vnto them were not onely more secure of their own estate then was for their safety but also despised the Iewes as a people so reiected as if God vnmindfull of his promise would neuer be reconciled to them again Against al which the Apostle in this Epistle teacheth that al people that beleeue of whatsoeuer cuntry or nation are freely iustified by faith in Christ And first he proueth that neither Iew nor gentile vnder which two al are comprehended can be iustifyed by doing the works of the Law because none can fulfil the Law neither the gentiles by that light of nature the Law written in their heart neither the Iewes by that knowledge of the Law that they so much bragged of And this the Apostle performeth as the diligent Reader may obserue from the xvii verse of the first Chapter vnto the xxi of the third chapter So that he flatly concludeth Therfore by the works of the Law shal no flesh be iustified Now this place being so plaine as it is against iustification by works the doctrine of merits is quite ouerthrown if some color be not deuised to auoid the force of this testimony The Romish Catholiks therfore indeuor as much as they can to make vs beléeue that those wordes must haue another sence and vnderstanding then we take them to haue but what sence that is they are not yet resolued For some say that the Apostle by the workes of the Law meaneth the works of the Ceremonial Law and in déed many of the Papists do so expound it But Master Bellarmine liketh not of that answer confesseth in plain termes that not onely the obseruation of the Law of ceremonies but also the kéeping of the moral Law is excluded from iustification but yet he would haue vs to imagine that onely such workes as are done before we beléeue are denied to iustifie vs. As for the workes that we doe after they doe iustifie and merit as they teach vs. And this their absurd opinion procéedeth of their ignorance of the intent and meaning of the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans For Master Bellarmine in the place before alledged doth affirme that the Apostle there as also in his Epistle to the Galathians goeth about to proue that none can be saued without faith or without Gods mercy which is in déed the trueth but it is not the whole trueth For he is also as carefull to take away the confidence that any had or might haue in their owne workes And because he writeth to them who had faith already for Their faith was published throughout the worlde and teacheth vs that all our reioycing by this iustification by faith in Christ is taken away but where is merit there is reioycing in our selues therfore it is plaine that the Apostle excludeth here from iustifying al works This also appeareth by the setting down the true cause of iustification By faith and remouing the wrong cause in so general termes Without the works of the Law that also the Apostle doth after in the example of Abraham All which may teach vs that S. Paule héere indeuoreth to take from all workes when soeuer we doe them all hope of being saued thereby to the end that our pryde in our owne workes being abated and our boasting taken away He that reioyceth may reioyce in the Lord. For this cause also the Apostle doth afterwards so set workes and merit against grace as if the one of them doth quite ouerthrow the other If by grace not now by workes for then grace is no more grace but if it be of workes then is it now no grace for then worke is no worke We sée then that S. Paule teaching that we cannot be iustified by workes to the end that our Iesus may be indeed a true onely and perfect Sauiour and fully saue vs from al our sins taketh away from all our doings the hope of meriting and deseruing the same And to this end the Apostle S. Peter also in the beginning of his first Epistle doth make mention of Gods aboundant mercy wherby we are not onely begotten to a liuely hope but also Kept by the power of GOD through faith vnto saluation Therefore I say hee teacheth vs that we obtaine this by Gods greate goodnesse because hee woulde not haue vs any thing to trust in our merites but in that God of all grace who will make vs perfect for our workes cannot do that that we may ascribe To him glory and dominion for euer and not to our selues or our goodnes But if any man replie that this doctrine séemeth contrarie to that which Saint Paule writeth to the Romans That God will reward euery man according to his deedes Or to that Saint Mark reporteth that our Sauiour Christ promised That he who in his name gaue a cup of cold water to drink to his seruants should not leese his reward thus I aunswere God in mercie promiseth reward to such as do his will and in mercie he likewise performeth the same not waighing the work but remembring his mercie So that herein wee may rather commend Gods faithfulnesse in kéeping his promise alwaies then estéeme of our works For who will think that a cup of cold water gyuing may be worthy of eternall life And the words of Saint Paule are plaine enough if we wrest them not out of their naturall sence For we denie not that GOD rewardeth men According to their workes And the place proueth not that GOD rewardeth them For their works and that sence onely can establish their doctrine of merites but thapostle saith there onely thus much that good workes shall haue a good reward of eternall lyfe glorie honor and peace Euill workes their due reward of wrath indignation tribulation and anguish So that according to the qualitie of their workes the qualitie I say and not the merite GOD in mercie according to his promise shall giue honour and immortalitie to them that séeke to serue him This therefore standeth still the vndoubted old faith of the Romans That by the workes of the Law there shall no flesh bee iustified in Gods sight For howsoeuer Abraham was iustified by workes before men as others also are Iustified that is declared and accompted before men iust by workes and not by Faith onely For euen Saint Bede expoundeth that place of Saint Iames for the approuing of Abrahams faith or making it to appeare yet I say Before God workes cannot iustifie And this is the auncient Roman faith receiued also and taught of the auncient Fathers both writing of this Epistle to the Romns and else where Chrisostome saith that this righteousnes is called Gods righteousnes because man cannot work it but God only And after That the Sonne hath perfected it wholie with his bloud And in another place verie notablie For thou shalt not obtaine this righteousnes by thy trauels and labours but thou
must freely receiue that which is from aboue of Gods free gift bringing with thee of thine only this one thing namely that thou beleeue Then which words what can more plainly impugne the doctrine of our aduersaries or shew what was the iudgement of this auncient father concerning this point But that consent and consenancy which we find in many of the Fathers as in Origen Hierom Ambrose Isichius Basil Athanasius Primasius Hillary Theodoret Bernard giuing that work to Faith only to saue or iustifie may sufficiently perswade vs how fast they held this old Religion or Romish faith that a man is iustified by faith without the works of the Law I may therfore I trust with Cyprian conclude that If Abraham beleeued God and it was accompted to him for righteousnes Euery one also that beleeueth God and liueth by Faith is found iust and is declared to be alreadie made happy and righteous in faithfull Abraham But the new Romish Religion is this That good works do merite iustification and eternall life So that by their good works they say they can satisfie for their sinnes And for this cause when at shrift they haue confessed their faults their ghostly father for so they terme him will inioine some penance vnto them wherby they tell them that they may satisfie for their sinnes and make recompence to God for them For almes and fasting saith one doth easily carie men into heauen And thus in this their new Religion they do not only expresly set themselues against that old Roman faith wherin we are taught that good workes cannot iustifie before God but also blasphemously they rob Christ of his office who is in truth onely that Lambe of GOD that taketh away the sinne of the world and is the propitiation for the same Who with one offering by offering himselfe a Sacrifice for our sins hath made perfect for euer them that are sanctified CHAP. V. ANd as this ancient faith which was then y e faith of the Romans when their faith was commended doth put vs past hope of béeing saued by our workes sait doth teach vs that this saluation is without our merit fréely bestowed vpon vs that beléeue Wee are saith S. Paule iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Whome GOD hath set forth to be a propitiation by faith in his bloud in declaring his righteousnesse by the forgiuing of sinnes that are past c. In which wordes wee see againe that our iustification is free therefore not for our workes but by grace Wée sée the meanes of this our saluation euen the redenption that is in Christ Iesus We are also taught the meanes how it is applied to vs by faith And that not simply by faith as if it were frée for vs to repose this our faith and confidence according to our owne fancy vpon any helpes that we can deuise but by faith in his bloude Then also we learne héere what is this iustification the forgiuenes of sinnes But is Christ onely profitable to them that were in his time and to vs that haue béene or are since Yes verily He declareth his righteousnes in forgiuing the sins that are past such as his chosen seruantes haue committed since the world began for so both S. Ambrose and their owne friend Tho. of Aquin séeme to vnderstand the sins that are past Which former sins or sins that are past seing it is receiued by so generall a consent of the olde translation and the interpreters I maruell that the Rhemists do leaue it out If we had so done we should haue beene cryed out vpon for falsifyers of the worde of God and deprauers of the same I woulde also aske why in translating into English they would rather retaine the Latin worde Gratis then set downe the English word Freely What was the English so plain that you could not deuise any colour that might seeme plausible to your fauorits for the maintenance of your new heresie If you thought so why giue you not glory vnto God confessing your errour that others might learne by you not to be deceiued any longer If you saw not your misliking why when you should translate and make the worde plaine doe you so hide this light vnder the close bushell of your wordes vnknowen to them that shoulde read your booke For thus our newe Masters of Rheimes do translate Iustified gratis by grace caet what these mean by translating thus let the world iudge But the summe of the auncient doctrine is this that we are iustified fréely without deseruing euen by the forgiuenes of our sinnes through faith in Christ his bloud which is gathered not onely out of the words of S. Paule by me alledged but also through out all his Epistles Which testimonyes I omit because that which is already said is so plaine and my especiall purpose is to shew what hath béene the auncient faith of the Romans As therefore we see what S. Paule taught them so let vs see if S. Peter in that his Epistle which they say he wrote from Rome haue said any thing for that point Hée saith That we are kept by faith vnto saluation And that The reward or end of our faith is the saluation of our soules And againe that Christ was shewed in these last times for your sakes saith he which by his meanes doe beleeue in God And whosoeuer shall mark how the Apostle S. Peter in that first Chapter of his first Epistle doth set forth the excellency of our hope and the redemption that we haue in Christ which is the end or reward not of our workes but of our faith yea how that Christ is shewed for vs that beléeue and that the Apostle in speaking of our saluation doth not make our workes any cause thereof but on the contrary ascribeth it wholly to Gods mercy euen to his abundant mercy apprehended by faith he must needs confesse that S. Peter hauing so good occasion to haue spoken of iustification by works yet not hauing once mentioned the same had not any purpose to deliuer that doctrine that our own works may iustify vs. But our new Romish Rabbies that haue nothing to vant themselues of but the rotten ruines of auncient Rome can abide no doctrine worse then this that wee are iustified by faith in Christ his bloud It is heresie with them to say that wee obtayne forgiuenesse of our sinnes by faith in Christ But to attribute that which onely Christes merites by his death and bloudshedding and faith apprehendeth to holy bread holy water pardons Agnus deis blessed graynes pilgrimages monkes bookes and cowles candels crossings and such like trifling trash is good deuotion and sound religion That which they call heresie we teach word for word out of the auncient doctrine of the Romans But that which they would haue the people beleeue concerning these toyes S. Paul S. Peter and S. Marke
the phisition And why Is it not euery one that standeth in neede may haue the medicine applyed yes verily For it will not otherwise doe them any good Now saith he faith giueth vs this spirituall health which vnlesse the minde receiue withall the heart it doth no good but rather hurt As therefore it doth no good to a diseased body to know that he may haue helpe vnlesse the physicke be ministred to him euen so in these sicknesses of our soule the assaultes of sinne without this particular applicution there can be no helpe Let therefore Master Bellarmine tel vs if he will that his fellow Catholickes of the Romish stamp do hold it rather a presumption then faith To be assured of the promise of speciall grace or mercy yet will we rather holde fast that auncient faith of Rome approued also by sundry fathers then wander with them in their wauering opinion and desperate doctrine But our new Romish teachers can abide nothing lesse then that we should teach men to assure themselues by faith of their saluation And therefore they teach this faith to be but an assent not a confidence and that it may be a generall knowledge not a particular and vndoubted persuasion or trust that we are iustifyed by Christ They take for a patterne of their faith that faith that the diuels haue as before out of Saint Iames I taught that they beleeue yea feare and tremble And while they make faith to be but a bare assent they thinke it an easy matter to beleeue for in deed the most wicked may haue such a fayth by this meanes it commeth to passe that they speake euill of our doctrine which they knowe not For wee doe not teach that popish faith doth iustify which is but an historicall assent to those thinges that are spoken of GOD but we say that that assured persuasion which Sainte Paul commendeth in Abraham and whereof himselfe reioyceth And whereby we are kept by the power of GOD vnto saluation wee teach that that doth not onely iustifie vs before God because it apprehendeth and taketh holde of him by and in whom onely wee are accompted righteousse in Gods sight but God by it doth also purifie our heartes Because it cannot be but that wee will haue a delight in Gods commaundementes if once this assured and vndoubted persuasion of Gods eternall goodnesse towardes vs be planted in our heartes Although therefore we still teach constantlie with our Sauiour Christ his Apostles that fayth without workes doth iustifie speaking of a true fayth and an assured confidence which was the olde Roman fayth yet we wil also say with the new Romanistes that the fayth of the nowe Church of Rome or that fayth which the diuels may haue cannot iustifye But this doth nothing hinder our cause for wee accompt not that bastard Roman faith worthy the name of faith So that in this latter assertion wee yeelde to them And in the former wherein we affirme that faith as it is an assured confidence taking holde of Gods mercy in Christ doth iustifie I would they also woulde yeelde vnto the trueth CHAP. VIII WEe haue séene then the most auncient doctrine of iustification by faith grounded vpon the first promise of the womans seede that shoulde breake the head of the serpent taught by the Apostles who yet ment not thereby to open a gap to licentious life because they speak not there of a deuelish faith a popish faith a dead faith that may be fruitlesse but of such a persuasion and so assured a confidence setled in the heart of the faithfull as will not suffer them to be idle or vnoccupied in godly workes as occasion shall bee offered And if wee looke further into the doctrine taught by the Apostles we shall also learne out of it not onely that it is necessary to doe good works but also howe and to what ende wee shoulde doe them For if our affection in doing them be not sincere if our direction and rule be not Gods holy word if our intention and ende be not Gods glory and the performance of our dutifull obedience vnto our Lord and Lawgiuer whatsoeuer our worke be called in name or seeme in shew it is not in deede a good worke First therefore for our affection not onely our Sauiour Christ who is a heauenly and true teacher of all trueth telleth vs that the trée of our heart cannot bring forth good fruite vnlesse it I meane the tree be good it selfe but also S. Paul teacheth vs that the flesh that is that part of man that is not regenerate striueth against the spirit whereby he is brought to that that Hee doth not the good thing which hee woulde but the euill which he would not And that through The rebelling Lawe in his members rebelling I say against the lawe of his mind and leading him captiue vnto the Lawe of sinne which is in his members Nowe if we marke why the Apostle maketh this complaint and addeth that grieuous and pitifull exclamation O wretched man that I am we must confesse that he was forced thereto because that Although he woulde doe good and had delight in the Lawe of God concerning the inner man yet his rebellious fleshe did trouble and molest him so that he could not so freely so holily and sincerely serue God as he shoulde haue done And that is it that in the sixt chapter he perswadeth vs that we ought not to sinne because we are dead to sinne so that we should not any more haue to doe therewith but should haue our affections freed from the same and wholly bent to serue God in holines And for this cause afterwardes when he beginneth to come to exhortations he layeth this as the ground and foundation of al That we must offer vp our selues euen our owne bodies a sacrifice to God For if we beginne not with our selues euen with our owne affections to haue them sanctified whatsoeuer we doe cannot bee holy And therefore S. Peter also who plentifully exhorteth to the performance of Christian dueties yet telleth vs before that we are elect vnto Sanctification For heereby our affections are reformed that in doing of al our works we may do them with a good heart And afterward he saith Seeing your hearts are purified in obeying the trueth through the spirite to loue brotherly without fayning loue one another with a pure heart feruently In which wordes we cannot but see how sincere an effection the Apostle requireth in performance of this dutie of loue which must also bee a patterne for vs to doe all good workes by for thy heart not béeing sincere thy workes are not pure though they seeme good As for the second point which is that our workes if we will that God shoulde accompt them good should be commaunded in Gods word and agréeable to his will it may appeare to be the auncient faith
to require that of them that S. Paule doth assure himselfe that he shal find in them namely that they are so filled with all knowledge that they can admonish one an other Yea this knowledg is so necessary for all Christians that Saint Paule alwaies wisheth it to be in such as he writeth vnto and prayeth that they may haue it But séeing this hope that is in vs is grounded vpon the word for otherwise it is but a foolsh fancy and no sound hope the knowledge whereby wee must be made able to aunswer of the same must be the knowledge of Gods worde Yea whatsoeuer besides that we doe know it may perchaunce some way satisfie our humour and serue for some turnes but this one knowledge is that onelie that is necessary and without which we cannot but erre as Saint Marke himselfe reporteth vnto vs that Christ told the Iewes Doe you not erre because you know not the Scriptures So that we sée that the auncient doctrine of the Church of Rome was this That to knowe Gods word is the meanes or power whereby God saueth vs and the séede of euerlasting life And therfore as the knowledge thereof is comfortable and profitable so to be ignorant thereof is very dangerous for any Christian man or woman But the now Romish Church doth not onely suffer without any publike shewing of their mislike the sacred Scriptures and Gods written worde to be most reprochfully disgraced and blasphemously scorned at by comparing it to a leaden rule a nose of wax Inkye diuinitie and with such like prophane and godlesse scornes but also they teach that that word of trueth wherewith Saint Iames saith God hath begotten vs is doubtfull and may be wrested any way it is not sufficient to teach vs all trueth without the helpe of traditions it is harde to be vnderstoode and therefore the people must not reade it And that it is best for the people to be ignorant still for ignorance is the mother of deuotion So that we see the auncient Church of Rome commended vnto vs Gods word as most necessary for Christians the now Church of Rome condemneth the same not as needlesse onely but euen as hurtfull and dangerous They hated ignorance as a sworne enemy to Christianitie these reuerence her as a fruitfull and the onely mother of popery Therefore the olde faith of the Romans and the newe Romish religion are in this nothing like And yet there is not any greater disgrace that they can lay vpon this powerfull worde then that which blasphemously they affirme and prophanely maintaine that eùen this power of GOD and immortall seede hath no power at all or authoritie vnlesse the Church authorize the same As though this power of God that it may be powerfull must receiue power from man and this seede that GOD that sower went forth to sowe cannot growe vnlesse man giue it increase CHAP. III. THere is also in these daies great question what is Gods word that is to say what that word is that should be the rule of religion and conuersation For the which the old religion of Rome was this That in any wise they should take héede of such as make diuision and giue occasion of euill contrarye to that doctrine which they had learned And S. Paule prayeth that they may be Confirmed according to his gospel and preaching of Iesus Christ As for other worde then that hee did teach or other gospell then that he did preach as he héere teacheth the Romans that they ought not to beléeue so he flatly writeth to the Galathians that If he or an Angell from heauen preach any other gospell they shoulde be so farre from receiuing it that they shoulde hold him accursed that bringeth it And S. Peter commending the worde whereby men by their sinfull nature mortall are made immortall poynting vnto that word sheweth what it is And this is saith he the word which by the gospell is preached vnto you And in the end of this his first epistle he protesteth This is the true grace of God wherein ye stand That is to say this faith or religion that you haue béene taught this doctrine of the gospell which you haue learned is the true faith the true religion a true doctrine For so do Claudius Guilliandus and Iac. Faber no enemies to popery expound it Then by the old faith of Rome we sée that that which they then preached and that which was agréeably to that rule is the truth euen that which was then Depositum committed or taught not any thing that should be afterward committed to them or taught And this is in trueth that old worde of God which was then acknowledged for Gods word and had not any beginning from later times this is in déed an auncient religion Which was promised before by the Prophets in the holy Scriptures But the now Romish faith cannot abide this doctrine And therfore our new M. of Rome haue decreed that al the books of the old and new testament as wel the Apocrypha as Canonical and also the traditions themselues concerning faith or maners shal with like affection bee beleeued and with like reuerence receiued Yea they are not ashamed to teach that these their traditions are more necessary and profitable then Gods word We see then that the old religion of Rome taught both by Peter and Paule is to rest in that worde that then was taught without adding thereto The Romish religion that now is doth arrogate vnto themselues alwaies to adde as they see cause which their additions are nothing else but an augmenting of the heapes of their superstitions whereas August Hierom. others appoint the listes and limites of Gods word to be the Law the Prophets the Euangelistes and Apostles CHAP. IIII. THen let vs come to the question of iustification which is y e very summe of true Christian diuinity And it is the intent and purpose of the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romans most exactly to teach the same For when the good séed of our frée iustification in and for Christ was sowen in the ground of their harts then came the enuious man and sought to sowe sundry sorts of bad wéeds there also For some there were that were altogether enemies to the gospell of Christ as were the obstinate Iewes who could not abide to heare of this saluation by Christ Others beléeued in part the gospell but thought yet that the ceremonies which God commanded not knowing that they were appointed but vntill the time of reformation should come should not be abrogated and therefore would mingle the Law with the gospell Who also looked to be iustified by the Law and the works therof because it was promised Hee that doth these things shall liue thereby There were also a third sort perchance namely such as were conuerted from Gentilisme that being proud of that grace that was broght
his glorie is nothing in comparison of mine And this is not onely by the pride of the Popes themselues but wheras stories teach that the godly Christians prayed for infidell Emperours now their diuines doe affirme it to be lawfull to disobey to rebell against and to depose such kings or princes as they will call heritickes yea to kill such is with them an action godly and honourable yea meritorious too Would any man haue thought that S. Peter who so humbly as a fellowe elder intreateth the elders to feed the flocke which God hath committed to them not as Lords ouer Gods heritage could euer haue had so degenerate a successour to haue sit in his chaire as they say the Pope doth and yet in pride of heart doth not onely aduance himselfe aboue al bishops but also ouer all creaturs Or would a man haue imagined these holy fathers would euer haue hatched so barbarous treasons Let this then be recorded of a memoriall to all posteritie and for a perpetuall staine to that bloudy Church of Rome the mother of all treasons and tretcheries of al vnnaturall and villainous practises that shee doth not onely directly oppose herselfe to the worde of God the doctrine of the Apostles and the very Law of nature and nations but also shee and her deere darlinges by their most vile practises doe crie it out vnto the world more shrill then the sound of any trumpet that they quite haue abandoned the affections of men Haue not we in England good cause to detest such doctrine and doctours who haue wrought so effectually in the heartes of many of our English fugitiues that their treasons haue no ende their crueltie hath no measure but that they desire and attempt to lay violent handes vpon the Lordes annoynted which the Godly of all times haue feared to purpose or thinke against the most wicked Yea doth not the Catholicke Tyrant that calleth himselfe by the name of a king but is in deede a reproch and shame to the verie name that he so hath dishonoured doth he not corrupt with gold and intice by all fayre promises subiectes to kill their princes and to murther them whome they ought to defende obey and reuerence It is too true it is too playne What kingdomes hath he not tempted what princes hath he not indaungered Howe many hath he gotten destroyed So that I am often times driuen to wonder and maruell what sluggishnesse or security possesseth the heartes of Christian kings and princes that they ioyne not their powers together against that common enemie not to princes onely but euen to mankinde His ambition increaseth as doe his daies his cruel purposes cannot be numbred He incrocheth cōtinually as he can vpon other mens right and vniustly if his might will serue dispossesseth the iust heires of their kingdomes and dominions His doings declare that he enuieth all your glory O you potentates and aspireth to euery of your inheritances and principalities And will you thus stand gazing on as men amazed at his strange attemptes whilest hauing preuailed against your neighbors he also take you in hand when his power shall be increased and yours diminished Doe you not know that it is high time for you to looke about you when your neighbours howse it set on fire Bande therefore and combine your selues together to reforme or restrayne his vnbrideled affections I doe not wishe his subiectes to rebell against him for that we see is vnlawfull but I pray God to put such a hearte and courage into his neighbours and equals that they woulde teach him to knowe that his omnipotente minde made proude with his might and wealth shall not alwaies be satisfyed with the spoyle of other But to leaue this Romish Catholicke to his Catholicke practises vntill God shall eyther conuert his heart or confound his power what cause hath the Pope so to magnifie himselfe and to claime such soueraigntie ouer them whom he ought to obey we see the Apostles would haue all without exception subiect to princes The Popes supremacy is not once mentioned although S. Paule writing to the Romans might haue had good occasion to haue commended the glory of that seate if any such thing had beene and S. Peter if he had any such soueraignty had iust cause to haue required submission to himselfe as wel as to kings and should haue made more accompt of himselfe then to be but a fellow elder with others But the Apostles haue bin taught to speake by the spirit of God The Popes haue done according to the pride of their owne heart And it is a verie strong presumption against the supposed soueraigntie which they say S. Peter had ouer all that S. Marke his fauorit and follower who also if stories be true wrote his gospell at Rome at the request of Peters wel-willers yet the same his gospell neyther maketh any mention of the great miracles which they woulde haue vs to Imagine that he wrought against Simon Magus which is one of their principall argumentes to proue Peters being at Rome neyther hath one worde more then the rest whereby we may gather any such superioritie in him And if he make any mention of Peter it is without any signification of his iurisdiction ouer others Yea when he speaketh of his calling he thus barely deliuereth it vnto vs. And Iesus passing by the sea of Galile hee sawe Simon and Andrew his brother c. And reporting the contention that was among the Apostles which of them should be chiefe he taketh no occasion to commend to them or to vs that soueraignty although the later time Iames and Iohn desired the same from him and the rest reporting how Christ reproued him he vseth no excuse no mitigation of the offence Now seeing neither when he setteth forth his calling neither in pointing to his infirmity neyther in noting these contentions he hath so much as any way signifyed his superioritie it followeth that eyther S. Marke was iniurious to his master in not giuing to him his due place or vnmindefull of his duetie to Gods Church in concealing from it so necessary an Article of religion as nowe they holde it or else that there was rather no such matter and therefore he coulde not write of it For after Christ was once ascended and the holy Ghost sent in visible forme then was it time to knowe all the Articles of religion so that our abuersaries cannot tell vs that S. Marke for modesties cause did not write of these thinges For not to write of that which is necessary to be beleeued if hee knewe it had beene greate wickednesse Subiection therefore to Princes was of the auncient faith of the first faithfull Romans But this soueraignty and Supremacy of the bishoppes of Rome is but a poynte of the newe learning or else the dregges of Simon Magus his pride CHAP. XVI THE Apostle hauing exhorted vnto such Christian dueties as we may not omit
for vs to marke the good councell and godly aduise of S. Paule It is better to marie then to burne and this commandement of the Apostle Peter Let the husbands dwell with their wiues as men of knowledge And this is the auncient faith and the holy practise of the Church of Rome in her purer age But the Church of Rome since that time which would seem more holy then euer god made her or more perfect then he requireth prophanely accompting of this holy ordinanuce as not pure inough for their vnpure Priests will not admit any into their holy orders of Prieste or deacon that will not wholy renounce for euer this holy institution and vowe to lyue alwayes a single life Which their impious and seruile ordinances hath not one probable proofe out of Gods word neither was it the auncient doctrine of the Church of Rome in somuch as some of them selues euen halfe ashamed of their forefathers doings confesse that in the primitiue Church there was no such thing required but that all men that would might marye As for such as are maryed if they wilbe made priestes or enter into their orders they must not by their tirannicall decree and decretals any more dwell with their wiues as S. Peter willeth but they must rather defraude one an other foreuer which Paul forbideth and with greate reason mysliketh Thus this their vowing of perpetuall single life they doe not onely highly commend but also do force their clergy to obserue the same yet it is not in al the Scripturs old nor new once commanded or cōmended vnto that calling aboue any other not once spoken of or practised that can appeare in the old Roman Church And formance of the duties of mariage which so straitly thapostles require of all that are maried without exception is not onely not furthered in the Romish Church that now is but also hindered in some with great seueritie And in such sort do they in all points almost behaue themselues as if they were of purpose disposed or set vp if not quite to abolish yet dangerously to corrupt alter and change whatsoeuer Christ and his Apostles left pure sincere And thus much of the contrarietie of their doctrine that nowe call themselues the Church of Rome to that which thapostles taught among the Romanes Now therefore in respect of their cloked falshood as Barnard speaketh in that they hide as he saith that which is true falsly inuent that which is not wee may iustly say of the Church of Rome as the same Father complaneth of the whole Church but especially in respect of the pride and abuse of that Church Al friends and all foes all necessaries all aduersaries all of one house none that insue after peace al neighbors all seeke their owne all Christes seruaunts all serue Antichrist Or as in another place hee bemoaneth the pitifull estate of the Church Peace in respect of pagans peace from heretikes but no peace with false children Thou O Lord Iesus hast multiplied the people but hast not increased our ioy because many are called but few are chosen And how little cause the Church of Rome hath to reioyce in her Catholikenes and to brag of her multituds how little cause she hath to increase her ioy if she thinke earnestly of it let the godly reader indifferently consider For seeing shee leadeth men from the pure waters of the worde of trueth vnto the vnsauorie pudles of her owne inuentions and hath corrupted that sincere milke that the auncient Romanes fed vpon with the poyson of her owne traditions wherewith the Church of Rome is now most dangerously aud deadly infected the moe that follow her the mo shall testifie that they are deceaued by her the greater that the multitude is that shee misleadeth the heauier in the end shall her iudgement be For seeing the inhabitants of the earth and drunken with the wine of her fornication therefore shal her plagues come at one day death and sorow and famine and shee shalbe burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God which will condemne her CHAP. XX. NOW besides these things which this degenerat Romishe Synagogue teacheth and doth contrary to the Doctrine and practice of the godly in the first and purer age of that auncient Church of Rome there are also many other things reckoned now in the Romishe Church for some principall poyntes of religion the denial or very doubting whereof would be punished among them with death and distruction which were not then among the godly once named or thought vpon nay rather which doe mightely and manifestly impugne that which they taught But because my purpose is in this treatise only to shew how farre vnlike that auncient fayth of the Romanes is to this new religion of the Romish Church by comparing that olde faith with this newe Religion which hitherto I haue siucerly doone it shall be sufficient onely to name these doctrines and doings which now they haue inso great accompt as I can remember them vntill they prooue out of such histories of that Romane faith as are of good record that they were vsed in that primitiue Roman Church First for that their gaynefull market and faire of Purgatorye fire where doe they finde it in the fore named writings In what place of S. Paules Epistle to the Romanes in what text out of S. Peter or S. Marke Out of S. Paule to the Romans they will not so much as dreame of anie proofe neither yet dare the learneder sort of them alleadge any thing out of saint Peter But yet the Rhemistes woulde fayne make the ignorant beleeue that there is somewhat in saint Peter for proofe of deliuering the soules out of some place of torment after this life What that place is they dare not tell vs confidently that it is Limbus patrum the place where they imagine the faythfull Fathers before Christ after death were kept they will not affirme And they doe the more wisely For saint Peter there saith onely thus much that Christ who was alwayes present with his Church Preached in spirit not going downe in soule to the spirits or soules that are nowe in prison which were in time past disobedient nowe this presence of Christ beeing but in power of his spirit to wit of his diuinitie of godhead Agayne it was to the destruction of those disobedient and stubberne men that would not heare Noah his preaching for but viii soules onely were saued and therefore howe little this will helpe their Purgatorie now or Limbus patrum then it is easie to sée But on the contrarie S. Marke doth plainly wring from them one of the places which especially they rest vppon for proofe of their purgatorie For whereas our Sauiour Christ in sainte Matthew speaking of the sinne against the holy Ghost saith It shall not be forgiuen him neither in this world not in the world to come Therefore say they there are sinnes
that are forgiuen after this life which must needs be in purgatory Saint Marke who commeth after saint Matthew and hearde belike his Maister saint Peter expound Christs meaning concerning that manner of speech for out of S. Hierom and Clemens of Alexandria the Rhemistes themselues confesse that S. Marke was Peters interpretor and according to that hee had heard of the mouth of S. Peter wrote at Rome a briefe Gospell at the request of the brethren which Peter also approoued and allowed of S. Mark I say who had such a teacher doth thus teach vs to expound or vnderstand those words of S. Matthew that hee that sinneth against the holy Ghost Hath not forgiuenes for euer but shalbe guiltie of eternall death So that if S. Peter him selfe be of that minde that S. Marke his disciple was we sée hee did not once dreame of any remission of sinne in another world by these words of our Sauiour Christ but expoundeth S. Matthew his sence to be for the latter must expounde the former when M. Bellarmine hath doone what he can to the contrarie that such sinne shal neuer be forgiuen And then I trust our aduersaries will not thus reason The sin against the holy ghost shall neuer be forgiuen therefore some sinnes shall after this life or in an other worlde bee forgiuen for then the children would spit and laugh at their folly And yet out of these words thus by S. Marke expounded all the Priestes at Rome and Rhemes cannot otherwise prooue this their conclusion Neere a kinne to this purgatory is their Limbus puerorum where they place children not baptised but let them shewe what warrant they haue for the same what proofe that it was then beléeued when the Faith of the Romans was commended Their Pilgrimages pardons and indulgences are very holy things if we will beléeue the Popish Church that now is called the Catholike Church of Rome But where doth Saint Paule commend them to the Romans Where doth S. Peter that had as good power to giue pardons as any Pope could haue either practise it or where doth he or his disciple commaund such things And besides such pedlary ware Agnus dei blessed graines and such paltry stuffe sent abroad in great packs into all places to abuse the world are thought to haue many vertues and to be of great efficacie for many good purposes But I pray you my Masters of Rome when did S. Peter bestow his time in making such trifles or in packing vp such wares to sell vnto Christians all Christendome ouer as it were in pedlers packs And how necessarie they will accompt the crosse to be in all their ceremonies and seruices he that readeth their books cannot but sée And whatsoeuer antiquitie they wil pretend for the same yet they cannot teach that S. Paule and S. Peter either taught the Romans to vse it or themselues made any either vpon themselues or other Reliques they loue so well that if they cannot get the boans or reliques of good men and women yet any other such like be they of men or wemen neuer so bad will serue their turne so that they be said to be the Reliques of such a Saint Wherby it commeth to passe that some men and wemen who while they liued were like others hauing no superslous lymmes of their bodie now when they are dead are by these Romish charmers turned into such monsters as that they haue some many heads others many legges others great numbers of armes and so the parts of their bodies are multiplied excedingly belike they were buried in a fruitfull soyle and yet euery Priest that sheweth these reliques commend that they haue to be the true relique some miracle or vision euery one of them also would commonly faine to proue that which they said of their relique to be true And yet many of them must néedes be false For one man or woman had but one head two armes and so of the rest accordingly And therfore all besides that one head or those other true parts of the bodie must needes be false It is written that one of our Kings of England named Edward was euill troubled with the toothache And who knoweth not that Saint Apolines teeth are a préesent remedie for the same disease yf their lyes may goe for true reportes King Edward therefore belike being desirous to haue the true teeth of S. Apoline to aply to his teeth commaunded that the teeth of S. Apoline that were in all the Churches through the Realme kept for reliques should be sent to him which being brought were sound mo then would goe into some greate Hogsheades or vessels And yet I warrant you y t in euery Church they were perswaded that they had in deed S. Apolines teeth But in the auncient faith of the Romans what mention is made or what example is found of any such reliques To these may be added their shrift and Satisfactions very iniurious to Christ his death and that satisfaction which he in his body hath made for vs by that one onely sacrifice which vpon the altar of the crosse he offered to his father Their number of seven Sacraments hath no warrant out of any of these writings And to be short their prayer in an vnknowen tongue and strange language not vnderstoode of them selues that do pray I would haue them to shew how this together with their halfing of the 〈◊〉 of Christs bodie and bloude and many such like things can be proued to be taught by word or deede vnto that primitiue Church of Rome by S. Paule S. Peter or S. Marke which thing they can neuer doe If then in all such poynts as are in controuersie among vs wherof we find anie thing deliuered to vs by these holy men messengers of God the Church of Rome if shee teach not cleane contrarie wandreth verie much from that auncient Romane faith as in the 19. first chapters of this treatise it doth I trust appeare And if in these latter points of religion mentioned in this last chap. which they also make gret accompt of they haue neither word nor example of these Apostles or S. Marke to commende vnto the world such doctrines deuises what cause is there I pray you why that apostolicall Church of Rome that hath so manyfestly reiected that old faith and so wholy corrupted the auncent religion that ther was taught should so confidently term her selfe the Apostolicke and Catholicke Church of Christ With what face dare they tel vs that the faith of Rome is commended when as nothing doth more conuince them of Apostacy then to try the leaden religion that now is there taught by the touchstone of that faith that then was there preached And with shame enough may they tell vs that that faith of the auncient Romans is commended which most cruelly and stubbornly condemne the same persecute it most bloodily in Christ his members as