illa finiretur poena the punishment is continued longer then the sinne lest the sinne should be esteemed but small if the punishment should be ended together with it And this M. Perkins well obserueth in generall concerning that example of the Israelites that God though his iudgment proceeded not one way yet would haue it to be seene another way though not for punishment to them that repented and beleeued yet for example to future times to take heed of cutting themselues off by vnbeleefe and disobedience from the heauenly rest as these had done from the seale and Sacrament thereof the Apostle to that purpose saying k 1. Cor. 10.11 These things came to them for ensamples and are written to admonish vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come Now as we conceiue in generall of the faithfull of that people so we do in particular of Moses and Aaron M. Bishop vrgeth it set downe that therfore they entred not because they trespassed because they were disobedient And who maketh doubt but that their trespasse and disobedience was the originall cause of the debarring of them But stil we say that the cause of this debarring of them being forgiuen the effect still continued for other vse which in them was not onely morall but also mystical God willing thereby to giue to vnderstand that the Law which was giuen by Moses and the Priesthood that was executed by Aaron could not bring vs to that eternall inheritance which was figured by the land of Canaan but onely Iesus who was figured by Iosuah could yeeld vnto vs the possession thereof Thus S. Austin maketh mysticall and spirituall application thereof affirming that l August contra Faust Man lib. 16. cap. 19. Non introducebat populum in terram promissionis ne videlicet lex per Mosen non ad saluandum sed ad conuincenduÌ„ peccatorem data introducere putaretur Ita Tertulaâ—iuer Marcionem lâ—b 3. Moses did not bring the people of Israel into the land of promise lest the law which was giuen by Moses not to saue but to conuict the sinner shold be thought to bring vs into the kingdome of heauen But fully to answer this point and to stop M. Bishops mouth let vs take that which the same S. Austin saith in another place m Idem in Psa 98. Quaerimus vindictam in Moyse propè nullam habet nisi quòd ad extremuÌ„ aâ—t illi Deut Ascende in montem morere Aâ—t seni Morere tam peregeras â—etates suas nunquid nunquam erat moriturus Quaelis illa vindicta Ostendit ibi vindictam suam vt diceret Non intrabis in terraÌ„ promissionis quaÌ„ intraturus erat populus QuandaÌ„ figuram quorundam gerebat Moyses Nam qui in regnum coeloruÌ„ intrauit magna illa poena crat adieâ—ram illam non venire qua ad tempas erat promissa vt vmbram osteude ret transiâ—eâ—â— Nonne mulit perfiâ—â—ntrauerunt in illam terram Nonne in illa terra viuentes multa mala feceruÌ„t Deum offenderunt Nonne idolotriam secuti sunt in terra illa Magnum erat non dedisse terram istam Moysi sed Moses voluit gestare figuram eorum qui sub lege erant quia per Moysen data est lex ostendit eos qui sub lege esse vellent sub gratia esse nollent non intraturos interram promisâ—ionis Ergo illud quod dictum est Moysi figura erat non poena Seâ— mers quae poena Non intrare in illam terram quae poena quo intrauerunt indigni We seeke Gods punishment in Moses saith he and he had in a manner none but that God at last saith to him Go vp into the hill and die He saith to an old man Go die he had now finished his yeares what shold he neuer die what punishment is this He shewed him there his punishment in that he said Thou shalt not enter into the land of promise to which the people was to enter Moses did here beare a figure of some for he being to enter into the kingdome of heaueÌ„ was it a great punishment not to come to that land which was promised for a time to cary a shadow and so to passe away Did not many vnfaithfull men enter into that land did not they that liued in that land commit many euils and offend God did they not follow idolatry in that land A great matter it was not to giue this land vnto Moses but Moses was to beare a figure of them which are vnder the law because the law was giuen by Moses and he sheweth that they which would be vnder the law and would not be vnder grace should not enter into the land of promise Therefore that which was said to Moses was a figure not a punishment what punishment was it to an old man to die what punishment was it not to enter into that land into which vnworthy men did enter Here then it is plaine that the not suffering of Moses to enter into the land of Canaan was not a matter of punishmeÌ„t but a matter of figure God took the occasion therof of his trespasse but the trespasse being remitted it was turned from being a punishment to him to be a mystery of faith both to him and vs. But it were woorth the while here to question with M. Bishop how he should make the not entring of all these into the land of Canaan to be any satisfaction for their sins what did they or suffered they that might carie the name of a satisfaction Did any thing herein befall them but what befell to many iust and godly Fathers before that time He saith their dayes were shortened but how were the dayes of Moses and Aaron shortened when the one liued to n Deut. 34.7 120. and the other to o Numb 33.39 123. yeares almost double to that nuÌ„ber of yeres which Moses noted for the ordinary time of the life of man p Psal 90.10 The dayes of our age are threescore yeares and ten Yea Moses was so old as that he said q Deut. 31.2 I am a hundred and twentie yeare old I can no more go in and out Againe we wonder whereas M. Bishop hath told vs before that such excellent holy personages by their ordinarie deuotions satisfied abundantly for their sinnes how it came to passe that all Moses deuotions for the space of r Deut. 2.14 eight and thirty yeares after could not satisfie for that one sinne of his but that it still hindred him froÌ„ entring into the promised land Surely M. Bishop cannot well tell vs how these things hang together But to conclude this point M. Perkins had set downe by the words of the holy Ghost the vse of Gods chastisements towards his children and M. Bishop as loth to be acquainted therwith saith nothing of it Å¿ 1. Cor. 11.32 When we are iudged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world
cause in confession of sinnes to ioyne themselues with other men euen as the Prophet Esay elsewhere doth d Esa 6.5 Wo is me I am a man of polluted lippes and I dwell in the middest of a people of polluted lippes But saith M. Bishop if he had reckoned himselfe in that number he had lied in saying There is none that calleth vpon thy name because he immediatly calleth vpon him in most vehement sort As if they in whose name the Prophet speaketh might not without a lie by wordes of the present time deplore the vniuersall neglect of calling vpon God which had beene amongst them as Daniel acknowledgeth and for the most part continued still though God had stirred vp some of their hearts now to make supplication vnto him or as if they that did pray might not finde in themselues that faintnesse and want of heart and spirit as might cause them in this behalfe to accuse themselues vnto God We cannot doubt but that there were manie faithfull and godly amongst the Iewes in that time of their desolation yet in those faithfull and godly there was that default to be found as that God sayd of them e Esa 51.18 There is none to guide her among all the sonnes that shee hath brought foorth there is none that taketh her by the hand of all the sonnes that shee hath brought vp In a word the Prophet in saying There is no man that calleth vpon thee might note a publicke contempt of calling vpon God without exception against himselfe as where he saith f Esa 59.4 No man calleth for iustice no man contendeth for truth and such like and yet could not say We haue sinned vve haue all beene as an vncleane thing without intendment of himselfe Last of all he alledgeth that the best learned among vs quoting Luther and Caluin on this place doe confesse that this sentence cannot be alledged against the vertue of good vvorkes What Luther saith vpon the place I know not not hauing the booke at hand but g Assert artic 31 otherwhere he doth alledge it against the vertue of good workes Caluin giueth his opinion that it doth not so properly serue to that purpose but his reason is of lesse waight then that it should take from vs a proofe in the verie words so cleere and pregnant as this is But if Luther and Caluin on our side doe denie it let him take h Pigh controu de fide iustificat Pighius and i Ferus in Mat. cap. 20. Ferus of his owne side confessing and acknowledging that this place doth make against the vertue of good workes both of them alledging it for an argument against the perfection thereof Or if they beare no sway with him let him heare them whose authoritie hee may not well disclaime Origen saying thus k Orig. in Rom. cap. 3. Quis vel super iustitia sua gloriabitur cùm audiat Deum per Prophetam dicentem quia omnis iustitia vestra sicut pannus mulieris meÌ„struatae Who vvill glorie concerning his Righteousnesse seeing he heareth God saying by the Prophet All your Righteousnesse is as a cloth of a menstruous vvoman Hierome thus l Hieron in Esa cap 64. Quicquid videmur habere iustitiae panno menstruaâ—e mulieris comparatur By thy mercie vve shall bee saued vvho by our selues are vncleane and vvhatsoeuer Righteousnesse vve seeme to haue it is compared vnto a menstruous cloth Saint Austine alluding to the same place sayeth m August soliloq cap. 28. Nos omnes quasi pannus menstruatae de massa corrupta immunda venientes maculam immunditiae nostrae in frontibus portamus c. Whatsoeuer hee toucheth that is vncleane by the lavv it shall be vncleane But vve all as the cloth of a menstruous vvoman being come of an vncleane and corrupt masse do carrie in our foreheads the blot of our vncleannesse vvhich from God that seeth all things vve cannot hide thereby acknowledging that blot remaining in vs which must needes staine whatsoeuer proceedeth from vs. But Saint Bernard is most frequent both in affirming this staine of all our Righteousnesse and in applying this place to the proofe thereof n Bernard in Fest omn. sanct serm 1. Quid potest esse omnis iustitia nostra coram Deo Nonne iuxta Prophetam velut pannus menstruatae reputabitur si destrictè iudicetur iniusta inuenietur omnis iustitia nostra minus habens What can all our Righteousnesse be saith he in the sight of God shall it not as the Prophet sayth be reputed as a menstruous or defiled cloth and shall not our iustice if it be strictly iudged be found vniust and scant And in another place o Idem de verb. Esa serm 5. Nostra siqua est humilis iustitia recta forsitan sed non pura nisi fortè meliores nos esse credimus quà m patres nostros qui non minùs veracitèr quam humiliter atebant Omnes iustitiae c. Our base Righteousnesse if it bee any is right perhaps but not pure vnlesse haply vve thinke our selues better then our fathers vvho no lesse truly then humbly sayd All our Righteousnesse is as a defiled cloth Againe in another place he sayeth likewise p Jdem in dedicat eccles ser 5. Ipsae iustitiae nostrae omnes ad lumen veritatis inspectae velut pannus menstruatae inueniuntur All our verie Righteousnesses beeing looked vpon by the light of truth are found as a menstruous cloth Againe q Idem de verb. Apost Qui gloriatur c. Perfecta secura gloriatio est cùm veremur omnia opera nostra c. Et cum Esâ—ia Propheta omnes iustitias nostras non aliud quâ—m pannum menstruatae reputandas esse cognoscimus Our perfect and secure reioycing is vvhen vvee are afraide of all our vvorkes as holy Iob vvitnesseth of himselfe and vvith the Prophet Esay doe knovv that all our Righteousnesse is to be no otherwise reputed but as a defiled cloth Hereby then let M. Bishop now vnderstand that M. Perkins dealt no otherwise but dexterously in the handling of this place and that that which the Prophet Esay spake did so concerne the faithfull of that time and place whereof he spake as that they haue true application to the faithfull of all times and in all places because no reason can bee giuen why the faithfull of one time should so speake but by the same it is enforced vpon the faithfull of all times 4. W. BISHOP 1. Cor. 4. But he will amend it in the next where he proues out of Saint Paul that a cleare conscience which is a great part of inherent iustice can nothing helpe to our Iustification I am priuie to nothing in my selfe and yet I am not iustified thereby Here is a verie pretie peece of cosinage What doth the Apostle say that he vvas not iustified by his cleere conscience nothing lesse but that albeit he
Christi etsi non fuerit vnitae verbo Dei in persona fuit tamen ei vnita per repraesentationem contactum because by representation or touching it is vnited vnto Christ being in this respect much more iustly to be condemned of idolatry in thus worshipping the crosse then Nestorius was for worshipping the sole manhood of Christ because albeit Nestorius acknowledged not any substantiall or personall vnion betwixt the godhead and the manhood yet he acknowledged a farre greater vnion then that which Thomas assigneth betwixt Christ and the crosse And here it were worthy to be enquired what manner of vnion or coniunction this is that they tell vs of by what bond it holdeth what effects it worketh whether it be any offering of violence to Christ when the woodden Roode is rotten and worme-eaten to hew him in pieces and cast the same into the fire and so disunite the things that were before vnited But Maister Bishop somewhat resolueth vs of this matter teaching vs to conceiue of Christ and the crucifixe as of the King and his purple robe the woorst is that he saith that there is not any worship due to the robe whereas Thomas out of his idle dreames hath before told vs that wee worship the Kings garment with the same worship as the King himselfe So then the matter is come to a faire passe that there is no worship at all due to the Crucifixe because there is none due to the Kings robes and then what is it that we dispute of all this while He telleth vs that the worship of the King cannot be seperated from the robe that is so closely ioyned to his person But what is the Crosse or Crucifixe as closely ioyned to Christ as the robe is to the King If downe before the crosse but if Christ be in heauen and the crosse vpon the earth then is this a poore simple defence of their worshipping the crosse The diuine person of Christ he saith is properly adored True but that diuine person of Christ is in heauen and why are they not content to worship him properly where he is Why do they vnder a foolish pretence of a Kings robe bring in an improper worshipping of that which being here vpon the earth is so farre and so wholy disioined from him Will not M. Bishop thinke him either a foole or a mad man who finding the Popes robes in his Castle of S. Angelo will kneele downe to the robes and make his request to them when the Pope himselfe is in his Lateran consistorie Surely euen so must we thinke that they egregiously play the fooles who stand babling to a crosse here on earth when their suite is to Christ himselfe sitting aboue in heauen Thus we haue giuen him an eare to the hearing of all this but wee haue therein heard what he saith out of Bellarmine not what Thomas Aquinas saith but by Thomas his owne words wee say still that he ascribeth the same worship to the crosse as he doth to Christ himselfe 15. W. BISHOP Lastly M. Perkins saith without quoting any place that Augustine and Gregory in plaine termes deny images to be odored and so do we too taking adoring as they do for the worship that is proper to God R. ABBOT Saint Austine saith that by the commaundement of God a August epist. 119. cap. 11. Prohibetur coli ali qui in figâ—neâ—tis hominum Dei similitudo Wee are forbidden to worship any similitude or image of God that is deuised or framed by man Hee noteth b Idem de morib eccles Cathol cap. 34. Noui midioâ—esse sepulchorum es picturaâ—uÌ„ adoratores c. Quos ipsa â—o demnat ecclesia c. worshippers of pictures and reliques to haue bene then condemned by the Church He commendeth Varro the old Romane a heathen man for c Idem De ciu Dei lib 4. cap 31. Castiùs existiniat sine simulaâ—â—ris obseruari religionem Quis non videat quantum propinquauerit veritati thinking that religion is more purely obserued without Images and affirmeth that therein he drew neere to the knowledge of the truth Hauing in another place shewed how a shadow of the wisedome of God appeareth in men in making the pourtraitures and images of the creatures which he hath made and namely of men he addeth d Idem in lib. 83 quaest 78. Qui talia opera etiam coluerunt quâ—ntum deuiauerint à veritate hinc intelligi potest quiasi ipsa anim â—hum corpora celerent quae muâ—tò excellentiùs faebricata sunt quorum sunt illa â—â—itamenta quid eis infaelicius diceremus As for them who haue worshipped such how farre they haue gone away from the truth may hereby be vnderstood because if they should worship the very bodies of those liuing creatures which are much more excellently made wherof those images are but imitations we would pronounce them to be most vnhappy In a word those discourses which he vseth to shew e Idem in Psal 113. Jlla causa est maxima impietatis in sanae quòd plùs valet in affectibus miserorum similis viuenti forma quae sibi efficit supplicari quà m quòd manifestuÌ„ est eam non esse viuentem vt debeat à viueÌ„te coÌ„temni Vide ibid. plura epist 49. the certaine danger of superstitious fancies arising of the resemblances of images to the formes and shapes of men do fully and without exception determine against all vse of Popish images As for Gregory he had some speciall cause giuen him fully to signifie his mind as touching this matter of images and albeit he approued the historicall vse of them in the Church yet he absolutely condemned the worshipping of them Serenus the Bishop of Massilia seeing the people to worship images brake them and defaced them Gregory hearing thereof writeth to him thus f Gregor lib. 7. epist 109. DuduÌ„ ad nos peruenit quòd fraternitas vestra quosdam imaginum adoratores aspiciens easdem ecclesiae imagines confregit atque proiecit Et quidem zeluÌ„ vos habuisse nequid manufactuÌ„ adorari possit laudauimus sed frangere easdem imagines non debuisse iudicamus Id ircò enim pictura inecclesiijs adhibetur vt qui literas nesciunt saltem in parietibus videndo legant quae legere in codicibus non valent Tua ergò fraternitas illas seruare ab earum adoratu populum prohibere debuit quatenus literarum nescij haberent vnde scientiam historiae colligerent populus in picturae adoratione minimè peccaret It is lately reported to vs that your brotherhood beholding some worshipping images did breake the same images being belonging to the Church and threw them away And indeed we commended you for hauing a zeale that nothing made with hands should be worshipped but yet we iudge that the images should not haue bene broken For therefore are pictures vsed in the Church that they who are vnlearned may by sight
verie shamefull and miserable shifts to giue shew of answer to it Do thou learne hereby to loue the truth which thus triumpheth in the aduersaries owne campe and euen in their owne bookes insulteth ouer them whilest either perforce they subscribe it or shew themselues so exceedingly distressed to resist or stand against it Take no offence whosoeuer thou art at the continuance of this fight because the order must stand which God set downe in the beginning betwixt the Woman and the Serpent a Gen. 3.15 I will put enmitie betwixt her and thee betwixt her seede and thy seede and therefore there shall neuer want b 2. Thess 3.2 absurd or vnreasonable men * 1. Tim. 4.2 hauing their consciences seared with a hote Iron with whom no euidence of truth shall preuaile to make them desist from oppugning the seede that is contrarie to them The beginning of which absurditie is to be seene in wicked Cain towards his brother Abel whom the voice of God personally speaking to him could not diuert from that malice whereby hee had intended the destruction of his brother The succession whereof we may behold in the Scribes and Pharisees and Elders of the Iewes whom neither the innocencie of the life of Christ neither the authoritie of his doctrine neither the glory of his miracles nor any euidence of the hand of God working with him could any way moue but that they were stil cauilling and quarelling against him stil accusing and condemning him and neuer ceasing euen against their owne consciences to fight against him What maruell is it then that the voice of God speaking to vs in the scriptures and testifying what the faith and religion is that we are to yeeld vnto him doth not end the quarel and appease the fury of our aduersaries against vs but that in a mad conceit of themselues and of their Church they go on still to make of religion what they list and with impudent faces labour to perswade men that howsoeuer in plaine words the Scriptures seeme to make for vs yet in meaning they are against vs. And surely incredible it were but that we see it that men hauing vse of wit and will should dare in that sort as they do to mocke and delude the word of God At their pleasure they bring in their abhominations into the Church and when the Scriptures are alledged against them they tell vs by lame distinctions which stand one legge in the Scriptures the other quite beside that the Scriptures meane thus or thus but in no sort touch that which is done by them though the verie letter of the text do apparently contradict them As if the adulterer should say that the Scripture condemneth not his adulterie with a Christian woman but onely that which is with Infidels and Pagans or the drunkard should alledge that it meaneth nothing of his drunkennesse but onely of the drunkennesse of them who haue not wherewith to maintaine their drinking How many distinctions haue they whereof there is no greater reason to be giuen then may be giuen of these answers Now what heresie what idolatrie what damnable fancies haue there euer beene in the world which may not finde meanes for their defence if this licencious kinde of distinctions and deuices may take place If these mockeries be deemed intolerable in the laws of men what impiety what wickednesse is it thus to dally with and to mocke the word of God But the light of the Scripture doth plainly discouer the vanitie of these shifts and that is the cause why they hate and shun the Scriptures as the theefe doth the gallowes and the Beare the stake What a worke do they make how many deuices do they vse how readie are they to apprehend euery pretence to discourage the people from medling with the Scriptures and to breed in them an vncertaintie and doubt of resting their faith there But there is no cause for thee to be moued at such bugs and scar-crowes wherewith these malignant aduersaries seeke to fright thee out of the garden of Iesus Christ desiring to haue thee rather to continue vpon their stinking dunghils then to gather the sweete and delightsome flowers that yeeld the sauour of life vnto eternall life Assure thy selfe that the most absolute assurance of truth is in the voice of truth it selfe and thou mayst be secure that howsoeuer men may speake partially and may deceiue thee yet God who speaketh to thee in the Scriptures which the aduersary himselfe dareth not denie will neuer deceiue thee They pretend great difficulties and obscurities in the holy Scriptures but is it a reason for thee to forbeare to drinke and to wash thy selfe in the shallow places of the riuers of God because there are also gulfes and depthes the bottome whereof thou art not able to search or sound c August epis 3. In ijs quae aperta sunt tanquam familiaris amicus sine fuco loquitur ad cor indoctorum atque doctorum In those things which are manifest in the Scriptures saith Saint Austine d Idē de doct Christ lib. 2. cap. 9. In ijs quae apertae posita sunt in Scripturis inueniuntur illa omnia quae continent fidem moresque viuendi In which are contained or found all things that belong to faith and behauiour of life God speaketh as a familiar friend without glosing or guile to the hart both of the learned vnlearned e Hieron in Psal 86. Non vt pauci intelligerent sed vt omnes not that a few saith Hierome but that all may vnderstand the Scripture being f Gregor ad Leand. de exposit lib. Iob. Fluuius in quo agnus ambulet Elephas natet a riuer saith Gregorie wherein both the lambe may wade and the Elephant may swimme g August de vtil cred ca 6. Planè ita modificata vt nemo inde haurire non possit quod sibi satis est si modo ad hauriendum deuotè ac pie vt vera religio poscit accedat the doctrine thereof being so tempered saith Saint Austine againe as that there is no man but may draw from thence that that is sufficient for him so that he come to draw with deuotion and pietie as true religion requireth he should do When they then seeke to barre thee from the vse of this heauenly light what canst thou conceiue but that they are the agents and factors of the Prince of darknesse The h Tertul. contra Marcion Sepia or Cuttle-fish Tertullian saith when he is in danger to be taken casteth about him a blacke inkie matter wherewith he darkeneth the water that the fisherman cannot see him What is the reason why those men in that sort seeke to compasse themselues about with the blacke and dark clouds of ignorance of the scriptures but that their owne consciences tel them that their deuotions must needs be descried to be superstitious and damnable if they come to be viewed and surueyed by
not so it is in like sort ridiculous to alledge that it belongeth to the Church to make the meaning of the Scriptures that the Church is Iudge it must rest in the power therof by expounding the scriptures to determine whether that which it selfe coÌ„mandeth be offence to God or not The Church indeede is Iudge but tied to bounds of law if the Church iudge against the euidence of the law then God himselfe by his owne word is to be the Iudge For what an absurditie shall it be further to require a Iudge where God himselfe hath pronounced a sentence or to enquire after a meaning where the law speaketh as plainely as the Iudge can deuise to speake When the Iudges of the people of the Iewes said z Eâ— 8.12 A confederacie and Esay the Prophet cried out say not A confederacie that is follow not them that leade you to leagues and couenants with idolatrous nations who was to be the Iudge betwixt them Esay saith to the people a Ver 20. To the law and to the testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Who was to be the Iudge when the Prophet Ieremie said one thing and b Ierem 26 1â— the Priests and Prophets who were the Iudges said another They said c Ver. 15. This man is worthy to die he saith If ye put me to death ye shall bring innocent bloud vpon your selues Who was now to be iudge betwixt them Surely none but d Ver 4. the lawes which God had set before them to which he calleth them e Cap. 11. 3. 4. the couenant which he commaunded their Fathers when he brought them out of the land of Egypt When our Sauiour Christ stood on the one side and the Iudges namely the high Priests and Scribes and Elders of the people on the other side where was the Iudge f Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures saith our Sauiour Christ for they are they that testifie of me We see the highest court of iudgement vnder heauen pronounceth sentence against the Sonne of God God indeed had appointed them for Iudges the righteousnesse of the cause of Christ was not to be discerned but only by the Scriptures Thus it hath bene in the Church of Christ the Donatists on the one side affirmed theÌ„selues to be the Church the Catholike and godly Bishops affirmed the Church to be with them whom did these godly Fathers make the Iudge Optatus speaking of a maine question betwixt them whether he that was already baptized though by an heretike might be baptized againe saith g Optat. contra Parmenian li. 5. Vos dicuis licèt nos dicimus Non liâ—et Jnter licâ—t vestrum non licet nestrum â—â—tant remigrant animae populoruÌ„ Nemo vobis credat nemo nobis omnes contentiosi homines sumus Quaerendi sunt iudices Si Christiani te viraque parte dari nosessâ—nt quia siudijs veritas impeditur Dâ—foris quaerenâ—us est iudixisi Paganus non potesi nosse secreta Christianâ—â— si liâ—â—◠〈◊〉 est Chriâ—tuâ—i baptisâ—atâ— Ergo ni â—â—rrâ—s dâ— hac reâ—ulâ—â—â— poterit reperâ—ri iudiciuÌ„ de 〈◊〉 quareâ—dus est iudex Sed vt quid pâ—â—â—sanus ad coelâ— â—â—â—m habemus hic in EuaÌ„gelio Testamentâ—m â—â—quâ—â— c. Ergo voluntas câ—â—â—vilut in Testamento sic in Euangelio inquiratur You say it is lawful and we say it is not lawfull Betweene your it is lawful and our it is not lawful the peoples soules do wauer Let none beleeue you nor vs we are all contentious men Iudges must be sought for if Christians they cannot be giuen of both sides for truth is hindred by affections A iudge without must be sought for if a Pagan he cannot know the Christian mysteries if a Iew he is an enemy of Christian baptisme No iudgement of this matter can be found on earth but froÌ„ heaueÌ„ But why knock we at heaueÌ„ wheÌ„ here we haue the testameÌ„t of Christ in the Gospell In the Gospell as in his Testament we are to enquire and search what his will is To the like effect Austin speaketh as touching a question betwixt him and the Pelagians whether there be sinne in infants from their birth or not h Aug. de nupt concupis lib. 2. cap. 33. Ista controuersia iudicem quaerit Iudicet ergo Christus cui reâ— mors eius profecerit ipse dicat Hic est inquit sanguis c. Judicet cum illo Apostolus quia in Apostolo ipse loquitur Christus c. This controuersie requireth a iudge let Christ therefore be Iudge let himselfe say what his death serued for This is my bloud saith he which shall be shed for many for remission of sinnes Together with him let the Apostle iudge because Christ himselfe speaketh also in the Apostle Thus they made no doubt to make the Scripture the Iudge or Christ himselfe in the Scripture knowing well that the iudgement of the Church in such cases is no other but only the pronouncing of a sentence already giuen by the highest Iudge To this purpose therefore he requireth of the Donatists the bringing foorth of such things as are euident and plaine because Christ somewhere or other hath plainely spoken whatsoeuer is necessarie for vs to know i Idem de vnit Eccles cap. 5. Hoc praedico atque propono vt quaeque aeperta manifesta deligamus c. This I say before hand and propound that we make choyce of such speeches as are open and manifest We are to set aside such things as are obscurely set downe and wrapped vp in couers of figures and may be interpreted both for our part and for theirs It belongeth to acute men to iudge and discerne who doth more probably interpret those things but we will not in a cause which the people are interested in commit our disputation to such contentions of wit but let the manifest truth cry and shine foorth Reade to vs those things that are as plaine as those are that we reade to you Bring somewhat that needeth not any man to expound it This is the course of Ecclesiastical iudgement by this meanes they are to stoppe the mouths of contentious men and to satisfie the people that are interested in the cause By all this then it appeareth that God hath not left his Church destitute of authoritie of iudgement but hath both appointed Iudges and prescribed them lawes whereby to iudge onely that we remeÌ„ber that k Psal 82.1 he is the Iudge amongst the Iudges and the sentence must be his But now we know what it is that M. Bishop aymeth at for he would faine haue it conceiued that there should be some one to be iudge and that one must be the Pope They name sometimes the Church and somtimes the Councell but the Church is but the cloake-bagge and the Councell the capcase to cary the Pope whither it pleaseth them because neither
hereupon wrote to Serenus and though he disliked his breaking of them yet commended him in that he could not endure the worshiping of them This was then the doctrine of the Church of Rome that howsoeuer Images might be vsed historically for remembrance yet by no meanes might men performe deuotion or worship to them But whilst vnder pretence of that historicall vse they attained to high and honourable place in the Church and were gloriously set foorth as great ornaments thereof Satan hereby tickled the fancie of the people and bred in them an itching humour of damnable superstition which grew more and more till Idolatry was openly practised by the worshippe of them and the Bishop of Rome who before had giuen sentence to the contrary became the maine champion to fight for the maintenance of this abuse This we find to haue come to passe about an hundred yeares or very little more after the time of Gregory at which time the Emperors of ConstaÌ„tinople with the most of their Bishopâ— mightily opposed themselues against this new deuotion and by their edicts caused Images wholly to be defaced and abandoned out of the Churches The pursuit of which cause when i Sigebert ChroÌ„ anno 725. Paulus Diacon de gest Longo li. 6 cap. 49. Leo Isaurus verie earnestly followed Gregory the second swaruing froÌ„ the steps of the former Gregory tooke vpon him k Zonar Anna. tom 3. Synodico anathemate obstrinxit c. to excommunicate the Emperor and all that tooke part with him in destroying of Images Gregory the third his successour went further and assembled a Councell at Rome and there decreed the worshipping of Images and hauing so done renewed the former excommunication and added thereto a sentence of depriuation and by rebellion and treason found the meanes to alienate from the Emperour whatsoeuer there was then in Italy remaining to him Against that Romane councell l Zonar ibid. et Sigebert an 755 Constantinus Copronymus the son of Leo about the yeare of our Lord 755. assembled at Constantinople a Councell of the Easterne Bishops to the number of three hundred and thirtie which wholly determined against the worshipping of Images thinking also the vse of them in any sort to be not onely vnnecessary but altogether vnlawfull and contrary to the word of God The detestation that they had conceiued of the impious and wicked abuse made them for the auoiding thereof to prohibite that vse which was lawfull as a man desirous to make a crooked rod straight bendeth it too farre the other way But this determination of that Councell appeased not that contention the humour of superstition being restlesse and endlesse neuer ceasing if it be able to stirre till it gaine strength for the vpholding of it selfe So it was that to Leo the sonne of Constantinus Copronymus was maried Irene a proud and wicked woman who vpon the death of her husband abusing the minority of her sonne tooke vpon her selfe the gouernement of the Empire and being of a womanish affection delighted with babies about foure and thirtie yeares after that Councell of Constantinople that generation of Bishops being in a manner quite worne out m Func commeÌ„ in Chronel anno 787. 788. she commaundeth another Councell in the same place the Bishops by that time being well fitted for the doing of that which she desired to haue effected The cause of their assembly being publikely knowen namely that it was for the bringing in againe of the worshipping of Images the people of Constantinople gathered themselues together and threatned to do some violence to them it they should conclude any such matter This feare hindered them from proceeding according to that they had purposed and hereupon Irene dissolued that meeting for that time and the next yeare after caused the same to be renewed at Nice in Bithynia where the first great and famous Councell was holden against Arius the hereticke vnder Constantine the great But we may here easily conceiue a great difference in course of proceeding betwixt that former and this latter Councell The former Councell continued for the space of three yeares and more long time and deliberation being taken for debating and discussing to the full the points of question that should be decided in it This latter continued but onely twentie dayes being begun 8. kalend Octob. and being ended 3. Id. Octob. so that they seeme to haue before determined what to conclude and for no other cause met together but onely to say what they had determined The President of this Councell who managed the whole busines thereof was one Tharasius who of a courtier and a souldiour contrarie to the canons of the Church was made Bishop and Patriarch of Constantinople a man verie vnfit and vnwoorthie for such a place According to the weakenesse of the head was the proceeding and behauiour of the whole bodie wickedly abusing the Scriptures wresting and peruerting the sentences of the fathers no reason so foolish but they admire it no lye so grosse but they applaude it nothing there read vnder the name of any famous author but it is certainly true no man may speake against it The first action being spent in receiuing of penitents who were a remainder of the former Councell and now for keeping of their places recanted what they had there said they come in the second to the reading of the letters of Adrian Bishop of Rome which being done they all professe their consent to that which he wrote and so an end In those letters he singularly abuseth Constantine the great fathering vpon him a tale of a leprosie and that wheÌ„ he had appointed the murthering of infants that he might haue their bloud to bathe himself in for the curing of it Peter and Paul appeared to him in his sleepe and recommended vnto him the baptisme and faith of Christ and that by meanes thereof he should obtaine his health that to this end they willed him to send for Siluester the Bishop of Rome who lurked in secret for feare of falling into the persecutors hands to whom wheÌ„ he was come he declared this whole matter asked him if we wil belieue this notable cosiner what kind of gods he thought those two to be namely Peter and Paule that had appeared to him that Syluester telling him they wereâ— no gods but seruants and Disciples of Christ caused their Images to be brought foorth which when he saw he saied these are they whom I saw in that vision an excellent skill in the Image-maker that he could light so iust vpon the visages of them that were dead almost three hundred yeares before that hereupon Constantine was baptized at Rome and restored to his health and did set vp many goodly Images of Christ and his Saints in the Churches there With this most impudent and shamelesse forgerie so plainely contradicted by a Euseb de vita Constant. lib. 4. cap. 62. Eusebius his storie of the life of Constantine by b Ambros dâ—