euery lawe doeth not binde Conscience but those which are diuine beeing immutable And this doctrine is taught by your man Gerson as witnesseth Bellarmine There are no men that haue giuen greater obedience to magistrates then Protestāts as the world can testifie The Papists bring the Magistrates into contempt The Emperour must lead the Popes horse Coster glorieth that Pipin king of Fraunce 43. p. doing reuerence to the Pope did lead the Popes horse if Emperours must lead the Popes horse and kisse his toe who bring Magistrates to contempt the Pope or the protestants Henrie the fourth bare-footed fasting from morning to night waited for the Popes sentence three daies If this be not to contemne Magistrates I knowe not what is In the booke of ceremonies the Emperour is appointed wonderfull seruilitie but I leaue this contempt of Magistrates and come to veniall sinnes and concupiscence A man may wonder that we should be charged with vnholy doctrine because we teach euery sinne to deserue damnation The greater the sinne is the more men should abstaine from it therefore on the contrarie the lesser it is the lesse regard is had of it By our doctrine then mē regard sinne more then by the Papists doctrine because we teach no sinne to be small iudge therefore indifferent reader which is most holy doctrine Hierom saith Nescio an leue aliquod peccatum ad Co. I knowe not whether we may tearme any sinne small which is cōmitted against God or no. But the Papists care not to call sinnes veniall and small though committed against an infinite God To enlarge this doctrine a litle their owne men namely Gerson and the bishop of Rochester teach as we teach Bellarmine vseth strōg reasons against this wicked doctrine Bellar. l. 1. de amist gra c. 1. No punishment is so euill as any sinne can be Ergo no sinne is veniall A man must rather be annihilated then he must commit any sinne how then can sinne be veniall of it owne nature Thus your owne schoole resolueth against your doctrine The scripture is plaine Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the lawe to doe them 3. Gala. If man be accursed for euery sinne then euery sinne deserues death but man is accursed for euery sinne Ergo Augustine writeth excellent well of this point Leuia multa faciunt vnum graue Tract 1. in epist Ioh. multae guttae implent flumen multa grana faciunt massam Many small sinnes make one great and many drops make a flood many cornes make a heape Take head therefore M. Doctor of your small sinnes least admitting them you haue a masse of corruption Theodorus Abucara speaketh as plainely as any Protestant In lib. Pa. Peccati nullus expers est nisi Christus Dominus I am vero omne peccatum vel tantillum mortem infert No man excepting Christ our Lord is without sinne Nowe the least sinne deserueth death Touching concupiscence we teach with the Apostle that it is sinne and by this doctrine men must of necessitie be mooued to striue more against it then if it were no sinne Howe say you M. Doctor wil you not striue more against that thing which is sinne then against that which is no sinne if you will not the greater is your shame and your conscience is the more dissolute Concerning the reward of good and bad life in the world to come we teach it with you but yet we denie the merit of eternall life Opera sunt via regni non causa regnandi saith Bernard Good workes are the way to the kingdome of heauen de lib. arb they are not the cause of it Tota spes mea saith Augustine est in morte Domini mei mors eius meritum meum in anual 22. refugium meum My whole hope is onely in the death of my Lord his death is my merit and refuge And againe Meritum meum miseratio Domini My desert is the Lords mercie Besides these authorities M. Doctor if reasons will satisfie you why we denie merits take these Whosoeuer meriteth must perfectly fulfil the lawe but no mā in this life can perfectly fulfill the lawe ergo no man can merit Secondly where there is merit there is no mercie for gratia non est vllo modo gratia nisi sit omni modo gratuita Grace is not grace except it be euery way free but the reward is of mercie Ergo. Thirdly where there is merit there may be confidence in merits but no man must put his confidence but in God Ergo. To this syllogisme I will annexe Augustines speech Lib. de pec mo◠14 cap. Quisquis ergo ausus fuerit dicere iustifico te consequens est vt dicat etiam crede in me quod nemo sanctorum recte dicere potest Whosoeuer can say I iustifie thee may by consequent say beleeue in me which none of the Saints can rightly say If then we iustifie our selues we may beleeue in our selues which speech all Christians doe abhorre Fourthly where there is merit there the reward is due by iustice to the worke but by iustice it is not due saue onely in respect of Gods promise ergo If you will see the assumption prooued read Aquinas 1. 2. 114. quaest where he saith that Deus est debitor sibi non nobis God is debter to himselfe and not to vs. Read also Bernard de lib. arb and heare Augustine writing thus Debitor factus est he is made a debter by promising Now to produce your owne men as Scotus and diuers others I hold it needlesse yet let the Catechisme of Colon speake Quis tam stupidus est c. Who is so sottish as to thinke our good workes to be worthy of eternall life Thus merits are reiected by reason and by sundrie authorities therefore he slaundereth vs in saying that we giue the people occasion to be negligent in doing of good and little or nothing fearfull to euill Nowe we are come to auricular confession The Catholike Romane religion teacheth confession to a priest of all deadly sinnes which we can remember vnder paine of damnation which restraineth the people from sinne and causeth them particularly to be well instructed and counselled But the Protestant taking that away setteth open a dore to all wickednes and loosenes of life as also to ignorance To answer this latter speech first no man can be ignorant that shutteth not his eyes how we condemne loosenes of life and how we crie for knowledge We desire and beseech the people to read the bible we catechize and instruct them we examine them also before the communion doe we then open a dore to ignorance Some Papists haue said that ignorance is the mother of deuotion and I am sure that knowledge aboundeth now more then euer it did in Poperie As for auricular confession Iuel 27. ait we say it is neither commanded by Christ nor necessarie to saluation The Papists
of Papists it may not be tollerated for why may they not as well be called Petrians and therefore I say with Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In dic Christs I will not be named of men beeing borne of God In Psal 44. and with Augustine Sumus Christiani non Petriani we are Christians not Petrians I cannot let passe his ignorance in saying that all heretikes haue alwaies taken their names of some one who began that heresie For not to take exception against his speach by the first authors of heresie as Nestorius Pelagius euery meane diuine knoweth that many heretikes haue their names of their heresie not of their author as Apostolici Cathari and others If the Lutherans haue changed the word Catholike in the Creede draw your penne against them and not against the church of England But it is a perilous matter for some of our translations to say for an heretike a man that is the author of sects His owne men so translate the word heresie Act. 24. chap. 28. chap. A great matter to english a greeke word Thankes be to God that you haue no other cauills against our translations I hope such pelting will driue men from Poperie Your saying out of Hierome galleth your selues and prooueth you to be sectaries as beeing named Dominicans Franciscans Iesuits and with diuers other names Therfore please not your selues any longer with a bare name without the subiect matter for that is like a pearle in the snowt of a swine The 3. reason vnitie and consent Hauing answered two of the Doctors reasons I come to handle the third in which he vaunteth of vnitie after this manner The Catholike religion hath varietie of doctrine with diuersitie of manners yet euer kept vnitie in such a peaceable manner as neuer any disagreed in any point of doctrine Blush M. Doctor at this notorious vntruth I haue in my disswasiue from Poperie gathered 20. contradictions betwixt Papists in matters of faith and to giue you a tast of your vnitie I will set downe your harmonie about Antichrist Some Papists hold Mahomet to be Antichrist Bellarmine in his 3. booke de Rom. Pont. cap. 3. This is denied by other because say they Antichrist shall be one singular man Secondly some Papists teach that Antichrist shall arise of the tribe of Dan cap. 11. yet Bellarmine confesseth that this opinion is not certaine because no scripture conuinceth it Thirdly the Papists teach that Antichrist shall raigne but three yeares and an halfe yet Hentenius confuteth this opinion Fourthly some Papists teach that Antichrist shall vtterly extinguish the faith as I prooued before Bellarmine denieth this not without cause Fifthly the Rhemists say that it may well be that Antichrist shall sit at Rome Bellarmine will haue him to sit at Ierusalem I will not follow any more contradictions about this opinion but come to their vnitie in Idolatrie Catharine affirmeth the commandement which concerneth Images to be temporall and positiue is not this goodly diuinitie others denie it Caietan confoundeth an Idol and an Image Bellarmine cannot beare this doctrine Aquinas will haue the crosse of Christ to be worshipped with diuine honour others renounce Aquinas in this point Alphonsus de Castro counteth Serenus and Epiphanius enemies to Images Bellarmine confuteth Alphonsus his opinion Abulensis and Peresius teach that Images of God are not to be made Bellarmine like an Idolater alloweth Images of God himselfe Augustine speaketh plainly against this diuelish diuinitie Nulla Imago Dei coli debet nisi illa quae hoc est quod ipse nec ipsa pro illo Epist 1â—9 sed cum illo No image of God must be worshipped but that which is God and that not for God but with God By these contrarieties euery man may see the popish harmonie Now I reduce the Argument into a syllogisme Where vnitie is there is the Church But the Papists haue vnitie Ergo. The proposition and assumption are both false and whereas he would prooue the proposition out of the 4. of the Acts and 17. of S. Iohn we must know that an vnitie in true doctrine is there commended and praied for Si vultis saith Augustine vivere de spiritu sancto c â—6 serm de temp tenete charitatem amate veritatem desiderate vnitatem vt perveniatis ad aeternitatem If you will liue according to the holy spirit then imbrace loue make much of truth and desire vnitie that you may come to eternitie Vnitie therefore in veritie must bring vs to eternitie But in sadnes is there no Church where there are dissentions â— book tripar hist 12. chap. Themistius wrote to Valens that he should not be cruell to Christians for difference in Ecclesiasticall opinions for amongst the Pagans there were more then three hundred sects Will you M. Doctor cut off the Church of Corinth from the bodie of the Church because of dissentions What shall become of Paul and Barnabas Cyprian and Cornelius Epiphanius and Chrysostome with diuers others And to stay thy minde Christian Reader touching this point of dissentions I desire thee first to consider that all men haue not the same measure of the spirit and therefore there must needes be contentions God his gifts are diuers to one man he giueth greater knowledge then to another therefore Paul saith when perfection of knowledge commeth there shall be an vnitie in opinions which is not to be looked for in this vale of miserie Secondly vaine-glorie the mother of mischieuous contentions is not wholly driuen out of men that liue in the Church I would to God it were for then many broyles would haue an ende Maruell not then gentle Reader though there be varietie of opinions I might inlarge these reasons and annex moe but I desire breuitie The Doctor here to amplifie our diuisions without all conscience chargeth vs with the heresies of Anabaptists Adamites Striblerians and many other which we condemne to the pit of hell But for a testimonie of our vnitie let our heauenly harmonie of Confessions be read in which a man may see our consent to be greater then the Papists would wish The scornefull name of Parlimentarie religion I leaue to God to reuenge if Queene Marie might receiue the Pope by Parliament why might not Queene Elizabeth doe as much for Christ And thus I retort the argument Where there are diuisions there is no Church But amongst Papists are diuisions Ergo. In the ende of this reason he concludeth with a manifest vntruth saying that all decrees of lawfull Councells and of Popes doe agree in points of doctrine one with another Good God! what dare not this man affirme I passe by Councells and come to Popes Pope Nicholas auoucheth that Baptisme may be giuen and ministred onely in the name of Christ which is a false opinion as Bellarmine himselfe confesseth Pope Pelagius contrariwise decreed that it ought to be ministred in the name of the blessed Trinitie Aquinas 3. par quaest 66. art 6. In
epist 1. ad Cor. cap. 7. But let Erasmus speake concerning this matter Qui sit how commeth it to passe saith he that the decrees of this Pope fight with the decrees of that Pope That I say nothing of Formosus doe not the decrees of Iohn the 22. and Nicholas fight one against another what should I speake of Innocentius and Coelestinus Pelagius and Gregories decrees one contrarie to another By these examples appeareth the Doctors vanitie The fourth reason conuersion of countries In this fourth reason the framer of it according to his custome beginneth with an vntruth saying that all countries which euer beleeued in Christ were first conuerted to his faith by such as either were precisely sent or at least wise had their authoritie from the Pope The Apostles which receiued authoritie from Christ himselfe not from Peter conuerted many countries That the Apostles receiued authoritie from Christ himselfe the scriptures are plaine in the 20. of Iohn our Sauiour saith As the father hath sent me so send I you what can be more plaine Paul saith of himselfe that he was an Apostle neither of men nor by men but by Iesus Christ How many countries did Paul conuert Concerning this land I spake something before Read Theodoret his 4. booke and 3. chap. where he reckneth England amongst the Christian lands Chrysostome as the same writer testifieth comparavit viros aemulatores Apostolicorum laborum eosque ad Scythias misit prouided men followers of the Apostles labours and sent them to the Scythians The Indians were conuerted by Frumentinus whome Athanasius ordained Bishop as the same author testifieth in his 1. booke and 12. chap. The people of Iberia were conuerted per captivam mulierem by a woman that was a captiue Ruff. lib. 1. cap. 10. by all which cleare and pregnant proofes euery man may see the boldnes of the authors assertion But now I come to reduce his reason into a syllogisme They which take paines in conuersion of countries hold the true religion But the Papists take paines in conuersion of countries ergo I denie the proposition and say to the Papists as our blessed Sauiour spake to the Pharisies Math. 23. woe be to you Papists for ye compasse sea and land to make one of your profession and when he is made ye make him twofold more the child of hell Heretikes haue laboured to conuert or rather to peruert men Paul in the 2. Tim. 3.13 affirmeth that euill men shall waxe worse and worse deceiuing and beeing deceiued The Arrians peruerted many kingdomes Read Sigebert in his chap. de regno Gothorum as witnes Theodoret and others writers As touching the conuersion of the west Indians if things be true that are reported Sadeel con are pos in novo illo orbe amplius decies centena millia barbarorum aut fame aut gladio perierunt in the new found world aboue tenne hundred thousand haue perished either by famine or by sword If our Sauiour Christ had saide Goe kill all nations when he saide Goe teach all nations he had fitted the Papists humour What Gregorie spent in founding Seminaries to restore Catholike religion I know not but this I am sure of that Papists haue taken paines in contriuing of treasons here in England But to returne to the Indies The people there liued not onely without all manner of knowledge of God but also wilde and naked without any ciuill gouernement Iuel 42. pag. beeing in this miserable estate some worshipped the sunne some familiar deuills what maruell then if they were easily ledde into any religion especially carrying such a shew of apparrell and other ceremonies But doe not the Protestants take paines in winning of soules vnto God Calvine not to speake of others read almost two hundred lectures euery yeare and preached aboue two hundred sermons Who conuerted England Scotland Ireland and other countries from Antichrist to Christ from the Masse to the Messias from Images to the seruice of the liuing God did not poore Luther Zwinglius Oecolampadius and other Protestants the ministers of England labour in their owne charges preaching in season and out of season God is as well glorified in the conuersion of a soule here as in other countries But doe the Papists now labour in conuerting of soules in times past it was not so hodie proh dolor saith Aeneas Sylvius Lib. 1. de geâ—â— con Basil now alas he is a rare Prelate which doth not preferre temporall things before spirituall things Againe Nos ignavia nostra nimia vitae cupiditate Christianam religionem ex toto orbe in angulum redegimus we by our lasinesse and great desire of life haue drawne religion out of the world into a corner of the same Clemangis in his booke which he wrote of the corrupt state of the Church speaketh thus Multò aequanimiùs ferunt decem millium animarum iacturam quà m decem solidorum Pontifices suas traditiones divinis longè mandatis anteponunt they had rather loose ten thousand soules then tenne shillings the Popes preferre their traditions farre before Gods commandements Thus then I returne the argument They which esteeme money more then the soules of men are not the true Church But the Papists esteeme money more then the soules of men Ergo. Whether M. Calvin sent ministers or no into new found lands I know not neither am I priuie to the successe they had Ezekiel was sent to the Iewes that they might know that there had beene a Prophet amongst them the fault is not in the doctrine but in the men who resist the same I will not dispute whether a wicked man may be a meanes to winne soules as a good master bestoweth a good almes by the ministerie of an euill seruant so also the mercifull Lord may call one to repentance by the meanes of another though he be an vnpenitent person The Doctors rayling vpon Luther Calvin and Peter Martyr calling his wife fustilugges fitteth the spirit of a Papist If Peter Martyrs lawfull wife deserueth the name of fustilugges what name doe the popish priests concubines deserue In that our Ministers trauell not without their wiues 1. Cor. â— I answer with Paul Haue we not power to lead about a sister a wife Beza his epistles and pistols are but words to fill vp pages and to wast paper But haue not the Protestants for-gone any worldly wealth to spread abroad religion why are they then exiles and haue witnessed their religion with their blood In a word Poperie gaineth more by wealth and armes then by conscience and if it gaineth any soundly it is by some reliques of truth which remaineth with them The fifth reason largenes of dominion through multitude of beleeuers That the Church which the Messias was to plant must be dispersed throughout all nations and kingdomes as the holy Prophets most plainly foreshewed we acknowledge neither needed the Doctor to haue produced so many testimonies I may well say of the Doctor as did
Transubstantiation but you haue purged him to your perpetuall shame as testifieth your Index expurgatorius the title is vt liber Bertrami how the booke of Bertrame beeing amended may be tolerated But let it be graunted that the truth of doctrine was not publike for many yeares yet might there be a Church For at the comming of our Sauiour Christ the Pharisies had the gouernement and were blinde guides yet was there a Church and a number of chosen people as Ioseph Marie Simon and Anna. In Elias time when religion was corrupt the Lord had thousands which neuer bowed their knees to Baal But I returne the argument Largenes of dominion is a note of the Church But for many hundred yeares after Christ our Church had largenes of dominion Ergo. Secondly the Doctor fearing least our Church should flourish and dilate it selfe affirmeth that the Church is now old to make her flourish in her old age is to make her a monster Verily we acknowledge that shee flourished in her young age if these titles of young and old may be attributed to her but shall not the Church flourish in her old age as you speake M. Doctour what then is become of largenes of dominion If largenes of dominion be a note of the true Church then it shall be alwaies ample and large Indeede thankes be to God our Church now is ample as testifie England Scotland Denmarke Suetia Saxonie Helvetia and other countries and therefore the Doctour varieth in this point But that Antichrist shall be reuealed and the Church increase it is plaine out of the 2. Thess 2. where Paul prophesieth that the Lord shall consume him with the spirit of his mouth This to be done we see it daily with our eyes for by the preaching of the Gospel Antichrist is continually lessened Moreouer in this reason the Doctour affirmeth that persecution of any moment is not against Papists but onely in England The persecution of Papists in England is for treason as their owne writings testifie The title of the booke is this Important coÌ„siderations which ought to mooue all true Catholikes to acknowledge that the proceedings of her Maiestie since the beginning of her highnes raigne haue bin both mild and mercifull The Rhemists are contrarie to this Doctour for they writing vpon the 20. of the Rev. affirme Catholikes to be persecuted not onely in England but also in Scotland Flaunders and other places thus well heretikes agree amongst themselues To be briefe the Papists are so persecuted that they are benè habiti well liking as all men know and haue affluentiam honorum store of goods But the Doctour desireth to be told whether against all learned Physitians and against all Lawyers one or two of later yeares are to be credited I answer if they haue the truth on their sides they are Might not Michaiah haue beene posed with this question who was but one against foure hundred prophets Did not Paphnutius stand vp in the Councell of Nice and teach that a heauie yoke should not be laid on those which were dedicated to the ministerie Here was one against that famous Councell This question might well haue beene demaunded of Eugenius who would not obey the Councell of Basill 1â—00 de gest conc Ba. Aeneas Silvius writeth thus Neque in Concilio dignitas patrum sed ratio spectanda est in a Councell the dignitie of men is not to be regarded but reasons And againe Non ergo cuiusvis Episcopi mendacium quamvis ditissimi veritati praeponam pauperis praesbyteri I will not preferre Bishops vntruths before an Elders truth though one be rich and the other very poore What should I speake of Athanasius condemned in the Councell of Millan Panormitane is plaine Whiâ—ak 34. p. cont Dur. Plus credendum est vel simplici Laico scripturam proferenti quà m toti simul Concilio A lay-man is more to be beleeued alleadging scripture then a whole Councell Hierome translated the scriptures according to the Hebrew whereas before the authoritie of the 70. Ann. 39â— interpreters was currant yet saith Sigebert praevaluit authoritas Hebraica veritatis the authoritie of the Hebrew truth preuailed Hieroms act was against inveteratum vsum Ecclesiae the auncient custome of the Church Whereas he calleth Luther a loose Apostata and M. Calvin a soare backt priest for Sodomie I doubt not but that for such slaunders of these men good men shall more and more abhorre poperie And for thy satisfying Christian Reader I desire thee to read that which Erasmus hath written concerning Luther and that which is printed by Beza concerning Calvins life Sodomie is too common among Papists as witnesseth Picus Mirandula in his oration to Leo the tenth in these words Sacrae aedes ac templa lenonibus ac calamytis commissa Churches and temples are committed to bauds and boies abused contrarie to nature With Picus agreeth Mantuan Sanctus ager scurris venerabilis ara cynaedis seruit honorandae divum Ganymedibus aedes The Church lands are giuen to common lesters the sacred altars allotted to wantons the temples of Saints to boies prouided for filthie lusts Lastly whereas he faith that if he should refuse the Catholike Romane religion his Ancetours would vse such speeches as these doest thou condemne all our doings doest thou send vs all to hell c. I answer that God hath not referred vs from his word to our fathers Walke not in the precepts of your fathers Ezek. 20. neither obserue their manners nor defile your selues with their Idols saith the Lord. We condemne not our fathers except they condemned theÌ„selues Dei iudicia occulia sed semper iusta Gods iudgements are secret but alwaies iust If our fathers held the foundation as I hope many did they might be saued Ignosci potest simpliciter erranti he that erreth of ignorance sinneth lesse then he to whome knowledge is reuealed I conclude with Cyprian Si solus Christus audiendus if onely Christ must be heard we must not regard what any before vs hath thought meete but what Christ himselfe hath done for a man must not follow custome but Gods truth And with Prudentius who answereth Symmachus his obiection Nobis sequendi sunt parentes we must follow our fathers frustrà igitur solitis prava observatio inhaeres in vaine dost thou cleaue to custome ô wicked obedience The sixth reason Miracles M. Doctour Noli illud tà m confidenter affirmare quod socij tui falsum esse docuerunt auouch not that so boldly which your fellowes haue taught to be false True miracles say you were neuer wrought but by them which were of the true religion for that they are done onely by the power of God The Rhemists vpon the 9. of Marke are of another minde for thus they write Miracles are wrought sometimes by the name of Iesus whatsoeuer the man be when it is for the proofe of truth or for the glorie of God insomuch that Iulian the Apostata himselfe did driue away deuills with
speake Aut verò congregatione synodi opus erat vt aperta pernicies damnaretur quasi nulla haeresis aliquando nisi Synodi congregatione damnata sit cum potius rarissimae inveniantur propter quas damnandas necessitas talis extiterit multoque sint atque incomparabiliter plures quae vbi extiterunt illic improbari damnarique meruerunt atque indè per caeteras terras devitandae innotescere potuerunt Was it necessarie a Councell should be gathered to condemne open mischiefes as if no heresie had beene condemned without a Councell whereas very few are found for the condemning of which there hath bin such necessitie and there are without comparison moe which deserued to be condemned where they did spring vp that being so condeÌ„ned they might be made known vnto other countries Out of this testimonie I gather these two things first that it may be an heresie though not condemned by a Councell secondly I gather that in Augustines time there were few heresies for the condemning of which Councells were gathered together To proceede You say whosoeuer were condemned by Councells confirmed by the See Apostolicall were euer deemed and indeede were heretikes What say you to Cyprian De vnico lap cap. 14. whom as Augustine reporteth Stephanus Bishop of Rome censuit excommunicandum esse deemed to be excommunicated 8. book 4 chap. Bellar. lib. 2. de con cap. 5. Eusebius saith that scripsit vniuersis conterminis gentibus he wrote to all countries that were neare that he would not communicate with them because they did rebaptize heretikes Was Cyprian either an heretike or of that minde that whatsoeuer the Pope did condemne was heresie why did he not then yeild to Stephanus who was Pope For I thinke you meane by the See Apostolike the Pope otherwise you condemne Eugenius who saide as Aeneas Sylvius reporteth that tantum aebest vt generalibus Concilijs debeat obedire vt se dicat tunc maximè mereri cum concilij decreta contemnit It is so farre from him that he should obey generall Councells that he doth then best deserue when he doth contemne the decrees of the same But I reduce your Argument into a syllogisme They which are condemned by the Councell of Trent are heretikes But the Protestants are condeÌ„ned by the Councell of Trent Ergo they are heretikes I denie the proposition for it is against all reason that they which are parties that are partiall that are accused should be the onely iudges Augustine saith Solis Canonicis scriptis debeo sine vlla recusatione consensum I ought to consent onely to the Canonicall scriptures without any refusall De nâ—t grat â— Nicolaus de Clemangijs writeth that Ecclesia quandoque contraria determinat the Church doth sometimes determine contraries in Fas vâ—ta ex Againe Trita regula est ecclesia militans fallit fallitur it is an old rule the Church militant doth deceiue and is deceiued Gregorie his speach who saith that he doth reuerence the foure first Councells as the foure Gospels de alijs suspitionem in animis hominum relinquit leaueth a suspition in the minds of men of other Councels Saith the same man the councell of Neocaesaria condemned second marriages this is not confessed by Bellarmine in his tractate of councells least he should graunt that Councells may erre But in his first booke of marriage and 17. chap. he writeth that Concilium tractat de secundis nuptijs qua contrabuntur mortua priore vxore the Councell doth entreat of second marriages which are made the former wife beeing dead Hence I thus conclude That Councell which condemneth second marriages erreth but this Councell condemneth second marriages ergo And touching your Tridentine conuenticle why doe not your men stand to the decrees of the same Arias Montanus reiecteth the bookes from the bodie of the holy bible which we doe Catharin teacheth that a man may be certen of grace yet these opinions are condemned in your chapter of Trent if we beleeue Bellarmine Againe if your chapter of Trent teacheth rightly of originall sinne why doth the same Catharin teach that it is nothing els but Adams actuall transgression and disobedience Noli esse tam iniustus be not so vnequall M. Doctour to binde vs with your councell of Trent when your owne men dissent from the same Where you say that we shall vtterly vanish away because we haue no head to gather a generall Councell I acknowledge you to be a false and no true prophet We see the fall of Babylon daily more and more and the madnesse of them that seeke to vphold her daily more and more manifest You say also that we receiue fixe Councells â—hem Act. 15. yet your fellows maruell that we attribute much to the foure first and nothing to the rest it were good for you to agree amongst your selues before you charge vs with errour Lastly the libertie of our Gospel is such as Gods word doth teach 1â— epist ego saith Augustine solis eis scripturarum libris I haue learned to giue this reuerence and honour onely to the canonicall Scriptures that no author of them can erre The 10. reason Fathers The Doctour in the beginning of this chap. proijcit ampullos casteth out loftie and arrogant words after this manner The Catholike Romane religion is most plainly taught by all the ancient Fathers of the first second third fourth fift and sixt hundred yeares and hath beene euer without controuersie taught of the fathers of euery age since vntill this day This proud bragge I haue disprooued before by many testimonies and now by Gods helpe I will make it manifest to boyes Theophilus Alexandrinus is plaine against traditions in his 2. paschal sermon he writeth thus Daemoniaci est spiritus instinctus aeliquid extra scripturarum authoritatem putare divinum it is the instinct of a deuillish spirit to thinke any thing diuine without authoritie of scriptures what spirits then haue Papists but deuillish spirits who fight for their trash of traditions Caesarius is as plaine for reading of the Scriptures in his 20. homilie he taketh away the excuse commonly vsed for not reading the same Nemo dicat non mihi vacat legere Let no man say I am not at leisure to read the Scriptures Inanis invtilis est excusatio ista this excuse is vaine and vnprofitable Marke the Eremite hath written a booke against those which thinke to be iustified by works in which booke this notable sentence is extant Regnum coeloruÌ„ non est merces operuÌ„ sed gratia domini fidelibus servis praeparata the kingdome of heauen is not the wages of workes but the grace of God prepared for faithfull seruants In his booke de baptisme of baptisme he teacheth the same Mandata ipsa non tellunt peccatum hoc enim per solam crucem factum est sed donata nobis libertatis limites custodiunt The commandements take not away finne for that is done onely by the
crosse but they keepe the lists of the libertie that is giuen vs. Gâ—l de 〈◊〉 nâ—t in Christ advers Eutych Nest fol. 2â—â— Gelasius is direct against Transubstantiation Sacramenta quae suminus corporis sanguinis Christi divina res est propter quod per cadem divinae efficimur consortes naturae tamen esse non definit substantia vel panis vel vini The sacraments which we receiue of the bodie and blood of Christ are a diuine thing therefore by them we are made partakers of the diuine nature yet for all that ceaseth not the substance of bread and wine to be Gelasius writeth against Eutyches who affirmed that Christâ— humane nature was turned into his Godhead this opinion is thus refuted As the bread and wine after consecration are changed into the bodie and blood of Christ so is his humane nature turned into his diuine after ascension But the bread and wine are not changed in substance Ergo. Thus by your doctrine of Transubstantiation you make the auncient Churches argument worth nothing I will adioyne the testimonie of Cyril of Ierusalem because saith Bellarmine testimonium huius vel solum sufficere debet his testimonie alone ought to suffice Mista in his 4. Catechisme thus he speaketh Ne ergo consideres panem nudum vinum nudum corpus enim est sanguis Christi consider not bare bread and wine for it is the bodie and blood of Christ ergo it is still bread but not bare bread Againe in his 3. Catechisme he is as plaine Quemadmodum panis Eucharistiae post Spiritus sancti invocationem non amplius est communis panis sed est corpus Christi sic sanctum hoc vnguentum non amplius est vnguentum nudum atque commune postquam iam consecratum est sed est charisma Christi As the bread of the Eucharist after the inuocation of the holy Ghost is no more common bread but it is the bodie of Christ so is this holy oyntment no more bare oyntment nor common oyntment after it is consecrated but it is the gratious gift of Christ Here is no more Transubstantiation in the one then in the other Likewise in his first Catechisme he writeth after the same manner Quemadmodum enim panis vinum eucharistia antè sacram inuocationem adorandae trinitatis panis erat vinum merum sic cibi ciusmodi pompae Sathanae suapte natura puri sunt sed invocatione daemonum impuri efficiuntur euen as the bread and the wine of the Eucharist before the inuocation of the adored Trinitie was bare bread and wine so such meates Sathans pomps were pure of their owne nature but by inuocation of the deuills they are become impure Loe what is become of your Transubstantiation Augustine condemneth worshippers of pictures Novi multos esse sepulchrorum picturarum adoratores I know saith he there are many that adore sepulchres and pictures Bellarmine in his first answers to this place commeth in with his fortasses peraduenture in his last answer he confesseth that he wrote this booke when he was first conuerted Here then it is manifest that Augustine condemneth worshippers of pictures Lactantius in his 6. booke 3. chap. acknowledgeth but two waies duae sunt viae vna quae in coelem ferat altera qua ad inferes deprimat there are two waies one which goeth to heauen and the other which tendeth to hell The testimonie which Bellarmine alleadgeth out of him for purgatorie speaketh of a fire to purge the righteous after the last iudgement when Popish purgatorie shall haue an ende as Bellarmine prooueth in his 2. booke and 19. chap. Theophilact condemneth your halfe communion saying that tremendus hic calix cunctis pari conditione est traditus this fearefull cuppe is equally giuen to all The testimonies of fathers in this point are many and pregnant Paschasius thus expoundeth the words of Christ bibite ex hoc omnes id est tam ministri quà m reliqui credentes Drinke ye all of this as well ministers as others Bellarmine confesseth Lib. 2. de miss cap. 9. that nusquam expressè legimus à veteribus oblatum sacrificium sine communione alicuius vel aliquorum praeter ipsum sacerdotem we neuer read expressely that the sacrifice was offered of auncient men without the communion of some besides the priest Loe what friends the fathers are to your priuate Masse 28. cap. Walfridus Strabo writeth thus Fatendum est illam esse legitimam Missam cui intersunt sacerdos respondens offerens atque communicans sicut ipsa conceptio precum euidenti ratione demonstrat we must confesse that to be a lawfull Masse at which the priest the answerer and the communicant are present euen as the conceiuing of praiers doth prooue by euident reason Therefore your priuate Masse is vnlawfull Vealrichus Bishop of Augusta anno 978. wrote in the defence of the marriage of Ministers Bellarmine prooueth this epistle to be fained be it so yet did no Lutherane coyne it And whereas he will haue but one of this name it is false For Complicatio Chronologica confesseth there are two and that anibâ— were sancti both were holy I will not contend about this matter it sufficieth that some taught this doctrine But why doe I labour to shew that the fathers doe not teach all points of Poperie let their owne Index expurgatorius speake Quanquam librum istum vz. Bertrami non magni aestimemus momenti saith the Papist itaque non magnopere laboraturi sumus si vel nusquam sit vel intercidat attamen cum in alijs caâ—bolicis veteribus plurimos feramus errores extenuemus excusemus excogitato commento persaepè negemus commodamijs sensum affingamus dum opponuntur in disputationibus conflictionibus cum adversarijs non videmus cur non candem aequitatem diligentem recognitionem mereatur Bertrâ—â—s Although we make no great account of this booke namely Bertrams and therefore we would not greatly care if either it were extant or vtterly lost and seeing that in other ancient Catholike writers we beare very many errours and extenuate them excuse them and very oftentimes by deuising some preuie shift we denie them and doe faine some commodious sense vnto them when they are opposed against vs in disputations or in conflicts with the aduersaries we doe not see why Bertrame doth not deserue the same equitie and diligent recognition This their owne testimonie may suffice to prooue that the fathers are not theirs and that the Papists are void of all truth and honestie What Causaeus a French Protestant and Luther haue written touching Dyonisius I know not but this I am assured of that this Demus was not S. Pauls scholler Bellarmine in his 2. booke de confess cap. 7. writeth to this effect that his booke est dubius vel supposititius is either doubtfull or fained The same thing is not denied by the Catechisme of Colon. pag. 119.
things but in scoffing manner if you doe seriously hold them prooue them seriously and not with ridiculous authorities The 11. reason Triall of truth That it appertaineth to the Church to trie and to discerne Spirits as also to determine and to decide doubts we confesse M. D. Trie all things saith Paul 1 Thess 5. 1. Ioh. 4. and S. Iohn commandeth vs to prooue the Spirits But the question is whether you are the Church or no Quid ergo facturi sumus what shall we doe I answer with Augustine propounding this question cap. 2. de vnitat that we must seeke the Church of Christ in his word qui veritas est optimè novit corpus suum who is truth best knoweth his bodie Where you say that we cannot otherwise but receiue the scriptures vpon the catholike Romane churches credit and also three Creedes and some articles of beleefe as the holy Ghost to proceede from the Father and the Sonne and many tearmes as person Trinitie consubstantiall Sacraments I will answer these points seuerally And first I desire to know what reason you haue to make a particular church as the Romane church Catholike The Romane church if it were a true church is but a part of the catholike church It is Catholike saith Augustine because it is per totum through the whole world de vnit cap. 5. Cyril in his 18. chap. among many reasons of the name giueth this Quia per vniversum sit orbem terrarum diffusa because it is diffused thorough the whole world Is it all one to say I beleeue the Catholike Church and to say I beleeue the Romane church To leaue this matter and to come to your speech that it is not possible to know the Bible which is vsed amongst Christians to be the true word of God indeede but vpon the Romane churches credit First such idle questions the olde heretikes the Manichees demanded of S. Augustine to whome S. Augustine answered Lib. 32. cap 21. cont Faust Man Si quaeratis à nobis vnde nos sciamus Apostolorum esse istas literas breuiter vobis respondemus inde nos scire vnde vos scitis illas literas esse Manichaei If you demand of vs how we know that these be the Apostles writings we shape you this short answer as you know that your writings are of the heretike Manichee Secondly I would know how you can prooue any church to be the church but by the Scriptures if you cannot prooue the church but by the Scriptures then the Authoritie of the church dependeth vpon them and not è contra Thirdly we receiue not the Scriptures vpon the Romane churches credit for then we should haue receiued also the bookes which are Apocrypha as well as the true Canon of the bible for the Romane church doth receiue them Fourthly we receiue the Scriptures from the Scriptures themselues Many men by the heauenly maiestie of the Scriptures are mooued to receiue them before they know which is the true church Gonarus con Cost Iustin Martyr saith that Christs words haue in thâ—â— feare to perswade in dialogo cum Try Mantuan de pat l. 3. c. 2. saith thus Firmiter scripturas ideo credimus quòd diuinam inspirationem intra accipimus we steadfastly beleeue the scriptures because we haue receiued an inward inspiration from God He that will despise the Scriptures will despise the Church He that will not beleeue there is a God because the Scriptures teach it will not beleeue it because the Church teacheth the same The Scriptures were credited before the Romane church was ens or in rerum natura The Apostles beleeued the Gospel of our Sauiour Christ before he wrought any miracle because it was testified by the scriptures Ioh. 1.46 Adam and others beleeued without the church Our Sauiour Christ preached Repent and beleeue the Gospel which some did without the Church Eusebius in his third booke and 21. chap. writeth that the Gospels of Thomas and others were reiected because that phraseos character à consuetudine Apostolica variat ipsa sententia propositum eorum quae in illis adferuntur plurimum à veritate rectae doctrinae discrepant the style doth varie from the Apostolicall manner and the matter and the intent of those things which are alleadged in them doe much differ from the truth of right doctrine The consent of Scriptures the miracles and prophesies with many other arguments draw a man to credit the same yea the deadly hatred which the world beareth vnto them perswadeth not a little Sacris Scripturis saith Bellarmine nihil est notius Lib. 1. cap. 2. de vâ—â— Dâ—i nihil certius there is nothing more knowne and certaine then the Scriptures Read Bellarmine your selfe M. Doctor that he may satisfie you in this point But if we beleeue the Scriptures by the Church doth not the church teach vs to beleeue by the scriptures how can the church rightly perswade vs to beleeue but by preaching and producing of scriptures Ergo the scriptures are of much more force then the bare name of a church For propter quod vnumquodque tale est illud magis tale if the church induceth vs to beleeue then the scriptures doe much more because the church doth it by the scriptures The church is an excellent meanes ordained of God to bring men to beleefe neither doe we contemne the authoritie thereof The Samaritans beleeued by the testimonie of a woman Ioâ— 4. but afterward they beleeued because of Christ himselfe so the Church may bring one to beleeue but afterward to beleeue for the word it selfe The testimonie of Augustine is fraudulently alleadged by you his word is commoveret for he saith As there were many things which held him in the faith so if he were an infidel he would not beleeue the Gospel vnlesse the authoritie of the church with other things did mooue him ergo not onely the church and he speaketh if he were an infidell as the wordes going before doe plainly manifest Si invenies aliquem if thou shouldest finde any which yet doth not beleeue the Gospel what wouldest thou doe saying to thee I doe not beleeue then immediatly followeth your sentence I would not beleeue vnlesse c. Nicholaus Clenangis is worthie to be heard concerning this testimonie of Augustine Disp super Gâ—â— con Mirum sane prima specie satis videtur at the first fight it is maruell that he should preferre the authoritie of the church being a stranger in the earth before the authoritie of the Gospel seeing the Church may be deceiued in many things and the Gospel cannot Afterward he giueth the reason of Augustines speach because the Manichees did reiect Scriptures at their pleasures To stand yet somewhat longer in this testimonie Con. lib. 5 c. 1â— Augustine was mooued to beleeue by Ambrose is Ambrose his authoritie therefore equall to the scriptures God forbid whosoeuer listeth to read the 5. chap of the 6.
booke of his Confessions shall finde that he did beleeue the Scriptures for themselues In his 14. chap. of the booke cited by the Doctor he writeth thus Quid putas faciendum nisi vt eos relinquamus qui nos invitant certa cognoscere postea imperant vt incerta credamus eos sequamur qui nos invitant prius credere quod nondum valemus intueri vt ipsa side valentiore facti quod credimus intelligere mereamur non iam hominibus sed ipso Deo intrinsecus mentem nostram firmante atque illuminante what haue we to doe but to forsake them that inuite vs to know certaine things and afterwards command vs to beleeue vncertaine things and to follow thē which inuite vs first to beleeue that which yet we are not able to behold that beeing made stronger through faith we may attaine to vnderstand that we beleeue now not men but God himselfe confirming and lightning our minde inwardly The spirit of God therefore must cause vs to beleeue otherwise we shall wauer and stagger To conclude this point many borne in heresie and schisme haue bin mooued by heretikes to beleeue the Scriptures is heresie therfore equal to the scriptures nothing lesse The three Creedes we receiue because the doctrine is contained in the scriptures but you doe not receiue Athanasius his Creede for he maketh but two places vitam aeternam ignem aeternum Omnes homines resurgent cum corporibus suis reddituri sunt de factis preprijs rationem qui benè egerunt ibunt in vitam aeternam qui verò malè in ignem aeternum All men shall rise with their owne bodies and shall giue an account of their deedes and they which haue done well shall goe into life euerlasting they which haue done euill into euerlasting fire You teach that Infants vnbaptized shall be in a brimme of hell and not in the fire of hell Thus if you had bin wise M. Doctor you would haue bin silent concerning these Creeds If I should shew your contrarieties to the Apostles creed I should be ouerlong That the holy Ghost doth proceede from the Father and the Sonne Lib. 2. de Christ cap. 22. Bellarmine prooueth plentifully out of the Scriptures What an ignorant Doctor is this that cannot see this mysterie prooued in holy Scripture Touching the tearmes as person Trinitie consubstantiall Sacraments what if they be not in Scriptures the heauenly doctrine signified by the words is contained in scriptures If these wordes were necessarie to saluation then men were damned before they were inuented which I thinke the Doctor will not grant for many beleeued the things although the names were not extant Augustine calleth the bookes of Tobie and other Canonical because they were read to edification for I hope you will not oppose his authoritie to so many Fathers as I haue before produced In the place by you cited he will haue those books which are receiued of all Churches preferred before those which some Churches receiue not hence it is manifest that he maketh not all of equall authoritie Lib. 2 con gaud cap. 23. Elswhere he will haue the bookes of Machabees read so it be non inutiliter sobriè not vnprofitably and soberly Why doth he giue this caution to these bookes if they were of like authoritie And in his booke de praed Sanct. c. 14. he confesseth when he did produce a testimonie out of the booke of Wisdome that the brethren did reiect it there he contendeth not much for it If it had bin Canonicall he should not haue so remissely pleaded for it Thus it appeareth why he calleth these books canonical Where you say that no heretike can charge the Church with adding or diminishing one iot from the Scriptures we must admire Gods prouidence and his loue towards his church he preserueth the Scriptures though men would take thē out of the world But if you meane that the church of Rome hath not altered the holy Scriptures you must know that the Papists hold the Hebrew and the Greeke text to be corrupt and haue established a Latin translation differing farre from the Hebrew and Greeke and is not this to alter the scriptures If I should shew the corruptions of that trāslation I should be very tedious I will name one in the 1. of the Hebr. it is said Christ hath purged our sinnes by himselfe these words by himselfe are cleane stricken out of their Rhemists translation what an intollerable corruption is this But I will conclude the matter in a syllogisme They which establish a corrupt translation alter the scriptures or at least a iot of the same But the Papist establish a corrupt translation Ergo. And indeede I cannot sufficiently wonder at them who establish their Latine translation eo nomine because it is Hieroms and yet will not allow his translations of the Psalmes what dealing with the Scriptures is this he hath corrected that translation of the Psalmes which they vse and yet they haue defied it You further demand why we should trust the Church of Rome rather in this then in other things I answer first that as I haue prooued we trust not the Church of Rome but the scriptures themselues secondly it is a ridiculous consequent We beleeue the church of Rome in this point ergo we must doe so in all other To make your follie manifest vnto you selfe M. D. you beleeue the church of England in some points will you doe so in all I would it were so That we haue had nothing to doe with the Bible for a thousand yeares and that we haue robbed the Church of many bookes are detestable vntruths But I pray you Syr were not the scriptures preserued in the Greeke church as well as in the Romish church did not the Iewes keepe the scriptures and yet to vse your phrase our Sauiour wrested thē out of their hands not as iust but as vniust possessours of them The Pharisies might haue vsed the same speech to our Sauiour Christ that the Doctor doth to vs. He hath three other questions in this chapter The first is how we relying onely vpon scripture can shew certainly which bookes be scripture and which not This question I haue at large answered in this chapter and therefore I will not repeat my answer Secondly he would know of the vnlearned Protestant how he knoweth the translations to be true I answer that it is not necessarie to know euery thing to be truly translated The spirit of God speaking in the scriptures certifieth the conscience of the vnlearned that the scriptures in the English tongue are the scriptures The third question it why we beleeue our owne iudgements rather the Luthers or Calvins I answer we beleeue their iudgements that bring best proofes out of Scriptures But M. Doctor because you haue posed vs with so many questions now I will pose you with one likewise Why doe you receiue your latin translation rather vpon this Popes authoritie
to maintaine their doctrine make their priest is iudges and yet the master of sentences witnesseth Lib. 4. that omnes Sacerdotes non habent scientiam discernendi all Priests haue not knowledge to discerne What wretched iudges then are Popish priests which haue not knowledge But suppose them to haue knowledge can they discerne the heart Augustine demandeth â—â—n 3. vnde sciunt an verum dicam how doe they know whether I speake truth or no seeing no man knoweth what is in man but the spirit of man But if confession be so necessarie why did Nectarius take away confession and leaue it to euery mans conscience how he would come to the communion A certaine noble woman confessed particularly her sinnes to the Priest Socrat. l. 5. cap. 18. and because a Deacon had slept with her this confession of sinnes was taken away Is confession of sinnes for this one fact was taken away what iust cause was there to alter Popish auricular confession let the world iudge Not to be long in this point set apart abuses in confession and we doe not denie it If any be troubled in his minde for his sinnes let him seeke a skilfull physitian Otherwise we say with Chrysostome Homil. 31. ad Hebr. Non dico tibi vt te prodas in publicuÌ„ neque vt te accuses apud alios sed obedire te volo prophetae diceÌ„ti revela domino viaÌ„ tuaÌ„ I wil not aduise thee to betray thy self opeÌ„ly nor to accuse thy selfe before others but I couÌ„sel thee to obey the Prophet saying OpeÌ„ thy way vnto the Lord. And again Si confuÌ„deris dicere alicui quia peccasti dicito ea quotidie in anima if thou art ashamed to tell thy sins to any speake theÌ„ in thy soule Satisfaction depending vpon confession is in the next place to be handled The Catholike Romane religion saith the Doctor teacheth satisfaction to be done either in this life or in Purgatorie and vpon consideration of this they builded so many goodly Churches hospitals c. In few words the doctor hath condemed all their glorious workes as beeing done for wrong endes We acknowledge the satisfaction of Christ to be our onely satisfaction for sinne and say with S. Iohn If any man sinne he hath an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ and he is the propitiation for our sinnes Maxius saith that Christi passio nobis sufficit ad salutem Serm. 3. Christs passion is sufficient to saluation And Bellarm. in his 2. booke de iustificat and 5. chap. writeth thus Nihil frequentius omnis scriptura testatur quam Christi passionem mortem plenam atque perfectam satisfactionem fuisse pro peccatis The whole Scripture doth witnes nothing more often then that the suffering and death of Christ are a full and perfect satisfaction for our sinnes If man might satisfie for sinne he might be called a redeemer and a Sauiour which is horrible to heare of Neither doth this our doctrine robbe the poore of their almes children of their education and the sicke of their reliefe and maketh men vnwilling to doe any good at all The Doctor except he be blind may see that men build Colledges and hospitalls and relieue the poore though they doe it not to satisfie for their sinnes but his confession is to be accepted that faith their building and giuing of almes is to satisfie by which he disgraceth all their workes From satisfaction he commeth to freewill saying that their doctrine causeth the people to endeauour to doe good and flee from all euill the Protestant taking it away discourageth men vtterly from doing good workes for who will goe about a thing which is not in his power What could Pelagius haue said more M. Doctor is it in our power to doe good vnto saluation or no without grace answer directly Our Sauiour Christ saith Without me ye can doe nothing Augustine writeth lib. 1. Retract c. 15. that voluntas in tantum est libera in quantum est liberata our will is so farre free as it is freed To set downe our doctrine briefly We say with the same father 3. Hyp. esse fatemur liberum arbitrium omnibus hominibus non per quod sit idoneum qua ad Deum pertinent sine Deo aut inchoare aut certe peragere we confesse that all men haue freewill not that it is able either to beginne or to perfect those things which belong vnto God without God but onely in the works of this life whether they be good or euill To shut vp the matter doth Cyprian withdraw men from doing good when he saith Dei est omne quod possumus all is of God that we doe Now we must speake of the Masse the Catholike Romane religion teacheth the holy Masse to be a sacrifice in which the true bodie and blood of Christ is offered vp which maketh the people so deuout and reuerent I answer first what if the Priest haue no intent to consecrate what then is become of your sacrifice secondly we knowledge no bodily sacrifice for sinne but onely Christ on the crosse And that I make plaine by the Apostles reasons Where there is no remission of sinne there is no more offering for sinne Heb. 10. but by Christs passion there is perfect remission of sinnes ergo Againe Christ died but once ergo he offered himselfe but once Ireneus writeth thus Oportet not oblationem Deo facere we must offer to God Lib. 4. cap. 34. and in all things yeild thankes to the maker with a pure minde vnfained faith steadfast hope and feruent loue offering the first fruits of his creatures And this oblation the Church onely sacrificeth in puritie offering to God of his creatures with thanksgiuing Where is your sacrifice of the very bodie and blood of Christ if the Church sacrificed onely the sacrifice of thanksgiuing Not to heape other testimonies I pray you tell me M. Doctor resolutely and with infallible arguments in which part of the Masse this sacrifice consisteth Bellarmine is his 1. booke de Missa and 27. chap. maketh many propositions and faith some thinke thus and some thus it were therefore good for you to be certaine your selues before you obtrude this sacrifice vpon the people to stirre them to deuotion Now let euery man iudge of this your syllogisme They which teach holy doctrine are the true Church But the Papists teach holy doctrine ergo To make a briefe of that which hath beene handled he chargeth vs with vnholy doctrine because we approoue ministers marriage yet his owne man Panormitan doth the same Bell. lib. 1. de cler cap. 19. Againe he chargeth vs with vnholy doctrine because we allow marriage to the innocent partie after a iust diuorce yet his owne men teach at we teach Caietan and Catharin Thirdly he chargeth vs with the same crime because we teach that all magistrates lawes binde not the conscience yet his owne fellowe Gerson holdeth as we holde Fourthly
doubt not but his lawe is now ouerthrowne Palingenius describeth at large the notorious corruption of the Romane Cleargie Sed tua precipuè non intrent limina quisquam Frater vel Monachus vel quauis leg◠sacerdos Hos fuge pestis enìm nulla hac ìmmanìor hì sunt Fax hemiuum fons stultitiae sentina malorum Agnorum sub pelle lupi mercede colentes Non pietate Deum falsa sub imagine recti Decipiunt stolidos ac relligionis in vmbra Mille actus vetitos ac mille piacula condunt Raptores maechi puerorum corruptores luxuriae atque gulae famuli caelestia vendunt Hos impostores igitur vulpesque dolosas Pelle procul Let no Frier Monke or Priest come within thy dores take heed of them no greater mischeife can be these are the dregges of men the fountaines of folly the sinckes of sinne wolues vnder lamb skinnes seruing god for reward not for deuotion deceiuing the simple with a false shewe of honestie and vnder the shaddowe of religion hiding a thousand vnlawfull actes a thousand hainous offences committers of rapes fornicators abusers of boyes slaues of gluttonie and luxurie they sell heauenly things these impostors and craftie foxes chase farre from thee It grieueth me to rake the dunghill of these loathsome Papists liues yet if these testimonies will not suffice heare Bernard Quià tam notum saeculis Lib. 4. ad Euge. quà m proteruia fastus Romanorum gens insueta paci tumultui assueta What hath beene so famous as the frowardnesse and the haughtinesse of the Romans a nation not acquainted with peace accustomed to tumults I am sparing in his testimonies because I produced one of them before Pope Adrian confessed as I haue shewed that all mischeife came from Rome I let passe the reformation of the Cleargie by Petrus de Alliac◠Picus Mirandula thus writeth Inorat ad Leo. Apud plerosque religionis nostrae primores aut nullus aut certe exiguus Dei cultus nulla bene vinendi ratio atque institutio nullus pudor nulla modestia nulla iustitia Amongest the cheife of our religion there is no seruice of God at all or very small no course of liuing wel no modestie no iustice Read his oration vnto Leo the 10. Christian reader if thou wilt see the monstrous liues of Papists Antonius Cornelius saith to the Cleargie of Colon that non decet tot scorta alere it is an vnseemely thing to nourish so many whores What should I speake of Nicholaus Clemanges his booke written of the corrupt state of the Church It would make a man wonder to see the wofull estate of those times Gildas his complaint of the nobilitie and laitie of England is lamentable Tom. 5. he saith that there was not onely fornication but omnia vitia quae humanae naturae accidere solent All vices which could happen vnto man and concerning the Cleargie he testifieth that it had sacerdotes multos impudentes Many impudent priests wolues readie to deuoure the soules of men The reading of his inuectiues hath not a little affected me for to behold what things he hath written would drawe teares out of a hard heart Master Harding calleth stewes a necessarie euill In 41◠O notorious wickednesse I am loath to shewe howe some Papists haue written that no man is to be deposed for fornication except he continue in it I onely say with Mantuan Viuere qui sanctè cupitis discedite Roma omnia cum liceant non licet esse bonum you that wish to liue godly depart from Rome all things are there suffered saue godlinesse Nowe I reduce your reason into a syllogisme They which haue holinesse of life are the true Church But the Papists haue holinesse of life ergo I answer to the proposition that there may be externall holines in a false religion and so by consequent it is false for the truth of the assumption let the authors before cited determine the same Augustine opposeth to the continencie of th◠Manichees the cōtinencie of Monkes vpon which Erasmus hath this note vtinam mundus nunc haberet tales I would the world had such nowe by which speech he sheweth what popish monkes were concerning the liues of protestants I would that all which are professors were expressers My purpose is not to defend the loosenes of their actions for my part I thinke that these loose liuers are tanquam materia prima as fit to receiue popery as any other religion I say therfore with Augustine Lib. 2. de mo Man cap. 34. Nolite consectari turbas imperitorum qui vel in ipsa religione superstitiosi sunt vel ita libidiuibus dediti vt obliti sunt quicquid promiserunt Doe Seeke not after the rude multitude which are either superstitious in religion or so giuen to lusts that they haue forgotten their promise to God but touching the true professors of the Gospel they shall be found in trial alwaies as honest as papists where you say that loosenes issueth out of the bowells of our doctrine and that our ministers are all naught I doubt not but that God wil reward you accordingly for these your slanderous wordes 2. Cor. 10.18 Paul saith not he which commendeth him selfe is approued but he which God commendeth We care not for your commendations Master Doctor we desire to approoue our selues vnto God it is your Doctrine that admitteth loosenes of life as I haue shewed and now I will make it more plaine The Popes pardons are a most licentious doctrine Iohannes Papa tertius vicesimus plenariam peccatorum remissionem indulsit his qui ad tuendā ecclesiam arma induerant pope Iohn the 23. gaue a full pardon of sinnes to those that tooke armes to defend the Church Who would not commit adulterie and other sinnes if the pope can giue him a pardon of all his sinnes for taking so small paines as to defend the Church Pope Boniface as it is to be seene in his Bull giues plenissima veniam peccatorum a most full pardon of all sinnes surely if the pope for money will giue such pardon he may haue catholikes good store The doctrine of vowes is also a sinfull doctrine as the wolrd can testifie and to what end tendeth the popes forbidding of more degres in marriage then God hath and dispencing with those which God hath forbidden but to maintaine couetousnes cōcerning the bloody tragedies raised in Fraūce although I loue not to meddle with such matters yet knowe Christian reader that those of the reformed religion in taking armes to defend the lawes and liberties of their countrie against priuate persons haue done nothing but in the Kings seruice The bloodie actes of Papists are notorious to the world The rest of the Doctors railing in this chapter is not worthy any aunswer They pray forsooth whilest our ministers play they fast whilest we feast Againe saith he are not some of them hanged for robberies for rapes imprisoned for sorcerie and for
established Church bowe much more might it be suffered when as Ecclesia sit constituenda the church is to be constituted Thus hauing defended the calling of protestants let vs see what notes of hereticks and false prophets the scriptures giue Paul in the first of Tim. and 4. chap. giueth these notes of false Prophets to forbidde marriages and to command abstinence from meates Where are these to be found at this day in papists or protestants in protestāts no man will affirme The Manichees did not simply forbid marriage neither condemned they simply meats For Auditores qui appellantur apud Manichaeos carnibus vescuntur si voluerint vxores habent Their hearers did eate flesh and if they would had wiues It remaineth then that these notes be found in Papists Another note of false prophets is to draw men to the seruice of idols Deut. 13.2 Doth this agree any way to Protestants who abandō all monuments of Idolatrie to the Papists it agreeth because they teach that the very wood of the Crosse is to be worshipped with diuine honour Polidor Virgil. lib. 6. cap. 13. speaking of worshipping Saints images saith Haec pars pietatis parum differt ab impietate this pietie differeth little from impietie The third note of false teachers is to despise Dominion as Iude speaketh vers 8. doth not the Pope so who will not be subiect to the Emperour no not to a generall Councell as Witnesseth Eugenius who would not yeeld to the Councel of Basil Yea the papists suborne traytours to murder their lawfull Prince as their own writings prooue The booke I haue named before The fourth note of false Apostles is to teach iustification by the works of the lawe as it is manifest by the Epistle of Paul to the Galat. Doe we so or the papists neither can the papists answer that Paul excludeth the workes of nature onely and not of grace For Paul excludeth not onely the workes of nature but the workes of the ceremoniall and morall lawe as it is plaine For who can imagine that the Galathians beeing instructed in Christ would wholly exclude him from iustification and seeke for iustification either by the works of nature or by the ceremoniall law without Christ Fiftly the false Prophets speake visions of their own hearts Ierem. 23.16 so doe the papists deceiue people with lying visions doctrines of men as I haue proued They teach that the Pope cannot erre that he is aboue Councels where hath the Lord euer taught these things in his word Not to stād vpon any more notes of false Apostles Prophets I desire thee Christian Reader to iudge euen thine owne selfe whether the scripture hath not set downe these notes and whether they can any way agree to the Protestants or no. The 19. reason Lyars slaunderers and reuilers The Protestants are here charged either to haue no conscience at all or els if they haue any it is seared with an hotte iron because they are lyars slaunderers and reuilers Yea they make lying their helpe These M. Doctor are grieuous accusations but before I haue done with you I will turne them vpon your owne head it shall be manifest who are lyars and who haue no conscience whether Papists or Protestants I will first answer your lies which you heape vpon the Protestants The first lie is that Luther saith before his comming the Gospel lay in the dust and was hidden vnder the bench M. Doctor satin sanus es Are you sound to charge all Protestants with Luthers sayings shall one mans speech be the speech of all men apage istas nugas out vpon these follies Luther had this meaning that the Gospel lay in the dust from the time that Antichrist did sit in the temple of God vntil his time and yet it did not so lie in the dust but that many in those times renounced the Pope his speech is comparatiue in regard of the cleere knowledge that now is it lay in the dust Behold now what a lyar Luther is The second lie is this Protestants charge the Papists with Idolatrie yea they inculcate and dull the cares of the people with often telling them of the Idolatrie of their elders And why should we not doe so for proofe of this I will deale syllogistically They which offer sacrifices vnto Images are Idolaters But the papists offer sacrifices vnto Images ergo The proposition is playne because Sacrifice is due onely to God Exod. 22.20 The assumption is testified by Bellarmine lib. 1 de sanct Be◠cap. 13. We offer saith he sweete odours in the Church vnto Images Secondly they which put their hope in wood are Idolaters But the Papists put their hope in wood ergo The assumption is prooued by Aquinas 3. par quaest 15. art who saith that the Church praied to the very wood of the crosse thus O Crosse our only hope create iustice in the Godly giue pardon to the guiltie Thirdly they which dedicate Churches vnto Saints are Idolaters But Papists dedicate Churches to Saints ergo The proposition is plaine out of Augustine lib 1. Read Lud. Vi◠i◠9. lib. de ciuit cap. vlt. cont Maxim Arrian Episc cap. 11. where he prooueth that the holy Ghost is God becaue he hath a temple the assumption is plaine by Erasmus annotations who hath noted in the margent Hoc nunc fit quibuslibet Diuis This is now done to some Saints The Doctor himselfe in his 20. chapter confesseth that parish churches are dedicated vnto Saints When you haue answered these syllogismes M. Doctor you shall haue more proofes of your Idolatrie Bellarmine ingeniously confesseth that pictures of God are not deliuered to the people without daunger except they be instructed of their prelates but the world knoweth that in diuers places of Popery like Priest like People to haue bin and Priests haue bin very Idols themselues The third lie is that some protestants say that the Catholikes hould that Christ satisfied onely for originall sinnes and that hee ordained the Masse for other sinnes which to be a manifest lie all the bookes written of this matter by Catholike diuines doe plainly testifie M. Doctor for triall of this lie these are Canus his words concerning Catharine Amborsij Chatharini deliratio patet peccata ante Baptismum adonissa per crucis sacrificium remitti 433. post baptismum vero per sacrificium altaris The dotage of Ambrose Catharine is manifest that sinnes before baptisme are remitted by the sacrifice of the crosse but sinnes after baptisme by the sacrifice of the alter Marke M. Doctor that your own man Canus chargeth Catharine with dotage in that he held that sinnes onely committed before baptisme were remitted by the sacrifice of the crosse thus the lie is turned vpon your selfe Remember also that your schoolemen teach that Christ came principally to take away originall sin and so doth Bellarmine also lib. 4. de Rom. pont cap. 10. in fine The fourth lie is the protestants assime that the Catholikes