VIA DEVIA THE BY-WAY Mis-leading the weake and vnstable into dangerous paths of Error by colourable shewes of Apocryphall Scriptures vnwritten Traditions doubtfull Fathers ambiguous Councells and pretended Catholike Church Discouered By HVMFREY LYNDE Knight Scriptura Regula credendi certissima tutissimáque est Bell de Verb. Dei 40 1 cap 2. LONDON Printed by Aug. M. for ROB. MILBOVRNE and are to be sold at his Shop at the Grayhound in Pauls Churchyard 1630. TO THE INGENVOVS AND Moderat Romanists of this Kingdome H. L. Wisheth the knowledge of the Safe way that leadeth to eternall Happinesse CHristian is my name and Catholique is my Sirname the one I challenge from my Baptisme in Christs Church the other from my profession of All sauing Truâ—th in Gods Word If you question this my right or claime I will produce my Euidence out of ancient and vndoubted Records and ioyne Issue with you vpon the marks of your owne Church Antiquitie Vniuersalitie Succession and if I prooue not the Faith which I professe to bee Ancient and Catholike I will neither refuse the name nor punishment due to Heresie As touching the Visibilitie of our Church I haue answered your Iesuites Challenge by the Title of Via Tuta the Safe Way wherein I haue appealed to the best learned of your owne side both for the Antiquitie of our Religion and the Noueltie of your owne If you require further satisfaction in this point read peruse the Articles of our Church tell me without a preiudicate opinion if our Church was not Ancient Visible long before Luthers dayes Our 22. Bookes of Canonicall Scripture were they not published and receiued in all ages before Luther Our three Creeds The Apostles Nicene Athanatius Creed were they not anciently beleeued and generally receiued in the Church before Luther Our Liturgie and Book of Common Prayer was it not the same for substaÌ„ce which was taught and professed in the bosome of the Romane Church before Luther Our two Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper were they not instituted by Christ were they not published and receiued in all ages before Luther These are the Foundations of our Church and all these in despight of malice it selfe must bee acknowledged by our aduersaries that they are taught by vs and were vniuersally receiued long before Luthers dayes And as touching the particular tenets of our Church opposite to your Trent Creed our spirituall receiuing of Christ by faith onely whereby wee are made truely and really partakers of Christs body crucified is agreeable to all Christian Confessions and taught by all antiquitie before Luther Our publique Communion of Priest with people had Antiquitie and Vniuersalitie in the best and first ages Bel. de Missa lib. 2. ca. 9 10. by Bellarmines confession long before Luther Our Prayer and Seruice in a knowne tongue was publiquely deliuered and anciently taught by Bellarmines confession long before Luther Bell de verbo Dei lib. 2. cap. 16. Our Communion in both kinds was instituted by Christ and continued in the Primitiue Churches by Bellarmines confession long before Luther Idem de Euch. lib. 4 cap. 24. Nay more the Psalmes of Dauid which vvee sing and some of you blasphemously tearme Geneua Iigges were in ancient vse amongst the common people long before Luther In Bethlem where Christ vvas borne turne whither thou wilt saith Hierome the Husbandman holding his Plough Hier. in 1. Epist 17. ad Marcel continually singeth Alleluia the Mower when hee sweateth and is wearie refresheth himselfe with Psalmes the Gardiner as hee dresseth his Vine with his hooke hath some piece of Dauid in his mouth These I say are the chiefe principles of our Religion these vvee holde vnder the Charter of the great King and all these by the testimonies of our aduersaries themselues were publikely known and generally practised long before Luthers dayes Doe you looke for an outvvard Forme of a glorious and Visible Church in obscure ages Doe you looke for A Citie vpon a Hill in the darke night of errour and ignorance I appeale to your ovvn consciences to vvhat purpose were the prophecies of Christ and his Apostles that the Church should flie into the wildernesse and lie hid there that Faith should not bee found on the earth that the time will come when they will not suffer wholsome doctrine but shal be giuen to Legends fables that some should giue heed to the spirit of errour and doctrine of Deuills that after a thousand yeeres Sathan should be let loose and deceiue the foure quarters of the earth were all these things foretold that it might bee fulfilled what was spoken are the thousand yeeres long since expired and yet shall vve thinke that none of these prophesies are accomplished Admit the man of Sinne bee not reuealed yet the Mysterie of iniquitie began to vvorke in the Apostles time and the Euangelist tells vs the tares vvhich the thiefe fovved in the night had almost choaked the good corne and lest there might be some expectation of a great multitude which shold assume the Title of an eminent and glorious Church our Sauiour himselfe by way of preuention cals his Church by the name of A little flocke Luke 12.32 as if a small number were the ancient Character of the true Church The malignaÌ„t Church hath many heretikes and hypocrites which indeed make a great noyse for a visible Church when as those wicked persons saith Austen although they seeme to bee in the Church August de Bapt. lib. 6. cap. 3. yet they appertaine not to the true Church That many are called is the Church visible that few are chosen is the Church inuisible Neither doe vvee hereby make two churches when we consider this Church after a two fold maner Bellar. de Eccles li. 3. cap. 15. In the Church something is beleeued some thing is seene we see that company of men which is the Church but that this coÌ„pany is the true Church we do not see it but beleeue it this is Bellarmines confession this is ours Againe looke back and take a briefe Suruey of the Church in seuerall ages It began with two in Paradise there remained in the flood but eight persons in that number there vvas an accursed Cham. In Sodome not ten persons nay scarce three righteous to be found there was but one Ioshua and Caleb of many thousands that entred the land of Canaan In the fiery trial but three children at the comming of Christ there was Simeon and Anna Ioseph and Mary Zacharie and Elizabeth and not many more knowne to bee sincere professours of Gods Trueth in the Church of Hierusalem In the Colledge of the Apostles there were but twelue and one was the sonne of perdition In the time of persecution for three hundred yeres after Christ Eusebius tels vs Euseb lib. 8 cap 2. the Church was ouerwhelmed to the ground and the Pastors of the Churches hid themselues heere
Nunnes be not Stewes of filthy Harlots if the consecrated Monasteries be not Faires Markets and Innes Cathedrall Churches dennes of theeues Priests vnder pretence of mayds keepe harlots consider whether so great variety of pictures and Images be fit and whether it occasion not Idolatrie in the simple looke vpon the number and varietie of religious Orders the Canonizing of new Saints though there bee too many already as Bridget of Swetia Charles of Britain the feasts of new Saints more religiously kept then those of the blessed Apostles enquire if there be not Apocryphall Scriptures and prayers in processe of time eyther of purpose or of ignorance brought into the Church to the great hurt of the Christian Faith consider the diuersitie of opinions as the conception of Marie sundry other things Againe in his Consolatory tract of Rectifying the Heart amongst many other considerations hee complaineth There is intolerable superstition in the worshipping of Saints innumerable obseruations without all ground of reason vaine credulitie in beleeuing things concerning the Saints report in their vncertain Legend of their liues superstitious opinions of obtaining pardon and remission of sinnes by saying so many Pater nosters in such a Church before such an Image as if iâ— the Scriptures and authentical writings of holy men there were not sufficient direction for all actes of Pietie and Deuotion without these friuolous addititions nay which is worse see if these obseruations in many countreys and kingdomes of the world be not more vrged then the Lawes of God euen as wee shall finde in the Decrees and Decretals a Monke more seuerely punished for going without his Cowle then committing Adultery or Sacriledge and more grieuously corrected in going against one of the Popes Decrees IdeÌ„ de Directione cordis Consid 29. c. then offending against the diuine precepts and the Gospell of Christ This learned Author was Director of the Councell of Constance and there complained of 75 exorbitant abuses and errours that were crept into the Roman Church but found no amendment nay more saith hee Wee must not looke for a Reformation in things that concerne Faith and Religion or doctrine or manners except the Secular powers do seriously take it in hand Experto crede Experto crede c. Idem in Dial Apologetico Beleeue me in what I say I haue tryed it dispute no more of it speake not to deafnesse it selfe thou shalt neuer bee heard Lastly when hee found there was little hope of reducing Religion to the former purity of the Primitiue Church in Christs time yet hee wished at least a restoring of the ancient Faith in the Fathers time Ecclesia si non ad statuÌ„ Christi et ApostoloruÌ„ saltem ad statum Syluestri resti tuenda Gers de Concil Gener vnius obedientiae In diebê° istis in ore cuius libet bonum fuit argumentuÌ„ tenens tam de formâ quaÌ„ materiâ Hic est Frater ergo est mendax Wals Hist Angl. in Rich. 2. p. 281. and saith he If the Church may not bee reformed according to the stateâ— it was in the time of Christ and his Apostles yet at least it should be brought to the state it was in the time of Syluester which was about 300 yeeres after Christ. To let passe the obseruation of Tho. Walsingham that in those dayes it was the common argument in euery mans mouth He is a Fryar Ergo a lyar At this time Aluarez Pelagius wrote a Booke De Planctu Ecclesiae of the Churches complaint wherein hee tells vs The Church which in her Primitiue state was adorned of her Spouse with many royall graces Aluar. de planctu Eccles l. 2. art 5. lit Aleph was clouded and ecclipsed with the blacke mists of ignorance iniquitie and errour In like manner Et prasertim qd magis prodigiosum est Pontificibus qui suas Traditioneâ— diuinis longè mandatis anteponunt Clem. de Corrup Eccles statu ca. 14. 26 Nicholaus Clemangis Archdeacon of Baieux wrote a Booke of the corrupt estate of the Church wherein he complaines The studie of Diuinitie was made a mocking stocke and which was most monstrous for the Popes themselues they preferred their own Traditions farre before the CoÌ„maundements of God What doest thou thinke saith he of the prophecie of the Reuelation of St. Iohn doest thou not thinke that in some sort it belongs to thee thou art not grown so shamelesse as to deny it consider therefore of it and reade the damnation of the Great Whore sitting vpon many waters there contemplate thy worthy actes and thy future fortune Abusiones quoque Paganica superstitiones Diabolica taÌ„ multa Romae qd diuinari benè non possuÌ„t Camer de Squaloribus Rom. Eccles p. 34. Cardinall Cameracensis wrote a Booke De Squaloribus Romanae Ecclesiae touching the Deformitie of the Roman Church which book is to be seene in the Library at Westminster wherein amongst many other complaints touching the Roman Church he tells vs That Pagan abuses and diabolicall superstitions were so many at Rome that they could not well bee imagined Câ—mer de Reform Ecclesiae but saith hee as there were seuen thousand which neuer bowed to Baal so it is to bee hoped that there are some who desire the Churches Reformation and accordingly it happened Consil Pisan Sess 20. for Pope Alexander the Fift in this age and in the yeere 1411 Dixit quod ipse volebat vacare circa reformationeÌ„ Ecclesia c. promised solemnly to intend a Reformation and for that purpose to assemble the most learned of all nations and at the Councel of Senes 1423 the proposition of Reformation was reuiued but withall it was adiourned de die in diem and the Reformation is not yet come In the sixteenth Age Ann. 1500. to 1600. Hieronymus Sauanarola a Dominican by Profession and for his Doctrine and sanctitie of life termed a Prophet was examined with tortures saith Guicciardine for inueying against the Cleargie and Court of Rome Vpon which examination a Proces was publishd to this purpose that he was not moued thereunto out of any euill intent but this one thing he onely respected that by his meanes a Generall Councell might be called wherein the corrupt manners of the Clergie might bee reformed Guicciard lib. 3. in fine and the degenerate state of the Roman Church as farre foorth as was possible might be reduced to the likenes of that it was in the Apostles time or those that were neerest vnto them and if hee could bring so great and so profitable a worke to effect hee would thinke it a farre greater glory then to obtaine the Popedome it selfe Comin lib. 8. cap. 2. And Philip de Comines giues vs likewise to vnderstand that hee told the French King Charles the eight He should haue great prosperity in his voyage into Italy and that God would giue the sword into his hand all this to the ende he should
reforme the corrupt state of the Church which if hee did not performe he should returne home againe with dishonour and God would reserue the honour of his worke to some other and so saith he it fell out This holy man thirsted for a Reformation Hee complained against their Communion in one kinde against Iustification by Works against the manifold Traditions and Constitutions of their Church against the Popes Supremacie and withall proclaimed that the Roman Church taught not the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles and this was counted to him for Heresie and for this hee was first hanged and then burnt About this time there was likewise written by Doctor Vicelius a Booke called Methodus Concordiae Ecclesiasticae Vicelius Wherein hee complaines also of Traditions contrary to the word of God hee calls for the translation of the Bible and wished the Seruice were deliuered in a knowne tongue hee complained of the worship of Images of Prayers to Saints of Purgatory as a doubtfull opinion he wished that Priests and people should rather marry then liue loosely as they doe and for these and the like Articles wherin he desired a Reformation Index libr. prohib de Sandoual Madril 1612. his Booke is condemned inter libros Prohibitos among the Books prohibited certainly the errors both in Doctrine and Discipline were grown to that height insomuch as Erasmus professeth it was commonly argued in the Schooles Whether the Pope might not abrogate that which was decreed in the Apostles Writings Eras Annot in 1. Tim. 1. Whether hee might ordaine any thing contrary to the Doctrine of the Gospel Whether he might create a new Article of the Creed Whether hee had greater power then Peter or equall Whether hee might command Angels and take away Purgatory altogether Whether hee were a meere man or God or participat of both natures with Christ Whether hee were more mercifull then Christ was seeing it is not read that Christ called any man out of the paines of Purgatorie Sixe hundred things saith hee of that sort were disputed and published in great volumes by great Diuines especially famous for profession of Religion and these things in the Schooles of Diuinitie were seriously handled And without doubt abuses were growne so exorbitant in the Church that Machiauell Protested The Kingdom of the Clergie had beene long since at an end if the reputation and reuerence towards the pouertie of Fryars had not borne out the scandall of the Bishops and Prelates Amidst these manifold errors and corruptions in the Church arose Martin Luther and desired a Reformation as his predecessors had done and at that time things were in so bad estate saith Guicciardine that the blood of Christ was profaned Guicciard hist lib. 13. the power of the keyes was made contemptible and the redemption of soules out of Purgatory was set at a stake at dice by the Pardon sellers to be played for This was so notorious and visible to the world that by the testimony of their own Historian there were that yeere many meetings at Rome to consult what was best to be done The more wise and moderate sort wished the Pope to reforme things apparantly amisse and not to prosecute Luther This reformation was long before wished for as wee see by the complainants in their own Church neither did Luther as some pretend oppose the errours of the Roman Church out of any prepensed malice Tem. 7. Wittemb 22. for Wee plainly and expressedly professe saith hee as our Bookes doe witnesse that if they would not constraine vs to Articles openly impious and blasphemous wee would defend them in other things Nec prodiit solus Lutherê° c. Alp. à Castre ep Nuncup ad Phil 2 Hisp Regem Neither came Luther alone saith Alphonsus such is the vnhappinesse of this age but garded with a great troope of Heretikes who seemed to looke for him that afterwards they might fight vnder his banner for presently Philip Melancthon Faber Capeto Lambertus Conradus Pellican Andreas Osiander Martin Bucer entred their names in his Booke and many other in processe of time in great numbers inserted themselues into his family And as it is obserued by their learned Cassander the Church Doctrine and discipline was so farre out of order at his coÌ„ming and before that many learned Writers published and declared their long wished for Reformation of the Church Thus briefly in the Apostles times you haue seene the glorious rising of the Sunne in the ages following the Sunne at highest from after 600 yeeres you haue seene the Sun towards setting In the first age shee was like the Moone in the first quarter and daily increasing in the ages following shee was in the full in succeeding ages shee was in the wane In the first age shee was like the Starre that appeared in the East and guided the Wisemen in the ages following the Fathers were the fixed stars and gaue light in the midst of Heresies in the latter ages there were Stellae erraticae wandring starres that fell from heauen such as St. Iohn speakes of Priests and professors that left their faith their first habitation And thus we see there is one glory of the Sunne another of the Moone another of the Starres and to all these the Church is rightly compared by Saint Austen Ecclesia est Sol Luna et Stellae quaÌ„do Sol ob scurabitur et Luna noÌ„ dabit luceÌ„ et Stellae cadent de coelo Ecclesia non apparebit impiis vltra moduÌ„ saevientibê° Aug. Ep. 80. The Church is the Sunne and the Moone and the Starres and as the Sunne shal be darkened and the Moone not giue her light and the starres shall fall from heauen so the Church shall not appeare by reason of persecution and worldly securitie then the power of heauen shal be moued and they that seeme to shine in grace shall fall and those that are most strong in faith shall be troubled These things premised wee may rightly inferre for a conclusion of this poynt that there was alwayes a remnant of true beleeuers in the bosome of the Romane Church who resisted the Papacie and noted the abuses neither were they ignorant lay men or an illitterate sort of Priests but they were Bishops Cardinals and learned Pastors that complained of the latencie and obscuritie of the true Church they longed for a Reformation in Doctrine and Discipline they wished that the true Religion might be restored to her first Integritie the Church to her ancient libertie her Faith and Doctrine to the Primitiue sinceritie and for this cause a continuall voice and lamentation was made by many of her children and shee would not be comforted because they were not such as shee first bred them From these and the like testimonies who constantly and continually wished a Reformation in Faith and Manners we may certainly conclude that eminent and perpetuall Visibilitie is no certaine Note of the true Church I proceed in the next place