from the Gospell and doctrin of saluation in setting vp a newe sacrifice in seeking iustification by workes in ouerthrowing the true and spiritual worship of God As for the two Iudges the worde and the spirite he denyeth them finding manye defectes in the worde As that it is sencelesse dombe deafe not able to prooue it selfe to be the worde of God hauing no more power to be Iudge and decide controuersies then the booke of statutes to put on my lorde chiefe Iustices robes and to come to the Kings bench and giue sentence I thinke there is no Christian man but abhorreth to reade these blasphemies But let vs see whether the booke of statutes although it put on no robes is not iudge even ouer my lorde chiefe Iustice him selfe who is a minister seruing to pronounce the lawe not a King to alter the lawe for he him selfe must be obedient to the lawe Nowe in all controuersies that be de iure either the lawe is plaine to be vnderstoode or it is obscure If it be plane as that a felone must be hanged or the sonne must inherite his father c. the Iudge pronouncing the lawe with authoritie and execution following his sentence brydleth the obstinate person that will not obey the lawe which he knoweth as well as the Iudge If the lawe be hard to be vnderstoode the Iudge must seeke the interpretation thereof according to the minde of the law-maker and not according to the his owne fantasie So that in all cases the Iudge hath no authoritie ouer the lawe but vnder the lawe so that if the giue wrong sentence both he and his sentence are to bee iudged by lawe Or else why doe you Martiall in your ciuill lawe courtes so often crye out sit liber iudex let the booke be Iudge If you will not allow the booke of Gods law to be Iudge euen ouer them which haue authoritie as Iustices haue in the common lawe to pronounce it and to declare it The Spirite he refuseth to be Iudge because it is inuisible secreate vnknowen vnable to be gone to but in the Church therefore the Church is the Iudge and neyther the worde nor the Spirite But the Spirite by his owne substance incomprehensible is by his effects in the holy Scriptures visible reuealed knowen and able to be gone vnto therefore a sufficient Iudge taking witnesse of the Scriptures and bearing witnesse vnto them For that maiestie of trueth that power of working that vniforme consent which is in all the Scriptures inspired of God maketh a wonderfull difference of them from all writings of men of all sortes But let vs see Martials arguments against the Spirite of God to be iudge of the interpretation of the Scriptures Paul and Barnabas in the controuersie of circumcision went not to the word and Spirit but to the Apostles and Elders at Ierusalem O blocke-head and shamelesse asse Paul and Barnabas doubted not of the question but sought the generally quiet of the whole Church by consent of Councell But whether went the Apostles and Elders for decision of the question but to the worde and Spirite Reade Act. 15. Againe he citeth Deuteronom 17. that the people in controuersies should resort to the priestes for iudgement but where should they fetche their iudgement but of the lawe of God as it is in the same place Againe Christ hath appointed Apostles Euangelistes c. therefore it is not a generall precept for all men to trie all men to iudge what doctrine they receiue bicause all be not Apostles Euangelistes c. Then in vaine saide Christ to all men search the scriptures in vaine the Apostles trie the spirites neither did the Boerheans well that daily sought the Scriptures to see if those things were so as the Apostles taught Martiall is to be pitied if he knowe no difference betweene authoritie of publike teaching and the triall and examination of doctrine whereof this pertaineth to all men the other to such onely as are called thereto But Martiall proceedeth to shewe that as GOD appointed one high Priest to the Iewes to avoide schismes so he appointed Peter among the Christians and for this purpose he citeth diuers sentences of the auncient Fathers which all in order almost the reader shall finde cited and satisfied in myne aunswere to Doctor Sanders booke of the rocke of the Church Cap. 5. except one place of Tertullian De pudicitia which I maruell this Popish Lawyer would alledge being so contrarie to his purpose but that the poore man vnderstoode it not Qualis es c. What art thou ouerthrowing and changing the intention of our Lorde giuing this personally to Peter Vpon thee saide he I will builde my Church If it were personally saide to Peter Syr Bacheler counsel with Baldus and Bertholdus whether it goe by succession to the Pope or no Which Tertullian denyeth to pertaine to euery Elder of the Church bicause it was spoken personally to Peter And nowe at the length beginneth he to come to the argument of his booke the signe of the crosse Which he saide was the fourth signification of the word Crosse in Scripture and calleth it the materiall and mysticall signe of the crosse which Master Calfhill denieth to be once mentioned in Scripture in that sense that Martiall taketh it Martiall repeateth that which he had saide before that Esaye cap. 49. saith I will set out myne signe on high to the people which Hierome vpon that place expoundeth to be the standard of the crosse that it may be fulfilled which is written the earth is full of his praise Et iterum c. And againe In all the earth his name is wonderfull Which wordes following immediately Martiall craftily suppresseth and falleth into a brabbling matter that preaching which Master Calfhill saide was this standard is not the onely standard or signe lifted vp by GOD for conuersion of the Gentiles but miracles and good examples of life c. Whereas the question is whether the Popish signe of the crosse be the signe spoken by Esay and Hierome And the exposition added by Hierome sheweth plainely that he meaneth not a red or blue crosse banner but the preaching of Christe crucified whereby the earth is filled with the praise of GOD and his name is wonderfull in all the earth But Martiall in the end concludeth that it hath pleased the auncient Fathers to appoint and ordeine the signe of the crosse to he one meane among many by which the praise of GOD is set foorth Where he should haue proued that the signe of the crosse as he taketh it is mentioned in the scriptures Other cauils and slaunders not more false then foolish I will clearely omit as I purposed in the beginning and followe onely such matter as is proper to the question in controuersie namely the signe of the crosse The second text to proue that the signe of the crosse is mentioned in the scripture he citeth out of Iere. 4. Lift vp a signe in Sion which
point at it with his finger Let him I say point out with his finger what Kinges in euery age for the space of the first three hundreth yeares did walke in the brightnesse of the Churches arising It will not serue him to name Algarus of Edessa or Lucius of Britaine But he must shewe a continuall succession of Kinges for all that time or if he can not let him confesse that the externall glorie and brightnesse of the Church is not in all ages to be seene as the spirituall magnificence and light thereof is euerlasting His nexte reason is of the continuance of Pastours and teachers in the Churche which he imagineth to haue fayled in our Church for nine hundreth yeares but he is altogether deceiued For when the state of the Romishe Churche was growen to be such a confuse Babylon that it was necessary for GODS people to goe out of it Apoc. Chap. 18. verse 4. Which came not to the full ripenesse of iniquitie vntill a thousande yeares after Christe GOD sent Pastours and teachers to his Churche so departed out of Babylon in these partes of Europe which continued by succession euen vntill GOD restored his Gospell into open light of the worlde againe Beside that a great number of Easterne Churches haue continued euen from the Apostles time vnto this day though not in soundnesse of all opinions yet in open profession of Christianitie among whome doubtlesse some reteyned the foundation alwayes which were neuer obedient to the see of Rome neither partakers of a greate nomber of her horrible heresies so that if it were graunted that the Churche must alwayes be visible yet the Papistes are neuer the neare to proue their faction to be the Church because the Greeke Church for outward shewe of a Churche hath bene alwayes as notorious in the East as the Latine Church in the West Finally where Augustine sayeth although vpon a text wrongly interpreted that the Churche is placed in the sunne that is a manifest place of the worlde not in a corner like the conuenticles of heretikes He meaneth not that the Church is alwayes seene of all men but that it seeketh no corners or couerture of darkenesse as heretikes doe to shrowd their falshoode in although in the time of persecution it be driuen into streightes and is content to be hidden from the aduersaries thereof except in some cases where the glorie of CHRISTE requireth an open confession The same Augustine would haue the Churche to be known onely by the Scriptures De vnitate Ecclesiae Cap. 16. Sed utrum ipst Ecclesiam teneant non nisi divinarum scripturarrum Canonicis libris ostendunt But whether they holde the Church let them shewe by none otherwayes but by the Canonicall bookes of the holy Scriptures If the Papistes were able to proue their doctrine by the scriptures they would not labour so muche for the title of the Church which of necessitie would followe them if they taught nothing but that and all that which the holy Scriptures doe teache CAP. XIIII Three reasons why the Church of Christ ought of necessitie alwayes to be a cleare euident visible and knowen Church In the seconde of which reasons a sensible disputation is made to trie whether our countrie among other might possiblie haue attayned to the right Faith without the helpe of a knowne Church in all this pretensed time of Papistrie The first reason is that except the Church and true pastors thereof might be openly knowne the infidell seeking for Christianitie shall come from paganisme to heresie c. the grace and gift of Christ shoulde bee vnprofitable as a riche treasure fast locked vp c. which were inconuenient in many respects c. therefore the Church must be openly knowne and euident c. I aunswere this reason sauoreth of Pelagianisme which is enimie to the grace of God presupposing that Infidels of their owne good motion without the grace of God may seeke Christianitie But if wee remember what our Sauiour Christ saith No man commeth vnto me except my father drawe him Ioan. 6. ver 44. Wee must acknowledge that as it is the onely grace of God that moueth in infidels a desire to seeke Christ so the same grace and no outward appearance to be iudged by carnall reason shall directe them whom he hath chosen to eternall life among so many sectes in the worlde to finde see and acknowledge the onely true Church and piller of trueth out of which there is no saluation Wherefore this reason hath no grounde but vppon a supposition of Pelagianisme that GOD hath onely reuealed his trueth vnto men of the worlde and lefte men to their owne reason to find it out by external notes such as Infidels not lightened by Gods grace by the light of naturall reason may descerne The seconde reason is that it hath pleased God that because The seconde reason is that it hath pleased God that because faith leaneth vpon authoritie and authoritie is strong in a multitude although in the primitiue Church by miracles euident giftes of the holy ghost the authoritie of a fewe drewe whole countryes to the faith yet miracles ceasing to keepe the Church alwayes in a knowen multitude whose authoritie might drawe the simple persuade the learned and keepe out the heretikes If this carnal reason were good there were smal or no vse of the scriptures at all The authoritie of the Church and that alwayes knowne might suffice for all matters But Augustine saith hee in his booke de vxilitate credendi ad Honoratum Cap. 14. vseth this reason to bring Honoratus from the Manichees to the Catholikes out of whome he citeth a long discourse to this effect That as the common multitude and fame moueth a man to beleeue that there was such a one as Christ and that his writings and scriptures are to be credited so of the head rulers of that multitude and not of any priuie and newe sect such as the Manichees was he must learne the vnderstanding of this booke and scriptures This he taketh vppon him to exemplifie by the state of our countrey at the firste conuersion thereof by Augustine Although this carnal reason might haue some shew with Honoratê° a straunger from the Church and one not lightened with the spirite of God yet howe vaine it is being applyed to the Papistes you may easily see by this that since the Church of Rome hath been the Church of Antichrist as great a multitude which might and hath moued many infidels to receuie the profession of Christianitie hath beene seperated from it as hath cleaued to it Put the case then of an infidell in the East which moued by the fame and consent of many nations hath thought well of Christ hath giuen credite to the Scriptures to what head rulers shoulde be resort for instruction in the Scriptures to the rulers of that multitude by which he was first moued to beleeue then shoulde he neuer become a Papist For all the Patriarches
of the East Church haue been and are stil at vtter defyance with the Pope of Rome You see therefore by plaine demonstration that this reason holdeth no further then Augustines authoritie extendeth who in other places appealeth onely to the Scriptures and euen against the Manichees confesseth that the playne demonstration of the trueth which is to be founde in the holye Scriptures is to be preferred before the consent of nations authoritie of miracles succession of Bishops vniuersalitie consent name of the Catholike Church and whatsoeuer can be taught beside Contra Epist. Manich. quam vocant fundamenti Cap. 4. The thirde reason why the Church must alwayes be a known multitude is for keeping out of wolues and heretikes which must be y t they which are tryed may be made manifest which cannot bee in a secrete congregation Yes M. Stapleton very well The Church was neuer so secrete but it was knowne to the members of it which might vse the authoritie thereof for trying auoyding and excommunicating of heretikes according to the holye scriptures But euermore you do wilfully deceiue your selfe when you affirme that there was no Christians knowen in the worlde by the space of 900. yeares but Papistes You cannot denye but Brytannie Scotlande Irelande had Christians at and since the comming of Augustine which were no Papistes as by the history of Beda is manifest What should I here name so many nations of Europe Asia and Africa which yet to this day continue in profession of Christianitie neuer were subiect to the tyrannye of the Romishe byshop and from whome the Romish byshop with his sect of Papistes hath clearely departed many hundreth yeares agoe Wherefore according to Augustines sentence the Catholike church is not a particuler sect in Europe but an vniuersall gathering of y e dispersed ouer all the world where God hath his elect in all places Or if you vnderstande the Church for a visible multitude professing Christ there is no reason why the churches of the East so many so large so ancient should be excluded and the multitude of Papists holding of one citie in Italy only to be receiued CAP. XV. A number of shamelesse shiftes and seely surmises which Protestants haue inuented to establish their variable doctrine and to confounde the authoritie of the Church In deede a number of these which he rehearseth as shamelesse shiftes are shamelesse lies and impudent slaunders deuised by the diuell to bring the trueth in disdaine but yet so openly proued to be false that they neede no confutation First he sayeth that Luther condemned all councels and fathers yea al learning of Philosophy and humanitie so that bookes were burned and common schooles ceased for certein yeares in Germany with other like monstrous lyes alledging for his author that beastly Apostata Staphylus This slaunder deserueth no aunswere being raysed by one shamelesse lyer against an hundreth thousand witnesses The seconde shift is that Luther did afterwarde receiue Philosophy and bookes of humanitie yea diuines of 500. or 600. yeares and some Councels also with this perilous condition so farre as they repugned not to holy Scripture This seemeth an vnreasonable condition to Stapleton who belike would haue all gentylitie and many heresies absolutely receyed The thirde The fathers should not be admitted when they taught any thing beside the expresse scripture As worshipping of Images praying to Saints c. which they had by tradition If such things came from the Apostles why were they not written by them as well as such fathers of later time yea why did the Apostles write that which is contrary to such traditions The fourth The first 600. yeares they did admit because they knewe there was litle in them against them cleare open because fewe bookes were writen in that time and many lost that were written And yet there remaine more writen in that time then a man can well reade ouer in seuen yeares Agayne cities being stuffed with heathen Iewes and heretikes euery mystery was not opened in pulpit nor committed to writing These belike were greater mysteries then the Apostles and Euangelistes haue committed to writing But I marueile howe they were taught if neither in pulpit nor in writing belike in secrete confession but our Sauiour Christe woulde haue his mysteries preached in the house toppes Last of all for that many controuersies nowe in hand were neuer heard of in those dayes Therefore M. Iewell made his challenge of the first 600. yeres which Stapleton thinketh he was not able to abyde by and that M. Nowel suspected no lesse because he accounted it a very large scope But howe he hath abyden by it is sufficiently proued to the glory of the trueth and the confusion of Papistrie The fifth They reiect the latter 900. yeares because Paynims yelding to the faith and heretikes to the Church the mysteries of our faith were more openly published in Pulpits writings It appeareth and that in recordes of the latter 900. yeares that many old heretiks still remained in the cities beside the Iewes remaining vntil this day of which he made the fathers of the first 600 years so much afraide for vttering the mysteries a◠of Paynims and heretikes The sixt Some holde that all the Church might erre for a time None euer helde that all the Church might erre so farre as that they fell away from Christ. The seuenth Other said there was a Church all this 900 yeares but oppressed by the miscreants being priuie and vnknowen This he sayth is vaine blasphemous being against holy Scripture and good reason as he hath proued What he hath proued you haue seene and howe the Scripture must be fulfilled which prophecyeth of the comming of Antichrist and the apostasie of men from the faith which cannot be if the Church should alwayes florish in multitude externall appearing of visible glory The eyght That Protestants bookes haue beene lost The ninth Bookes of holy fathers haue beene corrupted The tenth False writings haue beene deuised and fathered vpon the first Popes of Rome All these he compteth to be but suspitions surmises which are yet so manifest truthes that euen Thomas the vnbeleeuing Apostle without the iudgement of his senses might feale them with both his hands and be satisfyed although Thomas the Apostata from God and traytour to his Prince countrey will neither see nor handle them But all these surmises he will ouerthrow with supposing one case If a man haue continued in possession and coulde bring recordes of his right from William the Conquerour and all his neighbours to say for his quiet possession without checke or nay as the Papistes can deduct the possession of their religiō from 800. yeares c. were it a good plee against such a man to say his recordes are false his euidences forged his possession iniurious c. without bringing in any affirmatiue proofes recordes euidence or witnesse c. I answere it were no good plee But firste I
needefull nor profitable The memory of that godly learned man Maister Doctor Calfhill whome he abuseth is written in the Booke of the righteous and shall not be afraide of any slaunderers reporte Omitting therefore all friuolous quarels I will onely endeuour to answere that whiche hath in it any shewe of reason or argument to defende the idolatry of the Papistes In which matter also as many thinges are the same which are already satisfied in my confutation of Doctor Sanders Booke of Images so I will referre the reader to those Chapters of that treatise where he shal finde y â— which I hope shal suffice for the ouerthrowe of Idolatry This reply as the first treatise is diuided into ten articles all which in order I will set downe with such titles as he giueth vnto them But first I must say a fewe wordes concerning his request made to the Bishop of London and the rest of the superintendentes of the newe Church as it pleaseth him to call them and his preface to the reader His request is that the Bishops should certifie him by some pamphlete in printe whether 61. articles which he hath gathered out of Maister Calfhils booke be the receyued and approoued doctrine of the newe Churche of England able to be iustified by the worde of God and the Fathers and Councels within sixe hundreth yeares after Christ How wise a man he is in making this request I leaue to reasonable men to iudge And touching the articles themselues I aunswere that some of them be such as the Church of England doth holde and openly professe as that Latine seruice Monkish vowes the communion in one kinde c. are contrary to Gods worde the other be particular affirmatioÌ„s of Maister Calfhil which in such sense as he vttered them may be iustified for true and yet perteyne not to the whole Church to mainteine and defende as whether Helaena were superstitious in seeking y e crosse at Ierusalem whether Dionyse and Fabian were the one suspected the other infamed c. beside that a great number of them be so rent from the whole sentences whereof they were partes that they reteyne not the meaning of the author but serue to shewe the impudencie of the cauiller As that the counsels of Christe in his Gospel be ordinances of the Deuill the prayers of Christians a sacrifice of the deuill the councell of Elibeus was a generall councell c. Wherfore I will leaue this fond request with all the rayling that followeth there vppon and come to the preface to the Reader First he findeth himselfe greatly greeued that not only ancient fathers are by M. Calfhil discredited but also the holy crosse is likened to a gallowes c. which moued him to follow Salomons counsell to answer a foole according to his folly After this he taketh vpon him to coÌ„fute M. Calfhils preface in which he proueth y t no images should be in churches to any vse of religion because God forbiddeth them Exo. 20. Leuit. 19 in y e first table of religion His reply standeth only vpon those common foolishe distinctions of Idols Images of Latria Doulia which are handled more at large with greater shewe of learning by D Sander in his booke of Images Cap. 5. 6. 7. 8. whither I refer y e reader for answer Likewise y t discourse which he maketh to proue y t an image of Christ is not a lying image is answered in y e same booke Cap. 7. The authoritie of Epiphanius he deferreth to aunswer vnto y e 5. article To Irenaeus he answereth y t he only reporteth y t the Gnostike heretikes had y e image of Iesus but reproueth not y t fact But he reproued them only because they placed the image of Christ w t the images of Plato Pithagoras c. vsed them as y e Gentyles do This were in deed a pretie exception for a brabling lawyer to take but a student in diuinitie should vnderstand that Irenaeus in y t book Chapter li. 1. Ca. 24. declareth no fact of y e heretiks y t was good but his declaration is a reproof And so it is throughout that whole booke conteining 35. Chapters But he chargeth M. Calfhill for falsifying Augustine in sayng that he alloweth M. Varro affirming that religion is moste pure without images first quarreling at the quotation which by errour of the Printer is de ciuitate Dei lib. 4. Cap. 3. where it should be Cap. 31. a meete quarrell for such a lawyer secondly shewing that the Latine is Castius obseruari sine simulachris religionem that religion woulde haue beene more purely kept without Idols or fayned Images as though there be anye Images but fayned and the worde Imago euen in their owne Latine translation of the Bible is indifferently taken for Idolum and simulachrum and that in many places Deut. 4. ver 16. 4. Reg. 11. ver 18 Sapient Cap. 13. 14. Esai 40. ver 18. 44. ver 13. Ezec. 7. vers 20 where imagines simulachra are both placed together Ezech. 16. Ca. 17. Amos. 5. ver 23. wher he sayeth Imaginem idolorum the image of your Idols and many other places declare that this counterfait distinction was not obserued no not of the Latine interpreter As for his other logicall quiddity wherin he pleaseth him selfe not a little that religio non suscipit magis minus sheweth that eyther his lawe is better then his Logike or else both are not worth a strawe Further he chargeth M. Calfehill for adding words which are not founde in Augustine where images are placed in temples in honourable sublimitie c. These wordes are founde in the Ep. 49 ad Deogratias Cum hiis locantur sedibus honorabili sublimitate vt a praecantibus atque immolantibê° attendantur when they are placed in these seates in honourable sublimitie that they are looked vpon by them that praye and offer c. But Martiall looked onely to the quotation Ps. 36. 113. Yet doeth not M. Calfhill rehearse the wordes but the iudgement of Augustine from which he doth nothing varie except Martiall will cauill at the wordes images in temples where Augustine sayeth Idola hiis sedibus Idoles in these seates speaking of temples in which images were placed But he speaketh saith Martiall in the Psalmes against the images of the heathen and not of the Christians Then reade what he writeth De moribus ecclesiae Catholicae lib. 1. Cap. 34. de consensu Euangelist lib. 1. Cap. 10. where you shall finde his iudgement of such images as were made of Christians to be all one with those of the Gentiles The iudgement of other doctours whome he nameth you shall finde aunswered in the 14. or 13. Chapter of Master Sanders booke of Images That the Iewes had no images in their temple he sayth it is a Iewish and Turkish reason to proue that we should haue none Much like y e priest that would not beleeue in Christe if he
from the beginning to the ende of the worlde which is in deede a proper adiunct of the Church of Christe not to be found in any heresie nor in papistry the greatest of all heresies But M. Stapleton which cannot proue that Papistrie hath continued alwayes will argue vppon that it hath continued a certeine time The Church saith he hath continued a certeine hundred yeares in that faith and doctrine onely which Papistes do teache But in those very hundreth yeares the Church neither could lacke neither coulde haue a wrong faith or be seduced with damnable doctrine Therefore Papistes had all that time the true faith and their faith and doctrine is true sound and vpright The maior of this argument he affirmeth to be our confession which is nothing else but an impudent lye of his owne confiction For which of the Protestantes euer confessed that the Church hath continued so many hundreth yeares in that faith and doctrin onely which the Papistes teache If he haue the wit to drawe such confessions from vs he may proue what he list against vs. But he promiseth to proue abundantly the continuance of Popish doctrine from the beginning which wee so stoutly denye In the meane time he returneth to Caluine whome he chargeth to haue learned his opinion and doctrine of the Donatistes concerning the markes of the Church Taking to witnesse the Ep. 48. of Augustine ad Vincentium where the Donatistes answered the argument of vniuersalitie that the Church was called Catholike Not because it did communicate with the whole worlde but because it obserued all Gods commaundementes all his sacraments But what a vaine quarell this is he him selfe doth sufficiently declare when he bringeth in Augustine immediatly confessing the Church to be called Catholike because it holdeth that veritie wholly and throughly whereof euery heresie holdeth a parte or peece onely and addeth thereunto the coÌ„munication with all nations videlicet that holde that veritie wholly and throughly And lest this might seeme to be borrowed of the Donatistes onely Augustine him selfe affirmeth as much de Genesi ad literam imperfect Cap. 1. Constitutam ab eo matrem ecclesiam 〈◊〉 Catholica dicitur ex eo quia vniuersaliter perfecta est in nullo claudicat per totum orbem diffusa est That by him the Church is appointed our mother which is called Catholike for that it is vniuersally perfect halteth in nothing and is dispersed throughout the whole worlde Whereas Augustine requireth vniuersall perfection in all true doctrine and administration of the sacramentes with vniuersalitie the Papistes take vniuersalitie alone which Augustine neuer sayde nor taught to be a sufficient note of the Church After this he chargeth Caluine to denye the perpetuall continuance of the Church because he sayde that the pure preaching of the worde hath vanished away in certeine ages past by which he meaneth not as this foolish cauiller taketh him or rather mistaketh him that true preaching had vtterly perished out of the whole worlde but out of the Popish Synagog which in Europe boasted it selfe to be the onely Church of Christe when in the chiefe articles of Christianitie it derogated from the glorye of Christ and was subiect to the doctrine of the man of sinne the aduersary and enemy of Christ. And if malice had not blinded him he woulde haue so vnderstoode Caluine alledging his saying immediatly after wherein he confesseth that the Church of Christ neuer fayled out of the worlde Whereupon he demaundeth whether the Church of the Protestants is that which hath neuer fayled If wee saye it is he demaundeth further where those markes of preaching and ministring of the sacraments haue beene these many hundreth yeares which question he hopeth some disciple of Caluine will assoile him I aunswere those markes were to be seene in such places where the Churches were gathered that had separated them selues from the Church of Rome If he vrge mee further to shewe him the particuler places let him resort to the booke of Actes and monumentes which it seemeth he hath read ouer If that will not satisfye him by example of our Sauiour Christ I will refell his vaine question with another question Where did those 7000. that GOD preserued in the dayes of Elias assemble for prayers preaching and sacrifice If he cannot tell no more am I bounde to shewe him in what particuler places they preached and ministred the Sacramentes And therefore neither neede the Apologie to recant nor the Harborough be reuoked nor M. Foxe call in his booke nor M. Nowell his reproofe It will not suffice a wrangling cauiller an hundreth times to affirme that the Church hath alwayes continued euen when Papistrie moste preuailed and euen vnder the tyrannie and persecution of Papistrie like as the Church was among the idolatrous Baalites in the dayes of Elyas or among the wicked Iewes that persecuted the Prophets But hereto he replyeth that though the assemblies of the Iewes were no Churches yet their temple sacrifices ceremonies lawe and doctrine was good I aunswere so much of these as they reteyned according to Gods lawe was good and so I confesse of the doctrine and sacramentes of the Papistes As Baptisme concerning the substance of the sacrament the historicall faith of the Trinitie of the incarnation passion resurrection of Christ c. But if these and many more pieces of trueth might be sufficient to make them the Church of Christ many heretikes might challenge the Church which haue confessed practised a great number of truthes more then they which erre but in one article as the Arrians Pelagians c. Where as the Papistes erre in many yea in the whole doctrine of iustification by faith and the worship of God And therefore Papistrie is not onely a schisme errour or heresie But as Caluine out of Daniel 9. and Paul 2. Thessal 2. rightly concludeth an apostasie defection and antechristianitie not abolishing but reteining the names of Christe of the Gospell of the Church but the true vertue power and strength of the same vtterly forsaking denying and persecuting CAP. VI. Other prophecyes alledged and discussed for the continuance of Christes Churche in a sounde and vpright faith Diuerse textes of Scripture are cited some rightly some strangely applyed to proue that wee deny not namely the perpetuall continuance of the Church of Christ in a sounde and right faith in all matters necessary to saluation Vppon euery one of which he inferreth howe could Christe forsake his Church these â—00 yeares as though wee saide that Christe hath had no Church in the space of nine hundreth yeares which we neuer doubted of CAP. VII Proofes out of the Gospell for the continuance of Christes Church in pure and vnspotted doctrine When M. Stapleton commeth to proue that which wee denye his proofes will be neither so plentifull nor so sufficient His counterfait painted Fort must haue puppets made to assaile it The Church of Christ concerning the substance of
the Priest should kepe knowledge and men should require the law of his mouth Agg. 2. Aske the priest the Lawe But what dronken Flemming of Douaie would reason thus The Scribes and the Pharisees sate in Moses chaire therefore the Synagogue did either neuer or not then erre Our Sauiour Christ willed thē to be heard while they spake out of Moses chaire not while they taught to worship God in vaine preferring their traditions before the commandement of God But who would spend any more time in reasoning against such a one as defendeth that the Scribes and the Pharises did not erre whose false doctrine cōcerning adulterie murther swearing the worship of God not onely the person but also the qualitie of Messias and his kingdome our sauiour Christ him selfe so often so sharply doth reproue But the whole synagogue saith he in necessary knowledge of the lawe of Moses did neuer erre If he vnderstand the whole synagogue for euerie man we confesse the same and so we say that the whole Church that is all the elect neither in the first sixe hundreth nor in the latter nine hundreth yeares did neuer erre in necessary knowledge of the Gospel But if you take the whole synagogue for the whole multitude that had the ordinary authority and did beare the outward face and countenance of the Church they haue erred before the comming of Christ Example in the whole synagogue in the dayes of Iosias when the very booke of the lawe was vnknowen vnto the Priestes vntill it was found by occasion of taking out of mony out of the temple by Hilchiah the priest So that from the beginning of the reigne of Manasse vntill the 18. yeare of the reigne of Iosias which was almost 80. yeares Idolatry openly preuailed in the temple of God the whole synagogue that is all in authority and countenance embracing the same except a fewe poore Prophetes that were slaine for crying out against it 2. King 22. 2. Chro. 34. And such was the state of the Church in the most corrupt times continuing as then but yet in persecution aduersity and beeing vnknowen vnto the worlde except now and then God stirred vp some witnesse to testifie his truth which was slaine of the beast Apoc. 11. Now concerning the childish sophisme that although it was not possible that the Church could erre yet it is not proued that it hath erred what shold I speake When the defender directly oppugneth that paradoxe which the Papistes holde namely that the Churche cannot erre To conclude while he walketh vnder a cloude of the Church sanctified and assisted by the holy Ghost defended by the presence of Christ c. He playeth bo peepe vnder a coverlet For what so euer promises are made to the faithfull spouse of Christe pertaine nothing at al to the Popish Church of Antichrist which is departed from the faith carrying the brandmarks of hypocrisie in prohibition of marriage and meates so euident that all the water in the sea can not wash them out CAP. XI Obiections out of the News Testament moued and assoyled The first obiection is the abhomination of desolation standing in the holy place that is the Church Matth. 24. He asketh where the defender hath learned to expound this holy place of the Church Forsooth where M. Stapleton learned that it may be vnderstood of the temple at Ierusalem where Pilate placed Caesars image or of the Image of Adriane Namely in Hierome vpon this text Matth. 24. which vnderstandeth the abhomination of desolation to be Antichrist of whom Saint Paule speaketh whom he denieth not but that he shal sit in the Church his wordes are these De hoc Apostolus loquitur quòd homo iniquitatis aduersarius eleuandus sit contra omne quod dicitur Deus colitur ita ut audeat stare in templo Dei ostendere quòd ipse sit Deus cuius aduentus secundum operationem satanae destruat eos ad Dei solitudinem redigat qui se susceperint Potest autem simpliciter aut de Anti christo accipi aut de imagine Caesaris c. Of this abhomination of desolation the Apostle also speaketh that the man of sinne and the aduersary shalbe lifted vp against all that is called God or worshipped so that he dare stand in the temple of God and shewe himselfe as God whose comming according to the working of Satan may destroy them bring them to solitarines frō God which shal receiue him and it may either be taken simply of Antichriste or of the image of Caesar c. Let him now reason with Hieronyme howe the sacrifice should ceasse after the ende of 62. weekes Although for my part I thinke the pollution of the temple whiche was a token of the desolation imminent was a figure of the corruption of the Church by AntiChriste The 2. obiection S. Paul witnesseth that Antichrist should sit in the temple of God that is in the Church What of this saith he will it followe that he hath sitten there these 900. yeares As though the defender were to proue how long Antichrist should sit and not rather that the visible and outwarde multitude of the Church should erre Like madnes shal I say or impudence he sheweth where he saith the protestantes commonly name S. Gregorie to be that Antichrist Which I am sure he neuer read nor heard any protestant affirme But the Pope cānot be Antichrist saith he because Antichrist should then labour to extirpe the faith of Christe for the Pope hath called people from infidelitie to Christianitie That letteth not but that he is Antichrist for the Pope calleth none but vnto the name of Christianitie vnder colour of which he exerciseth tyranny otherwise he laboureth to extirpe the faith of Christ and to preferre himself before Christ whose redemption he teacheth to take away onely the guilt of sinne whereas his pardon taketh away both the paine and the guilt of sinne The thirde obiection is out of S. Peter that in the Church should be many masters and teachers of lyes But these sayth he shall not tarie 900. yeares for their destruction sleepeth not A wise shift as though the Apostle gaue not a generall admonition for the Church in all ages euen in that wherein he liued himselfe The last is out of 1. Tim. 4. that in the latter dayes such should come which shall giue eare to the doctrine of deuils forbidding to marrie and eate suche meates as God hath created to be receiued with thanksgiuing In this matter he professeth to be short as he hath no lust to tarrie being in that wherein his cauterized conscience is so galled But he aunswereth briefly it was fulfilled in the Manichees what then doth it followe that it is not fulfilled in the Papistes Doth the spirite speak euidently of the Manichees an obscure heresie and not rather of the Apostasie of Antichrist whose hypocrisie should be cloaked by fained chastity and fasting No no Master Stapleton your conscience
a sacrifice but of thanks giuing as the same Augustine writeth De fide ad Pet. Cap. 19 Cont. aduers. leg Proph. lib. 1. Cap. 20. Wherefore his Popish bragg notwithstanding here is neuer an ancient father within the 600. yeares that acknowledgeth the propitiatorie sacrifice of the Masse The eight difference is intercession of saints which Protestants abhorre There is no man denyeth but that this errour preuailed within the time of the first 600. yeares and namely in the later 300. years For in the first 300. there is nothing to be found whereby it may be gathered Epiphanius accompteth inuocation of Angels an heresie of the Caiani Tom. 3. H. 38. And although some shewe of inuocation of saints in the later time may be excused by rethorical exornation as M. Grindall truely sayd some prayers for the dead as y t of Ambrose for Theodosius whome both he calleth a perfect seruant of god yet prayth fos his rest which agreeth not with popish prayers for them in Purgatory yet it is confessed y t this was one of y â— spots of that time which being not proued by scripture can be nothing else but a superstition of men What said I can it not be proued by scripture beholde the learned clerke M. Stapl. proueth it out of S. Peter Ep. 2. Ca. 1. I thinke it right as long as I am in this tabernacle to stirre you vp and admonish you being certeine that I shall shortly leaue this tabernacle according as our Lord Iesus Christ hath signified vnto me But I will endeuour also to haue you often after my death that you may remember these things Here is a strange kind of translation of these wordes of his owne Latine texte Dabo autem operam frequenter habere vos post obituÌ„ meuÌ„ vt horum memoriam faciatis But I will endeuour also y t you may haue after my departure whereby to make remembrance of these things For I wil neither trouble him with the Greeke text which perhaps he regardeth not nor with Erasmus translation which are without all ambiguitie But I apeale to GraÌ„marians whether habere vos in this place may be reasonably construed to haue you or else be resolued by vt habeatis vos that you may haue His collection is more monstrous then his construction for thus he addeth immediatly after his translation I aske here How will S. Petter after his death endeuour and procure that the people may remember his sayings They will not I dare say say that he will come in a vision or by reuelation vnto them What remaineth then but that he will further them with his good prayers And so doe the auncient Greeke Scholies expound this place And I aske here Howe prooue you that S. Peter after his death will endeuor procure for them O shamelesse corruption S. Peter saith that bicause he hath not long to liue he will not only put them in remembrance liuing but also leaue his Epistle that it may be a perpetuall admonition of them euen after he is deade But the auncient Greeke Scholies as he saith doe so expound it Why are not those Scholies set downe and their antiquitie shewed to be within the compasse of the first sixe hundreth yeares In deede Occumenius which liued about fiue hundreth yeres last past reporteth that some did wrest that text vnto such a sense but they which did simplie handle y â— words of S. Peter did expound it as I haue done before The 9. difference is commemoration of Saintes at Masse time If you meane commemoration onely as I haue shewed before we make it in our Communion and therefore this is no difference but a lye of Master Stapleton for we say Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all the holy companie of heauen we laude and magnifie c. Likewise in the Collectes mention is made of the Apostles whose memorie our Church doth keepe In deede we vse no inuocation of Saints which was vsed within the latter 300. yeares but not to be proued in the first 300 yeares Neither do we thinke the honour of Saintes to be a dishonour to God but such honour as robbeth God of his glorie which he will not communicate with any creature But Augustine sheweth the memorie of Martyrs to be kept of the Christian people Ad excitandam imitationem vt merius eorum consocietur atque orationibus adiâ—uetur To stirre vp imitation and that they may be ioyned in fellowship of their merites and helped with their praiers The fellowship of their merites he meaneth to be made like them in good workes For he acknowledged no desert of our good workes but onely the mercy of God It is pitie that Iulian the Apostata had so great occasion to charge the Christians with superstition of sepulchres whereof they had no ground in the Scriptures Although Cyrillus defendeth no superstition but only a reuerent estimation of the tombes of the Martyrs for their vertues sake after the example of the heathen Againe he saith that the reliques of the dead were not seene bare and negligently cast vpon the earth but well laide vp and hidden in the bosome of their mother in the deapth of the earth wherein they differred not a little from the vsage of Papistes about their reliques Cyrill Contr. Iulian lib. 10. The pride of Eustachius in contemning the publike Churches ministring in corners we condemne with the Councel of Gangra Concerning the reading of the passions of Martyrs in the Church which he cauilleth that Master Iewell left out in his replie to Doctor Harding out of the seuen and fourtie Canon of the Councel of Carthage 3. Bartholmewe Garizon confesseth that it is an addition and without all such addition the same that M. Iewell requireth that nothing be read in the Church but the canonicall bookes as the 59. Canon of the Councel of Laodicea The 10. difference is of confession and penance in which he maketh two kinds open confession priuate for the open confession vsed in the primitiue Church he bringeth many proofes out of Actes 19. Augustine Tertullian Cyprian the councel of Nice Which need not for we graunt that it was vsed we our selues according to such discipline as our Church of England hath doe vse it that publique and notorious offenders make publique confession of their faultes for satisfaction of the congregation But when this publique confession was abused he saith that this practise of the Church and the counsel of S. Iames willing Christians to confesse one before an other was restrained to the auricular confessioÌ„ of y â— priest only But neither he sheweth when nor by what authoritie the counsel of y â— the Apostle and practise of the Church was thus altered He citeth an Epistle of Innocentius ad Decentium cap. 7. to proue That particular confession was not first instituted in the Councel of Latarane as Caluine babbleth but that if a man were diseased he should not tarrie for the time
practise of the primitiue Church proueth it to be necessary as in the example of Serapion Euseb. lib 6. cap. 44. and of Satyrus Saint Ambroses brother In obitum Satyri c. And is it euen so Doeth the example of one man that was excommunicated and could not be quiet vntill he had receiued the communion and of an other that neuer receiued it nor was baptised prooue it necessary for all men Yea saith Stapleton who will reade onely but one Canon of the Nicene councell shal finde therein not only a generall commandement for al Christendome but also the auncient practise of the Church before that time And I say who so will reade not only the whole Canon but the very title thereof shall finde that it was a remission only for excommunicated persons Câ—no 12. De excommunicatis a saeculo exâ—untibus Of excoÌ„municated persoÌ„s departing this world De his verò qui recedunt ex corpore antiquae legis reguia obseruabitur etiâ— nunc ita vt si fortè quis recedat ex corpore necessario vitae suae viatico non defraudetur Quod si desperatus aliquis recepta Communione superuixerit siâ— inter eos qui sola oratione coÌ„municant De omnibus tamen his qui a corpore recedunt in tradendo eis Communionem cura probatio sit episcopi But concerning them which depart out of this bodye the rule of the auncient lawe shalbe obserued euen nowe also so that if perhaps any depart out of y e body he may not be defrauded of the necessary prouision of his life But if any being at the point of death after he haue receiued the Communion do recouer liue let him be among them that communicate in prayer onely Neuerthelesse concerning all those men that depart out of y e body in deliuering to them the communion let both the charge and the tryal be in the bishops discretion This Canon was not made for all Christian men that at times of publike administration of the sacraments might freely be partakers but onely of such as were excommunicated appointed a time of penance for their tryall before they should be admitted to the Lordes supper before which time if they were at the point of death and the bishop allowed of their repentance this Canon prouideth that they might be receiued to the Communion for their comfort but yet so that if any did recouer and liue they shuld accomplish their time among the penitentes that was before enioyned them This thing being so apparant what shall wee saye of these English Louanistes that either they neuer read the bookes out of which they cite their authorities or else without all shame they wrest them against their owne conscience The 19. difference is the reseruation of the sacrament wherein as I confesse in some erronious kinde of reseruation wee differ from some of the primitiue Church so they differed from Christ which coÌ„maunded it to be eaten and dronken And it is manifest y t their reseruation differed from the popish reseruation both in the manner and in the ende But concerning reseruation I referre the reader to mine answere to D. Heskins first booke Cap. 24. 25. 26. 27. where you shall finde all his authorities discussed except the 14. Canon of the Councell of Nice out of which hee alledgeth that the Deacons might absente Episcopo presbitero proferre communionem comedere In the absence of the Bishop and priest take out the communion and receiue it Whereby he sayeth it is euident that it was reserued in the Churches where the Deacons might come to receiue it But I must admonish the reader y t these wordes which he citeth are an addition of Gratian and the popish church and are not in the true copies in Greeke of that Councell nor in the right Latine translation as euen Peter Crabb the Papist confesseth nor yet in the edition of Ruffinus But such draffe and dregges of falsifications additions detractions mutations c. are good ynough for popishe swyne The 20. difference is blessing with the signe of the Crosse for fortification of which piece he referreth the reader to Martials treatise of the Crosse. And I to M. Calfhils Aunswere and my Reioynder The 21. difference is benediction of the bishop which he sayeth is mocked at and reuiled by Protestantes But he sayeth vntruely for although wee may iustly deride the vaine ceremoniall casting of crosses in the ayre of their bitesheepes rather then bishops with their two fingers which is nothing else but a ridiculous superstition yet wee contemne not the godly benediction of a Christian Bishop and pastour which vseth the same according to the word of God Therefore the examples of Nectarius which desired the benediction of his Bishop Diodorus at his departure and Aurelius which blessed Augustine and his company after he had visited them shewe no difference of them from vs. And if Eudoâ—ia the Empresse desired Chrisostome to blesse her sonne Theodosius his godson What did Chrysostome but pray for him and with him well in the name of the Lorde And how did Diodorus blesse Nectarius And Aurelius blesse Augustine and the rest but by godly prayer made to God for them not with vaine dombe idle ceremonies after the Popish manner So that the manner of blessing of the auncient times doeth rather proue a difference of Papistes from them then of vs from them And moreouer you may consider how to make vp a number of differences what small matters he is fayne to flye vnto and euen such as he hath no shewe of holde at all in the writers of the auncient Church of 600. yeares after Christ for them But onely to set a face of the matter as though there were nothing newe amongest them when not onely their ceremonies but also many of the principall articles of their doctrine wherein they differ from vs were either not heard of in those ages or else were openly impugned by writers of those times Onely the dregges and refuse of the former age they retayne as prayer for the deade inuocation of Saintes and a fewe other such matters CAP. VII Of pilgrimage and reliques of Church seruice of Altars of Church ornaments holy vessels of the ecclesiasticall â—onsure and of holy water The 22. difference is pilgrimage to holy places especially to Rome In deede we finde that peregrination to Ierusalem was esteemed of many and great resort to Rome of the wiser sort not for the holinesse of the places but for the frequence of godly learned men then liuing in those places Otherwise for the holynesse of the place S. Hierom ad Paulinum whether M. Sapleton sendeth vs doth sufficiently declare what was to be esteemed of it Non Hierosolymis fuisse sed Hierosolymis bene vixisse laudandum est It is no praise to haue beene at Hierusalem but to haue liued well at Hierusalem And speaking euen of our owne countrye he addeth Et de Hierosolymis
de Britannia aequaliter patet aula coelestis The court of heauen is open equally from Ierusalem and from Britain Againe Beatus Hilarion cùm Palestinus esset in Palestina viueret vno tantùm die vidit Hierosolimam vt nec contemnere loca sancta propter vicinitatem nec rursus dominum loco claudere videretur Blessed Hilarion when he was a Palestine borne and liued in Palestine sawe Ierusalem but one day only that neither he might seeme to contemne the holy places because of neerenesse nor againe to shut vp the Lorde in a place And because Master Stapleton maketh pilgrimage a matter of faith he sayth further After hee hath shewed how many excellent men neuer came at Ierusalem c. Quorsum inquies haec tam longo repetita principio Videlicet ne quicquam fidei tuae deesse putes quia Hierosolymam non vidisti Thou wilt say to what ende are these thinges fetched from so long a beginning verely that thou shouldest not thinke any thing to be wanting to thy faith because thou hast not seene Ierusalem Thus Hierome albeit it was much vsed yet iudged peregrination vnto Ierusalem to be a matter of small importance By Chrysostom sayeth Hom. 5. de beato Iob that if strength of body did serue that he were not letted with the charge of his Church he would haue trauelled to Rome to see the cheines wherewith Saint Paul was bound And this Stapleton wil warrant to haue beene done without superstition I would faine knowe howe he will discharge this saying of his in the same homely eyther of superstition or of an excessiue commendation Si quis me coelo condonet omni vel ea qua pauli manus vinciebatur catena illam ego honore praeponerem If any man coulde giue mee all heauen or else that chayne wherewith Saint Paules hande was bounde I woulde preferre that chaine in honour Excuse this if you can so it be not with a rethoricall exornation for y e you cannot abyde Neuerthelesse the same Chrisostom sheweth y t it was not needefull for obtaining remissiō of finnes to take in hande any pilgrimage In Epist. ad Phil. Hom. Non opus est in longinqua peregrinando transire nec ad remotissimas ire nationes non pericula non labores tolerare sed velle tantummodo There is no neede to go a pilgrimage into farre countryes nor to go to the furthest nations nor to suffer perils nor trauels but onely to be willing Now let the wisedome of the Papistes take heede as he admonisheth the wisdome of the Protestantes that they charge not Chrysostome with the heresie of sola fides or licentious libertie more then wee checke him for superstition The like of remission of sinnes without pilgrimage he sayeth Hom. de Anima educatione Samuelis which is as contrary to y ◠draffe of popish pilgrimage as the peregrination vsed in this day is out of vse with vs. For Papists were wont to make pilgrimage a meritorious worke and many had it in penance persuaded by their ghostly father they could not otherwise haue remission of their sinnes except perhaps by a Popes pardon with a commutation of penance Concerning the place of Augustine which he citeth Ep. 137. It proueth no ordinary pilgrimage then in vse but onely sheweth Augustines deuise in a case of such doubt as he coulde not finde out the trueth betweene one that was accused and his accuser that it was not amisse they shuld both trauell to some such place where miracles are sayed to be wrought if happely there in such place the trueth might be reuealed by miracle And yet I confesse not vrged by any thing Stapleton sayth that Augustine else where speaketh of peregrination to Rome in Psal. 85. Quales isti principes venerunt de Babylone Principes credentes de saeculo principes venerunt ad vrbem Roman quasi caput Babylonis non ierunt ad templum imperatoris sed ad memoriam piscatoris What are these princes that came from Babylon Princes of the world that beleeue the princes came to Rome as to the head of Babylon they went not to the temple of the Emperour but to the memorie of a Fisher To conclude as there was vsed Peregrination to Ierusalem and other places to the memories of Martyrs so was there neuer any pilgrimage to images which is the greatest pilgrimage of Papistes within the 600. yeres mentioned wherein Papists differ as much from their practise as we and more also The 23. difference is the reuerence of reliques vsed within the 600. yeres as witnesseth Basil Chrysostome and other The reliques or bodyes of the Saints we reuerence so farre as we haue any warrant out of the holy Scriptures Neither did those auncient fathers although immoderate in that kinde of reuerence yet make idols of them nor set them bare to be seene or handled and worshipped but laide vp in the earth as I haue before shewed out of Cyrillus Lib. 10. Contra Iulianum But what inconuenience grewe by that excessiue esteeming of the dead bodyes of the Saints Sozomenus sheweth Li. 7. ca. 10. Pauli Constantinopolitani Episcopi corpus in Ecclesia repositum est id quod multos veritatis ignaros praesertim mulieres ac plures è plebe in eam opinionem induxit vt Apostolum Paulum ibi conditum esse putent The body of Paul Bishop of Constantinople was buried in the Church which thing brought many ignorant of the trueth especially women and many of the common people into this opinion that they thinke the Apostle Paul to be buried there But whereas in the end he wold haue vs restore so many holy reliques of Abbeyes and Churches as haue bene spoiled and prophaned it is needlesse seeing the Papistes can make as many when they list Euen by the same cunning that they make some of the Apostles to haue two or three bodyes a piece beside heades armes ribbes and other partes in infinite places whereof he that will heare more let him reade Caluines booke of reliques and credite him but as a reporter of that which all the world is able to reproue him of if he would wilfully feigne any thing The 24. difference is Alters for proofe whereof he bringeth Chrysostome and Augustine which speake of Alters whome also he confesseth to call the same tables but that neither in matter nor fourme they were like Popish Alters but tables in deede made of boordes and remoueable and standing in the middest of the Church I haue shewed sufficiently in mine aunswere to Doctor Heskins lib. 3. cap. 31. by which it is proued that the Papistes and not we differ from the primitiue Church in this point The 25. difference is Latine seruice which he would proue out of Bede by the bookes that Gregorie sent to Augustine which could be none other but Latine But howe proue you that those bookes were seruice bookes or that if they were seruice bookes thei were not translated into the vulgare tongue As for the
Apostles fathers of the primitiue Church blessed them selues with the signe of the crosse councelled all Christian men to do the same and that in those dayes a crosse was set vp in euery place conuenient for it The first controuersie is of the signification of this worde benedicere which with Martiall is all one with signare For although he finde not in the olde writers benedicebant se signo crucis they did blesse them selues with the signe of the crosse yet he findeth signabant se signo crucis they marked them selues with the signe of the crosse which is all one with him But not so with vs for there was another vse of marking at the firste then for blessing The Christians among the Pagans marked them selues with the signe of the crosse in token that they professed him that was crucified Afterward to put them selues in minde of the death of Christ. These were tollerable vses of an indifferent ceremonie The opinion of blessing with the crosse as M. Calfhil sayeth was taken as the terme from superstitious olde women And Martiall cannot denye but the terme of blessing in that sence is a newe signification of the worde and therefore not vsed of the auncient fathers which that he might obscure with brabling as his custome is he repeateth his former iangling of the significations of this worde benedicere and howe it sometime signifieth to blesse with the handes as when Christe blessed his Apostles and the children As though to vse a ceremonie of lifting vp or laying on of hands when he blesseth is to blesse with a bare ceremonie of the handes as they do with their crosse Nay he sayeth to blesse with the crosse is as olde as Iacob who with his handes acrosse blessed Iosephs children The Papistes are wise in their generation when they would not haue vnlearned meÌ„ to reade the scriptures For euerye childe of seuen yeares age reading the storie of Iacobs blessing will easely perceiue y t his laying of his hands ouerthwart was not for any blessing with the crosse but because he was to lay his right hand vpon the yonger and his left vpon the elder contrary to their fathers placing of them which would haue had his elder sonne preferred But seeing Martiall maketh himselfe so cunning in the significations of benedicere to blesse which he will not haue to say well or pray for only c. but to sanctifie Let him remember that in his own sence the Apostle sayeth to the Hebrues cap. 7. ver 7. y t which is lesse or inferior is blessed of the superior by which argument he proueth Melchisedech to be greater then Abraham If then the Apostles and fathers did blesse them selues with the signe of the crosse to sanctifie themselues I demaunde whether the signe of y e crosse was greater then the Apostles For no man wil saye that the Apostles were greater then themselues If it were not greater then surely they were not blessed by it Wherein also the fable of Abdias is conuinced which sayth of S. Paul muniens se signo crucis arming himselfe with the signe of the crosse was the signe of the crosse stronger then S. Paul for men arm them selues with harnesse of defence which is stronger then them selues Was not that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that vniuersal armour or complete harnes which he exhorteth other men to put on as sufficient to withstande all the assaultes of the diuell sufficient for him selfe without the signe of the crosse But seing y e Apostle there describeth y e whole armor of God whereof the signe of y e crosse is not piece It is certaine that it is no armour meete for the defence of a Christian man wherefore your fabling Abdias and counterfait Clement can carry no credit with wise learned Christians Nor yet the examples of Antony Martin Donatus Paula reported of credible writers yet no Euangelists which armed themselues with the signe of the crosse doeth either force or moue vs to imitatioÌ„ further then they had warrant for their doing out of the holy scriptures Where M. Calfhill sayeth that the diuel delighted in the signe of the crosse fayned him selfe to be afrayd of it that the heremit might runne to that sory succour and men put more affiance in it He meaneth that the diuel delighted in the superstitious opinion of it for otherwise he doth neither feare nor loue the signe of the crosse of it selfe for if it had beene so terrible to the diuell as Martial and others do thinke Saint Paul would not haue left it out of the complet harnes of God whereby all the deceites fiery darts of the diuell are withstood And although the elder and better age vsed and receiued that signe tolerably yet considering the shamfull abuse thereof it ought now of right conscience to be condemned as M. Calfhill sayeth But Martiall wil none of that for things good of their own nature must not be taken away not condemned for y e abuse Very true but who will graunt him that the signe of the crosse is good of it selfe It is as much as may be borne to grant it to be a thing indifferent And wheras Martial wil acknowledge none abuse of that signe what else should we say but who is so blind as he y t wil not see Concerning the authoritie of the Epistle of Epiphanius translated by S. Hierome his fact in rending a vaile wherein was painted an image as it were of Christ or some saint c. I will referre y e reader to mine answere to D. Sanders booke of images Cap. 4. or according to the error of his print Cap. 3. where he shal see all Martials cauils shaken of except one which I thinke no man euer espyed before this wylye lawyer and that is of the words quasi hauing an image as it were of Christ or some saint but not an image of Christ or of some saint in deede for then he woulde not haue rent it but perhaps in was an image of Iupiter or Hercules c. But vnder correction of Master Vsher this is but a quasy argument that is grounded vpon quasi as though it should signifie always a thing y t is not true but as it were so yet not so For Cicero y t knew y e nature of y e word quasi as wel as Martial vseth it otherwise Illos qui oiÌ„a incerâ—â— dicunt quasi desperatos aliquos relinquamus As for them that saye all things are vncerteine let vs leaue as meÌ„ past hope Wil Martiall say they were not past hope in deede S. Marke sayeth that Christ did teache quasi potestatem habens as one that had authoritie wil he say he had not authoritie in deede S. Iohn saith of Christ who haue seene his glory quasi vnigeniti as the glorye of the onely begotten sonne of God Let Martiall saye with the Arrians he was but quasi vnigenitus as it were the
foorth after her childbirth and therfore no procession after the crosse And if Agapetus did not deuise processions first as M. Calfhil saith your owne Canon law lyeth and not he de cond d. 1. Agapitus as your author Garanza citeth it But to come neare vnto the article Sozomenus lib. ◠ca. 8. sheweth y t the Arrians at Constantinople began a kind of processiō with singing of Psalmes by course which Iohn Chrysostome fearing least any godly men should be seduced by them tooke vp the same fashion so pasted the Arrians in number processu going forward For siluer standards of the crosse with burning waxe 〈◊〉 went before them This place sheweth how godly men tooke vpfond ceremonies in emulation of heretikes But nowe concerning these siluer standards in forme of y e crosse which Socrates li. 6. ca. 8. sheweth did serue to carie waxe candles or torches burning vpon them to giue the people light in the night season for then their processions were in the night Martiall is as madde as a marche hare that they should be counted no better then candlestickes or cresset staues and yet when he hath prated what he can for that principall vse they serued although it may be that Chrysostome had some superstitious fantasie in the fourmes also of the crosse which he deuised to be as y e standerds for the Catholike armie to followe so the same crosse staues serued both for candlestickes and standerdes how soeuer it was this procession differed much from our Popish processions in whiche idols are carried about and not as candlestickes but candlesticks before them with candels light in the day time not in the night His surmise that the siluer crosses were set in the Church because no place is mentioned where they left them when they came home is foolish They had common theaters and meeting places more meete for seting vp of such candlebearing crosses then y e Churches The quarrell of the foure lyes I passe ouer let the Reader compare both their Bookes and iudge whether Martiall haue handeled that storie with sinceritie The councell Elibertine forbadde candels to be lighted in the day time in the Churchyards Ergo they forbadde them not on the Lordes table quod Martial But why then go you with torches and tapers into the Churchyarde both in procession and at burialles And seeing it was an Heathenishe custome to light them in Churches as well as in Churchyardes they which forbad the one would not haue alowed the other But you light them not as Heathē men of whom Lactantius speaketh thinking God to be in darkenes and to haue neede of light But Ad signu◠latriae demonstrandum to declare a signe of the high seruice that you owe to God If it be so why light you them to saintes yea to images the Gentils had as good excuses as you Neuer thelesse you are determined to kepe your lightes still as you haue record witnes out of Eusebius Athanasius c. In deede there is great reason because they had candels light in the night you wil haue them in y e day but of light I wish the reader to look more in my refutation of Rastals confutation to y e 33. leafe of his book After this foloweth a vain discourse to proue y t we are heretiks because we haue departed from the vnitie of the Church from the Cleargie from the bishop of Rome c. Al which is false for we haue not departed from the church of Christ which is ruled by his word nor from the Christian Cleargie nor from any godly Bishop of Rome in any point in whiche he departed not from the trueth but we are gone out of Babylon we haue forsaken Antichriste and all his merchantes that made sale of mens soules our prayer in a knowen tongue our communion in both kindes our reuerent administration of the Lordes supper haue the Scripture for their warrant and the primitiue Church for their witnesse His rayling vpon Luther I will not deale withall God hath aduanced Luther as his poore witnesse aboue the Pope the proud antichrist which maketh all Papistes to spighte him Concerning Iustinians constitution for crosses to be born at the singing of the Letanie it fauoureth of the corruption of his time Such godly constitutions as he made as well in Ecclesiasticall as politike matters we esteeme as the good lawes of a forreyne prince are to be regarded And at length we come to Augustine the Monke which cōming from Rome did more hurte in corrupting true religion then good in planting any religion And whereas Martiall saith if our religion came from Eleutherius it came from Rome although it were no shame to confesse it came from Rome in those purer times yet Christian religion came to vs euen from the Apostles as witnesseth Gildas the Brittaine being planted here in the reigne of Tiberius the Emperour And as for Augustine although the king Ethelbert the people were well prepared before his comming by the Queene and the bishop that attended vpon her yet according to his zeale he tooke some paines to make the people receiue the doctrine of Christe although in behauiour he was proude as Galfride writeth and Beda not altogether denieth but that he seemed so and in ceremonies superstitious So that the doctrine of Christ which he taught came from Ierusalem from whence the Gospel was first preached his errours and superstition came from Rome That the bishops of the Brittaines refused both his authoritie and ceremonies it argueth that Christianitie was in this land not subiect to the see of Rome If they refused to ioyne with Augustine in teaching the Saxons it might be not for that they enuied their saluation which were their enemies but because they would not consent to ioyne in y ◠worke with him which sought to bring them into subiection Concerning the cruel murder of the Monks of Bangor in Augustines quarrell Galfride a Brittaine imputeth no small part of the fault to Augustine Bede a Saxon would haue him cleare of it But seeing the threatening of Augustine is agreed vpon and the slaughter followed it is shrewde euidence against him That Augustines crosse painted table differeth from that the Papistes nowe vse in procession Martial counteth it not material seeing afterward they receyued other kinde of images from Rome and other kinde of Images were then vsed in Churches which yet were harde for him to proue for the Grecians to this day receiue none but painted Images The pretence that Maister Calfhil saith Augustine might haue to excuse him to feede the eyes of them that neuer heard of Christ with y e image of his death that lending their eares he might enstruct their hearts Martiall wil not admit or if he did admit it that it followeth not that they whiche haue not like pretence may not vse like example Whereas Maister Calfhil doth neither absolutely affirme the pretence nor allowe it to be good From this pretence he passeth into a
if that be too farre of let him worship Iudas lippes that kissed him if he can come by them Concerning the person of Helena I would wish nothing to be spoken of her but to her honour except in case where her honour should be an hinderance of the honor of Christ. Martial to iustifie her in al things raileth vpon M. Calfhil for charging her with superstition as though he had bene the first y t had so written of her when it is reported of her that she was vsque ad superstitionem pia deuout euen to superstition And yet her superstition appeareth not so great in any thing as in this supposed inuention of the crosse The varietie in time that is in the witnesses of the inuention of the crosse the blasphemous beast is not ashamed to compare with the apparence of varietie which is in the Euangelistes where in deede there is none wheras this discord can not be reconciled Yet will he not haue the tale discredited for the discorde in time as though there were none other discorde The manifest contradiction that is betweene Ruffinus saying Titulus non satis evidentâ—r dominici prodebaâ— signa patibuli The title did not shewe euidently the signe of our Lordes gibbet And Ambrose saying Titulo crux salutaris patuit by the title the healthfull crosse was manifestly knowen This contradiction I say he denyeth to bee any affirming that a simple Logitian would proue it to be none Thinking that sâ—tis euidenter euidently inough would excuse the matter as though we knewe not what patet doeth signifie as well as Maister vsher of Winchester That a shippe would not carrie the peeces of the crosse that are shewed in so many places he counteth it an impudent lye of Caluine whome he rayleth vpon like a ruffian and slaundereth like a diuel Yet Erasmus affirmeth the same in his Peregrinat relig erg And he that will beleeue neither of them both let him consider beside so many whole crosses as are shewed in steede of that one and of great boardes y t are kept in many places as part of it so many thousand churches Abbeys as either now shew or haue shewed chips pieces of it he shall not think their report to be in credible The talk of the nayles which were but three at y e first al bestowed at the time of y e inuention yet are now multiplyed to 13. or 14. which bewrayeth an horrible impudencie in the Popish idolaters Martiall refuseth as impertinent yet will he not confesse y e forgerie which is a token of a wicked diuelish conscience Where M. Calfhill sayeth that miracles were not done by the crosse to establish a worshipping or hauing of it Martiall requireth proofe by scriptures Councels or Doctors I reason thus a paribus out of the scripture myracles were done by oyle shadowe other things not to establish a worshipping or hauing of them the like reason is of myracles done by the crosse Beside that y â— scripture is plentiful in challenging all honour worship to the author not to the meanes or instruments Peter and Iohn meanes of the healing of the lame man refused all honour and worship in respect of his healing Act. 3. vers 12. yet were they other manner of meanes then y e crosse euer was in doing of myracles That M. Calfhill sayeth myracles teach vs not to do the like but to beleeue the like Martiall sayeth they teach vs to do the like if we may and he proueth it by him that teacheth that almes couereth sinne who thereby teacheth to do almes c. Thus the wise man compareth miracles men together facts doctrin act possibilitie euen as right as a rammes horne But how shal we come by this power to worke miracles by the signe of y e crosse for to assay without assurance of Gods power is to tempt God Therefore wee may no more crosse vs against diuels because God hath sometime chased theÌ„ away by y â— signe then wee may annoynt blind mens eyes with clay to proue if they will see after it because Christ wrought a myracle by y â— meane which as Martial saith teacheth vs to do the like if we may What estimatioÌ„ Paulinus a superstitious man had in his piece of the crosse which was perhaps a piece of another tree then euer came in Iewry Wee haue not to followe him in his follye That myracles wrought of holy men by the signe of the crosse c. is not a sufficient reason to proue that y e figne of the crosse should be had kept set vp and honoured I haue alreadie proued out of the scripture by y e like or equall yet it is against reason when we deny your arguments whose consequence you ought to proue y â— we should be driueÌ„ to proue that they follow not Where M. Calfhill sayeth y â— myracles onely ought not or may not coÌ„mend a thing you pick quarels to him without cause obiecting the miracles of Christ who tooke witnesse not only of his miracles but also of y e holy scriptures When you haue vrged the miracle done by y e signe of y e crosse out of Epiphanius as much as you can yet proueth it not y e honouring and setting vp of y e signe of y e crosse in these days as M. Calfhill telleth you seing y â— we liue not among Turkes or Sarazens y â— we need to haue any such signe whereby we might be knowen to be worshippers of Christ. But you would faine learne what if a Portingal or one of y e new conuerted IlaÌ„ds of India coÌ„ming by chance into England of which he neuer heard before seing neither images nor crosses in church nor streate how he should knowe in whome wee beleeue And I would learne of you what skilleth it if such a man as neuer came here nor euer by any likelyhood shall come hither yet supposed to be driuen on a boarde out of India into Englande what skilleth it I say if he know not in whom we beleue and so depart as wise as he came What remedy but we must haue al places filled with images crosses for such a man to knowe what we holde of who shalbe neuer the better thereby nor the worse if he know not But you think that happily strangers of Greece CoÌ„stantinople Iewry India may come to our coastes and therfore wee ought to haue the signe of the crosse in churches chapels high wayes to signifie of whome we hold We haue not many such strangers but when they arryue we haue bookes of the holy scripture in Greeke Hebrue Chaldee Syrian Arabike Sclauonian tongues in which they may be instructed that are desirous to vnderstand what religion we professe The Lorde God thought it sufficient to haue his lawe written vppon great stones at the entrance into the holy land to let all strangers knowe both whome after what manner the people of Israell did honour and
vpon y e crosse yet saith he not that she worshipped the crosse Ambrose saith of Helena that when she found y e crosse she worshipped the king not the tree for that is an heathenish error a vanitie of vngodly persons wherfore if Hierome or any other father should teach vs to worship the crosse as an idol we might well say to him auoyd Sathan But Martial least he should seeme wearie of wrangling scoffeth at M. Cal. for talking of a wodden tree as though the matter of a thing might not be named but where there is difference of matter Why say we then an earthly or fleshly man if we may not say a woodden tree by Martials philosophie least men should thinke we talke of watrie and fishy men I had not thought to haue named Martials terme of Gentlemens recognisances of Dragon Eagles c. vsed in this Article but that he is so captious to take exceptions to M. Cal. termes himselfe being a lawier to trip in a terme of law That seruice and worship do so concur together that the one can not be w tout the other Martial granteth although he think M. Cal. can bring no scripture Doctor nor Councel for it when he bringeth the saying of Christ. Matt ◠4. But when he inferreth that we must serue God only therfore we must worship God only Mart. bringetl◠instāce of ciuil seruice worship of parents when our sauiour Christ speaketh onely of religious worship which the diuell required to be giuen him not as God but as the distributer of all the kingdomes of the world vnder God That Angels are inferiour to Christ which worship him and are not worshipped againe Martiall saith it is an addition vnto S. Paul bicause in all that Epistle we are not forbidden to worship Angels but where he proued before that God only is to be worshipped and the Angel refuseth to be worshipped of Iohn Apoc. 19. vers 10. 22. vers 8. who was not so madd to worship him as God but as an excellent creature what addition can this be to the sense and meaning of the Apostle especially when he addeth immediately that they are all ministring spirites appointed to minister for them that shall inherite saluation They are appointed of God to serue they are not set vppe to be serued and worshipped Their honour and delight is that God only may be serued and honoured Out of Damascen he excuseth their worshipping of the crosse for that they worship not y e matter as wood copper c. but the figure as if it were lesle idolatrie to worship an accident then a substance The honour which Peter refused to receiue of Cornelius was not such as became the minister of God and therefore was reproued by Peter without counterfetting of humilitie the other examples that Martiall bringeth of ciuill worship done vnto Dauid by Abigail and Nathan be cleane out of the purpose Concerning the worship of Angels I haue spoken immediately before Martial slaundereth S. Iohn that he would haue worshipped the Angles as God The conclusion of this argument he thinketh worthy to be hissed at Angels may not be worshipped ergo much lesle the crosse What shall we say to such a Chrysippus as alloweth not the argument a maioribus The obiection of the Cherubims y e brasen serpent y e oxen and other images in the Temple you shall finde answered cap. 5. or 4. of my confutation of D. Sanders booke of images The seuenteene authorities brought by M. Calfhil against the worshipping of images Martiall will aunswere if he can and first he denieth that Clemens speaketh of crosses crucifixe c. but of the images of the Gentiles In deede in his dayes the true Christians had no such images that he should speake of them But consider his reasons that he maketh against the worshipping of heathenish images and they serue also to condemne the worship of Popish images The fables of the image of Christes face that he gaue to Veronica and sent to Algarus is good draffe for such swine as delight in idolatrie But Martiall thinketh that as our eares call vpon vs to bowe our knees at the name of Iesus so doe the eyes at the sight of the crucifixe but he must vnderstand that we worship not the sound of the name of Iesus rebounding in the ayre but the power the maiestie and authoritie of Iesus we acknowledge and honor not called vpon by the sound of the name of Iesus but by the voyc◠of the Gospell to which the idol of the crucifixe hath no resemblance neither is it a lawfull meane to strirre vp our remembrance bicause it is forbidden of God Where Saint Paul saith that Christ was described or painted vnto the Galathians we must either say that the passion of Christ was painted in a table or else they caried the image of the crosse of Christ rent and torne in their mindes If they might carrie an image in their mindes why might they not haue it faire painted in a table speake Master Calfe aunswer if you can O mightie Martiall withdrawe your grimme countenance a while and giue him leaue to gather his wittes together First he saith that Saint Paul speaketh of neither of both your images but of the effect and fruite of the death of Christe which was so liuely described before them that they ought not to haue sought any thing more to the sufficiencie of his redemption and their saluation Secondly although the sense of hearing be appointed of God Rom. 10. to instruct faith yet he findeth not the sense of seeing and especially of images which God hath forbidden admitted to be a mouer to Christian deuotion or worship of God and therefore there is no like reason that as the storie may be caried in remembrance so the image may be painted and set vp in the Church to be worshipped The iniunction of kneeling at the communion intendeth no worship of the breade and wine more then of the table the cuppe the booke the deske the wall c. before which the people kneele and therefore it hath nothing like to your kneeling before the crosse which is not only before it but also to it to worship it But you thinke you haue an argument to choake vs of the ceremonie of swearing vpon a booke seeing swearing is a kinde of adoration But syr we sweare not by the booke as you Papistes doe we call God only to witnesse the booke is but an externall indifferent ceremonie and that rather ciuill then ecclesiasticall whereas adoration of GOD by images is prohibited by Gods lawe Againe we giue no honour at all to the booke as you do to your images That Clemens alloweth the honour giuen to man as to the image of GOD we allowe very well bicause man is a true image of GOD your blockes and stockes be all false and counterfet images To Clemens Alexandrinus Irenaeus and Tertullian he maketh the same aunswere that they speake only of heathenish