Osiander wickedly wretheth and corrupteth holy scripture this man saith that the interpretations of them bothe are not contrary Againe in the same booke of the Countes of Mansfeld thus we reade Neither is this errour of Osiander sightely to be passed ouer by the which he bindeth the benefits of Christ to certain circunstaunces to bring men thereby to desperation while the minde of man hangeth in doubt whether he be fit to receaue the benefits of Christ or no. But cleane contrarely writeth Smidelin in the booke aboue named If that Osiander saithe he or his aduersaries bicause of this contention inschole pointes only are to be counted heretikes what shall we saie I praie you of the olde fathers But howe swetely agree the semen The Ministers of Mansfeld saie that the doctrine of Osiander hath such a notable errour annexed vnto it that it forceth men to desperation Smidelin saieth it is but a light contention in schole pointes But this felowe perceauing that such manifeste and diuers heresies can in dede by no meanes be reconciled together he bringeth in the olde fathers for example as thoughe they had vsed to confute heretikes by false interpretation of holy scripture which caÌ„ neuer be proued of them Yea it is impossible that heresies may be ouerthrowen by false doctrine For as Aristotle teacheth it is impossible that of a false grounde any truthe may be coÌ„cluded Farder in this booke of Mansfeld the Ministres saie VVe ought to suspect the doctrine of Osiander bicause it is new and not heard of before in the church and we finde nothing in holy scripture that is anything like to the doctrine of Osiander Let vs nowe here what saithe Master Smidelin in his booke alleaged A childe of seuen yeares olde which had lerned but his cathechisme maye euidently perceaue that bothe these doctrines of Osiander and of the VVitenbergers disagree neuer a whit If there were in oure Germain tongue any one worde that might thouroughely expresse an impudent and shameles felowe surely it would nowe serue well the turne to tricke this doctour in his termes So impudently and so past al shame in the face of al the worlde he lieth so lowdely and boasteth so bestly that amonge them all is no difference in doctrine no variaunce in opinions but all smothe all quiet all vniforme and agreable yea and that so euidently so swetely so like pigeons they agree and coll together that a very childe of seuen yeare olde woulde be the better to see it But seing this good man slepeth so soundely in the swete concent and vniforme harmonie of his brethern that it semeth he hathe forgot all the worlde and remembreth not the prety pageants they haue plaied of late and what notes of discorde hathe fallen amoge I wil be so bolde as a litle to wake him and call him to remembraunce of the fourten Lutheran churches which all of late wrote and set forthe in print their writinges against the Confession of Andreas Osiander amonge the which the chefe are The Ministers or diuines of Wittenberge the Ministres of the younger Lordes of Vinaria the Ministres of Magdenburg The ministers of Franckford on this side of Viader The ministers of Ihon of Costrin the Marquis of the dukes of Pomerain and of the cites on the seacost of Saxony as of Lubek of Hamburg of Breme of Luneburg and diuers other Vnto all the which churches and Ministres Osiander in his booke entituled Schmeckbier awnswered paieng them home with such coine as they laide out so that nowe they are bothe on fire one against an other cursing and charging eche other with hainous and abhominable heresies He that listeth not to beleue me let him proue and trie the truthe in their bookes that are abiode in all mens handes let him serche the printers shops of Germany and he shall finde bitter contentions and greuous controuersies betwene the Lutherans and the Osiandrins Yet Smidelin winketh and noddeth still and will not see all this But if he be an vpright and plaine dealing man let him come forthe and proue in open writing that any thinge here saide in false or fained Well Smidelin goeth forthe after his fashion and laboureth against al reason to make the worlde wene That amonge the Lutherans and the Zwinglians there is no variaunce of any waight or force touching any articles of our faith of Christian religioÌ„ But against this saieng of Smidelin Luther him self directly pronounceth codemning the Swinglians in these wordes I must nedes eschew and auoide them as men condemned by their owne iudgemeÌ„t nether may I ioyne with them in any meanes nor by letters nor by writinges nor by worde nor by dede as the Lorde hathe commaunded whether he be Swenckfeldius Zwinglius or what soeuer he be called For I accompte them all a lyke as in dede they are whosoeuer beleue not that in the Supper of the Lorde the bread is his true and naturall body which as well Iudas and the wicked man doth receaue as S. Peter and all the Saintes VVhosoeuer will not beleue this let him not medle with me or in writing or in talke nor let him not looke for any communion with me For he shall but lese his labour And a litle after It shall nothing helpe the Swermers or Sacramentaries that they trifle aboute the Sacrament of the spirituall eating and drinking of the body and bloud of Christ and of the charite and vnite of Christians c. It is in vaine that they beleue in the father the Son and the holy ghoste and in Christ our Sauyour All this I saye nothing auaileth them howe truly and sincerely so euer they pronounce this faith with their false and blasphemous tongue as longe as they denie this one article or reproue it as false where Christ saith of the Sacrament Take breade and eate This is my body For this is the maner of all heretikes first to beginne but with one article and then after to denie all the rest euen as a ringe if it be ones broken or cleft it is vnprofitable and vnfite and as a bell if he be crackt or crased in any part he leseth his so wnde and is worth nought Thus farre Luther Let vs nowe on the other side here the awnswer of the Swinglians of Zuriâ—h In the third treatise of their booke made against the last Confession of Luther thus they write Luther craketh him selfe to be the prophet and Apostle of the Germans which neuer lerned of any man but all other of him that no man did any thing but Luther hath done all and whatsoeuer he hath not done hath remained vndone VVhatsoeuer he hath saide it must stand and no man so hardy to gainsaie it Iff men speake not iust as Luther doth then they are cursed and persecuted as heretikes And a litle before Luther hath forsaken god and all his honour calling vs a condemned and cursed
vnto the and we shall be turned And what necessite driueth vs to this crie and lamentation surely euen the very same which moued that Prophet so to bewaile and lament when he saieth VVo be vnto vs bicause we haue sinned For truly I thinke we germans haue sinned tentymes more greuousely then those Iewes And what was the plage of their hainous offences the prophet declareth The crowne and garland of our head is fallen of I feare me we germans shall heue the selfe same plage onles we spedely do penaunce for our wickednes It foloweth in the lamentatiō Therefore my harte is heauy and full of griefe We alas are not yet come so farre towarde penaunce that our harte hath ben heauy for our sinnes For we yet contynew in them and why spede we not to penaunce Bycause our eyes are darkned and wherefore for the hille of Sion that is the Catholike church why what is befallen it bycause it is destroyed O Mercifull god this is to to true with vs Germans For amonge vs one saythe Here is Christ an other saythe there is Christ. this man saythe Amonge the Caluinistes is the churche an other saythe Amonge the Illyricans the thirde amonge the Indifferents the fourthe amonge the Osiandrins the fifte amonge the Swenck feldians and so with the reste whereas yet it is vnpossible it should be amonge them all why so bicause it is destroied it is scattered it is vndone And howe cometh it o holy Ieremije that the holy hill of Sion the Catholike churche is so wasted and destroied Foxes haue walked in it In dede foxes that is as S. Ambrose and S. Augustin expounde it suttle crafty deceitefull stinking and lurking heretikes These foxes haue onerrunne spoiled and destroied the holy hil of Sion the Catholike church of Christ. And as soone as the light that shineth from this hill the Catholike church of whom it is saied I haue set the vp as a lighte to all nations was ones in Germany darkned and extinguished mens eyes and hartes were so blinded that with open eyes they see nothing and are so sicke that they fele no paine at all nor perceaue not howe daily the Croune falleth awaye from their heades Let him therefore pray that can praye and who so euer feareth the smarte of gods rodde let him labour to escape it and crie with the prophet Turne vs o lorde vnto the. and that he faile not also on his parte let him saie with mouthe and perfourme in dede And we will be turned But bicause that as S. Augustin teacheth repentaunce which procedeth not of faithe is vnprofitable there is no hope of true repentaunce amonge vs onles we embrace the true doctrine of Christen fayth To the entent therefore that euery common laie man may be sure and perfit of the faith and religion which he foloweth I will adde hereunto to knitte vp this our simple treatise a litle piece out of a booke that Vincētius lyrenēsis wrote aboue twelue hūdred yeares past vnder Theodosius the Emperour for the mayntenaūce and setting forth of Catholike religiō A man peraduenture maye demaunde saith he seing the Canon of holy scripture is sufficient off it selfe for all pointes what nedeth the interpretation off the Church to be added thereunto to the which question he answereth For bicause forsothe holy scripture being depe and mystical is not of all men after the like sorte expounded but the sentences thereof some man expoundeth one waie some an other that allmoste as many men so diuers expositions may be drawen thereof For the Nouatian expoundeth it one waie Sabellius an other waie Donatus Arrius Eunomius Macedonius Photinus Apollinaris Priscillianus Iouinianus Pelagius Celestius and Nestorius al founders of sundry heresies folowe eche of them their owne proper and peculiar waie of interpreting holy scripture Wherefore it behoueth that in consideration of so many crekes and by erroneous pathes the line of interpreting holy prophets and Apostles be drawē and directed according to the rule of the Catholike and ecclesiasticall exposition In the Catholike churche it selfe we must seriousely prouide that we folowe onely that which is receaued in euery place at al times of al mē for this is Catholike in dede and properly as the worde it self emporteth comprehending all vniuersally This we maie so do if we folowe vniuersalite Antiquite and Consent Vniuersalite we shall folowe if we acknowledg that faith and belefe which the whole church through out the whole worlde acknowledgeth Antiquite if we departe not from those expositions which the holy awncient fathers haue lefte vnto vs. Consent likewise if in the antiquite we cleaue vnto the determinations of all or allmoste all priestes prelats and teachers of the church What then shall the Catholike and Christian man do if any part of the churche cutte it selfe of from the communion and societe of the generall belefe What other then that he muste preferre the whole body before the deseased parte What if some newe infection plage not onely some parte but the whole church Then must he diligently cleaue vnto the Antiquite or awncient receaued faith whiche can be seduced by no guile of nouelty VVhat if two or thre men or some one cyte or countre swarue from the Antiquite and receaued doctrine Then against the rashe ignorance of a fewe he must set the awncient and vniuersall decrees of some generall Councell What if such doubtes arise that no such decree can be founde Then let him labour to seke out and confer together the saiengs of the fathers such as though in diuers times and in diuers places yet remaining in the vnite and belefe of the Catholike church haue bē approued for teachers and doctours of the same and what soeuer he shal finde that not one or two onely of them but that al with one Consent haue clerely taught oftentimes writen and continually helde this without all doubte and stagger he ought to be leue Thus farre that holy father Vincentius Lyren It were much to be wished that this good and profitable booke were soundely and truly trāslated in to the vulgar tongue and so sett in printe to be read of all men For this holy father aboue twelue hundred yeares since hath so writen of this matter that he semeth thereby to cal to the Catholike vnite and prouoke to amendement off life not only the heretikes of his time but also euen these of our time To thentent that shaking off all sinne and heresie we might liue here in peace vnite and cōcorde and obtaine hereafter the euerlasting life praising with all the sainctes our Lorde and God for euer the which his dere son our Sauiour Iesus Christ by his tēder mercie and blessed merites graunte vs. AMEN FINIS A DISCOVRS VPON THE DOCTRINE OF THE PROTESTANTS TRIED BY THE THREE FIRST FOVNDERS and fathers thereof Martin Luther Philip Melanchthon and especially Iohn Caluin oute of whose workes are gathered sundry olde heresies absurdites and contradictions by
master to rule the sterne medling not with that he hath no skill of right so when preuy rebells or open apostatas of Christen religion sowe seditious schismes and preache hereticall doctrine troubling thereby the quiet and settled consciences of true and vpright beleuers euery Christen man especially such as are of the laye and inferiour sorte ought to cleaue vnto their heades and rulers in Christ his church medling not with the determination of any point called then in controuersy but looke to be directed as they haue allwaies ben by their catholike pastours and ouerseers to whom they are commaunded by the Apostle to obey and submitte them selues truly no lesse then the souldiar to his Capitain or the passanger to his master Therefore oure Sauiour biddeth the people to beware and Take hede of false prophets nor to beleue euery spirit but trie and discern whether they be of God or no. But this lo howe maye it be Howe shal the ignorant and laye man trie false doctrine from the true It hath ben put in to mens heads of late yeares that euery man for this purpose ought to reade holy scripture and thereby to trie and discern truthe from falshood It were perhaps to be wished if it had so pleased God that as holy scripture is the true triall thereof so it were open and euident to all men that seke the triall therein but what haue lerned men iudged in times past of holy scripture Many things saieth S. Augustin are darke in scriptures and it hath so ben prouided of God to the entent that our pridemight be tamed by trauail and our knowledg not cloyed with facilite which quickely contemneth that easely hath ben lerned In like maner S. Hierom. All prophecy or interpretation of scripture contayneth the truthe in darcknes and obscurite to the entent that the scholers and lerners within may vnderstande but the rude people set without may not knowe what is saied Orels we shall cast precious stones before hogges iff we open the treasure of holy scripture to euery man Epiphanius likewise The Scripture saieth he telleth all truthe but we haue nede of good intelligēce and perceiuerance to knowe God and his word There is in the ghospell saieth Origen the letter that killeth for the destroying letter is not only in the olde Testament but also in the newe Testament to him that vnderstandeth not spiritually that which is saied Tertullian speaketh yet more vehemently hereof I am not afeared saieth he to saie that the scriptures them selues haue ben so disposed by the will of God that they mought minister matter vnto heretikes seing that I reade that heresies must be which without scripture coulde not be This is the iudgement of the lerned fathers who haue trauailed more in holy scripture then any new preacher of oure time and yet can espie no greate facilite in it but rather do complaine of the maruailous difficulte thereof And doth not S. Peter write plainly that in the epistles of S. Paule Certain thinges were very harde to be vnderstanded which the vnlerned and inconstant depraued euen as other parts of scripture to their owne destruction Doth not S. Paule write that The ghospell is vailed and couered from those that perish Are we not commaunded to serch holy scripture doth not this serching importe a diligence and difficulty more then laye men can either attend vppon or attaine vnto The Eunuchus vnderstode not the prophet vntill the Apostle had expounded it vnto him And Christ after his Ascension opened the vnderstanding off his disciples that they might vnderstand the scriptures And thincke we oure selues able to vnderstand all that we reade This then being so howe shall the laye and vnlerned man perfourme the commaundement of the ghospell bidding him To beware of false prophetes and to discern the sprits whether they be of god or no Euery secte nowe a daies chalengeth the worde of god and the right vnderstanding thereof The Catholike likewise by prescription out of memory standeth in possession thereof and will not be brought from it for all the bragges the heretike maketh Howe then shall the vnlerned man hearing bothe tales conclude with him selfe which to folowe Were it not nowe good readers much to be wished that some clere and euident doctrine were taught by what meanes and howe the holy worde of God maye rightly be vnder standed and the false prophets preachers and protestants of oure time might be auoided Truly as the sauegarde of the soule passeth all worldly interest so euery Christen hart ought aboue all thinges tender the same and with all diligence possible procure spedy remedies for the pestiferous venim off heresy which crepeth on like a cancre and corrupteth the whole estat of our saluation Hauing therefore sene and perused a certain booke of Fridericus Staphylus writen first in the Allemain tongue and after translated in to Latin wherein he first teacheth the vnlerned laye man howe to beware of false and wrong interpretation of holy scripture which is no lesse necessary then the reading off scripture it selfe secondarely detecteth certain false translations of the Bible by Luther in to his mother tongue laste of all declareth the maruailous dissension and variaunces of the Lutherans in their doctrine and chiefest articles of our faith which is a most euident argument of the sprit of dissension the diuell him selfe speaking in thē and a clere proufe of hereticall doctrine for the truthe is but one I haue thought good to translate the whole in to our mother tongue trusting in almighty God to profit hereby many a Christen soule of my dere deceined countremen which as God is my witnes was my only respect in this smal labour The first part of this booke is a very necessary lesson for the vnlerned laye man For without the true and right interpretation of holy scripture such as the church teacheth he can haue no right faith and so hazardeth his soule and euerlasting life which he ought aboue all worldly respect tender and procure For as our Sauiour saieth What auaileth it a man to winne the whole worlde and lese his soule The second parte is a good admonition for al such as are not sene in the tongues to beware of newe translations of holy scripture falsely forged for a vauntage Our english bibles sette forth these last yeares lack not such foisting in of false termes In the epistles of S. Paule as ofte as the worde Idoll is founde in the greke and latin text so ofte they turne it Image as though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in greke idolum and imago in laten or idol and image in english were all one When God saieth in holy scripture Let vs make man according to our image will these men saie that God hath an idoll according to the which man was made and howe be they not ashamed to call couetousnes worshipping of images
for shame denie partly go about to reconcile with the rest of their doctrine To the ende that hereby they may persuade the worlde that I belied thē hitherto affirming such to be their articles and charging them with dissension amonge themselues With these thre pointes by the grace of god I shal defend my simple conuersation and geue due information of my belief vsing herein a plaine and familiar stile of our vulgar tongue that the simple lay mā may also vnderstande me declaring sincerely and with all modestie the truth in all pointes without railing biting or any other vnciuill demeanour For so it becometh well meaning men to do Although my aduersaries to bring me in infamie and reproche omitte no such kinde of rethorike laieng on greate lode of lies and reproches whereby they haue cut awaie all honest meanes of reconciliation auoiding al maner of iudgement and ciuil triall Being yet frō god commaunded by Moises That all controuersies and debates should be tried by the lawfull Magistrat For this hathe alwaies ben my only desire and is yet that my aduersaries which either priuely or in open libels cease not to backbite me cōuēt me before my ordinary and lawfull magistrat and there make their complainte not making them selues the partie plaintif and defendant yea and iudges in their owne cause as against all order and lawe bothe spirituall and temporall thei haue hitherto most impudently done Truly as I haueben allwaies so am I now ready and desirous to present my self before my ordinary Magistrat and to abide the whole ordre and proces of the lawes against me For thanked be God I knowe my life and cōuersation hath ben such be it not spoken for any pride that I am not ashamed nor afeard to showe my face before any mā a liue And sure I am that if I had not laboured with the Emperours Maiestie and other Catholike princes for the maintenaūce of the Catholike religion against heretikes my life shoulde neuer haue bē touched of thē But seing that the Catholike doctrine it self praised be God can not by any good reason or coulour be impugned they laie at my person and fight against me letting the doctrine it selfe alone Vsing this argument that I against my owne conscience only for honour and riches sake defend the Catholikes whereas yet they knowe well them selues that I haue sustained the losse of some thousands of crownes and empaired much the helthe of my body in the quarell of the Catholike faith But howsoeuer the matter goeth Our Lorde knoweth who are his and he trieth the hartes of men and as Clemens Alexandrinus writeth No man is so great but God passeth him nor no mā so smal but God espieth him and he shal geue to euery man according to his desertes If I therefore do against my conscience herein wo is vnto me For only God knoweth the conscience of man But if I do vprightely herein wo is vnto you that take vpon you the secret iudgement of God Aud thus farre off my selfe inough Let vs nowe come vnto the matter OF THE TRVE AND RIGHT VNDERSTANDING OF HOLY SCRIPTVRE AS touching the first part whereas they laye to my charge that I labour to oppresse and tread vnder foot the holy ghospell and worde of God hauing before professed the same c. To this I aunswere plainely that herein they deale very vncourteously with me and do iniuriously slaunder me And I am very sure they haue not one iote to proue this their saying by But to remoue this their vaine and forged opinion with sure and vndoubted reason I would gladly knowe of them what is that they call the holy ghospell and worde of God Here if they awnswer me that the worde of God is no other thinge then the holy scripture commonly called the Bible that is the olde and newe Testament thē againe I awnswer thē they do most iniuriously slaunder me For they are neuer able to proue that euer I reiected or persecuted any one litle peace or parcell of the ghospell or of the lawe But I embrace and reuerence al the holy Bible the lawe and the ghospel and take it for no lesse thē the very worde of Gods mouth Yea and I graunte that sooner heauē and earth shal perish then any one iote of that worde Which I dare saie not only for my owne part but in the name of all Catholike Christians which hitherto euen from the Apostles time allmost these thousand six hundred yeares without any intermission haue read in churches songe alwaies in publick seruice of the Masse and taught openly in pulpits and haue also in the common breuiaries and portyses of the Romane vse comprised almost the whole corps of the Bible and that in such ordre that the priestes are bounde wekely to reade ouer the whole Psalter and yearely for lessons allmost all the ghospell and epistles and prophets as the most auncient custom practised so many hundred yeares past of the Canonicall howres the Prime the Third the Sixt the Ninth howres Euensong and Complin doth well declare which disposition and ordre of times was off the Apostles them selues as it may appeare in the Actes and other where so well and diligently appointed that to euery daye for the howres of our lordes passion psalmes lessons and ghospells do correspond with a reuerent and deuoute remēbraunce of Christes benefits whereby the church from the beginning vnto our time through out the whole worlde would testifie and teache vnto vs that all holy scripture ought to be construed and grounded on the passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ as in the true corner stone for the saluation of our soules as hereafter we shall in his due place by the scripture most plainely proue It is therefore a wonderfull slaunder that these men saye of the Catholikes That hitherto the ghospell and the worde of God hath ben bannished from the church kept in hucker mucker and at the length vnder the pope to haue ben vtterly extinguished but now is reuoked vnto light therefore those that embrace this newe ghospell to be worthely called men of the ghospell but that we which folow our swete parents and forefathers with the whole Catholike church keping and maintaining the olde Apostolicall doctrine must be called wicked papistes But here he that hath eyes to see let him open them and he that hath any regard of his saluation let him here take hede for this is that suttell deceit of these protestants and the mist wherewith they dimme the eyes of the simple people making them beleue that they only professe the worde of God And yet these newe preachers and masters knowe very well them selues the contrary as Luther him selfe in his booke against the Anabaptistes and the Zuinglians witnesseth saying that among the papistes that is in the churche of Rome the holy ghospell aud all holy scripture with al the bookes sentences wordes and prickes thereof hath remained in
more in their former snare they patche on an other dangerous deceit vsing this guile with them You must good people in dede beleue the only writen worde of god but to the expositions of the preachers ye ought so farre to beleue as their expositions agreeth with the writen worde that is that the simple and vnlerned people must iudg of their owne faith and be able to trie whether their preachers teache false or no whether their expositions agre so iust with the worde of God that they may be bolde to beleue them euen as the very worde of God Yf this be true that the poeple must nowe iudge their preachers and teachers then was S. Paule to blame describing the prouidence of Christ toward his church to saie these wordes Christ ascending on high lead captiuite captiue and gaue giftes vnto men These giftes were vndoubtedly his holy worde and to make it out of doubt what maner of giftes he meaneth it foloweth strait vppon And he hath geuen some Apostles some prophets and some Euangelistes For by these thre sortes of men by the prophets the Apostles the Euangelistes inspired of the holy ghost holy scripture was writen but bicause in the writen worde many mysteries lye hidden therefore Christ left not to his church only Prophets Apostles and Euangelistes but as it foloweth in S. Paule He gaue pastours and doctours shepeards and teachers which should fede the people with the true intelligence of the holy write and teache them the true vnderstāding of the same Now then either the Shepeardes and teachers must instructe the people and interpret holy scripture vnto thē as S. Paule prescribeth or els the people him self must take vppon him the person of a iudge ouer his shepeards and teachers as the protestants will haue it Chose here good reader whom thou list to folow Surely I must nedes obey and beleue the blessed Apostle whatsoeuer these men bable Therefore I saie againe the people ought to lerne not to teache They ought to obey those that haue charge off their soules their sheaperdes and teachers not to iudge or instruct them in matters of religion Contrary wise the pastours and teachers ougth diligently to instruct their flocke and expounde vnto them the right meaning of holy scripture that they may with the kaye off truthe binde and loose the sinnes of the people accordingly Nowe whereas in cytes Mayres and scholemasters in villages the gentlemen and in the courtes of princes the Chauncellers prescribe and appoint vnto their parish prestes and vicars the maner of interpreting holy scripture the order of ministring the sacramēts the forme of common prayer at the pleasure of euery laie magistrat and Temporall Lorde what will become of this straunge fashions the time will ones declare For nothing is so preuy but that it will ones come to light Euery wise man may easely cast what is likely to folowe when euery magistrat or secular ruler vtterly vnlerned and but of meane abilite yet do at their pleasure appoint ministres and put downe prescribing what docrine they liste to the poore people or what secte liketh them best hereof it happeneth that if the Mayre scholemaster or gentleman be a Suenckseldian then the preacher of that parish must folow onely the doctrine of Suenck feldius or if he be a Zuinglian an Osiandrin an Anabaptiste an Illyrican a Wittenberger a Maiorist or of any other secte the poore simple people must lerne the newe faith of the Maire scholemaster or gentleman and vtterly renounce his olde nor may not be so bolde as to hush to the cōtrary When this newe straunge order was first taken in hande that all spirituall Magistrates constitutions and ordonaunces should be disannulled some there were that thought it not reason that men should be forced to embrace this opinion or that but it shoulde be left free to euery man to beleue whatsoeuer the sprit moued him vnto without any let to the cōtrary So wrote Luther in his booke De Christiana libertate and in an other De capti uitate Babilonica in the which bookes he so embrued the hartes of men with the loue of licentious libertie that al Christen constitutions lawes aud decrees of the church were vtterly abolished and trode vnder foote Out of these bookes also Thomas Munzer toke occasion to make the insurrection of the commons in Germany wherein perished more then a hundred thousand off our dere countremen as Sleidan noteth in the fifte booke of his story Of this licentious doctrine off Luther also one Bernard Rotmā begā the heresy of the Anabaptistes and that by these wordes of Luther that no man could be compelled to any faith that al Christen men are free and taught of God him selfe immediatly that there nedeth no interpretation of scripture but it is al plaine and perspicuous that a simple man of the countre can more readily expounde and vnderstande holy scripture then any Doctour in diuinite But after that Luther espied this vntoward course of his doctrine and that now his owne scholers Mūtzer Rotman Carolstadius Zuinglius and diuers other bette him with his owne rodde he inuented strait a new shift or rather succoured him selfe with the olde practise of the Catholike churche as the folowers of Melanchthon and Brentius do now a daies who seing the people caryed away daily in to newe sectes by other ghospellers leauing their former new masters do call their felowes renagates and apostatas compelling them by ecclesiasticall censure and force off pretended excommunication to returne home again When Luther first began to write and set forthe bookes his scholers murmured and saied it was against the Christian liberte that Christen men might not frely reade what bookes they listed But nowe when the Lutherās them selues do swarue from their master and write one against an other they runne to the refuge of the Catholike churche and make inhibitions forbidding all such bookes as their felowes write against them to be read or solde banishing out of their townes and countres with all the power they can all such ministres and preachers as dissent from them so it is now true amonge these heretikes that Athanasius and Tertullian wrote of the olde heretikes of their time that is what they approue to daie they reproue tomorowe What they preache as the worde of God this yeare they condemne as hereticall nexte yeare wauering like the rede with the winde and framing their faith as occasion serueth Melanchthon seing that the licentious liberte planted by Luther gaue occasiō of much suaruing and departing of one from an other amonge them selues he put a newe cote vpon his religion and whereas before he acknowledged but two Sacraments Baptim and the Supper of our Lorde nowe he addeth two more Penaunce and holy Ordre Penaunce he added to bring againe in order the dissolut consciences off his brethern to set vp excommunication and to erect in
none allmost vnderstode And what meaned our Sauiour when he sayde vnto his disciples It is geuen vnto you to knowe the misteries of the kingdome of God but to the other in parables that seing they see not and hearing they vnderstande not What meaned our Lorde in these wordes Truly this that it is a speciall gifte of God to vnderstande well holy scripture and that this gifte was especially geuen vnto the Apostles and to their disciples and successours which should after thē beare their roume in Christes church Againe that it was inough for the people that as much as is necessary for saluation they might lerne of their pastours preachers and curates the exposition of holy scripture by similitudes and parables agreable to their capacite which may farther be proued by diuers places of holy scripture But I would here gladly aske of our newe Masters when they saye that the texte of scripture is sufficient that there nedeth no expositiō nor glose why write they so many cōmentaries such longe gloses vppon scripture so many bookes and that without all measure if we nede no exposition then surely all the Lutherans bookes and writings be vtterly superfluous vaine and to no purpose but only crafty snares to catche the simple and vnlerned withall But to tell you plainely what the protestāts meane by this sutle shifte to cleaue to the only writen worde surely this it is they would not haue the scripture vtterly not expoūded they meane nothing so for that in dede nothing serueth their turne but they would haue their expositions their maner of expounding to be receaued and beleued as the very worde of god But contrary wise when they haue to do with vs reiecting all interpretation of scripture they ring their olde songe in our eare The worde of god is cleare perspicuous aud plaine it nedeth no exposition it requireth no interpretatiō of the olde fathers or of the Churche wherein you see what is their impudencie and contrariete And this much haue we saide to showe that Scripture ought to be expounded that the bare text suffiseth not But here riseth now agreat question and worthy to be waighed Seing that holy scripture must be interpreted and that we see abrode many and diuers interpretations thereof and yet in one thing there can be but one truthe and as scripture it selfe is vndoubtedly true so the interpretation thereof must be vndoubted and certain whether of all these interpretations or what maner is to be accompted the right proper and vndoubted As for example No Christen man denieth but that these wordes of the last supper Take eate this is my body be the very wordes of God Christ him self And what coulde be sayde more plainely more distinctly more directly then these wordes of Christ are yet what happened Al the sectes and heresies that raign nowe adaies acknowlegde them for the wordes of God No secte denieth thē Whereupon then riseth these greate and horrible dissensions surely not whether secte hathe the worde of god but whether of them well expoundeth it And see howe diuersly these fewe wordes are expounded Zwinglius saith these wordes This is my body are as much to saie This significeth and betokeneth my body Oecolāpadius thus expoundeth them This is the signe or token of my body Carolstadius after this sorte Herein sitteth my body Swenck feldius yet after an other sorte This is my spiritual body Luther thus This is my naturall body in naturall breade The Catholikes haue allwaies thus expounded it Vnder the forme of bread it is the true boly of oure Lorde Nowe what shall here a simple and vnlerned man of the countre do hearing so diuers and contrary interpretations of so fewe wordes Truly if he will here of his owne head confer scriptures together and serch the true meaning of these wordes in scripture and the writen text he shall be as wise herein as these men aboue mentioned who all by conference of scripture you see howe swetely they agreed vpon the truthe But if there were any certainte in conference as sometimes it helpeth much yet the simple vnlerned man by common order of witt shal neuer finde it out For how can the vnlerned and ignorant iudge of that which he neuer lerned no more truly then the showemaker is able to iudge of the goldesmithes worke which he was neuer practised in And were not that showemaker to be accōpted very impudēt and vndiscret who seing two goldesmithes contending of the fines of some piece of gold or siluer would steppe in and take vpō him to determinat the matter betwene them much lesse ought the vnlerned medle with or determinat matters of Diuinite or take vpon them to expounde the meaning of the holy ghoste seing that in worldly affaires there can no waightier matter of more difficultie or of greater importaunce be taken in hande what then shal the vnlerned man do in this case If he may cleaue to no part at all then must he be of no church but make him selfe a newe secte forge him selfe a newe faith and so at length lese all faith and become a very painim whiche god forbid that euer any man should persuade the vnlerned If he cleaue to any part yet is he in greate daūger For almightie god cōmaūdeth straitly by his Apostle that we auoide the heretike Here truly the laye man ought to take good aduise For he is bounde him selfe to take hede of false prophets lest being blinde him selfe and not able to vnderstande holy scripture he suffer him selfe to be lead of a blinde guide such as the heretike is But howe can the blinde man see whether is guide be blinde or no Truly of him felfe he cā not see it vnlesse he hath lerned of suche as see wel some certain token howe to knowe it Is there then any such tokē or signe or where may a man seke it verely the mercifull prouidence of almighte God hath not failed in this point but hath left vnto the laie simple and vnlerned man a certain and vnfallible token whereby he may if he regarde his owne saluation beware of all false and heretical corruption in interpreting scripture There is no Christē man so rude or ignorant that knoweth not perfitly his Crede and can reherse it frō the beginning to the ending In the which though euery article ought diligētly to be marked and borne awaye yet in this time none more then the article where we saye Credo sanctā Catholicā Ecclesiam I beleue the holy Catholike church For in this worde Catholike is the very true token and marke to knowe the right interpretatiō of scripture by for that is called Catholike as S. Austin teacheth which euery where and at al times is and hath ben Thē this worde Chatolike attributed to the church is that which hath continued frō the Apostles time to our daies without any breache diuision or intermission For such a church did God the Father
with all this will seme to remaine in Luthers doctrine Is not this to denie God and his holy worde Is not this to begyle and mocke the Emperour Is not this to faine the papisticall religion and counter faite the Lutheran This is if any thing be to halte on bothe sides to serue God and Baal to please God and men Fiftely we condemne this proposition good workes are necessary to saluation Beside these fiue some there are as D. Pfeffinger bishop of Lipsia and his felowes that teache man to be able and sufficient to dispose him selfe to grace and make him selfe meete to receaue the holy ghost by the naturall power of his owne fre will as the same Sophistes Thomas and Scote taught For this Pfeffinger in a disputation made about two yeares past of free will rashely and boldely concludeth with these wordes A man maye by his owne naturall power assent to the ghospell apprehend the promis of Christe not withstande the holy ghoste c. Thus farre Amsdorfius Here we see this Lutheran Master condemneth six diuers sectes and schismes which all except only the Swenckfeldians do yet depend of the Confession of Augspurg and defende and embrace euen to this daie their doctrine For though some peraduenture doe wene that the Swinglians be excluded froÌ„ the Confession of Augspurg yet I finde the coÌ„trary in IhoÌ„ of lasky writing to the King of Pole and in Ihon Caluin in the which places bothe of them affirme directly that the Confession of Augspurg teacheth the very same touching the SacrameÌ„t of the aultar that Zwinglius and the Sacramentaries do Seing then these foresaide sectes so bitterly varie one with an other in the chefe pointes of our religion that eche pronounceth the other heretike truly right it is they be taken for such as they pronouÌ„ce them selues to be In the meane yese by this proces of Amsdorffius howe well and truly M. Doctour Smidelin affimeth and maketh him selfe sure that amonge the Lutherans is no dissension touching the articles of the CoÌ„fession of Augspurg Yet to make this matter more clere I wil adde hereuÌ„to some other testimonies of their owne felowe ministers if peradueÌ„ture their owne coÌ„scieÌ„ce may touch them to acknowledg the truthe Nicolaus gallus in Thesibus Hipotiposibus in the laste leafe writeth thus The altercations and contentions betwene vs Luthâ—ran preachers are not light nor of light matters but of the principall articles of Christian religion of the lawe and the ghospel of iustificatioÌ„ and good workes of the Sacraments and vse of Ceremonies so greate that they seme impossible to be brought at one For some are plaine contradictions that caÌ„ not be reconciled as That the lawe must be preached in Christ his church and must not be preached That our righteousnes is the very substance of God in vs or his operatioÌ„ actioÌ„ and omissioÌ„ within vs or the imputing of his obedience without vs. That the Bloud of Christ doth iustifie no maÌ„ and that which the Apostle saieth we are iustified in his bloud That no man hath ben saued without good workes that good workes are necessary to saluation And coÌ„trairely that good workes are not necessary to saluation or as the psalme saythe happy are they whose sinnes are forgeuen happy is the man to whom God hath not imputed sinne whiche seketh not after good workes nor can haue none to be saued by That Christ is in the Supper and is receaued there corporally vnder bread and wine bothe of the beleuers and of those whiche beleue not and againe that he is there only spiritually and is receaued only of them whiche beleue Thus farre Nicolaus Gallus who although he rehearse with no lesse stomach the contrary and repugnant heresies of the Lutherans his felowes then Amsdorffius doth yet beside he confesseth there are many more a coining and readye to come to light And no doubt but it is so for not longe sens the princes of Saxony and Countes of Mansfeld eche off them hathe sett forthe seuerally greate volumes touching this matter where they reaken vp vnleuen sundry sectes lately sprong vp condemning them all for heresies to witt The Anabaptistes The Seruetians The Antinomi The Iesuites The Osiandrins The Melanchthonistes The Maioristes The Adiaphoristes or Indifferents The Swenckfeldians The Sacramentaries Nowe where Smidelin denieth that amonge the ghospellers is no heresie no dissension in religion no variaunce in the Confession of Augspurg I woulde he tolde vs what is it that those Superintendents Amsdorfius and Nicolaus Gallus condemne in their former sentences What meaned the princes of Saxony and the Countes of Mansfeld Do not all these fore named sectes acknowledge the Confession of Augspurg and belonge thereunto The Anabaptistes in dede do not and much lesse the Iesuites But all the rest walke vnder the winge of the newe ghospel and vpholde them selues vnder the pretence of the ConfessioÌ„ of Augspurg For Lasky in Pole and Caluin in Sauoye labour continually to persuade men thrt their sacramentary doctrine is expresse in the Confession off Augspurg Here I would demaunde of Master Smidelin whether the articles coÌ„demned here and recited of the princes of Saxony the Countes of Mansfeld of Amsdorfius and Gallus and defended of those ten sectes aboue mencioned do properly appertaine to the Confession of Augspurg or no. Surely I see not what awnswer this doctour of Gopping is able to make vs for if he saie these articles touche not the doctrine of tbe Confession of Augspurg then would I desire him to take the paines for his estimation sake only to affirme the same in one printed leafe of paper against those Superintendents Amsdorffius and Gallus and against the princes and Countes aforesaide Whiche if he dare not for his life to do then must he nedes be an impudent felowe and past all shame and honesty to affirme openly that the Lutherans do all agree in the grounde and chiefe pointes of their Confession off Augspurg Here I holde this wily foxe and be he neuer so ssipper yet shall he not escape here my fingers And therefore yet we will laye hande on him more surely In the booke of the Countes of Mansfeld against the vnleuen sectes the Ministers saie in this wise The reader nede not to maruaile that Osiander to auouche his matter alleageth plenty of scripture but rather ought diligeÌ„tly to marke howe wickedly he wretheth and corrupteth the right meaning and vnderstanding of holy Scripture Thus much saie they But what nowe saith Master Smidelin hereunto In the booke he made this yeare against the longe table where he goeth about to reconcile together the Masters of Wittenberg and Osiander thus he writeth Then bothe partes proue their opinions by holy Scripture and truly with the very same sentences but not the very same interpretations allthough yet not contrary Let vs harken I praie yow howe swetely these bells agree The Ministres off MaÌ„sfeld saie that
Matrimony is but the inuention of man and these wordes of Melanchthon saieng That the rest of the Sacraments amonge the whiche matrimony is counted be but mens imaginations And see the wicked doctrine off these ghospellers calling the blessed Sacraments but mens imaginations for what saith our Sauiour of holy matrimony VVhat God hath coupled let not man separat Is this nowe the inuentioÌ„ or imagination of meÌ„ and not rather the institution and ordonnaunce of God him selfe When the ghospell of Luther first sprange vp Melanchthon wrote that only faith iustified the Sacraments indued men with no grace baptim and the Supper were only Sacramentall signes A litle after he wrote they were true Sacraments and of two he made thre and at length foure so that in the espace of fewe yeares that which he first laughed to scorne and called imaginatioÌ„s of men sodenly they proued holy SacrameÌ„ts and weighty ordonnaunces of the liuinge Lorde I entend not here to dispute of the number of Sacraments what is the Catholike doctrine and what is the heretical it is not nowe oure purpose Farder the Lutherans will not be a knowen that they haue corrupted our Crede scraping out the worde Catholike in the article I beleue the holy Catholike churche Thus I saide before of them and saie it yet againe reporting my self herein to their Confession of Augspurg where they describing their church omitte cleane the worde Catholike In the Apologie Melanchthon being accused thereof maketh a litle mencion but so that he calleth Catholike that which heretikes in corners do imagin In his common places and in his booke Examen examinandorum he bableth and pratleth to no purpose very muche of the churche but the worde Catholike he can finde in no churche In the greate and in the litle Cathechisme of Luther and in his litle booke of praiers where he reciteth the Crede and expoundeth it in euery place for the Catholike church he writeth the Christian churche And hereof it cometh that through oute all Germany where the ghospell of Luther is receaued children allwaies lerne their Crede and saie it at table euen as it is corrupted of Luther and Melanchthon Who like crafty heretikes laboured by all meanes possible that the worde Catholike might by litle and litle vtterly be forgotten And all heretikes haue euer shunned and auoided this article of our Crede I beleue the Catholike churche and that not without good cause for certayn they are if their doctrine come to examination to be bulted out by lerning that this only worde Catholike wil cutte their throtes Sithen then we see clerely and euidently by this which we haue saide that amonge the Lutherans are not only diuers and variable but pernicious and hainous hereticall schismes diuisions and opinions as out of their owne saings doings and writings we haue before declared surely it must of necessite folowe that the Lutherans be and remaine pernicious and detestable heretikes For doctour Smidelin him selfe and all heretikes do confesse this that whereas in the doctrine of faith that is in the principall articles of faithe are hereticall dissensions and schismes that then the teachers and setters forthe of such haeretiâ—all schismes must nedes be heretikes them selues But no man can nowe denie that the Lutheran preachers do sette forthe vpholde and defende hereticall schismes Wherefore it foloweth that these Lutherans ghospellers protestants or howsoeuer they call them selues be pernicious heretikes and for such are to be taken and auoided of al Christendom And truly there is no better meanes to reduce heretikes to the right and common highe waye of the Catholike church then to put before their eyes their hainous and hereticall dissensions wherein they haue runne a straie one this waie an other that way but all out of the waie of the Catholike and ChristeÌ„ belefe Or if heretikes will be obstinat allwaies and continewe wilfully in their errour and presumed opinioÌ„s the readiest waie to bring them to nought is to beseche god to suffer them to continew in the sprit of dissension that being seuered into diuers parcels and scattered into sundry schismes they maie the sooner perish and vanish awaie euen as the builders of the tower of Babell and all heretikes yet hitherto For the only destruction of all heresies hath ben their mutuall dissension and schismes This Luther him selfe testifieth writing thus vppon the fift psalme Euery kingdome diuided within it selfe shall be desolated for heretikes were neuer ouercomed by force or by art but only by their owne altercatioÌ„s and dissensioÌ„s Nether Christ by any other meanes ouerthroweth heresies then by suffering them to fall in to the sprit of dissension and variaunce as the Sichimites and buylders of Babell in the olde lawe and the Arrians Pelagians and Donatistes in the newe lawe The Iewes also were destroied only by discorde amonge them selues For as Hilarius writeth The warre of heretikes is the peace of the church Bicause by their contentions they perish euen bodyly not only in their soules Thus farre Luther And truly so it fareth when one heresie is ones spronge vp and that diuers Masters professe it straite vpoÌ„ many schismes and factioÌ„s arise Marcion that archeheretike brought forth many absurde opinions which ones being scattered in to the wild braines of his scholers his heresie incontinently began to breake in to sondry partes so that of him proceded Appelliani Seueriani and Manichei Again of the Manichei grewe the Priscillianistae Encratitae and diuers other all horrible heretikes and yet allmost in all countres suffred Epiphanius in the third booke confuting the Hemiarite and Arrians writeth of the Arrians thus For we saie the armie of the Arrians is diuided into thre bandes so that Eudoxius Germanus George of Alexandria Euzoius of Antioche be departed in to the first bande cutting them selues of from their felowes In to the seconde bande Basill not the doctour of the churche Eleusius Eustachius Georgius of Laodicea Syluanus of Tarsus and Macedonius of Constantinople haue straied In the third companye as I sayde before is Acacius Meletius and Eutychius All their doings be vaine and wicked For that as ony one taught the other would not receaue but with mutuall hatred and malice they dissent and disagree eche from the other Thus farre Epiphanius Who listeth more at large to see the schismes and diuisioÌ„s of these and of other heretikes he maye reade Eusebius and other ecclesiasticall stories S. Augustin maketh mencion off dissension of the Donatistes obiecting vnto them that Donatus his secte was distracted into son dry schismes For thus he writeth in his first booke â–ª De Baptismo contra Donatistas Cap. 6. This part of Donatus is cutte in to many smal pieces al which parcels repreheÌ„d very much this great portion where Primianus ruleth for approuing the baptim of the Maximinianiste â–ª and eche of all those parcels do stoutely affirme that the right and true baptim is only among them
lorde Iudas Iscariot receaued the true body of Christ. So writeth Swenck feldius in a litle booke entituled of this very matter and Caluin in his laste admonition against VVestphalus and other where The Neutres Sacramentaries which teache that nether one kinde nor bothe kindes are necessary but that only faithe suffiseth Againe that if the Councell should determinat that all should communicat vnder bothe kindes then contrairely the laye men ought other communicat vnder one kinde or vtterly refuse bothe they are the wordes off Luther in his booke de formula Missae ant it is the common practise of all Lutherans where by it happeneth that some not in ten yeares come to the communion some neuer at all Iconoclastae Imagebreakers which caste out of the church the images of Christ and all sainctes putting vp in their places their owne pictures and their wiues maruailous finely and amorousely painted as in times paste Simon Magus and his bawde Helena did as Nicephorus witnesseth Our ghospelling protestaÌ„ts practise it daily The examples testifie The third vncleane sprit or tode son of the false prophet Luther is Melanchthon father of the Confessionistes in the yeare 1530. off these there are thre contrary sectes and factions Some are roughe and zelous LutheraÌ„s which without choise or exception defend all the doctrine of Luther be it neuer so absurde taking all that Luther hath writen filthy or carren as it is for the holy and pure ghospell of God Nexte are the softe gentle Ciuill and moderat Lutherans which haue departed in many pointes from the doctrine of Luther And faining as if they woulde ioyne nearer to the Catholikes by making their Interim that is a delaye vntel a Councel come haue yet falleÌ„ froÌ„ errour to errour the later contrary to the first as sometime of Maniches becoming Pelagians The third sorte of these Confessionistes we may cal ExtrauagaÌ„ts and vnruly Lutherans which although they pretend to be Confessionistes for bicause off the authorite of â—uch Princes as haue subscribed to the Confession yet in dede they runne and roue farder from the doctrine of Luther then the common sorte of Lutherans do But nowe first of the zelous and rough Lutherans Antinomi lawles Lutherans which so extoll the ghospell that they affirme the lawe of god to be vtterly vnprofitable and nether before iustification nor after necessary That men of the ghospell are not bouÌ„de to the good workes of Gods lawe So Luther taught in the beginning and of him lerned Ioannes Agricola as he writeth in his annotations vpon S. Ihon. And Luther in his Antinomicall disputations Samo satenici or newe Arrians which denie that this terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worde in S. Ihon signifieth a person of the blessed Trinite The vniuersite of Wittenberg witnesseth that Mathias Illyricus is of that opinion In a litle towne or village of Silesia called Zary there is an other Mathias Minister off that village which vtterly denieth that there is any Trinite In Czeshau a towne of Boheman other Minister with like madnes inueighed against the blessed Trinite preaching in the hilles called Guttni and diuers other in other places Yea they are come to this fury and madnes that they call the Blessed Trinite the thre headed Helhounde Cerberus some other denie there is one God and affirme there are three Gods So a certayn Minister preached openly in Prussia Infernales Hellmasters which denie hell and that Christ descended in to hell affirming that euery maÌ„s graue is called in hebrew hell Therefore where our Crede saith that Christ desceÌ„ded in to hell they saie it must be ment of his graue This is a common doctrine in the seacost townes of Germany as at Breme at Hamburg at Lubek and such other places It semeth also to be the opinion of Brentius Reade his greate Catechisme Infernales of an other sorte helltormenters are which affirme that Christ not onely desceÌ„ded in to hell but also suffred the eternall torments and paines of hell So teacheth Nicolaus Gallus at Regenspurg in his printed Catechisme and Iames Smidelin preacher of Gopping and Caluin in his Institutions Antidaemoniaci which denie there is any deuil or euill sprits or any witchecrafte or enchauntments wrought by the deuills So teache the Dauigeorgians and Andreas Osiander Amsdorffiani which teache that good workes are pernicious for man to saluation So writeth Nicolaus Amsdorffius in his litle booke entituled That this proposition is true Good workes are pernicious to saluatioÌ„ So the scholers of Flaccius and many preachers of Saxony do teache and write Antadiaphoristae which admitte no auncient cerinonies in the church nor no iurisdiction of bishops so write the Illyricans and the Flaccians in many bookes sette forthe against the Adiaphoristes off wittenberg Antosiandrini or Osiandromastiges which denie that man is iustified with that iustice whereby God is essentially iuste teaching that he is iustified by imputing of righteousnes that is as Illyricus doth glose he is called iuste in worde onely he is not so in dede Fourten Lutheran churches haue writen against Osiander but eche of them bringeth a peculiar definition of iustice and contrary to his felowes Sethe writing of Ioannes Functius de origine Osiandrinae litis contra Staphylum Antiswenck feldiani which teache that by the externall preaching only or vocall ministery we attayne to the Christen faith Illyricus in diuers writings set forthe against Swenck feldius Anticaluiniani which although they do well affirme the reall presence of Christes body in the Sacrament yet they do falsely and wickedly denie traÌ„ssubstantiation and adoratioÌ„ Again they falsely holde that the Sacrament consisteth onely in the vse off it Ioachimus VVestphalus in his awnswer against Caluin and diuers other Manus impositorij which will haue that the layeng on of handes of laye men is a Sacrament This secte swarmeth in Saxony in Pomerania and in the seacost townes Se Illyricus against Iustus Menius Bisacramentales which admitte only two Sacramentes so teache Caluin and the Flaccians Sacerdotales which teache that men and women and all laie persons may preache the worde of God in the churche maie minister the Sacraments maye binde and lose For all men are equally priestes that holy order is but a tale and imaginatioÌ„ of men This is the doctrine of Luther in his booke De captitutate Babylonica and of Illyricus in his Apologie againste Iustus Mentus Inuisibiles which teache that no churche is visible bicause onely God knoweth who are his So Luther and Melanchthon taught in the beginninge as it appeareth in the Apology off the Confession of Augspurg but allthough they afterwarde secretly recanted this errour yet neuertheles the Illyricans the Swenck feldians the Osiandrins and the Anabaptistes kepe it still The Seconde Secte of the Confessionistes in the which are as we saide before the softe Philosophers and Masters of Wittenberg which will be counted moderat meke and more ciuil then the reste for the moste parte of these
owne Liege and Souuerain Therefore it should at that time diligently ben prouided that men folowed not this seditious and false high waie of Luther which no subiect can treade without his princes leaue Especially perceauing that this highe waie of Luther hath euer an vnhappy and miserable ende repugning manifestly to the worde of God all writen lawe and Luthers owne doctrine Demosthenes the lerned and eloquent oratour saith wise men deliberat before the facte and fooles after the facte For as Liuy writeth the euent teacheth fooles And we Germans vse to saie the Italian taketh aduise before he begin the french man when he is a doing and the German when he hath done Which although it hath hindered much our countre in diuers affaires yet this is in vs no voluntary negligence but a naturall infirmite For Hesiodus the poet noteth thre sorts of men to be on the earthe saieng VVho knoweth all him selfe is the best man aliue He is the nexte that counsell can vse But he is the worste that woteth not to thriue And yet of an other doth counsell refuse Seing then we Germans are not so quicke of iudgement which peraduenture procedeth of our colde countre as the Italian is to foresee what is to be done yet we maye nowe by this lamentable calamite that we see hath befallen vs and the present greate waste of our deare countre lerne and remembre howe within this fourty yeares it flourished and prospered in al respects before this German prophet and fifte euangelist Luther ranne out of his cloister And although our dutie had ben at that time to haue remembred that saieng of our Lorde Beware of false prophets and the wordes of S. Ihon. Trie the spirits whether they be of God and so to deliberat before the facte yet seing we haue forslowen that let vs at the leste after the smarte be wise and haue recourse nowe at laste to that cōmaundement of almighty God where he commaundeth the simple people to warde them selues from false prophets and teachers For this question being in holy writ propounded Howe shall I vnderstande the worde that oure Lorde hathe spoken God awnswereth and saithe This token I will geue the to vnderstāde it That which the prophet hath foresaied in the name of the Lorde and cometh not to passe that worde the Lorde spake not but the prophet of his owne vaine fantasie forged it If we drawe the line of Luthers prophecye to this rule we shall euidently see that he is not onely a false prophet but also as his greate grande father Satan is a cruell murderer Is it not a greate pride and rashe arrogancy of Luther to prophecye and write that the god of the Catholikes whō he calleth papistes wil not heare their praiers for the deliuraūce of the Duke by what reuelation had he this Againe that no man liuing shoud be able or so bolde as to restore him in to liberte Againe that those his princes the Duke of Saxony and the Lantgraue should not be bound with those fetters which the coyne brought from base Germany pretended Farder that the warre thē ensuing should haue a prosperous successe Laste of all that S. Brigids prophecy was false and his true saieng that the See of Rome and estat of the Pope should then vtterly perish and neuer rise vp againe All these thinges did Luther prophecye in the booke aboue mencioned And did the euent proue all this Not one iote But in euery point it hathe proued cleane contrary Then this worde of Luther was not the worde off the Lorde as Moyses teacheth but it was the worde of the deuill in the person of Luther Againe that Luther hath ben a very murderer of men and a stronge thefe in Gods churche it is euident hereby that his doctrine and vaine prophecyes setting together the princes by the eares hath ben the onely cause of all seditions warre and bloudshed that within this fourty yeares haue happened in Germany The first booke that Luther made to spoyle and ransacke the churche was his booke De Captiuitate Babylonica Christiana libertate In the whiche booke he so debaseth reuileth and bringeth in contempt not onely the awncient true and Catholike religion of Christ his churche but also the lawes bothe Canon and Ciuill that it maye seme he lacked but a head and capitaine to make a perfit sedition But whereas at that time there was yet amonge men more feare of God and reuerence to their magistrats thē that they would be moued with Luthers light talke fewe were founde to helpe blowe the fire which he had kindled vntell at the length Luther him selfe moued peraduenture more hotely with the sprit ronge the alarum him selfe in the yeare 1523. setting forthe a booke entituled De saeculari potestate in a parte whereoff he writeth these wordes These are our Christen princes which defende the faith and deuoure the Turke In dede worthy men and such as you maie truste that by their greate wisedome they are likely to do some what as to breake their owne neckes first and then leade whole countres and peoples to breake necke after These blinde princes I would well aduise to be ware onely of one small sentence of the 166. psalme whiche is this He pooreth oute contempt vppon Princes I swere vnto you by God that if through your negligence this poore sentence ones take holde on you you are vndone were you as mighty and of as greate power as the Turke himselfe Nether will your storming any thinge profit you The matter is nowe all ready well begonne For fewe princes are nowe that are not counted for villaines and fooles and that bicause they showe themselues for such and the people beginneth nowe to wexe wise and the plage of princes which god calleth contēpt encreaseth daily in the peoples hartes and I feare me it will not be staied onles princes behaue themselues as it becometh them and begin againe to rule more modestly For men ne will ne can lenger abyde your tiranny O wellbeloued Princes and Lordes Therefore prouide for yourselues God wil not suffre this your tiranny any more the worlde is not no we as it was in times paste when you were wonte to hunte and chase men like bestes awaie therefore with your pride power and haugtynes and labour to do that is right and good suffer the worde of God to haue his course which yet it must haue and shall haue and you shall not be able to let it If we teach heresie let it be confuted by the worde of God If you will trie the matter with the sworde take hede leste some man cōmaunde you to put vp your sworde not in Gods name But you wil saie peraduenture If amonge the Christians there ought to be no secular sworde nor Ciuill gouuernement howe then shall men be kepte in order howe shall they be gouuerned For amonge Christen mē must be magistrats and officers
most trusty witnes by the verdit of Iohn Caluin whose iudgemeÌ„t you will not I suppose discredit of antiquite in the doctrine of the churche come and affirme as muche Who writing to Paulinus of praieng for the dead saieth Allbeit it were not read in the olde scriptures yet the authorite off the vniuersall church is not small which in this custome is euident VVhere in the praier of the priestes which are offred to our Lorde God at his aultar the commendation of the dead hath his place Io here S. Augustin calleth it a custome of the vniuersail churche to praie for the dead at the aultar of God And vninersall is that by the meaning of S. Augustin which euery where and at all times is and hath ben which in all places euen from the Apostles them selues hath ben obserued Epiphanius also coufuting Aerius affirmeth it to be a tradition of the Apostles to pray for the dead Thus much then of the first parte of your first reason M. Grindall that we haue no commaundement in Scripture to praie for the dead but the place of the Machabees Nowe Sir as touching the second parte that you saie the same place of the Machabees is not in the Canon of the Scriptures I maruail not much hereat considering of what race youre doctrine procedeth For as you haue lerned of the olde heretike Aerius condemned aboue twelue hundred yeares past to disproue praier for the dead so haue you lerned off a numbre of olde heretikes to denie for scripture suche places as ouerthrow your heresy For euen so did the Marcionistes allowe but 9. of S. Paules epistles whereas the church alloweth 14. So did the Manichees take awaie the first chapter of S. Mathewes ghospell and reiected allmost all the olde Testament as S. Augustin witnesseth So the Arrians disallowed the epistle of S. Paul to the hebrewes as Theodoret recordeth in the prohem of his commentary vpon that epistle So Aetius also denied much of the olde Testament as Epiphanius mencioneth of him Briefly it was the manner of all heretikes so to do as Tertullian in his prescriptioÌ„s noteth Therefore as I saied I maruail the lesse at your demeanour herein considering that it is no new thing for an heretike to denie scripture it self wheÌ„ al other shiftes faile What theÌ„ M. Grindal Must we proue vnto you that the bookes of the Maechabees are in the canoÌ„ of the Scriptures O the blessed daies of our time wherein not only al the articles almost of our belefe but the Scriptures theÌ„ selues also are called in coÌ„trouersy and that of such meÌ„ as beare the persoÌ„s of Prelats and rulers in Christes church What authorites theÌ„ may be sufficient to proue that those bookes are of the CanoÌ„ You bring against vs S. HieroÌ„ you tel vs he saieth that these bookes of Machabees be not sufficieÌ„t of them selues to establish any doctrines in the church of God You quote vs his preface vpoÌ„ the boo kes of Salomon Sir if you reade the place againe and marke it wel you shal finde that he saieth this of the Prouerbes of SalomoÌ„ and of the Ecclesiastes not of the Machabees though in dede he saie in that place that they are not of the Canon And this saying of S. HieroÌ„ in that place I may wel expouÌ„d by his wordes in an other place In his preface vpoÌ„ these bookes of the Machabees he saieth expressely that they are not in the CanoÌ„ of the Iewes but of the church of Christ they are receiued inter diuina volumina amoÌ„g Gods bookes But what if S. HieroÌ„ do not acknowledg them for Canonicall scripture What if in reakoning off the Canonicall Scripture he folow the Hebrewes and Iosephus especially as lerned men haue noted of him What if in his time they were not with full authorite receiued The whole corps off scripture was not you know at one push approued It was longe doubted of the epistle to the Hebrewes off the second epistle of S Peter of S. Iohns Reuelation and yet afterward without doubte and controuersy they were in all Christendom receiued and reuerenced for holy Scripture Shall it nowe be lawfull for euery heretike to condemne such parcells of holy Scripture as haue ben so many hundred yeares of all Christendom vniformely receiued bicause they were ones doubted of It is not sitting for the wisedome of a Prelat it staÌ„deth not with the Charite of a Christen maÌ„ to renew suche doubtes and to make a schisme in the church of God vpon priuat presumption and affectioÌ„ But to matche the authorite of S. Hierom whom only you alleage and to knitt vp this matter shortly you shall see what we can saie for the bookes of the Machabees The 85. canons of the Apostles allowed for such by the generall Councell helde at Constantinople in Tâ—ullo in reakoning vp the bookes of Canonicall scripture recite the thre bookes of the Machabees amonge them The third Councell of Carthage helde not longe after the time that S. Hierom liued reakoneth them vp also for Canonicall Scripture Isidorus declareth also that in his time they were vndoubtedly approued for holy Scripture S. Augustin is most clere in this point for not onely in his bookes de doctrina Christiana where of sette purpose he reakoneth the whole corps of the olde and new Testament he placeth these bookes of the Machabees amonge them but also in his bookes de ciuitate dei he doth constantly affirme that they are approued of the Church for holy Scripture And beholde a most clere testimony of S. Augustins iudgement herein A sorte of Donatistes called Circuncelliones murdered and sâ—ewe them selues commonly being persecuted for their heresy of the Catholikes they defended this their diuelish fury and rage with the example of Razias who slew him selfe as in the Machabees it appeareth They builded vpon this fact of Razias as vpon an example of holy Scripture What aunswered them here S. Augustin It had ben truly a ready answer for him to saye those bookes are not of the Canon off holy Scripture and therefore the example of him can nothing helpe you if he had so thought in dede off these bookes But S. Augustin denieth them not to be of the Canon as you do M. Grindall for the maintenaunce of your heresy though it had ben much then for his vauntage and might soone so haue stopped the heretikes mouth if he had thought it the duty of a Catholike bishop to flit from scripture when vauntage serued His obedience to the Church off God his lerning and vertu taught him to cleaue vnto the Church in determining holy Scripture and to seke other meanes to awnswer heretikes Therefore notwithstanding the facte of Razias who semeth in that booke to be commended for killing him selfe he acknowledgeth the bookes for Canonicall Scriptures and teacheth vs also how such examples in holy Scripture are to be read These are his wordes Landatus est itaque iste Razias
amator ciuitatis vt valde bene audiens c I stam vero eius mortem mirabiliorem quā quā prudentiorem narrauit quemadmodum facta esset non tanquam facienda esset scriptura laudauit Nostrum est autem sicut Apostolus admonet omnia probare quod bonum est tenere Et hanc quidem scripturam que appellatur Machabaeorum non habent Iudaei sicut legem Prophetas psalmos sed recepta est ab Ecclesia non inutiliter si sobrie legatur vel audiatur that is Razias therefore was praised as one that tendred the cyte and a man of a very good name c. But his deathe more straunge and wonderfull then wise and discret is declared of the scripture howe it was done not commended as if it ought so to be done But it is our parte as the Apostle teacheth vs to proue and trie all thinges and to holde that good is And this Scripture which is called the Machabees the Iewes in dede receiue not as the lawe the prophets and the psalmes But it is receaued of the church not vnprofitably if it be read and heard with discretion Thus farre S. Augustin In whose Wordes you see M. Grindall that not only he acknowledgeth the bookes off the Machabees for Scripture and that receiued off the Church but also he telleth vs how Razias is commended in these bookes not as you obiect in your Sermon bicause he killed him selfe but bicause he was amator ciuitatis c. Howe thinke you shall we condemne the bookes of the Iudges bicause we reade there of Sampson that he killed him selfe or the Genesis bicause we reade there of Lot that he laie with his daughters and off Iudas that he compained as he thought with a hoore by the high waie shall we not rather reuerence the holy Scripture and saie with S. Augustin that Scripture declareth these thinges howe they were done not commending them as if they ought to be done As for your other sory shift where you gesse that the place of the Machabees commēding praier for the dead hath ben put to the text by some addition of late yeares bicause you saie certain of the oldest copies in greke haue no mention thereof I answer to charge the Church withe any such addition hauing no proufe thereof as yet you bringe none is the maner of olde heretikes the Manichees by name who saied also the genealogie in S. Matthew was added to his ghospell by some they knew not who And as for greke copies that lacke that place of praieng for the dead if you haue sene any such M. Grindall you may rather thinke they are corrupted of some olde or new Aerians heretikes as you haue heard in that point then to doubte of the common receiued text of holy Scripture els what heresy is there that may not escape by this shift if it may be lawfull vpon variete off copies which may rise of sundry causes as well the printed as the writen to call in doubt the authorite of holy scripture which ought without all doubt being ones vniuersally authorised assuredly and constantly be beleued and folowed And thus much to the reasons and arguments brought against the bookes of Machabees You go forthe M. Grindall and you saie Secondarely we haue no example in the Canonicall Scripture of any inuocation for the dead What then M. Grindall if that were true as we haue proued it already false will you therefore condemne the practise of the vniuersall Church which is clere and euident in this point What example in Canonicall scripture haue you off celebrating the Sonday holy daie Will you therefore driue men to their craftes that daie with the Sabbataries a secte of the Anabaptistes of oure time what example of Canonicall scripture haue you of inuocation of the holy Ghost Will you therefore as that protestant Minister of Morauia preached rather be a papist then beleue in the holy Ghoste What example haue you in Canonicall Scripture of baptising infants before the yeares of discretion Will you therefore with the Anabaptistes baptise no children hereafter in the Realme and call vs all to the fonte againe And did not thinke you the Anabaptiste laugh in his sleue when he heard you make youre reasons in pulpit vpon lacke of example of Canonicall scripture Especially when you concluded afterward so stoutely and solemnely For most certain it is if praier for the dead had ben so necessarie as many now adaies woulde haue it seme it had not lacked all authorite and example of the Canonicall Scriptures as it doth Surely M. Grindal you can neuer speake better worde for heretikes then graunting them this your proposition that without example and authorite of Canonicall scripture nothing is to be admitted And yet this one sentence is the grounde and foundation of all your newe doctrine For why May not the Anabaptiste saie vnto you iff yow hadde him in consistory before you Most certain it is my L. if baptising of infants and babes were so necessary as you would haue it seme it had not lacked all authorite and example of the Canonicall Scriptures as it doth And could you then repell him for so saying seing you preache it in pulpit and make it your strongest argument to ouerthrow praier for the dead Againe might not Nestorius haue tolde Cyrillus and all the fathers of the Ephesin Councell We haue no example in the Canonicall scripture that Our Lady is called the Mother of God And certain it is if it were so necessary a matter to haue her so called and beleued for such as you will haue it seme pronouncing me an heretike for denying it and assembling your selues so from al partes of the worlde for approuing and defending it it had not lacked all authorite and example of Canonicall Scriptures as it dothe might he not I saie thus haue tolde them as you M. Grindall do tell vs if that argument had ben thought worth the telling Might not Arrius haue quarelled in like maner with the fathers of the Nicen Councel for the wordes Consubstantiall and ingenitus might not Heluidius haue vsed the like againste S. Hierom for the perpetuall virginite of our Lady and Nouatus with S. Cyprian for reconciling of such as had abiured Christ For none of al these had any authorite or exāple in the Canonical Scriptures And yet M. Grin dall the Anabaptistes the Nestorians the Arrians the Nouatians the Heluidians be all condēned heretikes euen by your owne iudgement I doubt not though the Catholike doctrine in confuting of al those heresies lacke all authorite and example of the Canonicall Scriptures Where is then nowe become your argument against vs for lacke of Scripture supposing it were true we did so lacke Where is nowe that stoute and great assertion Most certain it is cae But to ouerthrow with one worde this forte and shooteancker of all your pretended religion tell vs I praie yow if without authorite and
from the Zuinglians and as the Illyricans do now from the Melanchthonistes For the first bothe allowed the real presence in the Sacrament as Luther did and vsed also many olde ceremonies of Christ his church as the Melanchthonistes and the ciuil Lutherans do yet in Wittenberg in Misnia in Franconia at Norimberg at Vlmes where passing by of late we sawe in the churche the holy Roode and aultars of stone yet standing in the Dukedom of Wirtenberg at Breslaw at Briga in Silesia and in many other places The last and present order off communion denieth the reall presence as Zuinglius and Caluin do and reiecteth the ceremonies of the Masse as the Zuingliās and Caluinistes do in the fiue Cantons of Suitzerland Basil Zurich Berna Schafusa and Clarona at Geneua in Sauoye in Scotland and emong the seditious rebelles in Fraunce Now Luther in his litle confession De caena Domini condemneth Zuinglius and his cōplices for heretikes So do Nicolaus Amsdorfius in the booke aboue alleaged and Nicolaus Gallus in his booke intituled Theses hypotyposes etc. Likewise Melanchthon condēneth Illyricus and his felowes as in diuers writings of Illyricus it is to be sene By the iudgement then of Luther of Melanchthon and of all the ciuill Lutherans yea and by the iudgement of all the ghospellers in Kinge Edwardes time and of the stinking martirs of that age our communion now practised in England is hereticall and against the pure doctrine fo the ghospel It were ouer long to recite here all the variaunces in doctrine amonge our protestants I remitt you to the daily experience which you may see better at home then we which are abrode And thus much of the argument of this booke What remaineth then for our part to do but as S. Paule commaundeth vs that we be Solliciti seruare vnitatem spiritus in vinculo pacis that is carefull and diligent to kepe vnite off minde in the bonde off peace being one body and one minde as we be called in to one hope and vocation For there is but one lorde one faith one baptim one God and father of all that we hence forth be no more children wauering and caried aboute with euery winde of doctrine by the wilynes of men and craftines laying waite to deceaue vs. It is truly a world to see what labour and toile what posting and running what paines and charges men sustaine for their right in temporall traihe in worldly commodites and present pleasures which we haue renounced in our baptim which with care being gotten with sorow is kept and yet soone loste and how colde negligent and careles we are aboute the true and sincere worshipping of God which we haue promised and professed in our baptim and which only hath his sure certain and euerlasting rewarde We spare no labour no coste no trauail for the one we moue not a foote nor will not departe from a peny for the other but nodding and sleping in wilfull ignoraunce fuffer our selues to be lead by the noses with euery tinkard and cobler prating in pulpets and planting poisonnous doctrine If rebells arise ageinst their Prince they are with all spede possible and force brought downe again Well and worthely And shall we winke at the rebelles of Christes holy worde and his church The thefe that robbeth and pilleth our temporall riches is hanged and worthely and will we not labour to espie oute and auoy de heresies which bereue vs of the treasure of eternall life If we be thus recheles and careles for our saluation we perish worthely and the plage of god ligh teth vppon vs for our deserts if we will not wittingly be deceiued but haue a care of our soule helth and think vppon the life to come let vs in this perilous ti mes of schismes and abundāce off iniquite harken to such as can teache vs to discerne the true and right in terpretation of gods worde from the peruerted persuasions of heretikes let vs beware of such guides in matters of conscience as stick not to corrupt the ve ry text of gods worde against all honesty and conscience Let vs behold for the better assurance of our Catholike faith which is but one the horrible schismes of the Lutherās Sacramētaries Anabaptistes Cōfessionistes and other amonge them selues all the which are here liuely and expressely sette forth by Fridericus Staphylus and we shall I trust gladly kepe our selues vnder the wing of our mother the Catholike church and geue no more eare to euery new forged fantasie of seditious schismatikes As touching the Author of this booke Fridericus Staphylus in his life time for within these fewe moneths he departed the worlde to the great grief of all good men he was a vertuous lerned and wise Noble mā His vertu wel appereth not only in the feruēt zele of gods worde and the truthe for the setting forth of the which he toke such trade of life as bothe empaired much the helth of his body and procured also greatiosse of his substaunce as he writeth in the first part of this worke but also in the great patience and modesty that he vsed alwaies against his aduersaries writing pasquils libels and famous epigrams against him calling him Iudas runneagat traitour and so forth as the modesty of this new ghospel vseth bycause he forsoke their abhominable heresies after a thourough knowledge of them and detected their iuggling deceites to al the worlde as especially he doth in this worke folowing And this only were they able to obiect against him which declareth well the innocēcy and vprightnes of his life For as herein they spared no kinde of rethorike to exaggerat his departing from them which was a singular grace of God and most in him to be commended so if they had had better matter it should not haue lacked the telling on their part Smidelinus one that of all other to his perpetuall shame and ignominy toke vppon him to encounter with Staphylus labouring to fasten vppon him some great blow of reproche and shame at the lēghth for lacke of better aduauntage entuiteth him his naturall behauiour that he vsed commonly to loke downe to the grounde as he walcked thinking he had thereby raught him a great rappe Which how light a philip it is euery wise man seeth And that gre at ghospeller and doctour of Gopping had forgotte it was writen of our Sauiour that Non secundum visionem oculorum iudicabit He shall not iudge according to the eye sight Truly it is no small argument of his innocency that his most aduersary could laie no greuouser matter vnto him His lerning well appeareth in this and other his workes as in his Absolut apology his epistles and orations against Melanchthon Flaccus and other where he showeth him selfe no lesse lerned Diuin then eloquent oratour and expert of the tongues But of his education in lerning and prospering in the same of what estimation also he was amonge the protestants them selues yow shall vnderstand
Wittenberg the newe Lutheran Papacye Holy order he added to the entent that the Masters of Wittenberg sending abrode their preachers might binde them with an othe to preache and teache no otherwise then they had lerned of their masters as the tenour of the othe set forthe in the Ordonnaunce of the vniuersite of Wittenberg declareth Although therefore the Lutheran protestants raile and inueigh without measure against the Pope bicause vnder him doctours and other be sworne to the obedience of the Catholike church and vniforme consent of doctrine in the same yet they them selues swere and charge by othe against all reason their scholers for the mainteaunce and vpholding of their heresies and abhominable doctrine Notwithstanding these Masters of Wittenberge could not obtaine their purpose Amsdorfius and Illyricus two great masters of Luthers schole woulde neuer agree vnto them but prouoked to the former writings of Melanchthon and Luther wherein they plainely teache that all laye people men and women are priestes may minister the sacraments may baptise expounde holy scripture teache and preache This Illyricus lately wrote against Menius who had obiected him the saying of the prophet that he ranne being not sent that is that he toke vppō him the highe vocation of a bishop that he interpreted scripture after his owne pleasure corrected his brethen cōdemned them of heresie ruled the churche not in one place only but through out the whole state of Lutherans whereas yet Melanchthon and the masters off Wittenberg neuer permitted him but had decreed against him finally that he was neuer called to the ministery like a Lutheran nor neuer ordained priest as a Catholike but from teaching of a grammer schole had taken vppon him the authorite of a bishop Thus in this bely fest kingdome of Lutherans you may see howe soone visards be chaunged and howe easie a matter it is to come a lofte For when Menius and Maior two great masters of the Lutheran ghospellers obiect vnto Illyricus that he was neuer called to the ministery neuer appointed to the worde nor sent to preache and therefore he should be ashamed to plaie the bishop in the churche of Luther and to cōdemne all other Superintendts and Ministers that would not agree to his propre and seuerall doctrines he awnswereth them againe that according to the doctrine of our father Luther Euery man was a priest as cacthepolles millers barbers Phisicians vshers and scholemasters especially such as professed the Hebrewe grammer But consider here I beseche the gentle reader how soone this wether is ouercast Now faire now fowle now clere now darke For here as you see while Illyricus hath to do with the masters of Wittenberg the Scripture saieth that Euery man is a priest and fit to teache in the cōgregation But a litle after the same Illyricus hauing to do with Osiāder and his cōpaniōs in Prussia curseth and banneth them crying and writing that to dogged Phisicians naming so the Phisicians of the prince who then were preachers of Osianders doctrine Matters of religion and ruling of churches ought not to be committed for that Phisicians were not called nor appointed to any such function Be not these trim preachers and masters of the newe ghospell is there not a ioly vniformite in their doctrine Maior and Melanchthon when they fight against the Catholikes if then you aske them what authorite they haue with their newe reformation to comptroll the whole corps of Christendom and the church of Christ being neuer called nor ordained of the churche to any such office by and by they will awnswer you out of Luthers bookes De Christiana libertate de Captiuitate Babilonica that euery man is a priest euery man hath authoritie to reade the Bible to discerne true and false interpretation of holy scripture But euen in the same moment before they moue a foote furder you maye see them accuse and crie out at Illyricus that he being nother priest nor called to the ministerie behaueth him selfe very seditiousely in Germanie taking vppon him to comptroll the masters of Wittenberge and of Lipsia by his owne priuat and proper authorite Notwithstanding all these enormites and aburdities ensuing of the bare text of scripture the Lutherans seing them selues on euery side entrapped and coūicted yet euer they plaie fox to the hole and rūne to this impudent shift to saie that The next of holy scripture is sufficient for all instruction and doctrine that it may be vnderstanded of all men and nede no gloses nor expositions Is not this I beseche the good reader a captious and suttle shift to thrust only the writen text to the people defrauding thē off the true meaning and interpretation of the text Euē so did the Sadduces heretikes of the olde lawe before Christes time as Iosephus in his Chronicles witnesseth So did after Christ the Arrians Dimeritae Apostolici and many such other heretikes as it is to be senein S. Basill Epiphanius and S. Augustin If the text of holy write nedeth no expositiō what meaned oure Sauiour when after his resurrection He expounded to his disciples all such scriptures as were writen of him beginning with Moyses and so all the prophets What meaned Philippus to aske the Eunuche of the Quene of Candace sitting vppon his chariot whether he vnderstoode that whiche he reade in Esaie the prophet and after the Eunuches awnswer saying howe can I if some expounde it not vnto me to expounde him the text declaring the right interpretation and meaninge thereof Againe what will they saie to that which the Apostle writeth That the holy ghost diuideth and distributeth to euery one his giftes as it pleaseth him so that all men haue not all giftes but euery man certaine and seuerall as some the gifte of healing other the gifte of diuers tonges and other the interpretation of tonges Euery man is not a Phisician diuine or lawier as S. Paule to the Corinthians largely declareth taking a comparison of the body of mā where are many mēbres and euery membre hathe his propre and seuerall function for what could be more absurde then if the feete would playe the handes or the hādes do that which belongeth to the head The like reason is to be cōsidered of functions offices and giftes in the gouuernement of Christen religion to the setting vp whereof God hath appointed diuers and sundry ministeries especially for the instructing and teaching the right vnderstanding of holy scripture that we might thereby knowe his will and pleasure in all thinges without doubt or controuersie Whiche if euery priuat and meane man without a teacher and interpreter were able to vnderstande to what purpose hathe the holy ghoste geuen in his churche vnto some the gifte of interpretation But what nede we spend herein many wordes let vs reade the bookes of Moyses the psalmes and the Prophets see we not there a number of highe and secret misteries which before the coming of Christ
that euery mā and womā were priestes Although this be an olde condemned heresie of the Aerians of Aetius and Pepusius raised vp now againe of Martin Luther by chaunging the worde Priesthoode in the worde Elders cōtrary the meaning of S. Paule and the common receaued interpretation of all Christendom hitherto Yet hath it pleased Master Luther to renew and preache to the worlde and olde detestable heresie vnder pretence of S. Paules doctrine and the expresse worde of God Nowe although these fewe examples might suffise to declare the honesty of Luther and vpright dealing in translation of the holy scripture yet for the more declaration thereof I will adde yet one place notably misused and willfully corrupted of Luther The Apostle writeth thus to the Colossians Beware lest any man deceiue you by philosophie or vaine deceites after the tradition of men after the elements of the worlde and not after Christ. Thus readeth the greke and the latin text But Luther drawing after his fashion the scripture for his purpose where it is in the text After the elements of the worlde he turneth it Nach der welt satzungen that is after the lawes and ordinaunces of the worlde It is surely a straunge case to see howe variabel and braynsicke these ghospellers are At the first broching of this newe ghospel while Luther as the rumor was lyued yet in his Patmus Philip Melanchthon taught that sithen Christen men were all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught immediatly of God him self no man should study philosophie For al the writings of Plato Aristotle Cicero and such other were but friuolous tales and daungerous deceites and to be burned and destroied as in dede in many places so they were but onely the Bible ought to be read and studied For by these the holy ghoste would minister all knowledge bothe to serue God and to liue in this worlde bothe for euerlasting saluation and for this temporal estate That a Christē man should not liue a studious quyet life for that it was writē In the sweate of thy brow thou shalt eate thy bread that is as they expounde it thou must be a plowemā a showemaker a bucher a tayler or some such handy craftes man and so with thy owne labour get thy liuinge This fowle errour beside other occasions ministred thereunto was of Luther in sundry places of his workes stoutely maintained and defended One of such places I will here at large alleage Writing vnto the Nobilite of Germany he hath these wordes The vniuersites also haue nede of an earnest and sharp reformation Truly I must speake as I think let him be angry that listeth VVhatsoeuer was instituted or ordained vnder the pope tended only to the furderance of vice and encrease of errours for the vniuersites if they be not otherwise ordered then they haue ben hitherto what other thing are they then as it is noted in the Machabees scholes of children and of the greke glorie where is all licentious dissolutnes holy Scripture and Christen faith is not taught but that blind ethnick philosopher Aristotle ruleth aboue Christ him selfe VVhe refore by my aduise the Phisicks the Methaphisiks the bookes de Anima the Ethikes should vtterly be abolished with all the rest of his workes which professe to teache the naturall causes of thinges Although therein nether natural nor spirituall knowledg is to be gotte Beside that they are of such obscurite that fewe haue hitherto vnderstode them good wittes lesing bothe labour and time about them I dare well saie that euery coblar hath as much knowleadg of natural thinges as is to be gotte in those bookes It greueth me euen to the hart that this cursed and crafty proude ethnike could so longe a time abuse and deceaue the lerned men of Christendō VVith this scorge haue we ben whipped for our sinnes This much wrote Luther in the yere of our Lorde 1520. out of these and such other writings of Luther Carolostadius and Melanchthon first sucked out the contempt of philosophie and all good lerning being so moued by the authorite of this german prophet Luther And by the yeare 152◠they furdered the matter so farre that in many famous vniuersites and cites all study of philosophie vtterly decaied And although this doctrine of Luther and Melanchthon taking awaie from Christen men as Iulian the apostat Emperour did all honest discipline liberall sciences and good lerning whereby the estat of Christēdom hathe alwaies ben in knowleadg and vertu directed and to driue all men to handycraft workes and husbandry only by a rude and bestly doctrine yet it so serued that time and was so wel liked that at Wittēberg many scholers burned all their bookes and became craftes men sheaperdes husband men and so forth Carolostadius him selfe being before Archedeacon of Wittenberg getting him to a village thereby became sodenly a ploweman tilled and sowed the grounde him self and brought wodde to the market of Wittenberg to be solde Beside many other cites especially Breslau did shet vp cleane all scholes and for the space of certain yeares suffred their youth to roue abrode without any education or instruction Which if a man had asked them why they did so the text of S. Paule serued them for a cloke of their foly where it was writen Beware ye that no man deceiue you by philosophie and vaine suttelties after the tradition of men But now Luther perceauing afterward that this serued nothing his purpose retourning from his Patmus to Wittenberg he corrected Melanchthon and draue Carolostadius out of the dominiō of Wittenberg professing then openly and declaring that without grammer logick and philosophie his ghospell could not be spread abrode conueniently Therefore in the yeare 1524. writing to the Magistrates and cites of Germanie of setting vp and main taining scholes he laboureth very ernestly to haue restored againe such as had decaied or were neglected making yet no mention of Carolostadius or Melanchthon by whom that enormite was committed To quenche therefore and appaise the tumultes stirred vp by his former doctrine and by Melanchthon letting passe the foresaied text of S. Paule he teacheth that philosophie is good in it selfe if it be wel vsed and not abused to deceiue mē Which in dede had ben of him well saide if he him selfe had not much abused philosophie to sett forthe his fleshely ghospell and to persuade his wily and suttle opinons But seing that he could not without philosophie and helpe of scholes vtter the wicked wares of his fresh and newe lerning letting passe as I saide the former text of the Apostle he toke holde of the wordes that folowed The elements of the worlde turning it the lawes and ordonaunces of the worlde For philosophie hindered not so much his purpose as the Magistrates and and lawes of the countre did Whose authorite onlesse he first ouerthrew drawing men from due obedience vnto their superiours he perceaued right wel that his purpose could
not be brought about being to abolish olde and auncient religion and to plant a newe of his owne inuention To coulour therefore this his intent and fetch he forceth me the Apostle to speake for him and to vtter his doctrine in the vulgar tongue putting in for the wordes of the Apostle after the elements of the worlde his owne wordes after the lawes and ordonaunces of the worlde As though the Apostle had commaunded that bicause the ciuill lawes and decrees be not worde for worde expressed in the prophets or the Apostles but instituted for a policy and worldy gouuernement therefore that no man was bounde to obey them And this pageant so pretely entred of Luther proued not amisse especially for the trim tricked translation or rather transposing and altering of S. Paules wordes In an other booke entituled Of the secular power he writeth that amonge Christen men there ought to be no superiorite no power nor no Magistrat In the very same booke and in an Epistle againste the two edictes of the Emperour he writeth That our princes of Germany be lyars obstinat men without reason very bestes and to vse his owne wordes wild pret in himel that is like wilde dere in the element that we ought to praie to God that the subiectes obey not their magistrats nor go not to warre being pressed nor geue any thing towarde battaill against the Turke for that the Turke him selfe is ten times better then our Princes In the booke of his assertions against Leo the pope he affirmeth that To fight against the Turkes is to resiste God punishing vs by the Turkes tyranny In his booke de Captiuitate Babylonica he saieth There is no remedy to be hoped for onles the libertie of the ghospell he meaneth his owne being restored and all mens lawes vtterly extinguished we iudge and rule our selues For no Magistrat saythe he no nor angell of heauen hath the authorite to prescribe any lawe ouer Christen men other then they will be content them selues to folowe For Christen men are fre from al subiection Again in a litle booke againste the Collectours of wormes he writeth that no common welth is well ruled by lawes Last of all in his awnswer against Ambrosius Catharinus he stormeth like a madde man and crieth out that the Church of Christ and the ghospell caÌ„ in no wise acknowleadg or suffer any Magistrat or iurisdiction For al these thinges be but torments and cruell inuentions of men against Christians Luther then hauing by this false and foisted interpretation of S. Paule founde the meanes to burne the Canon lawe to bring in contempt the Ciuill lawe to raise vp the commons against their princes beside many other seditions and rebellions hereby procured I trust men will take hede and beware off such false forged and foisted interpretations For who seeth not that there is great difference betwene The elements of the worlde and the ordonnauÌ„ces of the worlde Chrisostom Theophilact Theodoret and other holy fathers interpreting this place of the Apostle teache vs that the worde Elemenâ—s do meane that we should auoide the Astronomicall predictions which are seldome without enchantemeÌ„ts and coungering And this is not only forbiddeÌ„ by scripture but also by Canons of the church and by the ciuill lawes as in Codice de Iudaeis Mathematicis a man may se is greuousely punished yet Luther wil haue no other thing ment by those wordes of the Apostle whatsoeuer the holy fathers saie then politick and ciuill ordonnaunces whiche he lowdely and lewdely curseth And Melanchthon in despite of the fathers and Canons maintaineth at Wittenberg most aboue other sciences Astrologie so that in no place it is so much folowed and practised as there I could bring here diuers other false and corrupted traÌ„slations of Luther but that I feare me I should wery the reader with ouer long and superfluous recitall thereof Notwithstanding who so loueth the truthe and will not willfully be abused he may iudge of these fewe examples what trust is to be geuen to the rest of Luthers translation an such other heretikes especially if he consider that he that is ones ouer the showes will not sticke yet to wade furder But here peraduenture a man will demaunde Sir if it be so that the reading of the Bible in the vulgar tongue be so perilous a matter howe shall the vnlerned laye man prouide that he be not abused in this case For many there are amonge the laite that caÌ„ not refraine from reading holy scripture taking it for a greate comfort and instruction as well to bridle their passions as to moue them to vertu What part then of holy scripture might well be permitted them to reade For the whole corps of the Bible were it neuer so wel translated yet I doubt whether it were expedient for the laye to reade it For it might be an occasion of idle and light thoughtes if euery girle or yonge womaÌ„ should reade the stories of Lot and his doughters of Lia and Rachel the wiues of Iacob of Iudas and Thamar and howe aduoutrie may be tried in wemen Whiche all in the olde testament is to be reade Amonge the Iewes it was a lawe that before the age of taking priesthood which was of thirty yeares no man should be suffred to reade the beginning of the Genesis the Canticles the ende and beginning of Echechiels prophecy And that bicause although all this were the worde of God yet it was not thought expedieÌ„t that euery one indifferently should lightely come to these secret and high misteries whiche God would not haue reueled to all lest being coÌ„moÌ„ as it happeneth they should the lesse be estemed Nor it hath not ben without the singular disposition and maruailous prouideÌ„ce of God that throughe all the west churche the wordes of his holy Sacraments haue amonge so many barbarous nations ben kept so longe time in the Latin tonge vnknoweÌ„ and straunge to the common sorte of men Yet that the laite be not vtterly excluded from the misteries of holy Scripture but that they may as farre as is expedient for them reade and knowe them this our counsell were not paraduenture amisse Bicause in holy scripture there are many stories and other thinges which are not necessary to be knowen not only of the laite but also of the inferiour sorte of the clergy certain bishops of Rome many yeares past haue piked out of the whole corps of the Bible certain most necessary parcels thereof and set it forthe together in the forme of a Breuiary or portise to be read of the clergy by dutie and of the laite such as listeth This is so distributed in to the seuen howres of Christes passion that who so listeth applie him selfe to praier and deuocioÌ„ can surely imagin no better order then that is The right Noble and excellent lerned man George Gienger one of the preuy counsell to the Emperours Maiestie well perceauing the great commodite thereof hathe translated
the Roman Breuiary in to the German tongue in so handsome and pure stile that the Psalter the lessons and the ghospels be as pleasauntely to be reade in the German tongue as they are in the Latin It were therefore peraduenture more expedient for the common and vnlerned laye men to haue with them some such to praie and reade in then rashely trust to euery translation or confusely reade euery thinge they list Especially being so perilous a matter to swarue from the right vnderstanding of holy scripture that the danger ensuing is no lesse then heresie It were also very profitable that certain Homelies and Sermons were gathered out of S. Chrisostome S. Ambrose S. Augustin S. Gregory S. Bernarde S. Bede and such other holy fathers whiche being distributed in to the Sondayes and holy dayes of the yeare and well and truly translated in to the vulgar tongue might safely and with great profit be reade off the common people Beside where as many godly praiers for diuers necessites are to be founde in the doctours they might serue also for common praier for the people being truly translated in to the vulgar tonge Surely any laie man that desireth to reade scripture not of curiosite but to strengthen his faith to encrease his hope and to kindle his charite may in such bookes as we haue saide satisfie fully his desire and appetit OF DISAGREMENT IN DOCTRINE AMONGE THE PROTESTANTS THe third matter wherewith the Lutherans charge me is that I haue alleaged falsely certain of their articles whereby their enormous dissension appeareth partly haue fathered some vppon them which they neuer taught As touching the first point doctour Smidelin preacher of Gopping sturreth vp heauē and earth against me sweareth and affirmeth that the Lutheran preachers vary in no one point or groūde of their doctrine But if there be any controuersie amonge them the same is saith he not of any article of their faith or of their Confession made at Augspurg A man may verely in many places finde light and impudent persons which wil not sticke to call chauke chese and saie white is black But such an impudent preacher as this Iames Smidelin of Gopping is not this fourty yeares hath ben seen in Germany which is not ashamed to write and set forthe in printe yea that in bookes dedicated to men of worship that amonge the Lutherans is no one iote of variaunce in all their doctrine nor no dissension in any article of their Confession In dede this argument troubleth much the mā that where diuision and dissension is in the chefe pointes of Christen religion there must nedes heresies be But the Lutherans can not denie their enormous dissension and open variaūce in sondry pointes yea in these articles of their Confession made at Augspurg Ergo there be heretikes amonge thē and heresies great store For whereas to the first proposition of this argument no man can gainsaie but if he be extreme impudent or very foolish M. Smidelin shifteth him selfe to the other part and denieth stoutely that there is any one iote of variaunce or controuersie betwene them Nowe then to proue the contrary and to stoppe the impudent felowes mouthe who being oftentimes frendely warned perseuereth yet in his folie I will bringe here certain of his felowe Ministers and such as him selfe is which may a litle remoue his bonet from his eyes and showe him the glasse where he may see his owne impudēt face and shameles looke that blusheth not at so lowde a lie Nicolaus Amsdorfius in his booke entituled Publica Confessio purae doctrinae Euangelij confutatio praesentium Swermerorum vel factiosorum writeth thus The matter amendeth neuer a whit but wexeth daily worse and worse It is no other wise likely but that we shall vtterly lese the ghospell and in stede of it haue nothing but mere lies and hainous errours and that for no other cause then that euery man foloweth his owne witte and desireth not after the truthe In the diet and conference had lately at wormes Brentius and the Adiaphoristes would not condemne Zuinglius and Osiander bicause they were men lerned in the tongues and liberall sciences But hissed vs out of the cōpany and laughed vs to scorne bicause we refused to agree vnto the conference and diet onles those men were condemned Some of our felowes the Lutherans pretend that they cōdemne the Zwinglians but Brentius his praeface vpon Master Iames Smidelins booke testifieth the contrary For here they go about to reconcile godly Luther and Zuinglius which is impossible For who euer heard that two contradictories could agree Such childish and impossible matters they be not ashamed to affirme which wil be counted teachers and Masters of Christen religion as though we and all other were stockes and blockes But surely we can not embrace with quiet conscience the heresies of Zuinglius and Osiander Neither can we subscribe and yelde to such as haue departed and seuered them selues from Luther Truly if they had constātly cleaued vnto the worde of God and Luther and had not geuē them selues to alteratious or yelded to them whiche first altered from Luther there should haue ben no dissension nor variaunce amongest vs and al these mischefs which we see nowe hang ouer our heades had ben escaped Farder although the Ministers which after our departure remained in the conference at wormes wrote after and published it abrode that they woulde not departe from the Cōfession of Augspurg yet in dede they do cleane cōtrary For while they wil not condemne the Zwinglians and the Osiandrines they can by no meanes agree with our Confession off Augspurg but in so doing they be all ready departed from it So haue they caused dissēsion and remoued all meanes of agreement For if they would cōdemne with vs the foresaide errours of Zwinglius and Osiander then might we agree together against the papistes But no we whereas the Confession of Augspurg teacheth that the Bloud and passion of Christ is our righteousnes and that the bread in the Lordes supper is the body of Christ this can not possibly agree with the madnes of Zwinglius and Osiander Therefore these two repugne to saie they remaine in the Confession off Augspurg and yet go aboute to defend Zwinglius and Osiander VVe therefore first and formest do condemne for heretikes Caspar Swenckfeldius and the Anabaptistes which do contemne and refuse the externall preaching of Gods worde Secondarely we condemne the Secte of Osiander which holdeth no lesse grosse and impudent heresies Thirdly we condemne the Sacramentaries Zwinglius and his felowes Fourthely we condemne the Indifferents bicause in their churches beside the ghospell they will haue mens traditions to be obserued For the ghospell admitteth no commaundements of men to be kept in their churches But these indifferents coulour and counterfaite all thinges to please the Emperour they embrace the papisticall Masse and religion which yet they loue not in dede and
Smidelin a trim pacifier doth he not by good reason reconcile these protestants together In the booke against my table he raileth and saith he must nedes be a wicked person which woulde saye that amonge the Swinglians were eight diuers and seuerall opinions and who is so blinde that seeth not Luther him selfe in his wordes aboue alleaged to recite eight contrary opinions of the Swinglians It foloweth then by the iudgement and sentence of Doctor Smidelinus that Luther is a wicked and pernicious felowe Surely very well and as it should be for such honour vse kinde scholers to geue to their masters But truly they are bothe vsed according to their deserts while the Master proueth his scholer a liar and the scholer proueth his Master a knaue and nowe it happeneth as we commonly see of a frowarde curre a peuish whelp But what will Smidelin saie if that amonge the Lutherans them selues be sacramentary sectes and schismes and that not a fewe This present yeare 1560. in the seconde of Octobre was printed at Heidelberg the iudgement of Philip Melanchthon touching the Supper of our Lorde dedicated to the honourable prince Electour CouÌ„te palatin of the Rhene where he writeth thus It is not hard but somewhat dangerous to awnswer yet I will declare that debate and controuersie which happened at Heidelberg and admonish men as much as I may at this time I will also praie vnto Christ our Lorde that it will please him prosperously to directe these our aduises and their doinges Greate and greuous coÌ„tentions shal vndoubtedly arise in the worlde vpon the Controuersie of our Lordes supper for the worlde must nedes be punished for their idolatry and other hainous offenses Let vs then praie that the Son of God teache vs and direct vs. But seing that many are yet in many places feble in the faith and not well instructed in this doctrine off the church but rather nouseled in many errours it is mete that first we take order for such I like ther fore very well the aduise of the most honourable prince Electour that all such as contend of the Supper of the Lorde be put to sileÌ„ce lest dissensioÌ„ and variaunce arise in the church yet tendre and weake whereby the febleiÌ„ faith might perhaps be seduced and disquieted And I would wish also that the contentious persons on bothe sides were some other where VVhich being seÌ„t awaie the rest might agree into some forme of wordes And in this controuersie me thinketh it were best to kepe the wordes of S. Paule The bread which we breake is the participation of Christ his body much also must be saide of the frute of the Supper to stirre vp men more to loue this pleadge and the oftener to vse it Againe the worde Participation is to be declared and expounded For S. Paule saith not as the papistes do that the nature of bread is chaunged nor that the bread is the substaÌ„tiall body of Christ as the ministers of Bremesaie Nor as Heshusious saith that bread is the true body of Christ but that it is a participation or communion that is by the which we are coupled and made one with the body off Christ. VVhich copulation and making of one consisteth in the vse not without it imagining that mise could knawe that bread The papistes and such as are like them to earnestly contend that the body of Christ is vnder the forme of bread or included in the bread beside the vse and when it is not receaued they wil haue it adored also as Doctor Morlin of Bruns wicke saith Thou must not saie Mum. Mum But what is that which the priest hath in his handes Sarcerius would haue all the parcels that sal doune to be gathered vp and to be burned together with the earth on which it fell Two yeres past wheÌ„ we were at wormes a quaestioÌ„ was asked vs out of the Courte whether the body of Christ passed downe in to the bely and so forthe Such absurde questions ought not to be moued better it is that the forme of S. Paules wordes be kept and that men be well instructed of the vse and frute of this Sacrament The forme of wordes of the Supper ye may see in the ordinatioÌ„ of the church of the Megapolians where also aduertisement is geueÌ„ of the frute thereoff The Son off God in the ministery of the ghospell is present and worketh also in those that beleue But he is present not for cause of the bread but for mans sake as he saith him selfe Tary in me and I in you I in my father and you in me and I in you And with this true Comfortes he maketh vs his membres and testifieth that he wil raise vp and quicken our bodies Thus do olde writers expounde the Supper of the Lorde but some terme this true and plaine doctrine buskins or showes mete for euery foote and will haue that the body is in the bread or in the forme of bread as though the Sacrament were made for the breads sake or to be adored papistically Then other imagin that the body should be enclosed in the breade some will haue it euery where and in all places Melanchthon dalieth here at his pleasure but all holy fathers and olde writers haue continually hitherto taught the conuersion transmutatioÌ„ and chaunging of the creature of bread in to the body of oure Lorde that we may truly say with Christ This is my body Heshusius saith he can not agree with Origen terming the bread and wine the signes of the the body and bloud So he reiecteth Clemens Alexandrinus ready to do the like to Augustin Ambrose Prosper Dyonisius Tertullian Bede Basill and Gregory Nazianzen which calleth the body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Theodoret which writeth that the nature of bread remaineth Is theÌ„ the authorite of Heshusius so great that we will rather bâ—leue him theÌ„ the olde writers which testifie clerely that the church in their time had no adoration nor no such doctrine as the papistes no we teache For seing these are newe and straunge in the church we doubt whether it be conuenient to bring in newe doctrine in the church And I am not ignoraÌ„t that many alleage forged bookes vnder the name of olde writers but let the lerned iudge hereof I will not make any longe debate of this matter presently nor entre to dispute with contentious men defending the idolatry and robberies of their forefathers VVhose tyranny and cruell persecutions I feele also I thought good only to declare my minde herein what were best to be done in respect of our weake and tender church Therefore I am still of that minde that bothe partes be put to silence and that one forme of wordes be vsed VVhich if some like not and will not therefore come vnto the Sacrament they may be permitted to do as they see good so that yet they styrre vp no dissension amonge the
people This much Melanchthon who although he would neuer before this time openly in writing professe his minde of the Sacrament yet he allwaies tolde his familiar frendes and men of worship that in this point he condemned Luther and claue vnto Swinglius correcting yet a litle his opinion For where as Swinglius saide This signifieth my body he will haue it saied This is the participation of my body which newe interpretation is plainely a newe Sacramentary heresie and neuer heard of amonge the rest of the Swinglians And to maintaine this his proper and newe heresie he vseth two pointes of sutteltie and falshood first when he saith the holy fathers taught no conuersion or transsubstantiation of the bread which is a very impudent and lowde lie For the conuersion of the bread and reall presence of Christ his true body and bloud in the Sacrament may euidently be proued out of all the fathers aboue named and many mo and the contrary opinion clerely condemned Secondarely whē he rebuketh his owne scholers and chargeth them with fiue other Sacramentarie heresies For he saith some be of Heshusius minde some of Sarcerius some other folowe the ministers of Breme and some Ioachimus Morlinus then he alleageth other whose opinion is that Christ his body may be in euery place These fiue heresies which as Melāchthon testifieth are amonge the Lutherans and the other eight which Luther showeth to be amonge the Swingliās make all together thirten heresies which al noweadaies vpon the Sacramēt only are folowed professed and defended amonge the protestants Here againe we may consider the honesty and truthe of M. Doctor Smidelin which is not ashamed to terme such open schismes manifest to al the worlde a sure and certain agremēt of Catholike religion who beside all this knoweth well inough what agreate and vehement altercation there was this present yeare 1560 at Heidelberg amonge the diuines and ministres there touching only this point of the blessed Sacramēt of the which matter Guilelmus Klebicius of Brandeburg hath writen very bitterly and sharpely And this much hitherto of the dissension amonge the protestants touching only the point of the blessed Sacrament The dissension and variaunce of the Lutherans touching the doctrine of Penaunce I haue noted before in a litle booke For some of them put two some thre partes of penaunce But doctor Smidelin will accorde all this discorde with a worde saing it is all one to put two or thre partes of penaunce As though that al other Superintendents and ministres of Luthers secte ought to couche and obey the pontificall authorite of Doctor Smidelin taking vppon him like a pope of protestants But Illyricus will not abide that persuading him selfe that he is of as good mettall to make a Lutheran pope as any other is and therefore he will not graunte to the Masters of Wittenberg no nor to his owne Master Luther to define diuide and determinat the ghospell at their pleasur For in the booke which he intituled An information vpon certain articles of Christen religion he writeth in this sort But not so much he meaning Melanchthon as his proctours do exasperat this matter although they agree not amōg them selues for one interpreteth the matter after one sorte and the other after an other as it happeneth in euill causes One saieh that the worde Penaunce signifieth only sorowe or contrition an other that it signifieth contrition and faithe with al. One saith that the ghospell preacheth repentaunce of one sinne only as of infidelite an other saith of all sinnes Some imagin this glose that the ghospell preacheth repentaunce vnproperly vndirectly and by occasion only some saie that consequently it preacheth repentaunce An other saithe by a figure of contrariete the fourth saith after a sorte and in some point The fift saith it doth but argue mens incredulite or slacknes of belefe The sixt saieth that it reiecteth the small faithe The seuenth saith that it preacheth repentaunce not principally Thus they disagree amonge thē selues no lesse then the Sacramentaries or Babylonians or those builders of idols that Esaie speaketh of where one thinketh to holde vp the idoll with glue another with nailes and the third with chaines But all these gloses bothe destroy them selues one another and the definition also Thus farre Illyricus Doth not Illyricus affirme here that Melanchthons diuines varie one from an other and sett vp seuen sondry opinions neuer a true and all repugnant one with an other no lesse then the sectes of the Sacramentaries and that they agree as the builders of the towre of Babilon in olde time Saithe not directly all this Illyricus And what saieth Smidelinus VVe in the principall articles and grounde of our doctrine do not vary Which if it be true then must we saie that the doctrine of penaunce and of the Sacrament of the aultar appertaine not to the grounde of Christen religion nor are not necessary articles of the same For Smidelin in his litle booke whiche he set forth against me standeth stiffe in this minde That it forceth not whether two or thre partes of penaunce be taught nor skilleth any whit whether you beleue vprightly or embrace that seuenfolde heresie contrary in it selfe in the matter of penaunce Againe in his booke against my table writing of the altercations betwene the Illyricans and the Adiaphoristes he saith Although one write bitterly against the other yet in their churches there is no alteration of doctrine but they professe and teache the pure doctrine of the ghospell in perfit agrement with vs and them selues euen as before this altercation beganne Howe soūdeth thinke you these wordes of Smidelin with the saieng of Illyricus In like maner doth he defend Andreas Musculus For where I write that he teacheth the Godhead of Christ to haue as well died in the Crosse as the māhood Smidelin goeth about to purge him in these wordes I haue vnderstode nowe that Staphylus dothe iniuriously slaunder Andreas Musculus For Musculus in open writing published and printed hathe purged him self against Staphylus Thus saithe Smidelin It is the nature and custome of all heretikes not to continew longe in one minde But to denie to morowe which they saide to daie So dothe Musculus And although Smidelin as he confesseth him selfe be vtterly ignorant of the debate betwene Musculus and Stācarus wherein those wordes be vttered yet he sticketh not to write that I slaunder Musculus Truly bicause he would be counted a common pacifier of all contentions a physician for all sores and a reconciler of all vnruly heresies But what will bothe Musculus and Smidelin saie vnto me if I bring their owne brethern and felowe heretikes witnesses against them The Lutheran churches of Pole sent to the vniuersite of Lausana for the determination of this matter betwene Musculus and Stancarus and the doctours of Lausana sent them this awnswer Although well beloued brethern we can neuer saie inough
write and coÌ„demne their owne schismaticall brethern and felowe heretikes and all professing the Confession of Augspurg of more then fiften sundry heresies yea and that about the principall articles of their Confession of Augspurg And whereas Smidelin laboureth to colour the matter and like a pacifier to recoÌ„cile al that is a misse surely he doth but vtter his foly and varieth from other him selfe For Amsdorffius Gallus and Illyricus pretended bishops of the Lutherans write and crie out that these debates and variaunces are mere contradictories not able to be iustified vntell the one part be cast If Amsdorffius with his felowes saie truly then doctor Smidelin lyeth If they lie and saie all vntruly let them trie it amonge them selues and kepe their estimation as well as they can We saide in the beginning of this laste parte that the Lutherans laie to my charge as though I fathered vpon them certain articles whiche they neuer wrote nor taught I haue in dede gathered out as they maie knowe whiche haue reade my other treatises aboue a hundred articles of the Lutherans partly directly false partly mingled with falshood and haue quoted the places of their writings where euery article might be founde Nowe the Masters off Wittenberge haue picked out of the whole summe thre or four fragments only and denie that these pertaine any thinge to their doctrine Hoping thereby that if vnder pretence of innocency they could shake of those fewe then their other heresies and absurdites would the lesse be espied or molested But this goeth the matter In my booke offered vp at the diet of wormes in the which I gathered certain principall pointes wherein the Lutherans differ and vary not only from vs Catholikes but also striue bitterly amonge them selues among other thinges I noted Luthers doctrine aboute Matrimony out of his owne booke where it is writen Let then Mariage be the figure of Christ and his church and a Sacrament not instituted of God but inuented of men in the church being lead with ignoraunce as well of the worde as of the thing This the Masters of Wittenberg vtterly denie and therefore inueigh furiousely and beyonde all reason against me after this sorte Tell vs thou wicked hipocrite where euer it was saide or writen of any man in our churches that matrimony was inuented of men by the ignoraunce as well off the worde as off the thinge Surely I think sobre and wise men will not like this malapert and ouer hotte talke of the Masters of Wit tenberg although I had iniured them in very dede But howe maye they nowe like it where as in this senteÌ„ce I haue nether added nether taken awaie any one sillable or iote but haue euen so recited it worde for worde as it lyeth in the seconde Latin tome off Luthers workes printed at Wittenberg with the preface of Melanchthon But a man peraduenture may here obiect that of these only wordes the doctrine or minde of Luther can not certainely be gathered for that in other places he hath otherwise writen of Matrimony Vnto whom I awnswer thus Howe constant and sure Lu ther and his scholers haue allwaies ben and are yet in their doctrine I haue declared to the whole worlde in my litle booke entituled Trimembris Theologia But what was the sure and settled opinion of Luther touching matrimony he hath declared him selfe in a certain sermon of matrimony printed at Wittenberg in the yeare 1522. And that no man maye thinke that Luther euer chaunged or recanted that doctrine as he did diuers the very same sermon euen worde for worde was printed againe at Wittenberg in the yeare 1553. and is extant in the sixt Germain to me off Luthers workes Where thus he writeth worde for worde Truly this I saide if a woman fitte for the acte of mariage haue a husband vnfitte thereunto nor can not openly mary any other and yet would be lothe to coÌ„mitte any dishonesty bicause the bishop of Rome requireth about it many witnesses and muche busines to no purpose she ought with these wordes talke vnto her husband You se good husband that you can not do your dutie vnto me and you haue disappointed my youthely body and brought me beside in daunger of my good name with greate hinderaunce of my helth you se there is before God no mariage betwene vs two Let me therefore by your good leaue mary priuely with your brother or next Kinsman so that alwaies yet you beare the name of my husbaÌ„d lest your goods come into other mens handes and suffer your selfe of your owne accorde to be deceaued of me as you haue deceaued me against my will I saide also that the husband ought to graunt hereunto and prouide her the duty of mariage and children whiche if he refuse to do she ought priuely to departe from her husband in to some other countre aâ—d there mary an other Such counsell I gaue then when I was yet fearefull But nowe I would geue freer counsell and that husband that beguiled his wife I would handle more roughely and likewise the woman that beguiled her husband although this happened seldomer in wemen then in men In such waightie matters that toucheth our body our goods estimation and helth it is not inough to compasse slightely by crafte our neighbour a iuste and aequal recompense must be required of him That is the woman lustely ought to plaie the hoore and committe aduoutry And a litle after There be wemen so frowarde and so obstinatly sette that allthough her husband fall ten times into incontinencie she passeth not vpon it Here it is time that her husband speake thus vnto her If thou wilt not an other will â–ª if the wife will not let the maide come so that yet the husband warden her twise or thrise before and open the matter to other that her frowardnes be knowen and punished before all the coÌ„gregation if she wil not then dimisse her from the. put a waie Vasthi and take Hester as king Assuerus did Thus farre Luther I knowe very well the Lutherans be angry hereat and would that there were no more talke of these matters for that being discouered and brought to light they worke them muche shame and dishonesty Vnto whom I awnswere that I am not the first that haue discouered this their shamefull doctrine of matrimony Diuers haue done the like before me and especially the vertuous and Catholike Prince of most worthy memory George Duke of Saxony in his aunsuer against Luther Which if Melanchthon haue forgotten yet I truste he remembreth what he wrote him selfe generally of all the sacraments in his annotations vpon the firste epistle to the Corinthians the seconde chapter where he writeth thus There be in all two sacramentall signes baptim and the Supper of the Lord the other which are called sacraments are but mens imaginations Nowe what difference is there betwene the wordes of Luther saieng that
protestants are hotte and seditious and after a sorte kepe vnite and peace with all other sectes as in times paste the heretikes Meletiani amonge the Arrians and Rhetorij Biblijstae Scripturians whiche affirme that nothing is to be admitted read or sette forthe to the people in the church or to the youthe in scholes but onely the bare text and holy scripture of the Bible â–ª and that there nedeth no interpretation for that we be all instructed froÌ„ God So writeth MelanchthoÌ„ to Georgius Spalatinus in his preface vppon the Canons off the Apostles Againe that no parte off Philosophie is to be lerned bicause S. Paule forbiddeth vs to folowe vaine philosophie And againe bicause it is writen of Moyses that men ought to eate their bread in the sweate of their browe Therefore while Luther remained in his Pathmus Carolostadius and Melanchthon persuaded the scholers of Wittenberg that burning their humanite bookes euery man should gette him to some haÌ„dry crafte worke Many did as they were counselled Carolostadius in a certain Village by in the grounde of VVittenberg being before Archedeacon of the cyte became a labouring husband man and Melanchthon getting him to a bakehouse lerned to bake This decree of so great diuines was dispersed abrode in to many cytes of Germany And to omitte the rest it is wel knoweÌ„ that in Silesia at Breslau and Suidnicia graÌ„mer scholes were for the espace of two yeares shet vp and abolished al which time the scholers of the Master ghospellers did reade nothing but the very text of scripture There be at this daye liuing which can well testifie all this The same allso appeareth well in two bookes of Luther set forthe in the yeare 1522. writen to the Magistrates and cytes off Germany for the setting vpp agayne off scholes Adiaphoristae Indifferents which teache that the lawefull constitutions of the churche and of Councels also the cerimonies are thinges indifferent which to obserue or to breake is no sinne So teache the Masters or diuines of Wittenberge and of Lipsia in their Interim made at Lipsia Trisacramentales which admitt onely thre Sacraments Baptim the Supper of our Lorde and Absolution or penaunce such is the practise in the Ordynaunce of Lipsia Quadrisacramentales which alowe foure sacrameÌ„ts Baptim the Supper of our Lorde Penaunce and holy Order so is it obserued in the Ordinaunce of WitteÌ„berg out of Melanchthons common places Lutherocaluiniani which counterfaite that the Lutherans and the Zwinglians accorde smothely in the matter of the Sacrament and would make men wene that the contention is in wordes not in the thinge See Iames Smidelins booke of the Supper of the Lorde See also Nicolaus Amsdorffius in his CoÌ„feâ—sion who vehemently reprehendeth this guile and deceite of Smidelin Semiosiandrini which against Osiander taking the parte of the Antosiandrini teache that man in this life is accompted iuste and righteous by imputation onely â–ª and againe taking Osianders part against the Antosiandrins teache that in the life to come man must in dede be iustified with that very iustice where with God him selfe is essentially iuste of this opinion are the diuines and Masters of Tubing Reade the duke of Prussia his booke set forthe vpon this controuersie of Osiander and the epistle of Brentius writen vnto his prince of the very same controuersie and printed at Wittenberg in the yeare .1552 Maioristae which denie that any man yea infants them selues can be iustified or euer haue ben saued without good workes going before Georgius Maior in many writinges against Illyricus Poenitentiarij which haue corrupted the doctrine of penaunce with seuen grosse errours Illyricus accuseth hereof the diuines of Wittenberg and of Lipsia in a writing set forthe against the corruption of the ghospell printed in Iene in the yeare .1559 and thus intituled Beriche M. F. Illyrici von ethliken artikelen Nouipelagiani newe pelagians which write that a man may dispose him selfe by his owne naturall power to receiue the grace of God so Illyricus accuseth Melanchthon in the writing aboue named and Amsdorfius in his Confession Syncretisantes politik Lutherans whiche persuade and counsell al other sectes that they pretend at leaste vnite amonge them selues seing they can not come to any true agremeÌ„t that like the people of Creta they may with more yoined force sett vpon their common aduersaries the papistes and ouercome theÌ„ the sooner This writeth Melanchthon in his booke against Staphylus The third secte of the confessionistes wherein are the disorderly and vnruly Lutherans althoughe they manifestly oppugne and resist the doctrine of the Confession of Augspurg yet vnder pretext of the same Confession the mayne flocke of these shepe of Melanchthon beare them selues for Lutherans Swenck feldians haue hetherto ben all moste all of one opinion but nowe they begin to scatter and swarue amonge them selues For of the selfe same points in doctrine those of Breslau haue one opinion approuing one point and reprouing an other in Swenckfeldius those of Suidnicia haue an other finding faute with those Swenck feldians whiche call baptim ein Sewbad that is a bathe for swine and those of Glogouia haue yet an other measuring by their proper sprit the writings of Swenckfeldius But the peculiar and speciall doctrines of that man are these That the manhood of Christ is the begetting of the holy ghoste not the creature of God as other men are but a middle thinge betwene God the Creator and man the creature but yet in suche wise that the same manhood of Christ after his ascension in to heauen was made very God This testifieth manifestly his legat at Augspurg and his bookes offred off late to a certain frend off his there Againe that euery man is endued with the same righteousnes the same wisedome the same charite and all the same vertus with the which God is essentially endued of like worthines and in like maner and by this very diuine nature is God Beside that the same vertu or operation which is in the worde of God preached is the very son of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the worde as scripture termeth it Thus he writeth in his booke de duplici statu Christi de vero euangelij vsu and in many other writings whiche he presented to a certayn frende Truly this man wrote many thinges not amisse but these and many other very euill a man not so malitious as vnlerned in true diuinite Osiandrini which saie that Christe iustifieth man by his diuine nature onely vtterly excluding his humanite againe that a Christen man ought to be iuste with that very iustice where with god him selfe is essentially iuste farder that Christe the onely begotten son of god according to bothe natures off god and man as he was in his mothers wombe is the very same image after the which the firste man was created therefore when man in the sacrament of baptim putteth on Christe according to bothe natures of god and man that he is made the
very same image generally not particularly as the lerned vse to speake And this is the meaning sayth he of the wordes of S. Ihon that Christe is come in to sleshe Martin Luther in the yeare 1539 at Smalcaldiū where the Leage or rather conspiracye was then made preaching vnto the estats and orders of protestants interpreted these wordes of S. Ihon that Christe is come in to fleshe after this sorte That Christe came not therefore in to flesh that he might communicat vnto vs his owne iustice or righteousnes but that he might accepte vs for iuste and righteous outwardly so that our inwarde man should not in dede be iustified or made righteous from vniuste and vnrighteous but we should onely be accounted for suche before God after the maner of acceptation as in times paste the Lacedaemonians made and decreed Alexander a God with these wordes Alexander wil be a God let him he a God and let Alexander be coūted and accepted for a god though he be no god And Luther saith that this doctrine was the sure foundation vpon the which the Leage of Smalcaldiū for the defence of the ghospell might and ought right worthely be builded erected and absolued But anon after when it came to Osianders course to preache he toke the very same theme of S. Ihon that Luther did But leauing the interpretation of Luther he interpreted it after his owne minde in suche sorte that it directly repugned Luther as that the very essentiall iustice or righteousnes off God proceding and flowing out of the foresaide image off God which he calleth Christe is planted in man and at the last though preuely he gaue them to vnderstāde that this his doctrine was the very iewell and treasure of the ghospell farre better then that of Luther in consideration whereof bothe the Leage and the warre of Smalcaldium should be entred made and finished And this sermon of Osiander was allmoste the laste that was made at that meting as I am able to showe by the hande of Melanchthon Thus Luther for the grounde of his iustification would haue as in his owne printed disputation it is euident a kinde of relation and imputing which is the lest of all thinges that are and in dede nothing But Osiander putteth for his grounde the diuine essence God him selfe whiche is all thinges See howe iumpe these two ghospellers and Archeprotestants mete in the very highest point of our religion Vpon this faint and frickle foundation of two false and contrary opinions was that leage of Smalcaldium stroken whereof ensued that lamentable and cruell warre to the greate waste and destruction of Germany with the murder of infinit thousands of men Then experience it selfe declared howe true that prophecye of Luther was when in the yeare .1545 in a certayn litle booke writē to two noble princes of the sight of a certayne coyne brought oute of base Germany whereof we shall speake more anon he warranted vpon his othe and faith all the confederats that by this his doctrine of imputed righteousnes they might boldely and hardely assure them selues of the victory at Brunswicke and off euerlasting saluation at the hande of God But as touching Osiander and his doctrine it may be sene in a litle booke printed in the ye are of our lorde .1550 with this title De imagine dei There be many other articles of the Osiandrins whiche to be short I omitte See the disputation of Osiāder had at Coiningsberg in the yeare 1459. and his open confession sett forthe there also in the yeare 1550. Stancarians which against Osiander vrge and affirme vehemently that Christ iustifieth vs by his manhood onely not by his godhead at all So Stancarus bothe taught openly and wrote against Andreas Musculus at Francford by Odera Antistancarians whiche to refute the opinion of Stācarus do so farre affirme that Christ iustifieth mā and worketh oure righteousnes bothe by his manhood and by his godheade that they doubte not to teache the very godhead of Christ to haue suffered on the Crosse with his manhood that Musculus is of this opinion his extemporall treatise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 off Luthers doctrine witnesseth and the condemnation of the Swiceran ptotestants for this opinion as it is notised in the writing of Petrus Statorius the frenche man printed this yeare 1560. at Pinczouia in Pole Noui Pelagiani New Pelagians which saie thereis no originall sinne in children but that it is onely an infirmite not worthy of death So teacheth Swinglius in his litle booke of baptim against Vrbanus Regius Againe that Numa Cato Scipio and such other notable men of the ethnikes although they lacked the true faith in Christ to come yet that they are saued by the vertu of the lawe of nature It is the doctrine of Swinglius in the booke aboue alleaged and Luther entwiteth the Swinglians with it in his laste cōfession of the supper of our Lorde Noui Manichei New Manichees be and haue ben diuers protestants in our daies First Luther then Melanchthon Caluin and many other as Amsdorffius Illyricus Gallus Beza VVestphalus Luther and Melanchthō teache that all thinges bothe good and bad come to passe by absolute necessite that God is not only the cause of sinne by permission but also by operation as the worker of it It is the doctrine of Luther in his Assertions against pope Leo and in his Resolutions of Melāchthon in his annotations vpon the epistle to the Romans Againe that The aduoutrie of Dauid the crueltie of Mālius the betraieng of Iudas be as well and as much the worke and operatiō of god as the very Conuersion of S. Paule Melāchthon in his annotations vpon the epistle to the Romans But he recāted this heresie afterwarde as it maye appeare in his common places of the laste edition Luther continued still obstinat in his errour whom also al the obstinat and zelous Lutherans folowe yet as Illyricus Amsdorfius Gallus and other Manichaei Marcionitae Caluiniani which as scholers of Ihon Caluin do professe and spreade abrode these detestable and blasphemous doctrines against God and man as folowe That god chefely created mankinde for to be perpetually damned that god created Adam not onely that he should die but allso from the beginning predestinated him to mischefe and therefore he coulde not choose but sinne That the sinnes committed by men are not onely done by gods permission but by his will and compulsion That all sinnes committed of men are absolutely the workes of god That god worketh in men theft horedome aduoutrie and all suche sinne as man doth That the lawe of god and the will off god be oftentimes contrary one to an other That the deuill by gods commaundement and will lieth in mens hartes That not onely God is the cause of euil but also doth inspire in mēs hartes euil thoughtes to worke euill so that men sinne not but God is the willer and efficient cause of sinne This is the doctrine
of god to reuenge and punish malefactours Nor Luther hath no cause nowe so proudely to demaunde VVho dare be so bolde as to restore to libertie the presonner prince For he whose parte it was to do it was not onely bolde and able to do it but did it in dede princely and scourged worthely those whiche had offended But nowe let vs see what punishment and satisfaction this pope of Germany enioyneth the Duke VVhereas this captiue saithe he is depriued of his estat and dominion he ought not to thinke that this is a worthy punishment for his deserts but that being touched onely gently as with the flappe of a foxe taile he is but prouoked and inuited to penaunce and thus he must saie O most mercifull god whereas I haue deserued a greate deale worse and thou yet dost but whip me with small roddes verely I will gladly beare this punishment all daies of my life and I will vtterly renounce my dominion and estate as of the which thou hast moste iustely na rather most mercifully depriued me and from the which I am rightly and worthely thrust out for I am not as I perceaue nowe fit to gouuerne the same Thou art iuste o lorde and thou hast dealed iustely with me yet not according to my desert for as I saide before we muste entreate with god from the bottom of our harte and obediently yelde to his punishment if we do not so he as the trier and sercher of mens hartes from whom nothing is preuy and whom no man can deceiue will easely espie it and if any man go aboute to deceiue or delude him he maketh his cause be it neuer so god starke naught which all we Christen men knowe well inoughe or ought at leste to knowe Marke here nowe diligently good Christen Reader Nowe Luther will haue this poore prince beinge prisonner not to make his confession after the Lutheran order that is that he confesse his fautes onely to god in his harte but euen after the papisticall maner as touching the confessing of his sinnes by mouthe will that he kepe nothing preuy from him or them that shall be his confessours nor be not so bolde as to denie any thinge what then must this penitent of Luther confesse Forsothe all those thinges whiche his open and notorious enemies do falsely accuse him of to the entent that if being forced by cruell emprisonment he happe to yelde vp his owne right then all the worlde might thinke that his voluntary confession was the cause of such satisfaction for they will haue him confesse that he suffreth such emprisonment worthely and that for his deserts he is thrust out of his estate and dominion and that he will neuer require it againe but will of his owne accorde yelde vp all his right and the right of his heires for euer to his aduersaries and mortall enemies here in earthe abiding for and expecting an other estate in heauen Is not this thinke you a swete and pleasaunt satisfaction and merely inuented of Luther and very ghospell like when the Lutherans offend against the Catholikes then in the whole penaunce there can be founde no satisfaction contrition suffiseth But nowe in this case we must haue all thre degres of penaunce Contrition confession and satisfaction But nowe Luther to showe that he is not only the holy Father the highe bishop and pope in Germany but also that he is a prophet and the third Elias he comforteth the princes vnderneth him and dothe prophecy of thinges to come taking occasion of a certayne coyne brought vnto him oute of base germany vnto Wittenberg in the yeare 1545. whereof in this his litle booke thus he writeth This yeare there goeth a talke that certain straunge coynes are brought hether out of base Germany which bothe declare the greate knowleadg off the Papistes and threaten wonderfull perills to the two princes the Electour Duke of Saxony and the Lantgraue of Hesse These coynes of one side haue two pillers Crowned the one with the Emperours the other with a kinges Crowne betwene the two pillers are fetters and giues and two chaines prepared for two men I thinke this shitten prophet would bynde the Prince Electour off Saxony and the Lantgraue there with for in the circle of the coyne thus it is grauen Ad alligandos reges eorum in compedibus that is to binde their princes in fetters The other side of the coyne hathe a spread egle climping in his clawes the two swordes which are painted in the Duke of Saxony his armes Beside the pointes of these swordes strike through a virgin lieng on her side vnderneathe and fire droppeth on her like raine the virgin is tituled Infidelite the writing aboute is Ad faciendam vindictam in nationibus that is to worke vengeaunce in nations whereby they declare what they wrought againste vs and howe they would haue interpreted the leage of defence if those thinges that they saide had come to effect We nede not here to aske whether of these two in this foresaide prophecye was the true or that I may by your good leaue vse Luthers ciuilite the shitten prophet The foure and twentith daie off Aprill in the yeare 1547. in Locher filde and the xix daye off Iune off the same yeare at Halles in Saxony hath manifestly declared it I can not without greate grefe remembre howe our Noble countre of Germany hath suffred a rennagat monke thus to blinde them and delude them to our perpetuall shame and ignominy in the face off all other countres to the vtter destruction of thousands off soules murder of our bodies and spoiling off our goods Truly I fully persuade my selfe that this foresaide coyne was sente vnto vs out of the lowe countres not without the instinct of the holy ghoste either mercifully to admonishe vs to looke better to our matters or that the vaine prediction off this false prophet Luther might by so euident and true a prophecy be conuicted For he that can not see maye yet sensibly feele that this whole matter had the very same euent that the coyne foreshowed cleane contrary and repugnant to Luthers dreame Luther persuaded the simple germans that this prophecy was fulfilled in Duke Harry then presonner and that thereby the popes dominion was vtterly destroied and therefore pricked forwarde the Duke and the Lantgraue to fight and rebell against their liege Souuerain For thus he addeth yet farder in the same booke But nowe for whom they haue painted these giues and fetters we see thanked be god which hath iudged according to the saieng of the psalme They haue opened the pitte and digged it vp and haue fallen in to it them selues their sorowe shall be turned vpon their owne heades and their iniquites shall fall vpon their owne crownes therefore we thanke the iuste and allmightie god and praise the name of the highest Amen Se howe this proude prophet boasteth and triumpheth as thoughe all the element
ronge of trompetts and musike and as thoughe this article I beleue the Catholike Churche vere scraped out of the Crede or as thoughe that were no more true that Christ hath saide that the Churche is builded vpon a sure rocke not able to be shaken or as though it were false that the Apostle writeth calling the Churche the piller and grounde of truthe Who thē fell in to the ditche was it not he that first threwe his neighbour in and after was constrained to plucke him out again and fall in him selfe all the worlde knoweth and seeth it This then lo is the first prophecy of Martin Luther in this foresaide booke Nowe let vs here an other straite folowing hereupon To the entent saithe he that our conscience be not burdned with the sinnes of an other and we be counted afore God as wicked Achab. For if he be deliuered out of preson the papistes withoute doute will blaspheme our God and will crake after this sorte Lo be not our praiers hearde of God VVe haue praied for the Duke Harry of Brunsuicke and God hathe tried oure patience but he hath heard vs at the lēgth For although he suffred the Duke Harry to fall in to the heretikes handes for our temporall punishment yet they haue not ben able to kepe him still but were compelled off God to dismiss him Thankes be to our God whiche hathe not forsaken the churche and awncient religiō And in dede true it is that this argumēt hathe most moued me For we knowe the pope and his parasites be incurable therefore they can do nought els but euen in their moste miseries and wicked dedes comforte coulour and tricke vp them selues His other prophecy whereby he woulde be counted a thirde Elias he confirmeth by this reason That the same must nedes be the right church off Christ whiche was able by their good praiers to restore their princes in to liberte Therefore if the Duke Harry through the earnest and continuall praiers of the papistes were dismissed of his enemies thē euery man will thinke verely that the papistes are the true and right church of Christ. And this is true in dede For this reason therefore Luther as he writeth was most moued in no case to suffer the Duke to be sette at liberty lest perhaps the papistes shoulde be taken for the true churche of God and he and his felowes for the maligne churche Here let euery man that lacketh not common iudgement consider whether Luther be not suche a prophet as Caiphas was For he prophecieth nowe the truthe but as Caiphas did against him selfe and for the contrary parte The Catholikes in dede praied continually and earnestly for the emprisonned prince that he might escape out of his enemies handes Luther wroughte by force and by crafte all that he coulde to kepe him continually in preson and in his enemies handes Whiche parte then did God heare vndoubtedly the righter and more iuste For God is no vniuste iudge but paieth euery man according to his paines Therefore he succoured the presonner deliuered him and so dealed with hym that he might saye Iudge me o Lorde according to my righteousnes God therefore gaue the right and true sentence and nowe which parte and whose praiers were heard the euent declared But howe laboureth Luther to ouerthrowe the reason of the papistes wherewith he was so muche moued and by that ouerthrow to set vp his prowde and arrogant prophecye The first parte of the reason he letteth stāde and graunteth that God heareth the praiers of his churche But he laieth at the other parte and denieth stoutely that the papistes are able to obtaine any thinge of God For so he goeth forth in his foresaide booke Their praier therefore is not to be feared no more then Elias feared the praiers of the prophets of Baal But as he laughed to scorne their praiers and their God so we maye lawfully laughe to scorne the papistes and their God For we knowe their praiers are execrable as their doctrine and belefe is According to that of the psalme 199. Let their praier turne in to sinne And whomsoeuer they teache he can not chose but be condemned Nether are their praiers other then such as the deuill ones mocked at what time a certain priest being wel tipled saieng his complet in his bead and spetting as he praied letted also a greate farte well quôd he Diuell ▪ such praier such frankensence The like maye be saide of all their mumbling in churches and monasterys For they can not praie nor wil not praie nor know not what to praie nor how to praie The hereticall doctrine of Luther is so printed in some mens hartes by the instinct of some euill sprit that they passe vppon no praier beleue no truthe no miracle not God him selfe but one worde of Luthers mouth more persuadeth them be it neuer so false then God him selfe or his worde or the whole Catholike church Therefore if any man at that time had ben so bolde as to haue saide that the Catholike churche shoulde throughe her deuoute praiers obtaine the victory against her enemies and that this Duke thē prisonner should be deliuered and the other the Duke of Saxony and the Lantgraue caste in preson that man had ben mocked and scoffed to deathe presuming so to contemne the authorite off the thirde Elias Luther And I doubte whether yet vntel this daie some simple mē are deceaued by that his prophecy though the ende of this tragedy being so open to all the worlde geueth euident testimony that allmightie God hath heard the praiers of the papistes and reiected those of the Lutherans deliuering the Duke Harry and bringing the other two Princes in to the Emperours handes as presonners Nowe Luther to absolue and consummat this his laste worke for with this holesom piece he ended his fifte ghospell he prouoketh mē of armes and power to fighte courageously against their chief and Liege Souueraines For thus he writeth Only God must be honoured only god must be praised to him only thankes are due to the entent that he which maketh all thinges may geue also the victory For god can abide none of these twaine either that mā tempt him or that he truste to much to himselfe VVe must walke the high waie turning neither on the right hāde nether on the lefte VVhosoeuer taketh not weapon when he may he vseth not the giftes of god he turneth on the lefte hande and seing a blowe coming laieth out his head He tempteth god wherefore it happeneth wel and worthely that such mēs heades beare awaie the rappes This coūsell of Luther is true and good touching Magistrats Kinges Emperours Princes and rulers But not for them which are subiects and priuat men For Luther him self writeth and teacheth that no Prince or Lorde whiche is vnder a higher power and oweth allegeaunce vnto him can rightely make warre againste any other prince or Lorde muche lesse against his
I awnswer you Amonge Christen men there can not be nor ought not to be any Magistrat but euery mā is subiect one to another all a like as the Apostle saithe Philip. 2. Thinking euery one superiour one to another and S. Peter 1. Pet 5. Euery one showe humilite one to another vnto the whiche Christe also consenteth saieng Luce. 14. when thou arte called vnto a mariage go sit downe in the lowest place Amonge Christen men there is no superiour but onely Christ and what superiorite or magigistrat cā there be where al be equal of one right dignite and vocation and where none desireth to rule ouer the other but euery one is glad to be vnder VVhere such men are if any would make a Magistrat yet he can not make one that should be superiour to the other for it is against nature to haue superiours where no mā wil be nor cā besuperiour ▪ and where such men are not there are not true Christians Againe in the next leafe before he writeth thus They be princes of the worlde But the worlde is enemy to God Therefore they must nedes do those thinges that are contrary to God and acceptable to the worlde lest they lese their honour and be no more worldy princes Maruaile not therefore if they storme and striue against the ghospel and plaie like madde fooles For their doings must nedes corresponde to their name and title Marke also that from the beginning of the worlde a wise prince hathe ben a seldom birde but a good prince much more dainty The moste of them are other principall fooles or the moste wicked knaues on the earthe And therefore we can hope for litle good of them but feare allwaies the worste Especially in matters of God and pertaining to our soule helthe For they are as the hangmen and tormentours of god c. And anon it foloweth Therefore if perhaps there be any wise good or Christian prince that is to be counted for a wonder and a singular token of gods greate grace and clemency towarde that countre I beseche you al good Christen readers of whatsoeuer degre or qualite you are remēbre your vocation and suffer not your selues to be abused of this fonde frier or to be lead in to his seditious errours and cōtempt of Magistrats from the true belefe and awncient obedience of Christendom For the true ghospell of Christ commaundeth directly all subiectes to obey their Lieges Princes and Souueraines in all dread and obedience not onely good vertuous and mercifull but also frowarde wicked and cruell But what effect had this fifte ghospell of Luther and his prophecyeng of the fall of Princes forsothe in the yeare 1525. that is two yeares after the setting forthe of that his seditious booke it sturred vp that notorious rebell Thomas Muntzer whom yet Luther as it maye by good euidence be proued at the firste excused and defended before the Duke of Saxony hoping that Muntzer shoulde haue sped of his purpose But afterwarde perceauing the princes to make greate preparation and to gather power against the rebells feling that his Christen liberte was like to fall in the donge straite he writeth vnto the Princes and Nobilite to hewe downe the rusticall rebelles And to declare vnto the whole worlde the greate thought and grefe that father Luther tooke of that his former pernicious and deadly counsell euē at the very same time he toke a Nūne out of her cloyster and for mere pitie of the poore commons so deluded celebrated the solemne swete mariage of the fifte ghospell But to the entent the Princes and Rulers might not espie these his preuy fetches and deuelishe inuentions the very same yeare 1525 he sette forthe an other booke quite contrary to the former Which he intituled Whether souldiars be in state of saluation In that booke he writeth thus Here the lawe itselfe speaketh that no man ought to take weapon against his superiour For vnto superiours and magistrats honour reuerence obedience and dread is due Rom. 13. For he that hacketh wodde ouer his heade the chippes will fall in his eyes and as Salomon saith he that throweth a stone vpwarde it will fall downe vppon his head euen such is the lawe made of god and receaued of men For these two can not agre to obey and yet to rebell to be a subiect and yet to abyde no ruler Thus much Luther in that place Here I beseche almightie God to geue the light of truthe to all good and godly readers hereof that laieng a side al affectiō to the person or man they will waighe and considre vprightly the whole cause it selfe as it standeth Luthers bookes De Captinitate Babylonica and of Secular Authorite teache according to his ghospell that among Christē mē there can not be nor ought no to be any higher power or power at al. And why wrote he so then bicause that if the Emperour or other princes would perhaps haue persecuted the heresy of Luther then the commons and cytezens might lawfully haue slaien the Catholike Prince higher power and magistrat Now in his other booke Of the state of souldyars the ghospell of Luther teacheth plaine contrary that the higher power must be obeyed not onely good but also the badde to punishe the seditious and put to deathe rebells Againe in his laste litle booke writē to the Duke of Saxony and the Lantgraue his ghospell preacheth after an other sorte as that subiects may take weapon and stād in the field against their liege Souuerain But so that they walke the high waie that is that spetting wel in their hādes and falling to it lustely as he was wonte to saie they hewe downe their princes a pase and if it proue prosperousely then geue honour vnto the Lorde Beholde the honour of God that heretikes seke They teache the subiect to murder the Prince against the expresse commaundement of God in holy write teaching vs to honour God in the higher power Awake ye o Germās stirre vp your selues see and acknowledg the mercifull visitation of allmighty God Nowe god knocketh at our hartes and looketh for repentaunce and that with this fatherly lesson of king Dauid Todaie if ye haue heard his voyce harden not your hartes and the wordes of the Apostle Knowest thou not that the mercifulnes of god and longe bearing draweth the vnto repētaunce Let vs therefore aske and crie vnto god O Lorde conuerte vs and showe thy face and we shal be saued Let vs also heare the worde of our Lorde calling vpon vs by the prophet Turne ye vnto me saythe the Lorde of Hostes and I will turne vnto you And to the entent that all the honour be geuen to God and yet that our good intent and purpose lacke not if we will do true penaunce we muste from the bottom of our hart lament with Ieremy the prophet and crye with teares vnto our lorde O Lorde turne vs
the broode of that fonde frier sing the same song Beza and his companions at the late Synod of Poissy in FrauÌ„ce were stiff in that opinion aloÌ„g time but at the leÌ„gth were driuen from it whereupoÌ„ they chaunged the tenour of their supplication calling them selues Les esleus de Dieu the chosen of God This wilde persuasion is allmost receiued of all protestants It is the very heresy of the Pelagians condemned therefore in S. Augustins time as in his booke De heresibus he reciteth at large What a great corrupter of holy Scripture Luther hath ben in the second part of this Apologie it is at large declared by Fridericus Staphylus How our protestants also haue folowed his example therein and how manifoldly they haue peruerted the very text of holy Scripture I haue in part touched to geue good warning in the rest Who list to see how this hath ben the guiâ—e and maner of olde heretikes Let him reade Tertullian in his praescriptions S. Ambrose vpon the epistle of S. Paul to Titus Iraeneus also and S. Augustin writing against Adimantus the manichee cap. 12. 14. 16. What should I procede farder in declaring how Luther and his scholers folowe rhe race of olde heretikes bothe in their doctrine and in the maner and setting forthe thereof The very refusall of the auncient fathers in Christes church pronouÌ„ced as you haue heard so impudently of Luther and folowed with no lesse impudence of his scholers is no new point but euen the very shift of their forefathers cursed heretikes of olde time This appeareth well by the disputations of Athanasius with Arrius by the counsell of Sisinnius to the Emperour Theodosius by the maner of Eutyches in the Councell of Chalcedon by the writings of Cirillus touching Nestorius and of S. Basil coÌ„cerning Eunonius For all these lerned fathers could not drawe those vnruly heretikes to the rule of the auncient and holy writers in the Church of Christ. They appealed to only Scripture and would be tried only by that as Luther would and the protestants of our time wil though many heretikes receiued not the whole corps of Scripture but such partes only as liked them reiecting all that made against them euen as now a daies also Luther and his scholers reiect the bookes of Machabees and the epistle of S. Iames the one bicause it praieth for the dead the other bicause it writeth directly against their only faith Of what heretikes they lerned this shift we haue already declared defending the Machabees against M. Grindall Aduise your selues now good Christen readers whether you thinke the surer waie to saluatioÌ„ to for lowe the steppes of these fathers of Luther and all new ghospellers all condemned heretikes aboue a thousand yeares past or embrace the doctrine of the holy Fathers and lerned approued writers in Christes church May we not wel iudge and assuredly persuade our selues that the very sprit of heresy spake in Luther and speaketh in all new ghospellers preaching and defending olde condemned heresies Why haue protestants departed from the olde Catholike religion and embraced the new doctrine of Luther they saie forsothe bicause all thinges are reformed after the paterne and practise of the primitiue Church What meane they trow ye herein truly I do not otherwise thinke but that a great numbre the vnlerned and deceiued sorte take them to meane wel and that all is reduced to the doctrine and religion approued and generally receiued in the primitiue church for the espace of fiue or six hundred yeares after Christ. But vndoubtedly the lerned and ringleaders of this new fangled faith if they meane truly must nedes meane the renewing of such heresies as were in that time condemned For thus and no otherwise do they folow doctrine practised in that time that is of heretikes as in a numbre of particular assertions you haue sene But to returne to Luther what point of a right heretike is there that hath not in him ben verified He condemneth the Church and holy Fathers appointed of the holy Ghoste to gouuerne and direct his church as you see by his owne wordes before alleaged He corrupteth holy scripture by false translations as the secoÌ„de part of this Apologie hath declared you He denied partes hereof at his pleasure after the acustomed maner of al heretikes He holdeth teacheth and defendeth olde cursed and loÌ„ge condeÌ„ned heresies as we haue before deducted vnto you He hath bredd diuers sectes by his owne doctrine repugnaÌ„t and coÌ„trary one to an other to wit the Anabaptistes the SacrameÌ„taries the S weÌ„ck feldiaÌ„s and diuers other as it appeareth clerely by the Table of his Ofspring in the thrid part of this Apologie Finally bicause al heretikes are knoweÌ„ by their frutes what the frutes of this maÌ„s doctrine haue beÌ„ it is in this Apologie of Staphylus in diuers places expresly set forth as wel for the great decaye of deuotion and spirituall vertus as for the temporall waste and misery that of this heresy hath ensued Of his terrible arrogancy and pride the most euident token of a wilfull heretiken and voide of all grace and goodnes all that haue read his writings can testifie abundantly None more complaine thereof then his felowe protestants the Sacramentaries of Zurich as partly by their wordes in the thirde parte of this boke alleaged it maye well appeare Neuer baude in bridwell nor scolde in the stewes so railed as this man doth beinge comptrolled of his doctrine His awnswers against all such as wrote againste him abundantly declare the same For hereupon the ciuill Lutherans do swarue in many pointes from such doctrine as he was wonte to vtter in the vehemency of sprit as they cal it and in his cholere He wrote him selfe an Euangelist off Christ euen as Manicheus called him selfe an Apostle of Christ as S. Augustin witnesseth And off his scholers he is called the thirde Helias as in the story of his deathe we reade writen by Melanchthon Ionas and Pomeranus Euen as Manicheus was of his scolers called the holy ghost and Montanus of his secte also He writeth that he is sure and certain he hath his doctrine from heaueÌ„ eueÌ„ as Aetius sayde also of him selfe I knowe God moste clerely and euen as perfitly as I knowe my selfe The cause and original of Luthers departure from the church was ambitioÌ„ as all the ecclesiasticall histories of our time FoÌ„tanus Rouerus and other do testifie to witt bicause he was not preferred to the publishing of the famous pardon of the croisad The same ambition made Aerius an heretike bicause Eustathius was preferred before him in a certain bishoprike as Epiphanius recordeth The like writeth Tertullian of ValeÌ„tinus and Nicephorus reporteth of Montanus lib. 4 cap. 2. of Nouatus libro 6. capite 3. of Florinus libro 4. capite 20. and of Thebutes one of the firste heretikes in the Apostles time the very same cause of falling in
which it is nowe clere he doth If ye answer that so it is done bicause men by their owne wickednes malice and vngratefulnesse haue so deserued to be forsaken of God that shall be well and truly answered But bicause yet we see not the reason of this variete why some being brought to obedience other continewe indurated in the discussion of this doubte we must nedes haue recourse to that whiche S. Paule noted oute of Moyses to witt that from the beginning the Lorde had stirred them vp to showe his name through out all the worlde Now these wordes from the beginning are not in S. Paule nor Moyses in any text latin greke or hebrewe but are the wordes of Iohn Caluin added to the text of Gods worde for a vauntage to witt to make vs beleue that from the beginning euen before the fall of Adam God was the cause off induration aud harde hart of reprobats For he is not you see coÌ„teÌ„ted to attribut it only to their owne deserts and malice but seketh a superiour cause in God and that by the wordes of S. Paule from the beginning which he nor none of all his scholers are euer able to showe vs in any text of S. Paule that is This is lo the plaine dealing of these ghospellers and refourmers of Christes Church These be the chalengers of Gods worde This is the pure text they vaunte and boaste of They pretend to couet after the pure text and bare letter But as the poet saied ex vno disce omnes By Caluin lerne what the rest are And Time Danaos dona ferentes trust not an heretike though he bringe you scripture it selfe What false tricke is there that Caluin hath not plaied He hath corrupted the text with false translation as we showed you in the 9. chapter of Salomons prouerbes He belieth holy Scripture as yow heard in the S. chapter of S. Paull to the Romans He denieth expresse scripture as we declared you in the 19. chapter of the Actes of the Apostles He requireth to be heard against expresse scripture as we recited you oute of his Institutions And nowe you see he addeth to holy Scripture If this archeprotestant and greate ghospelling doctour behaueth him selfe so in his printed workes which remaine to be vewed of all lerned men what will the nouices of his religion and young prinking preachers sticke to do in pulpits where they knowe their audience to be not allwaies lerned and of the lerned some of a presumed preiudice to take all for good other to winke at all vti foro Albeit the doctrine of Caluin as you haue partly sene be stuffed with abhominable heresies and most absurde contradictions yet in all his doctrine he talketh peremptorely He matcheth him selfe with the Apostles He condemneth and reprouueth at his pleasure all holy fathers Whereby his pride and presumptuousnes sure mates of heresy vttereth it selfe I will for example note you a fewe of his sayinges where you shall see howe proudely he demeaneth him selfe and howe courteousely he ordereth the holy auncient and lerned fathers First as touching his contradictions about free will witting and feeling him selfe very well that he might wottly be charged therewith in one place of his booke of predestination he vtereth his feare and with a worde of his mouthe thinketh to make all the matter smothe These are his wordes I saie again I am not ignorant what apparent absurdite and contradiction this doctrine hath with prophane men and dispisors of God But whatsoeuer they bable or barke our conscience ought to serue vs for a thousand witnesses Is not this a gaie solution trow ye hath he not geuen vs a substaÌ„tiall warrant of the vniformite of his doctrine For what saieth he Forsothe whatsoeuer contradictions we see and beholde with our eyes yet we must trust Caluins coÌ„science that he is so honest a man that he would neuer saie or vtter any such thing Now reade againe those fewe of his contradictions that we haue recited who list and let him iudge in his owne conscience what the conscieÌ„ce of Caluin is and howe farre it is to be trusted Againe as touching the singularite off his doctrine which he knoweth and confesseth to be contrary to the olde fathers what reason thinke ye bringeth he for the defence off it In his treatise of baptim the 17. chapter of his Institutions he expouÌ„deth the wordes of Christ to Nicodemus Vnlesse a maÌ„ be borne again by water and the holy Ghost he shall not enter in to the knigdoÌ„ of heauen to be but an allegoricall speache against the whole practise off Christes church and consent of all holy fathers and lerned writers expounding the wordes off Christ literally as the text hath for necessite of baptim This Caluin knewe and confessed But how then thinke you doeth he excuse the matter what clâ—ke hath he for his singularite Ye shall heare After longe talke thus he concludeth Scio alios aliter interpretari sed hunc esse germanum sensum non dubito that is I knowe that other men haue otherwise expounded this but I doubt not but this is the right sence Lo Caluin doubteth not and therefore we must beleue him more theÌ„ all the church beside What is arrogancy if this be not Likewise in his doctrine and booke of predestination such as finde fault with his doctrine he saieth they blaspheme God and crieth vnto them as S. Paul did to such as Caluin is VVhat arte thou man which disputest with God Now what the doctrine off Caluin is you haue sene partly by this our simple discourse and more especially it appeareth in the third parte of this Apologie Yet he matcheth him selfe with God and vaunteth the coÌ„ptrollers of his hereticall doctrine with the check of S. Paul as curious serchers of Gods depe secrets And therefore no maruail iff he sett light by the holy Fathers off Christes church and reuerence them no deale at all In his treatise of baptim labouring to promote his heresy touching the baptim off S. Ihon that it should be equall with the baptim of Christ remembring that the Fathers of the church laie in his waie and withstode him to make the restafeared he geueth the venter vpon S. Augustin and saieth Nec recipienda est illa Augustini argutia in spe dimissa fuisse peccata Ioannis baptismo Christi baptismo reipsa dimitti that is Neither is that sutteltly off Augustin to be admitted that by the baptim of Ihon sinnes were forgeuen but in hope by the baptim off Christ they are forgeuen in dede In other places he calleth S. Augustin in dogmatibus ecclesiae fidelissimuÌ„ vetustatis interpreteÌ„ a most trusty reporter of antiquite in doctrines of the church But when it pleaseth M. Caluin S. Augustins doctrine is but a suttelty Likewise reprouuing the doctrine of penaunce where it is compared to the borde after a shipwracke which is a vsuall similitude off all
the people knew theÌ„ selues the Senatours remained in authorite Particular fautes were redressed the whole order and estat remained Sucha Pacuuius I say was at the entry of these heresies to be wished and preseÌ„tly may also be heard For although that which is past caÌ„ not be reuoked yet it may be amended Let vs then with Pacuuius demaunde of such as lothe their auncient and receiued belefe what newe faith will they embrace For without some faith I thinke none yet that beare the name of Christians will line Will they be right and zelous Lutherans taking Luther for the very man of God and vndoubted prophet to reuele his holy worde in these our later dayes Will they reiect all Fathers all Councells all that Christendom hath hetherto beleued as you haue heard before Luther doth Then beside all that we haue saied of his doctrine and behauiour sufficieÌ„t I trust to proue him a right heretike if an heretike may be knowen by his frutes let them satisfie the ciuill and disordrely or repining Lutherans let them accrode with the Sacramentaries the Anabaptistes the Osiandrins the Swenkcfeldians and all the remnant of Luthers branches as you may see and vew in the petigrew of his ofspring drawen out by Staphylus If they set light by that fonde frier as the more part of protestants do to the great grief and bitter complaining of all zelous Lutherans what secte wil they be of Will they ciuilly beleue at pleasure as MelaÌ„chthon did and be euerlerning as S. Paule of heretikes pronounceth but neuer attaining to the truthe Who laugheth not at so fonde a chaunge if in so waighty a cause any Christen hart can laugh and not rather lament such willfull blindnesse or blind willfulnesse as in these ciuil Lutherans appeareth Will they forsake Luther vtterly and become Sacramentaries Yet then we may demaunde of what secte of Sacramentaries they will be For Caluin and Bullinger Geneua and Zurich agre not But if they will be Caluinistes as most parte of Sacramentaries are who yet will not disdayne there at knowing the pride of Caluin setting light by the holy Fathers his corrupting of holy Scripture wicked renewing of olde condemned heresies fonde auouching off most clere contradictions rashe teaching of moste absurd doctrine in that article where he we was thought moste to haue excelled All which and much more we haue in this simple discourse discouered vnto you gentle Readers to the entent that you may see what an euill chaunge you make to leaue the auncient fathers the Catholike and vniuersall belefe the faith you were baptised in and in the which all our forefathers these thousand fiue hundred yeares and vpwarde haue serued allmighty God and liued as Christen men and true membres of Christes church to leaue I saie all this and to become protestants or new ghospellers that is men of a new faith and religion which you must lerne of some one of these three Luther Melanchthon or Caluin or of such as haue lerned it of them By this consideration I trust you shall pereiue that though the vniuersall name of refourmed ghospellers and chalengers off gods worde haue pleased you though the generall name of papistry haue displeased and misliked you yet the particular being now discouered as well off the persons as of the doctrine you will either incontinently returne from whence you departed or at lest deliberat thereof and of these fewe lerne to mistrust the rest Fridericus Staphylus whose Apologie we haue here translated you being a Lutheran many yeares and so farre in credit with the protestants that he might haue ben a doctour of diuinite amonge them also a Superintendent at Augspurg at Brunsuick Lubeck and Hamburg by this very consideration became a Catholike For hauing many years ben a Lutheran and a familiar frend of Melanchthon aduised with him selfe to write also in defence of the Lutheran doctrine He had not yet at that time read the auncient fathers but had heard them much alleaged of Luther and Melanchthon and trusting to their allegations thought vndoubtedly that the doctrine of Luther was agreable with the lerned fathers and the primitiue church Hereupon he diuised after the imitation of the Master of the sentence and other schole men to set forthe in one volume the whole effect and summe of Luthers doctrine This booke he intituled Corpus doctrinae Lutheranae the body or summe of Luthers doctrine For this purpose he began to â—eke the doctours and serche the original of Luthers and MelaÌ„chthons allegatioÌ„s But here lo in this particular serche and examinatioÌ„he found the doctours and auncient writers to condemne directly the doctrine of Luther At this he was maruailousely astonned brake of his enterprise began with priuat study to peruse him selfe the auncieÌ„t and approued writers in Christes church as well the grekes as the latins and to conferre with them these new writers of our time About this study he bestowed as he writeth in this very Apologie two and tweÌ„ty yeares not medling with any other ciuil or worldly matters in al that time By this meanes though slowly and slackely as in the preface of this Apologie he complaineth him selfe he shifted at length him selfe out of the captious coÌ„trouersies of this time and became not only a right good Catholike priuately and in coÌ„science but opeÌ„ly also to al the worlde he declared it and discouered more theÌ„ any of our time hath done bothe the false grounde of all their pretended doctrine that is the bare title of gods worde without the right vnderstanding of the same and also their variaunces sectes and dissensions amonge them selues Whereby in diuers partes of Germany especially in the territory of Bauaria many haue returned from the dissolut heresy of Luther to the holesom discipline of the Catholike church This he did to his dere countre of Germany in this Apologie writen of him in his mother tongue This I haue made now common to my dere countre also hauing no lesse nede thereof then that miserable countre of Germany hath I trust herein I shall offende none but suche perhaps as firste muste be offended before they can be amended Heresy is compared to a caÌ„cre Vnlesse it be launced it festereth and groweth to the corruption not only of it self but of other To make an ende I desire the protestant to make the example of this lerned and vertuous maÌ„ Fridericus Staphylus to reade this his labour to consider the grouÌ„de of false doctrine taught by Luther and his successours to vewe the diuersite and contrariete of his scholers the numbre of sectes the blasphemies of eche one to waigh the issue off this doctrine the dissolut life and contempt of order the countres of Hungary Lifland and Prussia lost by Luthers heresy finally to beholde the olde heresies renewed by Luther and other his behauiour resembling heretikes the incoÌ„stancy variete and wilfulnesse of Melanchthon the fonde absurdites clere contradictitions and most hainous heresies of Ihon Caluin I besech the
diuinite bicause of the othe of wittenberg fol. 10. b. VVhy he forsoke the Lutherans fol 11. 56. .252 VVhy Caluin maketh the SacrameÌ„t of the aultar but a bare signe fol. 214. b. The Sacramentaries tye Christ to the bread fol. 216. Repugnances in Caluin to holy Scripture fol. 217. The lawe of the Turkes compiled by heretikes fol. 19. A refuge for false translations of Scripture confuted fol. 154. Detestable heresies concerning the Blessed Trinite fol. 17. To cleaue to the writen text only is an olde heresie fol. 47. In the worde of God two thinges are to be considered fol. 34. A wicked persuasion of worldly carelesse men fol. 51. b. A buckler for the vulerned against new preachers fol. 52. b. Zuinglius is a pelagian fol. 111. Faultes escaped in Printing â—l Pag. Lin. 3. 1. 2. Reade for good goods 99. 2. 27. for wrath in wrath as iâ— 157. 1. 28. for the righteous the workes of the righteous FINIS 1. Cor. 11. 1. Cor. 9. Hebr. 6. Rom. 4. Matth. 16. 2. Tim. 2. Apocal. 2. 2. Petri. 2. Iudâ— 2. Dan. 3. Hierem. 5 1. Ioan. 2. The duty of a Christen man in time of heresy Heb. 13. Math. 7. â— Ioan. 4. Scripture hard to be vnderstanded Lib. 2. de doctr Christi Cap. 6. In Ezech. Cap. 45. In anchorae tu Lib. 7. in Leuiticum Iâ—praescrip haereticoâ—uÌ„ 2. Petr. 3. 2. Cor 4. Ioan. 5. Act. 8. Luc. 24. Math. 7. 1. Ioan. 4. 2. Tim. 2. The contents of the Apologie Lucae 9. Genes 1. Ephes. 5. Epiphanius li. 2. coÌ„trea har August ad Quoduult 1. Timo. 4. Disagrement in doctrine among our protestans Caunterbury Chichester Glocester Rochester In the yeare 1557. The difference of the present communion from the first Tomo 6. fel. 60. Ephes. 4. In Apologia absoluta pag. 78. Esa. 1â— Staphylus refuseth to be Doctour bicause of the othe Indefensione contra Musculum VVhy Staphylus forsoke the Luthe rans Lib. 9. cap. 46. histor Epist. 2. ad Clidonium This epistle vvas vvriten in laten by the author him selfe The inteÌ„t of the author in this vvorke Câ—or 3. The principles of the catholike religion Leuit. 13. In his booke de seculari potestate In a booke against the tvvo commauÌ„dements of the Emperour In lib. de Matrimo In libel de matrimo In AssertioÌ„ ad LeoneÌ„ In his sermons at Smalcaldium Caluin in his institutions Abhominable heresies of the Lutherans touching Christ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Detestable heresies coÌ„cerning the Blessed Trinite LutheraÌ„s in Bohem teache the soule to die vvith the body No certainte of faithe in LutheraÌ„s See the third parte of this booke the labels of the LutheraÌ„s priÌ„ciples The lavv of the Turkes compiled by heretikes Note the ende of present heresies â—ib confes The councell being novve ended vve ought vvith other Christen countres conforme ou our selues thereuÌ„to 1. Cor. 13. If Chatite vvere in protestaÌ„ts they vvoulde neuer refuse the Councel The Catholikes desire no other iudge of present Controuersies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A clere example off debating a controuersy Ioan. 14. Ioan. 10. Socrates li. 5. cap. 10. Sozomenus li. a. ca. 17 Nicephor libro 12. Cap. 15. Good Counsell of Sifiniê° to defeate heretiker Olde heretikes dispise the holy fathers as our protestaÌ„ts novv In prescript vvhy it be houeth not to dispute vvith heretikes Vide praefationes Lutheri in hoslibros primae editio In Bohem and in the seacost tovvnes of germany The difference betvvene catholikes and heretikes Actor 8. 2. Tim. 1. The marke of the heretikes of the primitiue church Actor 4. Math. 18. The same marck in our heretikes A notable testimonie of the Caluinistes against Luther In the third treatise of the churche of Zurich against Luther All nevve sectes haue begon of Luther In a booke against the tvvo coÌ„mauÌ„deâ—ments off Caesar. Ican 6. See the 3. treatise of the churche of Zurich and The â—eauenly prophets off Luther The deathe of many greate Princes in a shorte time Moguntia In Noâ—th An. 1560 Esaiae 3. Non nisi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In orat aduers ebrios 1. Cor. 2. Deâ—ost procâ—roâ—a A charitable shifte of the protestants Psal. 141. Lib. confes 9. cap. 13. 1. Cor. 4. Psalm 7. 2. Cor. 1. 1. Pet. 3. Lib. de bono viduita tis cap. 22. Prou. 22. Deute 17. The cause of the protestaÌ„ts grief against Staphylus 2. Tim. 2. 2. Thess. 2. Lib. 5. stâ—matum Math. 16. Mar. 13. The Catholikes haue the vvorde of God no lesse then the ptotestants Actor 3. A lovvdlie of the LutheraÌ„s against the Catholike churche Note vvel In the vvorde of God tvvo thinges are to be considered Ad fratres de monte Dei. Aduers Luciferianos Lutherus inassertio MelaÌ„chthoÌ„ in PauluÌ„ ad Rom. Caluinus iâ—institut Lib. 2. de Trinitate Note vvel VVhat is al the coÌ„trouersy betvvene the catholikes and the protestants RemeÌ„bre the state of germany of Scotland and the late spoyle in FrauÌ„ce The miracles of the nevve ghospell In lib. de vnitate ecclesiae DiffereÌ„ce betvvene life and doctrine Luther in parua Confessione coÌ„tra Zuinglianos Libr. quod Papatus supra infernuÌ„ exstructus sit Libr. coÌ„trae coelestes prophetas The pride of Luther In sua Apologia coÌ„trae postremam Lutheri coÌ„fessionem 1. Pet. 5. Psal. 103. Esaiae 40 Rom. 1. A notable testimonie of Luther of the life of his scholers Math. 7. Luc. 6. Math. 7. 2. Timo. 2. Againe repetauÌ„ce of the most vvicked may be soden and secret A perfit rule to discerne fal se preachers The first part Matth. 23. Esaiae 5. Math. 23. Matth. 7. Ioan. 8. Galat. 6. Rom. 2. The scoÌ„d part of the ruie Matth. 7. Heretikes of greate vertu in appareÌ„ce Matthae 7. The third part of the rule Hovve to knovve doctrine by the frutes Matth. 12. Ioan. 10. Math. 7. The frutes of the LutheraÌ„s doctrine In libro de Matrimonio Tom. 6 Luther in the 6. tome libello de matrimo Marc. 6. In the 6. tome of his vvorkes printed in the yeare 1553 Lib. de christiana libertate Contra duâ— Caesaris maÌ„data RemeÌ„bre the late rebellion in Fraunce In Captiuitate Babilonica Lntherâ—s in 3. ca. ad Gal. Illyricani mulâ—is lib. Aboue in the 36. leafe Caluinus in instituti onibus cap. 14. In assertio nibus art 31. Matthaei 7. Note the differeÌ„ce betvvene the euil life of the Catholikes and the Lutherans Note Matth. 3. Hovve to discerne true doctrine froÌ„ the false 2. Tim. 3. It is not â—ough to reade scripture with oâ—t the true vnderstaÌ„diÌ„g of the same 2. Câ—r 3. Ioan. 5. A daÌ„gerous deceite of the protestants Note An other daÌ„gerous deceite of the protestants Ephes. 4. Heb. 13. The straunge order of seruing the churche in germany Matth. 10. Lutherus lib. de Christiana libertate The frutes of Luthers libertie lib. Contra. 2. maÌ„da a Caesaris in literis ad ducem Saxâ—uiae Vide scriptuÌ„ Philippi ad Com. Palatinum aeditum an no. 1560. Heidelbergae The incoÌ„ stancy
vvhich is vp and dâ—vvne Suinglians heresie A questioÌ„ of the ghospellers disproued â—y Melanchthon Ioan. 15. Ioan. 14. The vvordes of Staphylus O the impudency of MelaÌ„chthon for these fathers do al teache the contrary * No nor your authorite MclaÌ„chthon * This is a lovvd lie * Is not the doctrine of Melanchthon nevve the felovve raueth Ergo it is nevve Hoc videlicet est Synâ—retisare Melanchthon a dissembling ghospeller Se the x. article of D. Hardinges avvnsvver to Master Iuells chalenge fol. 124. Fiue sectes among the Lutherans of the Sacrament Thirten heresies among the protestaÌ„ts touching the blessed SacrameÌ„t Nicolaus Gallus libr. cui titulum fecit Fundamenta Nic. Galli etiaÌ„numperstaÌ„t in Thematibussuis The seueÌ„th testimony Illyricus Fol. D. 3. The ghospellers doubt vvhat the ghospell preacheth Esaiae 41. Libello contra trimem brem Theologiam fol. 80. Fol. o. 3. The eight testimony In epistolis Petri Statorij Galli Pincâ—â—uiae aeliâ—is anno 1560. In praefatione libelli contra Staphylum A brief recapitulation of the schisines and dissensions amoÌ„ge the protestants Epistola Illyrici ad M. VVerneruÌ„ Barben Caluinus de pre destinatione et Illyricus in articulis ineundae coÌ„ cordiae etalij plerique omnets Illyricus in libro suae informationis Gallus in exceptionum libro cae Anisdorfius lib. opera bona esse perniciosa Illyricus contra Mentum et aliâ—i Caluinus in institutione Christiana MelanchthoÌ„ in vltimis locis commuÌ„nibus Lutherus libro de capt Babylonica ZuingliuscoÌ„tra VrbanuÌ„ Regium de Baptismo Lutherus in postrema coÌ„ fessione Illyricus in suae informationis libro Gallus in exceptionibus â—ontra acta VVitteÌ„ bergensium ProfessoruÌ„ Lib. contra 9. sectas Li. coÌ„traâ— sectas The seconde part off this booke De materia Lutheranae Theologiae Theologiae Lutheranae trimembris epitome Lib. de capt Babyl titulo de matrimonio Note here the modesty of protestants Sexto Tomo germanico Fol. 172. A holesome lesson for the Lutheran dames The mariages of nevve ghospellers Note the iustice of Luther Tom. 9. fâ— 177. A spiritual lesson for the protestant husband Ester 1. Matth. 19. Marci 10. The incoÌ„stancy of the Lutherans In locis communibus medijs vltimis The Lutherans haue corrupted the Crede Children are taught a corrupted Crede Protestants are proued to be heretikeâ— Smidelinus extrema parte libri contra Sâ—a phylum Dissension destroieth heresies Lutherus in 5. psal Iudic. 9. Genes 11. Dissension allvvaies accompaneth heresy Vide historiam tripar titam lib. 9 cap. 40. Nicephorun lib. 12. cap. 29. li. 13 cap. 1. lib 18. cap. 45 50. Mat. 7. Apoca. 16. Apocal. 16. Sap. 11. 1. Ioan. 5. Ioan. 19. Apo. 16. The late rebells in Fraunce are of this secte The sectes of Anabaptistes The Sprit Bernardin Ochin Peter Martirs scholer defendeth this secte by scriptures Tom. 6. fo 177. an 53. * Transsiluania O hotte communi cants Zelous Ciuill The zelous Lutherans O blessed frutes of the nevve ghospell Certain LutheraÌ„s denie an article off our crede * Ratispâ—na ciuill Lutherans Colloss 2. Geâ—e 3. Melanchthon is a baker Certain protestaÌ„ts call bapti abathe for svvine 1 Ioan. 4. Vide Micha elis Rotlingis ludimagistri NoreÌ„ bergensis li belluÌ„ coÌ„tra OsiandruÌ„ * Regiemons Suinglius is a Pelagian Our nevv protestaÌ„ts are nevve Manichees Detestable doctrines off Caluin Horrible blasphemies of a ghospelling Minister Note the grounde of nevve heresies novveadaies The Issue of Luthers â—hospell Luthers doctrine to haue naught but expres scripture cause off all heresies Aboue in the leafe 16. Basill Zu rich Berna Schafusa Clarona It appeared vvel of late in Fraunce Holsatia Ratispona Vratislauia Aâ—gusta vindelicorum Transsiluaâ—ia In libello contra Staphylum The ghospel of Luther decayeth daily This sory shift oure Apologie of EnglaÌ„de alleageth also in defence of their dissensioÌ„ Libro coÌ„tra Catalogum Faithe in one in all but trade of life ciuers Heb. 2. Philip. 2. Philip. 3. Iacob 12. Rom. 12. Galat. 6. Ro. 2. 14. 2. Cor. 5. A vvily deceit of the LutheraÌ„s The protestants coÌ„founde vniformite and diuersite The frutes of this confusioÌ„ The late rebellion also in Fraunce Ephes. 6. 2. Cor. 6. Lutherans do chaunge faith in to hope and confidence Smid soundeth in the germain tongue Smith A prety similitude Ro. 13. 1. Cor. 15. Philip. 2. The cause of diuers professioÌ„s of religioÌ„ in the catholike churche Luther reacheth this in his booke de saeculari potestate in the 6. German tome fol. 602. and in many other places Hereticall rebellion neuer proueth In the yeare 1325. VVe haue late examples of oure ovvne countre The triuÌ„phes of late heretikes ouer the Catholikes Vide prodrâ— muÌ„ Staphyli A good lesson for oure countre also Euen so it is vvith vs. Vide Carionem So did S. Augustin the first Apostle of English men Vide BedaÌ„ The first Apostles of the highe Allemans Bedurum Ratispona Herbipolis Constantia Argentina VVormatia Moguntia Countres loste in Germany by heresy * Aboue thre hundred of oures * Tvvo huÌ„dred of our miles Prussia loste by Luthers heresy H. Mutiâ—s Cuspinianus in vita Henriâ—i V. alij Liflande lost by Luthers heresy Gala. 5. Colloss 3. The frute of only faithe Lutherus in epist. ad Gallum Amsdorfium 1. Cor. 4. Hungary loste by Luthers heresy Lactan. lib. 7. cap. 16. Rupertus Taitien super 20. cap Apocal. The destruction of grece through heresy Note and bevvare in time Oure state in EnglaÌ„d touchinge religion is the same The cyto of Hierusalem destroied by schismes Lib. 2. cap 7. de bello Iudaico Matth. 21. Luc. 20. Reade Vil legaignon agaâ—nst Caluin and oure discourse 1. Cor. 15. In 〈◊〉 li. 4. ca. 14. et sequeâ—â— Iosephus de bello Iudaico li. 6. c. 1. The miserable estat of Lifland through heresy Iosephus lib 6. ca. 7. de bello Iudaico De fide operibus serm 181. de tempore Ezech. 18. Ephes. 4 Epist. 54. Luther calleth him selfe an euaÌ„gelist in the sixtetome of his vvorkes Luc. 17. â—ere 25. An example of the pride and presumption of Luther Rom. 13. 1. Pet. 3. Rom. 13. Luthers penaunce Luther is become a papist for a vauntage O cleanly spirit of Luther Psal. 143. Psal. 143. At Smalâ—â—ldium * This day the Duke of Saxony vvas taken * The â—aÌ„t graue submitted him selfe Math. 16. Ephes. 3. * The Duke of Saxony and the Lantgraue by Charles the Emperour * Note the Luthe rans God The praiers of the Carholikes Ioan. 11. Psal. 7. 3. Reg. 20. Fol. E. 4 F. 1. O the ciuilite of Luthers sprit Tom. 6. fo 612. in lib. num milisint in statâ— salutis Orat. 2. coÌ„tra Philip. A counsel good and necessary for vs also Deute 13. Matthae 7. 1. Ioan. 4. Deuter. 18. Ioan. 8. Luther is a false prophet Luther is a murderer and a stronge thefe in the church In tomo 6. germanico Fol. 602. Luther proueth contempt of princes by scripture Luthers counsell
Caesaris that There was no hope of remedy vnlesse all mens lawes being extinguished the people did rule and that we ought to praie to God that subiects obey not their magistrats He sturred vp the commons through out al Germany against the nobilite whereby after sondry battailles had there perished more then a hundred thousand of the commons Reade the storie of Sleidan Anabaptistes who first sprang vp by reading in an epistle of Luther to the Waldenses or Picardi That it is better baptim were omitted in children theÌ„ that they should be baptised without their owne faith Of these arose diuers sectes amonge the which these are accompted the cheafest Adamitae the Adamites whiche professe to folowe the innocency of Adam they wander in woddes and sometime naked as Adam and Eue did Stebleri which teache that scripture forbiddeth to cary sworde or wallet item that it is not lawfull for Christen men to accuse in iudgement that it is not the part of a Christen man to repell violence by force but to him that striketh on the one cheke he oughte to turne the other This Luther taught in his articles condemned of the Sorbon in paris Sabbataries which obserue the Sabbaoth daye like Iewes despise the Sonday and do inuocat the father only and seme to contemne the Son and the holy ghoste See Luther in his booke againste the Sabbataries Clancularij Close Anabaptistes whiche being asked whether they be Anabaptistes thinke they may lawfully denie them selues to be such supposing it inoug to knowe priuely what they ought to beleue and that it is not nedefull to confesse openly And these be commonly in greate cytes they enter in to no churches they learne and teache at home in their houses or els mete in gardens Such are commonly called â—arrenbrijder that is garden brethern Manifestarij Open Anabaptistes which being asked whether they be Anabaptistes think it a wicked thinge to denie it In Prussia this secte is common Daemoniaci which beleue as the Origenistes in times paste that the deuills shall be saued after the enof the worlde Communia habentes Commonholders which are of the opinion that wiues children and all other thinges in the common welthe ought to be common as Plato in his Common wealthe taught and in olde time the Nicolaite and off late the ghospelling prophets off MouÌ„ster They saie one to an other My sprit lusteth after thy fleshe come therefore and let vs do maruailous thinges See Sleidan in the battaill of Mounster Condormientes Byslepers which commaunde that for the vehement loue of the newe ghospel men and wemen younge men and maydens ought to lyue in one place and parler and slepe in one chamber So did other heretikes of olde time in BurguÌ„dy and afterward in Bohem the Grubenheymeri which putting out the candles cried one to an other Encrease and multiplie EiulaÌ„tes Howling Anabaptistes whiche thinke no deuotion pleaseth God so muche as to wepe and howle continually greate store of this secte are in the vpper Belgia Georogianidauidici Dauigeorgians whiche began in Friselande in the yeare of our Lorde 1525. They saie there is no deuil they denie the resurrectioÌ„ of the fleshe See SleidaÌ„ The Author and Master of this secte saied him selfe he was the third Dauid as Luther that he was the third Elias and OsiaÌ„der the secoÌ„d Enoch Memnonitae which denie that Christe toke fleshe of the Blessed Virgin Polygamistae Many wiuers which teache that one man maye lawfully haue two wiues at one time IteÌ„ that the brother maye mary his brothers wife he yet liuing So practised Ihon Leiden kinge off Mounster Se Sleidan and so taught Luther in his sermon set forthe of mariage Where he saithe If the wife will not let the maide come There be many other sectes of Anabaptistes which here to auoide prolixite we let passe The Second vncleane sprit and tode son of Luther and father of the Sacramentaries Carolstadius began the yeare of our Lorde 1521. Carolstadius and Zwinglius toke occasion to raise vp againe the olde heresie of Berengarius by these wordes of Luther in his assertions against pope Leo and in formula Missae Nether kinde of the sacrament is necessary to saluation And againe in his Resolutions Only faith of the Sacrament doth iustifie not the Sacrament These and other saiengs of Luther moued Carolstadius and Swinglius to beleue that the Sacraments were but bare signes as Melanchthon vppoÌ„ the epistle to the Romans teacheth These Sacramentaries are many and diuers First there are eight Sacramentary factions which Luther him selfe in parua Confessione attributeth to the Swinglians as we haue noted and recited before TheÌ„ Philip Melanchthon declareth six other Sacramentarie sectes amonge the Lutherans in his determination writen a litle before his death vnto the Counte palatin of the Rhene and printed at Heidelberg in the yeare 1560. whiche we haue also before touched But these which folowe are the most famous and most renouned sacramentarie sectes Significatiui Signifiers whiche affirme that in the Supper of our Lorde for so they call the Sacrament of the anltar is not the true body but only the signe of the body So Swinglius writeth in many and son dry bookes sett forthe De Caena Domini Tropistae Figurers which saie that in the supper of our Lorde is the figure of the body not the true body So taught Oecolampadius in many places Energici Valuers which teache that in the Supper of our Lorde is not the body it selfe but the vertu and value of the body so Caluin teacheth in many bookes and lately in his last admonition against â—oachimus Westphalus Melanchthon also as Caluin laieth to his charge and as it may appeare in his determination printed at Heidelberg affirmeth the same Arrhabonarij Pleadgers which are of the opinion that the Supper of our Lorde when it is geuen is geuen as a pleadge of the body as though it were like the inuesting or taking possession of a farme or any other thinge whiche is geuen So Franciscus Stancarus teacheth in Pole and in Sybenburgen Adessenarij Presentaries of whom there are sondry sectes For some write that the body of our Lorde is in the breade Some aboute the breade some with the breade some vnder the breade see the assertions of VVilhelmus Klebitius of Brandebourg against the disputation lately had at Heidelberg in the yeare 1560. Metamorphistae which affirme that the body off Christ after it ascended in to heauen was made god it selfe And that it ought properly de saied The body of Christ is God Therefore if ye aske howe the body of our Lorde is in the Supper they awnswer That the true body is there but suche a body as is the very substaunce of God and God himselfe not fleshe whiche is of the same substaunce that mans nature is of So writeth Swenck feldi us in many bookes but chefely in his booke De dupli cista'u Christi Iscariotistae Iudaistes whiche denie that in the Supper of our
to thy perfect seruaunt Ferdinandus Feared you that if yow had so saied yow shoulde haue ben thought to haue praied for Ferdinandus and when S. Ambrose saieth so wil you not haue vs thinke that he praied for Theodosius Might not you haâ—e vsed it for a figure of eloquence and so haue folowed the maner of the olde fathers as you would seme to do in all your doinges if that maner of speaking were but a figure of eloqueÌ„ce as you saie it was no more Againe what difference is it M. Grindall to saie Lorde geue reast to thy seruaunt and to saie Lorde haue mercy vppon the soule of thy seruaunt For to the departed out of this worlde no other rest can be geuen but to his soule iff his be so why are they called papistes which vse so to speake and yet S. Ambrose so speaking is no papist But what stande we so longe hereuppon I wil aske one question and so passe to your allegation off Chrisostom Faustina a vertuous woman lamented much the death of her Sister S. Ambrose writeth vnto her and saieth Non tam deplorandam quam prosequendam orationibus reor nec moestificandam lachrymis tuis sed magis oblationibus animam eius Deo commendandam arbitror That is My aduise is that you lament not your sister but praie for her and commend rather her soule to God with oblations then mone and morne it with teares I aske here Did S. Ambrose will Faustina to leaue her lamenting and fall to figures of eloquence and so to vtter her vehement affection to her sister doeth your wisedome iudge so Master Grindall Or do not rather all wise men see howe farre from all witt and wisedome this shift of youres is Well though perhaps ye spake but merely here yet you haue a sadde testimony out of ChrisostoÌ„ For he offreth the sacrifice of the masse euen for the Pariarches prophets Apostles yea and the blessed virgin also â–ª what if he do so M. Grindall Mary saie you shall we now gather hereof that these are in purgatory It is to greate an absurdite I graunte it is so What then wil you gather hereof M. Grindall This oblation therefore saie you is only a thankes geuing to God for the Saints of God departed Will you gather so M. Grindall that is to greate an absurdite Haue ye not heard S. Augustin saie that the sacrifice of the aultar is for some a thankes geuing for other a propitiatioÌ„ This your coÌ„clusioÌ„ of only thaÌ„kes geuing in the oblatioÌ„ of the church is much like to your concluding of only faith The scripture saith Iustus ex fide viuit the iuste maÌ„ liueth by his faith LO say you faith only iustifieth and you forget it is writeÌ„ againe Factores legis iustificabuÌ„tur the perfourmers of the lawe shall beiustified whereby it is clerely proued that good workes must coÌ„curre with faith Euen so nowe you forgett that although Chrisostom here offer vp the oblation for the Saints as in thaÌ„kes geuing to God for theÌ„ yet that in the same liturgie in the next petitioÌ„ after he maketh an other especiall praier for the dead saying Sancti Iohannis Baptistae prophetae praecursoris sanctoruÌ„ nominatissimoruÌ„ ApostoloruÌ„ sancti huius cuius memoriaÌ„ agimus omniuÌ„ sanctoruÌ„ supplicationibus visita nos deus memor esto oÌ„niuÌ„ in domino dormientiuÌ„ in spe resurrectionis vitae aeternae aâ— requieÌ„ presta eis c. that is By the supplicatioÌ„s of S. Iohn baptist the prophet and precursor of the holy and most renouned Apostles and of this Sainct whose memory we kepe this daye visit vs good Lorde and remeÌ„bre al those that slepe in our Lorde in the hope of resurrection to life euerlasting and graunt them rest cae this lo M. Grindall you forget and conclude very absurdely that the oblation is only a thankes geuing But let vs now againe haue a recours to S. Augustin the faith fullest reporter of antiquite in the doctrines of the Church by the verdit of Caluin him selfe and let vs lerne of him how and in what sence the Church vsed the memory of saints in the blessed sacrifice of the Masse and whether that sacrifice be only a thaÌ„kes geuing as you conclude M. Grindal These are the wordes of that lerned and holy father Habet ecclesiastica disciplina quod fideles nouerunt cum martyres eo loco recitantur ad altare dei vbi non pro ipsis oretur pro caeteris autem commemoratis defunctis oretur Iniuria est enim pro Martyre orare cuius nos debemus orationibus commendari that is The doctrine of the Church hath which the faithfull do knowe when the Martyrs are in that place reakoned vp at the aultar of God where they are not praied for but the other soules departed there reakoned vp are praied for For it is an iniury to praie for a Martyr by whose praiers we ought to be our selues commeÌ„ded In these wordes of S. Augustin we lerne M. Grindall that the martyrs are not praied for though they be named at the aultar as you heard in Chrisostom the Patriarches Prophets and Apostles named We lerne that other soules departed not Martyrs are praied for Laste of al we lerne that the martyrs praie for vs we praie not for them Where is now your imagined sâ—pposition M. Grindall that the eldest fathers praiyng for the dead meaned such dead as were already in heaueÌ„ S. Austen denieth that the church praieth for theÌ„ he saieth the doctrine of the church hath otherwise taught and that the faithful knowe it Yf you be of the church M. Grindall if you be of such a faith as was in S. Augustins time you knowe that Martyrs were not praied for you knowe that other soules departed were praied for Last of all you know that the Martyrs praied for vs. But you denie al these matters you mocke and scoffe at it and therefore you are not instructed in the doctrine of the church you are not of such faith as was in S. Augustins time To coÌ„clude you holde with the heretike Aerius coÌ„demned for an heretike a huÌ„dred yeares afore S. Augustin flourished And yet you were not afeared to abuse the honourable Nobilite assisting at that Funeral soleÌ„nite nor ashamed to preache in pulpit for the very pure worde of God an old cursed heresy I beseche God to lighteÌ„ the hartes of our most gracious Souuerain and Lady the Quenes Maiestie and of the most honourable Nobilite of her realme that they may see auoide and exterminat this caÌ„cred vermin of heresy corrupting no lesse the teÌ„poral welth and prosperous estate of our dere couÌ„tre then the spirituall hope of our saluatioÌ„ and al right faith in Christ Iesus I haue auÌ„swered al such reasons as you haue brought in your sermoÌ„ M. Grindal against praier for the dead I haue done in part my duty to the church of God as my vocatioÌ„ required I haue declared my good will to my
dere coūtre as nature and iust indignatiō moued mē I haue done this but slightly and shortly and yet I trust sufficiētly hauing first ētred the printing of this booke before I vnderstode of the sermon and yet desirous to saie somewhat rather then to suffer a preached and printed heresy vncōptrolled or the truthe vntolde I desire the catholike reader to take this short digression in good part and I wish the protestāt rather to marke the waight then the copie of that I haue saied Let vs then now returne to the olde cōdemned here sies renewed by Luther and folowed of al protestāts of our vnhappy time Luther with all his scholers contemne fasting daies ordained by the church abusing Christen liberte for a cloke of their fleshly fantasie They haue herein right auncient Fathers the Manichees as Leo witnesseth Aerius as Ephiphanius and S. Augustin write and Eustathius as the Councell of Gangra aboue thirten hundred yeares past recordeth They wedde freres and Nūnes Luther leading the daunce of that wanton trace with Kater Bore and breake vowes of chastite without scruple of consciēce folowing the stepps of their father Iouinian condemned therefore for an heretike as S. Augustin recordeth They throwe downe Martyrs towmes scoffe at the deuout visiting of thē inueigh and raile against pilgrimage holy reliques and places of deuotion Nothing truly was in the primitiue church more frequent then going on pilgrimage in so muche that Chrisostom crieth out in one place Iff I were of a stronge body and without ecclesiasticall charge I woulde not refuse so longe a pilgrimage as to go see onely the chaines wherewith and the prison wherein Paull was bounde Iff I had liued then to haue sene those holy handes bounde for our Lordes sake I would haue put my very eyes on them and continually haue kissed them Thus speaketh Chrisostom an auncient and lerned father of the Catholike church and Bishopp of the greate cyte of Constantinople and thinketh it no superstition to preache it to the people for these wordes he spake in pulpit But what fathers haue the protestāts in their cōtrary opinion Of whom lerned they to mocke and scoffe at suche deuotions Of right worthy masters I warrant you First beside the Pagans of whom The odoret maketh mencion of Iuliā the Apostata as you may see in the workes of Cyrillus against him thē of Eustathius as the Coūcel of Gangra reporteth After these of Vigilantius whom S. Hierom refuteth and aboue seuen hundred yeares paste off one Claudius againste whom Ionas Bishop off Orleans in Fraunce wrote Luther and all that folowe his banner be mortall enemies to the images of Christ and off all Saintes Their holy fathers be olde cursed heretikes the Marcionistes the Manichees Aerius Felicianus and all the wicked secte of Iconomachi as it is at large mencioned in the sixte generall Councell and seconde of Nicea Nicephorus also recordeth off one Xenaias who helde this heresy vnder Anastasius the Emperour about a thousand yeares past Luther taught first in our time that holy Orders is no Sacrament that euery Christen man and woman is a priest And all the zelous Lutherans to this daie beleue and teache the same thoughe Melanchthon and many of the Ciuill Lutherans be departed from that fonde and absurde opinion It is also a currant doctrine in the pulpits in certain dyoceses of oure countre The fathers of this heresy were Pepuziani as S. Augustin maketh mencion and Collyridiani as Epiphanius writeth It is common to all Lutherans and protestants of oure time to abhorre the name and profession of a Mōke This was the maner also of the Donatistes and of the Circumcelliones VVhat meaneth saied these heretikes this name of Monkes Vnto whom S. Augustin awnswereth Howe much better may we saie what meaneth this name off Circumcelliones Againste such writeth Chrisostom whole treatises entituling them Against the dispraisers of monastical life The Lutherans and present protestants of our dayes protest that they haue departed from the see of Rome and other Catholike Bishops for the euil and wicked life of the Popes and prelats in Christes church The Apologie of England pretendeth the same excuse But was this their owne imagination thinke you and deuise No truly It was the very grounde of that cursed secte of the Donatistes And their fathers herein are Cresconius Gaudentius Parmenianus and other As S. Augustin writing against them eftsoones declareth It is the doctrine of Luther in his booke de Christiana libertate and diuers other places that faith ought to be free and no man constrained thereunto In our countre also whē the sworde was against them Frithe and his felowes cried for that liberty though nowe they cease not continually to crie for the contrary It was the olde accustomed maner of al heretikes especially of the Donatistes as S. Augustin in sundry places witnesseth Likewise before these heresies were fauoured off Princes and authorised of higher powers the riches and possessions of Bishops was a great eye sore to all Lutherans and protestants Nowe they can like well the pompe of Prelats being placed them selues in suche preferment But their former griefe was an hereticall grudge of the olde heretikes Vadiani as S. Augustin writeth or Audiani as Epiphanius calleth them What is nowe more common in the mouth of all protestants then that nothing ought to be added to the commaundemēts of God For by this short blowe they wipe awaye all constitutions and ordinaunces of the Churche They lerned this argument off Iulian the Apostata who vsed it against the deuotions off the Christians as in Cyrillus it appeareth Protestants will be counted martirs being cutt of by the secular sworde that their cancred doctrine infect not the sounde shepe of Christes flocke Great crakes are made and greate workes sett forthe of their stiff standing to the stake and glorious embrasing of the fire None do this more stoutely then the Anabaptistes whom yet the greater part of protestants detest and abhorre for hainous heretikes But not only these new heretikes but much more the old as the Marcionistes and especially the Circumcelliones excelled in this pretended patience and proude persuasion of Martyrdom See S. Augustin and the ecclesiasticall history of Nicephorus libro 4. capite 23. S. Cipriā also lib de simplicitate praelatorum Luther at the diet helde at Augspurg in the yeare 1521. being much intreated of diuers tendring him for the authorite of Friderik duke of Saxony to leaue all singularites and not to reiect so rashely auncient Councels of Christes Church he awnswered he disproued none except the councell of Constance and thereto he saied he was moued with an vnuincible reason and most assured argument ▪ that was bicause that councell had condemned Iohn Huss affirming that the church of Christ consisted only of such as were predestined and elected And in this opinion he would liue and die All