study of controuersies and hauing no learned friend at hand with whome I might conferre the more to perfect my selfe in such kinde of arguments vvhich vvithout conference or vvriting can hardly be done it came into my minde to enlarge my selfe much more vpon the said reasons And truly so much matter occurred vnto me being busied in these exercises that I thought it meete to deuide my twelue reasons into two treatises of vvhich the one I called a treatise of the groundes of the old and newe religion the other a treatise of the definition and notes of the Church Hauing finished the first I communicated it to some one or two of my familiar friends who were desirous to see it and so by some meanes it came to the sight of some persons esteemed learned and judicious who thought it might profit many if it were more common and therefore were desirous to haue it printed This was the beginning of my writing in this kinde and thus the one of these treatises besides my first intention or expectation is nowe passed the print I trust without any rash presumption or boldnes in me seing that I rather haue yeelded to the desire and aduise of men thought to be of mature judgement discretion and learning then for any other respect haue followed my owne fancy or inclination Nowe to giue my reader here a certaine taste of the contents of that which I intend here to publish as also of my manner of proceeeding I thinke it meete to aduertise him that in it I haue principally by apparant arguments proued two thinges the one that we Catholikes ground our faith and religion vpon the diuine authority of God the other that our aduersaries I meane the newe sectaries build their faith and religion I take these vvordes in an ample signification vpon their owne judgments The first is performed in the first part in which I haue shewed such groundes as the Catholikes build on to be of diuine authority The second in like sort is conuinced to be true in the second part vvhere I haue declared euen to the eie that the followers of the newe religion reject al other such groundes besides the holy Scripture vvhich also I haue proued them to reject and receiue translate and expound not according to any diuine ground but as it liketh their owne fancies consequently I haue demonstrated that in summe they haue no other foundation whereon they build but this that their beliefes seeme true to their owne natural reason It may be demanded what proofes I vse in these my discourses I answere in fewe vvordes that I bring forth proofes out of the holy Scripture I alleage the auncient Fathers and vvriters such as liued and wrote within the first sixe hundred yeares after Christ which some Protestants challenge to haue beene of their faith and religion and therefore allowe of their testimonies I cite moreouer the sentences of diuers Sectaries of these our daies vvho confesse that to be true which I endeauour to proue not the testimonies of Anabaptists Libertines Tritheists Trinitarians or of any others commonly by Protestants censured to be Heretikes but of such as are vsually by al sorts accknowledged to be writers of their Protestant family and members as they say of their reformed Churches In alleaging of which sentences of our aduersaries for the benefit of those that vnderstand not the Latin tongue I haue obserued this as much as I could that I haue taken them out of bookes either written in English or translated into English that so euery person might easily turne vnto them Neither ought the testimony of such sectaries to be thought by any man a weake argument for what proofe almost being not diuine can be of greater force then the confession of an aduersary or enemy touching the truth of that which is censured false by his doctors and the innocency of him whome he hateth and impugneth or the falsehood of his owne chiefemasters doctrine and the guiltinesse of himselfe or such as he loueth or are of his owne brotherhood And hence it is that M. Whitakers a Protestant of no meane fame Whitaker de Eccles controuers 2. cap. 14. pag. 366. graunteth that argument to be strong which is drawne from the confession of aduersaries Finally sometimes I bring forth some natural reasons and congruences prouing the conueniency of that which is auouched For we may wel assure our selues so if I doe not forget my selfe saith S. Augustine that God hath done vvhatsoeuer in right reason vve shal finde to be best These be the proofes of mine assertions and others then these I seldome or neuer vse But the better to declare my sincere dealing herein and also to shew the force of such testimonies of auncient Authors as I alleage I haue added before this treatise a table of al such Councels extant as I finde celebrated within the said first sixe ages as likewise of al the writers of those times which I finde to haue left any workes commonly alleaged in schooles to their posterity I haue moreouer noted out of good and approued authors the yeare in vvhich such Councels were celebrated and in which such writers either flourished or departed out of this world Al these things I haue performed with as great sincerity as the want of bookes hath suffered me And in very deede I may truly protest that willingly and wittingly I haue wronged no one writer in misalleaging his wordes or meaning be he Catholike or be he Protestant be he Auncient or be he Moderne It may be some faults haue escaped me but against my wil. Neither doth our Catholike cause neede any such jugling or false dealing the truth is so manifest on our side and the proofes of the same so many and pregnant But before my reader enter into the viewing of these my discourses that he may reape the greater profit of his labour I must earnestly craue one thing at his handes to wit that if he be of an other religion then is here defended before hand he doe not harden his hart and vvith obstinacy determine not to change his opinion or practise whatsoeuer he heare reade or vnderstand said against it or in proofe of an other way It behoueth euery Christian to be of a right hart and a good wil. Much is said in the holy Scripture both in commendation of the one and of the other The Prophet Dauid in the Psalmes often commendeth them that are recti corde right in hart and in particular inuiteth them to the praise of almighty God The Angels at the birth of our Lord did sing this Hymne Luke 2. v. 14. Gloria in altissimis Deo in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis Glory in the highest to God and in earth peace to men of good wil. And who hath a right hart and is of good wil Verily he that doth not obdurate himselfe against God but is desirous and by al meanes seeketh to conforme his wil to Gods wil
that pronouncing nowe this nowe that of the same thing he was neuer constant to himselfe but thought that such leuity and inconstancy might be vsed in the word of God as shamelesse jesters commonly vse playing at dice. Againe Luther saith he doth not only bring his former doctrine in suspition but also giueth the Papists a most fit occasion to condemne him by sending in this present controuersie his reader only to those bookes which he wrote within foure or fiue yeares before For who hauing heard or read these things wil not say that if so be that we expect other fiue yeares without al doubt they being past he wil cal into doubt those bookes which he wrote in these last fiue yeares Thus farre Zwinglius of Luthers inconstancy Erasmus also Whitaker in his answer to Campians reason 8. p. 208. a man denied by Whitakers to be a writer of our side and by the martir-maker Fox canonized for a Saint of the newe religion of Luther his disciples writeth after this sort * Erasmus lib 3. de libero arbitrio What should I recount here the dissention that is among these Gospellers their bloudy hatred their bitter contentions nay their singular inconstancy Luther himselfe hauing changed his opinion so often and yet newe paradoxes springing vp from him daily Hitherto Erasmus Finally Field although he extol Luther for a worthy diuine as euer the world had any in those times wherein he liued Field booke 3 c. 24. p. 170. or in many ages before yet confesseth that by degrees he sawe and discried those Popish errours I vse his wordes which at first he discerned not But to excuse the matter he first auoucheth that in sundry points of greatest moment as of the power of nature of free-wil grace justification the difference of the law and the Gospel faith and workes Christian liberty and the like he was euer constant Which assertion of his howe false it is that which I haue before said touching free-wil doth demonstrate An other of his excuses is that it is not so strange a thing as his aduersaries would make it seeme to be that herein Luther proceeded by degrees and in his later writings disliked that which in his former he did approue And his reason is because S. Augustine wrote a whole booke of retractations S. Ambrose complained that he was forced to teach before he had learned and so to deliuer many thinges that should neede a second reuiewe And S. Thomas of Aquine in his summe corrected and altered many things which he had written before Against this I first reply that it excuseth not Luthers building of his new beliefe vpon his owne judgement nay it proueth manifestly that he came not to it by the infallible direction of any external guide but by the discourse and search of his owne wit and moreouer Caluin Instit booke 4. ch 3. The Apology of the church of England part 4. p. 123 124. c. that he vvas not extraordinarily by internal inspirations instructed and sent by the spirit of God as diuers of these men seeme plainely to affirme for the workes of God are perfect and they whome he immediately sendeth directeth in faith erre not in any point of that argument but that his inconstant reason was the principal ground on which he built his said faith and religion Secondly I adde that the examples brought by Field in excuse of Luther make nothing for his purpose For what if S. Augustine vvriting vvhen he was yet a nouice in Christian religion and not fully instructed erred in some points which errours hauing receiued better instructions he reclaimed What if the like happened to S. Ambrose being miraculously chosen to be a Bishop and a teacher before he was a Christian What if S. Augustine before some articles of Christian religion were so throughly discussed and defined in the Church as afterward vpon the rising of new heresies spoke not so aptly and properly as was needful in succeeding times and therefore retracted what he had vttered What if he and S. Thomas of Aquin in diuers matters disputable and not determined by the Church altered and corrected their former opinions So hath Cardinal Baronius nowe done who hath runne ouer the first ten tomes of his Ecclesiastical history and made as it were a booke of retractations recalling such thinges as he judged amisse What I say if also these thinges be so as without doubt they were no otherwise shal it therefore be lawful for Luther or any other person to leape vp and downe hither and thither and to chop and change his faith according as his fancy leadeth him in any articles of Christian religion verily I thinke to no man of judgement such a fault vvil seeme excusable But was Zwinglius who as we haue seene so peremptorily reprehendeth Luther for his inconstancy him selfe free from this crime Truly he vvas not and because breuity suffereth me not to runne through his works and to shewe the change and alteration of his opinion concerning al particuler points in vvhich he shewed himselfe inconstant I wil only conuince him of inconstancy touching one or two and that by his owne confession It cannot be denied but before his fal from vs he held the Catholike doctrine concerning the baptisme of infants otherwise vvithout al doubt his nouelty vvould haue beene noted and censured His first alteration therefore concerning this matter was from vs to Anabaptisme his second from Anabaptisme in some sort to our beliefe againe That he was once an Anabaptist thus he confesseth Wherefore I my selfe also confesse frankely saith he that a fewe yeares since I being deceiued with this error thought it better to deferre the baptisme of young children vntil they come to perfest age thus Zwinglius That he partly recanted afterwards this heresie he declareth in the same place I say partly because he alwaies denied the necessity of baptisme to saluation That he was likewise inconstant in his beliefe of the Eucharist these his owne wordes testifie Zwingl tom 2. commēt de vera salsa religione cap de Eucharist fol. 202. We haue written two yeares since of the Eucharist where we haue written many thinges rather according to the time then the truth of the matter And soone after If reader thou finde certaine thinges here otherwise then in the former bookes doe not thou wonder we would not giue foode out of season nor set pearls before swine Finally We retract therefore saith he and reuoke those thinges which we haue said there in such sort that those which we set forth in the two and fortith yeare of our age counterpoise those which we set forth in the fortith when as we said we serued more the time then the truth of the matter that we might by that meanes the more edifie thus Zwinglius of himselfe Who then can deny but he also was inconstant and at the least in outward shewe altered his beliefe yea doth he not confesse to
and moreouer that this was Luthers opinion it may be gathered out of f Caluin Instit c. 16. § 19 Caluin and g Whitaker in his answ to Campians 8. reason p. 243. Whitakers Besides this he holdeth that the soules departed out of this vvorld sleepe and are without sense or feeling neither in heauen nor in hel and so shal remaine vntil the day of judgement But of this point of his doctrine see more in the second part of my treatise following I cannot likewise omit his h Luther in serm de Sacram. coenae to 2. f. 112. c. opinion concerning the presence of Christs humane nature in euery place together vvith his diuinity of vvhich proceed these vvordes of Zwinglius vnto him i Zwingl in respōs ad Luther l. de Sacra f. 401. If thou shalt contumaciously goe on in this sentence that the humanity of Christ IESVS is essentially and corporally present wheresoeuer is his diuinity God willing we wil bring thee to those straights that either thou shalt be forced to deny the whole Scripture of the new testament or to acknowledge Marcions heresie This I say in good faith we promise we wil doe thus Zwinglius And by this heresie defended by the Lutherans of his time Caluin k Caluin Instit booke 4. ch 17. §. 16. c. Zwing l. tom 2. ep ad quādam Germaniae ciuitatē fol. 196. lib. de Baptis fol. 63. c. auoucheth that Marcion is raised vp out of hel The Geneuian diuines in the preface to the Harmony of confessions published in the name of the Churches of France and Belgia tearme it that vnhappy monster of vbiquity which if it be admitted say they wil quite ouerthrowe the true doctrine of Christs person and natures But of Luther enough Zwinglius doctrine concerning the Sacraments vvas most prophane for he made them only external signes and denied them any inward effect in the soule wherefore as I haue before noted it is worthily condemned and rejected not only by Luther and his followers but also in wordes by * Caluin lib. de coena l. 4. Instit cap. 15. §. 1. Caluin Moreouer a Zwingl in exposit fidei Chrstianae art 12. Zwinglius also placeth Hercules Theseus Socrates Numa Camillus the Catoes Scipions and other Pagans and Idolaters with the holy Patriarks and Apostles in heauen Of which his assertion Luther discourseth thus b Luther ad c. 47. Genes Zwinglius of late hath written that Numa Pompilius Hector Scipio Hercules enjoy eternal blisse in heauen with Peter Paul other Saints which is no other thing then openly to confesse that he thinketh there is no faith no Christianisme c. He addeth much more against him and of this inferreth that Zwinglius is of that minde that a man doing his best may be saued in any religion whatsoeuer vvhich in very deede is expresly by him taught in c Zwingl to 2. in declarat de peccato Original f. 118 another place Neuerthelesse this doctrine of Zwinglius touching the saluation of Infidels is maintained by d Rodolph Gualterus in Apolog pro libris Zwinglij Rodolphus Gualterus e Bullinger in Germani cōfess Eccles Figurinae Bullenger f Simlerus in vita Bullingeri c. Simlerus Daniel Tossanus and other Sacramentaries But no opinion of Zwinglius is more impious and sacrilegious then that by which he maketh God the author and cause of sinne In vpholding which blaspheamous impiety Iohn Caluin joineth hands with him If it were not that I should exceed the breuity of a preface I vvould manifestly conuince them guilty of this crime by their owne printed workes published to the viewe of the whole vvorld but I vvil here put off this manner of proofe to another place and nowe only confirme the truth of mine accusation by the testimony of some learned Protestants Albertus Grawerus rector of the Lutheran vniuersity of Eislebium in Germany about the yeare of our Lord 1597. published a booke vvith this title The warre of Iohn Caluin and of IESVS Christ God and man that is An antithesis or opposition of the doctrine of the Caluinists and of Christ in which the most horrible blaspheamies of the Caluinists especially concerning foure articles the person of Christ the supper of the Lord baptisme and predestination are faithfully shewed from the eie to the eie out of their owne proper writings and bookes and are briefly and soundly refelled out of the word of God thus hath the title And this booke hath beene printed three times among the Lutherans for I haue seene the third edition printed at Magdeburge in the yeare 1605. so plausible is it to the Lutheran churches Neuerthelesse it being oppugned and answered by some Caluinists the same author replied vvith an other booke vnto which he gaue this title Absurda absurdorum absurdissima Caluinistica absurda c. The absurde the most absurde of absurde Caluinistical absurde thinges that is an inuincible demonstration logical philosophical theological of some horrible paradoxes of the Caluinian doctrine in the article of the person of Christ the supper of the Lord baptisme and predestination of the children of God written by M. Albert Grawere Rector of the famous Vniuersity of Eislebium of the Earles of Mansfeld in defence of his Caluinian warre c. Cum gratia priuilegio at Magdeburge an 1605. hitherto are the vvordes of the title That vvhich maketh in these bookes for my present purpose is that which he deliuereth concerning the opinion of Caluin and the Caluinists touching the predestination of the children of God for in the fore-front of the last treatise after the title of the booke this Lutheran placeth this sillogisme Quodcunque dogma c. What opinion soeuer maketh God the author of sinne is not of God The Caluinian opinion maketh God the author of sinne therefore it is not of God For proofe of the minor or second proposition which is that the Caluinian doctrine maketh God the author of sinne he referreth his reader to the fift chapter of his booke following in vvhich in very deede he manifestly proueth it by diuers sentences alleaged out of Caluin Beza and other Sacramentaries Perhaps some man wil demaund what is this to Zwinglius I answere although Zwinglius in very deede be properly no Caluinist for he vvas before Caluin yet because nowe the Caluinists beare al the sway and haue almost eaten vp the Zwinglians as also because the differences betweene Zwinglius and Caluin vvere not great and notorious it pleaseth the Lutherans to number Zwinglius among the Caluinists yea to cal al the Sacramentaries Caluinists Hence Grawerus among other Caluinists making God the authour of sinne often alleageth Zwinglius and proueth him guilty of the same impiety They are likewise accused of making of God the author of sinne by Luke Osiander another Lutheran who hauing related and confuted certaine their assertions touching Christ thus beginneth the seauenth chapter of his booke
treatise which I intend I wil adde only a word or two of the manner of the nourishing of our bodies To make the foode which we receiue fit for our stomacke we haue in our mouthes two sortes of teeth some sharpe to deuide it others something flatte or plaine to grinde it with the tongue we remoue it from place to place when it is sufficiently chawed through the throate it is conueied into the stomacke where as in a pot or caldron by the heate of the hart and liuer it is boiled and brought al to one kinde of substance from thence the purest and best part thereof by subtil and smal passages is conueied to the liuer the grossest part which is not fit for nutriment is cast out at the fundament The liuer hauing receiued the said substance boileth it againe and turneth it into bloud that which is superfluous it sendeth it to other places as to the spleene and gal the rest it disperseth by the vaines throughout the whole body which is partly turned into flesh and bones a part of it is sent to the hart which being there purified is turned into vital spirits some is sent to the braine and turned into other spirits which we cal animales These considerations are sufficient to perswade euery man that there is one supreame God of infinite power and wisedome who hath created and most wisely and sweetely disposed al thinges Hence the Prophet Dauid cried out unto God in the Psalme Psal 103. ver 24. Howe high or wonderful O Lord are thy workes thou hast made al thinges in wisdome the earth is filled with thy possession or riches Surely if we looke into the nature and condition of any one creature whatsoeuer we shal not only see Eccles 3. ver 14. Galen lib. 3. de vsu partium lib. 5. Psal 99. vers 3. that as the wiseman saith we cannot adde to or take anythinge from the creatures of God and that God as Gallen the prince of al phisitions although a Pagan confesseth hath adorned and beautified the creatures of this world better then by any arte possible it could haue beene imagined but also if we demande of each creature who made it it wil seeme to make answere God made me and I made not my selfe according as the Psalme saith of vs men He made vs and we made not our selues Some Atheist perhaps wil say that al creatures are thus framed and ordered not by any supreame gouernor hauing vnderstanding and power to effect such matters but by chance I reply that like as it is impossible that a number of letters or charecters cast togither without any order of sillables wordes or sentences should make a perfect booke containing most wise learned and methodical discourses so it is impossible that the world should be so exquisitely ordered and thinges so ordained one to another by chance without the wisdome and disposition of almighty God And this confutation of this fond assertion was vsed longe since by Cicero an Ethnicke Wherefore Cicero lib. 3. de natura Deorum like as euery man would worthely account him a foole that should say that a booke containing wise and orderly discourses was made by chance by the casting togither of diuers charecters or letters or that a house most curiously and artificially built was made without the handy worke of any artificer by the accidentary concourse of stones morter timber and other such like stuffe so we may wel esteeme him a foole and voide of al reason and vnderstanding who denyeth that the world was created and ordered by almighty God Hence the Psalme saith The foole said in his hart Ps 13. v. 1 there is no God And note it is not said he said with his mouth but in his hart to signifie that this assertion is so absurde ridiculous and blasphemous that a foole although he thinke it true in his hart yet may be ashamed to vtter it with his mouth To the arguments already brought for the proofe of this matter I adde that this truth is manifestly deliuered vnto vs in the holy Scriptures in which is contained the history of the creation of the world by God and diuers other euident proofes are found of the being of his diuine Majesty This no Atheist wil or can denie But al of them answere that the Scriptures containe but fables and are of no authority I reply that it may easily be shewed that the authority of these diuine bookes ought to be great in any wisemans judgement in the world It is proued by diuers learned authors first by their antiquity for no volumes in the world are so auncient as the bookes of Moyses and consequently we may inferre that Moyses himselfe the first writer receiued the true history of those thinges which were done before his owne dayes by succession and tradition from his predecessors for which it maketh that Abraham the father of the Iewes might wel haue seene Sem the sonne of Noe Of other thinges he was an eie witnesse himselfe Secondly it is proued by the verity of diuers prophesies contained in the holy Scriptures which were fulfilled longe after that the bookes themselues were written which is a manifest demonstration that such thinges were foretold by God who only knoweth and can certainely fortel thinges contingent and depending of mans free wil of which it followeth that such prophesies and the bookes in which they are found were written by diuine inspiration Thirdly it is declared by the wonderful consent of al these bookes for although they were penned by diuers men in diuers places vpon diuers occasions and at sundry times yet no one of them containeth any one thinge contrary to the other Gre. praefat in Iob. Of which S. Gregory wel inferreth that the writers handes were the pennes of the holy Ghost The same is likewise demonstrated by the test mony of diuers miracles which haue beene wrought alwayes in the world for the confirmation of the doctrine which is taught vs in these bookes by the miraculous preseruation of them throughout al ages by the admirable consent of the seauenty two Interpreters which were appointed by Ptólomie King of Aegipt to translate them and sundrie other reasons which I cannot stand to relate Neither doe the miracles and prophesies aboue said and al other such like effects and actions only confirme the authority of the holy Scriptures but also euidently proue that there is a God who only is omnipotent and can worke effects surpassing the power and vertue of natural and created agents Such miracles and prophesies cannot be denied to haue beene found in the world in al ages of which we haue any large recordes except we wil obstinately reject the authority and testimony of al men I may joyne to this that although God be but one in essence yet he is three in persons for although the diuine essence be but one most pure and simple substance not deuided yet the selfe same is in three distinct
al points appertaining to faith and religion She is finally the ship and skilful pilot which throughout al the stormes and tempests of Schismes and Heresies vvil guide vs vvithout errour to the porte of euerlasting saluation and make vs fit stones to be placed euerlastingly in the triumphant Church of God in heauen FINIS AN APPENDIX TO THIS TREATISE CONTAINING A BRIEFE CONFVTATION OF A BOOKE PVBLISHED IN THE YEARE M. D.C.VI BY WILLIAM CRASHAW bearing this title Romish forgeries and falfifications c. IF al vvere true which is objected by newe sectaries against the one true Spouse of Christ the Catholike Church al men endued vvith reason might according to reason prudently meruaile that any man of common sense doth follow her doctrine or embrace her communion Luther exclaimeth against her children that they make the Virgin Mary a * Luther ad Euangeliū d◠festo Annunciationis Goddesse giuing her omnipotency both in heauen and earth Caluin a Caluin book 3. Instit c. 20 §. 22. l. de necessit reformand Eccles that they giue the worship of God vnto Saints and honour them and their relikes in place of Christ Luther againe b Luth. ad c. 50. Genes in colloq Germ. c. de Christo that they deny justification and saluation through Christes passion and merits Caluin c Caluin book 3. Instit cap. 20. §. 21. that in their Litanies Hymnes and Proses there is no mention of Christ yea that for the most part Christ being passed ouer God is praied to by the names of Saints Luther moreouer d Luther ad l. Ducis Georgij scripsit an 1533. l. de abrogat Missae priuatae that they hold a man may keepe the Commandements without the grace of God Caluin that they e Caluin booke 1. Instit ch 11. §. 9. and 10. giue Idolatrous worship vnto Images Luther also that f Luther l. de Ecclesia the Pope buried the Scripture in dirt and dust Caluin g Caluin booke 4. Instit ch 9. §. 24. in antid Concil Triden sess 7. Canon 1◠that they make the oracles of God subject vnto men and that they esteeme more in baptisme of chrisme salt and such other thinges then of the washing with water Luther finally h Luther lib. de Concilijs that they giue to Councels authority to make newe articles of faith and change the old Caluin that they giue the Pope authority to institute new Sacraments and that the Popes hold there is no God Caluin alij passim in 2. Thessal 2 4. Caluin Instit booke 4. chap. 7. §. 27. that al thinges written and taught of Christ are lies and deceits that the doctrine concerning the future life and the last resurrection are meere fables These and diuers other such monstrous vntruthes are forged by our aduersaries against vs and this course they are constrained to take that they may haue something to impugne For if they should plainely and sincerely deliuer vvhat we hold the force and brightnesse of truth it selfe would easily at her only sight weaken yea ouerthrowe al their impugnations And like as the first beginners of the new religion ranne these vnconscionable I may say shameful courses so their successors alwaies haue continued in the same and euen those of our daies obstinately refusing to accept of any reasonable answere or to vnderstand the truth insist in the steps of their predecessors For vvhereas if they were but indifferent they might wel perceiue that vve vvhome neither feare of death nor infamy and disgrace nor losse of liberty liuing and worldly goodes can moue to doe one act contrary to our religion wil not for al the world denie any one article of our faith Yet notwithstanding although we denie their false slaunders neuer so much yet they vvil needes haue vs to hold them as they say vvhether vve vvil or no. Diuers impute vnto vs daily strange paradoxes in matters of faith But among others one William Crashaw Anno 1606. In the Epistle Dedicatory hath not long since published a booke accusing vs of an horrible matter of fact to wit of the crime of corruption and forgery in the highest degree so are his wordes His said booke beareth this title Romish forgeries and falsifications together with Catholike restitutions By reading of the contents of it he that is not learned and acquainted with their dealings may easily be drawne and perswaded not only to condemne vs as notable corrupters and forgers but further to imagine that we in former ages haue corrupted al the Fathers workes and consequently inferre that their testimonies can yeeld vs no firme ground vvhereon to build our faith Crash in his preface to the reader §. see what see also § wil these men contrary to that which hath beene said in this Treatise Nay Crashaw himselfe doth not only affirme that they haue cause to suspect that we haue so dealt with the Fathers because we haue not spared as he saith some as ancient as some fathers but also auerreth that it wil be proued to the worlds view that we * §. But whē haue de facto corrupted almost al antiquity in so much that no man can tel what ground to stand vpon either for Councels Fathers decrees or mens writings And he addeth § To end this point that he doth not doubt but ere long God wil raise vp some instruments of his glory who shal fully discouer to the world this treachery of the Romish Church by making it as apparent they haue corrupted the Fathers as I hope saith he to doe in this and the bookes ensuing that they haue corrupted al such late writers as they imagined any way to make against them Thus Crashaw For the resolution of which his false imputation as also for clearing of our present practise which may seeme to some to tend towardes the ouerthrow of the authority of antiquity I thinke it not amisse to spend some fewe lines in prouing these three points First that our practise in correcting of bookes reprehended by Crashaw is prudent and laudable Secondly that our aduersaries if we offend in this are much more to be condemned for the like proceedings in the same kinde Lastly that the Fathers vvorkes are sincere and free from al corruption To declare the first I must first giue my reader to vnderstand that the Church of Christ nowe hath and euer hath had authority to censure and condemne al such bookes as are published and containe thinges any vvaies opposite to the truth of her faith and religion This first appeareth because she is supreame judge on earth of al controuersies arising touching faith and religion and hath jurisdiction ouer euery Christian from which it proceedeth that she condemneth heresies and Heretikes wherefore it cannot be denied but she hath also authority to condemne the works of any Heretike or other person vvhatsoeuer containing heresies or errours opposite to her faith For much more it is to condemne
such instructions as are giuen he saith And such thinges as doe require correction or purgation are these And then he beginneth to rehearse what our Index willeth to be corrected but so falsely as he may be very wel ashamed of his dealing For vvhereas the instruction commandeth that al thinges that taste of superstion witchcraft or diuination be rejected likewise that al be blotted out that make mans free-wil subject to destiny false or deceitful signes or Ethnicke fortune and that such thinges as sauour of Paganisme be abolished that jests or merry conceits quips tossed to the hurt or prejudice of the fame and credit of others be abandoned that thinges wanton and dishonest which may corrupt good manners be remoued finally that vnseemely and dishonest pictures be defaced he leaueth out al this and that vvithout al doubt to make his reader beleeue that vve correct bookes for no other matters but to make them agree vvith vs in religion And to this end it may be imagined that before he left out the seauenth and ninth rule wholy which are against wanton bookes bookes of Chiromancy Nicromancy c. And vvhat false and vnconscionable dealing is this Verily this were a foule fault in any man but in M. Crashaw who taketh vpon him vnjustly to censure others for the like proceedinges This is intollerable and no man can doe lesse according to his owne grounds then condemne him of corruption and forgery in the highest degree Relatiō of the state of religion vsed in the Westerne parts §. 36. printed anno 1605. writen as is said by Sir Edwine Sans. Verily a certaine Protestant trauailer reporteth that we haue our seueral offices for purging the world from the infection of al the wicked and corrupt bookes and passages which are either against honesty or good manners who indeed saith he blot out much impiousnesse and filth and therein deserue to be commended and imitated And thus I thinke I haue sufficiently proued that our aduersaries are rather to be pronounced guilty of such crimes as Crashaw imposeth vpon vs concerning corruption of books then we Touching our prohibition of certaine bookes I adde only that in like manner as we forbidde their bookes and suffer them not to be read of al sorts so they forbid ours as their statutes testifie and for this also are more to be blamed then we that our bookes forbidden by them maintaine and defend an old religion taught and left vs by our forefathers theirs forbidden by vs a new deuised in this last age by Luther Carolostadius Zwinglius Caluin and such companions I wil dispatch the last point in fewe wordes wherefore to proue that the Fathers are not by vs corrupted I bring these three briefe reasons First this our practise of making such Indices expurgatorij hath beene but very late as Crashaw himselfe confesseth in those his wordes Long was the mother Church of Rome in breeding her Indices expurgatorios at last shee brought them out Crashaw in the begīning of his preface to the reader or rather some politike Iesuites conceiued them the Fathers of Trent bare them and the Pope brought them out thus Crashaw Out of which it is manifest that we vsed no such Indices before the Councel of Trent And hence proceedeth an other reason to wit that there was neuer any general rule or order set downe by the Church for correcting any one Fathers workes this is manifest because had the Church taken order for any such matters there can be no doubt made but such sentences also as fauour Millinarisme Arianisme Donatisme Nestorianisme and other such like heresies vvhich in those daies opposed themselues against the Church had beene put out rather then such as our aduersaries pretend made for them seing that we can finde no recordes that any of their sort opposed themselues in those times against vs. Further the art of printing bookes vvas vnknowne at the least to our part of the vvorld before the yeare of our Lord 1440. as al histories of that age testifie wherefore the workes of the Fathers before those daies were written by diuers persons and in diuers places by diuers men that knewe not vvhat one another did which copies are yet extant Of which I inferre that except some general rule for al had beene prescribed it had beene impossible that they should haue al conspired to haue corrupted the Fathers by adding or detracting the selfe same wordes and yet neuerthelesse we see that al the written copies of the Fathers workes agree conteine the same sentences much lesse could we haue corrupted the Fathers workes if those of our side were only a faction and diuers in faith agreeing vvith our aduersaries who alwaies opposed themselues against vs or at the least secretly retained their belief as Field affirmeth Field booke 3 of the Church chap. 6. 7. 8. for then it is like that some of them preserued the Fathers workes from corruption Finally this openeth the way to the Zwenckfeldians Libertines who reject al Scriptures for of the corruption of the Fathers a man may wel inferre the corruption also of them neither can these by better reason be freed from such an imputation then those But here some man vvil occurre and say Perkins in Problem praepar ad demonst in Ciprian pa. 14. that it is a matter manifest that we haue corrupted S. Ciprians booke of the vnity of the Church to establish the Popes supreamacy and for the proof of this he vvil alleage that which M. Thomas Iames hath vvritten in his * Catalog Ox onio Cantabrig lib. 2. pag. 176. Catalogue of the Manu-script bookes of the vniuersities of Oxford and Cambridge to vvit that there are foure Manu-script copies of S. Ciprians workes in the Libraries of these vniuersities in vvhich certaine sentences are not found especially such as make for the Popes supreamacy vvhich are to be seene in al printed copies of this booke Of which he inferreth that it is like that we haue corrupted the said booke and that according to our corruption it is corruptly printed I answere briefly first that although we should graunt this to be true which Iames saith that such Manuscript copies are found which neuerthelesse I wil not beleeue except I see or heare it better proued yet of this it cannot be inferred that the works of S. Ciprian are corruptly printed first because more credit is to be giuen to al the Manu-script copies throughout the world which without doubt be some hundreds then to these foure And that al others agree with the printed booke it seemeth euident by diuers reasons but principally because no man euer before noted any such diuersity yet it is probable that the Protestants themselues vvho as Iames doth graunt haue printed his workes would haue noted it if there had beene any such matter found in the manu-script copies of the country where his booke was published by them Nay farther Centuriator 3. cap. 4. colum 84.
vvhich is the right and straite rule by vvhich al our thoughts and actions are to be squared and tried Of my reader therefore if he be a Protestant I desire no more but that he bring his hart and wil to this disposition if it be not so disposed already that he be desirous to serue God in his true Church and casting off al obstinacy he be indifferent either to this or that so that he might be throughly informed of the truth Lastly that he humbly craue of God that if his beliefe be not right he wil mercifully vouchsafe to giue him grace and meanes vvhereby he may finde out the truth And because I esteeme this disposition in that Protestant vvhich intendeth to reade this Treatise to be a matter of great moment towardes his conuersion I thinke it conuenient briefly here to touch among diuers others which occurre some two motiues which in my judgement are very sufficient to drawe any man from obstinacy in the newe religion yea be he of what sect soeuer to make him doubtful of the sincerity of that faith and religion which he professeth Of these the first shal be that as many I may say more and as vertuous and as learned euen of the Protestant side condemne his said faith and religion as erroneous as there doe approue it as true For if he be a Zwinglian a Caluinist or an English Protestant although his temporal Magistrates and his learned Masters tel him that he is of a sound beliefe and a true member of Christs Church yet Luther and al the Lutherans affirme in plaine tearmes and that vvith great vehemency neuerthelesse deliberately and aduisedly that he is an Heretike and consequently is guilty of that crime which the * Apologie of the Church of EnglaÌ„d part 1. pa. 28. 29. Apologie of the Church of England auoucheth to be a forsaking of saluation a renouncing of Gods grace a departing from the body and spirit of Christ This not only the workes of Luther and the Lutherans but also of diuers Sacramentaries so the Zwinglians Caluinists and English Protestants are commonly called testifie to the whole world Luther in one place writeth thus a Luther thes 21. cont Louaniens to 7. in defiÌ„s ver borum coenae We seriously judge the Zwinglians and al Sacramentaries to be Heretikes and aliens from the Church of God In an other booke of the same sectaries he hath these wordes b Idem tom 7 in defens verborum coenae fol. 383. Touching the soule and matters spiritual we wil auoide them as long as we haue a day to liue we wil reproue and condemne them for Idolaters corrupters of Gods wordes blaspheamers and deceiuers and of them as of enemies of the Gospel we wil sustaine persecution and spoile of our goodes whatsoeuer they shal doe vnto vs so long as God wil permit Thus Luther Hence also the Zwinglians of Zuricke complaine that Luther c CoÌ„fessio Orthodoxa Eccles Tigurinae in praefat fol. 3. 4. inueigheth against them as against obstinate Heretikes and such as are guilty to themselues of al impiety as against prophaners of the Sacraments and the most vile and pestilent men that goe on the ground By his c Ibid. tract 3. fol. 108. last confession by them likewise recorded it appeareth that he continued in this minde euen to his dying day And who among al the Professors of the newe religion is generally preferred by the followers of al sects before Luther The Sacramentaries themselues vvhome he damned to the pit of hel most highly commend him The Apologie of the Church of England a booke written by M. Iewel and approued by the best English Protestants yea much d Martir ep ad IuelluÌ„ prae fixa Apolog. Eccles Angl. praised by Peter Martir and other forraine followers of Zwinglius and Caluin tearmeth him e Apologie of the Church of EnglaÌ„d part 4. pag. 124. printed anno 1600. a most excellent man euen sent of God to giue light to the world Whitakers affirmeth f Whitakers in his answer to Campians 3. reason pag. 85. his name is written in the booke of life and that his memory shal euer be sacred among al good men And he addeth g Idem in his answer to the 8. reason pag. 259. that they reuerence him as Father Field a Doctor of the English Church nowe liuing auerreth h Ficl booke 3 of the Church ch 42. p. 170. See also Whetenhal a PuritaÌ„ in his discourse of the abuses c. printed anno 1606. pag. 64. 65. he was a most worthy diuine as the world had any in those times wherein he liued or in many ages before whose happy memory saith he for the clearing of sundry points of greatest moment in our Christian religion al succeeding ages shal be bound to honour Seing then that this most excellent man sent by God to giue light to the world whose name is written in the booke of life and whose memory shal euer be sacred among al good men sendeth forth these glistering beames of light vnto vs that the Sacramentaries are damned Heretikes Idolaters blaspheamers corrupters of the word of God deceiuers and enemies of the Gospel Seing this most worthy diuine reuerenced by our English Protestants as a father pronounced this so hard a censure against his children vvhat Sacramentary being thus censured if he wil proceede according to the rules of reason can doe otherwise then mistrust the truth of his beliefe vvhich of the Sacramentaries hath deserued or obtained such commendations of the Lutherans as Luther hath here of the Sacramentaries Verily Caluin himselfe whose doctrine of the Sacrament our English Church and most Sacramentaries doe nowe embrace is most bitterly reuiled and condemned by them al. Nay one of them writeth that i Conradus Schlussel in Theolog. Caluinist lib. 2. fol. 72. God also in this world shewed his judgement against Caluin whome he visited saith he in the â—odde of his anger and horribly punished before the dreadful houre of his vnhappy death For God with his potent hand I vse his vvordes so strooke this Heretike that hauing despaired of his saluation hauing called vpon Diuels swearing cursing and blaspheaming most miserably be yeelded vp his wicked ghost but Caluin died of the lousie disease wormes so increasing in an impostume or most stinking vlcer about his priuy members that none of the standers by could any longer indure the stinke Thus Conradus Schlusselburge a Lutheran reporteth Caluins death as he auoucheth out of publike writings of which he sawe no sound refutation What Sacramentary then can justly coÌ„pare any one of his learned masters with Luther or thinke that Luther erred some one of them attained to the light of truth seing that Luther had and read the same Scriptures out of vvhich his masters affirme they haue drawne their doctrine and vsed in euery respect as good meanes to come to the true sense and interpretation of them as his said masters could
* Lucas Osiāder in Enchirid cont Caluimanos cap. 7. pag. 198. But here gentle reader beyond and aboue those blaspheamous thinges which in the discourses before we heard against the Sonne of God out of the opinions of our aduersaries the Caluinists Pandit se vorago barathrum Caluinianae doctrinae a gulfe or whirlepoole and a bel of Caluinian doctrine openeth it self In which if thou dilligently weigh the matter God is said to be the author of sinne it is so taught by our aduersaries concerning election to saluation that who shal embrace this their doctrine tentation assaulting him must needs either be cast into despaire or fal into Epicurisme and hence must of necessity arise in the harts of men manifest blasphemy against God thus Lucas Osiander whom an English sectary in his booke against vs trāslated maketh to speake like a very good Caluinist If any man be desirous to see a briefe summe of the Caluinian and Zwinglian beliefe touching this and other such like articles he shal find it gathered together in the same place by the same authour as also by Grawerus in the preface to his second booke cited Heshusius a third Lutheran vvriter esteemed among the learnedst of that sect Cōrad Schlusselburg lib. 2. Theolog. Caluinist pag. 6. See Clebetius in victoria veritatis ruina Papatus Saxonici arg 15. Conradus Schluss loco cit lib. 1. c. 6. pag. 25. 26. Beza in Absters calumni arū Heshusij much commended by Conradus Schlusselburge for this cause exclaimeth against the Caluinists that they transforme God into the Deuil But Caluin is not only accused of this impiety by the Lutherans but also by Castalio a Sacramentary who disputing of Caluins opinion touching this point maketh a distinction or difference betweene the true God and the God of Caluin these are his vvordes * Castal in l. ad Caluin de praedest The false God that is Caluins God by him described is slowe to mercy prone to anger who hath created the greatest part of the world to destruction and hath predestinated them not only to damnation but also to the cause of damnation Therefore he hath decreed from al eternity and be wil haue it so and be doth bring it to passe that they necessarily sinne so that neither thefts nor murders nor adulteries are committed but by his constraint and impulsion For be suggesteth vnto men euil and dishonest affections not only by permission sed efficaciter but effectually that is by forcing such affections vpon them and doth harden them in such sort that when they doe euil they doe rather the worke of God then their owne he maketh the Deuil a liar so that nowe not the Deuil but the God of Caluin is the father of lies But that God which the holy Scriptures teach is altogether contrary to this God of Caluin c. And soone after For the true God came to destroy that worke of that Caluinian God And these two Gods as they are by nature contrary to one another so they beget and bring forth children of contrary dispositions to wit that God of Caluin children without mercy proude c. hitherto Castalio a man highly commended by a Humfred de rat interpret lib. 1. p. 26. Gesnerus in Bibliotheca D. Humfrey and Gesnerus likewise learned scholars of the Sacramentary sect But note that in this his discourse he vvel declareth the truth of that vvhich before I related as said by Heshusius to wit that Caluin and his schollars by making God the author of sinne and ascribing vnto him other such like actions transforme him into the Deuil or rather as Castalio saith make the Deuil their God If any man be desirous to see this more fully and exactly handled let him reade Grawerus in the booke and chapter before cited Nowe touching Caluin in particular what Christian doth not abhorre and detest that his intollerable blaspheamy by which he affirmeth our Lord during the time of his passion to haue feared eternal damnation to haue beene forsaken of God to haue suffered in soule the torments of hel Let vs heare him in his owne wordes declare his owne opinion These are some of his sentences Christ was put in steede of wicked doers as surety and pledge Caluin Instit booke 2. ch 16. §. 10. Idē in Math. 26. vers 39. yea and as the very guilty person himselfe to abide and suffer al the punishments that should haue beene laid vpon them this one thing excepted that he could not be holden stil of the sorrowes of death or hel His praier in the garden was an abrupt desire he was stroken with feare and straited with anxiety in such sort that among violent fluddes oftentation he was forced as it were to stagger or wauer nowe with one and then with another desire he corrected and recalled that desire vpon the suddaine passed from him he refused as much as lay in him and sought to put off the office of a Mediator the vehemency of griefe tooke from him the present memory of the heauenly decree Christes death had beene to no effect Caluin Instit booke 2. ch 16. §. 10. Ibid. §. 12. Idē ad c. 26. Math. v. 39. if he had suffered only a corporal death but it behoued also that he should feele the rigour of Gods vengeance and that he should as it were hand to hand wrastle with the armies of the hels and the horror of eternal death He had a more cruel and harder battaile then with common death he sawe the anger of God set before him in as much as be burdened with the sinnes of the whole world presented him selfe before the tribunal seate of God he could not but horribly feare profundam mortis abyssum the bottomlesse depth of death or eternal damnation Caluin Instit booke 2. ch 16. §. 10. he suffered in his soule the terrible torments of a damned and forsaken man a Idē in c. 27. Math. v. 46. When the image or shewe of the tentation was laide before Christ as though God being his enemy he were nowe destined to destruction or damnation he was stroken with horror b Instit booke 2. chap. 16. he was feareful for the saluation of his soule He fought hand to hand with the power of the Deuil with the horror of death or damnation with the paines of hel Hitherto are some of Caluins blaspheamous assertions against our Lord and Sauiour I neede not alleage any Protestant authours accusing him of this impiety for his wordes be plaine and his bookes are in euery mans handes Nay which is worse some principal English Sectaries followe these his blaspheamous courses and vphold his doctrine as Euangelical Such are Fulke Whitakers Willet and others But listen a litle what a conclusion may be drawne out of one proposition taken from Caluin and an other from the greater part of our English Protestants Although diuers notable reasons are assigned by the auncient Fathers and
goe on in the first place alleaged And therefore for as much as in these controuersies the Papists and the Prelates goe hand in hand the said Ministers doe in like manner make the like offer to the Priestes and Iesuites promising their reconcilement vnto that See of Rome if they can either by arguments pul them from the aforesaid propositions or can answere such arguments as they shal propound in the defence of them in manner and forme before specified in the offer And therefore it both stands the Ministers vpon to make the aforesaid offer and the Prelates except they wil haue al the world to judge them to be friendes in hart to Popery to accept of the same Thus the Puritan Ministers and no such offer that I finde through the whole booke is made to the Protestants This then is affirmed by these men that if the Protestant doctrine mainetained against them be true and their assertions be false the separation of the newe Sectaries Churches from ours cannot be justified yea they auouch that if this be so that their said Churches are schismatical Vnto which if we adde that in very deede the propositions which the Puritans offer to mainetaine against the Prelates are false and erroneous the truth of which assertion is confessed with great vehemency defended by al the English Protestants and further concerning some of the said propositions very vvel proued by Hooker Whitgift Bilson Couel and others of their company we shal haue our desired conclusion that according to the doctrine of the English Sectaries the Puritans and the Protestants our aduersaries Churches are Schismatical and that ours is the true Spouse of Christ But I must not here omitte by the way to aduertise my reader that in the judgement of any wise and judicious person this argument yeelded vs by our aduersaries cannot but also be a very strong proofe of the truth of our Catholike cause For vvhosoeuer maturely considereth the matter shal finde that the Protestants in rejecting the Puritan propositions followe the prescript and rule of holy Scriptures the decrees of Councels and the tradition of the Church and Fathers He shal also perceiue that the Puritans in auouching that which I haue related build vpon very good reasons flowing out of the very nature of the Protestant religion and taken from the proceedings of the vpholders of the same in defending it because out of the doctrine and practise defended by the Protestants against the Puritans as also out of the proofes and reasons alleaged for themselues very strong arguments may be drawne to confirme the truth of our whole Catholike religion as wil sometimes appeare in my treatise following And to giue here one instance the Protestants for the authority of Arch-bishops bring diuers reasons and among others this one that peace and vnity can otherwise hardly be maintained in the Church But vvhat faith Cartwright Suruay of the pretended holy discipline chap. 8. pag. 125. Truly he affirmeth as is reported by the author of the Suruay of the pretended holy discipline that the Popes authority is more necessary ouer al Churches then the authority of an Arch-bishop ouer a prouince And this his assertion is grounded vpon very good reason as I shal more at large declare hereafter Nowe to prosecute mine intended discourse vvhich is to proue some errours in the English sectaries here occurreth another argument like vnto the former not vnfit for my purpose For like as I haue already demonstrated that if they al say true our Church is the true Church of Christ so it is also euident that if it be so that they al say true it is also needful there be one supreame head of the vvhole Church militant Suruay c. chap. 29. pag. 372. for thus I argue Cartwright a principal Puritan esteemed by those of his owne sect as the aforesaid author noteth one of the only worthies of the world telleth vs that the Popes authority is more necessary ouer al Churches then the authority of an Arch-bishop ouer a prouince but the authority of an Arch-bishop as al our Protestants defend is necessary ouer a prouince therefore the Popes authority is necessary ouer al Churches It may be objected that these arguments are taken from persons of sundry sectes of which the one confesseth the other to erre I grant it but this notwithstanding they proue that either some English sectaries erre or otherwise that our religion by them rejected is true which sufficeth my purpose Neuerthelesse the Protestants themselues doe afford vs no such reasons Truly if I were not here restrained to the vvriting only of a preface I could assigne diuers one I wil set downe for an example Field booke 3 chap. 39. pag. 158. 156. 157. 159. M. Field in his third booke of the Church plainly confesseth that in sundry Churches of the world being of the newe religion diuers worthy Ministers of God were ordained by Presbiters or Priestes sometime of our Church and had no ordination from any Bishop Nay he seemeth apparantly to graunt that none but Presbiters did impose handes in ordaining Ministers or Superintendents in many of the pretended reformed Churches as namely in those of France and others Morton in Apolog. Cathol part 1. lib. 1. cap. 21. which is also insinuated by D. Morton And therefore both these Doctors teach that in time of necessity a Priest or Minister may impose handes and consecrate a Priest and consequently also a Bishop or a Superintēdent Out of this their doctrine I frame this argument seing that diuers Superintendents and Ministers of the newe religion I may say al at the least of some Countries for Field himselfe excepteth only those of England Denmarke and of some other places which places he nameth not haue had their ordination or orders only from Priests it followeth that if Priests haue no power of ordination that is of giuing orders that such Ministers and Superintendents are no true Ministers and Superintendents But Priests according to the assertion of a principal English Protestant haue no power of ordination and can giue no orders therefore such Superintendents and Ministers are no true Superintendents and Ministers Of which I also inferre that such Churches are no true Churches for they want a true ministery and clergy without which as * Field ibid. pag. 154. and booke 2. chap. 6. pag. 51. Field confesseth there can be no Church And this English Protestant is a William L. Bishop of Rochester in his sermon cōcerning the antiquity superiority of Bishops preached before the King at Hampton-Court Sep. 21. 1606 William L. B. of Rochester who in his sermon not long since preached before the Kinges Majesty and afterward printed by his Majesties expresse commandement as the same Bishop b In the epist to the King prīted before the sermon auoucheth affirmeth and proueth out of holy Scripture first that the Apostles kept to themselues ordination or authority to giue holy orders til
such miserie through diuers diseases that he c Philost lib. 8. wished for one that would kil him Seuerus being often put in danger of his life by his owne sonne Antoninus who as he thought intended also to murther his other sonne Geta taking thought griefe came to his end d Lampridius Alexander was murthered in Germany e Trebellius Maximinus Gallus Volusianus and Gallienus receiued their deaths from their owne souldiers f Euseb in hist lib. 7. cap. 1. Decius not hauing raigned two yeares lost his life in warre against the Gothes g Eus l. 7. ca. 9. Trebel alij Constātius in orat ad sancto coetū c. 24 see Euseb in vita Const li. 4. c. 11. Valerianus by treason was deliuered into the handes of his enemie the King of Persia who for a time vsed him for a foote-stoole to goe to his horse afterward he fleaed him aliue and poudered him with salt Aurelianus strooken from heauen with thunder soone after was murthered by his owne company h Vopisous Dioclesianus and Maximianus Herculeus because they could not according to their endeauours preuaile against the Church of Christ and roote out al Christianitie gaue ouer the rule of the Empire Of them the i Panegir 4. victor first liued so long as a priuate man vntil he saw Christian religion flourish vnder Constantine the great then he died miserably according to Eusebius but Victor saith that he was reported to haue poisoned himself k Euseb li. 8. ca. 18. 29. Maximianus afterwardes either was hanged or hanged himselfe Gallerius Maximianus being strooken by God with a most horrible disease was forced before his death to recal his owne other edictes made against Christians Maximinus likewise being ouercome by Licinius recalled such edictes in the East and taken moreouer with a most strange disease his eies falling out of his head died miserably confessing that such calamities fel vpon him for his cruelty vsed against Christians Licinius was put to death by Constantine the great Iulian the Apostata in battel against the Persians strooken from heauen with a dart blaspheming Christ as authour of his death yeelded vp the ghost And these were the principal Heathen Emperors that haue persecuted our religion to whome I adde two Arrian Emperors Cōstantius and Valens who impugned the diuinity of Christ and persecuted Catholikes for professing him to be equal and consubstantial to his Father l Hier. ep ad Heliodor Victor Amianus others Of them the first died miserably in a country village marching against Iulian the Apostata m Hie. Ruf others The other hauing receiued the ouerthrowe from the Gothes was burned by them aliue in a country house These calamities miseries as euery man must needes confesse were extraordinary and fel vpon these men for some sinne or misdemeanour of theirs And seing that commonly they fel vpon al the persecutors of Christian religion and commonly vpon no others it is euident that their persecution of the Church of Christ was the cause of their said miseries and calamities I could adde diuers other reasons conuincing Christian religion to be the true worship of God as that most wise men and most profound and deepe Schollers most expert in al sciences and most perfect in those languages which seeme most needful to attaine to the knowledge of true religion haue approued and embraced Christian doctrine I could also bring another argument taken from the purity and sanctity of the said religion and generally of al the true professors of the same others taken from the absurdity of al those that can make any challenge to this prerogatiue from the testimony of the professors of diuers other sectes c. But I should be ouerlong only I wil adde against the Iewes who had the truth among them before the comming of Christ that presently after the promulgation of our religion they fel into most grosse and fantastical opinions yea held and taught most execrable blasphemies concerning God himselfe other matters of faith as that God doth weepe bewaile shed teares and knocke his breast for sorrowe that he hath so punished them that he praieth vpon his knees that he sinned in taking vnjustly light from the Sunne and giuing it to the Moone that he hath beene deceiued by some Rabbines that he studieth the lawe of Moises that soules passe from one body to another and much other such like damnable doctrine which euery man may see approued in their Talmud Se Andraeas Masius in c. 5. Iosue v. 10. Eugubinus in Exo. c. 12. a booke as highly esteemed by them al as the old Testament it selfe for they professe in the title of the said booke that whosoeuer denieth it denieth God himselfe Nay I adde further against them that in this their Talmud it selfe it is deliuered as an auncient famous tradition that their Messias was to restore them to liberty on the same moneth and day of the yeare on which they were deliuered from the bondage of Aegipt which tradition most aptly agreeth to the time on which our Lord suffered as euery Christian knoweth And of this matter this shall suffice Out of the discourse of this chapter I likewise inferre that no other religion in the world besides the Christian is true or doth truly worship God which is manifest both because no other followeth the preceptes and doctrine of Christ the redeemer of mankinde and also because our Sauiour abolished al former lawes except the lawe of nature yea he abrogated euen the lawe of Moises it selfe which was receiued from God and according to the predictions of the holy Prophet instituted one only lawe and through the merits of his bitter passion established one only Church which only possesseth true religion and prescribeth according to his institution the true worshippe of God And this I thinke no man that beleeueth Christian religion to be true wil denie Chapter 4. That among Christians they only that professe and embrace the Catholike faith and religion are in state of saluation and doe truly worship God IN the chapter next before I haue declared that the true worshippe of God and true religion is only to be found among Christians nowe I goe further and affirme that al Christians cannot truly challenge to themselues these inestimable treasures but that they are due only to vs Catholikes Before this I haue disputed against Atheistes Infidels Iewes and other external enemies of Christ and therefore I vsed not any arguments taken out of the newe Testament which they with one consent reject nowe I am to deale with Heretikes who pretend themselues to be Christians but haue departed out of Christs fold yet admit of the authority of sundry bookes not only of the old but also of the newe Testament and therefore against these I wil alleage as occasion shall serue diuers sentences out of the said bookes by them admitted And to proceede orderly in this matter I wil bring my
prerogatiues vpon his spiritual Body and Spouse but perhaps these prerogatiues redound greatly to the good and benefite of the members and children of the Church Neither this can be auerred true for vvhat are poore Christians the nearer for it howe can such a Church be the director of their faith howe shal they knowe vvhat faith vvas preached by the Apostles and vvhat part taught true doctrine and vvhen and vvhich erred in subsequent ages howe shal vve vnderstand her judicial sentence vvhen controuersies arise and are to be decided surely they that are past and are departed out of this world can performe these thinges by no other meanes but by their writinges left behind them wherefore we can take no other direction and receiue no other judicial sentence from the Church in the first and second acception but by such monuments and bookes as we haue receiued from the Apostles Euangelistes the ancient Fathers and Doctors and other our predecessours And vvhat is this but to reduce al to the letter of holy Scripture and to the workes of antiquity which as I wil prooue hereafter setting aside the authority of the present Church yeelde vs no certaine and diuine argument and to giue nothing at al to the Church it selfe contrary to al the argumentes before made for her infallible authority Finally some of the places of Scripture before aleadged are expresly spoken of the present Church as that tel the Church If he shal not heare the Church let him he to thee as the Heathen or Publican c. SECTION THE SIXT That the same testimonies and proofes conuince an infallible judgement of the Church concerning euery article of faith not only concerning certaine of the principal SECONDLY that the testimonies of holy Scriptures and Fathers with the reasons brought in this Chapter proue the judgement authority of the Church to be of diuine and infallible truth in al points of faith it is euen as easily shewed For are not the vvordes general Is it not said that the holy Ghost shal teach the Church al truth and that she being the house of God is the piller and ground of truth c. And howe can these promises be verified if in some thinges she be subject to errour Field booke 4. chap. 4. Some say these last vvordes of the Apostle are vnderstood of the particuler Church of the Ephesians but first it is not like that God bestowed such an extraordinary priuiledge vpon that Church as to make it the piller and ground of truth Secondly the Apostle calleth that Church vnto which he here giueth these prerogatiues the house of God by which wordes a Cipr. l. 1. epist 6. S. Ciprian b Aug. l. 7. de baptis cōt Donat. ca. 49. 50. 51. Item in psalm 25. enarrat 2. S. Augustine and al the Fathers commonly vnderstand the whole militant Church yea S. Augustine alluding to this sentence and vsing the very vvordes of the Apostle calleth the whole Church * 2. Tim. 2. vers 20. columnam firmamentum veritatis the piller and ground of truth and in the Scripture it selfe the vvhole militant Church is called a great house as a Field booke 1. chap. 11. Field himselfe cōfesseth And because euery particuler Diocesse is a part of this Church the Apostle might very wel vse this kinde of speach vnto Timothie I write to thee that thou maist knowe howe thou oughtest to conuerse in the house of God although the said Timothie was Bishop only of Ephesus Moreouer are vve not absolutely vnder peril of being accounted Heathens and Publicans bound to obey the Church and what reason had our Lord so to binde vs if in some thinges her judgement may be erroneous for howe shal we discerne which those articles be in which she cannot erre and in which she may erre Further vvhat profit if this vvere so shal vve receaue from her for the preseruation of vnitie and ending of al controuersies verily this assertion is euen as prejuditial to the good of vnitie as that which affirmeth the Church to haue no warrant of truth at al. For what dissention and diuision would arise of this might not euery man contradict the rule of faith in any matter whatsoeuer and affirme his contradiction to be in a matter of smal moment who shal judge which matters be of great and which of smal importance For example diuers sectaries tel vs See Couel in defence of Hooker artic 11. Fox pag. 942. c. that the question concerning the real presence of Christ in the blessed Sacrament whether he be there really and substantially by transubstantiation as the Catholikes affirme or together with bread as the Lutherans say or only figuratiuely as is affirmed by the Sacramentaries is a question of smal importance not any essential point belonging to the substance of Christian religion But howe wil these men refute Castalio who addeth if Beza say true that the controuersies touching the blessed Trinity the estate and office of Christ and howe he is one with his father are concerning no essential points of Christian religion certainely they cannot wel ouerthrowe his opinion And this is that which was in old time and is at this present affirmed by some See Theodoretus lib 2. hist cap. 18. 19. 21. Trip. hist lib. 5. cap. 21. 33. that so that Christ be beleeued to be God it skilleth not whether he be beleeued to be equal or not equal consubstantial or not consubstantial to his father Wherefore this assertion of our aduersaries that the rule of faith may in some points be denied first openeth the gappe to al dissention then to al impiety and ouerthrowe of Christianity which thinges be sufficient to perswade euery Christian to abhorre and detest it SECTION THE SEAVENTH That to saluation it is necessary to beleeue the whole Catholike faith and euery article thereof CONCERNING the third point vvhich I intended to proue I affirme that it is necessary to saluation to beleeue and hold either expresly or virtually euery article of faith which is propounded by the Church to her children to be beleeued I adde those wordes expresly or virtually because I say not that euery man is bound expresly to knowe al the articles of Christian religion For it is held by vs sufficient if the ruder sort knowe expresly certaine of the principal as are they that concerne the Trinity and the incarnation passion resurrection and ascension of Christ c. if they virtually beleeue al the rest that is if they beleeue concerning al such points as they are not bound expresly to know whatsoeuer according to the doctrine of the church ought to be beleeued and be of contrary beleefe in no one point propounded vnto them and knowne to be propounded as an article of faith We differ therefore from our aduersaries in this that some of them hold a man is not bound to belieue any such articles not necessarily to be knowne by al others say a man may erre
doubtful authority For it is recorded by Ecclesiastical vvriters and also confessed by our aduersaries that there hath beene controuersie and doubt in the Church concerning the authority of the b Euseb li. 3. hist ca. 3. 25. 28. Hier. de viris illust in Paulo Petro c. Hāmer in his notes vpon Eusebius lib. 2. cap. 23. epistle of S. Paul to the Hebrues the epistles of S. Iames S. Iude the second of S. Peter and the second of S. Iohn Howe doubtful the authority of the c Euse l. 3. cap. 28. Hier. epist 129. ad Dardarā Apocalipse was among many euery man may see in S. Hierome and Eusebius and in the Councel of Laodicea which numbred it not among other Canonical bookes And who hath taken vp and ended these controuersies by declaring these parcels of Scripture to be Canonical but our holy mother the Church Verily this is so true and euident that it is confessed euen by some of our d Obseruations vpon the Harmonie of cōfessions vppon the 1. Section aduersaries themselues Thus she receiued in the first general councel of Nice the booke of Iudith about the yeare of our Lord 325. if we beleeue e Hier. praefat in Iud. Idē in prolo Galeato in prol Prouer. in praefat in Iudith S. Hierome who before he heard of this decree of the said Councel rejected the said booke but vnderstanding of it admitted it forthwith as Canonical Let vs confirme al this with the testimony of S. Augustine whome f Caluin li. 4. Instit c. 14. sess 25 Caluin acknowledgeth to be the most faithful witnes of al antiquity g Beza in cap. 3. ad Rom. v. 12. Beza calleth him the prince of al ancient Diuines both Greeke and Latin as concerning dogmatical pointes of religion h Gomarus in speculo verae Ecclesiae pag. 96. Gomarus saith that according to the common opinion he is accounted most pure This then is one of his notable sentences touching this matter i Aug. contra epistol Manichaei quam vocant fundamentum cap. 5. I would not beleeue the Gospel saith he except the authority of the Catholike Church did moue me thereunto Those therefore whome I obeied saying Beleeue ye the Gospel why shal I not obey them saying vnto me Beleeue thou not Manichaeus Choose which thou wilt If thou shalt say beleeue the Catholikes they admonish me that I beleeue not you If thou shalt say beleeue not the Catholikes thou shalt not doe wel to constraine me by the Gospel to beleeue Manichaeus because I haue beleeued the Gospel it selfe through the preaching of the Catholikes Thus S. Augustine But here k Field booke 4. chap. 4. M. Field in his fourth booke of the Church occurreth and saith that the sense and meaning of S. Augustine in those his wordes I would not beleeue the Gospel except the authority of the Church did moue me thereunto is that he had neuer beleeued the Gospel if the authority of the Church had not beene an introduction vnto him I reply that he vvresteth this holy Fathers vvordes to a vvrong sense yea to such a sense as his discourse it selfe wil not beare and for proofe of this I desire no more of my reader but to marke the force of the reason vsed by S. Augustine which is this Manichaeus in the beginning of his epistle which this most learned Doctor confuteth called himselfe an Apostle of Iesus Christ S. Augustine requireth a proofe of his Apostleship and vrgeth if perhaps he alleage some authority out of the Gospel what he would doe to him that should deny the Gospel whereunto he adjoineth the wordes rehearsed I trulie would not beleeue the Gospel c. if the authority of the Church did not moue me thereunto And out of this that the Gospel is beleeued by the authoritie of the Church he proueth that Manichaeus is not to be beleeued because the same authoritie which commaundeth to doe the one forbiddeth to doe the other Of which it followeth that if it erre in the last it may also erre in the first and so no firme argument can be brought out of it for the proofe of the Apostleship of Manichaeus Hence S. Augustine doth not say I had not beleued the Gospel except the authority of the Church had moued me thereunto as he should haue said if he had meant as Field pretendeth but I would not beleeue the Gospel c. taking his argument from the motiue of his present beliefe of the Gospel and in this sence his reason is of great force and not otherwise But that which I say is yet more confirmed by that which followeth For S. Augustine addeth But if peraduenture thou canst finde something in the Gospel most apparant for the Apostleship of Manichaeus thou shalt weaken vnto me the authority of the Catholikes who commaund me that I shal not beleeue thee which being weakned now neither can I beleeue the Gospel because through them I beleeued it So whatsoeuer thou shalt bring me from thence shal be with me of no force wherefore if nothing manifest be found in the Gospel for the Apostleship of Manichaeus I wil beleeue the Catholikes rather then thee But if thou bring any thing from thence manifest for the Apostleship of Manichaeus I wil neither beleeue them nor thee not them because they haue lied to me concerning thee not thee also because thou bringest me forth that Scripture which I beleeued through them whome I haue found liars But God forbid that I should not beleeue the Gospel Hitherto are S. Augustines words by which I thinke euerie man may perceiue how greatly M. Field doth wrong him For we see plainly that he confesseth the authority of the Church to haue beene the cause of his present beliefe of Scripture yet not the formal cause but the conditional as is declared before And al that I haue here related out of this holy Father Aug. tom 6. li. cont Epist quā vocāt fundamenti cap. 5. may be as wel vrged against any Sectarie whatsoeuer of our time as against Manichaeus for whosoeuer affirmeth the Church to haue erred in condemning any one of their Heresies by weakning and ouerthrowing her authoritie weakeneth also and ouerthroweth the authoritie of the whole Bible Neither doth that which he alleageth out of Waldensis make any waies for him for as this learned man plainely in that very place declareth he vnderstandeth S. Augustine as I haue deliuered These are his wordes Waldensis lib. 2. doctrinalis fidei artic 2. ca. 21. Without the authority of the vniuersal Church no scripture can be read or bad for certaine And this S. Augustine vnderstood when he said I would not beleeue the Gospel did not the authority of the Church moue me thereunto Thus Waldensis The point which Field toucheth is in his discourse following but it maketh nothing against vs for he only saith that which I haue before deliuered to wit that by the proposition of
such vehemencie accuseth him that preacheth other doctrine then that which was before receiued in the Church Gal. 1 9. If any man saith he euangelize to you besides that which you haue receiued be he Anathema or cursed to vvhich sentence alludeth Vincentius Lirinensis in these wordes Vincent Lir. c. 14. To preach vnto Christian Catholikes other doctrine then that which they haue already receiued no where is lawful and neuer shal be lawful and to accurse as Heretikes those which preach other doctrine then that which before hath beene accepted it was neuer vnlawful it is in no place vnlawful and neuer wil be vnlawful Hitherto Vincentius Lirinensis Contrariwise for keeping vndefiled this rule or Tradition the same Apostle highly commendeth the Corinthians saying 1. Corin. 11 2. I praise you brethren that in al things you be mindful of me and as I haue deliuered vnto you you keepe my precepts or according to the Greeke vvord my Traditions And because the Church and aboue al others the Romans most carefully kept these Traditions Iren. lib. 3. cap. 4. S. Irenaeus called it the rich treasure-house of Apostolike Traditions wherefore vvhosoeuer is desirous to discerne a true Christian from a faithles Heretike must behold the doctrine of them both and pronounce him to be the true disciple of Christ who by succession and Tradition hath receiued his beliefe from him and his Apostles For like as a nobleman or gentleman of antiquity is knowne by his pedigree so a true Christian is knowne by the succession and descent of his Prelates and faith from them that first receiued it from our Lord. Neither doth this our doctrine any waies diminish the authority of holy scripture for this notvvithstanding we affirme that the wonderful prouidence of almighty God most wisely ordained that the scriptures of the newe Testament should be written that he moued the penners thereof thereunto and directed them by his diuine inspiration and this both for the cōfirmation and preseruation of the faith Tradition of the Church and also that the said Tradition might with more ease come to euery ones knowledg and that euery one by such monuments might learne to discerne the true Church of vvhich he vvas to be instructed concerning al matters of faith and religion But of our estimation of the holie scripture see more aboue Chap. 7. SECTION THE SECOND Of vnwritten Traditions in particular THis discourse beeing premised concerning the Traditions of the Church in general I come nowe to discourse of that part of the said Traditions vvhich are concerning matters of vvhich there is no expresse mention in the word of God and therefore are called vnwritten Traditions And first that both such Traditions are found in the Church and that the vvhole summe of Christian doctrine is not expresly contained in the vvritten vvord of God I haue already declared Section 1. because none of the Apostles or Disciples euer intended to set downe in any parcel of scripture the said whole summe of Christian doctrine and also proued it out of those words of S. Luke in the Actes of the Apostles in which he telleth vs Acts 1 verse 3. that Christ after his Passion shewed himselfe aliue in many argumentes for forty daies appearing to his Apostles and speaking of the kingdome of God For by this relation it seemeth euident that our Sauiour during the time betweene his resurrection and ascention gaue to his Apostles diuers instructions which are not set downe in particuler in any parte of the newe Testament for no Apostle or Euangelist relateth in particular these discourses of Christ And they vvere without al doubt concerning the sacraments their administration the gouernment of the Church and other such like affaires belonging to Christian religion which for the most part the Apostles left to their successors only by word of mouth and secret Tradition This in plaine termes is auouched by a Epiph. haeres 61. Apostolico rum S. Epiphanius whose words be these We must vse Tradition for the scripture hath not al things And therefore the Apostles deliuered certaine thinges in writing certaine by Tradition The same truth is affirmed by b Basil de spiri sācto cap. 27. S. Basil and the rest of the Fathers yea this we are taught by the Apostle himselfe who in his epistle to the Thessalonians not only commendeth most earnestly to the Church written Traditions but also vnwritten c 2. Thess 2 15. Brethren saith he stand and hold the Traditions which you haue learned whether it be by word or by our epistle Out of which place it is euident that some Traditions by the Apostle were deliuered to the Thessalonians by word And that here he speaketh of such Traditions as we treat of we are taught by al the ancient Fathers Among the rest S. Iohn Chrisostome gathereth out of them this conclusion Hence it is manifest saith he that they videlicet the Apostles deliuered not al thinges by Epistle but many thinges also vnwritten and those thinges likewise are to be beleeued d Chrisost hom 4. in 2. Thessa It is a Tradition seeke thou no further thus S. Chrisostome But that the Fathers admit vnwritten Traditions it is graunted by e Whitak de sacra scrip pag. 678. 668. 681. 683. 685. 690. 695. 696. 670. Whitaker f Rain in his conclusions ānexed to his conferēce 1. conclu pag. 689. Rainolds g Cart. in Whitg defēce p. 103 Cartwrite h Kemnis in exam part 1. pa. 87 89. 90 Kemnisius i Fulk against pur pag. 362. 303. 397. Against Marshal pag. 170. 178. Against Brist motiues pag. 35. 36. Fulke and other Protestants wherefore I neede not alleage any more of their testimonies And this is the reason wherefore we haue no precept in the newe Testament to beleeue or obserue those thinges only which are expresly contained in the said volume Neither doe we finde that euer the Apostles or their followers commended and deliuered to any Church or people the said newe Testament as a booke comprehending in expresse termes the whole summe of Christian doctrine Nay it is certaine that for diuers yeares before the said booke was written the Apostles deliuered al by Tradition and word of mouth Further that the estimation of vnwritten Traditions hath euer beene exceeding great in the Church it appeareth not only by this that diuers of the ancient Fathers as I haue shewed in the * Section 1. chapter next before by Tradition haue proued what scripture is Canonical and pleaded the authority of them against diuers heresies but also by this that diuers heresies haue been by the testimony of them only condemned ouerthrowne In the first general Councel of Nice as a Sozom. lib. 1. cap. 16. et 18. Sozomenus reporteth the Fathers especially endeauoured that nothing should be decreed but that vvhich they had receiued by Tradition from their forefathers S. Ciprian with most of the Bishops of Affrica
Luke Libr. 1. Machab cap. 6. li. 2. c. 1. et 9. item l. 1. c. 4. lib. 2. ca◠impugne the authoritie of the books of the Machabees because as they say they finde in them contractiōs concerning the death of Autiochus Illustris the purgation of the temple made by Iudas Machabeus c. The like arguments they bring against the books of Tobie Iudith and others which if we admit wherefore may not some person of an Atheistical humour by the same manner of arguing deny and reject most of the Canonical books contained in the Bible As for example the booke of Genesis because in the first chapter of it vve reade Gen. 1. v. 14. that the sunne and moone by which daies nights and yeares are also there said to be distinguished were made on the fourth day vvhich seemeth to implie contradiction because if it be so that daies and nightes are diuided by these planets as it is there affirmed and we see by daily experience 2. Reg. 23 11. 1. Par. 11 13. according to the new sect Samuel 2. Chronic. 1.3 Reg. or 1. of Kings 7 15. 2. Par. 3 15. howe could there be three daies and nightes before these planets were made also the second booke of the Kinges or the first of Paralippomenon because that feeld which in the one is said to haue beene ful of lentiles in the other is said to haue beene ful of barley Moreouer the third booke of the Kinges or the second of Paralippomenon because in the first we made that the two great brazen pillers made by Salomon were of thirty eight cubits in length but in the second of Paralippomenon the length of them is said to haue beene thirty fiue cubits yea betweene the newe Tetament and the old and betweene the Euangelistes themselues in the new such contradictions in outward shew may be espied For S. Mathew telleth vs Math. 1 8.4 Reg. 8 24. cap. 11 1. et 2. ca. 12 21. cap. 14 21. that Ioram begat Ozias whereas in the fourth booke of the kings which our aduersaries cal the second it is written that Ioram was father to Ochozias Ochozias to Ioas Ioas to Amasias and Amasias not Ioram to Ozias otherwise called Azarias Luc. 3. v. 36. it is said that Arphaxad was father to Cainan and Cainan to Sale but Genesis 10. vers 34. Arphaxad is said to haue begotten Sale Mathew 1. verse 16. the father of Ioseph our blessed Ladies husband is called Iacob Luke 3.23 Mat. 10 10. Mark 6 8. Mat. 26 34. Luke 22 34. Mat. 26 74. Luke 22 60. Iohn 18 27. Marke 14 30.68 et 71. Mark 15 25. Iohn 19 14. whereas S. Luke nameth him Heli. The same Saint Mathew reporteth that our Sauiour sending his Apostles to preach forbad them to beare a rod or staffe in their hands whereas S. Mark writeth that he bad them take only a rod or staffe Our Sauiour if we beleeue S. Mathew and S. Luke told S. Peter that before the cocke did crowe he should deny him thrice and so it vvas done according to the same Euangelists and S. Iohn But S. Mark reporteth the words of our Sauiour to haue been Before the cock shal crow twice thou shalt thrice deny me and writteh that the cocke did first crowe presently after his first denial and againe after his third The same S. Mark affirmeth that Christ vvas crucified at the third howre but S. Iohn telleth vs that it was about the sixt howre before he was condemned by Pilate Mathew 27. verse 19. Ieremias the prophet is named for Zacharias Adde also that our Sauiour himselfe foretold as S. Mathew writeth that he vvas to be in the hart of the earth three daies and three nights Mat. 12 40. yet euerie man knoweth that he yeelded vp his sacred soule into the hands of his Father about three howres after noone on the friday and rose againe on the sonday morning verie earlie wherefore although we graunt that his soule was in the hart of the earth and his bodie in the graue during part of three daies yet we shal very hardlie finde out three nights Acts 9 7. Neither is S. Luke in the acts of the Apostles altogether free from this shewe of contradiction for albeit in the historie of the conuersion of S. Paul he say that the men that went in company with him to Damascus Act. 20 10. heard the voice of Christ speaking vnto him yet in another place he relateth the wordes of the same Apostle affirming that they heard it not Finally the Apostle S. Paul himselfe whose epistles our aduersaries so highly esteeme seemeth to contradict some parts of the old testament For example he affirmeth Galat. 3. vers 17. that betweene the time of a certaine promise made by God to Abraham Genes 12.13 or 22. and the lawe giuen to Moises there passed foure hundred and thirty yeares whereas it is plainely gathered out of the historie of Genesis that between the time of the said promise and the going of Iacob vvithal his family into Egipt there passed at the least one hundred and threescore of which Iacob not then borne liued about one hundred and thirty Genes 47. vers 9. vnto which if we adde foure hundred and thirty during which the children of Israel remained in Egipt as the expresse word of Exodus chap. 12. vers 40. tel vs and is insinuated Genes 15. vers 23. betweene the aforesaid promise the lawe giuen we shal finde at the least fiue hundred ninetie yeares not only foure hundred and thirty Hebr. 9 4. as S. Paul reckoneth In like sort the same Apostle in his epistle to the Hebrewes seemeth to contradict the third booke of the Kinges vvhich our aduersaries cal the first and the second of Paralippomenon for he affirmeth that in the arke of the old testament was a golden pot hauing Manna the rod of Aaron that had blossomed 3. Reg. 8 9. the tables of the testament But in the books of the old testament alleaged we read that no other thing was in the arke but the tables of the Testament 2. Paral. 5. verse 10. Diuers other such like sentences in words seeming to containe contradictions may be found in these and other bookes of holie scripture which as I haue said may moue Atheists vvith as great reason to impugne the authority of the said bookes as our aduersaries doe by the like arguments the books of Tobie Iudith the Machabees and other by vs receiued and by them rejected Perhaps they wil answere that the seeming cōtradictions which I haue assigned are in very deed no contradictions and that the places in appearance contrarie may verie vvel be reconciled I replie and confesse that in verie truth so it is for al those places by our interpreters are verie wel saued from contrariety and contradiction And it is manifest that the same holy Ghost vvho inspired al the writers of holy scripture cannot contradict himselfe and these
Caluin that of S. Iames at Hierusalem in perswading S. Paul to purifie himselfe according to the lawe of Moises in the b See also the same Caluin touching S. Paulin 2. Cor cap. 1. S. Iames in cap. 21. Act. Act. 21. v. 15. c. temple and lastly they accuse S. Paul of errour in yeelding to the perswasion of S. Iames. The same is affirmed by Brentius diuers others concerning S. Peter and Iames and the whole Church of Hierusalem c Brent in Apolog cōfess Wittenberg c. de cōcilijs Both S. Peter Prince of the Apostles saith he and Barnabas also after the holy Ghost receiued and together with them the whole Church of Hierusalem erred Galat. 2. of the same opinion are other sectaries d Bullēger in Apocalip 19. 22. Bullenger hath the like stuffe touching S. Iohn Doe not also Beza and our English Protestants themselues seeme to confesse that * Luc. 3. v. 36 S. Luke in his Gospel erred in making Arphaxad the father of Cainan and Cainan of Sale whereas in the booke of Genesis Arphaxad is said to haue beene the father of Sale For if S. Luke did not erre vvhy doe e Beza in his translat our Protestāts in their Bible printed anno 1595. authorized to bee read in Chur. they notwithstanding that al copies both Latin and Greeke in this accord thrust out of the text these wordes who was of Cainan and make S. Luke say that Arphaxad was the father of Sale Adde vnto this that f Musculus in locis communibus cap. de Iustificat num 5. Musculus no meane Sectary to the Catholikes objecting the authority of S. Iames against justification by faith only maketh this answere that he whosoeuer he was although the brother of Christ and a piller among the Apostles and a great Apostle aboue measure as g Gal. 2. v. 9. 2. Cor. 12 12. S. Paul saith cannot prejudice the truth of only faith h Molinae in vnione quat Euāg par 64 Another of them testifieth that certaine of his learned brethren limit and restraine those wordes of Christ He that heareth you heareth me that Christ only is to be heard that is to say that his word only is to be preached that the Apostles were subject to errour in going beyond their commission and therefore that they are not to be heard but when they relate vnto vs the very wordes of Christ Thus he vvriteth vpon the said sentence These wordes he that heareth you heareth me limit that Christ only be heard that is that his word only be preached as most learned Philip Melancthon expoundeth c. For so expoundeth Iohn Brentius saying That Christ when he saith He that heareth you heareth me speaketh not of al wordes of the Apostles whatsoeuer but of the prescribed cōmandement of their embassage Thus Carolus Molinaeus From this opinion i Cal. l. 4. Inst c. 8. § 4. 7. Caluin himselfe seemeth not much to dissent vvhose wordes are these The Apostles in their very name shewe howe much is permitted them in their office that is if they be Apostles that they should not babble what they please but should deliuer truly his commaundements by whome they were sent and soone after he plainely insinuateth Modrenius lib. 2. de Eccles cap. 2. that he would haue Christ only heard Further one Fricius a very learned Protestant telleth vs that although he should graunt that S. Iames gaue the communion vnder one kinde only yet that his authority is not to be admitted seing that Christ said Eate and drinke Clebetius in victoria veritatis et ruina papatus Saxoni argumēto 5. Clebetius one of the chiefe ministers of the County Palatine of Rhene graunteth to his aduersary that S. Mathewe and S. Marke in their gospels contradict S. Luke but saith that he hath two against one and that S. Luke was not present at the last supper concerning the history of vvhich the controuersie was betweene him his aduersary as S. Mathew was and therefore that he deserued lesse credit Finally Zuinglius being impugned for denying praier for the dead pressed with the authority of Fathers especially of S. Chrisostome S. Augustine who deriue this custome from the Apostles answered thus Zuing. tom 1. Epicherae de can Missae fol. 186. See him also tom 2. in Eleuch cōt Anabap fo 10. If it be so as Augustine Chrisostome report I thinke that the Apostles suffered certaine to pray for the dead for no other cause then to condiscend to their infirmity hitherto Zuinglius in which words he confesseth that the Apostles wilfully suffered some to erre vvhich could not be done without errour in themselues And out of al these assertions of our aduersaries in which they either accuse the vvriters of holy Scripture of errour or make them subject thereunto I inferre that the newe Testament may containe errours although we should graunt it to be written by the Apostles and Disciples of Christ But let vs also adde that although we should graunt them that the Apostles and Disciples could not erre in penning these sacred bookes yet that it is a hard matter for them to proue that the new Testament since their daies hath not either through negligence or malice beene corrupted For had not the Catholiks their enemies by their owne confession the keeping of it for the space of diuers hundreds of yeares how know they then that the said Catholikes to serue their owne turnes haue not corrupted it Surely they confesse their owne bretheren to haue falsified it vvithin fewe yeares in diuers places wherefore one sect rejecteth the translation of another Doe they then thinke vs and our predecessors more sincere then they are themselues Perhaps some ignorant man wil say that it hath beene alwaies in the custody of those of their religion but it is certaine that they cannot possibly assigne any succession of men of their profession that could alwaies keepe it I demaund also if any man wil needes say that there were such men although invisible in the vvorld and mentioned off by no Authour of anie one age since the Apostles dayes vvhether they were Lutherans Zuinglians or Caluinists or of vvhat other sect If they were Lutherans howe doe the Zuinglians Caluinists and other Sectaries knowe that they kept it sincerely and truly if they were Zuinglians howe doe the Lutherans knowe the same The like question I demaund concerning other Sectaries and none of them I thinke wil be so absurd as to say that al these sects haue euer beene in the world But let vs see whether they doe not plainely confesse that the text of Scripture it selfe hath beene corrupted Beza in praefat noui Test anno 1556. et Annota in 1. Luc. v. 1. Although Beza preferre the vulgar Latin edition which we vse before al other translations and confesseth that the old Interpreter translated very religiously yet both he and al the professours of
against al for the word of God is foolishnes to mans reason 1 Cor. 1. And they would neuer haue vttered this had they had any regard of the Scripture and were not their harts ful of infidelity so as their mouth speaketh out of the aboundance of their hart Fol. 391. Finally he concludeth thus If these be the groundes and reasons which should certifie vs of the truth and proue our faith and confirme our conscience he meaneth such groundes and reasons as are brought from natural discourse and Philosophy then truly we are in euil case If a man had deliuered me such bookes without title or name as are vvritten by the Sacramentaries and I knewe not otherwise such learned and excellent men to haue beene the Authours of them I should surely haue thought that some iesting Comediant or Turkish vagabond had made them in despite and derision of Christians Verily I see not howe they can be excused with any probable pretence as many other Heretikes haue had for it appeareth that they play with Gods word of wilfulnesse and malice And I thinke it cannot be that such cold toyes and bablings should indeede moue a Turke or Iewe much lesse a Christian c. Centur. 4. in praefat This and much more hath Luther The Magdeburgians likewise tel vs that some and they meane the Sacramentaries flatly by Philosophical reasons make voide and frustrate the Testament of our Lord so as they take away the body and bloud of Christ touching his presence and communication which presence and communication is according to the most cleare most euident most true and most puissant wordes of Christ and they deceiue men with maruelous equiuocation of speach hitherto the Centurie writers Of the same opinion touching the ground of the Sacramentary doctrine is Westphalus for the Sacramentaries against the real presence vrge this argument Westphalus in Apolog. cōtra Caluin c. 19. pag. 194. anno 1558. The body of man is circumscribed in a place therefore at one time it cannot be but in in one place therefore not in al places where the supper is ministred vnto vvhich Westphalus replieth thus Is not saith he this Geometrical argument featched from Euclides demonstrations the piller and vpholder of al these Sacramētaries Doth not this vphold the building of their sillogismes which corrupt verie many places of Scripture Most truly is verified of the Sacramentaries that memorable saying Take from Heretikes that wherein they agree with Philosophers and they cannot stand Take from the Sacramentaries that which they drawe from Philosophie and how smal a quantity wil remaine of the great volumes of al the Sacramentaries Howe long wil it be before the doctrine of Berengarius fal to the ground Wel and truly wrote Tertullian that Philosophers are the Patriarkes of Heretikes for Philosophy brought forth al Heresies and shee begat the error of Zwinglius Thus much out of the Lutherans in defence of the real presence against the Sacramentaries and their vvorkes generally are ful of such discourses Hence it appeareth that according to their judgement the beliefe of the real presence is built vpon holy Scripture and the denial of it vpon Geometrical and Philosophical reasons But finde we no proofes for our Catholike exposition of the afore said vvordes in the Sacramentaries themselues Truly first Caluin auoucheth that vnlesse a man wil cal God a deceiuer Caluin Institut booke 4. cha 17. §. 10. he can neuer be so bold as to say that he setteth before vs an empty signe and this he is forced to affirme through the euidence of the wordes of Scripture Secondly it is the opinion of diuers learned men of this sect yea of some esteemed by them Martirs that our doctrine touching this point may be held without any peril of damnation or seperation from the one true spiritual body of Christ his holy Church Of which opinion among others was William Tindal whome Whetenhal honoureth with this title * Whetēhal in his discourse of the abuses c. pag. 134. William Tindal that blessed martir of God the first man that euer brought the Gospel of Christ into English print and therefore saith this Puritan he may worthely be called our English Euangelist yea our booke of martirs a Fox p. 883. edit 1. calleth him the true Apostle of our latter daies and that much more justly then Popish Augustine the first Arch-bishop of Canterbury is so tearmed by diuers Thus Whetenhal This Tindal I say as also Frith Barnes and Cranmer of whome the said Whetenhal b Whetenhal ibid. p. 157. in an other place as is related by c Fox in Tind Fox himselfe held it d Frith Barnes and Cranmer especially pag. 500. edit anno 1563. a thing indifferent to belieue or not belieue the real presence Of the same opinion is e Couel in his def of Hooker art 11. M. Couel a man of good account among the English Protestants f Doue perswasion p. 11. Doue also vvriteth that in fundamental points of doctrine the greatest Papists in the world agree with them And seing that we agree not vvith them in this it is manifest that in his judgement this is no fundamental point It may likewise be vvel gathered out of Fields assertions g See Field booke 3. chap. 3. and 4. in his third booke of the Church that his sentence is conformable But vvhat neede I rehearse particular authors For this must of necessity be h See the Apologie of the Church of England par 3. pag. 100. Sutcliffe in his answere to the Ward-word pag. 21. Fulke vpon the Rhemes Testam Ephes 4. vers 4. c. granted by al the Sacramentaries who make one Church of themselues and the Lutherans And of this the reason is apparent because although the Lutherans differ from vs in the manner yet vvith vs they confesse Christ to be really and corporally present in the Eucharist Vnto vvhich if we adde that our doctrine touching the manner it selfe howe this is done in the Sacramentaries judgement is more tollerable then Luthers it vvil followe that there can be no reason assigned why we should receaue a harder censure for our belief then they for theirs And doth not Caluin himselfe auerre this to be so It must needes be granted For certaine it is that almost al the Lutherans to defend this real presence of Christ in the Sacrament affirme his humane nature to be really present vvheresoeuer is his Deity Caluin Institut booke 4. chap. 17. § 30 See also the preface to the harmony of confessions which Caluin calleth the monstrous being of Christ euery where and saith the Papists doctrine is more tollerable or at the least more shamefaste then this Nay al the vvhole company of Sacramentaries in forraine Countries are more vehement in oppugning this then ours Wherefore if the Lutherans according to the doctrine of the Sacramentaries this notwithstanding are neither excluded from heauen nor the Church a man
affirming it to be only an argument of a fable or tale whereby to set forth an example of patience He affirmeth that the booke of a Luth. in cōuiual ser tit de libris noui veter test Rabenstocke l. 2. colloquior Latin Luther cap. de veter test Ecclesiastes hath neuer a perfect sentence that the authour of it had neither bootes nor spurs but rid vpon a long sticke or in begging shooes as he did when he was a Frier He vvil haue b Luth. in exordio suarum Annotat. in Cantica Cantica Canticorum which some c Bible 1595 English Sectaries tearme the Ballet of Ballets of Salomon to be nothing else but a familiar speach or communication betweene Salomon and the common wealth of the Iewes d Castalio in trāslat Latin suorum Bibliorum see Beza praefat in Iosuae Castalio goeth further and judgeth it to be a communication betweene Salomon and a certaine friend or mistresse he had called Sulamitha The Epistle to the e Luther in 1. edit noui test Germ. praefat in epistol ad Hebr. in posterior edit eiusdem Hebrewes if we beleeue Luther was written by none of the Apostles and containeth thinges contrary to the Apostolike doctrine The like is affirmed by the f Centur. 1. lib. 2. cap. 4. Century writers The same Luther calleth the Epistle of S. Iames truly a g Luth. in praefat in nouum test Germ. edit 1. in Ienens edit noui test praefat in Iacob strawen Epistle in comparison of those of S. Peter and S. Paul saith that it is h In captiuit Babilon cap. de extrema vnctione probably auerred to be none of his nor worthy of an Apostolike spirit i Ad cap. 22. Genes in colloquijs cōuiual lat tom 2. de lib. noui test reprehendeth the doctrine of it as false and contrary to that of Genesis and of S. Paul the Apostle saith the authour doth delirare that is dote c. It is likewise judged not Canonical by k Muscul in locis comunibus c. de Iustific Brent in Apol. Illiric praef in Iacob Musculus Brentius Illiricus Kemnitius and others The second epistle of S. Peter saith l Luth. in suis Germ. Biblijs Brentius in Apolog. ca. de Scripturis Luther is none of his but is of some vncertaine authour who was desirous to giue credit to his worke by the glory of an other mans name Brentius plainely rejecteth it as Apocryphal The like is said by these and others of the Epistle of m Luther praef in epist Iacob lib. cont Amb. Catharinum Magdeburg Cent. 1. lib. 2. ca. 4. Brent in Apolog. S. Iude. Finally Luther censureth the n Luther praefat in Apocal. prioris edit lib. de abroganda missa priuata Brent in Apol. Apocalipse of S. Iohn to be neither Apostolike nor Prophetical but I thinke it is saith he like the fourth of Esdras a booke rejected by vs al neither can I any waies finde that it was made by the holy Ghost Let euery man thinke of it as he please my spirit cannot accommodate it selfe to it And this cause is sufficient to me not greatly to esteeme it that in it Christ is neither taught nor knowne Thus Luther Brentius hauing recited it among other bookes by him censured Apocryphal concludeth that some of the bookes rejected are called dreames others fables And this is the judgement of these Protestants concerning these bookes Notwithstanding our o See the Bible of the yeare 1595. authorized to be read in Churches Articles of the yeare 1562. 1604. Articul 6. Caluin in his Institut in argum epist. Iacobi Church of England with Caluin diuers other of their bretheren receiue al these bookes as Canonical And seing that both these opinions cannot haue an infallible ground and one according to their owne proceedings hath no greater reason for it selfe then the other I inferre that they both haue no other rule vvhereby to receiue and reject bookes of Scripture but their owne judgement and fancy from which principally this difference among them ariseth It may be said that some Sacramentaries and among the rest p Whitaker in his answere to Campians 1. reason Whitaker and q Rogers pag. 30. vpon the Articles of faith of the yeare 1562. 1604. Rogers denie Luther and the Lutherans to reject the bookes mentioned I confesse it but in very truth whosoeuer readeth the authours and places alleaged wil finde that I doe them no wrong And this he may partly gather out of Rogers himselfe who although he r Pag. 30. affirme al reformed Churches to be of the same judgement with the Church of England concerning the Canonical bookes Yet in the next leafe ſ Pag. 32. alleageth two principal Lutherans Wigandus and Heshusius and accuseth them both of errour the one for refusing the first and second epistles of S. Iohns with the epistle of S. Iude the other for rejecting the booke of S. Iohns Reuelation or the Apocalipse I adde also that t Whitaker de sacris Script controuers 1. quaest 1. c. 6. Whitakers himselfe discoursing of this matter in an other place hauing set downe their doctrine concerning the authority of al the bookes of the newe testament addeth these vvordes If Luther or some that haue followed Luther haue taught or written otherwise let them answere for themselues this is nothing to vs who in this matter neither followe Luther nor defend him but are led by a better reason Thus Whitakers But Caluin directly telleth vs u Caluin in argumento epistol Iacobi that in his time there were some that judged the epistle of S. Iames not Canonical Oecolampadius testifieth the same touching the Apocalipse and affirmeth himselfe to x Oecolampadius lib. 2. ad cap. 12. Danielis wonder that some with rash judgement rejected S. Iohn in this booke as a dreamer a mad or braine-sicke man and a writer improfitable to the Church That Luther in particular with a hard censure bereaued this booke of al authority it is recorded by y Bullinger in Apocalip cap. 1. ser 1. Bullinger Yea * Field booke 4. chap. 24. §. wherefore Field condemning the inconsiderate rashnesse of such as in our time make question of any of the bookes of the newe testament c. nameth Luther in the margent It may perhaps be said by some man that al the Sacramentaries accord together concerning the bookes of Canonical Scripture and therefore that they haue some certaine and diuine rule whereby to discerne such bookes from others But this is easily refelled because there is no such consent or agreement among them For doth not Wolfangus Musculus a Zwinglian of great fame with Luther and the Lutherans reject the epistle of Iames out of the Canon Verily either this must be granted or else it must be confessed that he affirmeth one Scripture to contradict an other and false doctrine to be
excuse his inconstancy that sometimes contrary to his owne conscience and opinion he oppugned the truth and seduced men with falshood truly this his owne wordes testify and it cannot be denied But what doctrine doth he here recant certainly Luthers not ours For he first fel from vs to Lutheranisme and defended Luthers opinion concerning the real presence but within fewe yeares profiting to the worse he became a Sacramentary and affirmed the Eucharist to be a bare figure only of the body bloud of Christ Vnto these three I may very wel joine Iohn Caluin as euery man wil graunt that shal viewe the first edition of his Institutions set forth at Strasburge where he professed himselfe first a Lutheran and conferre it with the last editions of the same and with other of his workes The disciples and followers of these foure principal Captaines most constantly followed the inconstancy of their masters And first it is a strange matter and almost incredible howe wonderful inconstant the Lutheran professors of the confession of Ausburge haue alwaies shewed themselues in their proceedinges For the declaration of which I must giue my reader to vnderstand that this confession aboue al others penned in those daies by our aduersaries was both permitted by the imperial lawes of Germany in such sort as the professors thereof were freed from al punishment by the lawes due vnto Heretikes and also by diuers esteemed as a fift Gospel Hence it proceeded that al sectaries of what newe sect soeuer professed themselues followers of this confession And because the wordes themselues could not sound wel on euery side they added also their Commentaries vpon the same and like as the sentences of holy Scripture so of this euery man endeauoured to drawe to his diuers fancies Vnto this mischiefe an other soone after was adjoyned to wit the change and alteration of the Confession it selfe For Melancthon the first penner of it falling by litle and litle from Lutheranisme to Zwinglianisme framed a newe Confession according to his new faith and published it vnder the name of the Confession of Ausburge Neither was this practised only by Melancthon but also as it seemeth by others Hence farther among sundry other contentions among the professors of this newe faith there arose no smal controuersie euen among the Lutherans themselues who were the true followers of the Confession of Ausburge And whosoeuer is desirous to see a part of this conflict let him reade a booke intituled Colloquium Altenbergense in which the acts and opinions of certaine Lutheran Diuines vvhich mette in the said towne for the decision of this matter and others are set downe And among other thinges in it he shal finde not only their dissention concerning the true copy or authentical edition of this Confession but also vnderstand that some of these diuines accused their fellowe Lutherans of Wittenberge that they vvere miserably tourned round like a wheele in their faith that they were as it were violently carried with contrary windes and that they varied without end and measure the Confessions of their faith This perhaps caused George that most noble Duke of Saxony being demanded touching the newe sectaries faith vvhat it vvas to make answere that he knewe very vvel vvhat they beleeued this yeare but that it vvas impossible to knowe vvhat they vvould beleeue the next This also moued the Lutheran Historiographers Centur. 9. in praefat to tearme al the followers of the Confession of Ausburge Ecebolios and to liken them to the fish Polipus or Pourcountrel vvhich changeth often his colour and to the old Pagan God Vertumnus vvho could turne himselfe into al shapes They affirme finally that they nowe approue the true doctrine and presently after condemne the same nowe calling that heresie which before they preached as an vnconquered truth Thus farre the Centuriators They might likewise haue added that they embraced sometimes that doctrine as true and euangelical vvhich before they censured to be heretical For an example of this their manner of proceeding vve haue from Dresda in Misina vvhere in a Synode held anno 1571. certaine Lutherans condemned the opinion of Brentius and Illiricus their fellowes In lib. concordiae concerning the person of Christ vvhich opinion neuerthelesse after some fewe yeares to vvit Anno 1580. they publikely embraced as true And these contrary opinions vvere published in the selfe fame City by the authority of the selfe same Prince within so short a time The Zwinglians haue shewed themselues euen as inconstant as appeareth by this that the inhabitants of the County Palatine turned from Catholike religion to Zwinglianisme from Zwinglianisme to Lutheranisme and from Lutheranisme in a short time againe to Zwinglianisme Simlerus in vita Bullingeri fol. 15. Adde also that the Earle of Wittenberge in the yeare 1535. vvith his vvhole Country embraced Zwinglianisme but he being dead the religion was soone changed againe as Simlerus a Zwinglian reporteth Other Cities likewise of high Germany as long as Bucer a Zwinglian liued Fol. 15. followed his doctrine but soone after his death as the same Authour testifieth they condemned the Zwinglians as the most vvicked men liuing I cannot but say a vvord or two of Melancthon in particular both because sometimes he vvas a man of great estimation among the professours of the newe religion and also because his inconstancy vvas most notorious He is called by Beza * Beza in Iconibus the setter vp of Euangelical doctrine and the singular ornament of our age by a Lauather in histor Sacram fol. 47. Lauatherus and b Martir cōtra Gardiner par 4. p. 468 Peter Martir a man incomparable and throughly instructed with al kinde of vertue and learning by certaine other Ministers c Minist Pinzoniensis apud Stancarum M. 8. the Doctor of Doctors and the Diuine of Diuines who being one say they is better then a hundred Augustines Thus these sectaries commend him But how inconstant a man he was in his beliefe al the world knoweth and euery man may easily perceiue by the conferring of the diuers editions of his d See Colloq Altēb f. 520. 503. 463. 425. 424. Apologie and booke of common places together wherefore for this vice he is reprehended by diuers of his owne company Yea concerning his Apologie this is plainely confessed by Melancthon himselfe vvho in his second epistle to Luther vvriteth thus In the Apologie we daily alter many thinges For they are euer nowe and then to be changed and to be accommodated or conformed to occasions Thus he The like discourse I could make of the inconstancy of Peter Martir vvho is accused of this fault by e Bullinger in firmamēto firmo c. 4. f. 127. Bullinger but I should be ouer-long Our English sectaries at home haue not beene free from the same crime for howe often did they change during the raigne of King Edward the sixt The first statute made in a Parliament held in the first
yeare of his raigne seemeth principally to condemne the Sacramentaries vvho denie the real presence wherefore Lutheranisme then seemed to preuaile Communion also vnder one kind in time of necessity is in it approued By another lawe inacted in the second yeare of the said King Zwinglianisme was set vp An. 2. Edwardi vi cap. 1. and a booke of common praier allowed and established as the said act pretendeth not only according to the most sincere and pure Christian religion taught by the Scriptures but also according to the vsages of the primatiue Church Which booke notwithstanding hath beene thrice reuiewed and altered and stil according to the selfe fame vvord of God once in the same King Edwards daies secondly by the direction of Queene Elizabeth and lastly by his Majesty that nowe raigneth See the booke of coÌ„moÌ„ praier turned into latin by Thomas Vautrollerus printed at LoÌ„don an 1574. cuÌ„ priuilegio Regiae Majestatis touching priuate baptisme administred in houses by lay-meÌ„ or women as also some others printed in English before the last corrected by his Majesty who now raigneth and conferre them with the said last corrected And yet it is much disliked by the Puritans and censured to be contrary to the said word And like as their booke of common praier hath beene altered so also haue their opinions concerning some points of religion as I could easily shewe if time suffered me If any man be desirous to behold the like proceeding among our Puritans let him read the Suruey of their religion If I should descend to the inconstancy of particular men of our English nation I should neuer make an end yet one example I wil not omit which is as followeth During the raigne of Queene Mary a Catholike Prince diuers sectaries from hence fledde to Geneua and there in the yeare 1558. printed sundry bookes in vvhich by diuers testimonies of holy Scripture they endeauoured â—o proue the gouernement of women euen in temporal matters to be monstrous vnnatural against the lawe of God and man and therefore not to be suffered But the next yeare following Queene Elizabeth coÌ„ming to the crowne the same men found it agreeable to al Scripture and al lawes that a vvoman might haue supreame authority in thinges also spiritual and be supreame head of the Church And doe al our aduersaries acknowledge this their leuity as a fault verily no Yea Caluin approueth it and indeauoureth to defend it from al suspition of a vice Thus he discourseth * Caluin de scandalis pag. 135. Many complaine that they are scandalized that they sawe not al thinges together in the same moment that so hard a worke was not throughly and perfectly polished the first day Howe importune and out of season these delicacies are who seeth not for they doe as if a man should accuse vs that at the first breaking of the day we see not as yet the Sunne shining at noone day And soone after There is nothing more common then these complaints wherefore was not that which we ought to followe presently exactly prescribed vnto vs wherefore did this lie hidden more then other thinges wil there be at the length any end if it shal be permitted euer nowe and then to goe further Certainely they that speake after this sort either enuy the profit of the seruants of God or are sorry that the Kingdome of Christ is promoted to the better Hitherto are Caluins wordes Concerning the same matter in another place he hath this censure Caluin admonit 3. ad Westphalum A lawe ouer hard saith he is prescribed to learned men if after a proofe of their wit and learning published it may not be lawful to them to profit any thing during their life Thus Caluin In which his discourses he doth not only confesse himselfe and his bretheren to haue beene inconstant but also seeketh a defence of this inconstancy But howe absurdly he reasoneth euery man of sense may easily perceiue for our Christian faith and religion depend not as he seemeth here to imagine vpon the wit and learning of any man neither is it lawful for any man be he neuer so vvise or learned to cal any one article by any meanes into doubt for al the articles of our faith are reuealed by God who is truth it selfe But Caluin here plainely granteth that he and his fellowes build their beliefe vpon their owne fancies and judgements not vpon any certaine and infallible ground and consequently that they varie and alter the same according to their progresse in learning and other motiues of their vnderstanding like as Philosophers doe their opinions concerning matters of philosophy indifferent and doubtful And this is the principal ground of our aduersaries inconstancy Some other causes there may be assigned why they are inconstant to wit that some of them make their temporal Princes their absolute guides and immediate heades in Ecclesiastical matters wherefore as often as vpon any consideration of pollicy or any other respect the Prince changeth his minde so often also is religion altered But whether this alteration in any man proceedeth from the authority of the Prince or the judgement of the learned or any other such cause certaine it is that it argueth and proueth no certaine foundation of faith to be in him that so changeth And besides this he doth also approue this or that belief or religion because for some one or other respect it pleaseth his owne fancy And like as these sectaries so vvere al the ancient Heretikes inconstant especially the Arians Socrates lib. 2. hist ca. 32. who as Socrates reporteth altered their Creede or forme of beliefe no lesse then tenne times Hence it proceedeth that none of these newe sectaries can euer be certaine that they haue attained to the truth and of this their inconstancy is a most manifest argument For I thinke that euery one of them that haue changed his beliefe vvil easily graunt that once he liued in errour And it must be confessed that euery one altering condemneth his former faith vvhich if it be so howe can such men certainely knowe that they are not in errour stil vvhat warrant haue they after their change more then they had before But besides this reason euery one of them hath other motiues to make him vncertaine of the truth of his owne religion to wit that the most learned of his company Luther Zwinglius Caluin and the rest haue erred and consequently that he also may erre that as wise and as learned men as he is himselfe censure his beliefe to be false and erroneous c. He that is vnlearned may also consider that if he build vpon the judgement of the learned he cannot possibly assure himselfe that they doe not erre yea seing that euery one of them affirmeth his doctrine to be true and yet they disagree in faith he may wel assure himselfe that some of them doe erre for contraries cannot both be true And howe can he certainely judge who
an Heretike or an heresie then to condemne an heretical or erroneous booke Secondly authority to doe this was needful for the preseruation of one true faith and religion in the Church for vvhat is more daungerous to infect true Christian harts then bad bookes especially if they be not knowne and censured to be such but read by al sorts indifferently as Catholike and Orthodoxal Verily if conference and conuersation vvith Heretikes be so straightly a Rom. 16 17. 2. Tim. 3. v. 5. Titus 3. v. 10 2. Iohn v. 10. Iâ—â—n l. 3. c. 3. Cipr. l. 1. ep 3 Athanas in vita Antonij forbidden vs both by the Scriptures and Fathers as vve finde much more are their bookes to be auoided which diuers times containe poison coloured vvith eloquence vvhich may alwaies be had at hand and are easily dispersed euer in such places vnto which Heretikes cannot haue accesse Hence the very Heathens themselues led by reason and the lawe of nature only b Plato lib. 7. de legibus Valer. Maxi. lib. 1. cap. 1. Cicero l. 1. de natur DeoruÌ„ Lact. l. de ira Dei cap. 9. Sueton. in August cap. 31. Dio Cas l. 54 Titus Liuius lib. 39. condemned bookes hurtful and prejudicial to the religion by them receiued as I could proue out of Plato Valerius Maximus Cicero Lactantius Suetonius Diocassius Titus Liuius and others Fourthly the Church hath in al ages practised such authority as is euident by Ecclesiastical recordes I wil name only a fewe examples because I wil not be ouer long S. Clement telleth vs that the c Clemens lib. 1. Constit Apostol cap. 7. Apostles themselues forbad the faithful to reade the bookes of the Gentiles About the yeare 250. Dionisius Alexandrinus as Eusebius d Euseb lib. 7. hist cap. 6. recordeth vvas reprehended by other faithful people for reading the bookes of Heretikes e Ciril epist Sinod 1. In the yeare 432. the Fathers assembled in the general Councel of Ephesus requested of Theodosius then Emperour that he vvould take order that the bookes of Nestorius vvheresoeuer they vvere found should be burnt and according to their request the said Emperor by his imperial constitution f L. vlt. de haeret Cod. Theodos Laberatus in Breuiar c. 10 willed that al such bookes should be dilligently sought for and publikely committed to the fire g Anast epist ad Ioan. Hierosolim S. Anastasius the Pope at Rome and S. Epiphanius in a Sinod held at Ciprus with diuers others about the yeare 402. h Socrat. li. 6. cap. 9. see S. HieroÌ„ ep 26. condemned the booke of Origines called Periarchon which Ruffinus to the great hurt of the Church had published before in the citty of Rome and Didimus in the East S. Leo the great burnt great store of the Manichees bookes in Rome as i Prosper in Chronic. 443 Prosper writeth in the yeare 443. The fourth Councel of Carthage permitteth only Bishops to reade heretical bookes in time of necessity Gelasius the Pope in a Councel of seauenty Bishops held at Rome in the yeare 494. k Distinct 15. Can. Sancta Romana sentenced diuers books and made a certaine index of them as is to be seene in the decree yet extant The fift general Councel about the yeare 553. condemned certaine thinges written by Theodoretus against S. Ciril and the epistle of Iba And al those bookes except those of Nestorius were thus l Socrates lib. 1. cap. 6. censured long after the death of the authors m See L. Damnato Concil Chalced. act 3. L. Quicunque Cod. de haereticis The like examples I could bring of the proceedinges of Constantine the great against the bookes of Arius L. vlt. tit 16. lib. 9. leg 24. tit 4. l. 16 Cod. Theod. Socrat. lib. 2. histor tripartitae Liberat. in Breuiario cap. 10. who prohibited them vnder paine of death of Valentinian and Martian Christian Emperors against those of Eutiches and Apollinaris of Honorius and Theodosius against bookes of art Magicke Yea Arcadius Honorius and Iustinian by their lawes decreed that al heretical bookes should be burnt publikely And this practise perhaps of burning such books began in the Apostles times vvhen as S. Luke vvriteth in the acts of the Apostles * Act. 19 19. Many of them that followed curious thinges brought together their bookes and burnt them before al. Nowe seing the Church hath authority to condemne or burne heretical bookes or others that containe false doctrine opposite to the rule of faith no man of any judgement wil deny but shee hath also authority to correct them if by that means she can make them profitable for her vse and beneficial to her children For much lesse it is to correct then to condemne and burne and much better it is in such cases to correct then cleane to abolish Hence are these wordes of S. Hierome speaking of the vvorkes of Origen Hieron epist 76. ideÌ„ epist. 64. Apolog 1. aduersus Ruffin Neither are his euil opinions to be receiued for his doctrine neither are his Commentaries if he wrote any vpon the holy Scripture altogether to be rejected for the wickednesse of his opinions thus S. Hierome who vpon this ground newly translated and amended the booke of Origen before mentioned In like sort the collations of Cassian were long after his death corrected by diuers as we gather out of Cassiodorus and Ado. And although this authority of the Church be such Cassiod Institut diuin lect cap. 29. Ado in Chronic an 425. in fine that with discretion and to edification she may execute it against any whatsoeuer yet much more reason right she hath to execute it vpon the workes of her children who are her subjects submit themselues and their workes wholy to her censure Some man perhaps wil say that euery Catholike doth not so submit himselfe and his workes but it is certaine that vvhosoeuer doth not so either expresly or vertually is no Catholike because he preferreth his owne judgement before the censure of the vvhole Church And whosoeuer doth this although through ignorance he erre as euery man may he is no Heretike according to that of S. Augustine I may erre I cannot be an Heretike seing that the one is proper to a man the other to a peruerse and obstinate wil. And out of this discourse I conclude that if our Church be Catholike as it is we are not to be blamed for our proceedinges in forbidding and correcting such bookes as oppose themselues any vvaies against our religion or may seduce the harts of their simple readers or any waies seeme to taste of an heretical kind of speach or phrase although the authors themselues diuers times intended no hurt And this must much more be graunted vnto vs in moderne authours and such as haue written in this last age both because they submitted themselues commonly in expresse tearmes to the censure of the Church and also because by the
late orders of the church nothing must be published in print except it be first viewed and allowed by men therevnto authorized wherefore whatsoeuer commeth now forth seemeth to be approued by the Church and consequently a man may wel inferre that it containeth no notorious error or heresie Whereof I inferre that the Church in case that any such errours escape must be very diligent and vigilant in mending of them lest that in steade of vvholesome doctrine some ignorantly perhaps and that through her default drinke poison But yet to descend a litle lower what bookes may we correct according to our rules and of what antiquity none certainely of any Catholikes but such as liued since the yeare one thousand fiue hundred and fifteene vvhich vvas the second yeare before Luther beganne to fal from vs besides a fewe other expresly named in our Index of forbidden bookes And of such named authours more ancient then Luther howe many haue we de facto corrected Verily I doe not thinke that Crashaw can bring forth so much as one True it is that he vseth these wordes In the Epistle dedicatory fol. 2. We produce the authours that liued and wrote long before Luther but we finde them so rased and altered as some that spake for vs are nowe silent yea some that made for vs are nowe against vs Thus he But howe he wil proue it I doe not knowe He nameth soone after Viues Erasmus Cardinal Cajetane Ferus Stella Espencaeus Oleaster and Faber but al these either liued in Luthers daies or since And for my part I haue perused a litle his booke and I cannot finde any one authour named that liued not either in Luthers daies or after In his testimonies of Iohn Ferus D. 3. only Bertramus and Rampegolus excepted who for ought I knowe are not yet corrected He maketh much adoe about Ferus but what was he and when liued he He was a Catholike Friar in profession although diuers of his sentences seeme to taste of Lutheranisme He flourished as * Crashaw in his testimonies of Iohn Ferus D. 3. Crashaw confesseth in the yeare 1530. that is thirteene yeares after Luthers first breach from vs which was in the yeare 1517. Yea in the next leafe he confesseth him to haue beene aliue in the yeare 1552. more then thirty yeares after Luthers said beginning But perhaps some man vvil say that he published the bookes vvhich we haue corrected before Luthers fal Neither is this true for the most auncient copy that he can name of those bookes he speaketh of was printed in the yeare 1555. almost 40. yeares after that Luther first impugned vs Prolegomena F. 2. as appeareth by his owne graunt And hence a man may both gather howe vvel he proueth his aforesaid assertion affirming that they produce the authours that liued and wrote long before Luther but finde them razed c. and also perceiue howe true that his accusation is They haue corrupted al authours of this last two hundred yeares Prologo E. 3. for as I haue said I thinke that he can hardly name one authour that vve haue corrected of any age before Luthers I can as yet find but one named throughout his booke vvhich vvas of the age immediately before Luthers departure from vs and whether he be corrected or no I know not neuerthelesse this is one of the two hundred yeares Of much lesse truth is that following in vvhich he saith vve haue razed the recordes of higher antiquity reaching vp to some that liued 500. and 800. yeares agoe Ibidem For al this is spoken if it haue any colour of truth for any thing I can finde in his booke or other where of one Bertramus vvhome he auerreth that we haue altered Ibid. §. C. 2. but it is more then euer I sawe or heard And yet not contented with this he goeth a great deale further and auoucheth that our Index expurgatorius hath so vsed almost al bookes in the world I might here vse one of his ordinary exclamations and beginne as I finde the first vvordes of that page Oh intollerable injury For first we haue an expresse inhibition that no man touch the text of the auncient Fathers De correctione librorum §. 3. 4. nor of any Catholikes that vvrote before the yeare 1515. not specified and censured in the Index of forbidden bookes then vve medle not with any bookes of Archeretikes or with such as treate professedly of heresie and so we exclude from our correction al the workes of Luther Zwinglius Caluin and a thousand other bookes of this age And out of this that in like sort appeareth false vvhich he saith of corrupting al such late vvriters as vve imagine any way to make against vs so that we only haue corrected or intend to correct some fewe of vvhich most haue written since this newe Gospel beganne to be preached others very fewe in number liued in deede before the yeare 1515. but are named in our Index and besides these no other can be touched Neither are al these corrected for heresie as wil appeare to the reader by such rules as are to be obserued in the correction of which more hereafter but they are partly set downe by Crashaw towardes the end of his Prolegomena I cannot finally but note Prolegom E. 3. Gesnerus in Bibliotheca that he calleth Ferus an old and famous writer who according to his owne confession vvas liuing vvithin these threescore yeares nay I thinke it may be proued out of Gesnerus that he died not forty yeares since but to saue this he addeth in the margent that he meaneth old in comparison of the Iesuites who nowe saith he carry al before them for he was in the eare when they were in the blade This is his marginal note by which he saueth but il the truth of the text let his meaning be as it wil for the religion of the Iesuites beganne about the yeare 1521. And was confirmed by Paulus 3. Pope about the yeare 1540. long before Ferus died by his owne confession And this it seemeth he wel knewe for it may plainely be gathered out of his preface that the Iesuites were before the end of the Councel of Trent vvhich neuerthelesse vvas in the yeare 1563. But to cleare vs further from al blame touching this point I must also adde this in our defence that this our manner of proceeding is neither to the end to bereaue our aduersaries of any proofe which our aduersaries may bring out of antiquity or any moderne author for the truth of their religion nor to strengthen our cause For although I should yeeld that al the authors whome Crashaw nameth vvere Protestants vvhich yet he confesseth to be false for he granteth they were al Catholikes what should I in effect helpe their cause or weaken ours suppose some named that liued before Luther held some opinions with Wickliffe Hierome of Prage and Iohn Husse what is this to vs Doe
vve build our faith vpon the particular opinions of some fewe priuate men or doe vve proue the truth of our doctrine by their testimonies Moreouer suppose some followed those men in some one or two opinions were they presently in al other points Protestants or doth it proue the Protestant religion true Treatise of the definition and notes of the Church Nothing lesse for as I vvil shewe hereafter neither Wickliffe nor Hierome of Prage nor Iohn Husse were Protestants much lesse any that were in open profession Catholikes But in very deed the Church doth not only in moderne authours correct propositions that are in plaine tearmes heretical but also as appeareth by our rules related by Crashaw such as be erroneous taste of heresie are offensiue to godly eares or temerarious yea such as are vvanton or dishonest superstitious tending to the infamy of any c. as I wil declare anone Besides this if our intention were to make the authors seeme altogether ours and to take them as it vvere from the Sectaries whose doctrine they seeme to approue vvhat reason haue vve to publish in print to the whole world what we wil haue corrected in their workes Is not this a plaine confession that we dislike their manner of speach or their doctrine Wherefore in this we rather helpe our aduersaries cause if the authority of the said authors be of any moment then weaken it And in very truth if vve did it to any such end as they intend it were no wisedome to make our doinges knowne to the world but much more policy we should shewe if vve did it in priuate and neuer made any open mention of it but rather did denie it Why then doe we correct such bookes in very truth as is apparant for no other causes then I haue partly rehearsed before to wit principally that one faith and religion may be preserued among al sorts and that no man embrace any doctrine as approued or tollerated in the Church which is not so approued and tollerated then also to auoid al superstition witchcraft corruption of manners and other such vices as wil appeare by the rules of which hereafter But they say that vve take vpon vs to correct Bertramus an authour vvho liued in the Church 700. yeares since and Rampegolus who flourished in the yeare 1418. I answere that vve neither doe this to bereaue our aduersaries of any testimony for as concerning Bertramus vve commonly graunt that booke vvhich goeth vnder his name to make for their doctrine against the real presence although some Protestants seeme to denie it nay further See the Century writers Centur. 9. c. 4 col 212. many of the best learned men of our side acknowledge also in their publike vvritings the booke to be his * Pantaleon in Chronographia p. 65 although Pantaleon a Sacramentary number it not among his workes and this is sufficient for our aduersaries although the booke be neuer so much altered wherefore for this cause only that some good thinges are contained in it together with the poison lest that men sucke the one with the other we thinke it good to remoue away that vvhich is nought and leaue them the good Rampegolus is nothing like so auncient and besides it is confessed by Possiuinus that his booke being written in a time not oppugned by such heresies as since are risen Possiuin to 1. apparat q. sacr pag. 114. 115. containeth some errours vvherefore neither doe vve endeauour to conceale that in some points he seemeth to fauour our aduersaries He addeth that this authour hath put into his vvorke certaine absurd thinges or rather fables out of the master of the Ecclesiastical history that he hath many thinges otherwise then they are in the Bible that the Scripture is not cited so sincerely yea that sometimes it is alleaged falsly that he hath some thinges Apocryphal out of the 3. booke of Esdras and out of the epistle of Ciril of Hierusalem to S. Augustine concerning the death of S. Hierome Besides this he accuseth him of false allegations of Doctors of Solecismes Barbarismes and obscure phrases And seing that it is a booke vvhich young preachers would much vse if it were not forbidden and that as it is like without choice of the good from the badde for want of learning I hope no man wil blame vs if we amend that which is amisse And thus much of the first point Nowe to come to the second point I must needes returne M. Crashawes argument vpon himselfe thus They who raze the recordes and falsify the monuments of mens writings altering the bookes of learned men after they are dead adding and taking out at their pleasures and namely taking out such wordes sentences and whole discourses as make against them and adding the contrary euen whatsoeuer they can imagine to make for them incurre no lesse crime then corruption and forgery in the highest degree This is gathered out of Crashaw in the second page of his epistle Dedicatory But the followers of the newe religion who are called Protestants Puritans c. haue done so therefore they haue incurred the crime of corruption or forgery in the highest degree M. Crashaw must pardon me if I proceede not in forme of lawe by accusation declaration and proofe as he doth because I haue neuer yet bin preacher at the Temples The proofe of my minor proposition if I should runne through authours vvhich they haue corrupted citing the vvordes and sentences left out or added would rise to a great volume vvherefore briefly only I accuse them of corrupting after this sort the history of Sigonius de regno Italiae of Osorius de rebus gestis Emanuëlis Regis and of Castineda who supplied that which wanted for some yeares after Osorius ended of the liues of the Emperors and diuers others And for the proofe of this to the vnlearned English sectaries I accuse our English Protestants for corrupting S. Augustines meditations his praiers and Manuel The Meditations of Granada printed in the yeare 1602. The conuersion of a sinner the imitation of Christ the Christian directory c. It may be said that in the beginning of the bookes this correction or alteration is confessed I reply that so likewise in our Indices expurgatorij and also commonly in the beginning of such bookes as vve correct we acknowledge the correction but doe they this in al their workes surely no. And for example I name the meditations of Granada in which there is no mention of any alteration for they are plainely set forth in his name as though they vvere truly and sincerely his whereas the translator or rather the falsifier or corrupter hath left out vvhole discourses yea I may almost say whole meditations and added what pleaseth himselfe to make him speake like a Protestant Neither doe they deale only so with vs but also vvith their owne bretheren and that sometimes in principal matters For example the Lutheran Protestants in their conference or synode
held at Altenburge accuse one another for corrupting and falsifying the Confession of Ausburge which is the very ground next vnto the holy Scripture of their faith and religion Colloquium Altenberg fol. 402. The former copies or examplars say they haue not the true and sincere confession of Ausburge For there is another substituted or put in the place of it which was neither exhibited at Ausburge or euer approued by the states of the Confession of Ausburge Thus they And vpon the corruption of this Confession and of an other booke called Corpus doctrinae containing this and other treatesies arose great discord and dissention among them vvhich is not yet ended for no man almost can tel vvhich be the true bookes But what dissention was there among them in the same conference touching Luthers vvorkes corrupted verily the zealous Lutherans complaine after this sort * See 2. respoÌ„s ad Hipothes fol. 284. 290 353. 355. 441. 442. 443. 526. The Diuines of the Prince Elector who were also Lutherans doe most filthily and beyond al measure depraue Luthers writings so as since Luthers death there haue not beene more foule corrupters of Luthers bookes Thus they and this fault each side doth most often object to the other in most spiteful tearmes a Ibid. Saxon. in respons discessu fol. 539. 540. Last of al a promisse is made that the Duke of Saxony vvil cause Luthers workes to be printed vvithout corruption And thus much of the Lutherans whome M. Crashaw I hope with the Apology of the Church of England wil acknowledge to be his bretheren Nowe let vs behold the dealing of the Sacramentaries vvho are more properly of his faith and religion And first let vs looke towardes Geneua a City most famous for vpholding this sect What then shal vve there finde for our purpose Verily Westphalus a Lutheran accuseth the Caluinists euen of this very place that they haue corrupted Luthers vvorkes for thus he complaineth I maruaile much that Caluin keeping such adoe about this one word could not see the most filthy mutations and corruptions of the diuine commentary of Doctor Luther vpon the Epistle to the Galatians and translated into French and printed at Geneua In one place some wordes are taken away in an other many moe somewhere whole Paragraphs are lopt off in the exposition of the sixt Chapter two pages and a halfe are left out c. at other times they haue put in vvordes such as pleased them And that this was done at Geneua without Caluins knowledge it is not very likely Thus Westphalus But let vs heare an other man of more credit among English Protestants make the like complaint that by the testimony of two witnesses they may be proued falsifiers M. Morton a famous Protestant writer of this realme nowe liuing set forth in London in the yeare 1605. the first part of his vvorke called by him a Catholike Apologie But what did they of Geneua They printed againe the said booke in their City putting the name of London to it as though it had beene there printed and disliking a certaine answere by him made in defence of Beza they put that out and vvithout any more adoe in place of it added an other of their owne This I proue out of M. Mortons owne wordes vvho in certaine animaduersions vpon this first part printed at the end of the second part published at London in the same yeare speaking of the same matter complaineth thus C. 21. in calumnia 5. Noua impressio Londini dicta ver'e Geneuae facta totum responsum meum pro Beza penitus expunxit responsum suum assuit prob hominum fidem doleo equidem tantam cum scriptis meis injuriam factam esse tum etiam proelo Geneuensi tantam corruptelae labem contractam A newe impression said to be at London truly made at Geneua put out altogether my whole answere for Beza and patched in their owne O the faith or falsehood of men verity I am sorry both that such an injury is offered to my workes and also that the print of Geneua is stained with such a blot of corruption or deprauing Thus Morton What wil M. Crashaw say to this vvho are nowe more to be blamed in this kinde vve who correct books by publike authority receiued from a general councel and that publikely making our action knowne to the vvhole world in print or these his bretheren who secretly and as it were in corners get other mens workes corrupt them and then set them forth to the viewe of the world as though nothing had beene altered And this is no old matter but a thing done within these two or three yeares I come nowe nearer home Anno 1606. This last yeare vvas published a booke in our language with this title A Manuel or brief volume of controuersies of religion betweene the Protestants and the Papists written in Latin by Lucas Osiander and nowe Englished with some additions and corrections But howe doth the translator mangle and teare the poore booke Verily whereas the author of it being a Lutheran and a mortal enemie of the Sacramentaries for he hath published the like booke against them speaketh as a Lutheran he maketh him speake like vnto a good Sacramentary Hence whereas he hath these vvordes in Latin Chapt. 15. Alius enim modus a Paulo nobis monstratur nimirum communicationis For an other manner of Christs being in the Eucharist is shewed vs by Paul to wit by communication He meaneth that Christ is there really and substantially together with bread The English man translateth thus Chapt. 15. pag. 265. For it was in the Sacrament by sacramental relation and vnion and receiued of the beleeuers spiritually by faith Againe whereas the Latin is thus Ergo veré est corpus Christi cum pane visibili Therefore there is truly in the supper the body of Christ with visible bread In English he saith thus Ibid. pa. 266. There is Christs body but not after a natural manner of being by transubstantiation but after a spiritual by faith and sacramental vnion Finally Osiander in Latin vseth these wordes Nos quidem ipsum Christum qui est in Eucharistia spiritualiter adorandum non negamus Ipsam vere Eucharistiam adorandam minime concedimus We truly denie not but Christ himselfe who is in the Eucharist is spiritually to be adored But we grant not that the Eucharist it selfe is to be adored The English translator turneth it thus We say the Eucharist is to be reuerenced as an holy mistery but not to be adored or worshipped And diuers other such corrections or rather corruptions occurre euery foote in his English booke Diuers other such like examples there are which conuince the Sacramentaries to be guilty of this crime which for brâ—uities sake I omit Only I adde that this is no newe vice in them but an old and inueterated euil For if vve beleeue Luther such vvere their proceedings euen at their first
arising his words of them are these Their opinion of the sacrament they began with lies Luther in epist ad IoanneÌ„ Heruagrum TypographuÌ„ Argentinum and with lies they doe defend the same and they broach it abroade by the wicked fauour of corrupting other mens bookes hitherto Luther But perhaps my reader may here desire to see some president of some Protestant booke corrupted by some English sectaries and that confessed by a Protstant behold I haue such a president or two at hand The author of the Suruey of the pretended holy discipline a man of good credit among Protestants hauing alleaged Trauerse his Latin booke Dc disciplin Suruay of the pretended holy discipline printed anno 1593. ch 19. pa. 224. 225. Ecclesiast fol. 119. bringeth forth this reason why he alleaged not the English translated by some English sectary But you must remember saith he that I doe referre you to this latin booke and not to the English translation of it Why some may say is it not faithfully translated Shal we thinke that such zealous men as had to deale herein would serue vs as the Iesuites doe It is we knowe a practise with that false hipocritical broode or rather he should haue said a false slaunder imposed vpon them to leaue out and thrust in what they list into the writinges of the auncient Fathers that thereby in time nothing might appeare which should any way make against them But we wil neuer suspect nor beleeue that any man who feareth God and least of al that any of that sort which are so earnest against al abuses and corruptions shal play such a prancke Surely we doe wel to judge the best and I my selfe was of your opinian but now I am cleane altered How were some of Vrsinus workes vsed at Cambridge and it is true that some other bookes haue beene handled vary strangely else where But concerning the present point this the truth The translator of Trauerses booke hath quite omitted the wordes which I haue alleaged and al the rest which tendeth to that purpose euen seauenteene lines together So as if you see but the English booke you shal not finde so much as one steppe whereby you might suspect that euer M. Trauerse had carried so hard a hand ouer the pretendâ—d widowes If the translatour had receiued any commission from the author to haue dealt in that sort with his booke yet it should haue beene signified either in some preface or in some note or by some meanes or other but to leaue luch a matter out and to giue no general warning of it I tel you plainely it was great dishonesty and lewdnes hitherto are the Protestant authors wordes in the aforesaid Suruey But to come yet a litle nearer to M. Crashaw what wil he say if I finde him guilty of corruption and forgery in this very booke in which he reprehendeth vs This indeede were something to the purpose but as a discreete man would thinke hardly to be proued true in him that so sharply in this very treatise argueth and blameth others for this crime wel I wil doe my endeauour And this argument I bring against him he that taketh vpon him to cite the sayings of others patcheth in leaueth out wordes of their said sentences to serue his owne turne is a corrupter and a forger of other mens sayings but M. Crashaw doth this in his booke made of Romish forgeries and falsifications therefore he is a corrupter and a forger of other mens sayings The Major and first proposition cannot be denied by M. Crashaw For if he incurre the crimes of corruption and forgery as he saith in the highest degree that dealeth so with other mens bookes howe shal we excuse him from them that dealeth so with other mens sayings or sentences Let vs therefore see whether we can proue the Minor or second proposition the truth of vvhich I declare after this sort Prologomena T. 3. Thus you c M. Crashaw in his epistle or preface to his beloued countrimen the seduced Papists of England contending to proue that the Index of forbidden bookes and the Indices expurgatorij are the Popes worke writeth thus For your better satisfaction I wil set you downe briefly the rules to this purpose agreed vpon in that Councel and confirmed afterwardes by diuers Popes Haereticorum libri vt Lutheri Zwinglij Caluini his similium cuiuscunque nominis tituli aut argumenti existant omnino prohibentur The bookes of Heretikes as Luther Zwinglius Caluin and others like to these vnder what name title or argument soeuer they be extant are altogether prohibited thus Crashaw And in the margent he hath these wordes Regula secunda in concilio Tridentino Indice Roma Clementis octaui The 2. rule in the Councel of Trent and the Roman index of Clement the eight But in these words he hath corrupted the rule of the Councel of Trent and of the Roman index of Clement the eight and no such rule is to be found as he here setteth downe therefore he is a forger and corrupter I wil recite the whole rule as I finde it in al those bookes to the end that my reader may see I doe him no wrong The bookes of Heretikes as wel of those who found and raised heresies after the aforesaid yeare 1515. as of those who are or haue beene heads or captaines of Heretikes such as Luther Zwinglius Caluin Balthazar Pacimontanus Swenckfeldius and like vnto these are of what title name or argument soeuer they be are altogether forbidden The bookes of other Heretikes also which treate ex professo of religion that is whose principal argument is of religion are altogether forbidden But such as treate not of religion examined by the commandement of Bishops and Inquisitours by Catholike diuines and approued are permitted hitherto are the wordes of the rule Out of which it is manifest that M. Crashaw by placing the word Heretikes in the place of the word Archeretikes hath falsified the said rule and turned it to a cleane contrary sense For vvhereas the rule saith that certaine bookes of some Heretikes are permitted he maketh it say the bookes of Heretikes vnder what name title or argument whatsoeuer are prohibited And this as it may seeme he doth to perswade his reader that vve are so strict in this matter that we suffer not any bookes whatsoeuer vvritten by Heretikes be they neuer so profitable to be read which is false this is one corruption so palpable that it cannot be denied I vvil not vrge that in the third rule he nameth Iunius his translation of the old testament and Bezaes of the newe whereas these authours or their translations are not so much as named in the rule as it is found in our bookes And for breuities sake I come to his rehersal of our instructions for the purging and correction of bookes Before he setteth downe such thinges as are to be amended translating that vvhich is said in our bookes before