written he which reioyceth might reioyce in the Lord. EodeÌ„ for indeed this is perfect vpright reioycing in God when as truly a man dooth not exalte or glory in his owne righteousnes but doth acknowledge that true righteousnes taketh in himself And that by fayth only in Christ he is iustified And S. Paule reioyceth saying that he doth despyse his owne righteousnesse but by faith in Christ seeketh that righteousnes which is of God These wordes do sufficiently declare that Basilius did so vnderstande righteousnesse of fayth that wee ought too beleeue by that wee are iust through faith for Christ by mercy that is wee are acceptable vntoo him not for any vertue which is in vs. But wheras Basilius first instituted the order of Monkery That example is hurtful hath in it some fault yea although he himselfe had no grosse superstitions in him firste and those companies or orders of Monkes were as yet a certaine shewe oâ— schooles And there are certaine bookes euery where caâ—ried about vnder his name which containe rules for Monkes wherof without doubte some were counterfeâ—â—ed by other wryters long tyme after Basilius dyed 〈◊〉 or they are full of false opinions touching Single lyfe and other rites or ceremonies deuysed by man without the commauÌ„dement of God and they containe foolish tryfling matters as a greate heape of penalties or satisfactions which hee calleth in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is too say punishementes as if during seruice tyme a mayde shoulde laugh in the queere she shoulde be enioyned to sit two dayes togither in the church porch and such like folish toyes which if a man would renewe in admiration of antiquity he shoulde surely bee as one that is out of his wittes Of Gregory Nazianzen Gregory entreateth vpon the article of the Trinity hee toucheth other doctrine but slenderly Hee writ the whole life of Cyprian wherein hee mentioneth that there was a certaine mayde whome before his conuersion Cyprian loued who calling vppon the virgine Mary ouercame the magical bewitchinges of Cyprian This example is recited touching inuocation of Saincts And although this seemeth to hee rather a fayned fable and afterwardes 〈◊〉 abroade vnder the title of Nazianzen yet admitte the History were true it is not therefore too bee cited too confirme or ratify the inuocation of Sainctes For the errours of the godly are not too bee opposed or set against the word of God for euen the godly in euery age which are of the Church haue their infirmities also Our foresaide aduersaries doo further alleadge our of Basilius and Nazianzen that in the end of their sermons touching Sainctes they were wont to cal vpon them for helpe as namely O Athanasius pray for vs. But although these Apostrophees or turning of speeche may bee excused vnder rhetoricall figures yet it may bee that according too the maner of their tyme they did than call vpon Sainctes for inuocation of Sainctes at that tyme by litle and litle crept into the church errors of the tymes doo seduce men that they lesse disallowe of things vsed in the Church wel esteeme the same Lyke as the violent force of raging floods carrieth with it such as sayle there and yet notwithstanding is the inuocation of Saincts neuer the more to bee wel allowed of And seeing this custome increased and nowe the impiety is discouered it ought vtterly to be abolished out of y e church Neither dooth Basil speake any thing touching Inuocation hee onely sayeth that the memory of sainctes or holyones is ought to bee had in estimation that wee may followe their vertues and hee calleth these holyones helpers of our prayers not that they are to be called vppon but bicause al the blessed in heauen pray for the Churche and commende the same vnto God Epiphanius wryteth that certaine women calling vpon the virgine Mary were wont to beare about them the Image of her All this busines dooth hee disallowe and calleth it a woorke of Idolatry For Epiphanius conteiâ—eth refutations of ancient heresies specially touching the Trinity a few other matters which autor as historical I iudge him specially worthy of reading Of Chrysostome Chrysostomes tyme had then receaued many corrupt traditioÌ„s which he himself rehearsing dooth not finde fault with them as hee commendeth those which go vnto the monumentes or tumbes of saincts and hee maketh mention of prayer for the dead Hee aduaunceth the Monkes life or solitary life with immoderate and false commendations In his treatice of Repentance where he collecteth togither many meanes and wayes of obtayning remission of sinnes namely Almose Teares and other woorkes yet notwithstanding hee speaketh nothing concerning fayth whereof ought too bee spoken and that wryting of his doth containe many false things and it is both confused and also very doubteful The Grecians specially commende his commentaries vppon Paule where in places touching iustification and fayth the whole scope of Paules disputation carryeth him thither that hee oftentymes repeateth this sentence That by fayth we attaine remission of sinnes for Christes sake and not for woorkes or by woorkes And hee saieth manifestly That by fayth not onely is God loued but that againe beleeuers thinke they are beloued of God although they are guilty by many meanes In this sentence he signifieth sufficiently wel that he taketh faith not only for the knowledge of the history but for the trust coÌ„fideÌ„ce through which we beleeue our sinnes are forgiueÌ„ vs truly this fayth doth he separate froÌ„ workes as froÌ„ not stealing not killing c. RoÌ„ 13. he saieth that this is the better meanes of honoring God Although in deede the declaration heereof bee playner and lesse vncorrupt as that formerly set downe by Origen Yet that notwithstanding is also obscure and dooth not in euery place agree with it selfe In the 7. Chap. hee rometh further out of his boundes he sayeth that concupiscence and affections except they bring foorth external woorkes are no sinnes But yet if a man diligently and with iudgement reade those commentaries he shal find many testimonies of many articles And although at that tyme there was darkenes in the Churche yet it appeareth that moste men haue retained this common iudgement That through sayth for Christes sake not for our workes are our sinnes forgiuen vs. Therefore though now and then the auncient wryters spake not so well their mindes yet in other places may bee marked what they meane in deede Touching the supper of the Lorde out of Chrysostome it is sufficient manifest that there was then no priuate Masses at all For hee describeth the Priest standing at the table and calling the people too come vntoo the communion In his litle booke De dignitate Sacerdotii hee dooth learnedly discerne Cyuil Ecclesiastical autority hee denyeth that Ecclesiastical iurisdiction hath any right to represse with corporal power Of Ambrosius Many causes doeth Ambrose throughly
if once the opinions of the Churche be reiected many will deuise straunge and vngodly interpretations of the 〈◊〉 This daunger when it is not too be contemned and that it is profitable too restrayne that libertie we must then agayne 〈…〉 foorth the autority of the Church is to be required For Seruetus when he reneweth the wicked error of Samosatenus and denieth the wordâ— too bee vnderstood the person in this saying 1. Iohn In the beginning was 〈◊〉 worde doeth mightilly extoll the autoritie of the Scripture he biddeâ—â— that this autority be preferred before the decrees of the church After that he disputeth subtilly saying The woorde is simply too bee so vnderstood But whereas the Woorde in the common speech of men doth not signifie the person hee denieth that in Iohn 1. it is too bee vnderstood the person As if Demosthenes shoulde reade this saying In the beginning was the woorde surely he woulde not thinke that any person were to bee vnderstood I aske the question therefore whether it proffit not against such to oppose the autority of the churche Heere I answere That the Churche is to be heard so farre forth as the gospel commaundeth So I say alwaies the congregation is too bee hearde with whome the woorde of God hath bene and which is called the churche euen as we commaunde our Pastors to bee hearde Let vs therfore heare the church teaching and admonishing vs. But we must not ground our beliefe vpon the autority of the church for the churche doth not institute The articles of the fayth shee doth only teach and admonish vs. But for the woorde of God must we beleeue when namely we being admonished of the church do vnderstaÌ„d that this sentence is truely without subtil allegation deliuered in the worde of God Peraduenture Demosthenes woulde not thinke of a person if hee shoulde reade that sentence In the beginning was the woorde c. But the hearer beeing admonished of the church that the word signifieth the person to say the sonne of God is nowe helped of the church teaching and admonishing him the same hearer doth beleeue the article not for the autority of the Churche but by cause hee seeth this sentence to haue assured testimonies in the same scripture hee seeth there is mention made of a certaine person who taking vppon him nature of man in the worlde was conuersant with men Hee seeth that this person is called the woorde her gathereth apt and firme testimonies of both natures in Christe For hee knoweth that touching the nature of God we must beleeue the heauenly voyce vttered and that it is great wickednes too inuent opinions as touching The nature of God without his testimony 2. Peter 1. and 17. Math. Heare yee him Also The firste Churche is of force as The witnesse of the Apostles But I speake as touching doctrines and not mans traditions for they woulde haue doctrines too bee firme and perpetuall but mans ordinaunces they woulde not haue to bee perpetual and immutable Neither did the Apostles erre in doctrine Therefore it is profitable to reteine those testimonies whereas the moste auncient wryters doo alleadge the autority of the Apostles As Origen Tertullian Irenaeus Gregory Neocaesariens Alexander Bishoppe of Alexandria and many others doe cyte their testimonies touching the Trinitie Who when they doe witnesse that the doctrine of the Trinitie was receaued of the Apostles do greatly stablish and confirme the Godly Therefore suche testimonies are not at all too be despised nor contemned And I sayde also that the writers are to be hearde as now in like manner we say that our Preachers are to be heard because there do some remayne still in the Churche which doe retaine and embrace the trueth in some place more pure in some other places lesse pure and corrupt But heere we must adde this That they which are hearde are too bee iudged by the woorde of God which thing the rule of doctrine instituted alwayes admonisheth Examples Augustine touching originall sin more sharply contendeth then the rest Therefore hee doeth bothe teach and admonishe and when we see him truely and without subtilety to recite any sentence of the scripture we theÌ„ beleue the article not for Augastyne but for the worde of God and wee see that the wryters named haue helde the same opinion although they haue not handled this article so copiously or so plainly An other Peter Bishop of Alexandria contending against Meletius affirmeth that such as slyde away from the fayth are to bee reentertained and hee alledgeth an ancient autority For these wordes Epiphanius reciteth as the doctryne which hath come to vs in our age doth declare Therfore the same Bishop of Alexandria doth both teach and admonish that such as slyde away are to bee reentertained Thiâ— doo wee beleeue not for this Bishop but bicause wee see this sentence is expressed in the woorde of God and heerevnto testimonies of the auncient Church do condiscend also Synodes or Councels The same doo I say touching Synodes or Councels That they are also too bee hearde which when they doo dispute touching the worde of God doo teache and admonishe vs but thereunto let iudgement bee adioyned when they deliuer vntoo the worlde thinges which are true let vs giue credit vntoo them for the woorde of God As the Nicene Councel taught both godly and profitably and admonished al posterity of the sonne of God But we beleue the article not for the Synode or CouÌ„cell but bicause wee see it so expressed in the woorde of God The other thinges which are without the Scriptures are not so wel to be embraced As the Councel of Nicene instituted Canons of repentance which are maÌ„s traditions besides the scriptures and haue beene the seedes of many superstitous opinions Sampsons guestes coulde not expounde the ridle which was proponed at the feast but that his wyfe was firste asked the question Wherefore Sampson sayde vnto them except you had first plowed with my heckfer you shoulde not finde out my question So lykewyse muste wee diligently looke about and make inquiry where the Church is which hath the woorde of GOD and wee must see which multitude of the fathers or of Councelles is the purer vncorrupt that is which of them haue the lesse opinions besides the word of god These things doth the church teache admonish and testifie But we must see whether those things which shee proponeth or decreeth haue the firme testimonies of Gods woorde yea or no. And truly it becommeth the godly too acknowledge and confesse that the fathers haue deserued well of their posterity which with sharpe and earnest contentions haue defended and retained godly doctrine that benefit is not smally to be accompted vpon Heerevnto pertaineth that saying of S. Augustyne I woulde not beleeue the Gospel were it not but that the autority of the Churche mooued mee therevntoo Augustyne dooth not heere thinke that the
trueth but they bring with them priuate hate towardes vs contempt of the Gospel a care to mainteine theyr owne force and autoritye What the people should or ought to beleue touching Christe or howe and in what maner the churches should be instructed they iudge nothing pertayneth vnto them and partly nowadaies exercise better inuecâ—iues or sycophancies such as Cochelus Wicelius the like partly they are Tyranâ—es and Champions of Tyrances which for the opinion of wisedome or vertue doe gouerne the Councels of Popes Kinges and Princes when indeede they are Homines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 godlesse persons of no religion which altogether suppose that true religion is as faâ—ling stories and for this cause doe woonderfully please themselues that they dare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 farre agaynst the thunder As the fellow in the comicall writer affirmeth Yea yet such wil be ready to speake theyr opinions in Synods or Councelles touching the glory of Christe whose name they thinke to be Fabulus Therefore I exhorte the godly Readers first to consider the kindes of doctrine whether that simply and without cauelling these men doe propone the opinion of the scripture Propheticall and Apostolicall Next this when the Fathers are cited too haue good regarde what sayinges of those Fathers are most consonant and agreeable vntoo the heauenly will and woorde of God For there is greate difference and inequality of the Fathers Lastely as Paule biddeth too prooue the Spirites the opinion or minde of both partes is to be regarded and whole scope of theyr determination is also too bee marked For after that manner doe our Aduersaryes haâ—â—le theyr matters not to make any thing the better by theyr dealing but by one precended collour or other too defend theyr Tyranny confirme and mainteyne theyr dignities and riches Therefore at this day Kynges and Byshoppes set themselues agaynst the marriage of Priestes and spirituall persons bycause they see that single life is more expedient too the retayning of autority and power and too the conseruation of worldely wealth And by this meanes when there appeare signes of a wicked wil in certeyne manifest articles it is sufficiently apparant that they are not mooued with the good spirite but rather that they are the enimies of Christe and that they doe not in other articles searche for the trueth Wherfore let vs constantly cast away from vs and vtterly reiecte their iudgemente and opinions Augustine vppon the twoo and fourtye Psalme affirmeth That the regenerate Man is not iuste bycause of hys woorkes but by fayth For so hee sayeth In deede feare thou if thou accomprest thy selfe iuste yf thou haste not the same saying out of an other Psalme Psalme 130. Enter not intoo iudgement with thy Seruaunt for yf thou shalte execute Iustice without Mercye Whither shall I goe if thou Lorde shalte marke strayghtly our sinnes Oh Lord who shal abyde it Psal 144. Enter not into into iudgemeÌ„t with thy seruant because no liuing fleshe shalbee iustified in thy sight TheÌ„ here no liuing fleshe shal be iustified in thy sight because whosoeuer liueth here though he liue neuer so iust yet woe be to him if God shall enter into iudgement with him For as it appeareth in an other Prophet God doth thus chyde the arrogant and proud people saying Why doo you contend in iudgment with me You haue all forsaken me saith the Lorde Doe not therfore contend with me in iudgement geue thy indeuour too be iust and how muche iust soeuer thou be confesse yet thy selfe to bee a sinner Hope thou for mercy and in this humble confession beeing secure speake vnto thy soule troubling thee turmoyling thee on this maner Why art thou heauie oh my soule and why dost thou thus trouble me Perhaps thou wouldest trust in thy owne selfe but trust thou in the Lorde not in thy selfe for what art thou in thy selfe What art thou of thy selfe Let him be health in thee which receued stripes for thee he saith Trust thou in the Lorde Dauid in his one and thyrtie Psalme saith Who are blessed Not they in whom the Lorde shall finde sinne for all haue sinned and haue neede of the glory of God Rom. 5. If then in al men sinne be founde it resteth that none are blessed but they whose sinnes are forgiueÌ„ This therefore did the Apostle thus commende Abraham beleeued God and it was reputed vnto him for righteousnes Rom. 4. Here dooth hee rightly apply this saying touching faith and hee witnesseth in this place that hee vnderstandeth faith is not only the knowledge of the history but that it is an assured confidence whereby wee trust without doubting that our sinnes are forgiuen vs for Christes sake Neither indeede can any man sufficiently vnderstande the meaning of Paule in this point except he vnderstande faith in this maner This again as we say is â—eâ—ely to knock at a wrong dore when men vnderstande faith as the knowledge of the history and not as the assured confidence which wee ought to haue in the promised mercy of God for his sonne Christes sake And it is no metuel that Monkes haue erred al the way in expounding the meaning of Paule bicause euen in this place they were fouly deceaued And this misty clowde is at this day a speciall let vntoo our aduersaries that they caÌ„ not so wel brooke the doctrine of fayth bicause they rightly vnderstande not the name of fayth Why do they not duely examine and way such sayinges of Augustine as this is which erewhyle I haue recited He witnesseth Paule meaneth this that Abraham was pronounced iust bycause hee beleued not only touching the promise of God concerning his posterity but also touching the forgiuenes of sinnes for Christes sake Such lyke sentences shal a man meete withal in Augustine euery where which sufficiently shew that he beleued touching Grace faith the very same which we do teach Like as in his booke De Spiritu Litera he saith thus By meanes of the lawe wee feare God but by fayth wee flee vntoo the mercy of God Loe heere doth he manifestly discerne betwene the Lawe and the Gospel And although nowe and then in his wrytinges there happen togither as it were certaine figures of speeche not sufficiently well expounded or inconuenient yet these are to lie attributed to the tymes bycause the custome of the common people had receaued certaine figures as namely the name of Merite and certayne others And these coulde not the learned then put away More ouer neither were the wryters themselues sufficiently accustomed vntoo disputations and what mysty clowde of ignoraunce was in the Church at that tyme thereby might bee esteemed so that the wicked opinion and heresy of Pelagius was entertapned with so greate ioy that Augustine and certaine few others could not abolish the same againe out of their churches without great conflictes and controuersies But as touching Ceremonies
sayeth the man of lawe And Demosthenes disputing agaynst Aristocrates reprehending lewde examples sayeth Suffer vs not to say that this hath beene done but that it is meet and righte to be done The sacrifices offered by the Leuites did not take away sinnes from before the face of God moreouer there was none at all then instituted for the dead Ergo this hath beene an error in later times too offer sacrifice for the sinnes of the dead as the Iewes receaued oftentimes other corrupt lewde traditions amongst themselues For the nature of men is prone vnto superstitioÌ„s eueÌ„ in all ages Therfore in as much as that example is repugnant to the scriptures it is not to be cited at all too confirme superstitions in the Churche These for the most part are the chiefest things which are cited touching Purgatory And therefore I haue heere placed this disputation that it may the more appeare that Gregories faulte or errour euidently which hath confirmed the oblation of sacrifice for the dead is manifestly repugnante vntoo the Apostolicall doctrine VVhich thing seeing it is so the Canon also of the Masse as they call it is to be reprehended wherin is mentioned That oblation of sacrifice was made too redeeme the quicke and the dead VVhat boldenesse was this to transferre the Sacrament for the dead when the institution therof speaketh so plainly of them which bee liuing and of the remembrannce of the death of Christ Gregory writeth that one Scholasticus as he nameth him did make this Canon But whosoeuer was the authour therof and which compyled this Rapsody that cannot be denied that the Latin Canon differeth from both the Greek CanoÌ„s although neither yet do the Greeke Canons agree with themselues but they doe differ in notable places Thus muche haue I spoken touching Gregorie Neyther will I adde heerevntoo the VVritres of later ages For the doctrine of the Churche afterwardes wente further out of course And the Tyranny of the Bishoppes of Rome encreased also when as Gregory euen yet himselfe refused and greately dispraysed the name of the vniuersall Byshoppe as certeyne his Epistles in his thirde booke of Epistles doe testifie the same I coulde annexe herevntoo the complaints of auncient writers touching the couetuousnesse of Bishoppes and the ignoraunce of them in times paste which if there were no other thing yet in this pointe they admonishe vs. That the Churche oughte not too bee gouerned according too the Example and state of that tyme. But in the reuelation of Saynct Iohn there are horrible Figures expressed which no doubte signifie the ages of the Church and doe shew that wicked Teachers shall forthwith swarm in the Churche and shall with Tyrannicall rule oppresse the trueth And the Hystories of Councelles doe shewe howe greate rage hath possessed the myndes of verie manye Byshoppes which too defende their vngodlinesse haue by woonderfull Subtilties kyndled the hearts of Princes and of the Common peo-people as nowe the Bishoppes of Rome and other Bishoppes by all cunning sleightes endeuour themselues to prouoke the mindes of Kinges to rayse vp ciuill warres in theyr territories and dominions Basilius in the ende of his booke De Spiritu Sancto with what tragicall complaynt he doeth bewayle the fury of those Bishops in hys tyme and theyr impiety Hee declareth that they sought to defende theyr wicked doctrine by seditions and by slaughter of the people And hee writeth vnto the Italian and French Bishops in this maner Euersa sunt veritatis dogmata Confusae leges pietatis Ambitio non timentium Deum rapit gubernationem Ecclesiarum Nec additus est ad honores nisiper impietatem vt quisque est ratiocissimus audacissimus in lacerandis pâ—js veris dogmatibus ita maxime dignus Episcopi honore iudicatur Perijt grauitas sacerdotibus conueniens desunt Pastores qui eruditione gregem Domini pascant which may thus be englished The doctrines of trueth and religion are turned vpside downe the lawes of Godlinesse are confounded desire of promotion in those that feare not God greedily catcheth houlde vpon the gouernment of the Churches Neyther is there anye other way vnto honour and dignity but vp vngodlinesse And as euery one is moste rauenous and fierce in dismembring and rending in peeces the godly true doctrines of the churche so is he specially iudged woorthy too enioy the dignity of a Bishop Grauity befitting the Ministery is vtterly gone And the Sheap-heardes that shoulde feede the flocke of the Lorde with learning are wanting So and in such manner doeth he describe the Bishoppes in his time vnto whose vices the latter ages haue added Lordly rule and Tyrannies Seyng therfore it is manifest that that age was not without faults we must graunt vnto the Church that touching doctrine shee woulde aske Councell at the woorde of God as the heauenly Father hath commaunded That we shoulde heare his Sonne Mat. 17. And Dauid sayeth in his 119. Psalme Thy worde is a Lanterne vnto my feete c. These testimonies touching the faultes of auncient writers although I haue ouerpassed many absurdities I haue not gathered to that ende that somewhat of their true prayses might bee thereby diminished For I beleeue the most part of them in those pointes were both godly and excellent men and cerâ—eyne of them no doubt haue well deserued to be well thought of But yet they themselues woulde not that theyr owne wordes should be preferred before the doctrine of Christ Moreouer euen these our aduersaries w c obiecte vnto vs the autority of y e fathers do also abuse very much the testimonies of theÌ„ Although in those dayes the seedes of errours were first sowen abroade yet so pernicious abuses had not as yet crept intoo the Churche There was at the beginning a certayn maner of calling vpon Sayntes But afterwardes how muche wickednesse followed Therefore the declamation of Nazianzen is not too bee cited for so muche as that Age of his was ignoraunte of this newe deuised Idolatry But why doe the Aduersaries lay for themselues the autority of the Churche when as they contende not with vs touching doctrine nor touching Religion but concerning their sensualities and promotions they will not haue theyr peaceable estate too be troubled This is one and the onelye cause why they desire our subuersion For there are certaine opinions more clearer then the Noone day And yet because they would oppresse the same they put in practize open crueltie they kill and sley the Godlie learned and good men yea and the Ministers of the Churche for marriage sake Where shall a man reade this in any place as touching any barbarous fury that men shoulde be killed and slaine for honest marriage sake If they allowe the auncient Churche why doe they not followe the firste tymes Doe they thinke that either Ambrose or Augustine woulde haue allowed of this crueltie in punishing the Innocent Persons No sure they