it is Prophesied in the xij Chapiter of sainct Ihons Reuelation And yet for fiftie or sixtie yere agone it had been no harde matter to haue shewed you diuers members of our Churche bothe in Englande in Bohemia as th' historie of the church declareth at large Also in Fraunce at Merindoll and about Lyōs but these you will saie agreed not with vs in all poinctes but I will aunswere you thei agréed in the cheifest poinctes necessary to eternall saluation For whatsoeuer we are able to shewe for our Churche I am sure you are neuer able to shewe your self for your churche that whiche you require vs to shewe namely a churche that hath continued from this tyme vpwarde vnto the Apostles that taught vniformely and in all poinctes the doctrine that the Popishe Churche nowe teacheth Whiche thyng when you haue performed I will doe the like for oure Churche In the meane time that whiche is a sufficiente rule to finde out the true Churche by the iudgement of Saincte Augustine I will declare vnto you In his booke the vnitate ecclesiae Capi. 2. Inter nos autem Donatistat quaestio est vbi sit ecclesia Quid ergo facturi sumus In verbis nostris eam quaesituri sumus an in verbis capitis sui domini nostri Iesu Christi Puto quod in illius potius verbis eam quaerere debemus qui veritas est optimè nouit corpus suum Betwene vs and the Donatistes saieth saincte Augustine the question is where the churche should bée What shall we doe then shall we seke her in our wordes or in the woordes of her heade our Lorde Iesus Christ I thinke that rather in his wordes we ought to seke her which is the truthe and beste knoweth his own bodie And in the. xvj chapiter of the same booke he writeth thus of the Donatistes Vtrum ipsi ecclesiam teneant non nisi diuinarū scripturarum canonicis libris ostendant That is whether thei haue the churche on their side let theim shewe none otherwise but by the Canonicall bookes of holy scriptures Many other suche testimonies are in S. Augustine by whiche it is plaine that he geueth this infallible rule to knowe the true churche to examine the doctrine therof onely by the scriptures But wheras you saie that Anabaptistes Libertines and Arians pretende the word of god and the primitiue Churche what meane you therby that we should forsake the worde of god the Primitiue churche by whiche all heretikes haue béen cōfuted what soeuer thei pretended For though heretikes pretende the scriptures yet onely by the scriptures thei are to be cōfuted though thei appeale to the iudgemente of the primitiue church yet by the primitiue church thei are condemned for heretikes I maie as well say that Arianes Libertines and Anabaptistes boste them selues to be the true Catholike Churche therefore wee must not allowe the true catholike churche It is pitie to see menne that would be coumpted wise and learned to reason so fondly and vnlearnedly For of all other reasons it is the vainest and feeblest shift that the Papistes vse to flie frō the scriptures to the aucthoritie of the Churche in confutation of heresies For there was neuer yet heresie did arise but there was as greate controuersie of the Churche as of the opinion for euery heretike boasteth as well of the Churche as of the scriptures but when all is dooen his bragges of bothe muste bee beaten doune onely by the scriptures But because you make so proude vauntes that you will so plainlie proue that our Churche hath none agreans with the primitiue churche of Christ in discourse of that controuersie with you I will sette for the bothe what is the Primitiue churche and how we agree therewith and I doubte not but that I shal bee able by the grace of God bothe to iustifie our cause againste your false accusations and also to ouerthrowe youre falshodde whiche you haue heaped vppe to ouerwhelme the truthe And as I haue confuted your sixe considerations which vnto you seme of greate importaunce so by Gods helpe I shall auoide all other youre calumniations in whiche with some subtiltie but more impudencie and moste of all impietie you goe aboute to intangle the consciences of suche as bee ignorante and vnlearned to withdrawe their obedience ▪ from the godly lawes of this realme whiche are established for the mainteinyng of Gods true Religion and the abolishyng of all Idolatrie and superstition The Papiste Argumentes gathered out of the Scriptures prouyng that this late reformed Englishe churche hath none agreans with the Primitiue churche of Christ. The aunswere The very title of your argumentes declareth of what force youre argumentes are Your reasons are tenne in noumber whiche if thei were all graūted to be true yet foloweth not this conclusion that our Churche hath no agreance with the Primitiue Churche of Christe excepte you would affirme that all the doctrine of the Primitiue Churche were comprehended in these tenne poinctes Again your owne Popishe Churche differeth in these tenne poinctes as muche from the Primitiue Churche as ours therefore by your owne Logike I will conclude that your Popish churche hath no agreance with the church of Christ. 1. For neither you haue all thinges common 2. neither dooe you sell your houses and landes to putte the price in common 3. Neither doe you make diuision to euery manne accordyng to his necessitie 4. Neither are all mēbers of your Churche so prouided for that none dooe begge 5. Neither doe you baptise onely in the name of Christe 6. Neither dooe you giue the holy ghost by laiyng on your handes 7. Neither dooe you restore theim to health whom you annoincte with oile beyng sicke 8. Neither dooe you make open confession of your synnes 9. Neither dooe you celebrate the Sacramente after supper 10. Neither dooe you abstaine from bloodde and strangled therefore by your owne reason you haue no agreance with the Primitiue Churche of Christe Or if you maie haue any agreance these differences notwithstanding why maie not we the same differences nothyng lettyng vs haue sufficient agremente therewith You see that either your argument is nothyng worthe or els you haue as little agreance with the Primatiue churche as we Your only refuge is this that it is not necessary for you to haue any agreance with the primitiue Churche And that is the opinion of all Papistes whiche is diligently to be noted that you disclaime of al title of the Primitiue Churche whiche you holde was but an infante and by addition of your doctrine and Ceremonies is growne to bee of womannes state As though Christ maried his Churche when she was vnder age and so the matrimonie was not ratified and consumated before the Pope had nourtured her in his schole vntill she came to yeres of discretion For it is as lawfull for me so to inferre vppon your allegorie as for you so to allegorise of her But that you maie the better vnderstande what
you vse all those Ceremonies that were vsed in the tyme of those doctors whose names you alledge or that al your Ceremonies were vsed in the tymes of those Doctours vpon whose aucthorities you would seme to grounde But to cōsider your groundes particularly that Augustine whom you call saincte Augustine was an vnlearned Monke as appereth by his questions propounded to Pope Gregorie that came into this land to corrupte the sinceritie of faithe whiche the Britons had receiued euen from the Apostles aboute sixe hundred yeres after Christe and liued twoo hundred yeres at the least after the aunciente father sainct Augustine bushoppe of Hippo in Affrica of whose pride and folie you maie reade in Galfridus Monumeth Matheus Westmin and others And truthe it is that muche superstition and false doctrine he brought in and by tyrannie mainteined as our stories witnesse but not all that you holde at this tyme for your religion in all pointes is nothyng so old And as for Beda he liued longe after Augustine But where you affirme that all youre Ceremonies haue been alwaies approued vsed and allowed throughout the vniuersall churche of Christe I can no longer forbeare you you saie more then all the Papistes in the worlde will be able to proue Touchyng sainct Augustine although the place by you alledged is not to be foūd in his vndoubted writyngs yet I confesse that he speaketh fauourably of Ceremonies cōmonly vsed to be quietly suffered and borne withall rather then vnitie to bee broken But what maketh this for your Ceremonies whiche you teache to bee necessarie for saluation and meritorious whiche if thei had been in saincte Augustines tyme or that men had so taught of theim there is no doubte but he would haue vtterly misliked theim as hereafter in place more conueniente I shall plainly declare In your next sentēce out of sainct Augustine also I must néedes tel you you plaie the suttle Marchaunt to sett for the counterfeict ware in steede of true marchandice for Augustine neuer was of that opinion that the Church hath the full aucthoritie of her husbande Christ and such gouernemente of the holy Ghost that she cannot consente but vnto true thynges neither hath he any suche wordes in al his workes For it is well knowen that the boke de dogmaticis ecclesiasticis out of which this sentence séemeth to bee borrowed is not accompted among the Authenticall workes of Augustine but forged of muche later time and falsly fathered vpon S. Augustine to steale credite from his name whiche it could not obtain of it self And yet if this saiyng were graunted to bée true it perteineth nothyng to your church which is the Sinagoge of Sathan and not the Churche of Christe Concernyng your thirde testimonie of sainct Augustine I can hardely thinke that saincte Augustine would haue an vniformitie of Ceremonies in praier and administratiō of the Sacramentes throughout all the worlde because I am able to shewe his aucthoritie to the contrary as in his 118. epistle to Ianuarius he discourseth at large And whereas you saie that the chaunge of the maner of praiyng hath broughte in chaunge of faithe in this lande it is cleane contrary for the diuersitie of faithe teacheth vs to praie otherwise then you vse for inuocation commeth of faithe as witnesseth sainct Paule Roma 10. The testimonie of saincte Ambrose although you declare not where a manne should finde it maketh little for your purpose For we agrée with hym that Schismatikes are to be abhorred but wée will not graunt to you that wée are Schismatikes as long as wée knowe that wée are members of Christe The testimonie of Tertuliane concernyng custome if it bee faithfully rehearsed of you I se not what it maketh for you For although laudable customes maie be obserued without searchyng their beginnyng what is that to your Ceremonies whiche containe manifeste impietie For you your self will not bee so madde to allowe all customes seyng many are contrary to the worde of god And although Tertuliane was to muche addicted to the maintainyng of Ceremonies and customes in some places yet otherwhiles he either expoundeth his meanyng or correcteth his errour as in his booke De virginibus velandis where he writeth in these woordes Hoc exigere veritatem cui nemo praescribere potest non spacium temporum non patrocinia personarum non priuilegium regionum Ex his enim fere consuetudo initium ab aliqua ignorantia vel simplicitate sortita in vsum per successionem corroboratur ita aduersus veritatē vindicatur Sed dominus noster Christus veritatē se nō consuetudinē cognominauit Si semper christus prior omnibus aeque veritas sempiterna antiqua res viderint ergo quibus nouū est quod sibi vetus est Haereses non tam nouitas quam veritas reuincit Quodcūque aduersus veritatem sapit hoc erit haeresis etiam vetus consuetudo That is to saie This the truthe requireth againste whiche no man can prescribe not the continuance of tyme not the defence of persones not the priuiledge of any regions For of these custome takyng her beginnyng for the moste parte through ignoraunce and simplicitie is confirmed into an vsage by succession and so is bosted of against the truthe But Christ our Lorde called hymself the truthe and not the custome if Christ were alwaies and before all truthe is as eternall and aunciente a thyng as he Lette them bee well aduised therefore to whom that is compted new whiche of hym is coumpted old Heresies saieth he not so muche their noueltie as truthe doeth conuict for what soeuer soūdeth against the truthe that shal be an heresie yea though it be an old custome By this testimonie of Tertuliane euery man maie see what he thought of old custome when it was alledged to deface the truthe and of what customes he speaketh when he commendeth customes namely suche as agree with the truthe and not euery blinde superstitious Ceremonie wherof a greate nomber were inuented many hundreth yeres after his death The Papiste The fifte consideration is that wheras I am not perswaded that the forme of praiers set forth in the saide boke is lawful and catholike my comyng to heare it shoulde bee an acte not onely contrarie to mine owne conscience and also to my damnable sinne but also my comyng therto should be to the weake and ignorant an occasion of ruine and deadly sinne which is called scandalum infirmorum and I am bound by the words of our sauiour Christ to auoide that saiyng wo be to that man by whom any suche offence or slaunder shall vprise and come For of my comyng thether either they muste iudge that I am a dissembler in doyng against my cōscience or els they must iudge that I am in cōscience perswaded thereunto And therby gather by mine example a likyng of that thing to be good and holy which in my very conscience I do vtterly condemne and that this slaunder shall not be so taken
the Apostles Hebr. v. whiche we retain although you saie in the ende we do not As for salte spettle cōiuration or exorcisme thei ar altogeher superfluous at this tyme Of exorcisme there was some vse in the auncient churche but of salte spittle which neuer are not mentioned in that place of Basile As there were many possessed with Deuills so there was some that that had this power of the holie ghost to caste out Deuils whiche were called exoreistes as witnesseth S. Cypriane in his fowerth boke and Epis. vij ad Magnū Quod hodie etiā geritur vt per exorcistas voce humana potestate diuina flagelletur et vratur et torqueatur diabolus Et cū exire et hoēs dei dimittere saepe dicat in eo tamē quod dixerit fallat id quod per Pharaonē prius gestū est eodem mendacio obstinationis et fraudis exerceat Cū tamen ad aquā salutarē atque ad baptismi sanctificationā venitur scire debemus fidere quia illic diabolus opprimitur homo dicatus diuina indulgentia liberatur that is Which thing also is doen at this day that by the exorcistes through the voice of a man and the power of God the deuil is scourged burned and tormented And although he saith oftētimes that he goeth out letteth go the men of God and yet in so saying deceiueth practiseth the same thing that was dooen before by Pharao with the same lye of obstinacie deceipt yet whē we come to the wholsom water and sanctification of Baptisme we muste knowe and beleue that there the Deuill is oppressed and the man whiche is there dedicated is by the mercie of god deliuered This one testimonie emong a number is sufficient to declare bothe that there was in the Churche menne indued with the gifte of castyng out Deuilles whiche visibly and sensibly did possesse menne and that Exorcisme at Baptisme was vsed for none other ende but to deliuer suche as were possessed and could not be deliuered by the Exorcistes before thei were baptised not that euery persone which was Baptised hadde neede of exorcisme but onely suche as were vexed with vncleane spirites And seyng that gifte of castyng out Deuilles doeth no more continewe in the Churche and thei that are to be Baptised are not possessed with Deuilles it were not onely vngodlines but also méere madnesse for such to take vpō them that power whiche haue it not or if thei had it to exercise it where there is no neede of it The Papiste Fifte in the Primitiue churche thei builded churches erected therin alters and offfered sacrifice theron which was a suer token and argument of the faieth of Christ receiued like as Chrysostome writeth of Englande howe that they had receiued the faieth of Christe because they had builded churches and erected Aultars in the same S. Beade witnesseth that sainct Augustine at the bringyng in of Christes faieth into Englande did set vppe Aultars wherupon the people did make their oblations and the preste did celebrate Masse which these our reformatours doe denie and destroie as greate blaspemie vnto God. The aunswere For buildyng of Churches in any sumptuous maner the primitiue church was not careful but vntil Constantines time continued in such places as thei could get sometimes most commōly in caues vnder the yerth when thei were persecuted and durste not assemble in open places And we at this time if we had not conueniēt places for the holie assembles would and wher suche conuenient howses lacke doe builde Churches and Oratories But not in the honour of Sainctes and Aungels as you doe whiche thing the primitiue and auncient Churche did not but iudged it to be meare Idolatry sacriledge and blasphemie As Basile in his 141. Epistle proueth the holy ghoste to be God because he hath a temple so doeth Didymus in his treatise de spiritu sancto because no creature but God onely can haue a temple S. Augustine de vera religione Cap. 55 saieth concernyng sainctes Quare honoramus eos charitate non seruitute nec eis Templa cōstruimus c. Wherfore we honor theim with loue and not with seruise neither doe we build churches vnto theim for thei will not be so honoured of vs Likewise in the. 8. booke 27. cap. de ciuitate dei he saith that christians builde no temples to Martyres and in verie many other places he writeth to the same effecte And as for Alters and Sacrifies the primitiue churche vsed none more then wee The auncient churche in deede nameth Aulters and sacrificyng but they meaned nothyng lesse then suche Aulters and sacrifices as the Papistes vse For the fashione of their alter whiche was the Communion Table so called of them also is to be seen in the Panegyricall oratiō made before Paulinus Bishop of Tyrus wher also the fashion of their Temples is described Euseb. lib. 10. Cap. 4. There was but one Aulter in all the Churche whiche stoode not againste the furthest wall at the East ende of the Churche as your Aulters but in the middest of the Churche and was compassed rounde aboute with Grates or Lattesses of woodde which were called Cancells the Chauncel with in whiche place so incloased the Communion was ministred and at the time of the ministration the Ministers and Deacones stoode round aboute the Aulter whiche is a manifest proofe that it was not an Aulter against a wall like youres but a Table standyng in the middest as ours is Laste of all what they vnderstode by the name of sacrifice I will discloase by one Testimonie of Chrisostome whiche shal be in steade of a greate number For this he writeth vpon the. x. chapiter to the Hebrues Hom. 17. Speaking of the sacrifice whiche the Churche doth offer Hoc autem quod facimus in comemorationē quidem fit eius quod factum est Hoc enim facite inquit in meam comemorationem Non aliud sacrificium sicut Pontifex sed ipsum semper facimus magis autem recordationē sacrificijeperamur This Sacrifice saieth he that we doe is done in remembrance of that whiche was doone For he saied doe this in remembraunce of me we dooe not offer an other Sacrifice as the high Prieste but wee offer the selfe same alwaies or rather we exercise the remembrance of that sacrifice By this testimony of Chrisostome it is euident that the olde writers when thei spake of Sacrifice did not meane the Popishe sacrifice of the Masse but onely the remembrance of the sacrifice of Christe which is the ministration of the Communion The Testimonie of Beda concernyng Augustine the Monke that came into Englande which you alleged is neither aunciente beyng aboue sixe hundred yeres after Christe neither yet of auctoritie to bee followed the same Augustine beyng a superstitious proude cruell and vnlearned Monke For his superstition Bede testifieth his pride and crueltie is set forthe in our Englishe histories his ignoraunce in doubtes and questions whiche he
good that pictures ought not to bée in the Churche leaste that thyng whiche is worshipped and honoured should bee painted on the walles To conclude that whiche you alledge out of Beda concernyng Dan Augustine the Monke I will aunswere by the aucthoritie of sainct Augustine the Bishoppe who in his boke De consensu Euāgelistarum libr. i. Capit. 10. Speakyng of certaine Heathen aduersaries whiche noumbred Paule emong the twelue Apostles that were with Christe while he liued writeth in these woordes Credo quod pluribus locis simul eos cum illo pictos viderunt quià merita Petri Pauli etiam propter eundem passionis diem celebrius solemniter Roma commendat Sic omnino errare meruerunt qui Christum Apostolos eius non in sanctis codicibus sed in pictis parietibus quaesierunt I beleue that in many places thei sawe theim painted together with hym because the Citie of Rome commendeth the worthinesse of Peter and Paule more notably and solemnely because of the same daie of their sufferyng So altogether thei were worthie to bée deceiued whiche sought Christ and his Apostles not in the holie scriptures but in painted walles And so all thei that followed your Augustines superstitions were iustely blinded and deceiued because thei sought not Christ in the scriptures but in painted Tables whiche is the punishemente due for Idolatrie as sainct Paule testifieth Roma j. The Papiste Eight in the primatiue church the maner of fastyng was merueilous streight in so much that Faustus Manicheus 1300. yeres agoe did taxe the christiane men that they should in tyme of Lente absteine from all meate that is spoken of by the Apostle S. Paule in the first to Timothy the fowerth Chapiter And did blaspheme the doyng and teachyng of Christes churche to be doctrinam daemoniorum But Ierome vpon the same place doth make answere like as sainct Augustine in manie places that the church in their fasting to absteine from meate not therby to condemne any kynde of meate as Manichaeus did but for penance and to subdue the carnall concupiscens and suche other like good purposes ▪ And farther for the streight fasting in the primitiue Churche S. Iheronime writeth ad Nepotianum Epiphanius in Anchorato whiche is nowe thought of these reformatours to be superfluous and folishe and therfore they mind not to reduce and bring vs to the order of the primitiue churche The aunswere Concernyng Fastyng I haue spoken sufficiently in aunswere of your tenth argumente out of the scriptures where you make mention of fastyng also Euseb. lib. v. Capit. xviij Testifieth that Montanus the heretike was the firste that prescribed lawes of fastyng whom you followe altogether And especially the heretikes call Archontici of whom Epiphanius writeth lib. i. Tom. iij. Here. 40. whiche pretended fastyng but obserued none in deede and the Manichees of whom S. Augustine testifieth that vnder colour of abstinence thei refrained from eatyng of any liuyng thyng and from drinkyng wine yet did thei glutte and pamper theim selues with delicate frutes and spices with drinke made of the iuice of Dates c. such was your Popishe faste on Fridaies at Dinner to eate no fleshe but as muche fishe as the beallie would holde with good store of wine at night to eate no liuyng creatures but Figges Reasons Almondes Wardens and Quinces baked Suckette and Marmelade and other fruites conserued with good wine or Hipocras to helpe digestion This was a straight kind of faste yet this was Catholicke enough so long as greate Prelates vsed it The Papispte Ninth in the primitiue churche they vsed praier for the soules departed whiche was the tradition of the Apostles as witnesseth Dyonysius Areopagita de caelesti Hierarchia Cap. 7. Epiphanius Chrisostom in 1. ad Cor. Hom. 41. in Math. 33. Hō 69. ad populum Antiochenum whiche thinge is proued also by the Scriptures affirmed of all auncient writers and hath alwaies been continued in Christes Churche and now denied and taken awaie by oure reformatours and therefore they minde no to reduce vs to the primitiue churche The aunswere I must needes confesse that praier for the deade is one of the oldeste heresies that the Papistes doe maintaine and yet hath it no aucthoritie of Gods worde nor of the primitiue Churche for twoo hundreth yeres after Christe Thei vsed in deede to make mention of theim at the celebration of the Communion and to giue God thankes for them whiche some tyme is called a Sacrifice offered for thē as of Cypriane Lib. iiii Epist. v. Speaking of Martyres of whom none doubteth but thei were in heauen and neded no praiers to bee made for them Sacrificia pro eis semper vt meministis offerimus quoties martyrum passiones dies anniuersaria commemoratione celebramus That is Wee offer Sacrifice for theim alwaies as you remember so often as wee celebrate the passion or dayes of the Martyres by yerely commemoration But this vnproper kinde of speakyng and bolde attemptes without scripture to name the deade in the Communion did bréede in the posteritie many errours as praier for the deade the Sacrifice of the Masse for the deade Purgatorie and suche other But in this nineth argumente you bewraie your fraudulent dealing in the other for here you note the places of the doctours whiche you knowe no manne will denie and in other places where you affirme that none of vs will graunte you alledge their names onely without quotyng the places The Papiste Tenth in the Primitiue churche christen men were taught to arme them selues with the signe of the Crosse whiche consignatiō of the Crosse was vsed in the administration of the Sacramentes and that of necessitie as sainct Augustine saieth wordes also of inuocation before the consecration of the Sacrament of the Aulter were vsed in the primitiue churche like as the sanctifiyng of the Fonte the blessyng also of the Chrisme and Oyle to annoincte the partie baptized all which thinges were of the traditions of the Apostles as witnesseth Basili sainct Cyprian sainct Augustine Damas and many other ▪ whiche thinges beeyng now vtterly abolished by the newe reformatours they purpose not to bring vs to the order of the Primitiue churche Seeyng therefore it can not bee denied by so many testimonies gathered out of the diuine Scriptures and holy fathers that they agree not with the primitiue churche of christe but doe dissent and are cleane gone from it in so many diuerse poinctes as I haue expressed Therefore this their reformation to reduce vs to the primitiue churche is onely pretended of their partes and shall neuer be proued The aunswere You leape to and fro backwarde and forwarde more like to one that daunseth then that disputeth Haue wée not hearde enough before of crossyng and blessyng of Oile and Chrisme But thei must now be repeated againe whiche if thei were graunted to you and vsed of vs as thei were in tyme of those doctours whose names you recite what had you gained ther by It
called Especially whē you pretend to geue it the name whiche commonly it beareth for you are not ignorante that it is called the booke of Common praier and not the Common booke of praier But a man maie easely and peraduenture truely gesse why you refused to cal it the boke of common praier leaste any man should conceiue by the onely name that common praier which is so necessarie for the Churche of Christe a forme whereof that booke conteineth is altogether wantyng in your Popishe Churche where in your Missalles Processionalles Hymnalles Grailes Antiphonalls and Pontificalls are not conteined common praiers to the edification of all the churche but idle and vnprofitable ceremonies to the mainteinaunce of ignoraunce and superstition The Papiste The first consideration is because the saide seruis booke was condemned as hereticall and schismaticall Anno domini 1553. both by the clergie and cōuocation of this realme and by the nobilitie and commons of the same by al whose consentes ther passed an acte of Parliament for the repeale therof Beside that Cranmer Ridley and Latimer the chief aucthours and composers of the saied boke were therfore openly condemned by the Churche and Lawes of this realme suffered the paines of death in Oxforde S. Paule in his Epistle willed the hebrues to haue in remembrance their Bishoppes which preached vnto them the woorde of God and diligently to obserue and looke vpon the ende of their liues and conuersation The aunswere The first consideration cōteineth two causes of your refusal the one because the booke of Seruice was repealed by Acte of Parliament the other for that Cranmer Ridley and Latimer were burned at Oxforde for it To the first I aunswere that if you accompt the aucthoritie of the Parliament of force to condempne it why doe you not acknowledge th'aucthoritie of the same in establishyng it for anno 1551. by all the states of the realme that boke was allowed and appoincted to bee vsed Also by diuerse Actes of Parliamente in the tyme of our soueraigne Ladies reigne established and cōfirmed But it is no hard matter to gather your traiterous meanyng whiche is common to you with all them of your religion You accoumpte no actes of Parliament passed in the tyme of kyng Edward or Quéene Elizabeth to be of any aucthoritie beyng confirmed by the roiall assent of those whom you esteme to be no lawfull Princes seyng your father the Pope hath pronounced sentence of depriuation against them Your seconde reason I will tourne vpon your owne necke Seyng Cranmer Ridley and Latimer did so constauntly suffer death for the confirmation of that doctrine whiche thei hadde taught it is a good argumente that thei dissembled not with vs but vttered that truthe vnto vs wherein as thei liued so thei were content to dye The text of the Apostle to the Hebres 13. you applie verie straungely as though wee should thincke well of none that suffreth death by martyrdom wheras the Apostle meaneth cleane contrary and exhorteth the Iewes to followe the faithe of them the ende of whose conuersation thei had séen to be agreable to their doctrine who as thei had preached diligētly so did thei ende their liues by tormentes in the same confession constauntely and patiently The Papiste The seconde consideration is that the saied booke so vniuersally condemned by all degrees of men here in this realme was receiued and brought in againe only by the nobilitie and cōmons of this realme cleane contrary to the whole mindes of our Clergie no one person in the Parliamente did giue his consente thereunto Besides that the whole conuocation did exhibite their boke to the contrarie VVherin the shepe taking vpon theim to establishe this boke contrarie to the learnyng and conscience of their shepherdes thei haue doen against the expresse wordes of our sauiour Christ who in describing the office of good shepherde and the duetie of good shepe saied that a good shepherde muste knowe his sheepe and his sheepe muste knowe hym heare his voice and followe hym And the Apostle S. Paule in his Epistle Cap. 13. willed the Hebrues to obey their shepherdes and spirituall gouernours and to submitte themselues vnto theim for thei doe watch euen as men whiche muste geue accompte for their soules Obey them therfore saieth S. Paule that they maie do it with ioie and not with grief The aunswere Your seconde consideration is determinable by suche as are skilfull in the lawes of this realme what persones muste concurre in the Parliament that it may be an Acte of Parliamente and I doubte not but the matter was so ordered by the iudgemente of them that had knowledge as was for the honour and wealthe of the realme But if any errour had been committed at that tyme you speake of it was since by all three estates in Parliament redressed the same booke of seruice by their aucthoritie being confirmed But whereas you complaine that the Shepe in that firste Parliament tooke vpon thē against their shepherdes I aunswer naie but the Shepherdes againste the Shepebiters for your Cleargie consisted all of Wolues and not of Shepherdes wherefore it was the duetie of the Prince with the nobles and senatours of that Parliamente to deliuer the Shepe out of their cruell tyrānie and to banishe and remoue all suche raueinous beastes frō the flocke And touchyng the booke you saie thei exhibited of what credite would you haue it to bee when thei so shamefully refused conference before the moste parte of the Parliamente vpon a friuolous pretence in Westminster churche At whiche time al wise menne sawe that their cause was naught whiche durste not abide the triall in the open light The Papiste The thirde consideration is that it is prohibited by the Canons of the apostles and by the generall caunselles also that a christian man shoulde not communicate neither in Sacramentes nor yet in commō praiers with Heritikes and Schismatikes As it appeareth in the tenth Canon and in the seconde Canon of the counsell holden at Antioche It was decreed there that it was not lawful to communicate with excōmunicate persones nor to enter into any house nor to praie with thē nor lawfull to receiue them that are excommunicate out of one churche into another churche And in the coūsel holdē at Laodicea it was prohibited there that the christiā men should enter into the churches or churche yerdes of the heretikes there to praie with them and in the 33. Canon of the same counsell the like prohibition is there expressed for praier with Schismatikes And in the 4. counsell holden at Carthage Canon 73. it was decreed that christian men should nether praie nor singe with Heretikes And who so euer did praie singe or communicate with any excōmunicate person whether he were of the Clergie or of the Laitie shoulde be thereby excommunicated An example we reade therefore how the christian men at Constantinople would not cōmunicate with the Arianes neither in Sacramentes nor yet in commō praiers notwithstādyng that
the Arians did agree with the Christen menne in theim bothe as in all Sacramentes and in all poinctes of praiyng sauing that the Arians did sing Gloria patri in filio and the Christian menne Gloria patri filio c. And therfore and for that onely poinct Ihō Chrysostome then beyng Bishop of Constantinople did appoincte vnto the christian men a seperate place and maner of praier from them as it appeareth in the sixth of the Historie Ecclesiastike And therefore the notable doctour S. Augustine doth conclude on thys wise saiyng that they shall not communicate in Sacramētes with vs whose doctrine we cannot approue and allowe The aunswere Your third consideration standeth vppon a foolishe fallation of Sophistrie called petitio principij whiche is whē a man will take that as true whiche his aduersarie will not graunte hym As you doe in this your argument where you take that for a true principle whiche you shall neuer be able to proue namely that we are Heretikes and Schismatikes And so you committe double folie Firste in prouyng that so diligentely whiche no manne will deny whiche is that a manne ought not to communicate in religion with Heretikes and secondly in bringing no proofe at all of that which all your aduersaries wil deny namely that thei are Heretikes or Schismatikes For you must first prooue that thei are suche before you can proue that you ought to auoide their societie The Papiste The fowerth consideration is that the receiuyng of this new booke of seruice is a condemnation of the olde wherby is taken away 5. of the. 7. Sacramentes the reall presence of Christes body in the Sacramente of the alter the sacrifice of the masse many traditions of the Apostles as the holiyng of the Fonte oile and Chrisma in Baptisme and Confirmation the making of the signe of the Crosse praiers for the deade and vnto sainctes All sacramentall and godly cerimonies frequented in the vniuersal churche of Christe and brougt into this realme with the faithe of Christe by S. Augustine and here by hym established as suer signes and tokens of christian faieth like as the holy S. Bede witnesseth in his firste boke de gestis Anglorum in the 25.29.30 chapiters beside that all the foresaide thinges haue been alwaie approued vsed and allowed throughout the vniuersal church of christ And therfore saieth S. Augustine all these thinges whiche haue been receiued in the vniuersall Churche of Christe and approued by the vse and consente therof ought not to be ouerthrowen nor yet to be chaūged by the iudgemente of one priuate person be his learnyng and liuyng neuer so good nor yet by the Bishoppes of any one prouince or countrie when thereby they shoulde breake the vnitie of Gods spirite whiche is the chief treasure in his Churche commended by our sauiour Christe vnto his Apostles wishynge and praiynge the same vnitie to be amongest theim whiche was betwixt him and God Ioan 17 the father The Apostle S. Paule tought the Corinthians aboue all thinges to obserue this vnitie and willed the Romaines that with one minde and one mouth they shoulde glorifie god And in the Epistle to the Ephesians he besought theim most entirely to obserue this vnitie Again S. Augustine saieth these thinges whiche the vniuersall churche doth teache therfore are to be obserued and kepte of all menne because the churche which is the spouse of Christ hath the full aucthoritie of her husband Christ and suche gouernement also of the holy ghost that she cannot consent but to true thinges nor she cannot commaunde but onely suche thinges whiche are both holy holsome and good And farther the same S. Augustine saieth that in the ministratiō of the Sacramentes and in the manner of praiyng vsed of Preestes there must be an vniformitie obserued in Christes catholike Churche that by their Lawe and maner of praiyng there may be established the lawe of beleuyng And lest that the lawe and maner of praiyng being chaunged may also bring foorthe a chaunge and alteration of faieth like as it hath so proued in thys realme Beside that S. Ambrose doth thinke that there can not bee the faieth where Schisme is for albeit that schismatikes may haue faieth towardes God yet they cannot haue faieth towarde the Churche of God whom they suffer to bee dismembred and discerped in peeces For wheras our sauiour Christe suffered for his Churche and the Churche is the mysticall bodie of Christe how therfore may thei haue faith in christ by whom his Passion is made frustrate and his mysticall bodie drawen in peeces And therefore woulde not we shoulde chaunge an order set or a custome of Christes churche For albeit saieth he the reason or cause of a custome may be sought for yet must it be so sought for that the custome thereby be not infirmed or broken for the searche may not bee made vnto destruction but vnto aedification wherby thou maist better obserue the custome when thou arte assured of the cause and reason therof I do praise thee saieth Tertuliane whiche firste doeth beleue the custome to be obserued before it hath learned the cause and reason why and wherfore The aunswere In your fowerth consideration you should haue likewise considered that suche thynges as are graunted of bothe partes nede small proofe and that those matters whiche are in controuersie should be substancially cōfirmed As for example How necessarie vnitie is for the Churche of Christe no manne doubteth so it bee in truthe and not in falshed for there is vnitie emong the mooste wicked but not in truthe and honestie On the other side that there be fiue sacramentes more then the boke alloweth that there is a carnall presence in the Sacrament of the Lordes bodie and bloude that there is or ought to be a Sacrifice in the masse ye bring not one worde of proof Concernyng Ceremonies whiche you call traditions of the Apostles you saie in deede a little although to little purpose and yet so confusely and out of all good order that you seme rather to confounde then to instructe your simple reader for what an hochpotte is this in the middes of your Sacramentes and Sacramentalles to choppe in praiers for the deade and inuocation of sainctes whiche bée articles of doctrine and not Ceremoniall obseruations Againe when you haue rehersed by name diuers Ceremonies as oile and chrisme in Baptisme your maner of confirmation the signe of the Crosse and all other your Sacramentalls and Ceremonies you bryng in certain broken and vnperfecte sentences of Doctours whiche speake generally of Ceremonies vsed in the churche in their age and doe not shew that your Ceremonies were vsed then in suche maner as you vse them now which is a meere mockerie of your readers For wheras you doe comprehende thē all vnder the name of Traditions of the Apostles if you be a man of suche learning as you would seme to be I dare saie in your behalfe you will bee ashamed to come to triall of this poincte that
as scandalum acceptum but so geuen as scandalum datum of my parte And wher as it hath been often tymes obiected vnto me how that it is but a very small matter to sticke or staie at for to come to the Church and heare the saied seruice beyng set at libertie secretly and priuily to praie with my self whatsoeuer I shall thinke mete for he aunswere I doe reade in the Scriptures howe Eleazarus the Preest is in the same commended because he would not dissemble the eatyng of swynes fleshe wheras he might haue escaped the paynes of death therby Tertulliane writeth a booke in the praise of a Souldiar and entituleth his boke de corona militis because that Souldiar refused in natali die Seueri imperatoris to weare but a Garlande of flowers vpōn his heade because he should therin then haue followed the maner of the gentiles and heathen people And rather or he would do so small a mattet as to weare but a Garland of flowers he did suffer inprisonment and therfore is commended of so greate a clerke as Tertullian was Theodoritus in hys second booke of the historie Ecclesiastike in Cap. 24. doth note Leontius Bishoppe of Antioche of greate dissimulation for as much as he beyng present in the quire at Antioche and in the hearing of christian men there to sing Gloria patri filio c. and the Arians Gloria patri in filio c. Contrariwise he did there openly take nether partie but priuily at the ende of euery psalme did sing Gloria pari in saecula saeculorum Amen And so he mumbled it vp to hym selfe vt ab instantibus vix audiri posset whose example therfore beyng so manifest and so well admonished therof I purpose not to followe God willyng VVhen to dissemble with a mā I hold it no honestly to dissemble with my Prince it is the iuste deserte of perpetuall discredite and infamie but to dissemble with God it is most impietie from the whiche detestable sinne I am vtterly resolued by the word god spoken by the mouth of Helias saiyng Vsquequo claudicatis in duas partes How long will you halte or limpe on both sides And S. Ihon in his reuelation saieth Because thou arte neither whot nor colde therfore I shall beginne now to vomit and cast thee out of my mouth The premisses well waighed it cannot be iustly saied that I sticke at a trifling or small matter but a matter of greate importance and conscience moueth me therunto and forceth me that I shoulde not vnaduisedly without greate cause seperate my self from the vnity of the Churche neither to condēne the vniuersal church vnheard hauing no iust or weightie cause why I should so doe For I haue alwaies and doe thus waigh the matter with my selfe that the poinctes and matters of religion which this boke of seruice hath condemned or taken awaie ether thei were thought matters of smal importāce and did no harme but being rightly vnderstanded might haue doen good or els thei were to be taken for matters of impietie and intollerable to be borne withal In case thei were of the firste sorte whiche thei haue condemned and abolished Then in my iudgement they should haue been tolerated and borne withall for charities sake and for the continuance and encrease of vnitie betwixte vs and the vniuersall Church of christendom On the other side in case thei had been taken for matters intollerable and could in no wise haue been borne with all for their impietie as it hath been pretended then yet in my cōscience we ought to haue been better aduised then by our priuate condemnation of theim to haue shewed our selfe to condemne thereby al the whole vniuersall church of impietie vnheard which thinges the vniuersall church hath vsed from the Apostles time and doe to this daie As touching matters of right faieth and godly maners the churche of Christe beyng the spouse of Christ was neuer destitute of the holy ghost neither could nor woulde in all this tyme haue borne or dissembled any impietie like as S. Augustine writeth hereof The Church of God beyng placed and put among muche chaffe and many Cockles and wedes the same church doth suffer and beare with many thinges yet that notwithstandyng touchyng the thinges whiche are against faithe and against good life the Churche doth neither approue theim nor yet lette theim escape vnspoken against The aunswere In that you will not dissemble against your conscience if you doe not dissemble but speake as you thinke you are to bee commended but if your conscience as you saie is not yet perswaded you are by no meanes to bée excused for in this so cleare light of the Gospell you could not bee so blind if you did not obstinately close your iyes from receiuyng the Sunne beames into theim And whereas you thinke it not reason to departe from the vnitie of the churche nor to condemne the vniuersall Churche vnheard you stande vpon a false grounde as you dooe alwaies that the Popishe Churche is that vniuersall Churche but that you shall neuer be able to proue For was the Popishe churche at any tyme or is it nowe vniuersalle But the Romishe churche you will saie is alwaies vniuersall though it haue neuer so many enemies But I can shewe you by saincte Augustines iudgemente that the vniuersall Churche maie bee without the Romishe churche For writyng to Casulane Epi. 86. he hath these woordes speakyng of one that defended the Ceremonies custome of the Romishe churche against the whole catholike Churche Quod vtinam sic quaereret aut sic affirmaret vt toto terrarum orbe diffusam exceptis Romanis adhuc paucis occidentalibus apertissimè nō blasphemaret ecclesiam that is to saie whiche thyng I would he did seeke in suche maner or so affirme that he did not moste manifestly thereby blaspheme the churche dispersed through out the whole worlde excepte the Romanes and a fewe other Westerne Churches Doe you not here see that when the Romishe churche with a fewe other that agréed with her are exempted the vniuersall churche of Christe still remaineth by sainct Augustines iudgemente and that if the Romishe Churche departe from the whole Catholike Churche the Romishe Churche is a Schismatike as it is at this daie and hath been a long time euen since Antichriste sette vp his seate there and made a generall departyng from the faith of Christ which sainct Paule prophesieth should come to passe ij Thessal ij All the whiche tyme though there were but few that continued in true faithe and honouryng of God yet those fewe wheresoeuer thei were scattered in all the worlde wer the true catholike Churche of Christ and were alwaies ioigned together in Christe their heade by vnitie of true religion And whereas you saie your Churche is vnhearde I maruaile what you meane for what can the Pope or any of her proctours saie in her defence but it hath been hearde and confuted by the scriptures Whiche thing hath caused the most part
of the regions of Europe this daie to forsake your Hereticall Schismaticall and Antichristian Churche of Rome and to ioigne them selues to the true Catholike and Apostolike churche of Christ whiche approueth all her doctrine out of the holie Scriptures and by the same reproueth all your heresies and erronious opinions the iudgement and triall of whiche holy Canonicall scriptures you neuer yet durst abide It is not therefore any priuate condemnation whiche is pronounced out of Gods woorde against heresies whose aucthoritie in all thynges is highest and of al menne to bee obeied Finally where you affirme that the churche of Christe was not destitute of the holy Ghoste I agree with you but that your Churche is the Churche of Christe I maie in no wise acknowledge And truthe it is that the true Churche did alwaies reclaime against the heresies of your church as thei sprong vp and increased in the worlde and receiued that reward whiche true Prophetes haue accustomed to receiue of wicked tyrantes namely persecution imprisonmente and cruell death as appeared in Bertramus Marsilius of Padua Pauperes de Lugduno Iohannes de Gandauo Bruno Andegauensis Iohannes Wickleue Iohannes Hus Hieronimus de Praga c. all whiche with many other in seuerall times places reproued and confuted your false Churche and the errours thereof some in Italie some in Fraunce some in Flaunders some in Germanie some in Bohemia and some in Englande and for the moste part were either murthered or otherwise cruelly persecuted for their labours But yet the heresies of your church did not escape vnspoken against and confuted by them The Papiste The sixte and laste consideration that I come not to their churche is because I am not of their Churche S. Augustine in putting difference of churches saieth how vnto them whiche haue not all one Sacramētes there can not be one religion nor consequently one Churche And the cause why I am not of their Churche but refuse to communicate with theym in religion besides this saiyng of S. Augustine that we should not Communicate in sacramentes with those men whose doctrine we can not aproue and allow I do refuse to be of their church because I cannot learne nor vnderstande of what church they are of For thei beyng first Baptized in the catholike churche and in the very self faieth and religion wherin I do at this present time beleue and remaine thei are departed therefro some to the Lutheranes Church some to the Zwinglians and comyng last of al to the church Geneua they are in maner fled from that church also and by attributing the chief supreme gouernment of this their English churche vnto the Quenes highnes thei are in doctrine directly against their old maister Caluine being the chief Apostle of the Church of Geneua whiche Caluine in the eight Chapter of the boke of his institutions doth directlie reason against Kynges and Princes for takyng vpon theim spirituall gouernment in the Church of Christ and in the same Chapiter he doeth muche commende the holy Bishop S. Ambrose and the noble Emperour Theodosius Ambrose for his greate stoutnes and resistance made against the Emperour And Theodosius for his greate submission and obediens shewed vnto the Bishop The history whereof is at large expressed in Ecclesiastica historia And the saide Caluine in hys exposition vppon the fowerth Chapiter of the prophete Amos doth taxe King Henry the eight by name because he alone of all other Princes was the first that toke vpon hym in the Church of Christ spirituall gouernmēt whose example in that poinct there was neuer one Prince in all Germanie nor yet in any place els where of the whole world that woulde followe the same but his owne naturall sonne Kyng Edward the sixte beyng then in his minoritie and againe the Queenes highnes that nowe is If therfore I shall departe from the comon knowen catholike Church wherin I stand I would gladly knowe of theim vnto what Church I shoulde repaire to be instructed with out errours wherin vnitie charitie and veritie doe dwel what forme of a churche are thei able to shew wherupon a christian man may be bolde to assure himselfe And if peraduenture they cease not ro pretende that the Primitiue Churche is that plat forme of the Churche wherunto they would reduce vs I answere that there be so many poinctes wherein they doe dissent from the Primitiue Churche like as I shall make sufficient proofe thereof that it can not be so it is onely pretended but it shall neuer be proued The Anabaptistes the Libertines and the Arians doe pretende gods worde and the Primitiue Churche as well as thei And because they are so bolde to name the primitiue church I aske of theim but this one questiō whether that this daie 50. or 60. yeres laste paste was their Church here in this realme or in any other parte of christendome VVhat particuler Church either here in Englande in the laste yere of Kyng Henry the eight his raigne or any other realme els can thei name that taught or receiued vniuersally throughout in all poinctes the doctrine that this presente Churche of Englande doeth now teache or from that daie a thousande yeres before that or from thence vnto the tyme of Christe and his Apostles If thei can not shewe any one suche Churche as I am well assured thei shall neuer be able to doe then it muste nedes followe that either Christe had no Church in the worlde al that tyme till now their commyng or elles it muste needes follow that their Churche is a new inuented and vpstert Church whiche with christes Primitiue church hath no agreans like as it shall moste plainly appeare vnto you by these profes followyng The aunswere In your laste consideration you doe inconsiderately alledge that you are not of our Churche but shewe no sufficient reason why you ought not to bee one of our Churche You saie we are departed from the churche in whiche we were baptised as though if a manne were Baptised in a Churche of heretikes he is bounde to remaine in the same Churche and heretical faithe of that Churche in whiche he was baptised so that if a manne were baptised in the Churche of Arrianes Nouatianes Donatistes Pelagians he might not forsake the faithe and Churche in whiche he was baptised to become a true Christian catholike A childe of seuen yere old maie see how slender a reason it is for a manne to continue in any Churche or Religion because he receiued baptisme therin For if a Papist maie not become a Protestāt because he was Baptised in the Popishe churche by the same reason a Protestant must not become a Papist if he were baptised in the Protestantes Churche which you your self by no meanes will graunte The seconde reason you bryng is of the diuersitye of churches the Lutherane the Zwingliane the Geneuian As though the diuersitie of some opinions not of the greatest importāce maketh diuers churches The churche of Salisburie the churche
Basile affirmeth that it was a tradition of the Apostles that who so euer did not so he shoulde be deposed therfore wheras our reformatours doe but sprincle a little water in the foreheade of the partie baptized it may be quickly espied that thei follow not the primitiue churche The aunswere Our sauiour Christ commaundeth vs to Baptise in the name of the Father and of the Soonne and of the holie Ghoste whiche whether it bée by dippyng the bodie into the water or by powryng water vpon the bodie the misticall signification of washyng is sufficiently expressed and so longe the Baptisme is right as for the nōber of dippinges is nothyng materiall We read in the scriptures diuers formes of washing The Eunuche was Baptised by Philip goyng in naked into a Riuer or Brooke And so Baptised Ihon in Iordan Other that were Baptised in their houses it is moste like that water was powred on them as Cornelius and them that were with hym And the keper of the prison with his housholde Actes xvj And as for the Ceremonie of thrise dippyng although it was vsed of many to signifie the Trinitie yet was it not generall nor of any necessitie For in the fowerth Counsaile of Toledo it was determined that all was one whether a childe were Baptized with three dippynges or with one alone And yet it was there decreed vpon a good consideration that in Spaine thei should vse but one dippyng The woordes are these in the fowerth Counsaile Toletane and the fiueth Canone Ne tamen haereticis videamur consentire qui tertio mergum dum eorum morem seruamus cautum est ne in Hispaenia fiat baptismus nisi in vna mersione that is to saie Least we should seme to agree with heretikes whiche vse to dippe thrise while wee reteine their maner of baptisyng it is decreed that no Baptisme in Spaine bee ministered but with one onely dippyng In this decree of the Coūsaile twoo thynges especially are to bee noted Firste that the three dippynges was not alwaies and in all places obserued as a necessarie matter and therefore your argumente is fallen to the grounde Secondely that it is profitable to alter and chaunge suche Ceremoeies as are vsed of heretikes that wee seme not to agree with theim in any thyng in whiche it is lawful for vs to disagree And for this consideration doe we refuse to dip thrise because we would not seme to agrée with you whiche are heretikes although wee acknowledge that of it self it is a thyng indifferente to dippe twise or thrise or ones or not at al to dip but onely to poure on water in signe of that spirituall ablution whiche is represented by that Sacramente of Baptisme Wherefore you haue a verie quicke sight that can espie a knotte in a Rushe and of so small a gnat to make so great an Elephante as though all Christianitie stoode in thrise dippyng of a child in Baptisme whiche I haue proued not onely not to haue been alwaies obserued but also by decree of a Counsaill to haue been expressely forbidden Which Ceremonie although it bee noumbred emong the canons commonly called of the Apostles yet hath he a meane iudgement in antiquitie that can not descerne theim from Apostolike writynges But because you bryng in the Tradition of the Apostles you muste nedes giue me leaue to presse you with the same aucthoritie and to shewe that you your self obserue not the Traditions of the Apostles In the vj. Canon of the Apostles it is commaunded that no Bishoppe Prieste nor Deacon shall put awaie his wife vnder colour of religion and thei that doe so shall be excomunicate And in the ninthe and tenthe Canons it is decreed that whosoeuer is presente at the Communion and dooeth not communicate that he should bee excommunicate How these Canons of the Apostles if you will needes haue them so called be obserued in your Popishe Clergie and your priuate Masse what nede I to rehearse And yet you agree with the primitiue Churche in all thynges and we haue none agreaunce therewith at all The Papiste Thirde in the Primitiue churche they vsed Oyle and Chrisma in the ministratiō of diuers Sacramentes which christ hymselfe did ordaine and sainctifie the night before his passion as witnesseth S. Cypriane And his Apostles did commende the same vnto the Churche by their traditions as witnesseth sainct Basile and S. Augustine whiche these our reformatours will none of The aunswere In the Primitiue Churche there was not so many diuerse Sacramentes as you speake of but onely the Sacramente of Baptisme and of the bodie and bloode of christe and in neither of these was there any institution or vsage of oile chrisme And although in the later tyme ceremonies increased that oyle was vsed in baptisme yet was there not so many Sacramentes for Augustine saieth vnto Ianuaerius Epis. 118. Vnde Sacramentis numero paucissimis obseruatione facillimis significatione praestantissimis ▪ societatem noui populi colligauit sicut est Baptismus Trinitatis nomine consecratus communicatio corporis Christi sanguinis ipsius si quid aliud in scripturis canonicis cōmendatur Wherfore saieth Augustine God hath bounde the societie of his newe people with Sacramentes in number fewest in obseruation easiest in significatiō most excellent as is baptisme consecrated in the name of the Trinitie the communion of the bodie and blood of Christe and if any thing els be commended in the Canonicall scriptures The same Augustine and Chrisostome also vpon the water and blood that issued out of Christes side do gather that the Sacramentes of the church flowed out of his side namely Baptisme and the Supper of the lord Aug. Hom. in Ioann 20. Chrysostom ad Neophytos Augustine also in the thirde booke de doctrina christiana Cap. 9. rehearseth but these twoo Sacramentes speakyng of those that are properly called Sacramentes for otherwise both he and other auncient writers extende the name of Sacrament to al ceremonies And yet Gregorie accompteth washyng of feete to be a Sacramente as Baptisme and the Supper whiche is no sacramente with you And as for the ceremonie of annointyng in baptisme it is as lawfull for vs to abrogate as for you to omitte the drinke of milke and Honie after baptisme other such ceremonies which you knowe were vsed as well as oyle and Chrisme But our Sauiour Christe the night before his Passion did ordeine and sanctifie Oyle and Chrisme for suche purposes I meruaile what Cipriane dare be so bolde to affirme it séeyng the Euangelistes make no mention thereof and here againe if you hadde noted the place of Cipriane wee might better haue considered of his aucthoritie Diuerse writinges are set forth in his name whiche were neuer any of his workes The Papiste Fowerth S. Basile saieth that all determiminations and instructions which are preached and kepte in the Primitiue churche of Christe we haue receiued theim partely of the scriptures and partly by the traditions of the Apostles whiche both hath
propoundeth to Gregorie B. of Rome The Papiste Sixt in the Primitiue churche both men and women made solemne vowes to the abdication of all proprietie in worldlie goodes and possessions and also of perpetuall chastitie as it maie appeare Actes 5. Math. 19 and. 1. Corinth 7. 1. Tim. 5. Exāple wherof was in the time of the Apostles in Iphigenia a professed virgine whō Hirtacus Kyng of Ethiopia woulde nedes haue takē to his wife but the Apostle S. Mathew vouched to him that he coulde not so doe for that she had vowed her virginitie to god VVherupon Hirtacus put the Apostle sainct Mathewe to death as witnesseth Abdias and others The Canons of the Apostles doth prohibite the mariage of priestes The counsel holden at Chalcedon and all the aunciē fathers Dionysius Areopagita S. Basile S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Chrisostome Epiphanius and diuers others This notwithstandyng our reformatours dooe defende suche mariages to bee lawfull and good hauing no regarde of anie vowe or profession made to the contrarie The aunswere In the Actes are mentioned those that were contente to giue their gooddes in common but no vowe spoken of that thei might neuer haue any proprietie of gooddes Our sauiour Christe also speaketh of some that had made theim self chaste for the kyngdome of heauen hauyng the gift of continencie but noe vowe that thei were bounde vnto Saincte Paule to the i. Corinthians vij chapiter commendeth Virginitie in suche as haue the gifte but he bindeth none with any vowes for if a Virgine marrie he saieth she dooeth not synne But in the firste of Timothe v. he entreateth of widowes whiche as thei were nourished by the Churche so thei did minister vnto the Churche and these made no vowe to God but a promise to the churche that thei would continue vnmarried that thei might attende to their charge beeyng free from housebandes whiche saincte Paule would not haue to bee chosen vnder sixtie yeres of age when carnall luste is paste What is this to yonge girles that are professed Nonnes at fiftene or sixtene yeres of age before thei knowe whether thei are able to liue chaste without any housebande or no As for your fable of Iphigenia and Hirtacus out of your newe founde olde doctour Abdias we giue small credite vnto it the verie names dooe sufficiently bewraie the forgerie whiche sounde nothyng like to the Aethiopian language The Canons cōmonly called of the Apostles doe excōmunicate a bishop or a clearke that doth putte awaie his wife vnder colour of Religion as I haue shewed before The coūsaile of Chalcedon Canon xiij forbiddeth Clerkes to marrie wiues of a contrary Religion as Iewes or Paganes But not simplie forbiddeth thē muche lesse would allowe theim to putte awaie their lawefull wiues But when you proceade further and saie that all the aunciente fathers dooe prohibite Priestes marriage you are to generall For I can bryng you some proues to the contrary In deede the moste of the later sorte of aunciente writers are verie muche addicte to the praise of sole life yet was not marriage cleane taken awaie from priestes for more then a thousande yeres after Christe You rehearse certaine aunciente writers and emōg them Dionysius Areopagita of whō I must admonishe the vnlearned reader that he is not that Dionysius whō saincte Paule at Athenes conuerted but one of muche later tyme For the reste of the Doctours if you had alledged their saiynges as you dooe their names I should haue saied some thyng vnto theim But that all aunciente fathers as you saie doe not forbidde marriage of Priestes and suche as haue vowed virginitie you maie knowe by these examples First Tertullian was a married man and writeth a booke to his wife Epiphanius rehearseth many heretikes whiche forbadde marriage Also of suche as had vowed virginitie and could not keepe their vowe he writeth Contra Apostolicos libr. 2. Tom. 1. haeres 61. Melius est itaque vnum peccatum habere non plura Melius est lapsum à cursu palam sibi vxorem sumere secundum legem á virginitate multo tempore poenitentiā agere sic rurssus ad ecclesiam induci velut qus mala operatus sit velut lapsum fractum obligatione opus habentem non quotidie ocultis iaculis sauciari ab improbitate quae à diabolo ei infertur Sic nouit ecclesia praedicare haec sunt sanationis medicamenta It is better therfore to haue one sinne and not manie It is better for hym that is fallen from his course opēly to take hym a wife accordyng to the lawe and to repente along tyme for his virginitie and so againe to be brought into the church as one that hath doone euill as one that is fallen and brused and hath neede to bee bounde vp and not to be daily wounded with priuie Dartes through the improbitie which is wrought to hym by the Deuill So the Churche knoweth to preache these are the medicines of healyng You see here that Epiphanius woulde haue suche as could not keepe their vowe of virginitie rather to marrie then to burne according to the doctrine ef sainct Paule Chrysostome whose name also you reherse in his second Homelie vpon the first Chapiter of the Epistle to Titus hath these woordes Obstruere prorsus intendit haereticorum ora qui nuptias damnant ostendens eā rem culpa carere imo ita esse pretiosam vt cum ipsa etiam possit quispiam ad sanctum ▪ Episcopatus solium euehi That is to saie He purposeth vtterly to stop the mouthes of heretikes which condemne mariage shewyng how that thing is without faulte yea to be so pretious a thing that with it any man maie be aduaunced to the holy sée of a Bishopricke Chrisostome therfore is not so whole on your side as you make hym no more is any of the auncient fathers though it please you to abuse there names for a shewe But who amonge all the olde writers was either a greater admirer of virginitie or a more defacer of matrimonie then Ierome was and yet he writeth thus of virgines that haue vowed continence ad Demetriadem Sanctum virginum propositum caelestis angelorumque familiae gloriam quarundam non bene se aegentium nomen infamat Quibus apertè dicendum est vt aut nubant si se non possunt continere aut contineant si nolunt nubere That is the ill name of some that behaue not theim selues well dooth slaunder the holy purpose of virgines and the glorie of the heauenly family of aungelles to whom it is openly to be spoken that either thei doe marie if thei can not conteine or els that thei must conteine if thei will not marrie By these witnesses it is apparant that all auncient fathers be not of your iudgement if wee shall beleue their owne writinges rather then your saiynges And cōcerning them that haue vowed continence if they haue any conscience of their vowe and are able to performe it none of vs
affirmeth that nothing is required to iustifie but faithe the other affirmeth that faithe whiche onely is required as sufficient to iustification is not deade solitary or vnfruictfull but liuely fruictfull accompanied with manie vertues good workes For he that acknowledgeth his sinnes to be forgeuen of God for Christes sake and that he is receiued of God as his childe whiche is to be iustified must needes loue God and all theym that loue God muste néedes haue a desier to obeye God honour God to be thanckefull to God and to profette all theim that God hath commaunded hym to loue And this is the worste effecte of onely faithe iustifiyng But because you make it so straunge a matter as though it had neuer been heard of in the worlde before nowe that faithe alone or onely faithe doth iustifie I will rehearse you the sentences of a fewe doctours that I haue readde whiche in plaine wordes affirmed the same many hundred yeres before you and I were borne Not doubtyng but they that haue redde more then I are able to bring forth a greate deale more then I haue brought Origines though otherwise a verie vnpure writer yet for iustification by faithe onely speaketh very plainly although not in all poinctes truely vpon the Epistle to the Rom. lib. 3. Cap. 3. Dicit sufficere solius fidei iustificationem ita vt credens quis tantummodo iustificetur etiamsi operis nihil ab eo fuerit expletū Imminet igitur nobis qui integram esse scripturam Apostoli conamur asserere ordine suo cuncta constare vt requiramus quis sine operibus sola fide iustificatus sit Quantum igitur ad exemplum pertinet c. S. Paule saieth that the iustification of faith alone doth suffice so that he whiche beleueth onlie maie bee iustified although he haue doen no good worke Wherefore it standeth vs vppon that take in hande to defende the writyng of the Apostle to bee perfecte and all thinges therein to stande with good order to enquire who was iustified by faithe onely without woorkes Therefore for examples sake I thinke that theife is sufficiente whiche beeyng crucified with Christe cried to hym from the Crosse. Lord Iesu remember me whē thou comest into thy kyngdome Neither is there any other good woorkes of his described in the Gospell but for this faieth onely Iesus saide to hym verily I saie to thee this daie thou shalte bee with me in Paradice Thus far Origine Neuertheles wee muste remember as I haue saide before that although this thief was iustified by faithe onely yet this faithe was fructefull of suche good workes as the tyme suffered hym to expresse as inuocation repentaunce reprehension of his fellowe c. The same Origene saieth Idem enim ipse deus ex vtroque populo non circumcisionis aut praeputij priuilegio sed solius fidei contemplatione iustificat The same God out of bothe the people not by priuilege of Circumcisiō or vncircumcision but by the contemplation of faith alone dothe iustifie And in the. 4. booke and. 4. Cap. Initium iustificandi à deo fides est qua credit in iustificantem haec fides cum iustificata fuerit tanquam radix imbre suscepto haeret in animae solo c. Faithe is the beginnyng of iustifiyng before god which beleueth in hym that iustifieth and this faithe after it is iustified as a roote that is wattered with a showre of raine abydeth faste in the grounde of the soule that when it beginneth to bee dressed and delued by the lawe of God the boughes arise in it whiche bring forthe the fruicte of good workes And in diuers other places Origē sheweth himself to be of the same minde Sainct Cypriane ad Quirinum Cap. 4. In nullo gloriādum quando nostrum nihil sit We haue to bost of nothing seyng nothing is our owne Where bee then our merites Againe Cap. 42. Fidem tantum prodesse tantum nos posse quantum credimus He affirmeth that faithe onely doth profitte and that so muche as we beleue so muche we maie obtaine Wherein he agreeth with our sauiour Christe saiyng all thinges are possible to hym that beleueth Also in his booke de duplici Martyrio he writeth thus Non credit in deum qui non in eo solo collocat totius foelicitatis suae fiduciam He doothe not beleue in God whiche dooeth not place in him alone the assurance of all his felicitie In whom then doe Papistes beleue that truste in their owne merites and in creatures Sainct Hilarie agreeth in the same sentence de Trinitate lib. 2. Et cum sola fide expleri quae praecepta sunt oporteret c. Seing that these thinges whiche are commaunded must be accomplished by faithe onely that is to worshippe the father and with hym to honour the soonne and to abounde in the holy ghoste wee are inforced to extende the basenes of our speache to those thinges that are vnspeakable Also wrytyng vppon Mathewe Canone 21. he hath these wordes Nam inuiti licet confitētur quis obsecutus sit voluntati iunior scilicet filius obediens professione licet non efficiens in tempore Quia fides sola iustificat atque ideo publicani meretrices in regno coelorum erunt priores quia Ioanni crediderūt For thei confesse though it be againste their will who hath obeied the fathers wil namely the yonger sonne obedient in profession although not performing in time Because faith alone doth iustifie and therefore the Publicanes and harlattes shal be sooner in the kingdome of heauen because they beleued Ihon. c. And in the. 8. Canon hee hath this plaine conclusion Fides sola iustificat faithe alone doth iustifie Therefore wée are not alone that teache so Gregorius Nazianzenus in his Oration 22. de modestia in disceptationibus Prope te ait verbum est thesaurum hunc intellectus habet lingua hic quidem credens illa vero cōfitens quid his opibus succinctius quid dono hoc facilius Confitere christum credas eum à mortuis suscitatum esse ac saluaberis siquidem credere solum iustitia est salus autem perfecta confiteri loquendique libertatem addere scientiae The worde saieth he is neare vnto thée and this treasure thine vnderstandyng and thy tongue hath the one beleuyng the other confessing what can bee more shorte then these riches what more easie then this gifte Confesse Christ and beleue that hee is raised from death and thou shalte be saued For to beleue onely is rightousnes and perfecte saluation to confesse and to adde fréedom of speache to knowledge The same Gregorius carmine de rebus suis speaking in the person of the publicane that praied with the Pharisie Nō opera me saluabunt tua autem gratia tuaeqús misericordia mihi stillet profano quam solam miseris rex praebuisti spem peccatoribus Woorkes shall not saue me but lette thy grace and thy mercie droppe vppon mée profane
sed viua illa intelligatur fides quae per dilectionem operatur In these twoo the whole lawe and the Prophetes depēdeth although it maie bee well saied that the commaundementes of God pertaine to faithe alone if not a deade faithe bee vnderstoode but that liuely faithe whiche worketh by loue And in his treatise Octoginta trium questionum lxviij Ipsa eutem gratia quae data est per fidem nullis nostris meritis data est The same grace whiche is geuen through faith is geuen to none of our merites Also Quest. lxxvi Quapropter non sunt contrariae duorum Apostolorum sententiae Pauli Iacobi cum dicit vnus iustificari hominem per fidem sine operibus alius dicit inanem esse fidem fine operibus quia ille dicit de operibus quae fidem praecedunt iste de ijs quae fidem sequuntur vt etiam ipse Paulus multis locis ostendit Wherefore the sentences of the twoo Apostles Paule and Iames are not contrary when the one saieth that a manne is iustified by faithe without workes and the other saieth that faithe without workes is vaine because the one speaketh of woorkes goyng before faithe the other of suche as followe faithe as Paule hymself sheweth in many places And that true faithe can not bee without good woorkes he sheweth in his booke De fide operibus Capi. xxiij Inseperabilis quippe est bona vita a fide quae per dilectionem operatur Good life can not be separated from faith whiche worketh by loue Also in his booke De natura gratia Cap. xi Fateor dilectioni vestrae cum ista legerem repente laetitia perfusus sum quod dei gratiam non negaret per quam solam homo iustificari potest Hoc enim in disputationibus talium maximè detestor horreo I confesse vnto your charity that whē I reade these thynges I was sodainly filled with gladnes because he denighed not the grace of God by whiche a lone a man can bee iustified for that thyng in suche mennes disputations I dooe moste of all deteste and abhorre And in the Chapiter xvj Haec est fides ad quam praecepta compellū◠vt lex imperet fides impetret This is faith vnto whiche the commaundemētes doeth driue a man that the lawe commaūdeth and faithe obteineth Also vpon the. lxvij Psalme Sine bonorum operum meritis per fidem iustificatur impius The vngodlie man is iustified by faithe without the merites of good workes And vpon the 88. Psalme Et quia sola fides in Christum mundat nō credentes in Christum soluti sunt ab emundatione And because faithe alone in Christ doeth clense thei that beleue not in Christe are free from clensing But what should I tary longer in rehearsyng sentences of Augustine when so many bookes Epistles and Homelies of his are extante whiche wholie and purposely were composed for the same matter against the Pelagians Paulinus also a learned manne in saincte Augustines tyme in an Epistle written to Augustine Episto 58. Hath these woordes Quid enim sis ad salutem quae sola fide quaentur prodest in legis memoria et meditatione versari c. What doeth it profite them to bee conuersante in the remembraunce and meditation of the lawe towardes saluation whiche is sought by faithe alone Marcus Heremita an aūcient gréeke writer in his treatise of them that thinke they maie bee iustified by their woorkes writeth on this wise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lorde willing to shewe that euerie commaundement is of duety and that the adoption is of gifte by his owne bloode saieth When you haue doone all thinges that are commaunded you then saie you we are vnprofitable seruauntes and wée haue doone that whiche we ought to haue doone Therfore the kingdome of heauen is not the rewarde of workes but the free gifte of the Lorde prepared for faithefull seruauntes Faustus also an auncient Bishoppe in Fraunce writyng a boke de gratia meritis libero arbitrio hath these wordes Tempus gratiae in quo redempti sumus merita hominum non expectauit opera penitus non quae siuit sola deus fidei nostrae deuotione cōtentus fuit iuxta illud apostoli credidit Abraham deo reputatum est ei ad iustitiam The tyme of grace in whiche wee are redemed did not tary for the merites of men did not require woorkes at all But god was content with the onely deuotion of our faith accordyng to the saiyng of the Apostle Abraham beleued god and it was imputed to hym for rightousnes And although Claudianus Mamertus Bishoppe of Gallia Viennensis for his error concernyng Angelles in whiche he followed sainct Augustine dooeth confute hym and Ioannes Maxentius Archebishop of Constantinople for his opiniō of grace and merites in whiche he disagréeth from S. Augustine reproueth him in his answere against the Epistle of Hormisda Archbishop of Rome yet for excludyng merites from iustification no man findeth faulte with him For the same Ioannes Maxentius cōcerning the free will of man whereupon all merites are grounded hath this catholike confession Liberum autem naturale arbitrium ad nihil aliud valere credimus nisi ad discernenda tantum desiderāda carnalia siue saecularia quae non apud deum sed apud homines possunt fortasse videri gloriosa Ad ea vero quae ad vitā aeternam pertinent nec cogitare nec velle nec desiderare nec perficere posse nisi per infusionē inoperationē intrinsecus spiritus sancti We beleue that naturall free will auaileth to nothing els but onely to discerne and desire carnal or worldly thinges which may perchaūce séeme glorious before men but not before god But for those thinges that pertaine to life euerlastynge that it can neither thinke of them nor will them nor desire thē nor performe thē but by the inward infusiō working of the holy ghost And leste the iudgemente of this Ioannes should be doubted of because he wrote againste the B. of Rome This is the same Ioannes whose confession the same Hormisida sent vnto the Bishoppes of Spaine as catholike and true Albinus the schoole maister of Carolus magnus muche later in tyme but in sentence all one with him vpon the. 119. Psalme part 19. writeth in this maner Definit in nullo homini esse praesumendum nisi in sola dei pietate quae ex miserit beatos facit ex mortuis viuos He determineth that a man must presume in nothing but in the only mercie of god which of miserable maketh vs happy of deade mē aliue Another godly man of good antiquitie not so famous in name whiche of purpose he suppressed to auoide vaine glorie in all his writinges callyng hymself Idiota is neuerthelesse of the same opiniō in diuers places of his workes especially in Regulis sancti viri Quinta regula quod in illis duodecim armis nec in quocunque alio humano remedio confidas sed in