continuall succession of time vncorrupted whole and perfite whiche maketh me more to maruaill what wicked and malitious sprit moued these protestants to terme them selues only ghospellers and professours of Gods worde calling the Catholikes papistes and enemies of the worde of God seing that bothe nowe and in all ages we reade the ghospell in our churches we preache the worde of God in our pulpits and interpret it to the people we expresse it by outward ceremonies rites and gestures such as we haue receaued of our forefathers euen from the primitiue church and the Apostles time And this Luther knewe him selfe well inough But why dissembled he it then forsothe to deceaue and entrappe the easier the simple people in to his preteÌ„ded religion For Luther and all his ministers knowe very wel that in the ghospel and worde of God two thinges are to be considered First that the text be sownd and not corrupted then that the same text be expounded Catholikely and not heretically For as S. Bernard saieth looke with what sprit the scriptures were writen with the same must they be read and vnderstanded Seing then the text by the instinct of the holy ghost hath ben geuen vs true and perfit the vnderstanding also and interpretation thereof coming of the holy ghost must be true and perfit so that one shall be as true and of as much force as the other It is not inough therefore to reade holy scripture perfitly but to vnderstande it well also For as S. Hierom sayeth The scriptures consist not in reading but in vnderstanding All this Luther was not ignorant of But to depraue and corrupt the right interpretation of holy scripture and to bring in place his owne hereticall and forged expositions he maketh no mencion off the text but crieth still the worde of God calling the dreames of his braine pure and holy scripture For if ye aske of the Lutherans when they preache that God coÌ„straineth men to do euill that God was the cause of Iudas his reprobation and obstinat desperation that good workes are hurtefull to saluation and such like matters what maner of doctrine that is they will incontinently awnswer you that This is the pure ghospell the sincere worde of God and holy scripture it selfe But then if ye go farder and desire them to showe yow these very wordes and propositions in holy scripture there they hush Yet will they tell you that the wordes in dede them selues be not in the Bible but the meaning of them is there To the which if ye replie agayn and vrge them farder it will soone appere that the controuersie betwene the protestants and vs is not of holy scripture it self but of the true vnderstanding of the same And so S. Hilary hauing to do with heretikes in his time pronounced Heresie sayth he is in the vnderstaÌ„ding not in the scripture And truly all heretikes neuer cried other thing theÌ„ the holy scripture the worde of God and we that are Catholikes also haue holy scripture allwaies in our mouth Nowe then a man may maruaill and aske howe cometh it to passe that the Lutherans and the Catholikes the protestants and the papistes striue and contend so one with an other where as yet bothe haue the ghospell bothe loue and embrace it bothe cleaue vnto it and bothe are ready to spende their good and their life for it Here I beseche the Christian reader marke and perceaue well that this is not the coÌ„trouersie whether the Catholikes or the Lutherans haue the worde of God but which of them doth truly rightely and sincerely expounde that worde off God For this is the Lutherans common saying The papistes vnderstand not the Bible but we haue founde the right interpretation thereof and the kaye of all truthe And to set a good coulour vppon this holy protestation they saye farder That all bisshops prelats priestes and Monkes be all without lerning all incoÌ„tinent all of euill life geauen to couetousnes to pleasure and to the bely But they theÌ„ selues that is the Lutherans be learned chaste sobre liberall deuowte and of perfit life and such as haue done great miracles and yet do Neither are these impudeÌ„t heretikes ashamed of these lowde lies although all the worlde well knoweth it is nothing so while they see Churches hospitalls religious houses of all sorte colledges and bishoprickes of these men partly cleane ouerthrowen partly rifled all taken into their handes and conuerted into palaces armories barnes cole houses shops of Marchaundrise yea and in some places in to stables These lo be the miracles of this new ghospell abundantly practised all this fourty yeares As for other miracles not one of these new ghospellers was euer able so much as to cure a lame colte or a halting biche so farre is it that these meÌ„ could euer cast out deuils heale the lame cure the blinde restore the deafe or raise vp the dead all which miracles many holy fathers of the olde ghospell as I may so speake which these men call Papistes haue wrought from time to time in Christ his churche as right approued histories do manifestly declare Now as for the good and perfit life of these men and excellent lerning all the worlde seeth it An olde sorte of heretikes called Donatistes obiected in times past to S. Augustin the very same argumeÌ„t saying that their church only was vpright holy pure and lerned But the Catholike churche was nothing so And therefore the doctrine of the Donatistes was vndoubtedly souÌ„de and perfit but that of the Catholikes false and vntrue But what awnswered theÌ„ here S. Augustin The argument saieth he that proueth mens doctrine by their life is false But let vs suppose that these holy protestants passed al the vniuersall Catholike church of Christ sens the time of the Apostles bothe in godlines of life and excellency of lerning Which I thinke in good sothe they wil not al together affirme But if it were so it wil not yet thereuppon ensue that only the Lutherans vnderstande holy scripture and the Catholikes neuer vnderstoode it For if the right intelligence of holy Scripture be only to be sought amonge such as will stoutely affirme of them selues to passe all the rest of men in vprightnes of life and excellency of lerning then in very dede must we nedes leaue this great treasure of the right meaning of holy scripture vnto heretikes For in all ages heretikes allwaies craked of their great lerning and perfit life as the ecclesiasticall histories well declare of the Arrians the Manâ—ches the Pelagians and such like And what other thinge dothe Luther in many of his workes especially in his booke against the pope Then call the olde Catholike writers and holy fathers fooles asses rude and vnlerned babes of the pope hermaphrodites and such like Neither contemneth he only the Catholikes but euen his owne coÌ„panions and felow heretikes also as Zuinglius
to heresy And truly euen as the beginning and course of Luthers doctrine hath thouroughely resembled the maner of olde heretikes so his ende was not much vnlike to witt a soden and vnprouided death For being mery and makinge greate feste ouer night he was fouÌ„de dead in the morning Such soden deathe was neuer reade off any Apostle or Euangelist of Christ. But of diuers heretikes especially of Arrius thoughe as by that the Arrians were nothing moued so the Lutherans of this make smal accompte And this much of Luther the father protestant of oure time as touching the pointes of his doctrine where you see bothe what a godly ground he layde and howe in the course and issue there of he hathe showed him selfe to be but a scholer of olde heretikes as he hathe ben the Master of many newe For this man worse then any gutter or sinke whiche receaueth onely the filthe that is brought vnto it bredeth none not onely toke olde heresies of other but added also thereuÌ„to some of his owne breding of his owne filthy brayne as foule fonde doctrine as any foolish heretike before him And of these his proper inuentioÌ„s one of the maddest is that he teacheth the bread remaining bread to be the very naturall body of Christ in the Sacrament Which hathe semed such a fonde doctrine eueÌ„ to the ghospellers theÌ„ selues his scholers and brethern that the farre greater part off them hath in consideration of this point chefely not doubted to condemne him for an archeheretike â–ª as you may see by the wordes of the brethern of Zurich in the thirde parte of this booke And by reason of this absurde doctrine not onely at the first Zuinglius Oecolampadius and Caluin drewe with them diuers countres from the vnite of Luthers ghospell but also the Lutherans them selues hauing many yeares serued the idoll Luther daily faile and shrinke from him cleauing to the cursed Sacramentaries proceding allwaies in mischef and encreasing with time their heresies and abominations About this time two yeare Brema a greate cyte of Saxony and one of the firste that had receaued the light of Luthers ghospel hauing coÌ„tinued in the foresayde doctrine of Luther aboute fourty yeares as zelous and vpright Lutherans now after greate strife and contention amonge them selues hath openly condemned the same and are become Caluinistes Likewise in Augspurg where the famous CoÌ„fession of the Lutherans was made â—â—fred to the Emperour and confirmed by all the Nobilite of the protestants yet nowe there are mo Caluinistes then Lutherans mo that disproue that CoÌ„fessioÌ„ and doctrine of Luther theÌ„ that approue it How other couÌ„tres also haue flitted froÌ„ Luther hauing many yeares serued hiÌ„ you haue in the thirde part of this booke declared Our countre also being at the firste chaunge all Lutheran is nowe become for the moste parte Caluiniste and Lasconicall as not onely oure doings at home declare but other countres abrode haue noted of vs. Peter Martyr at his first coming to Oxforde was a right LutheraÌ„ in the matter of the Sacrament as he declared him selfe not onely in priuat communication but also in his open lessons where inueighing at a time against the argumeÌ„t of the SacrameÌ„taries Christ is in heauen ergo he is not here in the Sacrament he cried oute Profecto est nodus Diaboli that is Sothely this is a shifte of the deuil him selfe He was wonte also at his first coming to Oxford to complaine Anglos nimiuÌ„ vergere ad Zuinglianismum that we english men enclined to much to the Zwinglians Afterward as al the worlde knoweth he condemned Luther and became him self a ZuingliaÌ„ For he had lerned an other lesson in the Courte Philip Melanchthon him selfe the very darling of Luther and father of the Confessionistes in his later daies became a very Sacramentary as his familiar letters to the Counte Palatin of Rhene printed at Heidelberg in the yeare 1560. hathe declared to al the worlde Thus the proper heresy of Martin Luther that he him self by the spirit of the newe ghospel had inuented in the despite of the Pope for so he protesteth him selfe in a letter of his to the brethern of Strasburg was at the first much misliked and is nowe allmost euerywhere vtterly abhorred Ioachimus VVestphalus the onely staye and piller of this Lutheran doctrine coÌ„plaineth him selfe hereof For thus he writeth No false doctrine is so farre spredde none with so much labour and hypocrisy defended non hath more beguiled the worlde then this false doctrine of the blessed Sacrament â–ª meaning the heresy of the Sacramentaries And Nicolaus Amsdorfsius an other zelous Lutheran writeth thus The Anabaptistes and the SacrameÌ„taries do blinde and deceaue Germany with their pretended holines euen as the monkes before blinded the whole worlde And this verely hathe happened on Luther and his felowes not without the iuste iudgemeÌ„t of God For whereas vpon dispiteous malice he laboured by his new doctrines to ouerthrow the church of Rome where it hath pleased our Sauiour to place his vicar here on earthe as in diuers of his writings it appeareth he hath wrought his oune destruction and shame for though in very dede through the pernicious persuasions of that wedded frere certain places and corners of Christendome haue swarned froÌ„ the Catholike church and authorite of that Apostolike see in these northe partes of the worlde yet it hathe thousands folde more ben enlarged in the west partes and the newe landes founde oute by Spanyardes and Portugalles in these late yeares as the letters off the Iesuites directed from those countres in to these partes do euidently and miraculousely declare And truly eueÌ„ so befel it at what time Grece and the easte churche departing from the head and vnite of Christes church gaue them selues to sundry schismes and heresies For then sprange vp the faithe in Germany Pole Dennemarke Swethen Norwaie and other northe Countres For thus from the east to the northe and from the northe to the west of the faithe of Christe passeth donec as Christe saithe impleantur tempora gentium Vntell the times of the gentils be acomplished Oure Lorde graunte that it passe not from vs by heresy and schisme as it passed from the grekes and from Afrike the southe parte of the worlde For bothe these people through schismes especially of the Arrians and their ofspringe lost the faith of Christe as the histories declare vnto vs. But to returne to our matter the church of Rome the see Apostolike that Luther laboured by heresy to ouerthrowe standeth yet in his full force and interest notwithstanding the miserable losse of a numbre in our countre and otherwhere Truly Luther him selfe cometh very short of the counte he made being reiected nowe allmoste euery where The Catholike also may lerne to auoide and shunne hereby all maner of protestants what so euer name or secte they be of proceding all of this heade beinge all the corrupted issue of
Smidelin a trim pacifier doth he not by good reason reconcile these protestants together In the booke against my table he raileth and saith he must nedes be a wicked person which woulde saye that amonge the Swinglians were eight diuers and seuerall opinions and who is so blinde that seeth not Luther him selfe in his wordes aboue alleaged to recite eight contrary opinions of the Swinglians It foloweth then by the iudgement and sentence of Doctor Smidelinus that Luther is a wicked and pernicious felowe Surely very well and as it should be for such honour vse kinde scholers to geue to their masters But truly they are bothe vsed according to their deserts while the Master proueth his scholer a liar and the scholer proueth his Master a knaue and nowe it happeneth as we commonly see of a frowarde curre a peuish whelp But what will Smidelin saie if that amonge the Lutherans them selues be sacramentary sectes and schismes and that not a fewe This present yeare 1560. in the seconde of Octobre was printed at Heidelberg the iudgement of Philip Melanchthon touching the Supper of our Lorde dedicated to the honourable prince Electour CouÌ„te palatin of the Rhene where he writeth thus It is not hard but somewhat dangerous to awnswer yet I will declare that debate and controuersie which happened at Heidelberg and admonish men as much as I may at this time I will also praie vnto Christ our Lorde that it will please him prosperously to directe these our aduises and their doinges Greate and greuous coÌ„tentions shal vndoubtedly arise in the worlde vpon the Controuersie of our Lordes supper for the worlde must nedes be punished for their idolatry and other hainous offenses Let vs then praie that the Son of God teache vs and direct vs. But seing that many are yet in many places feble in the faith and not well instructed in this doctrine off the church but rather nouseled in many errours it is mete that first we take order for such I like ther fore very well the aduise of the most honourable prince Electour that all such as contend of the Supper of the Lorde be put to sileÌ„ce lest dissensioÌ„ and variaunce arise in the church yet tendre and weake whereby the febleiÌ„ faith might perhaps be seduced and disquieted And I would wish also that the contentious persons on bothe sides were some other where VVhich being seÌ„t awaie the rest might agree into some forme of wordes And in this controuersie me thinketh it were best to kepe the wordes of S. Paule The bread which we breake is the participation of Christ his body much also must be saide of the frute of the Supper to stirre vp men more to loue this pleadge and the oftener to vse it Againe the worde Participation is to be declared and expounded For S. Paule saith not as the papistes do that the nature of bread is chaunged nor that the bread is the substaÌ„tiall body of Christ as the ministers of Bremesaie Nor as Heshusious saith that bread is the true body of Christ but that it is a participation or communion that is by the which we are coupled and made one with the body off Christ. VVhich copulation and making of one consisteth in the vse not without it imagining that mise could knawe that bread The papistes and such as are like them to earnestly contend that the body of Christ is vnder the forme of bread or included in the bread beside the vse and when it is not receaued they wil haue it adored also as Doctor Morlin of Bruns wicke saith Thou must not saie Mum. Mum But what is that which the priest hath in his handes Sarcerius would haue all the parcels that sal doune to be gathered vp and to be burned together with the earth on which it fell Two yeres past wheÌ„ we were at wormes a quaestioÌ„ was asked vs out of the Courte whether the body of Christ passed downe in to the bely and so forthe Such absurde questions ought not to be moued better it is that the forme of S. Paules wordes be kept and that men be well instructed of the vse and frute of this Sacrament The forme of wordes of the Supper ye may see in the ordinatioÌ„ of the church of the Megapolians where also aduertisement is geueÌ„ of the frute thereoff The Son off God in the ministery of the ghospell is present and worketh also in those that beleue But he is present not for cause of the bread but for mans sake as he saith him selfe Tary in me and I in you I in my father and you in me and I in you And with this true Comfortes he maketh vs his membres and testifieth that he wil raise vp and quicken our bodies Thus do olde writers expounde the Supper of the Lorde but some terme this true and plaine doctrine buskins or showes mete for euery foote and will haue that the body is in the bread or in the forme of bread as though the Sacrament were made for the breads sake or to be adored papistically Then other imagin that the body should be enclosed in the breade some will haue it euery where and in all places Melanchthon dalieth here at his pleasure but all holy fathers and olde writers haue continually hitherto taught the conuersion transmutatioÌ„ and chaunging of the creature of bread in to the body of oure Lorde that we may truly say with Christ This is my body Heshusius saith he can not agree with Origen terming the bread and wine the signes of the the body and bloud So he reiecteth Clemens Alexandrinus ready to do the like to Augustin Ambrose Prosper Dyonisius Tertullian Bede Basill and Gregory Nazianzen which calleth the body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Theodoret which writeth that the nature of bread remaineth Is theÌ„ the authorite of Heshusius so great that we will rather bâ—leue him theÌ„ the olde writers which testifie clerely that the church in their time had no adoration nor no such doctrine as the papistes no we teache For seing these are newe and straunge in the church we doubt whether it be conuenient to bring in newe doctrine in the church And I am not ignoraÌ„t that many alleage forged bookes vnder the name of olde writers but let the lerned iudge hereof I will not make any longe debate of this matter presently nor entre to dispute with contentious men defending the idolatry and robberies of their forefathers VVhose tyranny and cruell persecutions I feele also I thought good only to declare my minde herein what were best to be done in respect of our weake and tender church Therefore I am still of that minde that bothe partes be put to silence and that one forme of wordes be vsed VVhich if some like not and will not therefore come vnto the Sacrament they may be permitted to do as they see good so that yet they styrre vp no dissension amonge the
Matrimony is but the inuention of man and these wordes of Melanchthon saieng That the rest of the Sacraments amonge the whiche matrimony is counted be but mens imaginations And see the wicked doctrine off these ghospellers calling the blessed Sacraments but mens imaginations for what saith our Sauiour of holy matrimony VVhat God hath coupled let not man separat Is this nowe the inuentioÌ„ or imagination of meÌ„ and not rather the institution and ordonnaunce of God him selfe When the ghospell of Luther first sprange vp Melanchthon wrote that only faith iustified the Sacraments indued men with no grace baptim and the Supper were only Sacramentall signes A litle after he wrote they were true Sacraments and of two he made thre and at length foure so that in the espace of fewe yeares that which he first laughed to scorne and called imaginatioÌ„s of men sodenly they proued holy SacrameÌ„ts and weighty ordonnaunces of the liuinge Lorde I entend not here to dispute of the number of Sacraments what is the Catholike doctrine and what is the heretical it is not nowe oure purpose Farder the Lutherans will not be a knowen that they haue corrupted our Crede scraping out the worde Catholike in the article I beleue the holy Catholike churche Thus I saide before of them and saie it yet againe reporting my self herein to their Confession of Augspurg where they describing their church omitte cleane the worde Catholike In the Apologie Melanchthon being accused thereof maketh a litle mencion but so that he calleth Catholike that which heretikes in corners do imagin In his common places and in his booke Examen examinandorum he bableth and pratleth to no purpose very muche of the churche but the worde Catholike he can finde in no churche In the greate and in the litle Cathechisme of Luther and in his litle booke of praiers where he reciteth the Crede and expoundeth it in euery place for the Catholike church he writeth the Christian churche And hereof it cometh that through oute all Germany where the ghospell of Luther is receaued children allwaies lerne their Crede and saie it at table euen as it is corrupted of Luther and Melanchthon Who like crafty heretikes laboured by all meanes possible that the worde Catholike might by litle and litle vtterly be forgotten And all heretikes haue euer shunned and auoided this article of our Crede I beleue the Catholike churche and that not without good cause for certayn they are if their doctrine come to examination to be bulted out by lerning that this only worde Catholike wil cutte their throtes Sithen then we see clerely and euidently by this which we haue saide that amonge the Lutherans are not only diuers and variable but pernicious and hainous hereticall schismes diuisions and opinions as out of their owne saings doings and writings we haue before declared surely it must of necessite folowe that the Lutherans be and remaine pernicious and detestable heretikes For doctour Smidelin him selfe and all heretikes do confesse this that whereas in the doctrine of faith that is in the principall articles of faithe are hereticall dissensions and schismes that then the teachers and setters forthe of such haeretiâ—all schismes must nedes be heretikes them selues But no man can nowe denie that the Lutheran preachers do sette forthe vpholde and defende hereticall schismes Wherefore it foloweth that these Lutherans ghospellers protestants or howsoeuer they call them selues be pernicious heretikes and for such are to be taken and auoided of al Christendom And truly there is no better meanes to reduce heretikes to the right and common highe waye of the Catholike church then to put before their eyes their hainous and hereticall dissensions wherein they haue runne a straie one this waie an other that way but all out of the waie of the Catholike and ChristeÌ„ belefe Or if heretikes will be obstinat allwaies and continewe wilfully in their errour and presumed opinioÌ„s the readiest waie to bring them to nought is to beseche god to suffer them to continew in the sprit of dissension that being seuered into diuers parcels and scattered into sundry schismes they maie the sooner perish and vanish awaie euen as the builders of the tower of Babell and all heretikes yet hitherto For the only destruction of all heresies hath ben their mutuall dissension and schismes This Luther him selfe testifieth writing thus vppon the fift psalme Euery kingdome diuided within it selfe shall be desolated for heretikes were neuer ouercomed by force or by art but only by their owne altercatioÌ„s and dissensioÌ„s Nether Christ by any other meanes ouerthroweth heresies then by suffering them to fall in to the sprit of dissension and variaunce as the Sichimites and buylders of Babell in the olde lawe and the Arrians Pelagians and Donatistes in the newe lawe The Iewes also were destroied only by discorde amonge them selues For as Hilarius writeth The warre of heretikes is the peace of the church Bicause by their contentions they perish euen bodyly not only in their soules Thus farre Luther And truly so it fareth when one heresie is ones spronge vp and that diuers Masters professe it straite vpoÌ„ many schismes and factioÌ„s arise Marcion that archeheretike brought forth many absurde opinions which ones being scattered in to the wild braines of his scholers his heresie incontinently began to breake in to sondry partes so that of him proceded Appelliani Seueriani and Manichei Again of the Manichei grewe the Priscillianistae Encratitae and diuers other all horrible heretikes and yet allmost in all countres suffred Epiphanius in the third booke confuting the Hemiarite and Arrians writeth of the Arrians thus For we saie the armie of the Arrians is diuided into thre bandes so that Eudoxius Germanus George of Alexandria Euzoius of Antioche be departed in to the first bande cutting them selues of from their felowes In to the seconde bande Basill not the doctour of the churche Eleusius Eustachius Georgius of Laodicea Syluanus of Tarsus and Macedonius of Constantinople haue straied In the third companye as I sayde before is Acacius Meletius and Eutychius All their doings be vaine and wicked For that as ony one taught the other would not receaue but with mutuall hatred and malice they dissent and disagree eche from the other Thus farre Epiphanius Who listeth more at large to see the schismes and diuisioÌ„s of these and of other heretikes he maye reade Eusebius and other ecclesiasticall stories S. Augustin maketh mencion off dissension of the Donatistes obiecting vnto them that Donatus his secte was distracted into son dry schismes For thus he writeth in his first booke â–ª De Baptismo contra Donatistas Cap. 6. This part of Donatus is cutte in to many smal pieces al which parcels repreheÌ„d very much this great portion where Primianus ruleth for approuing the baptim of the Maximinianiste â–ª and eche of all those parcels do stoutely affirme that the right and true baptim is only among them
which is but one are they agreed Truly as cattes and dogges Luther neuer wrote so bitterly against vs Catholikes as he doth against the poore Sacramentaries of Zurich You haue the greuous complaint of the brotherhood of Zurich in the third parte of this booke against Luther Reade the later wordes of the place and see howe charitably he vseth them Caluin likewise calleth VVestphalus a papist and findeth faute with Bullinger for teaching that to eate Christ and to beleue in Christ is all one And Brentius woulde proue against all the swarme of Sacramentaries that Christ is euery where really not only in the Sacrament What then is there no meanes lefte vs sure and certain to knowe and vnderstande the right meaning of holy Scripture by Sothely if you take the shameles brode waie that Luther prescribeth you none at all But if ye acknowleadg and reuerence the authorite of holy fathers of awncient Councells off the Catholike and vniuersall Church of Christ during continually from the time of the blessed Apostles hetherto there is a right sure and infallible waie to obtaine your desire In the preface of Staphylus to the Bishop of Eystat and the first parte of this his Apologie you haue a very euident and sensible declaration thereof As you tendre your soule health and the inestimable treasure of life euerlasting which without right belefe is not to be had reade and peruse diligently the Authour And you shall I trust in God finde your felfe satisfied to the vttermost For howe thinke you May you not worthely suspect that mās cause that disableth so many witnesses so lerned so holy as Luther doth condemning all holy Fathers and Councels Is it not a pride comparable to the loftines of Lucifer him selfe to saie I will no iudgement but I require obedience Is it not a most impudent arrogancy and a detestable blasphemy to saie that al holy men of the Church are damned if they thought as they taught Neuer sence the worlde stode was there heretike that vttered such horrible blasphemies as the cursed mouthe and penne of Luther hath done But sithen that Luther condemneth the olde fathers of the Church is he nowe the first father thereof hath he no predecessours in his doctrine Surely the Lutheran protestants of our countre crie so much vpon the fathers that seing their Master denieth all fathers it may much be maruailed where the scholers haue founde them After longe study I haue at the length espied who are their fathers And for the instruction of my dere deceiued countremen I will not lett to declare them S. Paule to the Corinthians saieth Though ye haue thousands of masters in Christ yet not many fathers For in Christ Iesus by the ghospell I haue begotten you Such thē are to be accompted the fathers of Christes Church or of heretikes whose doctrine the church of Christ foloweth or heretikes Let vs see then whose doctrine Luther and his scholers the protestants do folowe First not the doctrine of the Fathers of Christes Church For they pardie by the vardit of Luther are all damned if they thought as they taught Off what fathers then hath he and his scholers lerned their doctrine We shall see by the particulars Luther in his Assertions against Pope Leo teacheth that fre wil after the fal of mā is but a bare title and that man while he doth as much as lieth in him sinneth deadly yea and that the iuste man in his good worke sinneth also deadly And Melanchthon his scholer in his Annotations vpon S. Paule to the Romans saieth that the aduoutry of Dauid is as properly the worke of God as the calling of Paule blaming the glose of such as saie that God permitteth euill but doth none for fonde and foolish So teacheth also Iohn Caluin and Beza his derling This heresy they lerned of Simon Magus of Marcion of the Manichees of Petrus Abailhardus all cōdemned heretikes as in S. Augustin ad Quoduultdeum in Epiphanius in S. Clement of Rome and in S. Bernard it is to be sene The allegations of these places we note only at this present without recitall at large to auoide prolixite Vpon this doctrine it folowed that good workes by the deniall of fre wil being wiped away faith must do the dede Luther therefore and all his felow heretikes teache the sufficiency of only faith to saluation Yea and our protestants are not ashamed to putt it in to their Crede songe in their churches And for this purpose where S. Paul writeth VVe thinke man to be iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe Luther translateth it thus VVe thinke man to be iustified by only faith This olde dānable and most enormous heresie they haue lerned of olde heretikes aboue a thousand yeares ago for ye may not thinke these mē lacke antiquite in their doctrine Their Fathers herein are Eunomius and Aetius who taught likewise only faith to suffise condemned therefore for heretikes off the Church as S. Augustin and Epiphanius recordeth Luther and all his scholers can not abide worshipping of Saints calling such seruice idolatry Their fathers touching this doctrine are Faustus Manicheus the heretike and Maximus Madaureusis the pagan finding faute with the Christians for such deuotion as S. Augustin mencioneth They condemne praieng for the dead they abhorre the blessed Sacrifice of the Masse celebrated for the dead they would make men beleue it was neuer vsed before S. Gregories time how saie we then if the contrary opinion denieng praier for the dead were condemned for an heresy longe before S. Gregories time was not troweye such praier allowed and practised S. Augustin reakoning vp the heresies before his time writeth of the Aerians thus Aeriani ab Aerio qui cum esset praesbyter dolens quôd episcopus nō potuit ordinari in Arrianorū haeresim lapsus propria quoque dogmata addidit nonuulla dicens orare vel offerre pro mortuis oblationem non oportere that is The Aerians so called off Aerius who being priest for grief that he could not be made a bishop fell in to the heresy of the Arrians and added also certain doctrines of his owne saying that men ought not to praie nor to offer oblation for the dead The like writeth of him before S. Augustin Epiphanius in his booke of heresies It was preached of late before diuers of the honourable Nobilite of the Realme in the solemne funerall of the late most Catholike Emperour Ferdinandus that praier for the dead was bothe superfluous and superstitious It was saied a third place such as purgatory is could not be iustified by Scripture and that the auncient fathers before the time of S. Gregory acknowledged no suche place nor praier for the dead in such sence as the Catholikes now take it and vse it This sermon also hath ben thought worthy to be printed and sette forthe to the vewe of the whole world
and chaungeable minde of this Archeprotestant Who lyste to knowe more of this man and howe he with al his ciuil secte is misliked of the zelous Lutherans let him reade the bookes of Heshusius and Hieronimus Menczelius de pastoribus not that I wish such bookes to be read but that who will nedes reade them may note this in them where they greuousely complaine of the licentious liberte of these ciuil and conformable protestants Melanchthon and his complices He maye reade also the booke of Iohannes Spangenbergius sette forthe in the yeare 1561. whiche beareth this litle A true declaration of the benefits bestowed especially vppon Germany from God by D. Martin Luther of holy memory and of the greate vnkindnes of diuers towarde so greate benefits receaued In the which booke he inueigheth not so much against vs Catholikes whiche haue allwaies worthely abhorred the cursed heresies of that lewde fryer as against the ciuill Lutherans and disordrely extrauagants whiche haue swarued from the holy worde of that fifte euan geliste Which they haue done in such sorte that nowe none beareth lesse rule then he that first sturred all this storme and was the inuenter of this terrible tragedy At what time the generall councell of Trent by the consent of all the estates of the Empire and other Christen princes was gathered together and be gonne the protestaÌ„ts of germany especially the Lutherans hauing their saufconduit and prouision after the largest and surest maner graunted Melanchthon drewe backe and retracted the time by all meanes possible Whereupon first he came to the Emperour Charles soiourning at that time at Inspruch fewe daies iourney from Trent and made greate suite bothe for him selfe and his felowes that they might not present them selues at the councell For him selfe he alleaged first his aage then that he was no diuin but a louer and fauourer of diuinite And yet this is that Master of WitteÌ„berg successour in the schismaticall see of Luther father of that famous Confession of Augspurg whiche not onely the Lutherans but the Caluinistes them selues do reuerence no lesse then the foure ghospells But this awnswer no thing satisfing the Emperour he pretended he woulde shortely repaire to the councel returned to VVittenberg and from thence toke his iourney thitherwarde but at Norimberg he staied vntell his prince the duke Mauritius concluded the councel with fire and sworde And this charitable deuise of Melanchthon agreeth well with other his doings as that he wrote yea and put forthe in prent a litle booke to the people of Bohem wherein he sturreth them against their lawfull Prince and counselleth them to rebell against their Souuerain whereupon ensued ciuill warre and calamitous seditions in that countre as also that he and other masters of WitteÌ„berg in the yeare 1548. at what time the duke of Saxony and the Lantgraue off hesse rebelled wrote opeÌ„ly against the Emperour Charles and all his adherents Whereof Mathias Illyricus a zelous Lutheran chargeth them and reprocheth it vnto them bitterly in a certain litle booke which he made called An Information vpon certain articles c. This Philip Melanchthon father of these ciuill protestants as in wauering and ofte chaunging his doctrine he was a right ciuill Lutheran so corrupting the general Confession of his brethern and the workes of his Master he showed him selfe very vnciuill truly but a right heretike I assure you For this was the practise of awncient heretikes to flie and flitt from their saiengs being pressed with the lerned Catholikes And truly of this famous Confession of Augspurg and of Luthers workes daily thus altered and corrected I would saie corrupted of these ciuill Lutherans we may worthely pronouÌ„ce as Tertullian dothe of the Marcionistes who had made also a ghospell of their owne whereof he saieth Quotidie reformant illud prout a nobis quotidie reuincuntur aut erubescunt de magistro suo vbique traducto They frame it a newe daily as they are of vs daily conuinced or be ashamed of their master all wheres reprouued And see I praie you if these ciuill reformers of Luthers ghospel represent not vnto vs the face and behauiour of olde heretikes of whom TertulliaÌ„ in an other place thus speaketh Mentior si non etiam a regulis suis c. Let me be accompted a liar if they vary not froÌ„ their owne rules while euery one tuneth at his pleasure the songe he lerned euen as he that first taught it did sette it at his pleasure The Valentinians were as bolde as Valentinus their Master the Marcionistes made at their pleasure a newe faith as their Master Marcion had done before them Brefely al heresies well considered shall be founde to vary from their first heades in diuers pointes Thus farre TertulliaÌ„ which how true it is in the scholers of Martin Luther the archeheretike of our time these ciuil Melanchthonistes declare vnto vs and that to the greate griefe of the zelous Lutherans as the sundry writinges of Gallus Amsdorfius Illyricus famous SuperintendeÌ„ts of that secte do euidently showe This practise of Melanchthons inconstancy flitting from his owne doctrine the ecclesiastical histories witnes vnto vs to haue ben the maner of olde heretikes Off Thedotus Asclepiodotus Hermophilus and Apollonides thus writeth Nicephorus Quilibet etiam illoruÌ„ castigationeÌ„ proprioruÌ„ scriptoruÌ„ edidâ—â— idque varianantium dissidentium inter se exemplarium discordantia indicat that is Eche one of them did sette forthe their owne writings corrected and altered whiche the diuersite of the sundry and contrary copies doth declare The greate variaunce and inconstancy of the Arrians no lesse then of the LutheraÌ„s appereth wel by the ecclesiasticall histories also First in their priuat Synod at Antioche hauing concluded and agreed vpon a certain confession of their belefe shortly after they put forthe an other much different from the first Not loÌ„ge after three of these Arrian bishops being conueÌ„ted before ConstaÌ„s in the west and being demaunded a declaration of their belefe they vttered it in a farre other sorte then they had decreed at Antioche In Nicephorus their diuers confessions are sett oute at large Fâ—we yeares after the ArriaÌ„s meting together at Sirmium published three sondry and diuers confessions of their belefe al contrary to the former Let vs nowe see whether oure Lutherans haue not practised in like maner In the general meting of the protestants at Ausgpurg before the Emperour Charles in the yeare 1530 First those of Strasbourg Costniz and Memming offred vp a confession of their faith as farre different from the Saxons as they were from the Catholikes Then in the Confession of the Saxons deuised by MelanchthoÌ„ in the descriptioÌ„ of Christes church the worde Catholike is cleane left oute The nexte yeare after Melanchthon writing his Apology put the worde Catholike in but with a straunge and false exposition added vnto it euen such as the Donatistes made vnto S.
from the Zuinglians and as the Illyricans do now from the Melanchthonistes For the first bothe allowed the real presence in the Sacrament as Luther did and vsed also many olde ceremonies of Christ his church as the Melanchthonistes and the ciuil Lutherans do yet in Wittenberg in Misnia in Franconia at Norimberg at Vlmes where passing by of late we sawe in the churche the holy Roode and aultars of stone yet standing in the Dukedom of Wirtenberg at Breslaw at Briga in Silesia and in many other places The last and present order off communion denieth the reall presence as Zuinglius and Caluin do and reiecteth the ceremonies of the Masse as the Zuingliās and Caluinistes do in the fiue Cantons of Suitzerland Basil Zurich Berna Schafusa and Clarona at Geneua in Sauoye in Scotland and emong the seditious rebelles in Fraunce Now Luther in his litle confession De caena Domini condemneth Zuinglius and his cōplices for heretikes So do Nicolaus Amsdorfius in the booke aboue alleaged and Nicolaus Gallus in his booke intituled Theses hypotyposes etc. Likewise Melanchthon condēneth Illyricus and his felowes as in diuers writings of Illyricus it is to be sene By the iudgement then of Luther of Melanchthon and of all the ciuill Lutherans yea and by the iudgement of all the ghospellers in Kinge Edwardes time and of the stinking martirs of that age our communion now practised in England is hereticall and against the pure doctrine fo the ghospel It were ouer long to recite here all the variaunces in doctrine amonge our protestants I remitt you to the daily experience which you may see better at home then we which are abrode And thus much of the argument of this booke What remaineth then for our part to do but as S. Paule commaundeth vs that we be Solliciti seruare vnitatem spiritus in vinculo pacis that is carefull and diligent to kepe vnite off minde in the bonde off peace being one body and one minde as we be called in to one hope and vocation For there is but one lorde one faith one baptim one God and father of all that we hence forth be no more children wauering and caried aboute with euery winde of doctrine by the wilynes of men and craftines laying waite to deceaue vs. It is truly a world to see what labour and toile what posting and running what paines and charges men sustaine for their right in temporall traihe in worldly commodites and present pleasures which we haue renounced in our baptim which with care being gotten with sorow is kept and yet soone loste and how colde negligent and careles we are aboute the true and sincere worshipping of God which we haue promised and professed in our baptim and which only hath his sure certain and euerlasting rewarde We spare no labour no coste no trauail for the one we moue not a foote nor will not departe from a peny for the other but nodding and sleping in wilfull ignoraunce fuffer our selues to be lead by the noses with euery tinkard and cobler prating in pulpets and planting poisonnous doctrine If rebells arise ageinst their Prince they are with all spede possible and force brought downe again Well and worthely And shall we winke at the rebelles of Christes holy worde and his church The thefe that robbeth and pilleth our temporall riches is hanged and worthely and will we not labour to espie oute and auoy de heresies which bereue vs of the treasure of eternall life If we be thus recheles and careles for our saluation we perish worthely and the plage of god ligh teth vppon vs for our deserts if we will not wittingly be deceiued but haue a care of our soule helth and think vppon the life to come let vs in this perilous ti mes of schismes and abundāce off iniquite harken to such as can teache vs to discerne the true and right in terpretation of gods worde from the peruerted persuasions of heretikes let vs beware of such guides in matters of conscience as stick not to corrupt the ve ry text of gods worde against all honesty and conscience Let vs behold for the better assurance of our Catholike faith which is but one the horrible schismes of the Lutherās Sacramētaries Anabaptistes Cōfessionistes and other amonge them selues all the which are here liuely and expressely sette forth by Fridericus Staphylus and we shall I trust gladly kepe our selues vnder the wing of our mother the Catholike church and geue no more eare to euery new forged fantasie of seditious schismatikes As touching the Author of this booke Fridericus Staphylus in his life time for within these fewe moneths he departed the worlde to the great grief of all good men he was a vertuous lerned and wise Noble mā His vertu wel appereth not only in the feruēt zele of gods worde and the truthe for the setting forth of the which he toke such trade of life as bothe empaired much the helth of his body and procured also greatiosse of his substaunce as he writeth in the first part of this worke but also in the great patience and modesty that he vsed alwaies against his aduersaries writing pasquils libels and famous epigrams against him calling him Iudas runneagat traitour and so forth as the modesty of this new ghospel vseth bycause he forsoke their abhominable heresies after a thourough knowledge of them and detected their iuggling deceites to al the worlde as especially he doth in this worke folowing And this only were they able to obiect against him which declareth well the innocēcy and vprightnes of his life For as herein they spared no kinde of rethorike to exaggerat his departing from them which was a singular grace of God and most in him to be commended so if they had had better matter it should not haue lacked the telling on their part Smidelinus one that of all other to his perpetuall shame and ignominy toke vppon him to encounter with Staphylus labouring to fasten vppon him some great blow of reproche and shame at the lēghth for lacke of better aduauntage entuiteth him his naturall behauiour that he vsed commonly to loke downe to the grounde as he walcked thinking he had thereby raught him a great rappe Which how light a philip it is euery wise man seeth And that gre at ghospeller and doctour of Gopping had forgotte it was writen of our Sauiour that Non secundum visionem oculorum iudicabit He shall not iudge according to the eye sight Truly it is no small argument of his innocency that his most aduersary could laie no greuouser matter vnto him His lerning well appeareth in this and other his workes as in his Absolut apology his epistles and orations against Melanchthon Flaccus and other where he showeth him selfe no lesse lerned Diuin then eloquent oratour and expert of the tongues But of his education in lerning and prospering in the same of what estimation also he was amonge the protestants them selues yow shall vnderstand
by his owne wordes being forced to declare the same by the impudent reproches of Smidelinus his aduersary In his Absolut apology writē in the yeare 1562. thus he writeth Whereas Smidelinus obiecteth to me that I was Luthers and Melanchthons scholer I denie it not for I liued in the vniuersite of wittenberg ten yeares of my owne costes and charges studying there vnder Luther Melāchthon and others At that time also being a younge man rash and vnskilfull I was infected somwhat with the poisonnous doctrine of Luther Howbeit that was not so rooted in me but that it was soone driuen out again And that I neuer consented thoroughly to the fifte ghospell of Luther many thinges do euidently proue First that whereas the Masters off Wittenberg would nedes persuade me to procede Doctour amonge them I would neuer do it And that only bicause I would not take the othe of the vniuersite and make open confession of my belefe in that place And this Doctour George Maior who yet liueth can beare me witnes of Secondarely bicause I would neuer take vppon me the Lutheran Ministery in any church though fewe yeares past I haue ben required of certain Princes to high dignites as to be Superintendent in sondry places as at Augspurg at Lubeck and at Brunsuick Thirdly this may declare how litle I fancyed in my hart the doctrine of Luther that being called and chosen of the Duke of Prussia to be a Reader in his dominions at Coningsberg and a Counseller I caused in the write of my stipend this cōdition expresly to be put that I would be cōpelled to no religion or doctrine that in any point repugned with the doctrine of the primitiue Catholike and Apostolicall church and of this my condition I am able to show iff nede shall require sufficient testimonies By these wordes ye may see off what reputation and opinion of lerning and vertu this man was at Wittenberg Augspurg Lubeck and Brunsuick the most famous cytes of the Lutheran profession His wisedō and other noble qualites he well declared first in the seruice of a counseller to the Duke of Prusia from whome he was forced to depart and that as he writeth to the losse of some thousands of marks bicause like a worthy and faithfull Counseller he frely aduertised eftsones the Duke to beware of the cursed heresies of Osiander and his felowes Secondarely in the like seruice vnder the Catholike and vertuous Duke of Bauaria vnder whom he was in such credit that he was made ouerseer and Chauncelour of the vniuersite of Ingolstad iointly with the Bishop of Eistat Thirdely for his wisedom lerning and vertu he was of longe time and many yeares Counseller to the late most worthy Emperoure Ferdinandus vnder whom he hath done noble seruice as well in the diets and conferences in Germany as in embassages of Liflande Pole and other countres As for the great labour and diligence he bestowed to shift him selfe oute of the captious and contentious controuersies of this time wherein he was nouseled in his youth it may wel appeare in that as he writeth in the first part of this booke He emploied only the study of Diuinite and matters of Cōtrouersie about two and twenty yeares not medling in all that time with any worldly or ciuill matter And what thinck you after so many yeares study and labour after so great experience and lerning was the chiefest argument and reason whereuppon he forsoke the Lutherans and claue vnto the Catholikes forsoth he declareth it in the very same place last alleaged and it is right worthy to be noted This saieth he was the chief and principal cause why I actōpted the diuers doctrine of Luther and his felowes to be hereticall and for such do vtterly forsake it and detest it this again is the cause why I esteme the doctrine in all Christendom which they call the Popedom receiued to be the only true and holesom doctrine bicause this doctrine is the Catholike and vniuer sally receiued interpretation of holy scripture but their doctrine is only their priuat opinion and their priuat deprauation of holy Scripture This lowas the principall reason that drew this wise lerned and vertuous man from the sectes of his Masters Luther and Melāchthō and brought him home to the perfect vnite of the Catholike faith for he sawe by lōg experiēce that al the doctrine of the new ghospellers was nought els but their owne traditiōs their propre inuentions and priuat imaginations for ging vpon the worde of God such sence as them listed and telling then the people that the same was the very worde of God whereas the Catholikes folowed such sence and meaning of the writen worde as by the lerned fathers continual tradition and vniuersall consent of Christendom was receaued and allowed And truly this only reason may be sufficient bothe for the vnlerned and deceaued protestants to reduce them home again to the Catholike churche of Christ and to kepe also within the same such as by the grace of God vertuous education and good instructions haue not yet swarued from the same Which I beseche almighty God it may so do And thus much hitherto of this present Treatise and the author thereof Many other things there are which I would gladly aduertise the Reader of But bicause we haue I feare ben ouerlong allready and the Author him selfe hath prefixed a long but a lerned and profitable preface and therefore not to be omitted I wil here breake of and after the ende of the Authors whole discourse put for conclusion the rest of my meaning aduertising in the meane season the reader of this one thing that this our labour being an interpretation and bound to the inuentiō of the Author we haue not ne coulde not vse the like eloquence as the free stile geueth beseching the notwithstanding gentle Reader to take our paines in good part Farewell At Louain the 12. of Nouember 1564. Thomas Stapleton THen saieth Nicephorus of the time of Constantius his empire vnder whom the Arrians flourished new deuises were commended and increased daily growing to a straunge alteration so farre that euery man setting light by all auncient lawes and ordonaunces forged him selfe fresh of his owne And yet their doctrine he meaneth the Arrians was not of all such receiued but eche one imagined new opinions heaping vp euer doctrine vpon doctrine Then Aetius Eunomius Eudoxius eche one diuersly Vttered their blasphemies against Christ. Then Macedonius also blasphemed against the holy Ghoste Gregory Nazianzen reasoned against those newe doctrines in this sorte IF our faith be but yet thirty yeares olde foure hundred yeares being now passed ouer sence the coming of Christ then our ghospell hath ben so long in vaine our faith also hath ben to no purpose Then so many Martirs haue invaine testified their faith in Christ. Then so many Bishops and pastours haue in vaine so longe fedd the flock of Christ. If prescription of foure hundred
preache the one in the hilles of Gutni the other in Zary a village of Silesia In Pintzou a towne of Poleone George Brandat and Peter Statorius teache openly that there is not one but thre Gods and eche of them of diuers and distinct natures no lesse then thre diuers men So that there is not one substaunce of the godhed but thre and thre different operations thre diuers willes And that the Son is lesse then the father As for the crede of Athanasius that it ought rather be called the crede of Sathanasius the diuell him self And these felowes Brandat and Statorius being admonished of such blasphemous doctrine and required by what authorite or whose persuasioÌ„ they durste sowe suche blasphemies they answered they were moued thereunto first by the authorite of Caluin of wolfgangus Musculus of Peter Martyr of Bullinger and such like masters then by the euidence of the holy truthe which hitherto hath layen hidd and nowe was from God vnto them reueled These thinges to be as we saye Stanislaus a Baron of the realme of Pole Mathias Stadnitzky and Franciscus Stancarus do write But bicause this parted confusion of so diuers opinions can not well be perceaued and is harde to be tried or discerned of such as gladly receaue al nouelties there is vpsterte this very winter in Bohem a newe Secte The which to take awaye this confusion and to sett forthe a brefe and compendiouse waie of the Lutheran doctrine teacheth openly and affirmeth that all other opinions and doctrine of God of the worshipping of God of faith of good or euill workes and to be short of any saluation of man be but olde wyues tales and fonde inuentioÌ„s This onely to be a sure and infallible lawe and the true sincere doctrine that man bothe body and soule after this life vtterly perisheth no sence or life remaining after death here Lo to what point the preachers of the newe ghospel haue brought their doctrine vnto Lo the marke and scope of all their doings The third principle of the Lutheran ghospell is saieth Brentius an assured certainte that euery maÌ„ hath of his faith in Christ. But for the loue of God what is this assured certainte of faith May we not as well call day night and light darknes But what I praye you is this so assured and vndoubted certeinte of faith amonge the Lutherans It is peraduenâ—ure that certainte of faith which for the clerenes and euidence of it hathe so surely and with suche constaÌ„t consent and maruaylous agreement ioyned together the Lutherans that in all their new ghospell no dissension can be founde no variaunce in any article of their faythe no heresyes at all in their doctrine may be espied For if constant certaynte bredeth true concorde and agreement as a certain philosopher wittely reporteth then surely vncertainte and wauering in opinions muste nedes brede strife Hereof then we may clerely gather howe trew this thirde principle of Luther is for such is the certaynte of their faithe as the agreement of their opinions is The whiche howe greate and of what maner it is they haue them selues declared and we will not dissemble it These are the principles of the reformed ghospell laied by Luther repeted by BreÌ„tius and admitted of the whole swarme of sectaries Nowe bicause in the principle all is contained and many labels depend thereof what roufe thinke yow will the diuell buyld vppon these foundations of Luther For the effect neuer excelleth the cause Truly these consequents and labels depended of suche holy principles To make of chaste membres of Christ filthy membres of an harlot of deuoute and well disposed Christians wicked and vnruly subiects of sober and temperat glutons and Epicures yelding to all filthy lust and pleasure whose bely is their God whose faithe is perfidiousnes and no faith at all And to this butte and scope of Luther many haue preuily aimed at but those of BoheÌ„ haue nowe openly shott at it and stroken the very marke preaching in open pulpits that the soule dieth with the body But bicause Epicure him selfe taught that to get pleasure a coulour of vertu must be caste and the diuel perceauing wel that publick magistrats could better be chauÌ„ged theÌ„ vtterly takeÌ„ away he thought better to traine this herde of Epicures fleshly and worldly meÌ„ to the yoke of MahometaÌ„s doctrine being so sure they should be his owne theÌ„ to leaue theÌ„ vnder the roufe of the Catholike church where he stoode allwayes in doubte to lese them The diuell therefore hath so directed allwaies and trayned all contentions and variaunces in religion that all heresies ende in the Alcoran Mahomets lawe All historiographers that write of the first beginning of Turkes affirme with one assent that the lawe of Mahomet writen in the Alcoran was compiled by one Sergius an Arrian and Ihon a Nestorian bothe auncient heretiques and of a certain Iewe of the Talmudistes Now although the heresies which haue in our vnhappy time spronge vp be many and diuers yet if the chiefe of theÌ„ and moste receaued were examined and coÌ„ferred diligeÌ„tly with those thre sectes aboue mencioned we should plainely and euidently perceaue that the drift of the diuell is no other nowe a dayes then by the meane of these heresies to traine vs vnwares from the faith of Christ to the cursed infidelite of Mahomet Petrus Statorius chargeth Franciscus Stancarus with the heresie of Nestorius and he againe the other with the heresie of Arrius And bicause Stancarus is a famous Iew and Talmudist and Statorius is by professioÌ„ a Caluiniste partes hath so hotly and earnestly beÌ„ taken on bothe sides that nowe not only in Pole and Hungary whiche are Realmes nighe vnto the Turkes but also in Silesia in Morauia in Bohem and other prouinces more remote greate contentions haue ben kindled thereupon and be yet hotte And what other thinge o mercifull God can we looke for If Christen men call the faith of Christ in doubte if they denie it openly if they embrace the abhominable doctrine off Mahomet is it likely that whose doctrine they allowe his power and rule they will refuse no truly But these may seme paradoxes and beyonde all credence Woulde God they were so But I feare me they are as true as the ghospell The causes be euident and open surely the euent of all likelyhood will be correspondent Let them enquire that be ignoraÌ„t and those that see and knowe the thinges to be as we saie let them well waighe them But I will not make so euill abodement I will rather wish and hope well and much more rather woulde I be counted a lyar and vnprouident that it might not so proue then true and wise that they shoulde so proue But nowe to couple more closely and to strike more directly oure aduersarie whom I labour here to saue I saye the only remedy for the mischef that hangeth on vs the only meanes to escape this vtter destruction of ChristendoÌ„ is
haue occasion better and depelyer to consider these matters In the meane season I haue endeuoured that in such thinges as I bring out of stories and factes of our time I might content all men offend no man But if there be any man that thinketh him selfe offended with this my booke otheâ— bicause I haue spoken more plainely then he would I should other bicause he taketh my wordes otherwise then I meaned him I beseche most hartely that he call vpon me and heare what I can saye for my selfe Surely I shall not be so frowarde nor so vnkinde but being better instructed of any man I will with all courtesie thanke him therefore and much more will I be glad to submitt my selfe to the lawfull and Catholike censure of the church Which being most reasonable if I can nether by entreating nether by any right obteine of my aduersaries I will patieÌ„tly suffer by God his helpe all that may happen and will defend notwithstanding according to my power the truthe of God his worde as longe as I liue Contenting my selfe for al rewarde of my paines if I may by this small trauaill either call any one backe thas is gone astraye or confirme any man that hath hitherto remained in the truthe Especially in this your Diocese most Reuerend Praelat to whom this vniuersite of Ingolstad is subiect Wherefore I most humbly commend vnto yow bothe this schole especially the study of Diuinite therein and me and all myne Fare yow well Writen on Christmas eue in the ende of the yeare 1560. To your most Reuerend highnes the most affectioned FRIDERICVS STAPHYLVS Counseller to the Emperoures Maiestie c. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER GRACE FROM GOD AND PEACE IT is an olde and much receaued but a very euill custome that such as can not abide the truthe tolde them vse to slauÌ„der backbyte and raile at other especially for that by instinct of nature as a wise ethnike writeth men are more busy to espie other meÌ„s fautes then vertues And although this wicked custome hath allwayes from the beginning ben practised proceding of the corrupted nature off man yet neuer in any age it hath so much beÌ„ vsed as now sence Martin Luther brought out to light the fifte ghospell and sent abrode in to the world these vnhappy and vnghostely ghospellers which all Christendom now allmost to their greate lost and destruction is stuffed and stifled with all For where as this ghospel can neither be proued by any euidence of truthe neither as the true ghospell was be coÌ„firmed by operation of miracles these new preachers of our dayes haue turned all their force and power an other waie labouring to the and nayle by right and by wronge and by all meanes possible to bring the olde Catholike doctours and al such as folowe them in infamie obloquy and reproche to all the world And this lesson our aduersaries haue very perfitly lerned of their Master Luther and haue practised this precepte all waies hauing to do with me or any other Catholike man Neither will they by any meanes be brought from this their charitable custome while they liue perceauing well that by this crafty meanes they gett more grounde and deceaue more the people then euer they were able to do by plaine and vpright dealing Truly as for my part I confesse before God and his diuine iudgement my sinnes to be greate and many which can reioyse in no other thing nor otherwise praie then that good kinge Dauid vsing these wordes Lorde heare my praier heare me in thy righteousnes and entre not in to iudgement with thy seruaunt for no lyuing man may be iustified in thy fight to the whiche that notable sentence of S. Austen also agreeth saying Wo euen to the commendable life of men if thou o Lord doest examin and trie theÌ„ without thy mercie And thus must euery man be he neuer so holy and perfit iudge of him selfe if he respect the terrible iudgement of almightie God wherewith no man can stand without his mercie through Christ Iesus But in ciuill policie and trade of this worlde where the good a bearing of subiects is required euery maÌ„ ought so to ordre his life that he maye without groudg of conscience saye I can be charged with nothing howebeit I iustifie not myself herein And that saying of the prophet Iudge me o lorde according to my righteousnes For this is our glorie as the Apostle sayth the testimonie of our conscience Although therefore as I saied before I acknowledg my selfe for a greate sinner yet not with standing all daies of my life be it not spoken for any pride I haue allwaies endeuoured to haue the testimonie of an vpright conscience that I might geue a counte to such as required it of me bothe of my belefe and of my coÌ„uersation For this is the straight commaundement of almightie God and the doctrine of S. Peter the Apostle saying Be ye ready allwaies to geue an awnswer to all that shall aske you a reason of the hope that is in you and that with mekenes and feare hauinge a good conscience that whereas they backebite you as euill-doers they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conuersation in Christ. The which waighty precepts of holy scripture commaunding expresly euery man to be ready to geueaccompte of his hope and conuersatioÌ„ I being so bitterly and roughely prouoked of my aduersaries could not but purge and defend my selfe as reason required For as S. Hierom â—aieth He that neglecteth his good name is cruell and vnnaturall toward him selfe and as S. Austin saieth Our life we maintaine for our owne sakes our good name for other mens The wise man also saithe Better is a good name then much riches and to be loued is worth better then gold or siluer And the common talke telleth vs who hath lost his good name is more theÌ„ halfe haÌ„ged For these reasons therefore and diuers other I haue thought expedient to write and set forthe this brief and short Apologie to theÌ„teÌ„t that according to the duty of a ChristeÌ„ maÌ„ bicause other ordinary meanes of triall our aduersaries admit not I may declare to the world my innocency herein and remoue the haynous flawnders of my aduersaries which they laye out continually against me in pulpits in grammer scholes in their writinges and in famous libels To suspend therefore no longer the Godly and Christen reader we will nowe enter our Apologie being diuided in to thre partes The first is of the true and right vnderstanding of the worde of God and the ghospell which they saie I did before embrace and folow but now I abhorre and persecut The secoÌ„d part is of the traÌ„slation of the holy bible in to the vulgar German tongue whereof they bable that I go about amd deuise to make an inhibition against the reading of the german bibles The third part is of certain articles in controuersie which the Lutherans partly
for shame denie partly go about to reconcile with the rest of their doctrine To the ende that hereby they may persuade the worlde that I belied thē hitherto affirming such to be their articles and charging them with dissension amonge themselues With these thre pointes by the grace of god I shal defend my simple conuersation and geue due information of my belief vsing herein a plaine and familiar stile of our vulgar tongue that the simple lay mā may also vnderstande me declaring sincerely and with all modestie the truth in all pointes without railing biting or any other vnciuill demeanour For so it becometh well meaning men to do Although my aduersaries to bring me in infamie and reproche omitte no such kinde of rethorike laieng on greate lode of lies and reproches whereby they haue cut awaie all honest meanes of reconciliation auoiding al maner of iudgement and ciuil triall Being yet frō god commaunded by Moises That all controuersies and debates should be tried by the lawfull Magistrat For this hathe alwaies ben my only desire and is yet that my aduersaries which either priuely or in open libels cease not to backbite me cōuēt me before my ordinary and lawfull magistrat and there make their complainte not making them selues the partie plaintif and defendant yea and iudges in their owne cause as against all order and lawe bothe spirituall and temporall thei haue hitherto most impudently done Truly as I haueben allwaies so am I now ready and desirous to present my self before my ordinary Magistrat and to abide the whole ordre and proces of the lawes against me For thanked be God I knowe my life and cōuersation hath ben such be it not spoken for any pride that I am not ashamed nor afeard to showe my face before any mā a liue And sure I am that if I had not laboured with the Emperours Maiestie and other Catholike princes for the maintenaūce of the Catholike religion against heretikes my life shoulde neuer haue bē touched of thē But seing that the Catholike doctrine it self praised be God can not by any good reason or coulour be impugned they laie at my person and fight against me letting the doctrine it selfe alone Vsing this argument that I against my owne conscience only for honour and riches sake defend the Catholikes whereas yet they knowe well them selues that I haue sustained the losse of some thousands of crownes and empaired much the helthe of my body in the quarell of the Catholike faith But howsoeuer the matter goeth Our Lorde knoweth who are his and he trieth the hartes of men and as Clemens Alexandrinus writeth No man is so great but God passeth him nor no mā so smal but God espieth him and he shal geue to euery man according to his desertes If I therefore do against my conscience herein wo is vnto me For only God knoweth the conscience of man But if I do vprightely herein wo is vnto you that take vpon you the secret iudgement of God Aud thus farre off my selfe inough Let vs nowe come vnto the matter OF THE TRVE AND RIGHT VNDERSTANDING OF HOLY SCRIPTVRE AS touching the first part whereas they laye to my charge that I labour to oppresse and tread vnder foot the holy ghospell and worde of God hauing before professed the same c. To this I aunswere plainely that herein they deale very vncourteously with me and do iniuriously slaunder me And I am very sure they haue not one iote to proue this their saying by But to remoue this their vaine and forged opinion with sure and vndoubted reason I would gladly knowe of them what is that they call the holy ghospell and worde of God Here if they awnswer me that the worde of God is no other thinge then the holy scripture commonly called the Bible that is the olde and newe Testament thē againe I awnswer thē they do most iniuriously slaunder me For they are neuer able to proue that euer I reiected or persecuted any one litle peace or parcell of the ghospell or of the lawe But I embrace and reuerence al the holy Bible the lawe and the ghospel and take it for no lesse thē the very worde of Gods mouth Yea and I graunte that sooner heauē and earth shal perish then any one iote of that worde Which I dare saie not only for my owne part but in the name of all Catholike Christians which hitherto euen from the Apostles time allmost these thousand six hundred yeares without any intermission haue read in churches songe alwaies in publick seruice of the Masse and taught openly in pulpits and haue also in the common breuiaries and portyses of the Romane vse comprised almost the whole corps of the Bible and that in such ordre that the priestes are bounde wekely to reade ouer the whole Psalter and yearely for lessons allmost all the ghospell and epistles and prophets as the most auncient custom practised so many hundred yeares past of the Canonicall howres the Prime the Third the Sixt the Ninth howres Euensong and Complin doth well declare which disposition and ordre of times was off the Apostles them selues as it may appeare in the Actes and other where so well and diligently appointed that to euery daye for the howres of our lordes passion psalmes lessons and ghospells do correspond with a reuerent and deuoute remēbraunce of Christes benefits whereby the church from the beginning vnto our time through out the whole worlde would testifie and teache vnto vs that all holy scripture ought to be construed and grounded on the passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ as in the true corner stone for the saluation of our soules as hereafter we shall in his due place by the scripture most plainely proue It is therefore a wonderfull slaunder that these men saye of the Catholikes That hitherto the ghospell and the worde of God hath ben bannished from the church kept in hucker mucker and at the length vnder the pope to haue ben vtterly extinguished but now is reuoked vnto light therefore those that embrace this newe ghospell to be worthely called men of the ghospell but that we which folow our swete parents and forefathers with the whole Catholike church keping and maintaining the olde Apostolicall doctrine must be called wicked papistes But here he that hath eyes to see let him open them and he that hath any regard of his saluation let him here take hede for this is that suttell deceit of these protestants and the mist wherewith they dimme the eyes of the simple people making them beleue that they only professe the worde of God And yet these newe preachers and masters knowe very well them selues the contrary as Luther him selfe in his booke against the Anabaptistes and the Zuinglians witnesseth saying that among the papistes that is in the churche of Rome the holy ghospell aud all holy scripture with al the bookes sentences wordes and prickes thereof hath remained in
more in their former snare they patche on an other dangerous deceit vsing this guile with them You must good people in dede beleue the only writen worde of god but to the expositions of the preachers ye ought so farre to beleue as their expositions agreeth with the writen worde that is that the simple and vnlerned people must iudg of their owne faith and be able to trie whether their preachers teache false or no whether their expositions agre so iust with the worde of God that they may be bolde to beleue them euen as the very worde of God Yf this be true that the poeple must nowe iudge their preachers and teachers then was S. Paule to blame describing the prouidence of Christ toward his church to saie these wordes Christ ascending on high lead captiuite captiue and gaue giftes vnto men These giftes were vndoubtedly his holy worde and to make it out of doubt what maner of giftes he meaneth it foloweth strait vppon And he hath geuen some Apostles some prophets and some Euangelistes For by these thre sortes of men by the prophets the Apostles the Euangelistes inspired of the holy ghost holy scripture was writen but bicause in the writen worde many mysteries lye hidden therefore Christ left not to his church only Prophets Apostles and Euangelistes but as it foloweth in S. Paule He gaue pastours and doctours shepeards and teachers which should fede the people with the true intelligence of the holy write and teache them the true vnderstāding of the same Now then either the Shepeardes and teachers must instructe the people and interpret holy scripture vnto thē as S. Paule prescribeth or els the people him self must take vppon him the person of a iudge ouer his shepeards and teachers as the protestants will haue it Chose here good reader whom thou list to folow Surely I must nedes obey and beleue the blessed Apostle whatsoeuer these men bable Therefore I saie againe the people ought to lerne not to teache They ought to obey those that haue charge off their soules their sheaperdes and teachers not to iudge or instruct them in matters of religion Contrary wise the pastours and teachers ougth diligently to instruct their flocke and expounde vnto them the right meaning of holy scripture that they may with the kaye off truthe binde and loose the sinnes of the people accordingly Nowe whereas in cytes Mayres and scholemasters in villages the gentlemen and in the courtes of princes the Chauncellers prescribe and appoint vnto their parish prestes and vicars the maner of interpreting holy scripture the order of ministring the sacramēts the forme of common prayer at the pleasure of euery laie magistrat and Temporall Lorde what will become of this straunge fashions the time will ones declare For nothing is so preuy but that it will ones come to light Euery wise man may easely cast what is likely to folowe when euery magistrat or secular ruler vtterly vnlerned and but of meane abilite yet do at their pleasure appoint ministres and put downe prescribing what docrine they liste to the poore people or what secte liketh them best hereof it happeneth that if the Mayre scholemaster or gentleman be a Suenckseldian then the preacher of that parish must folow onely the doctrine of Suenck feldius or if he be a Zuinglian an Osiandrin an Anabaptiste an Illyrican a Wittenberger a Maiorist or of any other secte the poore simple people must lerne the newe faith of the Maire scholemaster or gentleman and vtterly renounce his olde nor may not be so bolde as to hush to the cōtrary When this newe straunge order was first taken in hande that all spirituall Magistrates constitutions and ordonaunces should be disannulled some there were that thought it not reason that men should be forced to embrace this opinion or that but it shoulde be left free to euery man to beleue whatsoeuer the sprit moued him vnto without any let to the cōtrary So wrote Luther in his booke De Christiana libertate and in an other De capti uitate Babilonica in the which bookes he so embrued the hartes of men with the loue of licentious libertie that al Christen constitutions lawes aud decrees of the church were vtterly abolished and trode vnder foote Out of these bookes also Thomas Munzer toke occasion to make the insurrection of the commons in Germany wherein perished more then a hundred thousand off our dere countremen as Sleidan noteth in the fifte booke of his story Of this licentious doctrine off Luther also one Bernard Rotmā begā the heresy of the Anabaptistes and that by these wordes of Luther that no man could be compelled to any faith that al Christen men are free and taught of God him selfe immediatly that there nedeth no interpretation of scripture but it is al plaine and perspicuous that a simple man of the countre can more readily expounde and vnderstande holy scripture then any Doctour in diuinite But after that Luther espied this vntoward course of his doctrine and that now his owne scholers Mūtzer Rotman Carolstadius Zuinglius and diuers other bette him with his owne rodde he inuented strait a new shift or rather succoured him selfe with the olde practise of the Catholike churche as the folowers of Melanchthon and Brentius do now a daies who seing the people caryed away daily in to newe sectes by other ghospellers leauing their former new masters do call their felowes renagates and apostatas compelling them by ecclesiasticall censure and force off pretended excommunication to returne home again When Luther first began to write and set forthe bookes his scholers murmured and saied it was against the Christian liberte that Christen men might not frely reade what bookes they listed But nowe when the Lutherās them selues do swarue from their master and write one against an other they runne to the refuge of the Catholike churche and make inhibitions forbidding all such bookes as their felowes write against them to be read or solde banishing out of their townes and countres with all the power they can all such ministres and preachers as dissent from them so it is now true amonge these heretikes that Athanasius and Tertullian wrote of the olde heretikes of their time that is what they approue to daie they reproue tomorowe What they preache as the worde of God this yeare they condemne as hereticall nexte yeare wauering like the rede with the winde and framing their faith as occasion serueth Melanchthon seing that the licentious liberte planted by Luther gaue occasiō of much suaruing and departing of one from an other amonge them selues he put a newe cote vpon his religion and whereas before he acknowledged but two Sacraments Baptim and the Supper of our Lorde nowe he addeth two more Penaunce and holy Ordre Penaunce he added to bring againe in order the dissolut consciences off his brethern to set vp excommunication and to erect in
none allmost vnderstode And what meaned our Sauiour when he sayde vnto his disciples It is geuen vnto you to knowe the misteries of the kingdome of God but to the other in parables that seing they see not and hearing they vnderstande not What meaned our Lorde in these wordes Truly this that it is a speciall gifte of God to vnderstande well holy scripture and that this gifte was especially geuen vnto the Apostles and to their disciples and successours which should after thē beare their roume in Christes church Againe that it was inough for the people that as much as is necessary for saluation they might lerne of their pastours preachers and curates the exposition of holy scripture by similitudes and parables agreable to their capacite which may farther be proued by diuers places of holy scripture But I would here gladly aske of our newe Masters when they saye that the texte of scripture is sufficient that there nedeth no expositiō nor glose why write they so many cōmentaries such longe gloses vppon scripture so many bookes and that without all measure if we nede no exposition then surely all the Lutherans bookes and writings be vtterly superfluous vaine and to no purpose but only crafty snares to catche the simple and vnlerned withall But to tell you plainely what the protestāts meane by this sutle shifte to cleaue to the only writen worde surely this it is they would not haue the scripture vtterly not expoūded they meane nothing so for that in dede nothing serueth their turne but they would haue their expositions their maner of expounding to be receaued and beleued as the very worde of god But contrary wise when they haue to do with vs reiecting all interpretation of scripture they ring their olde songe in our eare The worde of god is cleare perspicuous aud plaine it nedeth no exposition it requireth no interpretatiō of the olde fathers or of the Churche wherein you see what is their impudencie and contrariete And this much haue we saide to showe that Scripture ought to be expounded that the bare text suffiseth not But here riseth now agreat question and worthy to be waighed Seing that holy scripture must be interpreted and that we see abrode many and diuers interpretations thereof and yet in one thing there can be but one truthe and as scripture it selfe is vndoubtedly true so the interpretation thereof must be vndoubted and certain whether of all these interpretations or what maner is to be accompted the right proper and vndoubted As for example No Christen man denieth but that these wordes of the last supper Take eate this is my body be the very wordes of God Christ him self And what coulde be sayde more plainely more distinctly more directly then these wordes of Christ are yet what happened Al the sectes and heresies that raign nowe adaies acknowlegde them for the wordes of God No secte denieth thē Whereupon then riseth these greate and horrible dissensions surely not whether secte hathe the worde of god but whether of them well expoundeth it And see howe diuersly these fewe wordes are expounded Zwinglius saith these wordes This is my body are as much to saie This significeth and betokeneth my body Oecolāpadius thus expoundeth them This is the signe or token of my body Carolstadius after this sorte Herein sitteth my body Swenck feldius yet after an other sorte This is my spiritual body Luther thus This is my naturall body in naturall breade The Catholikes haue allwaies thus expounded it Vnder the forme of bread it is the true boly of oure Lorde Nowe what shall here a simple and vnlerned man of the countre do hearing so diuers and contrary interpretations of so fewe wordes Truly if he will here of his owne head confer scriptures together and serch the true meaning of these wordes in scripture and the writen text he shall be as wise herein as these men aboue mentioned who all by conference of scripture you see howe swetely they agreed vpon the truthe But if there were any certainte in conference as sometimes it helpeth much yet the simple vnlerned man by common order of witt shal neuer finde it out For how can the vnlerned and ignorant iudge of that which he neuer lerned no more truly then the showemaker is able to iudge of the goldesmithes worke which he was neuer practised in And were not that showemaker to be accōpted very impudēt and vndiscret who seing two goldesmithes contending of the fines of some piece of gold or siluer would steppe in and take vpō him to determinat the matter betwene them much lesse ought the vnlerned medle with or determinat matters of Diuinite or take vpon them to expounde the meaning of the holy ghoste seing that in worldly affaires there can no waightier matter of more difficultie or of greater importaunce be taken in hande what then shal the vnlerned man do in this case If he may cleaue to no part at all then must he be of no church but make him selfe a newe secte forge him selfe a newe faith and so at length lese all faith and become a very painim whiche god forbid that euer any man should persuade the vnlerned If he cleaue to any part yet is he in greate daūger For almightie god cōmaūdeth straitly by his Apostle that we auoide the heretike Here truly the laye man ought to take good aduise For he is bounde him selfe to take hede of false prophets lest being blinde him selfe and not able to vnderstande holy scripture he suffer him selfe to be lead of a blinde guide such as the heretike is But howe can the blinde man see whether is guide be blinde or no Truly of him felfe he cā not see it vnlesse he hath lerned of suche as see wel some certain token howe to knowe it Is there then any such tokē or signe or where may a man seke it verely the mercifull prouidence of almighte God hath not failed in this point but hath left vnto the laie simple and vnlerned man a certain and vnfallible token whereby he may if he regarde his owne saluation beware of all false and heretical corruption in interpreting scripture There is no Christē man so rude or ignorant that knoweth not perfitly his Crede and can reherse it frō the beginning to the ending In the which though euery article ought diligētly to be marked and borne awaye yet in this time none more then the article where we saye Credo sanctā Catholicā Ecclesiam I beleue the holy Catholike church For in this worde Catholike is the very true token and marke to knowe the right interpretatiō of scripture by for that is called Catholike as S. Austin teacheth which euery where and at al times is and hath ben Thē this worde Chatolike attributed to the church is that which hath continued frō the Apostles time to our daies without any breache diuision or intermission For such a church did God the Father
not be brought about being to abolish olde and auncient religion and to plant a newe of his owne inuention To coulour therefore this his intent and fetch he forceth me the Apostle to speake for him and to vtter his doctrine in the vulgar tongue putting in for the wordes of the Apostle after the elements of the worlde his owne wordes after the lawes and ordonaunces of the worlde As though the Apostle had commaunded that bicause the ciuill lawes and decrees be not worde for worde expressed in the prophets or the Apostles but instituted for a policy and worldy gouuernement therefore that no man was bounde to obey them And this pageant so pretely entred of Luther proued not amisse especially for the trim tricked translation or rather transposing and altering of S. Paules wordes In an other booke entituled Of the secular power he writeth that amonge Christen men there ought to be no superiorite no power nor no Magistrat In the very same booke and in an Epistle againste the two edictes of the Emperour he writeth That our princes of Germany be lyars obstinat men without reason very bestes and to vse his owne wordes wild pret in himel that is like wilde dere in the element that we ought to praie to God that the subiectes obey not their magistrats nor go not to warre being pressed nor geue any thing towarde battaill against the Turke for that the Turke him selfe is ten times better then our Princes In the booke of his assertions against Leo the pope he affirmeth that To fight against the Turkes is to resiste God punishing vs by the Turkes tyranny In his booke de Captiuitate Babylonica he saieth There is no remedy to be hoped for onles the libertie of the ghospell he meaneth his owne being restored and all mens lawes vtterly extinguished we iudge and rule our selues For no Magistrat saythe he no nor angell of heauen hath the authorite to prescribe any lawe ouer Christen men other then they will be content them selues to folowe For Christen men are fre from al subiection Again in a litle booke againste the Collectours of wormes he writeth that no common welth is well ruled by lawes Last of all in his awnswer against Ambrosius Catharinus he stormeth like a madde man and crieth out that the Church of Christ and the ghospell caÌ„ in no wise acknowleadg or suffer any Magistrat or iurisdiction For al these thinges be but torments and cruell inuentions of men against Christians Luther then hauing by this false and foisted interpretation of S. Paule founde the meanes to burne the Canon lawe to bring in contempt the Ciuill lawe to raise vp the commons against their princes beside many other seditions and rebellions hereby procured I trust men will take hede and beware off such false forged and foisted interpretations For who seeth not that there is great difference betwene The elements of the worlde and the ordonnauÌ„ces of the worlde Chrisostom Theophilact Theodoret and other holy fathers interpreting this place of the Apostle teache vs that the worde Elemenâ—s do meane that we should auoide the Astronomicall predictions which are seldome without enchantemeÌ„ts and coungering And this is not only forbiddeÌ„ by scripture but also by Canons of the church and by the ciuill lawes as in Codice de Iudaeis Mathematicis a man may se is greuousely punished yet Luther wil haue no other thing ment by those wordes of the Apostle whatsoeuer the holy fathers saie then politick and ciuill ordonnaunces whiche he lowdely and lewdely curseth And Melanchthon in despite of the fathers and Canons maintaineth at Wittenberg most aboue other sciences Astrologie so that in no place it is so much folowed and practised as there I could bring here diuers other false and corrupted traÌ„slations of Luther but that I feare me I should wery the reader with ouer long and superfluous recitall thereof Notwithstanding who so loueth the truthe and will not willfully be abused he may iudge of these fewe examples what trust is to be geuen to the rest of Luthers translation an such other heretikes especially if he consider that he that is ones ouer the showes will not sticke yet to wade furder But here peraduenture a man will demaunde Sir if it be so that the reading of the Bible in the vulgar tongue be so perilous a matter howe shall the vnlerned laye man prouide that he be not abused in this case For many there are amonge the laite that caÌ„ not refraine from reading holy scripture taking it for a greate comfort and instruction as well to bridle their passions as to moue them to vertu What part then of holy scripture might well be permitted them to reade For the whole corps of the Bible were it neuer so wel translated yet I doubt whether it were expedient for the laye to reade it For it might be an occasion of idle and light thoughtes if euery girle or yonge womaÌ„ should reade the stories of Lot and his doughters of Lia and Rachel the wiues of Iacob of Iudas and Thamar and howe aduoutrie may be tried in wemen Whiche all in the olde testament is to be reade Amonge the Iewes it was a lawe that before the age of taking priesthood which was of thirty yeares no man should be suffred to reade the beginning of the Genesis the Canticles the ende and beginning of Echechiels prophecy And that bicause although all this were the worde of God yet it was not thought expedieÌ„t that euery one indifferently should lightely come to these secret and high misteries whiche God would not haue reueled to all lest being coÌ„moÌ„ as it happeneth they should the lesse be estemed Nor it hath not ben without the singular disposition and maruailous prouideÌ„ce of God that throughe all the west churche the wordes of his holy Sacraments haue amonge so many barbarous nations ben kept so longe time in the Latin tonge vnknoweÌ„ and straunge to the common sorte of men Yet that the laite be not vtterly excluded from the misteries of holy Scripture but that they may as farre as is expedient for them reade and knowe them this our counsell were not paraduenture amisse Bicause in holy scripture there are many stories and other thinges which are not necessary to be knowen not only of the laite but also of the inferiour sorte of the clergy certain bishops of Rome many yeares past haue piked out of the whole corps of the Bible certain most necessary parcels thereof and set it forthe together in the forme of a Breuiary or portise to be read of the clergy by dutie and of the laite such as listeth This is so distributed in to the seuen howres of Christes passion that who so listeth applie him selfe to praier and deuocioÌ„ can surely imagin no better order then that is The right Noble and excellent lerned man George Gienger one of the preuy counsell to the Emperours Maiestie well perceauing the great commodite thereof hathe translated
Osiander wickedly wretheth and corrupteth holy scripture this man saith that the interpretations of them bothe are not contrary Againe in the same booke of the Countes of Mansfeld thus we reade Neither is this errour of Osiander sightely to be passed ouer by the which he bindeth the benefits of Christ to certain circunstaunces to bring men thereby to desperation while the minde of man hangeth in doubt whether he be fit to receaue the benefits of Christ or no. But cleane contrarely writeth Smidelin in the booke aboue named If that Osiander saithe he or his aduersaries bicause of this contention inschole pointes only are to be counted heretikes what shall we saie I praie you of the olde fathers But howe swetely agree the semen The Ministers of Mansfeld saie that the doctrine of Osiander hath such a notable errour annexed vnto it that it forceth men to desperation Smidelin saieth it is but a light contention in schole pointes But this felowe perceauing that such manifeste and diuers heresies can in dede by no meanes be reconciled together he bringeth in the olde fathers for example as thoughe they had vsed to confute heretikes by false interpretation of holy scripture which caÌ„ neuer be proued of them Yea it is impossible that heresies may be ouerthrowen by false doctrine For as Aristotle teacheth it is impossible that of a false grounde any truthe may be coÌ„cluded Farder in this booke of Mansfeld the Ministres saie VVe ought to suspect the doctrine of Osiander bicause it is new and not heard of before in the church and we finde nothing in holy scripture that is anything like to the doctrine of Osiander Let vs nowe here what saithe Master Smidelin in his booke alleaged A childe of seuen yeares olde which had lerned but his cathechisme maye euidently perceaue that bothe these doctrines of Osiander and of the VVitenbergers disagree neuer a whit If there were in oure Germain tongue any one worde that might thouroughely expresse an impudent and shameles felowe surely it would nowe serue well the turne to tricke this doctour in his termes So impudently and so past al shame in the face of al the worlde he lieth so lowdely and boasteth so bestly that amonge them all is no difference in doctrine no variaunce in opinions but all smothe all quiet all vniforme and agreable yea and that so euidently so swetely so like pigeons they agree and coll together that a very childe of seuen yeare olde woulde be the better to see it But seing this good man slepeth so soundely in the swete concent and vniforme harmonie of his brethern that it semeth he hathe forgot all the worlde and remembreth not the prety pageants they haue plaied of late and what notes of discorde hathe fallen amoge I wil be so bolde as a litle to wake him and call him to remembraunce of the fourten Lutheran churches which all of late wrote and set forthe in print their writinges against the Confession of Andreas Osiander amonge the which the chefe are The Ministers or diuines of Wittenberge the Ministres of the younger Lordes of Vinaria the Ministres of Magdenburg The ministers of Franckford on this side of Viader The ministers of Ihon of Costrin the Marquis of the dukes of Pomerain and of the cites on the seacost of Saxony as of Lubek of Hamburg of Breme of Luneburg and diuers other Vnto all the which churches and Ministres Osiander in his booke entituled Schmeckbier awnswered paieng them home with such coine as they laide out so that nowe they are bothe on fire one against an other cursing and charging eche other with hainous and abhominable heresies He that listeth not to beleue me let him proue and trie the truthe in their bookes that are abiode in all mens handes let him serche the printers shops of Germany and he shall finde bitter contentions and greuous controuersies betwene the Lutherans and the Osiandrins Yet Smidelin winketh and noddeth still and will not see all this But if he be an vpright and plaine dealing man let him come forthe and proue in open writing that any thinge here saide in false or fained Well Smidelin goeth forthe after his fashion and laboureth against al reason to make the worlde wene That amonge the Lutherans and the Zwinglians there is no variaunce of any waight or force touching any articles of our faith of Christian religioÌ„ But against this saieng of Smidelin Luther him self directly pronounceth codemning the Swinglians in these wordes I must nedes eschew and auoide them as men condemned by their owne iudgemeÌ„t nether may I ioyne with them in any meanes nor by letters nor by writinges nor by worde nor by dede as the Lorde hathe commaunded whether he be Swenckfeldius Zwinglius or what soeuer he be called For I accompte them all a lyke as in dede they are whosoeuer beleue not that in the Supper of the Lorde the bread is his true and naturall body which as well Iudas and the wicked man doth receaue as S. Peter and all the Saintes VVhosoeuer will not beleue this let him not medle with me or in writing or in talke nor let him not looke for any communion with me For he shall but lese his labour And a litle after It shall nothing helpe the Swermers or Sacramentaries that they trifle aboute the Sacrament of the spirituall eating and drinking of the body and bloud of Christ and of the charite and vnite of Christians c. It is in vaine that they beleue in the father the Son and the holy ghoste and in Christ our Sauyour All this I saye nothing auaileth them howe truly and sincerely so euer they pronounce this faith with their false and blasphemous tongue as longe as they denie this one article or reproue it as false where Christ saith of the Sacrament Take breade and eate This is my body For this is the maner of all heretikes first to beginne but with one article and then after to denie all the rest euen as a ringe if it be ones broken or cleft it is vnprofitable and vnfite and as a bell if he be crackt or crased in any part he leseth his so wnde and is worth nought Thus farre Luther Let vs nowe on the other side here the awnswer of the Swinglians of Zuriâ—h In the third treatise of their booke made against the last Confession of Luther thus they write Luther craketh him selfe to be the prophet and Apostle of the Germans which neuer lerned of any man but all other of him that no man did any thing but Luther hath done all and whatsoeuer he hath not done hath remained vndone VVhatsoeuer he hath saide it must stand and no man so hardy to gainsaie it Iff men speake not iust as Luther doth then they are cursed and persecuted as heretikes And a litle before Luther hath forsaken god and all his honour calling vs a condemned and cursed
people This much Melanchthon who although he would neuer before this time openly in writing professe his minde of the Sacrament yet he allwaies tolde his familiar frendes and men of worship that in this point he condemned Luther and claue vnto Swinglius correcting yet a litle his opinion For where as Swinglius saide This signifieth my body he will haue it saied This is the participation of my body which newe interpretation is plainely a newe Sacramentary heresie and neuer heard of amonge the rest of the Swinglians And to maintaine this his proper and newe heresie he vseth two pointes of sutteltie and falshood first when he saith the holy fathers taught no conuersion or transsubstantiation of the bread which is a very impudent and lowde lie For the conuersion of the bread and reall presence of Christ his true body and bloud in the Sacrament may euidently be proued out of all the fathers aboue named and many mo and the contrary opinion clerely condemned Secondarely whē he rebuketh his owne scholers and chargeth them with fiue other Sacramentarie heresies For he saith some be of Heshusius minde some of Sarcerius some other folowe the ministers of Breme and some Ioachimus Morlinus then he alleageth other whose opinion is that Christ his body may be in euery place These fiue heresies which as Melāchthon testifieth are amonge the Lutherans and the other eight which Luther showeth to be amonge the Swingliās make all together thirten heresies which al noweadaies vpon the Sacramēt only are folowed professed and defended amonge the protestants Here againe we may consider the honesty and truthe of M. Doctor Smidelin which is not ashamed to terme such open schismes manifest to al the worlde a sure and certain agremēt of Catholike religion who beside all this knoweth well inough what agreate and vehement altercation there was this present yeare 1560 at Heidelberg amonge the diuines and ministres there touching only this point of the blessed Sacramēt of the which matter Guilelmus Klebicius of Brandeburg hath writen very bitterly and sharpely And this much hitherto of the dissension amonge the protestants touching only the point of the blessed Sacrament The dissension and variaunce of the Lutherans touching the doctrine of Penaunce I haue noted before in a litle booke For some of them put two some thre partes of penaunce But doctor Smidelin will accorde all this discorde with a worde saing it is all one to put two or thre partes of penaunce As though that al other Superintendents and ministres of Luthers secte ought to couche and obey the pontificall authorite of Doctor Smidelin taking vppon him like a pope of protestants But Illyricus will not abide that persuading him selfe that he is of as good mettall to make a Lutheran pope as any other is and therefore he will not graunte to the Masters of Wittenberg no nor to his owne Master Luther to define diuide and determinat the ghospell at their pleasur For in the booke which he intituled An information vpon certain articles of Christen religion he writeth in this sort But not so much he meaning Melanchthon as his proctours do exasperat this matter although they agree not amōg them selues for one interpreteth the matter after one sorte and the other after an other as it happeneth in euill causes One saieh that the worde Penaunce signifieth only sorowe or contrition an other that it signifieth contrition and faithe with al. One saith that the ghospell preacheth repentaunce of one sinne only as of infidelite an other saith of all sinnes Some imagin this glose that the ghospell preacheth repentaunce vnproperly vndirectly and by occasion only some saie that consequently it preacheth repentaunce An other saithe by a figure of contrariete the fourth saith after a sorte and in some point The fift saith it doth but argue mens incredulite or slacknes of belefe The sixt saieth that it reiecteth the small faithe The seuenth saith that it preacheth repentaunce not principally Thus they disagree amonge thē selues no lesse then the Sacramentaries or Babylonians or those builders of idols that Esaie speaketh of where one thinketh to holde vp the idoll with glue another with nailes and the third with chaines But all these gloses bothe destroy them selues one another and the definition also Thus farre Illyricus Doth not Illyricus affirme here that Melanchthons diuines varie one from an other and sett vp seuen sondry opinions neuer a true and all repugnant one with an other no lesse then the sectes of the Sacramentaries and that they agree as the builders of the towre of Babilon in olde time Saithe not directly all this Illyricus And what saieth Smidelinus VVe in the principall articles and grounde of our doctrine do not vary Which if it be true then must we saie that the doctrine of penaunce and of the Sacrament of the aultar appertaine not to the grounde of Christen religion nor are not necessary articles of the same For Smidelin in his litle booke whiche he set forth against me standeth stiffe in this minde That it forceth not whether two or thre partes of penaunce be taught nor skilleth any whit whether you beleue vprightly or embrace that seuenfolde heresie contrary in it selfe in the matter of penaunce Againe in his booke against my table writing of the altercations betwene the Illyricans and the Adiaphoristes he saith Although one write bitterly against the other yet in their churches there is no alteration of doctrine but they professe and teache the pure doctrine of the ghospell in perfit agrement with vs and them selues euen as before this altercation beganne Howe soūdeth thinke you these wordes of Smidelin with the saieng of Illyricus In like maner doth he defend Andreas Musculus For where I write that he teacheth the Godhead of Christ to haue as well died in the Crosse as the māhood Smidelin goeth about to purge him in these wordes I haue vnderstode nowe that Staphylus dothe iniuriously slaunder Andreas Musculus For Musculus in open writing published and printed hathe purged him self against Staphylus Thus saithe Smidelin It is the nature and custome of all heretikes not to continew longe in one minde But to denie to morowe which they saide to daie So dothe Musculus And although Smidelin as he confesseth him selfe be vtterly ignorant of the debate betwene Musculus and Stācarus wherein those wordes be vttered yet he sticketh not to write that I slaunder Musculus Truly bicause he would be counted a common pacifier of all contentions a physician for all sores and a reconciler of all vnruly heresies But what will bothe Musculus and Smidelin saie vnto me if I bring their owne brethern and felowe heretikes witnesses against them The Lutheran churches of Pole sent to the vniuersite of Lausana for the determination of this matter betwene Musculus and Stancarus and the doctours of Lausana sent them this awnswer Although well beloued brethern we can neuer saie inough
write and coÌ„demne their owne schismaticall brethern and felowe heretikes and all professing the Confession of Augspurg of more then fiften sundry heresies yea and that about the principall articles of their Confession of Augspurg And whereas Smidelin laboureth to colour the matter and like a pacifier to recoÌ„cile al that is a misse surely he doth but vtter his foly and varieth from other him selfe For Amsdorffius Gallus and Illyricus pretended bishops of the Lutherans write and crie out that these debates and variaunces are mere contradictories not able to be iustified vntell the one part be cast If Amsdorffius with his felowes saie truly then doctor Smidelin lyeth If they lie and saie all vntruly let them trie it amonge them selues and kepe their estimation as well as they can We saide in the beginning of this laste parte that the Lutherans laie to my charge as though I fathered vpon them certain articles whiche they neuer wrote nor taught I haue in dede gathered out as they maie knowe whiche haue reade my other treatises aboue a hundred articles of the Lutherans partly directly false partly mingled with falshood and haue quoted the places of their writings where euery article might be founde Nowe the Masters off Wittenberge haue picked out of the whole summe thre or four fragments only and denie that these pertaine any thinge to their doctrine Hoping thereby that if vnder pretence of innocency they could shake of those fewe then their other heresies and absurdites would the lesse be espied or molested But this goeth the matter In my booke offered vp at the diet of wormes in the which I gathered certain principall pointes wherein the Lutherans differ and vary not only from vs Catholikes but also striue bitterly amonge them selues among other thinges I noted Luthers doctrine aboute Matrimony out of his owne booke where it is writen Let then Mariage be the figure of Christ and his church and a Sacrament not instituted of God but inuented of men in the church being lead with ignoraunce as well of the worde as of the thing This the Masters of Wittenberg vtterly denie and therefore inueigh furiousely and beyonde all reason against me after this sorte Tell vs thou wicked hipocrite where euer it was saide or writen of any man in our churches that matrimony was inuented of men by the ignoraunce as well off the worde as off the thinge Surely I think sobre and wise men will not like this malapert and ouer hotte talke of the Masters of Wit tenberg although I had iniured them in very dede But howe maye they nowe like it where as in this senteÌ„ce I haue nether added nether taken awaie any one sillable or iote but haue euen so recited it worde for worde as it lyeth in the seconde Latin tome off Luthers workes printed at Wittenberg with the preface of Melanchthon But a man peraduenture may here obiect that of these only wordes the doctrine or minde of Luther can not certainely be gathered for that in other places he hath otherwise writen of Matrimony Vnto whom I awnswer thus Howe constant and sure Lu ther and his scholers haue allwaies ben and are yet in their doctrine I haue declared to the whole worlde in my litle booke entituled Trimembris Theologia But what was the sure and settled opinion of Luther touching matrimony he hath declared him selfe in a certain sermon of matrimony printed at Wittenberg in the yeare 1522. And that no man maye thinke that Luther euer chaunged or recanted that doctrine as he did diuers the very same sermon euen worde for worde was printed againe at Wittenberg in the yeare 1553. and is extant in the sixt Germain to me off Luthers workes Where thus he writeth worde for worde Truly this I saide if a woman fitte for the acte of mariage haue a husband vnfitte thereunto nor can not openly mary any other and yet would be lothe to coÌ„mitte any dishonesty bicause the bishop of Rome requireth about it many witnesses and muche busines to no purpose she ought with these wordes talke vnto her husband You se good husband that you can not do your dutie vnto me and you haue disappointed my youthely body and brought me beside in daunger of my good name with greate hinderaunce of my helth you se there is before God no mariage betwene vs two Let me therefore by your good leaue mary priuely with your brother or next Kinsman so that alwaies yet you beare the name of my husbaÌ„d lest your goods come into other mens handes and suffer your selfe of your owne accorde to be deceaued of me as you haue deceaued me against my will I saide also that the husband ought to graunt hereunto and prouide her the duty of mariage and children whiche if he refuse to do she ought priuely to departe from her husband in to some other countre aâ—d there mary an other Such counsell I gaue then when I was yet fearefull But nowe I would geue freer counsell and that husband that beguiled his wife I would handle more roughely and likewise the woman that beguiled her husband although this happened seldomer in wemen then in men In such waightie matters that toucheth our body our goods estimation and helth it is not inough to compasse slightely by crafte our neighbour a iuste and aequal recompense must be required of him That is the woman lustely ought to plaie the hoore and committe aduoutry And a litle after There be wemen so frowarde and so obstinatly sette that allthough her husband fall ten times into incontinencie she passeth not vpon it Here it is time that her husband speake thus vnto her If thou wilt not an other will â–ª if the wife will not let the maide come so that yet the husband warden her twise or thrise before and open the matter to other that her frowardnes be knowen and punished before all the coÌ„gregation if she wil not then dimisse her from the. put a waie Vasthi and take Hester as king Assuerus did Thus farre Luther I knowe very well the Lutherans be angry hereat and would that there were no more talke of these matters for that being discouered and brought to light they worke them muche shame and dishonesty Vnto whom I awnswere that I am not the first that haue discouered this their shamefull doctrine of matrimony Diuers haue done the like before me and especially the vertuous and Catholike Prince of most worthy memory George Duke of Saxony in his aunsuer against Luther Which if Melanchthon haue forgotten yet I truste he remembreth what he wrote him selfe generally of all the sacraments in his annotations vpon the firste epistle to the Corinthians the seconde chapter where he writeth thus There be in all two sacramentall signes baptim and the Supper of the Lord the other which are called sacraments are but mens imaginations Nowe what difference is there betwene the wordes of Luther saieng that
lorde Iudas Iscariot receaued the true body of Christ. So writeth Swenck feldius in a litle booke entituled of this very matter and Caluin in his laste admonition against VVestphalus and other where The Neutres Sacramentaries which teache that nether one kinde nor bothe kindes are necessary but that only faithe suffiseth Againe that if the Councell should determinat that all should communicat vnder bothe kindes then contrairely the laye men ought other communicat vnder one kinde or vtterly refuse bothe they are the wordes off Luther in his booke de formula Missae ant it is the common practise of all Lutherans where by it happeneth that some not in ten yeares come to the communion some neuer at all Iconoclastae Imagebreakers which caste out of the church the images of Christ and all sainctes putting vp in their places their owne pictures and their wiues maruailous finely and amorousely painted as in times paste Simon Magus and his bawde Helena did as Nicephorus witnesseth Our ghospelling protestaÌ„ts practise it daily The examples testifie The third vncleane sprit or tode son of the false prophet Luther is Melanchthon father of the Confessionistes in the yeare 1530. off these there are thre contrary sectes and factions Some are roughe and zelous LutheraÌ„s which without choise or exception defend all the doctrine of Luther be it neuer so absurde taking all that Luther hath writen filthy or carren as it is for the holy and pure ghospell of God Nexte are the softe gentle Ciuill and moderat Lutherans which haue departed in many pointes from the doctrine of Luther And faining as if they woulde ioyne nearer to the Catholikes by making their Interim that is a delaye vntel a Councel come haue yet falleÌ„ froÌ„ errour to errour the later contrary to the first as sometime of Maniches becoming Pelagians The third sorte of these Confessionistes we may cal ExtrauagaÌ„ts and vnruly Lutherans which although they pretend to be Confessionistes for bicause off the authorite of â—uch Princes as haue subscribed to the Confession yet in dede they runne and roue farder from the doctrine of Luther then the common sorte of Lutherans do But nowe first of the zelous and rough Lutherans Antinomi lawles Lutherans which so extoll the ghospell that they affirme the lawe of god to be vtterly vnprofitable and nether before iustification nor after necessary That men of the ghospell are not bouÌ„de to the good workes of Gods lawe So Luther taught in the beginning and of him lerned Ioannes Agricola as he writeth in his annotations vpon S. Ihon. And Luther in his Antinomicall disputations Samo satenici or newe Arrians which denie that this terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worde in S. Ihon signifieth a person of the blessed Trinite The vniuersite of Wittenberg witnesseth that Mathias Illyricus is of that opinion In a litle towne or village of Silesia called Zary there is an other Mathias Minister off that village which vtterly denieth that there is any Trinite In Czeshau a towne of Boheman other Minister with like madnes inueighed against the blessed Trinite preaching in the hilles called Guttni and diuers other in other places Yea they are come to this fury and madnes that they call the Blessed Trinite the thre headed Helhounde Cerberus some other denie there is one God and affirme there are three Gods So a certayn Minister preached openly in Prussia Infernales Hellmasters which denie hell and that Christ descended in to hell affirming that euery maÌ„s graue is called in hebrew hell Therefore where our Crede saith that Christ desceÌ„ded in to hell they saie it must be ment of his graue This is a common doctrine in the seacost townes of Germany as at Breme at Hamburg at Lubek and such other places It semeth also to be the opinion of Brentius Reade his greate Catechisme Infernales of an other sorte helltormenters are which affirme that Christ not onely desceÌ„ded in to hell but also suffred the eternall torments and paines of hell So teacheth Nicolaus Gallus at Regenspurg in his printed Catechisme and Iames Smidelin preacher of Gopping and Caluin in his Institutions Antidaemoniaci which denie there is any deuil or euill sprits or any witchecrafte or enchauntments wrought by the deuills So teache the Dauigeorgians and Andreas Osiander Amsdorffiani which teache that good workes are pernicious for man to saluation So writeth Nicolaus Amsdorffius in his litle booke entituled That this proposition is true Good workes are pernicious to saluatioÌ„ So the scholers of Flaccius and many preachers of Saxony do teache and write Antadiaphoristae which admitte no auncient cerinonies in the church nor no iurisdiction of bishops so write the Illyricans and the Flaccians in many bookes sette forthe against the Adiaphoristes off wittenberg Antosiandrini or Osiandromastiges which denie that man is iustified with that iustice whereby God is essentially iuste teaching that he is iustified by imputing of righteousnes that is as Illyricus doth glose he is called iuste in worde onely he is not so in dede Fourten Lutheran churches haue writen against Osiander but eche of them bringeth a peculiar definition of iustice and contrary to his felowes Sethe writing of Ioannes Functius de origine Osiandrinae litis contra Staphylum Antiswenck feldiani which teache that by the externall preaching only or vocall ministery we attayne to the Christen faith Illyricus in diuers writings set forthe against Swenck feldius Anticaluiniani which although they do well affirme the reall presence of Christes body in the Sacrament yet they do falsely and wickedly denie traÌ„ssubstantiation and adoratioÌ„ Again they falsely holde that the Sacrament consisteth onely in the vse off it Ioachimus VVestphalus in his awnswer against Caluin and diuers other Manus impositorij which will haue that the layeng on of handes of laye men is a Sacrament This secte swarmeth in Saxony in Pomerania and in the seacost townes Se Illyricus against Iustus Menius Bisacramentales which admitte only two Sacramentes so teache Caluin and the Flaccians Sacerdotales which teache that men and women and all laie persons may preache the worde of God in the churche maie minister the Sacraments maye binde and lose For all men are equally priestes that holy order is but a tale and imaginatioÌ„ of men This is the doctrine of Luther in his booke De captitutate Babylonica and of Illyricus in his Apologie againste Iustus Mentus Inuisibiles which teache that no churche is visible bicause onely God knoweth who are his So Luther and Melanchthon taught in the beginninge as it appeareth in the Apology off the Confession of Augspurg but allthough they afterwarde secretly recanted this errour yet neuertheles the Illyricans the Swenck feldians the Osiandrins and the Anabaptistes kepe it still The Seconde Secte of the Confessionistes in the which are as we saide before the softe Philosophers and Masters of Wittenberg which will be counted moderat meke and more ciuil then the reste for the moste parte of these
very same image generally not particularly as the lerned vse to speake And this is the meaning sayth he of the wordes of S. Ihon that Christe is come in to sleshe Martin Luther in the yeare 1539 at Smalcaldiū where the Leage or rather conspiracye was then made preaching vnto the estats and orders of protestants interpreted these wordes of S. Ihon that Christe is come in to fleshe after this sorte That Christe came not therefore in to flesh that he might communicat vnto vs his owne iustice or righteousnes but that he might accepte vs for iuste and righteous outwardly so that our inwarde man should not in dede be iustified or made righteous from vniuste and vnrighteous but we should onely be accounted for suche before God after the maner of acceptation as in times paste the Lacedaemonians made and decreed Alexander a God with these wordes Alexander wil be a God let him he a God and let Alexander be coūted and accepted for a god though he be no god And Luther saith that this doctrine was the sure foundation vpon the which the Leage of Smalcaldiū for the defence of the ghospell might and ought right worthely be builded erected and absolued But anon after when it came to Osianders course to preache he toke the very same theme of S. Ihon that Luther did But leauing the interpretation of Luther he interpreted it after his owne minde in suche sorte that it directly repugned Luther as that the very essentiall iustice or righteousnes off God proceding and flowing out of the foresaide image off God which he calleth Christe is planted in man and at the last though preuely he gaue them to vnderstāde that this his doctrine was the very iewell and treasure of the ghospell farre better then that of Luther in consideration whereof bothe the Leage and the warre of Smalcaldium should be entred made and finished And this sermon of Osiander was allmoste the laste that was made at that meting as I am able to showe by the hande of Melanchthon Thus Luther for the grounde of his iustification would haue as in his owne printed disputation it is euident a kinde of relation and imputing which is the lest of all thinges that are and in dede nothing But Osiander putteth for his grounde the diuine essence God him selfe whiche is all thinges See howe iumpe these two ghospellers and Archeprotestants mete in the very highest point of our religion Vpon this faint and frickle foundation of two false and contrary opinions was that leage of Smalcaldium stroken whereof ensued that lamentable and cruell warre to the greate waste and destruction of Germany with the murder of infinit thousands of men Then experience it selfe declared howe true that prophecye of Luther was when in the yeare .1545 in a certayn litle booke writē to two noble princes of the sight of a certayne coyne brought oute of base Germany whereof we shall speake more anon he warranted vpon his othe and faith all the confederats that by this his doctrine of imputed righteousnes they might boldely and hardely assure them selues of the victory at Brunswicke and off euerlasting saluation at the hande of God But as touching Osiander and his doctrine it may be sene in a litle booke printed in the ye are of our lorde .1550 with this title De imagine dei There be many other articles of the Osiandrins whiche to be short I omitte See the disputation of Osiāder had at Coiningsberg in the yeare 1459. and his open confession sett forthe there also in the yeare 1550. Stancarians which against Osiander vrge and affirme vehemently that Christ iustifieth vs by his manhood onely not by his godhead at all So Stancarus bothe taught openly and wrote against Andreas Musculus at Francford by Odera Antistancarians whiche to refute the opinion of Stācarus do so farre affirme that Christ iustifieth mā and worketh oure righteousnes bothe by his manhood and by his godheade that they doubte not to teache the very godhead of Christ to haue suffered on the Crosse with his manhood that Musculus is of this opinion his extemporall treatise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 off Luthers doctrine witnesseth and the condemnation of the Swiceran ptotestants for this opinion as it is notised in the writing of Petrus Statorius the frenche man printed this yeare 1560. at Pinczouia in Pole Noui Pelagiani New Pelagians which saie thereis no originall sinne in children but that it is onely an infirmite not worthy of death So teacheth Swinglius in his litle booke of baptim against Vrbanus Regius Againe that Numa Cato Scipio and such other notable men of the ethnikes although they lacked the true faith in Christ to come yet that they are saued by the vertu of the lawe of nature It is the doctrine of Swinglius in the booke aboue alleaged and Luther entwiteth the Swinglians with it in his laste cōfession of the supper of our Lorde Noui Manichei New Manichees be and haue ben diuers protestants in our daies First Luther then Melanchthon Caluin and many other as Amsdorffius Illyricus Gallus Beza VVestphalus Luther and Melanchthō teache that all thinges bothe good and bad come to passe by absolute necessite that God is not only the cause of sinne by permission but also by operation as the worker of it It is the doctrine of Luther in his Assertions against pope Leo and in his Resolutions of Melāchthon in his annotations vpon the epistle to the Romans Againe that The aduoutrie of Dauid the crueltie of Mālius the betraieng of Iudas be as well and as much the worke and operatiō of god as the very Conuersion of S. Paule Melāchthon in his annotations vpon the epistle to the Romans But he recāted this heresie afterwarde as it maye appeare in his common places of the laste edition Luther continued still obstinat in his errour whom also al the obstinat and zelous Lutherans folowe yet as Illyricus Amsdorfius Gallus and other Manichaei Marcionitae Caluiniani which as scholers of Ihon Caluin do professe and spreade abrode these detestable and blasphemous doctrines against God and man as folowe That god chefely created mankinde for to be perpetually damned that god created Adam not onely that he should die but allso from the beginning predestinated him to mischefe and therefore he coulde not choose but sinne That the sinnes committed by men are not onely done by gods permission but by his will and compulsion That all sinnes committed of men are absolutely the workes of god That god worketh in men theft horedome aduoutrie and all suche sinne as man doth That the lawe of god and the will off god be oftentimes contrary one to an other That the deuill by gods commaundement and will lieth in mens hartes That not onely God is the cause of euil but also doth inspire in mēs hartes euil thoughtes to worke euill so that men sinne not but God is the willer and efficient cause of sinne This is the doctrine
that all this is to vs a warning piece and but a preamble of a terrible tragedie whiche we see already plaied in Hungary these many yeares and is nowe of late begonne in Liflande the ende whereof as we maie coniecture is staied onely by two eyes which being putt oute the Iewes and the grekes maye reade the storie off their owne fal in our bloud and singe vs that songe that the Romans ones songe vnto them DISSENSION HATH DESTROIED GERMANY THE TVRKE AND THE MOSCOVITE HATH DESTROIED DISSENSION God graunte that I deme herein amisse For if that calamite should happen which our Lorde of his tender mercie forbid I all mine and al such as I am shall haue our parte therein and perish with the reste God is my witnes I haue brought in all this vppon a good intent and purpose And that I haue here touched the state of our present time I did it not God is my Iudge to offend any man of whatsoeuer condition or qualite he be but by this charitable admonishement of my moste dere countre to declare my good will and desire to serue helpe and succour her at all times For vndoubtedly the axe is nowe put to the roote of the tre and if we bring forthe no better frute then we haue done we shall surely all be hewed downe And as S. Austin saieth It is an vnfrutefull repentaunce which purposeth not to amende And certain it is we haue highely offended the wrathe of God as well by abhominable heresies and schismes yelding vnto them and suffring them amonge vs as by our wicked and dissolut life As touching our liuing it is not inough to heare sermons haue the ghospell allwaies in our mouthe and liue not after the ghospell But we must folowe the lesson of the prophet saieng Be conuerted and turne you cleane from all your wickednes and your iniquite shall not destroye you and an other lesson of the Apostle He that stole let him now no more stele And the saieng of S. Augustin is worthy to be remembred That the sinne is not forgeuen onles restitution be made Which in al other sinnes is likewise to be vnderstanded But as touching the horrible errours wherewith Luther the fifte Euangelist and other newe ghospellers in Germany haue plucked and remoued from the Catholike churche bothe them selues and many a thousand more working this lamentable estate variaunce and dissension in Christ his church this surely is of all sinnes the greatest and most greuous that may be And hereof our Lorde saith Wo vnto that man by whom offense riseth And although this worde Wo spokē of Gods owne mouth be a dreadful significatiō of his wrath and high displesure yet his mercie farre passeth ready to receaue vs againe in his fauour and embrace his loste childrē if vtterly forsaking the straie pathes of errour and heresie we come again to the high waie of Christ his church and casting awaie al wicked thought out of our hartes and fāsie of grosse heresies as the feding of the prodigal son vpon beane coddes with the hogges we returne home to our fathers house which is the churche of God Vnto the which the prophet exhorteth vs saieng Turne againe euery man from his euil waye and from your wicked imaginations and so shall ye dwell for euer in the lande that our Lorde gaue you and your forefathers The onely meanes therefore to auoide this greate calamite hanging ouer vs is vtterly to forsake this newe forged and dissensious ghospell and retire home again to the Catholike church embracing the right and auncient doctrine thereof wherein we were borne and brought vp and ioyning our selues to the whole corps of Christendome letting go by these scattering schismes and seditious factions Which counsel of mine I trust is more sincere and godly and will haue better succes then the cruel and vnmercifull aduise of Martin Luther in a litle booke whiche he made laste of all shortly before his soden deathe at Wittenberg in the yeare 1545. dedicating it vnto two honourable Princes the Duke of Saxony and the Lantgraue of Hesse that they should not dismisse their presonner the Lorde Harry of Brunswicke The title of that litle booke is this Ad Electorem Saxoniae Lantgrauium Hassiae D. Martinus Lutherus decaptiuo D. Brunsuicensi And to the entent that in these countres and euery where the worlde maye knowe howe Martin Luther tooke vppon him in his papacie and howe proudely he behaued him selfe I will out of his owne booke declare you worde for worde the whole matter These then are the wordes of Luther For my parte I would not passe if that captiue of Brunswicke were kinge of Fraunce and his son Kinge of Englande For what coulde that hurte me But to counsell you to let him go fre and at libertie that I can in no wise do He hath lost that hope and confidence For seing God dothe punish him who dare be so bolde as to absolue him from Gods punishement onles he first do penaunce and make due satisfaction so that we maie boldely truste that God is appeased and reconciled otherwise it shoulde be no other thinge but to tempt God whiche in no wise must be counselled Luther would forsothe that the Duke of Brunswicke were kinge of Fraunce A likely matter truly But why suffred they him not to remaine Duke stil who gaue Luther authorite to punish the Duke Is not this against all lawes Canon ciuile and lawe of nature that a man in his owne cause may be a party and the Iudge The ciuill lawe hath hetherto so prescribed that iff any debate fall oute betwene man and man for iniury taken or geuen that the ordinary Iudge and lawfull magistrat should determinat the matter what is the authorite of this lawe wiped awaie also with the ghospell or was not the Emperour the highe and ordinary Iudge of all Dukes and Princes here in Germany what hath Luther to do herein Is it against the doctrine of the ghospell that the Apostle commaundeth vs to obey the higher powres There is no power saieth he but from God and he that resisteth the power resisteth the ordynaunce off god whiche who do purchase them selues damnation But we muste not obey saie they an euill magistrat but what euil magistrat meane they forsothe the Emperour And who saithe he is an euill ruler Luther and his felowes But he should well and substantially haue proued it before he saide it And would god we had mo such Emperours The daye will come that we would be glad to scrape such Emperours oute of their graues with our nailes if we might so come by them But graunte they were tiraunts whiche yet who affirmeth lowdely belieth them Doth not S. Peter saie Be ye subiect in all feare to your rulers not onely good and gentle but also suche as are froward It was not then Luthers part but the Emperours bearing the sworde as an higher power and minister
owne Liege and Souuerain Therefore it should at that time diligently ben prouided that men folowed not this seditious and false high waie of Luther which no subiect can treade without his princes leaue Especially perceauing that this highe waie of Luther hath euer an vnhappy and miserable ende repugning manifestly to the worde of God all writen lawe and Luthers owne doctrine Demosthenes the lerned and eloquent oratour saith wise men deliberat before the facte and fooles after the facte For as Liuy writeth the euent teacheth fooles And we Germans vse to saie the Italian taketh aduise before he begin the french man when he is a doing and the German when he hath done Which although it hath hindered much our countre in diuers affaires yet this is in vs no voluntary negligence but a naturall infirmite For Hesiodus the poet noteth thre sorts of men to be on the earthe saieng VVho knoweth all him selfe is the best man aliue He is the nexte that counsell can vse But he is the worste that woteth not to thriue And yet of an other doth counsell refuse Seing then we Germans are not so quicke of iudgement which peraduenture procedeth of our colde countre as the Italian is to foresee what is to be done yet we maye nowe by this lamentable calamite that we see hath befallen vs and the present greate waste of our deare countre lerne and remembre howe within this fourty yeares it flourished and prospered in al respects before this German prophet and fifte euangelist Luther ranne out of his cloister And although our dutie had ben at that time to haue remembred that saieng of our Lorde Beware of false prophets and the wordes of S. Ihon. Trie the spirits whether they be of God and so to deliberat before the facte yet seing we haue forslowen that let vs at the leste after the smarte be wise and haue recourse nowe at laste to that cōmaundement of almighty God where he commaundeth the simple people to warde them selues from false prophets and teachers For this question being in holy writ propounded Howe shall I vnderstande the worde that oure Lorde hathe spoken God awnswereth and saithe This token I will geue the to vnderstāde it That which the prophet hath foresaied in the name of the Lorde and cometh not to passe that worde the Lorde spake not but the prophet of his owne vaine fantasie forged it If we drawe the line of Luthers prophecye to this rule we shall euidently see that he is not onely a false prophet but also as his greate grande father Satan is a cruell murderer Is it not a greate pride and rashe arrogancy of Luther to prophecye and write that the god of the Catholikes whō he calleth papistes wil not heare their praiers for the deliuraūce of the Duke by what reuelation had he this Againe that no man liuing shoud be able or so bolde as to restore him in to liberte Againe that those his princes the Duke of Saxony and the Lantgraue should not be bound with those fetters which the coyne brought from base Germany pretended Farder that the warre thē ensuing should haue a prosperous successe Laste of all that S. Brigids prophecy was false and his true saieng that the See of Rome and estat of the Pope should then vtterly perish and neuer rise vp againe All these thinges did Luther prophecye in the booke aboue mencioned And did the euent proue all this Not one iote But in euery point it hathe proued cleane contrary Then this worde of Luther was not the worde off the Lorde as Moyses teacheth but it was the worde of the deuill in the person of Luther Againe that Luther hath ben a very murderer of men and a stronge thefe in Gods churche it is euident hereby that his doctrine and vaine prophecyes setting together the princes by the eares hath ben the onely cause of all seditions warre and bloudshed that within this fourty yeares haue happened in Germany The first booke that Luther made to spoyle and ransacke the churche was his booke De Captiuitate Babylonica Christiana libertate In the whiche booke he so debaseth reuileth and bringeth in contempt not onely the awncient true and Catholike religion of Christ his churche but also the lawes bothe Canon and Ciuill that it maye seme he lacked but a head and capitaine to make a perfit sedition But whereas at that time there was yet amonge men more feare of God and reuerence to their magistrats thē that they would be moued with Luthers light talke fewe were founde to helpe blowe the fire which he had kindled vntell at the length Luther him selfe moued peraduenture more hotely with the sprit ronge the alarum him selfe in the yeare 1523. setting forthe a booke entituled De saeculari potestate in a parte whereoff he writeth these wordes These are our Christen princes which defende the faith and deuoure the Turke In dede worthy men and such as you maie truste that by their greate wisedome they are likely to do some what as to breake their owne neckes first and then leade whole countres and peoples to breake necke after These blinde princes I would well aduise to be ware onely of one small sentence of the 166. psalme whiche is this He pooreth oute contempt vppon Princes I swere vnto you by God that if through your negligence this poore sentence ones take holde on you you are vndone were you as mighty and of as greate power as the Turke himselfe Nether will your storming any thinge profit you The matter is nowe all ready well begonne For fewe princes are nowe that are not counted for villaines and fooles and that bicause they showe themselues for such and the people beginneth nowe to wexe wise and the plage of princes which god calleth contēpt encreaseth daily in the peoples hartes and I feare me it will not be staied onles princes behaue themselues as it becometh them and begin againe to rule more modestly For men ne will ne can lenger abyde your tiranny O wellbeloued Princes and Lordes Therefore prouide for yourselues God wil not suffre this your tiranny any more the worlde is not no we as it was in times paste when you were wonte to hunte and chase men like bestes awaie therefore with your pride power and haugtynes and labour to do that is right and good suffer the worde of God to haue his course which yet it must haue and shall haue and you shall not be able to let it If we teach heresie let it be confuted by the worde of God If you will trie the matter with the sworde take hede leste some man cōmaunde you to put vp your sworde not in Gods name But you wil saie peraduenture If amonge the Christians there ought to be no secular sworde nor Ciuill gouuernement howe then shall men be kepte in order howe shall they be gouuerned For amonge Christen mē must be magistrats and officers
most trusty witnes by the verdit of Iohn Caluin whose iudgemeÌ„t you will not I suppose discredit of antiquite in the doctrine of the churche come and affirme as muche Who writing to Paulinus of praieng for the dead saieth Allbeit it were not read in the olde scriptures yet the authorite off the vniuersall church is not small which in this custome is euident VVhere in the praier of the priestes which are offred to our Lorde God at his aultar the commendation of the dead hath his place Io here S. Augustin calleth it a custome of the vniuersail churche to praie for the dead at the aultar of God And vninersall is that by the meaning of S. Augustin which euery where and at all times is and hath ben which in all places euen from the Apostles them selues hath ben obserued Epiphanius also coufuting Aerius affirmeth it to be a tradition of the Apostles to pray for the dead Thus much then of the first parte of your first reason M. Grindall that we haue no commaundement in Scripture to praie for the dead but the place of the Machabees Nowe Sir as touching the second parte that you saie the same place of the Machabees is not in the Canon of the Scriptures I maruail not much hereat considering of what race youre doctrine procedeth For as you haue lerned of the olde heretike Aerius condemned aboue twelue hundred yeares past to disproue praier for the dead so haue you lerned off a numbre of olde heretikes to denie for scripture suche places as ouerthrow your heresy For euen so did the Marcionistes allowe but 9. of S. Paules epistles whereas the church alloweth 14. So did the Manichees take awaie the first chapter of S. Mathewes ghospell and reiected allmost all the olde Testament as S. Augustin witnesseth So the Arrians disallowed the epistle of S. Paul to the hebrewes as Theodoret recordeth in the prohem of his commentary vpon that epistle So Aetius also denied much of the olde Testament as Epiphanius mencioneth of him Briefly it was the manner of all heretikes so to do as Tertullian in his prescriptioÌ„s noteth Therefore as I saied I maruail the lesse at your demeanour herein considering that it is no new thing for an heretike to denie scripture it self wheÌ„ al other shiftes faile What theÌ„ M. Grindal Must we proue vnto you that the bookes of the Maechabees are in the canoÌ„ of the Scriptures O the blessed daies of our time wherein not only al the articles almost of our belefe but the Scriptures theÌ„ selues also are called in coÌ„trouersy and that of such meÌ„ as beare the persoÌ„s of Prelats and rulers in Christes church What authorites theÌ„ may be sufficient to proue that those bookes are of the CanoÌ„ You bring against vs S. HieroÌ„ you tel vs he saieth that these bookes of Machabees be not sufficieÌ„t of them selues to establish any doctrines in the church of God You quote vs his preface vpoÌ„ the boo kes of Salomon Sir if you reade the place againe and marke it wel you shal finde that he saieth this of the Prouerbes of SalomoÌ„ and of the Ecclesiastes not of the Machabees though in dede he saie in that place that they are not of the Canon And this saying of S. HieroÌ„ in that place I may wel expouÌ„d by his wordes in an other place In his preface vpoÌ„ these bookes of the Machabees he saieth expressely that they are not in the CanoÌ„ of the Iewes but of the church of Christ they are receiued inter diuina volumina amoÌ„g Gods bookes But what if S. HieroÌ„ do not acknowledg them for Canonicall scripture What if in reakoning off the Canonicall Scripture he folow the Hebrewes and Iosephus especially as lerned men haue noted of him What if in his time they were not with full authorite receiued The whole corps off scripture was not you know at one push approued It was longe doubted of the epistle to the Hebrewes off the second epistle of S Peter of S. Iohns Reuelation and yet afterward without doubte and controuersy they were in all Christendom receiued and reuerenced for holy Scripture Shall it nowe be lawfull for euery heretike to condemne such parcells of holy Scripture as haue ben so many hundred yeares of all Christendom vniformely receiued bicause they were ones doubted of It is not sitting for the wisedome of a Prelat it staÌ„deth not with the Charite of a Christen maÌ„ to renew suche doubtes and to make a schisme in the church of God vpon priuat presumption and affectioÌ„ But to matche the authorite of S. Hierom whom only you alleage and to knitt vp this matter shortly you shall see what we can saie for the bookes of the Machabees The 85. canons of the Apostles allowed for such by the generall Councell helde at Constantinople in Tâ—ullo in reakoning vp the bookes of Canonicall scripture recite the thre bookes of the Machabees amonge them The third Councell of Carthage helde not longe after the time that S. Hierom liued reakoneth them vp also for Canonicall Scripture Isidorus declareth also that in his time they were vndoubtedly approued for holy Scripture S. Augustin is most clere in this point for not onely in his bookes de doctrina Christiana where of sette purpose he reakoneth the whole corps of the olde and new Testament he placeth these bookes of the Machabees amonge them but also in his bookes de ciuitate dei he doth constantly affirme that they are approued of the Church for holy Scripture And beholde a most clere testimony of S. Augustins iudgement herein A sorte of Donatistes called Circuncelliones murdered and sâ—ewe them selues commonly being persecuted for their heresy of the Catholikes they defended this their diuelish fury and rage with the example of Razias who slew him selfe as in the Machabees it appeareth They builded vpon this fact of Razias as vpon an example of holy Scripture What aunswered them here S. Augustin It had ben truly a ready answer for him to saye those bookes are not of the Canon off holy Scripture and therefore the example of him can nothing helpe you if he had so thought in dede off these bookes But S. Augustin denieth them not to be of the Canon as you do M. Grindall for the maintenaunce of your heresy though it had ben much then for his vauntage and might soone so haue stopped the heretikes mouth if he had thought it the duty of a Catholike bishop to flit from scripture when vauntage serued His obedience to the Church off God his lerning and vertu taught him to cleaue vnto the Church in determining holy Scripture and to seke other meanes to awnswer heretikes Therefore notwithstanding the facte of Razias who semeth in that booke to be commended for killing him selfe he acknowledgeth the bookes for Canonicall Scriptures and teacheth vs also how such examples in holy Scripture are to be read These are his wordes Landatus est itaque iste Razias
these fewe what to iudge of the rest and by the soure taste of these mislike the remnant of his vnpleasant and most poisonned doctrine For if in these two blessed Sacraments the one being the gate and entry of saluation the other being a most heauenly foode to preserue vs therein he sticketh not to vtter so harnous heresies and setteth him selfe so wickedly against the church of god what conscience trowe ye is he like to take in other pointes of oure Christen religion lesse necessary and of lesse importance well Though he were in al the rest sounde and withoute blot yet these his heresies of vs recited of him vttered and taught maye be sufficient to discredit him in the cōscience of any Christien harte For I thinke and trust verely there is no Christen man in all the realme of England be he neuer so farre waded in heresy but that he dothe reuerence the primitiue church of Christ of the first fyue or six hundred yeares and will be ready to condemne all suche heresies as were in that time and age cōdemned Nowe the Maniches the Ariās the Valētinians the Marcionistes the Nestorians the Nouatians the Pelagians the Samosatencall and other whose heresies Caluin hath renewed were in the compas of those fiue hundred yeares condēned If we woulde come downe lower we coulde recite a number more of heretikes condemned also in Christ his church with whose heresies the doctrine of Caluin dothe agree But in consideration of the impudent bragges made nowe in euery pulpit that all is reduced to the state of the primitiue churche I haue chosen oute suche heresies in Caluins doctrine as were in that time condemned geuing you to vnderstand that all is not the gospell which is there spoken vnlesse perhaps by reducing all to the state of the primitiue church they meane renewing of olde heresies condemned in the primitiue church And truly so must they meane if they saie truly But let vs returne to Caluin In the doctrine of free will I will make no especiall recitall of his heresies But note you his contradictions of the which euer one part is an heresy In his Institutions the .14 chapter he writeth that God did not only foresee the fall of the first man Adam and in it the fall of all his posterite but also it was his will it should be so Againe in his booke of predestination against Pighius he hath the same doctrine saying that God would not haue suffred Adam to fall but that he would haue it so to be Also that God so determined it and ordained it Now in his booke of free will against Pighius also he saith in two places these wordes I confesse with Origen that those which take away free will from Adā before he sinned be heretikes How agree these sayings of him If it were not only the will of God that Adam should fall but also that he determined and ordained it so to be then he fell of necessite For the determined will of God can not be frustrated Adā therefore could not if he had would continewed in his innocency And yet had he free will If hotte and colde be all one then is this doctrine vniforme Againe in his booke of predestination he saith All wsuchickednes as man committeth by malice of his owne procedethae so of God and that not without good reason although we knowe it not And to make his opinion herein most clere in the same booke he saieth It is a fonde solution of S. Paules saying Esadu odio habui I hated Esau to saie that the reprobats do worke their owne destruction by their owne malice And yet see what he saith in his institutions the .2 chapter Man saith he can not impute the hardnes of his hart to any other cause then to him selfe This lo is most true But why then saied he before the wickednes of man procedeth of God Why reprouueth he that solution which he now maketh him selfe Farder Caluin in his booke of predestination going aboute to mitigat his former doctrine where he taught that the reprobats could not chose but do euill saieth afterwarde he meaneth not of euery particular worke for a litle before he confesseth Saul had done certain thinges well But directly contrary to this shift is an other expresse doctrine of his in the very same booke where he saieth Men can not possibly haue any affection to do well vnlesse they be of the chosen and elected such as reprobats neuer be For of Iudas a sure reprobat Caluin him selfe pronoūceth Certum est Iudam nunquam fuisse membrum Christi Certain it is that Iudas was neuer any membre of Christ. Caluin yet for the better auauncement of his wicked doctrine against free will pretendeth to folow S. Augustin in all pointes And therefore in his booke of predestination he saieth he varieth not from S. Augustin so much as one sillable in this question of predestination Notwithstanding in his Institutions he saieth that S. Augustin was sometime scrupulous and would not tell the truthe of predestination roundely as when in his booke De praedestinatione gratia he saieth that the induration and blinding of the reprobats is not to be referred to the worke and operation of God but only to his foreknowleadg Here in this most gracious doctrine of that good Father Caluin chargeth him with scrupulosite And yet he will beare vs in hand forsothe that he agreeth euen in euery sillable with S. Augustin Where in the one he declareth him selfe a praesumptuous heretike in the other a false contradictour of his owne sayings Finally Caluin as in wordes and doctrine so in doings and behauiour contrarieth his owne self In his Institutions he wrireth It was neuer permitted to preachers of Gods worde to adde any one sillable to holy scriptare or diminish from thence but to preache the only bare worde as it lieth Now as in all his doctrine he talketh more then halfe beside holy scripture so in this matter of predestination he is not afeard to adde to the very text of S. Paule wordes of his owne for the maintenaunce of his wicked doctrine For in his Institutions labouring to refer the induration of the reprobats to the proper and eternall will of God as a superiour cause then their owne deserts and malice thus he talketh Restat nunc vt videamus curid Dominus faciat quod eum facere palam est Si respondeatur sic fieri quia sic impietate nequitia ingratitudine sua meriti sunt homines bene id quidem vere dicetur Sed quia nondum patet istius varietatis ratio cur alijs in obedientiam flexis isti obdurati persistant in ea excutienda necessario ad illud quod ex Moyse adnotauit Paulus transeundum erit Nēpe quod ab initio eos excitarit Dominus vt ostenderet nomen suum in vniuersa terra That is It remaineth nowe to see why God doth that
which it is nowe clere he doth If ye answer that so it is done bicause men by their owne wickednes malice and vngratefulnesse haue so deserued to be forsaken of God that shall be well and truly answered But bicause yet we see not the reason of this variete why some being brought to obedience other continewe indurated in the discussion of this doubte we must nedes haue recourse to that whiche S. Paule noted oute of Moyses to witt that from the beginning the Lorde had stirred them vp to showe his name through out all the worlde Now these wordes from the beginning are not in S. Paule nor Moyses in any text latin greke or hebrewe but are the wordes of Iohn Caluin added to the text of Gods worde for a vauntage to witt to make vs beleue that from the beginning euen before the fall of Adam God was the cause off induration aud harde hart of reprobats For he is not you see coÌ„teÌ„ted to attribut it only to their owne deserts and malice but seketh a superiour cause in God and that by the wordes of S. Paule from the beginning which he nor none of all his scholers are euer able to showe vs in any text of S. Paule that is This is lo the plaine dealing of these ghospellers and refourmers of Christes Church These be the chalengers of Gods worde This is the pure text they vaunte and boaste of They pretend to couet after the pure text and bare letter But as the poet saied ex vno disce omnes By Caluin lerne what the rest are And Time Danaos dona ferentes trust not an heretike though he bringe you scripture it selfe What false tricke is there that Caluin hath not plaied He hath corrupted the text with false translation as we showed you in the 9. chapter of Salomons prouerbes He belieth holy Scripture as yow heard in the S. chapter of S. Paull to the Romans He denieth expresse scripture as we declared you in the 19. chapter of the Actes of the Apostles He requireth to be heard against expresse scripture as we recited you oute of his Institutions And nowe you see he addeth to holy Scripture If this archeprotestant and greate ghospelling doctour behaueth him selfe so in his printed workes which remaine to be vewed of all lerned men what will the nouices of his religion and young prinking preachers sticke to do in pulpits where they knowe their audience to be not allwaies lerned and of the lerned some of a presumed preiudice to take all for good other to winke at all vti foro Albeit the doctrine of Caluin as you haue partly sene be stuffed with abhominable heresies and most absurde contradictions yet in all his doctrine he talketh peremptorely He matcheth him selfe with the Apostles He condemneth and reprouueth at his pleasure all holy fathers Whereby his pride and presumptuousnes sure mates of heresy vttereth it selfe I will for example note you a fewe of his sayinges where you shall see howe proudely he demeaneth him selfe and howe courteousely he ordereth the holy auncient and lerned fathers First as touching his contradictions about free will witting and feeling him selfe very well that he might wottly be charged therewith in one place of his booke of predestination he vtereth his feare and with a worde of his mouthe thinketh to make all the matter smothe These are his wordes I saie again I am not ignorant what apparent absurdite and contradiction this doctrine hath with prophane men and dispisors of God But whatsoeuer they bable or barke our conscience ought to serue vs for a thousand witnesses Is not this a gaie solution trow ye hath he not geuen vs a substaÌ„tiall warrant of the vniformite of his doctrine For what saieth he Forsothe whatsoeuer contradictions we see and beholde with our eyes yet we must trust Caluins coÌ„science that he is so honest a man that he would neuer saie or vtter any such thing Now reade againe those fewe of his contradictions that we haue recited who list and let him iudge in his owne conscience what the conscieÌ„ce of Caluin is and howe farre it is to be trusted Againe as touching the singularite off his doctrine which he knoweth and confesseth to be contrary to the olde fathers what reason thinke ye bringeth he for the defence off it In his treatise of baptim the 17. chapter of his Institutions he expouÌ„deth the wordes of Christ to Nicodemus Vnlesse a maÌ„ be borne again by water and the holy Ghost he shall not enter in to the knigdoÌ„ of heauen to be but an allegoricall speache against the whole practise off Christes church and consent of all holy fathers and lerned writers expounding the wordes off Christ literally as the text hath for necessite of baptim This Caluin knewe and confessed But how then thinke you doeth he excuse the matter what clâ—ke hath he for his singularite Ye shall heare After longe talke thus he concludeth Scio alios aliter interpretari sed hunc esse germanum sensum non dubito that is I knowe that other men haue otherwise expounded this but I doubt not but this is the right sence Lo Caluin doubteth not and therefore we must beleue him more theÌ„ all the church beside What is arrogancy if this be not Likewise in his doctrine and booke of predestination such as finde fault with his doctrine he saieth they blaspheme God and crieth vnto them as S. Paul did to such as Caluin is VVhat arte thou man which disputest with God Now what the doctrine off Caluin is you haue sene partly by this our simple discourse and more especially it appeareth in the third parte of this Apologie Yet he matcheth him selfe with God and vaunteth the coÌ„ptrollers of his hereticall doctrine with the check of S. Paul as curious serchers of Gods depe secrets And therefore no maruail iff he sett light by the holy Fathers off Christes church and reuerence them no deale at all In his treatise of baptim labouring to promote his heresy touching the baptim off S. Ihon that it should be equall with the baptim of Christ remembring that the Fathers of the church laie in his waie and withstode him to make the restafeared he geueth the venter vpon S. Augustin and saieth Nec recipienda est illa Augustini argutia in spe dimissa fuisse peccata Ioannis baptismo Christi baptismo reipsa dimitti that is Neither is that sutteltly off Augustin to be admitted that by the baptim of Ihon sinnes were forgeuen but in hope by the baptim off Christ they are forgeuen in dede In other places he calleth S. Augustin in dogmatibus ecclesiae fidelissimuÌ„ vetustatis interpreteÌ„ a most trusty reporter of antiquite in doctrines of the church But when it pleaseth M. Caluin S. Augustins doctrine is but a suttelty Likewise reprouuing the doctrine of penaunce where it is compared to the borde after a shipwracke which is a vsuall similitude off all