truelie forgiue sinnes it is graunted but not that they doe properlie forgiue sinnes beeing but Gods seruants appointed to declare his forgiuenes Secondly your Minor bringeth in a fourth tearme Claue non errante beside that it is ambiguous that you saie Gods pardon followeth the preists pardon for if by following you meane succeading later in time or depending vpon the priests pardon your Minor is false wtih Claue non errante if you meane as I haue explicated in your Maior the worde ensueth it is true Last of all your conclusion ioyneth not your two extreames together as it ought to doe but leaueth out the worde which is of most importance and question among vs namelie this tearme Properlie For you should couclude that Priestes doe truelie and properlie remit sinnes which in respect of the worde properlie is false But as you set it downe with the worde assuredlie it is graunted For we acknowledge that the lawfull minister elder or priest of the Church doth truelie and assuredlie remit sinnes but yet not properlie So you misse the cushion and make a shew in your Maior as though you would reason directlie but in your Minor you giue backe with Claue non errante in your conclusion you fly quite from the question Where you interpret your Minor so that God in the same instant forgiueth in heauen you rid vs of one doubt of the posteritie in time But where you saie out of Saint Hilarie that mans sentence shall be as a sentence preiudiciall to God in heauen you giue vs to vnderstand that Gods sentence dependeth vpon mans sentence which is horrible blasphemie neither doe I beleeue that you are able to shew any such saying of Saint Hilarie for out of the places before alledged there is no such thinge to be seene or gathered That the same power of remitting and reteining sinnes which was giuen to the Apostles was nor bestowed on them in respect of their priuate persons but as they were publike officers and that therefore the like authoritie is committed by Christes graunt to all Priestes of Christes Church whoe in this matter are the Apostles successours THE FIFT CHAP. IF I had here to doe onelie with the learned it were enough that is alreadie prooued for the power preheminence giuen to the Apostles in remission of sinnes thereupon to ground most assuredlie the like right in the same cause to perteine to all Bishoppes and priestes of Christes Church But we studie to helpe such as cannot by this so farre consider that the power giuen to his Apostles or to any of them is one eternall power not ceasing in their persons but during in their succession to the worlds ende For I haue my selfe met with many such as could be content as they saide to acknowledge vpon so plaine scripture the singular priuiledge giuen to the Apostles and thereupon if they might haue had an Apostle they would not haue sticked to haue made there confession and sute to him for the remission of their sinnes but because I had not the like wordes of Christ spoken to all priests particularlie they thought it was no reason that any such challenge should be made for them nor any such charge to be giuen to others to confesse their sinnes vnto them This simplicitie of the common sorte or rather this rude frowardnes rising vpon contempt and disobedience to Gods Church is mainteined euen of the more learned sort whoe haue charged them-selues in all behauiour to be so populare and so plausible that euen against knowne order of things they will drawe backe from the light of the trueth with the common rude and vnlearned reasons of the people For Iohn Caluine a man borne to sedition and the Churches calamitie mainteineth the madnes of the multitude by this reason The Apostles saith he had the holy ghost whereof our priests haue no warrant But enquire of them whether they haue the holie ghost if they saie yea demaund of them further whether the holie Ghost may erre if they confesse that the holy ghost can not erre then they prooue themselues not to haue the holie Ghost because it is well seene that they may erre and doe erre both in loosing and binding many otherwise then Gods sentence will allow But brieflie to satisfie all sides in this case I shall declare the like power to be left by Christes meaning to al Bispopes and priests no lesse then to the Apostles them-selues to whome Christ then presentlie spake that both the peoples lacke of vnderstanding may be corrected and the false and craftie conueiance of their captaine may be to his shame and the diuells plainlie disclosed FVLKE It seemeth that those which you met with which would not acknowledge the same power to be in the ministers of the Church that was in the Apostles concerning remitting of sinnes were some of your owne chickens whome ignorance the mother of Popish deuotion had blooded vp in such phantasticall and soolish errors But least you should seeme to fight onelie with the simple sorte you saie the same opinion is vpon popularitie and plausibilitie mainteined euen of the more learned sort yea of Iohn Caluine him-selfe but you dare not set downe where or in which of his writings lest your impudencie should be manifestlie conuinced In deede Instit. lib. 3. Cap. 4. Sect. 20. he denieth that ignorant Popish confessours or shrift priests haue the power of the keyes which are voide of the spirit of God that is of the giftes of the holie ghost that they may know who me to binde whome to loose but he acknowledgeth the power of remitting sinnes to be perpetuall in the true preachers and faithfull ministers of the Ghospell And therefore you take needelesse paines to prooue this matter against him vnles you will take vpon you to defend the ignorance of your priesthoode and answere the arguments that he bringeth against it ALLEN First this is plaine that whatsoeuer Christ after his resurrection or before did institute for the commoditie of the people and weale of the wholl Church that did not decaie in the persons of them to whome Christ presentlie spake the wordes for ells all sacraments had beene ended and all gouernment ceased at the death of them to whome in person that charge was first giuen by Christ. For example Christ in his institution of the holie Sacrament of the altar spake onelie to his twelue to those present persons he onelie said presently hoc facite do this yet in their persons the Church was so instructed and all priests so authorized that the same soueraigne worke hath vpon that warrant beene truelie practized of the Church and by vaine imitation followed by their aduersaries euen till this daie And in deede the verie wordes of the instruction did importe no lesse for it is said Mortem Domini annunciabitis donec 〈◊〉 You shall set forth Christes death till his comming which could not be if the ministerie had decayed with their persons to whome Christ
not flowed vnto them Like as they make not the sacrament in vnleauened bread but in leauened 5. di 1. cap. si Therefore that saying of Iames confesse your sinnes one to an other was at the first but of counsel or els is should binde the Greekes notwithstanding the custome That which followeth in the glosse that confession in some case may be made to a laie man which also both Gratian Lumbard doe holde that which Bede writeth of confession of sins to euery man doth prooue that confessio to a priest is not of Christs institution by their iudgement For if it were it ought to be of all euery sin as wel as of those you cal mortall to a priest onelie For if Christ instituted a sacrament in these words whose sins you forgiue c. and ordeined a priest minister thereof by no other meanes but by hearing a sin ners particular confession as you seeme to holde what reason is there that a laie man should be a hearer of confession or an absoluer or that any sin be it neuer so small should not be confessed ALLEN And that is yet more euident by the second parte of Christes sentence where he saith whose sins you do reteine they be reteined The which worde retinere by Saint Hilarie signifieth non soluere or non remittere to reteinis as much as not to loose or not to forgiue Whercupon by Christes expresse wordes it ensueth that whose sinnes the priest doth not forgiue they be not forgiuen and therfore that euerie man beeing guiltie of deadelie sinne in his conscience is subiect to the priests iudgement by the plaine tearmes of Christs owne wordes Mary we must well note that the priest hath in other sacraments and namelie in Baptisme a right in remitting sinnes both originall and actuall but there in the graund pardon of all that is past he is not made a iudge or a corrector because the Church can not practize iudgement or exercise discipline vpon the penitents for any things done before they came iinto the householde and therfore can appoint the party no penance nor punishment nor binde him according to the diuersitie and number of his faultes nor can make search exactlie of all his secres sinnes by him committed that the sentence may proceede according to the parties desertes but onelie vpon his seeking that sacrament to minister it vnto him according to Christs institution whereupon without any sentence of remission giuen by the priest as I absolue thee or such like a pardon generall of all his sinnes committed if he come thether qualified most assuredlie ensueth But now in the other sacrament of penance not onelie pardon of sinnes but punishment for sinnes is put in the Apopostles and priests handes which can not be done without iudiciarie power and exact examination of the penitent because Christ would that if any did greeuouslie sinne after Baptisme he shold as it were be conuented before his iudgement seate in earth in which as in his roome he hath placed the Apostles priests as is alreadie prooued And therefore mens sinnes must in this case be knowne with diuersitie of their kindes and encrease by diuersitie of place time person number and intent For withoout this particular intelligence can neither the appointed iudges of our soules doe iustice nor the penitent receiue iustice for his offences Therefore it is euident that seeing this holie order is authorized not onelie to remit sinnes generallie as in Baptisme but also placed with all power ouer vs as the iudges of our sinnes we must needes by force of Christs institution be driuen to acknowledge and confesse all our sinnes to the Priest so sitting in iudgement vpon the examination of our conscience For no man euer tooke vpon him not in any ciuil causes to determine and giue sentēce in the matter whereof he hath not by some meanes or other persit and particular instruction and in causes criminall much lesse because the importance of the matter is much more Then in Gods causes and cases of our conscience and in things belonging directlie to mans euerlasting wealth or woe which is the life or death perpctuall of our soules there if either negligence in the iudge in searching out of our sins or consempt in vs in declaration opening confessing or cleare vtterance of them doe hinder the righteousnes of Gods iudgement executed by the Priests office or driuing them to giue wrong sentence of deliuerie and remission there the perill is exceeding great and the daunger wel neare damnation perpetual FVLKE Although to reteine is somewhat more then not to loose or not to forgiue yet the conclusion is true that whose sinnes the minister of the Gospell doth not forgiue of them that heare the Gospell they are not forgiuen But herofit doth not follow that euerie man is bound to shriue himselfe to the priest If you meane that by being subiect to the priests iudgement the minister of the gospell denounceth damnation to all impenitent and obstinate sinners vnto this sentence he is subiect by the plain tearmes of Christs owne wordes that is such a one But if he be truelie penitent in the sight of God he is absolued by the sentence of the minister which pronounceth in the name of God forgiuenes to all them that be truelie conuerted vnto God Wherefore here is no place for the necessitie of auricular confession except you can draw it in by the wordes of demonstratiue syllogismes which I suppose to be impossible and you your selfe shall in conscience confesse no lesse whensoeuer you dare goe about it As touching the difference you shew betwixt the priests office in remitting sins by Baptisme and penance it standeth altogether vpon your owne surmise without any authoritie of the holie scriptures For the minister of the ghospelis made as much a iudge whome to admit and whome to refuse from the sacraments as he is to pronounce whose sins be forgiuen and whose reteined Other iudgement or correction he hath not in the one nor in the other neither is there any punishments put into the Apostles or priests handes for those sinnes that are to be pardoned nor pardon to those that are to be punished The punishment is no lesse then the sentence of eternall damnation vnder which all obstinate and vnrepentant sinners doe remaine so iong as they continue in their obstinacie and impenirencie And therefore the power iudiciarie and exact examination of the penitent and the conuention before Gods iudgement feare in earth which should be the priest is nothing but imaginary vanitie without all ground of authoritie out of Christs institution wherefore except you can prooue that Christ by giuing his Apostles authoritie to sorgiue or reteine sinnes did giue this inordinarie power that you speake of and set vp this iudgement on earth like to the courts in ciuill iudgement in canonicall causes whatsoeuer you saie without warrant of Gods worde is as easily by vs denied as by you it
him for neither Saint Paull Saint Cyprian nor the councell of Nice graunted such pardons to such persons and for such causes as he doth therefore he followeth not their example but his owne presumption Yet let vs see how this argument is fortified First the paine prescribed by law he maie release because he is the principall executor of the law But who will allow him anie such principalitie in the Church that is no member of the same Secondlie he maie remit the pennance enioyned by the Priest because he is superiour to all piestes which is nothing but a miserable begging of that which is in controuersie The like is to be said of his changing of penance whereby he challengeth the like authority Although his changing of sharpe pe nance into easie paiment doth bewray what is the end of such permutation money is intended whatsoeuer is pretended Vrbanus the 2. in the councell of Claremounte exhorting men of al nations to the warre of Ierusalem began that release of penance for seruing in that cause which his successours afterward haue vsed as a gaie and gainfull pretense when they were disposed to enrich their coffers and mantaine their priuate quarrels ALLEN The like they do also often to set forward other workes of charitie to the benefit of Gods people as for the relieuing of Hospitals of Churches of high waies and such like Sometimes againe they extende their power which Christ gaue them to edifie his Church and increase religion and deuotion in the people as when thy giue pardon for so manie daies to such as shall receiue the blessed Sacrament faste and praie that heresie maie cease in the Church that the enemies of Christianitie maie not preuaile that infidels Iewes and heretikes maie be conuerted and Schismatikes knit them-selues obedientlie to the fellowship of Chistes folde So doth the Pope for the encrease of zelous deuotion and aduancing Gods honour giue daies of remission or full pardon to such as shall vsuallie haue meditations of Christes passion and death by certaine holie praiers appointed or by visiting places in which there be seene some liuelie sieppes memories and expresse tokens of Christe miraculous workes or his Saintes Thus to helpe vp the dulnesse of praying and seruing God in our daies he geueth grace and pardon to such as shall freauent the Churches at the times of their dedication or on certaine principall Feastes there either to be confessed and receiue the 〈◊〉 sacrament or els to ioyne in praier and deuotion with other the faithful people that thither at those daies haue principall recourse Hereof we haue example not onelie in the storie of the institution of the solemne Feast of Corpus Christi but also in the great generall councell holden at Laterane For this cause also and the like maintenance of holie praier by which the Church of God moste standeth hath he mercifully with singular wisdome giuen a pardon of certaine daies or years to such as should deuoutlie occupie such beades books or praiers in all which things orderlie giuen reuerentlie receiued I see not what can be reprehended of anie but such as are offended with all workes and waies of mercie charitie and deuotion The power and iurisdiction is prooued lawfull the causes why he should exercise his authoritie herein be verie vrgent Gods honour with the peoples commodite exceeding well respected all thinges here do edify and nothing at all destroy all things do stande by good reason nothing can be reprooued either with rea son or good religion FVLKE You tell vs what the Pope doth but neither by what authoritic of the holie scriptures nor by what example of the holie auncient Church He could neuer sit in the Temple of God boasting him-selfe to be God except he had some religious colour to blinde the eies of the world which submitteth vnto his antichiristan power And yet all the world knoweth that monie obtained for hospitalles Churches beades bookes and such baggage all the pardons in a manner that haue beene graunted As for the pretense of setting forward the workes of charitie fasting praing c. is not onelie hypocriticall but also wicked For neither men muste be hired to the workes of charitie and other Christian exercises by pardon of their punishments but exhorted and charged for the loue of God and vpon their duties neither should a sale be made of that which ought to be freelie graunted if the Church had such authoritie For freely saith he you haue receiued therefore freely you ought to giue Therefore though you cannot see in this filthy nundination what is to be reprehended we can see nothing that can be defended where neither the power is proued lawfull nor the causes reasonable nor the end godlie whatsoeuer is pretended nor meanes by the worde of God or example of the Pimitiue Church allowable That not onelie the penance enioyned in the sacrament otherwise by canonicall correction but also such paine as God him selfe prouideth for sinne may be released by the Popes Pardons and that Purgatorie paines may especiallie be preuented by the same remissions THE 7. CHAP. ALLEN BVt now because some may by course of our matter looke that I should declare whether the Popes Pardons may release any whit of that paine which God himselfe putteth the penttent vnto after his sinnes be forgiuen I must somewhat stand hereupon the cause is weightie and much misliked of our aduersaries and some other perchance to that see not so farre into the matter as they should doe before they giue anie iudgement thereof That the gouernours of the Church should remit Canonicall correction and priuse satisfaction with the bonde of penance either enioyned or els which by the lawes spirituall might be enioyned manie will confesse But that their power should reach to the remitting of that paine which Gods hand hath laied vpon the offender of temporall correction that they vnderstand not Truely for this they must be instructed first that the temporall punishment which God taketh on sinners that be penitent though it standeth by the law of nature aud was practized of the laws of nature and was practized of God himselfe before anie mans lawes were made for puuishment of sinnes yet now it riseth prin cipallie vpon lack of punishing of our selues or the accomplishing of such penance as the Church of God prescribeth For if the Church punish her childrens faults by sharpe discipline doubtles it satisficeth Gods righteousnesse and he will not punish bis in id ipsum twise for one fault or if man earnestlie and sufficientlie iudge him-selfe God hath promised by S. Paul that he will not iudge him also that is to saie that he will not correct him with more heauie discipline of this life or the life to come for that signifieth this word iudicare as the Apostle him-selfe doth interpret it Then it followeth that the bond of anie temporall punishment to be inflicted by God him-selfe doth not now binde man otherwise then for the
do principally concerne him The first is his writing which as shall appeare by this authors defense doth conuince him of grosse ignorance and that in verie common matters both of diuinitie and of Philosophie wherein it is well knowne that Campian was moste excellent But seeing the proofe of this conuiction resteth onely in the authors defense the discreete reader will suspend his iudgement vntill he see Master Charkes answere also In the meane time it will appeare by that which other men write in his defence likewise that all is not grosse ignorance which cauilling and malitious Papists seeking to deface him with a false accusation are disposed to impute vnto him As for Campians learning in these two sciences I may be as bold to saie it is well knowne that it was but vulgar and inferior to manie of his yeares and tyme of studie which you commend to be in the superlatiue degree of moste excellencye Some peece of his diuinity he shewed in the conference with in the tower of London His knowledge in Philosophie as it is not to be waighed in the controuersie of Religion which we haue in hand so it is not to be thought that he so far excelled therein but Oxford and Cambridge can aforde an hundreth Masters of Arte his iuniors in time at the lest way his equalls if not his betters therein That Master Charke outfaced him in the towre of London by reason of his high place gaie apparell great wordes assistance of friendes countenance of authoritie and applause of Protestantes standing by it is a poore excuse of Master Campians insufficiencie which though it was manifest to the wise and learned in euery of the former daies of conference yet in that last daie of Master Charkes encounter with him was apparant euen to the simple ignorant so that Campians impudencie wherein he chieflie excelied was so repressed at that time as euen in the opinion of euerie man albeit he was vanquished before yet now at last he seemed to be cleane ouerthrowne And this shamefull foile you would faine haue to be thought to haue happened vnto him as one ouermatched with M. Charkes highe place gaie apparell great wordes c. It is pittie your Champion was noe better armed aganst so weake arguments but did suffer him self to be outfaced with such friuolous reasons of place garmentes wordes countenance multitude verely they that knew his audacitie from a childe marueled to see him so greatlie daunted but that it pleased God that day to make him and all the papists in their foolish deuise of his impudent challenge ridiculous to al the world But if we maie examine these reasons by which he seemed to be so much outfaced what difference of place I praie you was there betweene the opponents and the respondent were not there stooles of equall height you would haue fooles imagine belike that Charke sat a loft in a throne seauen stepps higher then Campian or what meane you to prate of high place As for gay apparell men maie see Master Charke daielie how gorgeouslie he is araied so that he turneth the eies of all men vppon him which waie so euer he goeth or els Campian had smale cause to feare him for his gaie apparell In trueth his apparell was of colour blacke of matter wollen of making such as the common sorte of Ministers in London commonly do vse to weare But if Campian had bene stripped out of his rugge gowne whereunder his ruffianlike garments were hidde he would haue appeared in much gayer apparell for matter colour and fashion then Master Charke was euer seene to weare since he came into the ministerie Neuertheles his gowne could not hide his to spots hat which if not on that daie yet at all other times of the conference it is certaine was the same that was seene with the rest of his Iesuiticali robes when he ridde through Cheap-side towards the tower of London And therefore mee thinkes you neede not to haue spoken of Master Charkes gaie apparell But what were those greate words of his a foote and a halfe long at the lest that Master Campian might be outfaced with them They that were present could obserue no affectation os wordes but weight of matter that bare downe Campians courage especially when he was pressed to answere to syllogismes which as though no man but he could skill of at the first he did scornefully call for The assistance of friendes was a smale prerogatiue when they were onelie hearers and not helpers of his disputation The countenance of authoritie litle auaileth in conference where each partie by leaue of authoritie may saie what he can for his cause Last of all the applause of the Protestantes standing by was no cause of Campians outfacing but a consequent of his vnsufficient answering That vaine scoffe of Campians comming within the reach of Charkes ministeriall power and authoritie sauoreth of nothing but of proude follie and foolish malice For all men maie easilie know that when Campian was apprehended for mouing the Queenes subiects to sedition and committed to the tower for imagining and practising of high treason he was not within the reach of anie Ecclesiasticall persons power or authoritie much lesse of poore M. Charkes iurisdiction which is none at all further then by commission might be graunted to anie of the state ciuill or Ecclesiasticall to examine him or to conferre with him The second matter you haue to speake to Master Charks owne person is of his false dealing to deceaue wherin you graunt him principalitie not onely aboue Campian who had no talent at all therein but euen aboue the chiefe masters of his owne syde most expert in that facultie The terme of talent being taken out of the gospell and signifying some grace or gyfte of god how vngraciouslie it is abused not onely in this place for a facultie of false dealing but also by the auctor him-selfe asterward for a custome of rayling I wish the sober reader to obserue and to consider what religious affection these men beare to the doctrine of Christ that can finde no termes to play with all in their spitefull inuectiues but such as are shamefullie detorted and abused from the holy vse and phrases of the blessed scriptures As for the crime of false dealing let it appeare in Gods name by the tryall and examination of both the parties writings and rest where it shal be found to be practized In the meane time we must a litle consider of these examples here brought for a taste to shew his false dealings by Master setter forth First M. Charke inueigheth against the Censurer verie sharpely because he chargeth Luther with an opinion which he confesseth that sometimes he held and afterward recanteth concerning the licensing of wiues to lie with their neighbour when their husbands by naturall infirmitie were not hable to do their partes This say you seemeth a very reasonable defense where is then the false dealing Mary say you the words
fastidia detergeret Nihil enim fere de illis obscuritatibus eruitur quod non planissimè dictum alibi reperiatur The holie ghost hath magnifically and wholsomlie so tempered the holy scriptures that with euident places he might satisfie hunger and with more darke places might wipe awaie disdainfulnes For nothing almoste is found out of those obscurities which is not found els where most plainlie vttered It were no hard matter to heape vp manie testimonies of the auncient fathers to this purpose but that the va nitie of this answerer appeereth sufficientlie in all our bookes written against the papists in which not onely by the manifest places of the scriptures but also by most euident testimonies of the doctors of the church we confute them in the most and greatest matters of controuersie that ate betweene vs. But what saith our gallant answerer that the councels fathers and anciters of theChurch haue from time to timedeclared the true sense of the scriptures vnto vs hath none of these at any time erred in expounding the scriptures may we safely beleeue them whatsoeuer they say He wil I warrant you deny it except the Pope of Rome do alow their interpretations And therfore this flying from the only scriptures to the interpretation of Coun cels fathers ancetors of the Church is nothing els but an impudent shift to reserue vnto the Pope liberty authority to make what meaning of scripture they please thereby to giue colour to euery fansie they list to father it vpon the authority of the holie scriptures The third cause he affirmeth to be that by chalenging of onely scripture they maie deliuer themselues from all ordinan ces or doctrines left vnto vs by the first pillers of Christs Church though not expressely set down in the scripture c. In deede to deliuer our selues from the burthen of mens traditions the ordinances or doctrines of men we affirme the holie scriptures to be hable and sufficient to make vs wise vnto saluation by faith in Iesus Christ as the Apostles and principall pillers of the Church haue taught vs who haue left no such ordinances or doctrines but they be either expressely set down in the holy scriptures or by plaine and necessarie collection to be gathered out of the same For how will our aduersaries prooue that anie thing is receaued from the Apostles which hath not testimonie out of the writings of the Apostles who can be a sufficient witnes of such de liuerie seeing manie things were of olde referred to the Apostles tradition which euen our aduersaries do not admit to be Apostolical seeing the most auncient and immediate successors of the Apostles as Polyearpus Anicetus can not agree about a ceremony receaued from the Apostles namelie the celebration of Easter what certentie can there be of anie other ordinances or doctines fathered vpon the Apostles without witnes of their writings yea and some times directlie contrarie and repugnant to their writings But hereof saith our aduersarie they assume authoritie of allowing or not allowing whatsoeuer liketh or serueth their turnes for the time and hereof he bringeth example First of the number of sacraments whereof some protestants haue written diuerslie because the name of sacrament is diuerslie taken sometimes largelie for euerie holie signe sometimes strictlie for such holie signes onely as being instituted of God are seales of the dispensation of his generall grace in the new teftament perteining to euerie member of the Church somtimes for al holy mysteries or secrets c. But what doth it serue anie protestants turne whether there be more or fewer signes in number that maie be called sacraments seeing all protestants agree about the things themselues that are set forth in the scriptures to be visible signes of grace inuisible and the name it selfe Sacrament in that sense we speake of when we saie there are 2. 3. 4. or 7. sacraments is not once vsed This diuersitie therefore is but of a terme and that not vsed in scripture therefore it ariseth not of anie interpretation or peruerse vnderstanding of the scripture as our answerer would haue it seeme to be But let vs heare his example Martin Luther saith he after he had denied all testimonie of man besides himselfe he beginneth thus about the number of sacraments Principiò neganda mihisunt septem sacramenta tantúm tria pro tempore ponenda First of all I must denie seauen sacraments and appoint three for the time Marie this time lasted not long for in the same place he saith that if he would speake according to the vse of onely scripture he hath but one sacrament for vs that is baptisme In this sentence how manie lies and slaunders be packed together First he saith Martin Luther denieth all testimonie of man which is false for he alloweth all testimonie of man that agreeth with the testimonie of God expressed in the scriptures and often citeth the testimonies of the auncient fathers for confirmation of the trueth which he taught indeede he alloweth man no authoritie to institute sacraments or to make articles of faith or lawes to binde the conscience of man and he would haue all mans testimonies to be examined and iudged according to the word of God but this is not to denie all testimonie of man but to distinguish true testimonies of man from false An other slaunder is where he saith that Luther in denying all mans testimonie excepteth him selfe which is altogether vntrue For he requireth none other credit to be giuen to his owne testimonie then he alloweth to the testimonie of other Neither doth he arrogate any authoritie to him selfe which he derogateth from other men And namelie in this booke of the captiuitie of Babilon he taketh not vpon him absolutelie to teach euerie point but so farr forth as he did for the present vnderstand of them promising after greater study more diligent inquirie to intreat of diuers of them more certenly euen in this verie place of the number of the sacraments he saith he will admit three onclie for the present time intending to be further a duised whether there be fewer or more to be entituled with that name Wherein our answerer offereth him the third iniurie in translating tria pro tempore ponenda I must appoint three for the time as though Luther had taken vpon him to appoint how manie sacraments the Church should haue or would challenge power to appoint more or Jesse at his pleasure where as his wordes if the answerer did not wilfullie corrupt them by false translation do import no such thing but onelie as farr as he did presentlie see there were no more but three of those that were commonlie called sacraments of the new testament which were rightlie to be called by that name The fourth slaunder is that Luther hath but one sacrament for vs which is Baptisme if he would speake according to the vse of onelie scripture yea this is a double slaunder for neither doth
abstinencie from wine and strong drink his dailie excercise of praier and contemplation when he was alone his diligent and zealous preaching and baptifing when the multitudes came to him his free and earnest rebuking of all mens sinnes euen those that were greatest in credit the Pharises the Saduces the high Priests and the King him-selfe All these ioyned together are such arguments of austeritie and seueritie of life as not onelie all antiquitie but all ages past present and to come may worthelie wonder at as for the place the garment the dyet be not matters of so great admiration of themselues neither so wondred at of all antiquitie as he bableth not yet followed of his Mocke-monkes and false Eremites that either the wildernes is their dwelling or the Camels heare their weede or the locusts and bitter honie their diet or anie thing answering to these in hardnes Their Monkes dwell in palaces their Eremites in fine houses neere to cities and great townes their apparell though in fashion disguised yet neither rough nor hearie nor of smalest price their dyet like Princes and noble men the life of the greatest parte of them idle and lasciuious Therefore to their owne shame they may account Ihon Baptist the Prince or first author of their Monkish order whome they follow as neare in austeritie of life as they much come behind him in course of time I trust all reasonable men may now vnderstand what these vnlearned quarrels come vnto when they be discussed and examined howsoeuer they seeme to be bolstred out with impudent asseuerations multitud of quotations false cauillations and vnnecessarie collections In the rest therefore I wil be more briefe because my purpose is not to handle common places of controuersies at large but shortlie to discouer the vanitie and pride of this answerer and leaue such matters to other treatises where they be fullie answered A third example he taketh of our impertinent interpretation about the controuersie of the reall presence in the sacrament which is nothing els but a beggerlie crauing of a matter still in question which can beare no shew of of anie lawfull example except it were cleere against vs that our exposition were beside the text or contrarie to it But peraduenture this fellow will bring some new matter that hath not beene heard of in this cause to conuince vs of absurd interpretations First he saith they haue these wordes of scripture repeated in foure seuerall places This is my bodie If we did vtrerlie denic the sacrament to be the bodie of Christ in anie sense it were somewhat that he saith against vs But we graunt it to be the bodie of Christ in such sorte as Christ did meane by those wordes Contrariewise we shew the one part of the sacrament to be six times called bread after the consecration in the scripture the other part twise or thrise to be called the fruite of the vine yet your gare interpreters the Papists do vtterlie denie the one to be bread the other to be wine in anie sense but monstrous and imperceptible and that against the iudgement of all antiquitie and the plaine wordes of diuerse auncient doctours But all antiquitie to our answerer a great antiquarie as you shall sec by and by are so cleere for the Popish reall presence as no man might without great offence doubt thereof as the wordes of Saint Ambrose and Saint Cyrill are These bookes that he quoteth of lib. 4. de sacram C. 5. for Ambrose and Catech. 4. for Cyrill are not so without controuersie acknowledged to be so auncient as those fathers whose names they beare and yet they saie nothing in this cause of not doubting but we are readie to saie the same Namelia that Christ hauing said this is my bodie no man ought to doubt but that it is his bodie They haue also other wordes to declare that their meaning was not of the popish manner of presence but the spirituall manner of eating of Christs flesh where of the externall sacrament is a figure and similitude as Ambrose de sacr lib. 4. cap. 4. 5. de iis qui my ster init cap. 9. The same Cyrill also though much to be suspected for his antiquitie as verie latelie come into light yet saith in the same place that the bodie of Christ is to be receiued by fatih not as the Capernaites imagined which thought they had been prouoked to the cating of a mans flesh But that same Cyrill saith our answerer in another place prooueth at large that to aske onelie quomodo how it may be is the parte of an vnbelecuing Iewe quoteth lib. 4. in 10. cap. 13. In deed Cyrillus Alexandrinus affirmeth and we subscribe vnto him that to aske how God can doe that he said he wil doe commeth of Iewish incredulitie He saith not that it is a part of an vnbeleeuing Iewe to ask how Christs words are to be vnderstood figuratiuely or properlie carnallic or spirituallie Neither doth he speake in the place alledged of Christes reall presence in the sacrament but of the question of the Iewes how Christ could giue his flesh to be eaten which we beleeue verilie he doth not one lie in the sacrament but euen to infants which neuer receiued that sacrament or els we must exclude them from eternall life according to his words except ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his blood you shall haue no life in you But now you shall plainlie see how skilfull this answerer is in all antiquitie whereof he talketh so often and so confidentlie as bayard is alwaies the boldest horsse The same Cyrill saith he speaking of him vnder whose name are caried those my stagogical catechesis is he that wrote vpon Iohns gospell c. whereas the one was Bishop of Ierusalem in Palestine the other of Alexandria in Egypt the one not much nearer in time to the other then the prouinces where they were Bishops are in place For Cyrill of Ierusalem was a verie olde man in the time of the second generall Constantinopolitane councell Cyrillus of Alexandria was president of the third generall councell of Ephesus the first betweene which two Councels there was aboue fortie yeares distance in tyme. By which note of grosse ignorance it is manifest that this scorneful proude answerer hath neuer seene the workes of the one Cyrill nor of the other but one lie the quotations and collections of other men which he vseth as vauntinglie as they were all of his owne reading yea if they be not pregnant inough for his purpose he will make no bones to falsefie their sayings cleane contrarie to their meaning as he dealeth with Epiphanius whome he affirmeth to saie That albeit the hoste seemeth to vs of arounde forme and insensible yet whosoeuer beleeueth it not to be the true bodie of Christ is fallen from grace and saluation whereas Epiphanius saieth expresselie it is of a round shape and insensible as concerning power and yet it is the
her not doth better Whereof we inferre that virginitie is more acceptable and meritorious before God then mariage although mariage be holie No saie our adversaries Saint Paull meaneth onelie that he doth better before men and in respect of worldlie commmodities but not before God If you aske him which of his aduersaries doe saie so he is not able to name one for in truth we neuer saide so not thinke so But that which he saith they doe infer vpon the text that virginitie is more meritorious before God the mariage we doe vtterlie denie and we saie furthet that all the Papists in the world shal neuer be able by lawfull and true arguments to infer so much vpon these wordes of the text or to iustifie this kinde of inferring virginitie is better before God ergo it is more meritorious for the antecedent which we graunt doth not prooue the conclusion which we denie Therefore when out of the circumstances of the text he prooueth that virginitie is better in respect of God as a more excellent gift of God he taketh more paines then he needeth For we confesse as much that he that ioyneth not his virgin doth better not onelie in respecte of worldlie commodities or before men but also that shee maie be holie before the Lord in bodie and spirit c. then he that ioyneth her in mariage but that he doth better in respect of merite reward in the life to come as the answerer saith it doth not follow thereof I meane for the merite As for the reward which God bestoweth of his meere mercie doth not prooue anie merite or desert of the partie rewarded For he which vseth the gift of God well by the power and strength which he hath of God shall of Gods goodnesse not misse of his reward but he cannot therebie claime reward of dutie or of merit neither doth the text alleadged by him prooue any such thing Some Eunuchs haue gelded them-selues for the kingdome of heauen therefore they haue deserued the kingdome of heauen therebie Such licentious kinde of inferring will not onelie make poperie to stand if it were lawfull but also might be able to iustifie all heresies that euer were by scripture But bring these illations or inferrings to the iudgement seate of Logicke and they will easilie appeare to be voluntarie glosles and not true expositions or necessarie collections Yet these new doctors saith our answerer doe contemne and 〈◊〉 all authoritie antiquitie wit learning sanctitie of our forefathers and of all men yea of their owne new doctors and masters when they come to be contrarie to any new deuise or later fansie of theirs Because we may not receiue euerie interpretation or opinion of euerie of the fathers he maketh this hideous outcrie against vs. And yet we are alwaies readie to shew and haue often performed the same that in the most and greatest controuersies the auncient Doctors are against them verie cleere on our side Therefore it is an impudent slaunder that we reiect or contemne all authoritie antiquitie witte c. of our forefathers as it is a ridiculous argument that he bringeth of our dissent from our late doctors and masters as he termeth them because we follow not the error of Luther about the reall presence and the vse of Images as for the number of the sacraments and bookes of the Bible we holde with Luther in his last iudgement when he was best instructed in those cases The order of seruice is free for euerie Church to vse diuerselie as maie serue best for edification The popish Churches haue diuers vses of seruice as Sarum Yorke Bangor Hereford in England they had how manie then diuers orders abroade But Caluine he saith is reiected about the head of the Church in England which is a manifest vntrueth for Caluin is euen of the same iudgement concerning the Princes authoritie in causes ouer persons Ecclesiasticall as is euident in his Institutions that we are in England onelie he misliked the terme supreme heade as offensiue though not euill as it was vnderstood of the godlie and that terme is forborne in England for the same cause and another of supreme gouernour vsed which signifyeth as much as was ment by the other when it was rightlie vnderstoode As for the gouernment of the Church in Geneua Caluine did neuer binde all other Churches to vse the same what other pointes are reiected in Beza he hath no leisure to tell vs. But that all the Churches of the Protestants as he calleth vs in Europe do agree in the chiefe and principall articles of Religion the Harmonie of their confessions latelie set forth in print doth giue ful moste sufficient testimonie Ceremonies and for me of externall gouernment were neuer in gods Church accounted necessarie to be all one in euerie particular Church And some men maie haue their priuat opinions sometime perhapes vntrue yet retaining the vnitie of faith in the chiefe grounds and foundation of Religion with them that dissent from them either iustlie or vniustlie Wherefore our answerers finall conclusion doth not followe that Protestants will haue onelie that to be taken for trueth which they last agree vpon and their wordes must be the one ie proofe thereof whereas the worlde can testifye that the holie scripture is our ground and from thence we challenge the best proofe not refusing any other lawful proofes that wil stand with the iudgement of holie scripture where it is most plaine and easie to be vnderstoode euen without anie interpretations The bookes of the scripture we receiue which the Church of God among the Iewes before Christ and the moste auncient Church of the Gentiles since Christ hath receiued and allowed the sense we take euen out of the same bookes and bring no foreine sense vnto them all writtings of men olde and new we examine according to the same praising God for such helpe as we haue by his giftes in them to vnderstand his word yet leauing to them without reproch such things as proceeded from them selues without the warrant of that worde and this haue all true Catholikes alwaies done and no heretike is able to doe albeit he woulde professe neuer so much to doe To the former slaunders our answerer will haue vs adioyne this that our aduersaries saith he notwithstanding all request sute offer or humble petition that we can make will come to no publike disputation or other indifferent and lawfull iudgement but doe persecute imprisone torment and slaughter them which offer the same Touching anie lawful request sute or humble petition made in due manner to them that haue authoritie to graunt I neuer hard of anie onelie the seditious challenge of Campian is all the request sute offer and humble petition that he is able to prooue was euer made by them for anie such matter before the publishing of this answere of his As for them that persecute imprisone torment and slaughter them which offer disputation which he calleth
their aduetsaries it is well knowne that Master Charke and the ministers of the Church are none such neither haue they anie such authoritie It remaineth then that he accounteth the Prince her councell magistrates and ministers of Iustice his aduersaries who indeede haue good cause so to be not onelie in respect of their heresyes but also in regard of their manifolde and almoste infinite practises of treason against the Prince and realme for which some of them haue suffered moste iustlie and not for offering of disputation as this traiterous heretike euerie where moste slaunderouslie doth avowe But nowe for their partes he saith they offere the best surest and easiest meanes that can be deuised or that haue bene vsed in Gods Churches for triall and they are manie in number The first is the bookes of Scripture receiued vpon the credit of the auncient Church of which we are content saith he to accept for canonicall and allowe all those and none other which antiquitie in Christendome hath agreed vpon But this is false for to omit that they receiue for canonicall such as the Church of God before Christ neuer receiued they receiue also such as the greatest and best antiquitie in Christendome receiued not as the Church in Origens time witnesse Eusebius more then the Church of Rome receiued in Saint Ieromes witnesse Ierome himselfe prologo Galeato and Ruffinus in Expossymb more then the Councell of Laodicea did receiue for canonicall as is manifest by the 59. canon The second way of trial is the expresse plaine words of Scripture wherein they must needs be farre superior for what one expresse plaine text haue they saith he in anie one point or article against vs which we doe not acknowledge liberallie as they doe and as the wordes doe lie yes we haue manie but a fewe shal serue for example God saith Exod. 20. Thou shalt not make to thy selse anie grauen image c. thou shalt not fall down to thē nor worship them Againe Matt. 4. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onelie shalt thou serue Which are moste plaine expresse and manifest against worshipping of Images and other creatures in anie vse of Religion Christ saith drinke ye all of this they be expresse and manifest wordes against the popish sacriledge of the cuppe The 14. to the Corinthians the first Epistle is expresse and plaine against publike praiers homilies lessons in a straunge vnknowne tongue 1. Tim. 4. in expresse and plaine wordes the spirite pronunceth the forbidding of marriage and meates to be the doctrine of deuilles And Heb. 13. Mariage is honourable in all men And 1. Tim. 3. Tit. 1. a Bishop Elder or Deacon must be the husband of one wife beside a great number more But the papists saith our answerer haue infinit texts against vs which we cannot admit without glosses and fond interpretations of our owne A bolde speach as alwaies he vseth but it shall alwaies be founde that if we doe in anie text departe from the grammaticall sense there is necessarie cause why as if it be a figuratiue spcach which is tried either by circumstances of the same place or by other texts of scriptures for the most parte hath the iudgement of the most auncient writers agreing with our interpretation But the most of these examples he bringeth haue nothing in shewe that the expresle wordes of scripture are with them or against vs but by their fonde false vnreasonable collections and such as they can neuer conclude in lawful true syllogismes as for example We haue it saith he for the supremacie expresselie saide to Peter that signifieth arocke vpon this rock will I builde my Church We answere that we might followe the interpretation of the most auncient and approoued fathers that the rocke here spoken of is Christ whom Peter confessed but graunting them that they could neuer euict we confesse that the Church is builded vpon the foundation of Peter the Apostle but not vpon him alone or more principallie then vpon all the Apostles who are all rockes or stones vpon whose foundation as also vpon the foundation of the Prophets the Church of Christ is builded Neither is it possible to prooue the supremacie of the Pope out of those wordes of scripture or anie other But they haue further expresselie touching the Apostles he that is great among you let him be as the younger Luk. 22. We haue no where there is none greater then other among you Neither do we holde that none ought to be greater then other among vs but that the greatest among the ministers ought to be seruant of all the rest and that none ought to exercise Dominion ouer the Lordes inheritaunce yet the primacie of order we graunt euen among the Apostles according to which Iames was president of the Councell at Ierusalem Peter the cheife Aposlle of the circumcision Paull of the gentiles all which will not serue one whit to maintaine the popish tiranny For Paul was nothing inferiour to the highest Apostles But for the reall presence they haue expreslie This is my bodie we haue no where this is the signe of my bodie Neither doe we denie the sacrament to be the bodie of Christ neither doe we affirme that it is a bare signe But that this is a figuratiue speach we haue expreslie This cuppe is the newe Testament in my blood and as expreslie the Apostle speaking of the same sacrament the rocke was Christ which prooueth that it must be vnderstoode in a sigue and after a spirituall manner and so doe al the olde Doctors interpretit as hath beene often shewed We haue expreslie saith he The bread that I will giue you is my flesh Iohn 6. they haue nowhere It is but the signe of my flesh And we confesse as much for we neuer saide that the signe of Christs flesh was crucified for vs but his verie naturall bodie which he promiseth in that text to giue for the life of the world which by faith and the spirit of God is made the spirituall foode of all the elect children of God and without eating of which none can be saued Ioh. 6. 53. But they haue expresly A man is iustified by works and not by faith onelie Iames. 2. we haue no where a man is iustified by faith alone no nor that he is iustified by faith without workes talking of workes that followe faith First we confesse the text that a man is iustified by workes As Abraham was when he offered his sonne and as Rahab was when she receiued the spies that is a man is declared to be iust in the sight of men For Abraham was iustified before God by faith before he offered his sonne whome God did not trie to enforme himselfe but to declare vnto men by the fruites of obedience that Abraham was a iust man euen so by faith the harlot Rahab perished not with the vnbeleeuers when the receiued the spies in peace but by receiuing
them-selues Whereof if there be no perticular vowe expressed yet seeing they vowe to followe the rule of Layolas which includeth whipping of them selues as you cannot denie Master Charke hath not belied the Iesuites as you note in your margent And as concerning the sect of heretikes called whippers you referre vs to Prateolus and Gerson to prooue that they helde manie wicked opinions for which they were condemned and aske what doth this make against the sober moderat chastisment which good men vse in secret vpon their owne bodies at such times as they esteeme them-selues for mortification to neede the same I answere there is no neede that any man for mortification should whippe him-selfe or els it is neede for al men so to whippe themselues except Iesuites haue more vntamed bodies then all other men And therefore it is but ethelothreschia a voluntarie Religion or a superstition after the precept and Doctrine of men in colour of humilitie and not sparing the bodie described by Saint Paul Col. 2. 23. and as for Gerson to whom you send vs doth not onelie condemne the hereticall opinions of those whippers but also their whipping of them-selues and that for diuers causes of which I will rebearse some First he accounteth it a tempting of God to laie such a burden vpon men as you do which make whipping needfull for mortification whereby it followeth that it is needfull for all men as mortification is not for Iesuites onelie Secondlie he saieth that the law of Christ ought no lesse in his seruice to auoide the superstitions of the Gentilles and Idolatours espiciallie these that are cruell and horrible then the olde law in the which yet there is expresse prohibition Deu. 14. where it is said be ye seruers of the Lord your God you shall not cut your selues where the glosse is you ought not in anie thing to be made like to Idolatours and in the hebrue it is you shall not teare or rend your selues Againe he saith for I doe but translate his wordes lex Christi c. the law of Christ is giuen sufficientlie in the tenne commaundements the keeping of which good simplicitie and plaine faith is enough to saluation especiallie of laie men and common people without anie new imposition of moste greeuous burdens according to the saying of Christ if thou wilt enter into life keep the commaundements Neither is it anie thing worth if it be said that the people doe voluntarilie take vpon them such whippings without any other commaundement while it is found that there-vpon they doe more licentiouslie contemne Gods commaundementes in manie thinges For the nature of man is stubburne which since it is forsaken of the state of originalliustice it is caried more greedelie vnto those things that are of mans inuention then those that are of Gods bidding And this is one degree of pride which Bernard saith is found among Religious men while they reioice more in abstinence or particular voluntarie praier then in all the regular discipline Againe the law of Christ being set forth sufficiently by the Apostles and holie Doctors is not found to haue appointed such nouelties of men whipping them-selues either by preaching or otherwise but rather to haue reprooued them as moste suspect and daungerous and which may growe to the slaunder of Christianes among the Iewes Saracens and Paganes as though the lawe of Christ were austere cruell and nourished in blood not in mercie Afterward he setteth downe reasons to dissuade this superstition as he calleth it Let diligent and earnest exhortation be made touching the praises of patience which hath her perfect worke preferring it before such voluntarie whippings as Augustine saith agreeablie to Seneca that the aduersities of this world are not so much to be laid vpon vs as when they happen patientlie to be suffered makeing thorough patience a vertue of necessitie I am not so madde saith Seneca that I would be sick but if I must be sick I will beare it patientlie Therefore there must be reckened vp diligentlie and seuerallie the diuers tribulationes sometime temporall sometime spirituall which daielie do giue and offer to vs whether we will or nill matter of patience such as are sicknes pouertie c and who is able to number all such tribulations which are such and so manie that we must not bring vpon our selues new sorowes for the valiant suffering of such dailie tribulations is enough for the purging of greater sinnes especiallie if contrition be encreased and humble confession in deede or purpose c. Yea the same Gerson saith farther Imò sicut non licet c. As it is not lawfull for a man of his owne authoritie to mayme or gelde him-selfe excepte it were for the healthe of the whole bodie So it is not lawfull as it seemeth that a man should violentlie draw blood of him-selfe except it be for bodelie Physick or els by the like reason a man might burne himselfe with an hotte iron which no man hath held or graunted hitherto except perhaps idolaters or false Christians such as are found in India which thinke that they ought to be baptized with fire Finallie Gerson alloweth no whipping except it be enioyned as penance and that it be executed by another man and that moderatelie and without offence giuing or ostentation and last of all without drawing of blood And this booke of Gerson as you wotte is in print to answere your question was there euer honest man but Master Charke that would haue obiected so impertinent a thing in Print as is the whipping of men by them-selues vppon anie falselie pretended neede of Mortification But Master Charke maketh you laugh when he saith the sect of whippers was condemned long agoe You aske how long and by whome For they began anno 1273. vnder Pope Gregorie the 10. and were condemned both by him and his successours by which authority Luther and Caluine are likewise condemned An high point in a low house as though the authoritie by which men are condemned is all the matter not the cause for which Adultery is condemned by Mahomet and by the same authoritie the Gospell of Christ is it not lawfull to approoue the one condemnation except a man allow the other No maruaile though you laugh at this matter for indeed it is verie ridiculous as moste of your collections be And whereas you affirme that Pope Gregorie the 10. did condemne these Flagellantes I suppose you are not able to bring any author of credit that so doth write For in his time they sprang vp and continued almoste fourescore yeares without anie solemne condemnation For anie thing that Prateolus or who so writeth most diligentlie of here sies can testifie Prateolus out of Carion sheweth that 1343. they came to Spire in Germanie when the diet of the Empire was kept and through opinion of great holines had good entertainment Tandem verò damnata est At length saith he this sect was condemned and extinguished with fire
you are not able to prooue it for how could they suppresse it if it were once printed aud distracted if they haue kept it in being neuer sette forth whie did they not as well in translation resorme so grosse an ouersight But it sufficeth you that anie Papist hath belied Luther for such a testimonie is sufficient euidence with you to con demne him And yet this opinion of Luther that such obstinacie of the wife is a sufficient cause of diuorce is not defended by Master Charke more then by Smideline aud whether Luther did euer retract it or no I know not And albeit he did not yet is it not so grosse as that of the Papistes which you defend as true and allowed by al laws of nature ciuill Canon that he which marrieth a bonde woman vnwittinglie may be diuorced from her When our sauiour Christ acknowledgeth no cause of diuorce detweene persons apt for mariage butonelie adulterie The inconueniences that you alledge of her bodie in bondage her issue bonde whereof the father can not haue the education c. are better auoided by buying the bond-woman of her Lord then by breaking of Christes law so expresselie and peremptorilie sette downe in the Gospell Vnto which saile the Lord maie be compelled by the Christian magistrate But in case he be not vnder a Christian gouernour or the husband not able to pay the price he were better be in bondage him-selfe yea leese his life then so wilfullie to commit adulterie by marrying another The other cause of diuorcement for couetousnes or other greeuous sinne which is spirituall fornication you answer that it was but the saying of one man as though Luther were manie men or the master of the sentences were not as great a man among you as Luther is with vs. Where you conclude out of Thomas Aquine that the knotte of mariage is not dissolued because Lumbardes wordes are demittere eam that is dismisse her from his companie you make a sound arguments for the verie same word he vseth in the case of a bond-woman which you confesse to dissolue the knotte his words are these Si nescitur esse seruilis conditionis liberē potest dimitti If it be not knowne that she was of seruile condition she maie be freelie put awaie And in the 39. distinction he expresseth his minde plainlie in what case the knotte is dissolued and in what case it is not The last foure doctrines you huddle vp together vpon a false pretense that Master Charke doth graunt them as they lie and think them sound inough to stand with the Gospell For touching the first that matrimonie is much more excellens then virginitie Master Charke in deede noteth certaine thinges in respect whereof mariage excelleth virginitie which you can not confute yet refuseth to stand vpon the comparison saying they are both good yet neither good for all but mariage for him that can not conteine and virginitie in some respectes as the Apostle noteth which Luther also doth acknowledge Wherefore seeing the Apostle in some respects preferreth virginitie he were amadde man that would affirme the contrarie But seeing the Apostle in all respectes doth not preferre virginitie he is a foolish wrangler that quarelleth against him that denieth mariage in all respects to be inferior to virginitie For we haue nothing to do with Iouinian Heluidius Basilides or whomesoeuer you can name that was condemned by antiquitie for affirming matrimonie paris esse merits cum virginitate to be of equall dignitie with virginitie in all respectes-neither did Luther euer so affirme but the contrarie as his owne wordes shall testifie for him At quisque inquit suum donum habet alius sic alius verò sic Hîc profitetur 〈◊〉 votum impleri non posse neque velle deum cuique eximium illud impartiri donum Atque hunc textum tu in intimis pectoris tui penetralibus recondas pleraque enim in se complectitur neque minus continentia matrimonium praedicat Nam sicubi coniugium quis cum caelibatu conferat praestantius certè donum est 〈◊〉 Attamen matrimonium itidem Dei donum est inquit hoc loci Paulus vt continentia Mas etiam faeminae praestat attamen aequè vtille opus dei haec est Coram deo enim omnia sunt aequalia quae inter sese alias distant Quicquid is condidit suum eum 〈◊〉 creasorem appellat dominum neque quicquam alio sublimius eum nominat siue magnum siue paruum fuerit Sic idem valet coram illo matrimonium virginitas Nam vtrunque est donum creatura dei tametsi alterum alteri antecellas si quis inter se conferat But euerie one saith he hath his proper gift one man after this manner another man after that Here he professeth that his desire can not be fulfilled and that God will not bestow vpon euerie man that excellent gift And this text lay thou vp in the innermoste closet of thy brest For it comprehendeth manie thinges in it and setteth forth mariage no lese then continencie For if a man shall compare mariage with virginitie certainlie virginitie is the more excellent gifte Neuertheles mariage saith Paule in this place is the gift of God as well as continencie A man also is more excellent then a woman yet is shee the worke of God as well as he for all those thinges are aequall before God which otherwise do differ among them-selues Whatsoeuer he hath made it calleth him the maker the creatour and Lord thereof neither doth anie thing name him more highlie then another thing whether it be great or smale So before him matrimonie and virginitie be of equall value for both is the gift and creature of God albeit the one more excellent then the other if they be compared one with the other These wordes of Luther are plaine inough to shew his opinion of the excellencie of virginitie aboue matrimonie in some respects allthough in regarde that they are both the gifts of God he affirme them to be equall For the giftes of God maie be the one more excellent then the other as he confesseth of virginitie yet is not the one more the gift of God then the other But all this is litle worth you maie saie if that which you bring in next against him be true For seing the auncient writers did write whole bookes in the commendation and preferment of virginirie aboue all other states of life What would they haue said saie you If they had heard the base scurrile and impious wordes of M. Luther de natura statuum inter se as his owne explication is that is of the verie nature of these two states in them selues without respect of abuse or good vse to affirme matrimonium esse velut aurum the state of matrimonie to be as golde and the other state of virginitie and continencie to be vtî stercus ad impietatem promouens like stinking doung promoting to impietie
dare abide by your censure to renew your defence or els to pas on to the rest of the confutation of the rest of Master Charkes replie and so to take his answer altogether LAVS DEO A CONFVTATION OF A TREATISE MADE BY WILLIAM ALLEN IN DEFENCE OF the vsurped power of Popish Priesthood to remit sinnes of the necessity of Shrift and of the Popes Pardons BY WILLIAM FVLKE Imprinted by THOMAS THOMAS Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge A CONFVTATION OF A TREATISE MADE BY WILLIAM ALLEN IN DEFENCE OF THE VSVRped power of Popish priesthood to remit sinnes c. ALLEN BEcause the vniust clyame and chalenge of anie power not giuen doth highlie displease God from whome onely all preheminence of man proceedeth no doubt all Priestes Bishops who haue so long practised pardoning and punishing of sinne if they hold not the right of the excellent function of Gods owne graunt they haue built this manie hundreth yeares towardes hell and can neither auoid the heauie indignation of god in wose office and prerogatiue they haue vniustlie intermedled nor yet maruell at their disdaine amongest men seeing it is said that the vsurper of power is worthielie hated Qui potestatem sibi sumit iniustè odietur FVLKE IF the rest of your arguments were as good as this we should not neede to write anie confutation of your treatise for true it is that they which vsurpe so great a power without Gods owne graunt deserue condemnation of him and hatred of men neither of which except they repent they can be able to auoid Neither are they in better case which though they pre tend to haue some colour of graunt yet abuse the same peruerting the right meaning of the graunter to a farre other end and exersize the same after a farre other sort then their commission by which they claime authoritie in anie wise doth import And such is the case of popish priesthoode which vnder pretence of power of remitting or retaining of sinnes committed against the Church of Christ and the true pastoures thereof arrogate vnto them selues which are but Idolles and therfore not the persons authorized an absolute autoritie of pardoning according to their owne iudgement not a ministerie of reconciliation according to the will of God by a certaine deuised forme of wordes or writing and not by preaching of the Gospell For which causes and manie other although the graunt of Christ be neuer so ample vnto his Church yet it includeth not them which be his aduersaries which for their owne glorie and luker vnder shadow of Christian authoritie of binding and loosing doe practise antichristian tyrannie to be Lordes of mens conscience and to make marchaundise of their soules ALLEN But if that most holie order doe by good right reason and by the sonne of God Christ Iesus his owne warrant and speciall commission occupie the seat of iudgement erected in the Church for the gouernment of our soules and needfull search of our secret sins then it standeth lamentablie with the disobedient captains of this contempt through whose continuall call to sedition so manie haue beene caried awaie from that cbaisance that is due to the soueraing power geuen to Gods annonited FVLKE But when neither the popish order of priesthood hath any institution of God neither hath the sonne of God erected anie such seate in the Church for gouernment of our soules and needefull search of our secret sins as is pretended practised they which cal men not one lie to the contempt but also to the detestation of such vsurped tiranny are vniustly charged with sedition and disobedience against Gods annointed seeing they purpose and practise nothing but the honour of Christ the Lords anoninted with the oile of gladnes aboue all other the due estimation of those his seruantes whome he hath appointed to be the true dispensers of the graces and heauenlie treasures of his word and Sacraments vpon earth ALLEN They remember well such is their exercise in the worde how that disdaine of Moses Aarons 〈◊〉 ouer the people that then God chose to be his peculiar mooued his Maiestie to so great indignation that he droue downe Core and all his confederacie to the depth of hell both body soule themselues aliue all the people looking on their fall so fearefull The example had bin of lesse respect if his heauie hand had staid vpon the principal of that prowd sort but it did not For there perished by strange fire of the accessaries to that Schisme two hundreth fiftie moe And the grudge alas of the people not ceasing so God sent fire from heauen and wasted 14. thousand and 700. of them at once And all this saith Moses Vtsciatis quia blasphemauerint Dominum that you maie be well assured that they blaspemed our Lord God So neere doth the contempt of Gods ministers touch his owne person that in disdaine of the one there is account made of horrible blasphemie of the other This Cores as Iosephus writeth was a man that had a cast in talke to please the people as the seditious often haue and this was a great flowre of his perswasion of the people to sedition disobedience as holie write reporteth Cur eleuamini super populum Domini It is sufficient for our purpose that the whole multitude is sanctified and the Lord is in them whie doe you exalt your selues aboue the people of God Thus said the seditious against Gods Priests then and now truelie both the people and the preacher doe pipe Cores note of cur eleuamini in euerie plaie and pulpit neuer hauing in minde their lamentable fall whose steppes they like so well to follow FVLKE The example of Cores rebellion if we had forgotten by so manie treasonable deuises of the papists against the Prince and Religion breaking forth into sundrie actuall rebellions both in Ingland and Ireland we might easelie be put in remembrance whose often disapointed purposes and sometime punished practises if at length they mooue nothing to surcease from their wickednes let them remember that the Lordes long suffering so much contemned will adde infinite tormentes to their endles damnation which sleepeth not although the execution be deferred As for the application of Cores example which Allen maketh is verie ridiculous while the papists dauncing after the Popes seditious pipe charge vs for piping and that in euerie plaie pulpit Cur eleuamini as though either they had prooued themselues to be Gods Priests which be rather the deuills paragons or we refused to yeald any honour which to anie of Gods ministers either Ecclesiasticall or Ciuill by his appointment appertaineth ALLEN Mary I cannot tel wel whether the cases be comparable though I nothing doubt but ours is much worse For. S. Chrysostome saith that the disobedience of Dathon and the rest of that consederacie rose rather vpon the affectation of so high a function with admiration of their dignitie then vpon anie contempt of that power in which the
of his godhead which is proper vnto it Andwhatsoeuer in holie scripture is read to be exercised of him through the might of Gods spirit by the vertue of his annointing by the finger of God by the sending of the Father by power receiued from aboue by Priesthood praiers or sacrifice by the Sonne of man of the head of the Church or iudge of the liuing and dead whatsoeuer is in this sort said to be done it is not otherwise lightlie meant but in respect of Christs humanitie by which and in which he worketh the same not as by the proper and naturall power or force thereof but as by iurisdiction receiued of the blessed Trinitie and imploied vpon the sonne of man for the procuring of saluation to his people whereof he is become in our very nature the head FVLKE This generall rule is so abridged with the exception lightlie that it is hard to bring anie instance against it but Allen would haue his starting hole in it Neuerthelesse seeing he concludeth the examples before remembred to be included within this rule we maie be bolde to charge him with a spice of Nestorianisme seeing those workes which are certaine to haue beene the workes of the Mediator God and man he ascribeth to the onelie humanitie by iurisdiction receiued from the blessed Trinitie whereby it should followe that the worke of Christe in this respect should not differ from the workes of Moses Elias Dauid or anie of the Prophets whoe receiued iurisdiction from the blessed Trinitie whereby they performed manie workes which the same blessed Trinitie had appointed for the procuring of saluation vnto his people ALLEN Therefore no Christian man maie doubt but as our Sauiour by the omnipotent power of his Godhead might and did forgiue sinnes to the penitent so likewise that as he was Priest the sonne of man he might by the right of his office vnction and ministerie in the vertue of the holie Ghost remitte sinnes also And for that cause principallie in the Prophet Esay it is said Spiritus Dominisuper me eò quòd vnxerit me ad annunciandum mansuetis misit me vt mederer contritis corde praedicarem captiuis indulgentiam clausis apertionem The Spirit of the Lord vopn me because he hath annointed me and sent me to signifie vnto the meeke that I should heal the contrite in heart to preach pardon to the prisoners and freedome to the closed The which place of the Prophet our Sauiour applied vnto him selfe in the Church of Nazareth and is to be vnderstanded onelie of preaching and pardoning by the holie vnction of the Spirit of God and his Fathers calling And therefore it must needes according to Saint Augustines iudgement concerne the shape of his seruice and manhood taken on him in which he preached so that yet it pleased him to affirme that his Doctrine was not his owne but his Fathers that sent him and healed the contrite in heart which is nothing els but to forgiue sinnes to the penitent after such a sort that it might well appeare to be receiued and practised by the vnction of the Spirit of God and sending of his Father whereby the Sonne of man might doe that as Gods minister in his manhood in earth which both he and his eternall Father with the holie Spirit of them both doe worke by their owne one and equall authoritie in heauen euerlastinglie FVLKE And seeing he willeth vs to note the ground of the cause which is that Christ as he was Priest and the sonne of man might remit sinnes by a ministeriereceiued by vnction of the holie Ghost it is not lightlie to be passed ouer That the sonne of man had power vpon earth to forgiue sinnes he him-selfe affirmeth Mat. 9. 6. but this was the power of his godhead which was not restreined nor abased by the shape of a seruant in which he appeered on earth That he was authorized by vnction of the holie Ghost to preach remission of sinnes vnto the penitent it pertaneth indeede vnto him in respect of his manhood although Saint Augustine in the place by Allen quoted saieth not so but citeth the place of Esaie to prooue that Christ in respct of his humanity was inferior to the holy Ghost but that this is all the power that Christ had vpon earth to remit sinnes it is not prooued by anie argument For this ministerie of reconciliation to remit sinnes by preaching of the Gospell doth remaine still with the Church the other that was proper to his Deitie no mortall man without Sacriledge can arrogate or vsurpe ALLEN And though God hath neuer 〈◊〉 mans fall vsed the meanes and seruice of man to his restore againe and to the reliefe of his lackes and therefore hath giuen authority by his holie spirite and vnction to diuerse of the olde law to offer sacrifice praier and procure remission to the people of all their offences and no lesse 〈◊〉 occasion serued and the matter required to correct their misdeedes by iudgement and iurisdiction giuen vnto them for which soueraigne calling they were called the annointed of God an externall ceremonie of anoyting being solemnelie annexed thereunto yet our Lord an Master whether you consider his high Priesthoode by which in moste ample manner through commission receiued he maie procure our pardone or his calling to be head of the Church by which he ruleth and keepeth all the bodie in due subiection and order or his ministerie of preaching whereby farre aboue all the Prophets and preachers of the olde law he openeth to his flock the Church the secret mysteries of Gods trueth Christ I saie in all these respectes being man is yet much more abundantlie blessed and anointed without comparison aboue all his fellowes and copartners as the holy Prophet Dauid doth testifie Vpon whose wordes touching that matter Saint Hilarie writeth thus Vnxit te Deus Deus tuus oleo exultationis prae participibus tuis non secundùm sacramentum aliud quà m secundùm dispensationem assumpti corporis Vnctio enim illa non beatae illi incorrupt in natura dei man enti natiuitati profecit sed sanctificationi hominis assumpti Nam in Actis ait Petrus vnxit illum Deus in spiritu sancto virtute Thus he meaneth in English God etien thy God hath anointed thee with the oile of ioy farre aboue thy copartners not in anie other meaning but according to the dispensation of a bodie receaued For that vnction could not be beneficiall to the holie vnspotted and euerlasting natiuitie in the nature of his Godhead but onelie it was agreeable to the mysterie of his manhood and flesh assumpted in his temporal natiuitie whereof Saint Peter speaketh in the Actes that God hath annointed him with the holie ghost and with power The holie Father also Saint Cyrill agreeth hereunto confessing that all this honour power and authoritie which the Prophets haue signified so long before by the annointing of the sonne of God came vnto Christ in consideration
or vnoccupied in the worke of our redemption yea that the godhead did not worke the principall and moste necessarie part thereof it is too too abominable and intollerable heresie Out of the like stinking puddle it proceedeth that you saie that the holie Trinitie being of infinit power to worke their will in all creatures yet would not repaire the world nor remit our sinnes anie otherwise but by the seruice of the sonne of man That the seruice of the sonne of man was necessarie to be vsed it is moste true but that authoritie of the sonne of God was not necessarie for so great a worke as wel as the seruise of the sonne of man it is such an impudent blasphemie as I thinke the Pope him-selfe would condemne it if his opinion without partialitie thereof might be knowne As for the worke of Christes humanitie ioyned in one person to his deitie and the commission graunted to his ministers to remit sinnes are nothing hindred by acknowledging that God onelie doth properlie and absolutelie forgiue sinnes euen when his ministers according to his commaundement doe forgiue sinnes as S. Ambrose saith and all antiquitie doth accord Here it is declared by the scripture that the same power of remitting sinnes which God the Father by commission gaue vnto his Sonne as he was man was also by Christ bestowed on the Apostles after his resurrection THE SECOND CHAP. ALLEN IN what high reputation man hath euer bene with god his maker it is not my purpose now to treat of neither will I make anie tediouse talke though it be somewhat more neere the matter how estimation is encreased by the honourable and most merueilous matching of Gods onelie sonne with our nature and kinde whereof whosoeuer hath anie conside ration he shall nothing wonder I warrant him at the soueraingtie of such as be placed in the seat of iudgement and gouernement for the rule of that comonwealth whereof Christ is the head These thinges though they be well worthie our labour and deepe remembrance and not verie far from our matter yet so will I charge my selfe with continuance in my cause that I will onelie seeke out the dignitie of priesthood touching the right that the order laimeth in remission and retaining of mans sinnes In all which cause I take this a grounde that our Masters messenger stood vpon when his disciples grudged that Christ had his followers and practized Baptisme no lesse then him selfe did which is That no man can rightlie receiue anie thing that is not giuen him from aboue Therefore if it may be sufficientlie declared that the order holdeth by good warrant this their preheminence of pardoning or punishing of the peoples offences and that by commission from him who without al controuersie is the head of the Church then the contrarie must learne to leaue their contentious reasoning and vniust contempt of that order which is honoured by power and prerogatiue proceeding from Christ Iesus FVLKE That God of his meere goodnes and mercie hath vouchsafed man of so great honour that of him selfe deserueth eternall shame it is more reason to wonder at Gods mercie then to insinuate anie peece of mans dignitie or worthines That it hath pleased god to aduaunce some men to the gouernment of his Church vpon earth we haue cause to magnifie his maiestie that disdaineth not our base condition but putteth his honour and authoritie vpon them driueth vs not from them by the excellencie of their nature aboue ours but familiarly inuiteth vs to obedience of his wil that we may attaine to his promis of eternal happines The title of this chapter That our sauiour Christ gaue vnto his Apostles the same power of remitting sinnes which God the father by commission gaue vnto his sonne as he was man we do all agree but that Christ did exercise a more soueraigne authoritie in forgiuing sinnes then he did bestow vpon his Apostles or their nature was capable to receiue it is prooued sufficientlie in the Chapter going before Neuerthelesse I will examin all partes of this chapter and if in anie thing I dissent from you I will shew that you dissent from the trueth And first where you professe onelie to seeke out the dignitie of Priesthood touching the right that the order claimeth in remission and retention of mans sinnes you should haue done better to haue sought and set out the duetie of such persons also to whome such dignity is committed lest as it falleth out in your bastarde Popish Priesthood the dignitie be onelie sought for the labour and duetie almost or altogether neglected The ground you take out of Saint Iohn is infallible and therefore your Popish priesthood doth blasphemouslie vsurpe a pretended power to offer vp our sauiour Christ vnto his father as a sacrifice propitiatorie for the sinnns of the quick and the dead for graunt of which power from aboue you can shew no warrant out of the written word of God the onelie true record of Gods graunt and sufficient euidence for so great an authoritie ALLEN And of two or three places in holie scripture pertaining to this purpose that shall be first proposed which with moste force driueth downe falsehood and most properlie pertaineth to the pith and principall state of the cause which we haue in hand Thus then we finde of Christes wordes will and behauiour concerning the commission graunted out to his holy Apostles for the remission and punishment of our sinnes in the 20. Chapter of the Gospell of Saint Iohn Where the Euangelist thus reporteth that Christ after his glorious resurrection came into a secret chamber where his disciples were together the dore being shut for feare of the Iewes and there after he had giuen them as his custome was his peace and his blessing and she wed him self to their infinite comfort that he was perfectlie risen againe in the same bodie that so latelie was buried he then straight afterwarde to make worthie entrance to so high a purpose gaue them this peace againe in manner of a solemne benediction and therewith said Sicut misit me Pater ego mitto vos Euen as the father hath sent me so I do send you And when he had so spoken he breathed on them and said Accipite spiritum sanctum quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur eis quorum retinueritis retenta sunt Receaue you the holie ghoste whose sinnes soeuer you shall forgiue they are forgiuen them and whose sinnes you shall retaine they be retained This is the place lo in which the iudgement and rule of our soules with all authoritie in correcting our sinnes in moste expresse and effectuall termes and in moste ample manner is giuen to the Aposiles and their successours Christ him seife doth communicate vnto them the iurisdiction that he receiued of his Father he giueth them in a solemne ceremonie that same spirit of God by which in earth him-selfe did remitte sianes hemaketh them an assured promis that whatsoeuer they pardoned or corrected in mans
in stead of which word properlie you craftelie conueigh in the worde truelie so your wholl syllogisme is a paralogisme and may lawfully be denied Notwithstanding your conclusion as it is we do graunt that the Apostles do rightlie and truely remit sinnes by their ministery in the holie ghost but as it should be inferred vpon your premises we denie it which cannot be gathered but vpon a false Maior Whatsoeuer the holie ghost may doe properlie in remitting sinnes the Apostles may do by ministerie as properlie As for the comfort of mans life taken away by denying sinnes to be properlie forgiuen by Priestes is a fond cauill and meere slaunder For we acknowledge it a singular comfort of mans life that God hath appointed men by their ministerie to assure vs of his fauour and reconciliation in the remission of oursins And we beleeue with Saint Augustine that sinnes are forgiuen in Gods Church vpon earth acknowledgeing the bountefullnes of God in so mightie a worke anathematizing and detesting the Nouatians and all other heretikes that obstinatelie and willfullie mainteine the contrarie The power to remit sinnes is further prooued to be giuen to the Apostles by these wordes of Christ Whose sinnes you do forgiue c. by the Doctors exposition of the same and by conference of other wordes of scripture of the like sense THE FOVRTH CHAP. ALLEN HOw the priestes of Christes Church haue defended this right and calling for remission of sinnes as wel by the commission that Christ first receiued of his father and afterward bestowed vpon them as by the assured receiuing of the spi rit of god from Christes blessed breath to the same and purpose I haue hitherto declared at large Now the third part of the place before alledged out of S. Iohns gospel concerneth the words of Christes promis and warrant made vnto his Apostles out of which wordes distinctly vttered we must see what force may be further added vnto our Catholike assertion for the pristes autho rity to remit and retaine sinnes And surely if none of the former wordes of commission nor any other mean or mention had beene made of the holy ghostes assistaunce herein these onlie woordes vpon the credit that faithful men owe to Christ had bin sufficient to haue assured the world of the authoritie of priesthood of the wholl cause that now is called in controuersie For what can be said either of god or man more properlie or more playnlie then this whose sinnes you shal forgiue they be forgiuen whose sinnes you shal retaine they be retained I must needes heree complaine of these vnfaithful and vnhappie times that in the continuall lothsome bragges of the scripture and Gods word in perpetuall tossing and tumbling of the booke of the Bible in endlesse contention and disputation of most high mysteries in them contained haue wholie conuerted the cleerest and onely vndoubted meaning of such places specially as moste touch the verie life and saluation of all mankinde and which be of all other thinges in termes of scripture most open and euident sull foolishlie and vnlearnedlie haue both the simple sort handled Gods word as in such grosse ignorance of al thinges they needes must and their new procured Masters also in not much more knowledge and farre passing pride can not otherwise do but whilest they plaie them selues in things of smaler importance they are to be laughed at rather then lamented but if the deuil driue them farther as he lightlie doth wherere he se quietlie possesseth and cause them to dallie and delude the places of scripture that principally concerne the state and saluation of vs al then we must with al force resist lest we leese the fruite and good of our Christianitie What can be of higher importance in the world or touch our soules and saluation so neere as the holie sacraments of Christ Church by which grace and mercy through gods appointment be procured yet these blessed fountains especiallie euen these waters springing euerlastingly to our life and comfort haue these men most infected FVLKE You fare as though we denied all power of remitting or retaining of sinnes whereas we do moste gladlie imbrace all such power as Christ hath giuen vs which we must so take as it be not dishonourable to the godhead that man should exercise that which is proper to God him-selfe The power therefore we graunt but what manner of power this is we must inquire whether an absolute power for priests at their pleasure as you speake afterward in this Chapter to forgiue sinnes properlie or a power to declare the same to be forgiuen according to the pleasure of God to them that repent and beleeue the Gospell and also whether this power is to be exercised by preaching the Ghospel or by auricular confession You spend manie words therefore in vaine to prooue the power and authoritie whereof we stand in no controuersie with you but what manner of power this is and by what meanes it is to be exercised As for the lothsome bragges of the scripture and Gods word in perpetuall tossing and tumbling of the bookes of the Bible doe argue that you complaine of sauoreth not of the spirit of Christ which willeth the scriptures to be searched as those which beare witnes of him To glory in the truth of Gods word contained in his holie scriptures is no vaine bragging but such as Christians ought moste of all to delight in The rest of your railing I passe ouer as vnworthie anie answere when whatsoeuer you prate in generall shal be founde false in speciall when you come to prooue the particulers ALLEN In the institution of Sacraments Christs wordes were euer plaine without colour or figure as wordes that worke with singular efficacie grace and vertue and therewith giue to the ministers iust authoritie for the execution of Christes meaning which could not be done in figuratiue speaches and parables without infinit error Did God speake parables when he instituted the solemnitie of so manie sacrifices in the olde lawe when he signified vnto Moses and Aaron euerie seuerall sorte of beast or creature with their sexe kind all the ceremonie thereunto belonging Did he speake parables when the sacrament of the lambe was to be instituted Did he speake by figure to Abraham when he commaunded him to circumcise the male of euerie of his people Did he speake by figure when he instituted the Sabbath Did he to be breefe euer in the olde lawe speake one thing and meane another when anie externall worke by the charge of his worde was to be practized for euer amongest the people In common speach in prophecying in preaching in similitudes in examples vttered for the declaration of manie thinges and for grace and varietie of talke to stirre vp mans industrie in searching the secretes of the trueth there figures of all sortes be vsed but where by externall wordes and actions force of inward grace must be procured or perpetuall vsages in the Church are
in outward signes and elements to be instituted or commission of great matters graunted or charge of singular waight giuen to seruants in absense of their Masters in all such cases plaine speaking by Gods prouidence was euer vsed and by all reason must be vsed or ells man falling into error in the execution of his commission is sufficientlie to be excused because he could not attaine to the meaning of his Masters wordes And yet the wicked of these daies haue found such light in scripture that they haue made our Master Christ to speake one thing and meane the contrarie in the very instiution of Sacraments and haue found figures to delude deseat the world of the necessarie fruit of them al. FVLKE Since you were a Papist you neuer vttered a more fase proposition that in the institution of Sacraments Christs wordes were euer plaine and without colour or figure nor yet a more foolish and vnlearnd assertion For you oppose figure to plainenes and colorablenes As for your Metaphor of colour I will not meddle with it but if you meane thereby as it is commonlie taken for dissimulation I protest that Christ in no speach euer vsed anie As for plainenes he sought when he vsed figures or rhetorical colours Therefore as I graunt that in institution of Sacraments Christs wordes were euer plaine so Ivtterlie denie that in institution of sacraments Christes wordes were neuer figuratiue and I holde him for a verie either ignorant or impudent person that dare affirme the contrarie That the wordes of Christ could not worke with singular efficacie grace and vertue and therewith giue to the ministers iust authoritie for the execution of Christs meaning being vttered in figuratiue speaches parables without infinite error is a brutish affirmation as afterward I wil shewe by manie particular examples In the meane time that which commeth neare to this cause what boie that learneth Moselanes figures will denie that these speaches of binding of loosing of the keies of the kingdome of heauen of Peter being a rocke or stone on which the Church is builded are figuratiue speaches and parables meaning not proper binding loosing keies Rocke or building but parables or thinges like vnto those But against this you obiect with interrogation did God speake parables when he instituted the solemnitie of so manie sacrifices c Yea verilie then did he moste of all speake parables For then he signified that reconciliation was onelie by Christs death whereof all these sacrifices were parables similitudes and figures as the Apostle declareth Heb. 9. verse 9. in plaine wordes And yet it followeth not that euerie word was figuratiue or parabolicall which he vsed in the institution of euerie sacrifice and therefore the seuerall sorte of the beast or creature with the sexe and kinde and other partes of the ceremonie thereto belonging might be in proper tearmes without iustifying of that monstrous paradox that no figuratiue speaches were vsed in the institution of sacraments or that in the institution of sacraments Christs wordes were euer without figure But you vrge vs farther asking whether he did speake parables when the sacrament of the Lambe was to be instituted I hope you plaie not the lad to trifle about the distinction of parables and figures but you meane that he vsed no figuratiue speaches as your first proposition was I answer you he did and that doe I plainelie prooue when he said the Lambe so taken prepared and eaten with haste is the Lordes passeouer where indeede it was a sacrament and signe thereof and not the Lordes passeouer in proper speach Moses also reporting the Lords institution biddeth the people to slaie the passeouer and the people are willed to teach their yonge children ignorant of the end and vse thereof that it is the Lordes passeouer and so diuerse times both in the 12. and 13. Chapters it is repeated that the lambe so slaine is the passeouer of the Lord. Therefore it is plaine that God did vse figuratiue speach in the institution of the Sacrament of the Lambe euen when he did teach the people the vse and end thereof not to obscure the mysterie but by similitude of passing ouer their houses where the posts were sprinckled with the blood more plainelie to expresse and set forth the same You aske the third time whether God did speake by figure to Abraham when he commaunded him to circumcise the male of euerie one of his people Gen. 17 I answere you yea he did speake by figure For when he begane to speake of that matter ver 10. He said this is my couenant betweene me and you and betweene thy seed after the which ye shal keepe that euerie male among you be circumcised Which that you should not doubt to be a figure in the next verse following he expoundeth it saying that circumcision shal be a signe of the couenant that is betweene me and you And verse 13. he saith so shall my couenant be in your flesh for a perpetuall couenant And in the 14. verse the soule of the vncircumcised male shal be rooted out from his people because saith he he hath transgressed or made void my couenant The like demaund you make of the institution of the Sabbaoth which I knowe not whether you number among the sacraments or no. In Gen. 2. where it is said that God rested from all his worke which he had made there is a figure because he ceased onelie from creation but not from gouernment and preseruation of those thinges which he hath made And in the 35. of Exod. whereunto you send vs if you take the wordes of the law without anie figure whosoeuer shall do anie worke on the Sabboth day shal die the death you condemne a great manie whome our sauionr Christ doth excuse not onelie from punishment of death but euen from breach of the cōmaundement Luke 13. 14. Mat. 12. To your last question I answere that he neuer dissembled in the olde lawe or the new but if you vnderstand by speaking on thing and meaning an other figuratiue speaches I saie he often vsed them when anie externall worke was to be practized for euer by charge of his worde among the people as is moste euident in the sacramentes of circumcision and the passeouer therefore your distinction is falsc friuolous for God hath vsed figuratiue speaches often times in the institution of the sacraments not to deceiue the people that they should take one thing for an other but the better to expresse the vertue and effect of them according to the capacitie of the people As in calling the Lambe the pascal they were more liuely put in minde both of the temporall benifit and passing ouer and also of their spirituall deliuerance When circumcision is called the couenant whereof it was a signe the people were admonished what was the spirituall meaning thereof namelie that they should cut of the olde man with all concupiscences of the flesh which God requireth of all them that
that they are the twelue rocks or stones the foundation of the walles of the new Ierusalem Apoc. 21. 14. and the Church is builded vpon the foundation of all the Apostles Eph. 2. 20. Secondlie you saie the promis made to him Ioan. 1. Math. 16. was perfourmed no doubt after his resurrection when he committed to him the feeding of all his sheepe yong and olde Ioh. 21. 2. We graunt as much but that it doth exceedinglie import a wonderful incomparable soueraigntie and iurisdiction ouer mens soules greater or other then was equally graunted to the rest of the Apostles we see not how it can be inferred of anie scripture Euerie one of the Apostles being sent into all the world to teach all nations and to preach the Gospell to euerie creature hath as generall authority to feede the shepe of Christ both olde and yong as Peter Thirdlie you saie for a mortall man to receiue the keies of the kingdome of heauen and by them to binde and loose to lock out and let in before our Master Christ who had full iurisdiction therein it was neuer heard of But we read that the samekeies were committed to the scribes and Pharisees and teachers of the law which they did shamefullie abuse and therfore are threatned by our sauiour Christ woe be to you teachers of the law for you haue taken awaie the key of knowledge and neither you your selues do enter and you forbid them that would Woe be vnto you Scribes and Pharisees ye hypocrites for you shut vp the kingdome of heauen before men For neither you your selues do enter nor suffer those to enter that would enter Luk. 11. Mat. 23. here you note inthese places the key of knowledge by which the kingdome of heauen should haue beene opened taken awaie and the kingdome of heauen shut vp from them that gladlie would enter if they knew which way The keies in deede do signifie power and authoritie but that onelie Peter hath those keies and not the Church and euerie true Pastour of the same or that Peter by them had greater power and authoritie then the rest of the Apostles which had them also you shall neuer be hable to make demonstration Your remembrance serueth you well that all the olde writers do make no difference betweene the authoritie of Peter and the rest of the Apostles concerning the remitting of sins But you do forget that the power of bynding and loosing was by our sauiour Christ graunted equallie to all the Apostles and to their successours though it were once singularlie vttered to one The subtiltie of Origen to make a difference betweene binding and loosing in all the heauens and in one heauen onelie beside that it is vaine in it selfe yet is it not brought of Origen to dignifie Peter aboue all the Apostles whome both vpon the place of Mat. 16. and this also he confesseth to haue receiued equall power with Peter but to prefer Peter and such as Peter was before them that haue thrise reprehended offenders and beeing not heard haue bound the sinner vpon earth iudgeing him as an heathen or publicane whereof he inferreth Quanto melior fuerit qui ligat c how much better he is that bindeth by somuch he that is bound is bound more then in one heauen and how much better he is that looseth by so much he shall be more happie that is loosed for he is loosed in all the heauens The greater preheminence of rule and iurisdiction the fullnes of power and prerogatiue deriued from Peter as from a fountaine be matters of bolde assertion but void of all manner of proofe or demonstration ALLEN But we will not stand hereon now nor yet to put difference betwixt these wordes and tearmes loosing or remitting binding or retaining nor to dispute whether these two textes more properlie signifie the authoritie and iurisdiction giuen to the spiritual Magistrates for punishing by temporal pain enioyned and releasing by mercie as they see occasion the same appointed penance againe or els it properlie concerneth the verie release of sinne it selfe or retaining the sinne which they vpon iust causes will not forgiue These thinges would grow to ouer tedious a tale and ouercurious for the simple whome I would moste helpe in these matters and I shall briefllie touch so much hereof as is necessarie hereafter when I shall dispute of pardons For in deede these two textes of binding and loosing as well spoken to Peter as to the residue afterward shall be the ground of our wholl discourse there and therefore till then we must touch these textes no further but as in common pertaineth to remitting or retaining sinnes For they are brought indifferentlie of the holie fathers with the foresaid wordes of Saint Iohn in which as I haue declared the verie institution of penance and Priestes iudgement of our soules and sinnes be moste properlie grounded Theresore that by all these wordes so often vttered by our sauiour you maie well perceiue the verie literall and vudoubted meaning to be that Priestes haue authoritie by Christes warrant to remit and retaine sinnes I will recite one or two places of most auncient fathers that they ioyning with such plaine wordes of sundrie places of scripture maie make all most sure to such as can by anie reason be satisfied First Ialledge the saying of S. Maximus an olde author a blessed saint He doth by conference couple together these textes whereon we now stand thus hespeaketh verie pithely therefore you shal heare his owne words Ne qua vos fiatres de creditis Petro clauibus regni more nostrarum clauium cogitatio terrena promoueat Clauis caeli lingua est Petri quam singulorum meritae censendo Aposiolus vnicuique regnum coelorum aut claudit aut aperit Non est ergo clauis ista mortalis artificis aptata manu sed data à Christo potestas est iudicandi Denique ait eis quorum remiseritis peccata remissa erunt quorum detinueritis detenta erunt Thus he saith in our tongue Least anie earthlie cogitation mooue you to think of anie such materiall keies as we occupy in earth when you heare of committing the keies of the kingdome to Peter you must thus vnderstand that the key of heauen is Peters word or tongue because the Apostle weighing well euerie of our deserts openeth or shutteth to euery man the kingdome of Christ. This key therfore is not made by mortal mans hand but it is the power of iudgement giuen by Christ. To be briefe he saith to them al whose sins you shal forgiue they shal be forgiuē c. Thus saith Maximus ioyning together fitly two textes for one purpose out of both maketh a moste forcible argument that the iudgement of our soules which is a passing authoritie and the verie letting in and keeping out of heauen is addicted by the keies to Peters and the Apostles ministerie For which cause also S. Gregorie calleth all Christes Apostles and the iust occupiers
no fault found with his sentence of the Priestes power in binding and loosing Gratian also declareth that learned and religious men in his time were in diuerse opinions about that point and other concerning this popish sacrament of penance whereby it appeareth that the sentence which you holde was not accounted Catholike nor vniuersallie receiued in their times If Peter Lumbard the Master of the sentences was deceiued by the sayings of Saint Ierome and S. Augustine they were first deceiued themselues for other sense out of their sayings then the master of the sentences gathereth no reasonable man can conclude And it is but one onelie saying of S. Augustine that he citeth not diuers and not onely out of Augustine and Hierome but out of other writers also as Ambrose and Cassiodorus and Gratian citeth maniemore all which you must answere if you wil take part against the two principall posts of poperie Gratiane and Lumbard with all them that take their part But you thinke one saying of Chrysostome inough to wipe awaie all their authorities and reasons and to prooue that the priestes of the new lawe doe purge the fitlh of the soull and not onely declare it to be purged as the Priestes of the olde lawe did of the leprosie of the body The meaning of Chrysostome is that the Ministers of the Gospell haue power not onelie to pronounce declare the penitent sinner to be deliuered from the vncleanes of his soule vnto other men that he may be accepted into the congregation if he haue bene excluded but to assure the penitents conscience in Gods name of the remission of their sinnes wherein he doth much more for the benefit of his soule then the priest of the olde law who onelie declared vnto other men how the partie was to be taken who knew in himselfe whether he were sicke or healed before he came to the priest Therefore where Chrysostome saith It is graunted vnto the priests of the new testament not onelie to trie approoue the soule to be deliuered of the filihines thereof but altogether to deliuer it he meaneth of deliuering by assuring the conscience of the penitent sinner of Gods mercie and forgiuenes whereby he is throughly or altogether deliuered therfrom whereas otherwise it were blasphemous conrrarie to Chrysostomes iudgement in many other places if the wholl act of purging or deliuering the soull from filthines were ascribed to man as the words seeme to sounde ALLEN Now vpon all this foresaid declaration it maie be well vnderstood that our aduersaries haue small reason in reprehending the ordinance of God who is prooued in all ages and diusities of lawes to haue giuen grace and remission of sinnes not onelie by externall elementes and actions of diuerse ceremonies sacraments and sacrifices but also euer to haue dispensed the said benefites by mans seruice and ministerie without all dishonour of his personage or diminishing his owne proper interest and right therein And so much more hath he vsed in the new law of the Gospell the ministerie of the priests and externall sacraments to the procuring of the saied benefites by how much more our law our sacraments our sacrifices and our priests be glorified and preferred in respect of the olde and haue the more abundant blessing of the spirit and Christs blood which by these conduites most largelie flowe to all mens fouls that despise not the blessed benefit thereof Yet if they will not be satisfied herewith because they surmise our new law to be so spirituall that man may looke for nothing at mans handes but all immediatelie of God and his spirit for by him they will be taught the meaning of the scripture by him they will be baptized by him they must haue remission and absolution and at length they are become Anabaptistes and refuse to obey Prelates of the Church and Princes of the world because by God they wil onelie be ruled and punished for their offences Against such proud cogitations as Saint Augustine tearmeth them God hath purposelie to teach humilitie and obedience one to another both in temporal causes and especiallie in spirituall matters perteining to mens sinnes and soules he hath I saie for the nonst not onelie instituted these waies of baser creatures vsed in the sacraments to atteine his grace by but also hath made man the master almost and executor of his meaning in the same whose seruice he vseth so much for our saluation that he sticked not to send his most chosen and dearest euen of those daies of grace and plentifulnes of the spirit to be instructed by man and made readie for his ministerie no otherwise but by man A strange thing surelie and to be well noted for this purpose not onelie of our aduersaries for their confusion but of the good studious readers for their instruction how that Paul beeing prostrate and miraculouslie called by Iesus Christes owne voice was yet sent by Christ himselfe to confirme the authority of his priests to Ananias of him to receiue as well instructions as the sacraments of the Church for his incorporation to the faithfull and remission of his sinnes paste And againe that Cornelius though his praiers were heard and his almes acceptable to god an Angel sent vnto him to declare the same which was a signe of high reputatiō was yet charged to goe to Peter of him not onelie to receiue the sacraments but a so by his instruction to learne what to beleeue what to hope what to loue saith S. Austine The Eunuch might by god himselfe in his owne coun try haue bene schooledor sanctified yet it pleased his maiesty so to vse the matter that by Philip both the sense of scripture the sacrament of Baptisme should be vnderstanded receiued at once So hath God in all ages confirmed the authoritie of his holie priests and ministers so hath he euer checked by his owne holie examples the presumptuous temptation of man who euer hath disdained mans office and ministerie for his owne saluation Therefore let no man maruell why Christ hath giuen authoritie to man to forgiue sinnes seeing he hath from the beginning not remitted ordinarilie otherwise then by mans seruice nor any way ells for the moste parte but by externall acts of ceremonies sacraments and sacrifices that we may learne thereby humility obedience to Gods ordinance by the warrant whereof they all as I haue prooued challenge all manner of interest in the gouernment of our soules FVLKE That God by externall sacraments and by the ministerie and seruice of man hath dispensed his spiritual benefits it is prooued but so that his grace was neuer bound either to the one or to the other but that he maie and hath bestowed the same most freelie according to the good pleasure of his will The fansie of the Anabaptistes that would seeme to looke for all thinges immediatlie from God despising the sacráments and ministerie of man we abhor and detest no lesse then
scelus suum faucibus contagia funesta 〈◊〉 Dominicorpus inuadunt c. Almoste yet belching out the deadly meates of their Idoles the iawes as yet breathing out their owne wickednes sauoring of the deadelie infection they set vpon our Lordes bodie And immediately before the wordes by you cited Plus modò in dominum manib atque ore delinquunt quà m cum Dominum negauerant They doe more offende now against the Lord with their hands and their mouth then at such time as they denied the Lorde These wordes declare of what kinde of men of what kinde of sinnes of what kinde of confession and of what kinde of satisfaction this Doctor doth speake whose vehemencie tendeth to the maintenance of discipline being in great daunger of decaie by the vntimelie and vngodlie lenitie of some flattering Church men in those daies that would reconcile such vnto the Church by admitting them to the communion which after their moste greeuous fall and deniall of Christ before men had not giuen sufficient tokens and testimonies of their hearty repentance before God without the which the wrath of God iustly kindled against them for their henious offences couldnot be appeased Hetherto therefore for the necessitie of auricular confession we haue seene nothing that anie learned protestant might voutchsafe of anie answere as for the scriptures giuing the Priest so plaine power as wel of binding and retaining as of loosing and remitting doe laie no necessity vpon anie man to confesse vnto them the particularities of his secret faultes nor giue any authoritie vnto the priestes to exact the same I saie not by expresse wordes but not by any necessary illation or conclusion out of the expresse words of the scripture which we holde to be of as great credit as that which is contained in expresse wordes As for the vniforme consent of all ages and the mosie notable persons in the same whereof you make your cómon vaunt can neuer be shewed for the necessitie of auricular shrift no nor for anie other point of poperie though you would make choise of the eldest error that you holde That you take the Churches practize in al ages to be the moste surest way to touch and trie truth by you declare what reuerent opinion you haue of the word of God which our Sauiour Christ saith is the truth wherin he praieth his father to sanctifie al his disciples vnto the worldes end Vnto which rule of truth al practize of mé must be exacted and by it be tried For what mad blasphemie were it to saie that the word of God which was before all practize the onelie trueth of touch hath now lost his credit or the best part thereof if practize of men in all ages be now become the most surest waie to trie and touch trueth by as if the manners of men were alwaies the best interpretation of the lawe That confession hath euer beene vsed of all mortall sins in all countries and ages since Christes time it is prooued by the witnes of moste learned fathers with an answer to such things as out of the Fathers be sometimes obiected to the contrarie THE 11. CHAP. ALLEN I Am the longer in this approoued trueth because I remember what Saint Chrysostome saith And I see by these daies that it is verie true which he writeth Multa arie opus esse vt qui laborant Christiani vltrò sibi 〈◊〉 persuadeant sacerdotum curationibus sese submittere That it is a point of high wisdome and cunning to bring to passe that Christian men which are sicke in soule would persuade themselues to submit in all causes them selues to the priests curing For indeede in Nectarius his predecessours daies there was such an offence arose in the simple sorte and such a tragedie in Constantinople Church by the naughtie fact of a deaton there that their Bishoppe was glad to make the state of penance which then was often published euen for priuat sinnes to be a great deale more free then before Whereupon the people tooke occasion of such libertie and licentious life that when their common Penitenciarie by the commaundement of Nectarius was remóoued they were exceeding loath to confesse or doe iust penance for their sinnes actuall Though that good man condescending to the peoples weaknes meant neuer to take awaie that wholl order wherein he had no authoritie because it is no politike prouision but Christes institution but onely that the penance should not be publike except the party listed of those sinnes which were to the said Penitentiarie confessed in secret Which fact of his though perchaunce it was necessarie for that time yet was not allowed of the writers of the same Historie As a thing saith Sozomenus that brought much dissolute life and alteration of the peoples manners into the Church Yet our aduersaries are in such aistresse for their maintenance of their contrarie assertion against holie confession that they be not ashamed to alledge this mans doubtfull example Which if it were good and to be followed yet made it nothing against shrift which they cal now auricular confession or if it did make against the whole Sacrament euerie waie ministered yet it could not of reason be followed being but one bishoppes compelled act and that disalowed euen of the reporters them selues and prooued to be euill by the practize of all Churches christened to the contrarie FVLKE Chrysostomes wordes by you translated if you had not falsifyed in translation by adding of your owne these wordes in all causes which are neither in the originall Greeke nor in the latine version make but a small shew for the necessitie of the auriculer confession For in that place Chrysostome sheweth how much more difficult the office of a spirituall shepard is then the charge of a bodely herdman by this that the shepperd of vnresonable sheepe may both see the diseases of his cattell and also compell them to take his medicines and diet but the spirituall shepheard cannot alwaies see with what diseases his flocke are infected neither can he compell them but must exhort them willinglie to submit them selues to his cure whereby he meaneth his doctrine of admonition reprehension and such like But because you make mention of a storie and doe not expresse it and yet excuse Chrysostome thereby in any thing that he hath written sounding against the necessitie of confessing before men of sinnes committed in secret as though he durst not fullie set downe his iudgement thereof before the peo ple. I will set forth the storie as it is reported by the Ecclesiasticall writers Socrates and Sozomenus Socrates L. 5. C. 19. writeth thus About the same time it was thought good to take awaie those elders or priests of the Churches which were appointed ouer publike repentance vpon such cause Since the time that the Nouatians were deuided from the Church for that they would not communicate with them that had fallen in the persecution that was vnder Decius the Bishops of the
punishment Secondlie you assure vs If the pardon be large it taketh awaie the whole paine then it followeth that if God punish a man for his sinnes with the goute or anie other bodelie sicknes a large pardon would take awaie the whole paine thereof Surelie if you would become suter to his holines for a large pardō that would take awaie the whole paine of bodelie sicknes you might doe an acceptable deede and be well paied for your paines But if the Popes pardon be not able to take awaie the paine of one scabbe or flebiting you wil hardlie perswade vs that it can take awaie all the paine of purgatorie if it were prooued that anie such paine or place were after this life But if the pardon saie you determine the number of daies or yeares then it releaseth but part of the penāce onlie as you bring exampls of 20. daies pardon but if the pardon determine the number of yeares to an hundred thousand yeares then this explication is insufficient yet you haue an other quirke to helpe it afterward by stretching it into purgatorie your imaginarie prison But the auncient canons neuer inioyned so manie yeares penance nor neuer did anie Catholike Bithoppe graunt pardon of so manie yeares Saint Cyprian as we heard before with his colleagues determined to release some parte of the appointed time vpon good hope of the amendement of the parties and great signes shewed of their heartie repentance and for daunger of present persecution at hand Saint Paull receiued the incestuous person vnto the fellowship of the Church vpon his repentance The Councel of Nice also willed the Bishops in seeing the fruits of repentance ripebefore the time assigned by the Canons to deale more gently with the lapsed persons But all these haue no resemblance with the Antichristian pardons of the Pope which are not graunted vpon like cause nor by a person of like authoritie nor to persons of like qualites nor to the like end nor onelie of penance enioyned but of such as no man would enioyne beside remission à culpa pana or if not for all sinnes yet for some third or seauenth parteof sinnes or else full remission of all sinnes beside 8000. yeares and 8000. Lentes as in the pardon of Clement the sixt confirmed by Leo the tenth it is to be seene ALLEN Whereby we see this pardoning of enioyned penance is an auncient vsage and counted moste holie of all the Church whereof we make this assured ground and foundation of our Pardons and for the trueth of them we make this argument Saint Paul did remit enioyned penance in Christs person Saint Cyprian and al the Bishops of Affrike did remit penance enioyned Nicē Councel giueth licence to bishops to remit penance prescribed by the law Therefore the Pope by their example as in the person of Christ may remit enioyned penance there fore may lawfuilie giue a Pardon The paine prescribed by the law he may release because he is the principal executer of the law the penance appointed by the inferiour priest in confession he may likewise remit because that which is prescribed by the inferiour may by good reason be vpon considerations altered by the superiour especiallie where the Magistrate hath good meanes to prouide that neither the common wealth suffer damage thereby nor the partiē to whome it doth perteine to be loosed or bounde in penance receiue any losse thereby By like authoritie also doth a Pardon change sometimes a sharper longer paine enioyned into some more gentle penance and more fit and needeful workes for the time and state then beeing as his power that is the chiefe gouernour may be exceeding benefi ciall to the worlde in such cases which euer ought to be practized for edifying neuer for destruction For it is to be considered that the high Pastour vsualite graunieth no release of the debt of good workes or the bond of deserued punishment but by prescription of some other holie worke to be accomplished before the partie obteine the benefit of his remission 〈◊〉 when a penitent hath enioyned him to punish his bodie by continual fasting or long peregrination or other exceeding much temporall pain according to the grieuousnes of his desertes the freedome of a Pardon of tentimes turneth the saide due paines enioyned into some easier worke of Christian charitie yet beeing much more to the glory of god beneficial to the Church as the time standeth then the other could be As when the Turke or other enemies of Christianitie doe inuade any Christian kingdome it is more beneficiall to put to our helping hand in with standing his crueltie either by resisting him in our owne person or contributing anie peece of our goods towardes the same then anie priuate Penance that maie concerne our persons Therefore the gouernours of the Church often to mooue the people to such necessarie denotion giueth them a release of all paine due for their sinnes or at least of the bonde of their enioyned penance onelie vpon respect of some smal furtherance in such a good and Godlie purpose FVLKE We acknowledge that pardoning of ecclesiastical pu nishment commonly called penance is very auncient And being graunted by them that had authoritie vpon good consideration is very necessary But it is very yong and new that the Pope should take vpon him though he proceeded no further then pardon of penance enioy nedto release the penance enioyned by the gouernours of other Churches to persons whose repentance he knoweth not for other causes then of auncient were allowed and especiallie for money But now vpon this auncient and accustomed practize of Gods Church let vs see what Antichrist can claime and that is set forth in an assured argument Saint Paull did remit S. Cyprian with the Bishops of Afrike and the Nicene councell doth allow remitting of penance prescribed therefore the Pope by their example maie remit enioyned penance and lawfullie giue a pardon Call you this an assured argument for pardons where there wanteth one leg and that the better leg of the argument to stand vpon Aristotle doth well admonish that in an Enthimeme lightlie the weaker part is hidden and not expressed For this argument euerie man maie lawfullie denie except you adde the Maior that whatsoeuer Saint Paull Saint Cyprian with his fellowes and the Nicene coun cell lawfullie did and allowed the Pope doing as they did maie lawfullie do But then this Maior will be denied and so the conclusion will not holde For the Pope is neither anie gouernour nor yet any member of the Church of Christ. But if he were a lawfull Bishop he might do within his owne charge as Saint Paul Saint Cyprian and the rest with the Nicen councell did and allowed to be done And yet if he were allowed to be a Bishop and would graunt such pardons as he doth to men of other Churches and vpon such occasions as he doth this argument would not defend him because the Minor would not follow
of them The example of Aarons intercession as he was the high priest shewed the effect of Christes priesthood of whome he was a figure whose perfect sacrifice represented in the incense was a sweete sauour of reconciliation vnto God for the preseruation not onelie of the Israelites but of all Gods elect both from temporall and eternall destruction This example of Aarons incense therefore is as farre differing from the Popes pardons as Aarons office differeth from Antichristes presumption ALLEN But it were to long to make rehersall of all such punishments as God hath afflicted his people with all for sinne and yet hath beene either wholie put of or much thereof abated by these priestes euen of the olde lawe when they had no warrant promise nor commission in sacrament or otherwise either to binde or loose as by iurisdiction or anie otherwise but by their praiers where ours of the newe law and testament haue expresselie receiued a full power and commission concerning the same Therefore now in the new lawe and in the daies of grace where mercie and iudgement be met together truth and peace be ioyned we shall finde expresse examples of iustice and iudgement on the one side and grace and mercie on the other not onelie in the gouernment of Popes and Bishops but in Christes owne regiment and his holie Apostles from whome to our priestes all this power prooceedeth In them then of whome heresie and falshoode doe stande in awe let vs see whether anie examples maie be found of pardoning the paine due for sinne The seuen deuils possession of one womans bodie was no small punishment for sinne yet when it pleased Christ he both forgaue her the sin discharged her of that horrible punishment for the same she had a graund pardon a plenarie Indulgence because she loued much Yea a woman thae had committed adulterie and therefore by the law subiect to death was pardoned by Christ not onelie of her sinne and damnation but of that penaltie which by Gods law shee was subiect vnto for the same sin wherby he declared that he had full power not onelie to remit sinnes but also to giue pardon for any temporall punishment prouided by law for sinne Where are they woman that doe accuse thee quoth Christ Here is none here said she Lord. If none haue condemned thee goe thy waie therefore and sinne no more And this is the 8. of Saint Iohns Gospell FVLKE Yf the Priests of the old law had no warrant promise or commission to binde or loose any waie but by their praiers for as much as the dutie of praier is not proper to priests but common to al faithfull persons you can prooue no shadow of the power of Priests in releasing Gods punishment by their putting of or abating such punishment by praier onelie Although you saie vntrulie that they had no warrant of binding and loosing in sacrament or otherwise For they had power and commission to separate the cleane from the vncleane to exclude from the participation of the Sacraments and sacrifices to cast out of the sinagogue and to receiue againe But thereof I will not dispute at this time That is a greater matter you speake of that Christ himselfe gaue a pardon Who doubreth but that Christ had fullnes of power to pardon according to his diuine pleasure Yf the Pope may doe whatsoeuer Christ did let him caste out Deuills clense the Lepers raise the deade yea let him make another worlde But where you saie that the adulteres Iohn 8. was pardoned by Christ of the temporall penaltie that shee was subiect vnto by Gods law for her sinne that was stoning to death you speake beside the Gospell for there is no one worde to prooue it but rather Christ sheweth that he had not to do with ciuil punishments as when he refused to deuide the inheritance betweene the brethren and discouereth the hypocrisie of the Pharisies who when they had no authoritie to execute any offendour by death beeing restreined by the Romane lawes and power come to tempt him that either he should giue sentence of her against the law of God or ells seeme cruel in pronouncing sentence of death against her whose life the ciuill authoritie did spare What is here like the Popes pardons or what hath any pardon of Christ like to the Popes pardons ALLEN Which example I alledge the rather because Saint Augustine noreth it as a strange power and iurisdiction that should remit the punishment enioyned by the law it selfe for a publike crime where the person was taken with the manner Yea he applieth it to the Priests and Bishops and prooueth that it becommeth them at the lest to make intercession to the temporall officers by occasion for the release of offendours even where they be subiect vnto the appointed punishment of the lawes Wherein he saith that though they cannot by their authoritie commaund their release yet that it behoueth the Ciuill Magistrates to release the paine where they doe make request For which cause Macedonius a Magistrate had challenged Saint Augustine or rather asked him the question why Bishops did so much intermedle in the temporall iudgement for procuring pardon to offendours in so much that they would not take it well if they obtained not the remission of the parties punishment for whome they made intercession To whome Saint Augustine answereth trimelie and largelie where amongest other things he saith Ipse Dommus intercessit ne lapidaretur adultera eo modo nobis commendautt intercessionis officium Our Lord himselfe made intercession for the woman taken in adultery by that fact commended vnto vs the office of intercession And Saint Augustine excommunicated Countie Bonifacius that he tooke from the Church an offendour and put him to execution when he came to the Church for mercy pardon So prone hath Gods Church euer beene to remit the paine for sinne deserued not onelie where she had full authoritie to pardon at her pleasure but euen there where it could not otherwise be had but by intercession to other men who had to doe therewith FVLKE You quote Saint Augustines epist. 54 ad Macedonium as though he should note it a strange power and iurisction that should remit the punishment inioyned by the law it selfe for a publike crime But there is no such note of any such strange power and iurisdiction in all that Epistle In deede he supposeth that this dutie of intercession for offendours is commended to the Ecclesiasticall persons by this example and that Magistrates are to be mooued with pitie to pardon offenders at their request But he speaketh not of any power or iurisdiction in this intercession but of humble petition Our Lord him selfe saith he was a meane among men that the adulteres should not be stoned and by that means commended to vs the duetie of intercession sauing that he did it by terrifying that we do by petition For he was the Lord and we are
enemie who by all likelihoode was as much a Lutheran as the other and perhapes neither of them both either of religion or of honestie These preachers of Paris most worthy not of the Locrensians rope but ofa much greater torment as procures of so wilfull murther should M. Frarine call vpon with the saying of Christe vnto Saint Peter put vp thy sword into thy sheath rather then the preachers of the Gospell whoe neither drew anie sworde themselues nor euer were authors or councellers to anie man of murther and cruell bloodshedyea to the pope himselfe which vaunteth that he is Peters successour this text should be moste aptlie applied when he not onelie stirreth vp Princes to make wars one against an other but he himselfe also maketh bloodie battelles not for defence of religion but to maintaine his one worldly quarrels not to hold his own right but to inuade other princes dominions Put vp thy sword into thy sheath said Christ vnto S. Peter the sworde of Paull saide Iulie the second shall defend vs when yonder keie of Peter will no longer serue vs. But Frier Luther is called to witnes that it was not the Gospell which the Protestantes tooke in hand to mainteine by these bloodie wars who saied in the assemblie at Lipsia Neither was this matter euer begonne for Gods quarrell neither shall be ended for Gods sake Hereupon follow great outcries but who is witnes that these were Luthers wordes which euerie Papist doth so spitfullie gnawe vpon None but Luthers enimies Emser and Eccius and the Legate yet was there present manie other not onelie his frends but more indifferent persons then his professed aduersaries yet none of them can beare witnes of this speach But admit the words were spoken in the onelie hearing of his enemies doth it follow that they must needs haue no other sense but that which the Papists do most malitiouslie imagine of thé Might not Luther meane of that cause matter which his aduersaries had begone against him or is it proable to anie reasonable mans iudgement that Luther would deny that the contention which he then maintained against the popish heresie was euer begone for Gods quarrell or should be ended for his sake If thē this malitious sense cary with it no likelihood of truth wherto serueth that exclamation O noble sentence c. the rest that follow eth What warres did Euther euer make or mooue that he should be called sorth by Frarine to shew his comission from god for soul doings Yea if at were true that Luther both spake meant as you falsty charge him had bin as great an hipocrite as he was a sincere preacher were those onely word sufficient to carrie away the wholl cause of the Gospell from the Protestants to the papists and to prooue that no other protestant had commission or authoritie from God if Luther confessed he had none See I praie you what weightie arguments the papists leane vnto while they accuse the protestants to haue made warre without iust cause But P. Frarine dissembleth no this aduersaries obiection that faith was well nigh querched and out of the Church which the Protestantes purposed to reforme Neither may we dissemble his answere Christ praied saith he for S. Peter that his faith should neuer faile and wil you saie that he praied in vaine No verilie for we beleeue that S. Peters faith neither in that most greeuous temptatiō against which he was comforred by these words of our sauiour Christ neither in any other to his liues end did euer faile But what doth that appertaine to the pope or popish Church Againe he saith hath not the holie Ghost taught the Church all trueth for which cause he came downe from heauen we beleeue the holy ghost taught al trueth to the Apostles according to Christs promis and vpon the foundation of the Prophetes and Apostles the Church is builded to continue foreuer If the popish synagogue host of the holie Ghost without the foundation of the Prophetes and Apostels who shall beleue that she is the Church of Christ But if your purpose was saith Frarine to reforme the Christian faith when you could not perswade the people by reason did you thinke it the best waie with gonneshot and beetles to driue the faith into their heads You are greatlie deceiued the minde maie be induced by reason it can not be compelled by stripes No sir they neuer had purpose to perswade faith by blowes and battell neither did they euer put on armour for such purpose but constrained by injury and allowed by authoritie to defend themselues Neither did they euer thinke that the vicious manners of men were to be reformed by anie other meanes then by preaching of Gods worde Christian discipline and godlie lawes And therefore to terme them but fling-braines and light Lacke strawes and all their doinges nothing but a bloodie butcherie a heinous wickednes a deuilish dealing an impietie neuer to be pardoned as Frarine doth it is the sentence of a light and lauish orator not of a graue and lawfull iudge What would this man haue tearmed the massacre of Parris and the executioners there of where not in painted words but in moste cruell and lamentable deedes more then ten thousand persons of all degrees ages and sexes were murdered in one daie without anie examination processe or sentence but being called togither vnder the pretence of 〈◊〉 league and marriage But to proceede in our matter you that accuse the papistes saith Frarine for their euill life are the worke men and naughtiest liuers that euer trode on earth And that did Luther himselfe whome he calleth the third Elias plainlie confesse that the manners of men were far more vitious vnder his Gospell then euer they were before vnder the Popedome But I praie you Master Frarine saith Luther so much of all that professed the Gospell which he preached or of some hypocrits whose wickednes was grea ter after knowledge receiued thē it was in ignorance Thé truth is Luther neither flattereth the vngodlie which out wardlie professed the Gospell nor yet accuseth al true professours for the wickednes of some hypocrites What then doth Luthers testimonie make for Frarines slaunder that they which accuse the papists are the worst men in the worlde But if anyof the disciples saith he dare deny this matter the adulterous beds the smoke of burnt houses the earth yet moist with blood theirpurses swelling with spoile beare witnes against thē These generall acusations deserue no answere except they be exemplified by particulers And therfore he calleth forth Martin Luther being readie to charge him if he dare shew his face with rebellion sedition sacriledge impietie heresie and all manner of wicked vices and heinous offences that can raigne in a man by the testimonie of Charles the Emperour Henry the eight King of England and Sigismonde King of Pole in their seuerall edicts and publike writings And as though he had him bounde with inuincible chaines of this
content to ride on an Asse the Apostles to goe barefot in planting the Gospell But whereon 〈◊〉 the pope and how be his Cardinals feete surbaighted in going barefote to preach the Gospell Although I knowe not where he findeth in holie scripture that the Apostles went barefote in planting the Gospell Their trauell was great into all partes of the world though they had bene well shood yea booted and ridden on horsebacke But if the comparison be made between the ministers of the Gospell and Antichrist the Pope and his proud prelates whether in pacience humility and mildnes of behauiour be more like to Christ and his Apostels we doubt not our cause though the triall were before verie partiall iudges Well howsoeuer it were you should haue suffered Martyrdome rather then to haue resisted and murthered other but that you would not for you sought to liue licentiouslie and had no hope of eternall life after this Among so manie thousand as suffered martyrdome most quietlie without resistance when they were imprisoned tormented and condemned by those which had power to kil their bodies he can finde no examples of pacience and hope of eternall life except all the Protestants in the world will giue there throtes to be cut and suffer themselues to be murthered contrarie to lawe and liberties established by lawfull authoritie and that by priuat persones and bloodie Tirants as the poore Christians were by the Duke of Guyse at Vassi and so should all the rest in Fraunce haue beene if God had not stirred vp diuers Princes and noble men at the request of the Queene Mother to oppose themselues against the furious and trayterous attempts of that bloodie tyrant who abusing the minoritie of the King whome he toke captiue with his mother vsurped moste vnlawfull power against the King the Queene the estates and all the realme Frarine therefore fareth with vs as that seditious Ruffian of Rome who sued an action against his enemie whome he had wrongfullie wounded because he receiued not his weapon deepe enough to death Christ himselfe the paterne of patience saide to the seruant which moste iniuriouslie smote him when he stoode in iudgement before the high priest why smitest thou me if I haue spoken euill beare witnes of euill that is deale with me as order of iustice requireth And Saint Paule his faithfull disciple could not forbeare that painted wall Ananias who pretending to sit in iudgement according to the lawe did contrarie to the lawe commaund him to be smitten and should the Protestants in Fraunce hauing both authoritie and power to defend themselues suffer the Duke of Guyse a priuate man and a straunger with his complices to smite of all their heades as it were with one stroke and not rather to oppose themselues against his furie not onelie for defence of the gospell but also for the maintenance of the lawe and the libertie of their nation There resistance therefore was not treason rebellion crueltie as this declaimer raueth butobedience iustice and authoritie to withstand treason crueltie and rebellion Yet againe he repeateth that lack of libertie was no iust cause of these warres seing euerie where they might fill their paunches carrie a sister wife about with them toule Nuns out of cloysters filthilie abuse them still he speaketh as though none were Authors Captaines or Souldiers of these warres but such licentious ministers or as though so manie princes noble men gentlemen and valiant souldiers as serued in those warres had no other quarrell but to maintaine the gluttonie and lecherie of a fewe lewde ministers of which sort yet he is not able to name one Neuertheles he saith that moste commonlie euerie Apostate Monke had his Nun at his toile and holie Kate hir holie mate Although the worlde knoweth that this might better be verefied of Clauster all Monkes and Nunnes of limiting friers and their holie sisters But srier Luthers pleasure was if we beleeue this man that his Ladie Venus court should be franke and free if the wife saith he will not doe it let the maide supplie her place The will of God commaundeth and necessetie bindeth as well to haue carnall copulation as to eate and drinke See how malice draweth all wordes to the worste meaning Luther in his booke of Babilonicall captiuitie speaking in the person of Assuerus taking Hester his maide to wife when Vasti refused to come to him hath some such wordes as he reporteth If the wife will not let the maide come and possesse her place meaning nothing els but the diuorcing of Vasti and the marrying of Hester but nothing as the Papists cauill that a man hauing a wife maie abuse his maide The other saying of the necessitie of carnall copulation is spoken onelie of them that haue not the gift of continencie for whome marriage is the lawfull and necessarie remedie ordained by God to auoide sinne To conclude this first part he saith it was neither religion nor gospell nor Gods quarrell they meant to further but malice against the pope as Luther in an epistle ad argentin confesseth But Luther neuer confessed any such matter he might well acknowledge his iust hatred against the Pope as the enemie of Christ and so doe all true Christians And if the estates of France had raised warre for malice against the Pope they would haue sent a power into Italie to haue annoyed him or his possessions there as Charles the 5. and Philip his Catholike sonnes haue done for the loue they bare to the Pope As for the restitution of Christian faith wel neere worne out there was no neede he saieth to laboure For the Church of God the seat and piller of truth had alwaies without force battaile kept that most recurently Then it followeth the Church of Rome was not the Church of God for which Christ praied Ihon. 17. To which he promiseth the holie Ghost Ihon. 14. In which are foūd so few sparkes of true faith which mainteineth so many grosse errours eontrarie to the expresse wordes of God conteined in the holie scriptures as often and moste cleare demonstrations hath beene made To be short if the cause of these warrs taken in hand be demaunded which he calleth Tragicall and cruell doinges you shall haue a short answear saith he with Mum Budget except they will alleadge perhappes the ambition auarice boldenes wantones of certaine loose Friers as though he could be ignorant of the publike protestation of the Prince of Condy and a great part of the nobilitie of Fraunce set forth when they beganne the first warres In which they neither alledge the fond surmised causes by Frarine nor mumble them ouer in Mum Budget but plainlie declare the reasonable sufficient and necessarie causes which mooued them to that attempt The copie whereof is yet extant in storie to be seene and read Now is he come to the second part wherein he will prooue that as without iust cause so without authoritie and commission they haue made warres And
first he saith though Kinges for light or no iust causes making warres are greatlie in fault yet the soldiours are excusable because they obeie lawfull authority But in these warres where no Magistrate biddeth them strike all are priuate men or rather all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and most cruel murtherers so with many needles words he runneth out into the common place of treasō rebelliō in which whatsoeuer cause be pre tended the war is vnlawful because it wanteth lawfull authority But such was not the cause of the protestāts warres in France where the King being vnder age and brought into captiuitie against his wil by a traitor by whōe also the edict made by the authority of the three estates of the Realme was violated witha moste barborous and cruel slaughter ofinnocent men being in exercise of their Religion as it was lawfull for them to doe by the Princes of his bloode and other nobles called also thereunto by the often letters of the Queene his mother to deliuer him and her from captiuitie was sought to be set at libertie his lawes to be obserued and the publike quiet of the realme to be restored and so Frarines question is answered whence came you who sent you by what authoritie doe you all these things The princes and noble men that ioyned in leagu to withstand the tirannie of the Guisians haue declared their commission in a publike instrument set forth to the vew of the world the copie of the Queene mothers letters are set forth in storie for euerie man to reede The originalles remaine with the prince of Condyes heires and haue beene seene of manie But what shall Guise answer if he be called to shew his commission by what authority he slew the poore people at Vassie by what authoritie he seased vpon the persons of the King and the Quene his mother against their willes as was manifest by the Queenes great pro testation against the violence and iniurie and the yong Kings teares By what authoritie he remooued them from the pallace of Fountaine de Bleu first vnto the prison of Melun castle and afterward to Paris a place indeed more meere for a King if the violence of the enemy had not made that also a prison For not somuch the place as the restraint of libertie maketh a prisoner It is certaine that Guyse had no commission no authoritie no lawfull power to doe these thinges nor whatsoeuer he did afterward abusing the name of the captiue King and the authoritie of the King of Nauarre contrarie to the edict and true meaning of them that laide gouernment vpon him As for Beza and the ministers of the reformed Church whome he faineth to haue beene dombe when they were demaunded by the Cardinall of Lorraine in the assemblie at Poysie answered for their vocation first to the Sorbonist Espensius who proponed those questions that they were lawfullie called and approoued in the Churches where they serued And the next daie more at large to the shame and confusion of the Popish cleargie and their vnlawfull and simoniacall vocation contrarie both to the olde Canons of the Church and to the authoritie of the holie scriptures declaring also that as the ceremonie of imposition of handes by the ordinaries as they call them is not allwaies needfull in an extraordinarie calling So miracles are not alwaies necessarie to approoue an extraordinary vocation as the examples of Esay Zacharie Amos and others of the Prophets declareth But Martin Luther whome Frarine maketh our chiefe Apostle and patriarch he taketh vpon him to know verie well what he was whence he came and what authoritie he had First his name was not Luther but Luder which signifieth a slaue or knaue but that for shame he changed that filthie name of his He would make vs beleeue that he was driuen to do the same that Pope Os porci or Hogges snowte did which turned his name to Sergius of whome all Popes since saue one haue taken the custome to chaunge there names which thing if Luther had done he had done no worse thē the pope had giuē him example to do It is a folish quarrel that is picked against a mans name which he hath receiued of his elders although the name of Luther being of honest signification needed no such change for who will thinke that Luther knewe not his owne name as well as Frarine But it it is a greater matter that he was begotten of a spirit Incubus as the common report goeth saith Frarine For that he was borne at Islebium in Saxonie I trust it is no reproch to him more thē for Frarine to be borne at Antwerpe in Brabant But is Frarine such a great philosopher to beleeue the common report of Luthers conception by a spirit Incubus which is impossible And whoe should be the authors of such a report But such impudent wretches as shewed more malice then wit in deuising such a monstrous lie as neuer was nor euer could be And yet what papist is there of any acount which fauoreth not this foolish fable which although in their conscience they know it neither was nor can be true yet are not onelie content that it runne among fooles as a currant argument but also offer it in their writinges to the ignorant as a matter sufficient to discredit Luther and all his teaching But to proceed that he studied the ciuill law when he was yong that he was mooued to become an Augustine frier by terror of his companione slaine with thunder or lightning if it were neuer so true what needed it to be rehearsed seeing it maketh nothing to the lawfullnes of his calling or to the discredit of his doctrine But at last saith he he was made Doctor with shame enough for he came to that degree with the monie that was bequethed vnto an other man whom with the helpe of his prior he be guiled If Luther were not sufficientlie knowne to the world to haue beene excellentlie well learned he would insinuate thathe were like a doctor Bullatus which bought his doctorshippe of the Pope for mony But seeing for the solemnitie of that degree in schooles their is vsuall some expences he chargeth Luther at the least to haue come by that monie wrongfullie and as it were by theft They that write the storie of his life affirme that the Prince his soueraigne did beare the charges of his cōmencement And this slaunder of Frarine as it is void of profe so hath it not so much as anie likelie hood of truth For Luther being at that time a frier could possesse nothing in proper no more could anie other frier possesse anie monie that was bequeathed vnto them Now if the prior of the house did defraie the charges of Luthers commencement with the legacie that was giuen to anie other of his bretheren it was all one as if he had done it out of there common boxe for friers possesse nothing in proper but in cōmon the dispositiō wherof pertaineth to