1. Iohn 4. 2. Heb. 7. 27. 9. 12. 26. 28. 10. 10. Iames 2. 1. Ephe. 4. 1â— Rom. 1. 18. 2. Tim. 2. 9. D. Watson M. Peoknam The