The Emperour Basilius doth also intimate this when speaking to the layetie c In 8. Syn. nullo modo vobis licet de Ecclesiasticis causis sermonem mouere haec inuestig are quaerere Paetriarcharum Pontificum SacerdotuÌ„ est qui regiminis officium sortiti sunt Ecclesiastic as adepti sunt claues non nostrum qui pasci debemus c. he saith It is no way lawfull for you to medle with Ecclesiasticall causes to sound and examine them belongs to Patriarkes Bishopes priests who haue the gouerment and keyes of the Church It appertaynes not to vs who are to be fedd to be sanctified to be bound vnbound Of the same sense was Constantine in the Councell of Nice Gratiane in the Coun of Aquilea Theodosius the younger in the Ephesine Councell and diuers other Emperours in many other places In contemplation wherof a Lib. 5. epist 25. Scimus piisamos Dominus Sarerdoâ—â—â—tòus negottis non se immiscere S. Gregorie saith we know that our most pious Lords doe not meddle in the affaires of preists And that the Princes if they had any such pretention were not well grounded S. b Epist adsolit â—iâ—aÌ„ agentes Quandoae conatio aeuo anditum est quod indicium Ecclesiae authoritateÌ„ suaÌ„ ab Imperatore accepit Plurima antea Synodi fucre multa iudicia Eecâ—esiae habitae sunt sed neque Patres isliusmodires principi persuadere conati sunt nec Princeps se in Ecclesiasticis causis curiosum praebuit Athanasius doth witnesse Vvas it euer heard saith he from the creation of the world that the iudgment of the Church had authoritie from the Emperour Many Councells haue bene celebrated the Church hath often past her iudgment but nether would the Fathers persuade the Prince to any such thing nor did the Prince shew himselfe curious in causes of the Clergie and a litle after c Quis videns eum in decernendo principeÌ„ se facere EpiscoporuÌ„ praesidere iudiciis Ecclesiasticis â—â—on merito di â—at eum illam ipsam desolaetioneÌ„ esse quae a Daniele praedicta est who is he that seeing him he speakes of Constantius the Arian Emperour take vpon him to be Prince of Bishops to decree and preside in Ecclesiasticall iudgmeÌ„ts that will not say with iust reasoÌ„ that he is the desolation of abomination foretold by the Prophet Daniel S. Ambrose doth the like when writing to Valentinian the yonger who being corrupted by the Arians would iudge in matters of faith he vseth these words a Ambros l. 2. epist 13. Si vel scripturaruÌ„ se rieÌ„ diuinaruÌ„ vel vetera teÌ„porae retractemus quis abnuat in causae inquam fidei Episcopos solere de Imperatoribus Christianis noÌ„ Imperatores de Episcopis iudicare Eris Deofauente etiam insenectutis maturitateprouectior tunc de hoe censebis qualis ille Episcopi â—â— sit qui I aicis ills Sacerdotale substernit .... si confereÌ„dum de fide Sacerdotum debet esse istae collatio sicut factâ— est sabâ— onstaÌ„tino Augusta memâ—riae I 〈◊〉 cipe Et Tract de Basil non tradend Quid honorificentius quam vt Imperator Ecclesiae filius dicatur If we ether reflect vpon the order of Scripture or tymes by-past who will deny but that in points of faith in points of Faith I say the Bishopes were accustomed to iudge of Emperours not they of Bishops Vvith the helpe of God goes he on tyme will ripen thee and then you wilt iudge what kind of Bishope he is who will subiect Priestly right to laymen if a conference be to be had of faith it belongs to the Preists as it happened vnder Constantine Prince of sacred memorie Vvhat hath an Emperour more honorable then to be stiled the sonne of the Church That that which the Fathers say herin is verified by the Scripture the punishment which befell those who would needs lay hand vpon the Thurible doth confirme Further it would not b 2. Agg. 2. v. 12. command that things belonging to the law should be demaÌ„ded from the mouth of the Preist without making any mention at all of kings if both were equally lawfull It would not c 2. Paralypom say that Amarias should preside in things belonging vnto God marrie in those that apperi ayne to the office of a king Zabadias if their Courts were not distinguished To conclude d Ephes 4. v. 11. S. Paule making a long list of those who haue power in the Church had not begun with the Prophetes Euangelists Pastours and Doctours not mentioning kings if their authoritie had extended so far Againe put case the king had power to medle in such causes would you be content he should sitt vpon yours with obligation to stand to his iudgment Yes euen as the Donatists who appealed to Constantine stood to his you will stand to it if it fauour and like you appeale from it if it dislike or goe against you God saith e Vvhitak controu â— q. 5. c. 4. Iudicium sibi Deus reseruanit nulli hominum permisit one of your prime Authours following therin the donatists reserued the iudgement of religion to himselfe alone and did not grant it to any man why then will you haue the king to iudge But le ts see whether you haue a hart to enter into the lists as you make a flourish None will beleeue in my opinion that he that will not admitt of ordinarie weapons hath a desire to fight though otherwise he proclaime a loode chalance and who knowes not that in reiecting the authoritie of the Church Fathers Councells and Traditions you refuse the ordinarie weapons which are vsed in combats of Faith But oh you will admitt of the scripture and we also most willingly admitt of it yet not as it is in your hands that is Scripture not authenticall maymed corrupted interpreted according to your owne braine and most ordinarily against the true sense but the scripture preached and interpreted by the Church the pillar and rock of truth wherby we are to be deliuered from all errour Vvho could away with him that in a ciuile cause in a difficultie of importance would onely stand to the text of written lawes reiecting the explication of Doctours the credit of the historie practise and common custome in fine the authoritie of the Iudges who are appointed to doe iustice to all men But were he not yet more insupportable who onely admitting of written lawes should reiect those that are directly against him and interprete the rest following his owne fanticie In these termes are you wherby it well appeares that though you make shew to desire a conference yet indeed you flie it contenting your selues to haue occasion to bruit abroad amongst your friends that you offered a disputatioÌ„ concealing from them in the interim that you refused the iust and reasonable conditions therof apprehending that you haue done sufficiently in putting out some smale pampletes which decide nothing at all
c Philip. 2. v 7. he did for vs exinaniee himselfe taking the forme of a seruant That of the greater or lesse honour which doth accrue vnto God is but a bad way to establish one article of Faith and destroy another Vvher vpon d Hil. l. 1. de Trinit Religiese impius l. 4. irreisgiosam de Deo selt â—tudinem S. Hilarie tearmes the Arians who vse that way of proceeding Religiously vvicked people who doe irreligiously serue God Other grounds are necessaire Vve must know what the Church teacheth vs and those that are so carefull of Gods honour ought to be verie carefull to be in structed in it least they iniure him in deedes whom they honour in words which they doe in expressing things otherwise then they are indeede it being certaine as saith a Cassian l. 1. de Incarnat Quod non dicitur it ae vt est etiamsi honor videatur contumelia est Cassian disciple of S. Chrysostome that that vvhich is not exprest as it is though it seeme honourable is indeede a true contumelie That which is true be it of what kinde it will honours God because he would haue it so and that all his wills are to his owne aduantage But what is false though in apparance aduantagious turnes to disaduantage And though many things beare no proportion with the greatnes of the Almightie yet haue they connection with the infinite perfectioÌ„ of his loue and Charitie which appeares somuch the more perfect and accomphished by how much in vertue therof he descends to things more lowe and abiect And therfore it is an abuse to alledge gods honour to dazle and blinde the people Yet this you doe while you represent your Religion hated for fiue points which you esteeme honorable for him as being honorable in your opinion to Iesus Christ which is but yet so in apparance onely Hereupon I am forced to tell you with a Tertul. l. de pudic c. 2. talia tantae sparsilia eoruÌ„ quious Deo adulentur sibi lenocinantur effoeminantia magis quam vigoraÌ„tia disciplinaÌ„ Tertullian that those litle shiftes by vvhich you become flatterers of God and your selues doe rather vveaken then strengthen discipline So considering Religion in the shape you represent it me thinks I see not a chaste wife but a strumpet set out with sundrie adulterate colours to seduce the world and kill you come from you and become mistresse of your life which moues me to the end I may deliuer the people from errour to vndertake to wash her face vnmaske her and discouer her deformitie following the example and foot stepps of the Prophete who speaking of an Idolatrous b Nahu 3. Propter mu. titudinem fornicationuÌ„ meretricis speciosa gratae habeutis maleficiae quae veÌ„didit gentes in fornicationibus suis faemiliaes in maeleficiis suis Reuelabo pudenda tua in facie tua ostendam gentibus nuditaetem tuam regnis ignominiam tuam nation vseth these words For the abundance of the fornications of a faire charmeing and mischieuous strumpet vvho hath sold nations in her formcations families in her diuelish prankes I vvil discouer thy shame in thy face and vvill shevv thy nakednes to all nations and thy ignominie to kingdomes Which I will doe so much the more willingly because I haue learnt of b Concil in psal 36. Tanto magis debemus commemorare vanitatem haereticorum quanto magis quaerimus salutem eorum S. Augustine that by how much more we desire the saluation of Heretikes by so much more we ought to indeuour to make the vanitie of their errour appeare SECTION II. VVe vvould make it clearely appeare vnto him that our religion is hated because it admitts no other rule of saluation then the vvord of God contayned in holy scripture ANSWERE IT is false that your Religion is hated for that it admitts no other rule of saluation then the scripture but true it is that it is worthy of hatred for the diuers abuses which it committs in Scripture That we teach no other rule of saluation then scripture will be manifest to any that knowes that these words an other rule doe importe in proper speach a Rule of a diuers kind as I will hereafter proue in the ensuing Section and withall an intire rule as I will presently make appeare following your owne tenets who will not admitte the Ghospell of S. Mathew to be an other rule then that of S. Marke considering they are but two parts of the same Rule and that this word rule simply taken signifies a compleate rule for as S. Basile saith a Rule admitts no addition but things that are imperfect are neuer rightly instiled by the name of Rule Now we nether admitt Rule of any other king then the scripture nor yet any compleate rule other then it yea we call it the compleate rule of our saluation for two reason both because it contaynes immediatly and formally the substance of our Faith all the articles necessarie necessitate Medij for mans saluation and also because it doth mediately comprehend all that we are to beleeue in that it doth remitt vs to the Church to learne the same which it assures vs is infallible Hence it followes that we draw that truth out of the scriptures which we receaue by the mouth of the Church if reason may preuayle which teacheth that whoso euer deputes another to speake for him speakes mediatly by his mouth and if a Aug. lib. 1. cont Cresco c. 33. Quamuis huius rei certè de scripturis Catholicis non proferatur exemplum earundem tameÌ„ scripturarum etiam in hacre à nobis tenetur veritas cum hoc facimus quod vniuersae placuit Ecclesiae quam ipsarum scripturarum commeÌ„dat authoritas Etsimi lia lib. de vnit Eccles c. 22. S. Augustine who deliuers it in expresse termes may gaine beleife Albeit saith he one can produce no example of scripture concerning this matter yet hold vve in it the truth of the same scripture since vve doe that vvhich is conformable to the vniuersall Church vvhom the authoritie of the selfe same scripture doth commend vnto vs. Behold in what esteeme the Scripture is with vs for which cause we also are to be esteemed Now we will see whether by reason of it you deserue not hatred though not in that sense in which you say you are hated for it But before we come to that point permit me I beseech you to extenuate a litle the glorie you hunt after in establishing the Scripture the onely rule of your saluation by making you share it onely with diuers Here tikes who before your tyme sustayned the same opinion So said the Manichies I can in no sorte saith Fortunatus in a Aug. l. cont Fortunatum Nullo genere rectè me credere ostendere pessum nisieaÌ„dem sideÌ„ scripturarum authoritate firmauerim S. Augustine make appeare that I rightly beleeue vnlesse I confirme my Faith
and doth accnowledge it to be such that by good right it ought to be a Retinenâ—â—m esse eleationem hi vhi vt npiae prohieiur abolendam vbi vt ni cessaria prcipitur retayned and obserued where it is prohibited as impious There be also others of yours who place it amoÌ„gst the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are nether commanded nor prohibited finally others confesse that it was in vse in the primitiue Church as they make good by the testimonies of the Fathers Wher vpon b Vvitemberegenses refutationâ— Orthodoxi consensus p 101. Eleua tionem ren adiophoraâ— quaea Chris nec praecept nec prohibi sit omnes ir telligentes pios fateriâ—â— non dubium est Et Hospâ—â—nian par 1. Histo l. 2. fo 31. In primâ—tiua Ecclesisymbola Eucharistica paululum eleuata populo ostensa fuetunt we are moued diligently to defend and conserue it and the rather because as you affirme it was the counsell of your first father or if it please your worp that we should change it sith c Dionysj Ecclesiae Hierar cap. 3. Chrysostomihomil 36. in 1. Corinth hom 3. ad Ephes Basilij Lib. d sp s c. 27. c. Rom. 4. v. 15. S. Paule teacheth vs that where there is no law there is no transgression produce I beseech you one passage of the scripture which doth prohibite it which if you cannot performe confesse at least that the Church is indowed with sufficieÌ„t power to institute the same for d S. Augustine holds it to be a meere madnes to contende that that is not to be done which the Church is accustomed to doe through the vniuersall world Wherto e one of yours also doth assent in these words that any may be compelled and conuinced by the authoritie of the Church and that heretikes are not more forcibly and efficatiouly vrged by any externall argument SECT IV. OF MASSES WHERE THE ASSISTANTS DOE NOT COMMVNICATE BY this same rule you will loose this cause too I meane the question which you moue about priuate masses 〈◊〉 Epist. 118. 〈◊〉 Vvhitat â—ontrou 1. q. 〈◊〉 cap. 5. â—â— ffateor â—os haereâ—â—cos cogi â—onuinci posâ—â— author â—taâ—e â—â—elesiae â—ec alto argumento exâ—e â—â—o vâ—â—â—diâ—s ac forâ—ius preâ—â—i â—areticos as you please to tearme them and communion vnder both kinds in both which kinds the Church did many yeares agoe practise what we now practise How beit I will briefely touch both those points hoping to make manifest that you are as ill grounded in those as in the others which we haue alreadie examined There is no man that doth not ingenuously confesse that the celebration of the Euchariste when the people doe communicate is more perfect then that where they communicate not common reason conuinceth that to all the world both because the fruits of the sacrifice are more fruitfully communicated when the hoste is consummated by the assistants worthyly disposed then when it is not receaued by them and also because this mysterie being both a sacrament and a sacryfice is more perfectly accomplished when it is not onely offered to God in sacryfice but also imparted to the people as a sacrament For these considerations the ancient canons and Fathers doe inuite exhort yea command christians to coÌ„municate at the masses which they hearè and the Councell of Trent doth expresly desire it Sess 2â— Wher for if you pretend no more but that it were better that the faithfull should communicate all at the masses they heare we doe loyne hands with you And in this cause in lieu of condemning the good and wholsome doctrine of the Church in this point as in all the rest you should complaine of the indeuotion of the people sith it is their coldnes that is cause of their not communicating not the Pastours fault But â—f your bent be to condemne the masses where the assistants communicate not to be vnlawfull we must oppose and with great reason in all mens iudgment since none are found who iustifie your pretentions and condemne ours If the masses where the people communicate not were vnlawfull it must needs be because the oblation of the Euchariste as it is a sacrifice should be necessarily annected to the participation of the people in the Eucharist as it is a Sacrament which could onely come to passe two wayes other by reason of the nature of the sacrifice or because God would haue it so By reason of the sacrifice it cannot be since it is manifest that its beeing doth not depend of the participation of the assistants none did eate of the holocausts which were wholy coÌ„sumedâ— none did participate after the manner we speâ—ke of of that which was ordayned by Moyses for the remission of sinnes Leuit. 6. for as it is written preists alone had libertie to eate of it Nâ—y in the sacryfice of the Crosse which was offered for vs all none at all did participate in that manner in which our aduersaries would oblige vs to partake in the Eucharist Nether can one affirme that Iesus-Christ would haue no masses celebrated without communicants there nether being any formall law nor expresse word in all the scripture whence you will haue all the truthes of faith to be deriued wherby we may gather it You will happily say that Christ in his last supper communicated his Apostles and consequently that we are bound to imitate him by distributing the Eucharist to the people But this proues no more but that the people may communicate that it is to be desired that they would communicate and that when they will it should not be refused them but it imports not that we are bound to thrust the Eucharist vpon them against their will and that we are not to celebrate vnlesse they communicate For who is able to sustayne that in case the Apostles had not communicated our sauiour had not celebrated the Euchariste Who dare affirme that it was Gods will that so glorious à mysterie should haue depended vpon the will of another and that the indeuotion of the comon people should make the Pastour indeuoute But I would willingly aske you since you make our sauiours imitatioÌ„ an inuio lable law vnto you alwayes to communicate the people Cap. de Euchar. Ad rectam Eucharistiae actionem requiruntur ad minus duo â—idelices Minister bucharistiae benedicens â—s cui Eucharistiae Sacramertum dispensatur why doth it not oblige you also to communicate all the people Which yet you doe not for the Confession of Witemberg is content that one onely should coÌ„municate and againe many are present at your suppers who coÌ„municate not In à word seeing S. Paul doth tell vs that where there is no law there is no transgression and that sinne is à trangession of the law and seing you produce no place of scripture which condemnes vs you your selues stand guiltie of the fault not in this respect onely but in many others First by
them vnto a gentleman of our religion to bring them vnto vs. ANSWERE SInce Euery man vnderstands his owne busines best I haue nothing to say vpon this paragrafe which toucheth F. Arnould he hauing in his replie answered it himselfe onely this I will say he that knowes his merits learning Zeale and moderation of mynd will easily iudge him to be a man of greater performance then vndertaking and more prone to render your soules gratefull to God then your persons hatefull to men CHAP. XIII MINISTERS THis Soueraigne Lord did oblige vs to make answere for this confession hauing bene made to giue an accompt of our faith to our Soueraignes and to that effect being presented to king Henry the II. your predecessour we thought fitt to addresse the Defence of the same confession to his successour in whose presence it was calumniated And I wish to God we were licenced to propose our defence verbally in the presence of your Maiestie and were authorised publikly and in presence of the king which God hath bestowed vpon vs to mantayne the truth of the Gospell against those that doe diffame it which is a thing which your Maiestie ought also to desire For seeing a dissension amongst your subiects in point of religion what is more conuenient then that he who is the common father of vs all should know in what the difference consistes and see the ground of the processe and to this effect he should looke to the head of the fountaine to discouer what Christian religion was in its source For he that is established on earth to see that God be serued ought exactly to know the rule of Gods seruice he who in his charge represents God's royaltie ought in his actions to imitate his iustice which how can it be done without knowing the soueraigne rule of Iustice which is the word of God Vvher vpon it is that God commands kings continually to haue before their eyes the booke of the law therin to read all the dayes of their life But if they permitt themselues to be hood winked and be content to follow without seeing the way before them the Popes and Prelates haue faire occasion to accommodate religion to their priuate lucre and crect their owne greatnes vpon the ruines of the Ghospell For now religion is made a trafike and those our great Masters haue inuented rules of pietie which doth intrench not onely vpon the liuing but euen vpon the deade To no other end haue the Popes for some ages past probibited the kings your Maiesties Predecessours to read the holy Scripture but that their Empire is grounded vpon the ignorance of Gods word Neuer had it bene permitted to haue growen so great with the diminution of the greatnes of our Kings if they had not wrought vpon the aduantage of an obscure age wherin few people discouered their designe He could not haue made himselfe soueraigne Iudge in points of faith if the people had had the rule of faith before their eyes which God long agoe pronounced with his owne mouth ANSWERE IT is a great art in him that is feable and fearefull to fayne himselfe bold and valourous you put a good face vpon it and beare it boldly to make the world beleeue that you haue a great desire to appeare before the king to make good in his presence and in publike the truth of your new Gospell Your words which sound no other thing but a chalance wherby you prouoke all the Clergie of France to a publike disputation makes me call to mynd the Troian wherof mention is made in Homere Iliad 7 who boldly prouoked to combate marrie when it came once to blowes he stood in neede of a cloud to couer his flight and shame Vve could with facilitie if we pleased refuse to giue you battaile without the disaduantage of our dishonour or affording you occasion of complaint For Luther doth sustayne that we are not to dispute with such as renew old heresies which were long agoe condemned But we will not proceede so rigorously with you the Church of France by Gods prouidence being prouided of store of Prelates wherof I am the least and of an infinite number of Doctours who vpon all occasions will make appeare the veritie of her doctrine the vanitie of your errours The onely shadow of that great Cardinall will alwayes be able to defeate you for the same reason for which the Picture of Alexander made him quake vnder whose powerfull hand he had somtymes sunke to the grouÌ„d Is it not a mere flatterie to inuite a king to discerne differences in religion Vvill you haue princes to assume to themselues the authoritie of Iudges in such causes Though you would yet would not your brethren consent therto Princes themselues haue no such pretension The Holy fathers giue testimonie and the Scriptures teach that iustly they cannot doe it That your brethren will not haue it so they themselues shall speake Princes saith a Bezainconfess c. 5. art 15. Principes Synodo intersint non vt regnent sed vt seruiaÌ„t non vt leges condant sed vt ex Deiverbo per os ministrorum explicatas sibi aliis obseruandas proponant Beza are present in synods not to rule but to serue not to inact lawes but to propose those to be kept by themselues and the people which according vnto the word of God are explicated by the mouth of the Minister The Prince saith b Controu 5. lib. 2. c. 18. De sensu fidei mec cognoscit Princeps nec cognoscere officio Principali potest Iunius nether doth nor can by vertue of his charge iudge of the meaning of faith Vve say saith c Controu 1. q. 5. c. 4. Dicimus lites Ecclesiasticas decernendas esseex lege diuina per Ministrum Item cap. 6. Respondeo Martinum Ecclesiae vindicare iudicium de genere doctrinae non coÌ„cedere Imperatort c. Vhitakere that Ecclesiasticall differences are to be decided by the Minister in vertue of the diuine law In another place I answere that Martine doth ascribe the iudgement of points of doctrine to the Church he doth not grant it to the Emperour and who will deny that this iudgment appertaynes to â—ishopes Finally it belongs not to kings and Princes to confirme euen true doctrine but they are to be subiect to and obseruant of it saith Luthere That Princes doe not pretend to make themselues Iudges in matters of Faith the a Apud Soz. l. 6. c. 7. Mihiquisum de sorte plebis fas non est talia perserutari Sacerdotibus ista curae sunt Emperour Valentinian doth confirme in these words It is not lawfull for me who am of the ranke of the people to sound and search into those things they are committed to the Preistes care It belongs me not saith the same as b Epist 32. noÌ„ est mecum iudicare inter Episcopos S. Ambrose relates to iudge of the differences which rise amongst Bishops
de contribuer vos soins pour appaiser les troubles de la Chrestienté F. Leon de Paris Gardien of the Capueins of the Conuent of S. Honorie Fr. Archangell of Paris Gardien of the Capucins of S. Iameses Fr. Baltazar Langlois Prior of the Dominicains of S. Iames street F. Renault de Vault Prior of the great Conuent of the Carmelites of Paris Doctor of Diuinitie où nous prenons vn interest bien plus sensible qu'en ce qui nous pourroit concerner THE PRINCIPALL POINTS OF THE FAITH OF THE Catholike Church DEFENDED AGAINST the vvriting directed to the king by the foure Ministers of Charenton THE FIRST CHAP. MINISTERS SOVERAIGNE LORD The knovvledge which we haue of the mildnes of your naturall disposition makes vs hope that you will heare vs in our iuste complaintes and that to giue iudgement in an importāt cause you will not be satisfyed with hearing the accusation Againe the greatnes of your courage and the vigour of your witt which out run tyme and outstripe your age and wherof God hath alreadie made vse to restore peace to France fills your subiects vvith hope to see Peace and Pietie florish and Iustice maintayned vnder your raigne ANSWERE ONe may see that by experience in the first lines of your writing which is frequently noted by aunciēt historians Arrius in ep ad Constant apud Sozom. lib. 2. c. 26. Nestoriani tom 3. Conc. Ephes c. 18. that it is an ordinarie thing with such as erre in Faith to charme the eares of Princes with specious words that they may with more facilitie make glide into their hearts and imprint therin the opinions which they professe You extolle his Majesté thinking vnder the sweetnes of a truth to make him take downe that which is depraued in your beleifs and to couch vnder faire appearances the serpent which doth distroy soules as that Aegiptian hidde the aspe vnder figues which slew her The qualities which you attribute vnto the kinge doe truely appertayne vnto him nor haue I indeede any thinge to doe vpon this subiect but to approue the prayses wihich you asscribe vnto him and withall to adde to them euery one knowing not onely the strength of his witt and the fulnes of his courage but further the soliditie of his iudgement the inbred goodnes of his nature his pietie towards his people and zeale in point of Religion Yet in truth one that would be rigorous considering that a Respons ad epist Luth. Henry the eight king of England vvhom you so highy esteeme cōtemnes the prayses which Luther whom he condemnes of heresie ascribes vnto him might propose vnto his Maiestie to impose silence vpon you or at least to stop his eares against that which euen with truth you speake to his aduantage But I will nether indeuour the one nor the other the vehement desire and hope I conceaue of your conuersion There is nothing sayde in this Chapter of the Ministers inuiting the king to iudge of their cause ansvver being made thereto in 3. Chap. oblige me to treate you more mildly I will content my selfe to discouer vnto him your craft which consists in thinking to please him in euerie thing to thend you may please him in this point and vpon this I dwell praysing you for the prayses you giue him according to your dutie each subiect being obliged to speake and thinke well of his king CHAP. II. MINISTERS You haue SOVERAIGNE in your kingdome many thousands making profession of the old Christian Religion and such as Iesus-Christ did institute it and the Apostles did publish and put it downe in writing who for this cause haue suffered horrible persequutions which yet could neuer impeach their continuall loyaltie to their soueraigne Prince yea when the necessitie of the kingdome called they ran to the defence euen of those kinges who had persequuted them They DREAD SOVERAIGNE serued Henry the great your Father of most glorious memorie for a Refuge dureing his afflictions and vnder his conduct and for his defence gaue battaills and at the perill of their liues and fortunes brought hym by the point of the sword to his kingdome maugre the enemyes of the state Of which labours damages dangers others then they reape the revvard for the fruite which we reape therby is that we are constrayned to goe serue God far from Townes that the entrie to any dignities is become to vs for the most part impossibile or at least full of difficultie That our new borne children who are carried a far of to Baptisme are exposed to the rigour of the weather whence many die that we are hindred to instruct them yet that which doth most aggreeue vs is that our Religion is diffamed and denigrated with calumnies in your Maiesties presence while yet we are not permitted to purge our selues of those imputations in the presence of the said Maiestie ANSWERE IT is the custome of those that are tainted with errour to brage most of that which they least haue and to boast of it in aduātagious words which are ordinarie with them as S. a S. Hieron Osea cap. 10. Spumantibus verbis rumēt Hierome doth remarke This truely is your proceeding while you somme vp by millions your followers in France though now they be reduced to a far lesse number Imitating herin the Donatists who though but few in number brought downe to a part of Affrike and that a litle one too did yet make brages of the multitude of their followers You make vse of a deceipt yet easie to be discouered you see that the scripture and all the b Hieron tentra Lucif Fathers make the Catholike Church the lawfull Spouse of Iesus-Christ more fruitefull then any adulterer wherevpon you attribute to your selues many brethren but in vaine it being cleare euen vnto the blind that the number of yours are no more considerable in respect of the kings other subiects then all those that are of your professiō in the whole world being compared to those who in all christendome liue vnder the lawes of the Romane Church That this is so it is easie for me to proue by the same argument which a S. Aug. cap. 3. de vnitat◠Eccles lib. de Past c. 18. S. Augustine makes vse of against the Donatists for the vniuersall Church making onely appeare that your beleife hath no place in diuers townes and places of this kingdome where the Catholike Church is and that yet the Catholike Church is found in euery place where profession is made of your religion so it is not strange that when b Caluin 2. Colos 2. v. 19. videmus vt modo procer sit ac amplun Papae regnused prodigios magnitudine vrgeat Et in Praef. lib. de libero arbit Nos exiguun sumus home num manus illi Papistae ingentem faciunt exerc◠tum some of your owne men doe compare the number of their followers with the number of Catholikes they confesse that theirs is
It is the part of a subiect to serue without voyceing his seruices leauing the accnowlekgment and publishing therof to the Prince If the Prince come short of our iust expectation yet hath a man no actioÌ„ of coÌ„plaint against him If a man coÌ„playne he is blameworthy and coÌ„sequently much more if he complaine while he hath cause to commend The Reader shall iudge whether those that haue bene admitted by their kings to establish a new Chaire in a state to erect a new ministrie who ly coÌ„trarie to that which they accnow ledge to be the tiue Ministrie of the Almightie who haue full libertie to make profession of a Belief directly opposite to theirs who are admitted to offices dignities and estates who by the benefit of the kings bountie inioy no smale number of townes and Castles for their safetie though all the rest of the French doe absolutely relie vpon his faith the true and sole Refuge of subiectes finally if those who haue large pensions who receaue grate benefits in whose fauour verie aduantagious Edicts are made and inuiolably kept the Reader I say shall iudge whether such people haue cause to complaine of their kings and tacitly to accuse them of ingratitude while they declare them selues loaden with iniuries for reward of their seruices If the Anabaptists had afforded as much assistance to some one of your Princes for the recouerie of his Estats as you pretend to haue afforded to Henry the Great would you counsell him to permit them more libertie then you inioy in France Or inioying so much would you admitt of their complaintes for that they did not iaioy equall libertie with you To conclude I appeale to your owne coÌ„sciences not onely whether all the Princes which professe your beleife but whether euen any of theÌ„ doe so treate curs in their States no I will demande yet lesse I aske not whether ours receaue benefits whether they beare offices whether they be preferred to any degree of honour it is too much I will yet fall lower and onely aske if they haue libertie giuen to professe our religion not openly but euen in secrete with assurance of their life Bezae Epist 4. Non dubitamus Magistratus optimoiure in praefatos Anahaptistas gladiuÌ„ strinxisse Bezade haeret puniend lib. integro Idem Epist. 1. est hee merè diabolicum dogma sinendum esse vnuÌ„quemque vt si voler pereat After you shall haue wellpondered the question which I haue put vnto you you will be able to returne me no other answere saue onely that some grace they receaue in such States to witt that of Martirdome which we doe most highly prise And indeede your authours doe teach that Heretiques are to be bainshed and punished and that libertie of conscience is diabolicall whence you doe prohibite it vs in all places wher you haue power While yet there is a faire differeÌ„ce betwixt your conditioÌ„ and ours you are Nouellists and consequently they whose possession you impeach might iustly haue hindred the exercise of your new beleife Luther and your owne Authours teaching Luth in 1. ad Galat. Luth. â—puâ— S. eâ—d l. 5. that so it ought to be done and practising accordingly Vve are possessours possessing a doctrine which the Apostles left vs by an vninterrupted transmission from hand to hand and therfore we cannot be lawfully repelled vnlesse we be first condemned by a generall Councell which is so far from euer hauing bene done that euen the Princes which imbrace your religion haue not yet condemned vs with any show of iustice since we haue neuer yet bene heard herin you vse their cunning who hauing giuen occasion of complainte complaine first Colloque de Poissy Conference de Fontainebelleau making show of aggreeuance in the same thinge although indeed this libertie is not denyed you and we are exceeding glad that it is giuen you knowing well that as many combats as we fight shall be as many Lawrells for vs and victories for the Church And desireing nothing more then by diligently obseruing the Edicts made in your fauour to meete with the occasions wherin we may bring a way to the aduantage of Truth new spoyles ouer your errours CHAP. III. Section I. MINISTERS FOr if this vvere permitted vs vve vvould make him clearely see that our religion is hated because it admitts no other rule of saluation then the vvord of God contayned in holy vvritt nor other head of the vniuersall Church then our Sauiour Iesus-Christ nor other Purgatorie for our sinnes then his bloode nor other sacryfice propitiatorie for our sinnes then his death and passion nor other merite before God then his obedience offered vp for vs to his beauenly father ANSWERE THe first thing which we are to marke in this point is the Art by which you vse to gaine mens harts and to alienate them from the Catholike Church in which we liue You represent your beleife hated for many reasons by which notwithstanding you pretend to make it commendable before God and man You will haue it to be hated for sustayning in points controuerted betweene vs that which makes most to Gods honour and for condemning in our Faith that which you hold vnworthy of his perfection In this you imitate the old Heresiarkes who opposed the principall points of Catholike religion vnder pretext of conseruing Gods honour more intire For this reason the Schismatikes as S. Cyprian deliuers Apud Cyprian ep 55. Hilar. l. 2. de Trinit solicite nimium ne patrem filius ab eo natus euacuet Marc. 2. Quis potest demittere peccata niss solus Deus Matthae 9. vnder collour of exalting God his mercy communicated with the christians who had sacrificed to Idolls before they had shewed a lawfull repentance For the same cause the Arians as we reade in S. Hilarie denyed that the sonne was consubstantiall with the Father least the dignitie of the Father might haue bene exhausted by this honour of the sonne For the same the Iewes would not haue Christ to haue power to absolue from sinne rendring that honour to God that it might be reserued to him alone For the same as we find in S. a Amb. l. 1. de poenit cap. 2. Aiunt Nouatiani se Domino deferre reueremiaÌ„ cui solt remittendorum criminum potestateÌ„ resernent Ambroise the Nouatians denyed that the Church had the same power For the same saith S. b August l. 32. contr Faust Quiae ta ia ibi sunt quae Christa gloriam decolorent Augustine the Manichies denyed certaine bookes of the scripture which they said contayned thinges which stayned the luster of the glorie of Iesus Christ To be short diuers others tooke this colourable cloake yet were they all condemned by the Fathers and most iustly because God in the establishing of christian Religion did not search that which was most honorable vnto him selfe especially in our iudgement but that which was most profitable vnto vs as we see planely in these words
the fift part of your subiects to witt the Church men who hold not themselues to belyable to the lawes of your Court yea for their temporallities they haue another whom they accnowledge soueraigne out of your kingdome To which adde that which the Pope pretends and that which he hath alreadie practised yea euen in our tyme to witt that he hath authoritie to depriue your Ma. of life and crowne what remaynes dread souueraigne but that your kingdome is held in homage to the Pope and that you liue and raigne at his discretion onely ANSWERE It is an old trike of craft when one is guiltie of à fault to put it vpon another Yet I stand astonishd to thinke how you dare make vse of if it against the whole Clergie of this kingdome whom you striue to make the king suspect accusing them of faction wherof they are wholy innocent and you generally knowen to be stickers in The nature of your Ministerie deptines you of credit in point of accusing priests for S. Augustine a Hareticorum accusationes coÌ„tra Catholicum prebyterum admittere nec possumâ—â— nec debemm doth teach vs that your accusations nether ought to be nether indeed can be admitted and that it is the trike of heretikes b Aug. Epist 137. Hoeretici non hahendo quod in causa sua defensionis defendant non nisi hominuÌ„ crimina colligere affectant ea ipsa plurafalsissime iactant vt quia ipsam diuine scripturae veritatem qua vbique diffusa Christi Ecclesia commendatur crimiuari obscurate non possunt homines per ques pradicatur adducant in odium de quibâ—â— fingere quitquid in mentem Generit possunt when they haue nothing to say to defende them selues in point of their diuision from the Catholike Church to make à list of meÌ„s faults and following their owne fancie falsly to inlarge them selues thervpon to bring them into hatred who teach the truth which they are notable to find faultie or to obscure Hauing alreadie sufficiently manifested in what manner you susteyned the dignitie of this crowne and how litle occasion you had to draw pride or vanitie from it I will onely obserue in this place that you doe too too far swarue from truth and modestie in saying that you are ill vsed in this kingdome and by assuring yourselues that if you were not hated and hardly treated for maintayning the dignitie therof you should for euer after be exeÌ„pt from all hatted and hard vsage To what purpose did you taxe the two first Orders of State accusing the one of factioÌ„ the other of weaknes preiudiciall to the kings Maiestie but to let the world see that when you beare à splene against any one wtih à wonderfull boldnes you faigne faults to diffame him though withont all fundation for none can beignorant but that if there were any faction it gott entrie by their meanes who out of tyme aÌ„d seasoÌ„ would needs moue à question wherof the Church Nobilitie and the greater part of the three states striue to stoppe the course moued therto by diuers reasons which in à few wonds I will deduce First because the questioÌ„ being meerly spirituall whether God had giueÌ„ power to the Church to depose kings in cases of heresie and in fidelitie when they doe not onely make profession of them but doe also shew theÌ„ selues persequutours of the name of Christ aÌ„d the true faith as also whether this power did aggree with the word of God or no finall whether it were lawfull to vrge all the people to take an oath wherby they should affirme that it was not according to Gods word which being handled in the assemblie a body composed of lay-persons could not intermeddle in it without sacriledge without intrenching vpon the liberties of others mounting into Moyses his chaire laying hand vpon the incensoir and consequently without exposing themselues to the desasters which are wont to follow such impious and sacrilegious enterprises Nay euen the Clergie it selfe of a particular Church as of the Church of France could not decide this point since it belongs to the vniuersall Church onely to define Articles of Faith Secondly because all the kings and states in Christendome hauing interest in this cause one onely kingdome could not iudge of it without the appouall and authoritie of all the rest Thirdly because the holy Sea being interressed in this matter your adherents who haue sworne its destruction and who esteeme the ruine therof their establishment could not be held impattiall iudges though some of them indeuoured to deale in it Fourthly because out of the definition which you aymed at there followed a most euident schisme by establishing an article of faith particular to the Churches of France not Catholike or common to the vniuersall Church whence there followed a diuision in faith Lastly because the decision of this question was not onely of no effect to the health and securitie of kings which was yet the sole end of the question but was euen preiudiciall vnto them as may be seene by that which that great Cardinall and honour of his age wrote vpon that subiect who doth most amply handle this matter with eloquence equall to the profunditie of learning which all the world admires in him These reasons being coÌ„sidered without passion will leaue no doubt in any man but that the Clergie-men were worthy of praise not of blame for refusing to decide a question which was proposed vnto them to a bad end nor did the decision therof belong vnto them And therfore it carries no colour but is quite contrarie to truth to accuse them of faction adding that they and a part of the nobilitie made the king loose his cause For how doe you not blush for shame to affirme this since it is notorious to the word that in all the articles of the Clergie and nobilitie there was no proposition made much lesse any determination of any thing that tends in any the least measure to the diminution of the soueraigne power of our kings and the dignitie of their crowne and that the article presented by the aduise of some of the third order was onely reiected without euer deliberating vpon the contents therof it is a grosse impertinence to say that we caused the king to loose a cause where no iudgment was past and to make his Maiestie a partie in a cause where he onely interposed himselfe by his authoritie to conserue things in the same state in which they stoode If any were cast in their cause it is you who vnder pretext of maintayning the authoritie of kings would haue brought inn a schisme amongst Catholikes As for the letters which the Pope wrote vpon this matter if it be a fault in a father to write to his children to receaue their fathers letters his holines is blame-worthy to haue done that honour to the two orders wherof we speake and they culpable in receauing them Marrie seeing common sense doth teach vs that there