agaynst the Prophetes Psalmes or the lawe for so Christe doth diuide the holy Scriptures of the olde Testament as here hath Hosius written he should according to the iudgement of the lawe haue like a wicked blasphemar be stoned to death But blasphemie against God and his holy scriptures is with our aduersaries a sporte Dayly and most horrible blasphemies against Christe are suffered in the Iues by the Pope and they neuerthelesse remaine the Popes friends specially in néede of money Onely a woorde against that false vsurpar of Rome and his leude traditions is auenged with swoorde fagot and fire moste cruelly vpon those that doo professe Christes name and all the articles of the Christian faith Whiche emongst many others is not the least proofe that y e Pope is Antichrist for that he doeth therby declare that he preferreth him selfe and his owne traditions before Christe his gospell auenging himself so extremely vpon the cōtemners of his said traditiōs and permitting blasphemers against God our sauiour Christ the holy scriptures to remayne not onely vnpunyshed but also his deare friendes But lette vs procéede with M. Dormans rehearsall of Suenkfeldius heresies The holy ghost vseth to come from aboue vvithout the help of meanes as hearing preaching or reading the scriptures VVe must looke to be taught from heauen not out of bookes saith Suenkfeldins Doo not you Papistes say the same haue not you geuē ouer preaching of gods woord your selues barred the people from reading hearing of it by your crueltie close keping of it in a language vnknowen to the people and burnyng the bookes of the scripture transiated for the peoples vnderstanding Are not you the right heyres of those Phariseis whom our sauiour speaketh of that haue taken away this key of knowledge of goddes woorde and neither will enter in your selfe nor suffer other that would to entre And thus laying aside preaching your selues and burnyng other that doo preache and barryng the people of God from reading and hearyng of his woorde you doe saye euen as did Suenkfeldius that the holy ghoste vseth to come from aboue into your Popishe churche without all helpe of meanes as hearyng preaching or readyng of the Scriptures whiche you will by no meanes suffer so to be vsed in the churche as it may be vnderstanded Are not you those who contrarie to goddes commaundement that the booke of the lawe should not departe out of the handes and from the eyes of his seruauntes haue either suche bookes as fewe can vnderstande either burne such bookes of gods law as all may vnderstand for that you will not haue them to learne of goddes booke but onely of suche traditions as are reuealed to your churche from heauen as you say Thus you sée good readers I truste euidently howe that M. Dorman hath moste vniustly charged vs and that we are as farre from Suenfeldius vile heresies as the Papistes in all poinctes by M. Dorman rehearsed agree and ioyne moste iustly with theim as I haue declared by the very woordes of Pighius D. Hardinges chiefe author and by Hosius M. Dorman his peereles pearle for learnyng and vertue as he sayeth Whiche Hosius gaue occasion to M. Dorman to make mention of Suenfeldius in this place as partly before and more plainely nowe hereafter doth appeare Dorman fol. 11. And thus vvhilest moste shamefully to the great dishonor of the vvhole realme vnder vvhose name as it vver that fardel of lies their apologie vvas sent abroade thei haue not ben ashamed to charge vvith this heresie of Suenkfeldius one of the greatest estates both for lerning and vertue that at this daie Christendom hath vve may se that thei haue not only shovved thē selues to be very vvicked and shameles men the truthe to their vtter and perpetuall infamie and shame had thei any plainly to the contrary in the vvorcks of him vvhome thei so sclaundred bearing vvitnesse against them but are also runne into the same groundes vvhereon Svvenkfilde builded his heresie their ovvne selues Novvell I trust that who so euer shall reade that conformitie betwene the papistes and Suenkfeldius and both their heresies before declared and specially by the woordes of Pighius and Hosius him selfe shall vnderstande that Hosius was not without cause charged with some affinitie to Suenkfeldius his heresie and with contempt blaspemie against God and his holy scripture wherewith Hosius writings doo abounde and beare witnesse most plenteously thereof and that therefore it is no shame at all to the author of the apologie to beare witnesse of the truthe the whiche apologie yet once again M. Dorman with one woorde after his manner confuteth calling it a fardel of lies But euery woorde that M. Dorman speaketh is not gospell Although he haue here in this his booke packed vs vp suche store of lies that he might more iustly haue intitled it a Lighter laden with lyes than a fardell of lies yet shall he and all his fellowes finde it more easie for them to sende vs ouer a Hulke or twayne full fraughted with suche lies as this and other their bookes swarme withall than to answere that litle apologie to any purpose terme he it neuer so contemptuously Concerning Hosius so great an estate of Christendome I wist not of it before Sure I am that in Polonia his countrey he is of the meaner sort of bishoppes there and what should make him so great an estate besides I know nothing but his Cardinals hatte which how much so euer M. Dormā estemeth yet the truth is that originally a Cardinall is but a person or vicar of one of the parishe churches in Rome or there about in the countrey For after that the Popes had iniuriously and violētly put the people of Rome from the election of the sayde Popes beyng but byshoppes of Rome which election of right apperteined to them ioinctly with the cleargie and had geuen full authoritie to the persons and vicars of the parishes in Rome that they alone should elect the Pope Pope Paschall the first of that name to adourne these Papall electours with some solemne title named these single soled clerkes Cardinalles and Pope Nicolas the second of that name confirmed the same as is in y e Florentine historie declared But yet hitherto were these Papall electors footemen for that they were not as yet hable to paye for their horse meate in Rome where prouander is deare because they had chaunged their name and not mended their liuinges they went appareiled as yet like other commen curates no better than our Cardinalles in Paules cathedrall church yea many of them farre wourse This vncomlinesse pope Innocentius the fourth of that name wysely consideryng sayth Platina Statuitvt Cardinales equo in publicum vecti galero rubrovterentur honestandi ordinis causa That is to saye He made a statute or ordre that the Cardinalles should ryde on horsebacke when thei came abroade and should were a redde hatte for the honestie of the
A REPROVFE written by Alexander Nowell of a booke entituled A PROVFE OF CERtayne Articles in Religion denied by M. Iuell set furth by Thomas Dorman Bachiler of Diuinitie and Imprinted at Antvverpe by Iohn Latius Anno. 1564 Prouerb 19. 4. Teflis falsus non erit impunitus qui loquitur mendacia non effugiet A false witnesse shall not remaine vnpunished and he that speaketh lyes shall not escape Set foorth and allowed according to the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions Imprinted at London in Fléetestréete by Henry Wykes Anno Domini 1565. 13. die Iuly Cum Priuilegio ad imprimendum solum M. Dormans preface to D. Harding to whom he dedicated his booke and to the Reader are onely omitted for that nothing materiall was conteined in them Of all the rest so farre as I haue proceded not one woorde of M. Dormans either in the treatie it selfe or in his marginall notes is pretermitted There is nothing in this Impression altered from the first sauing onely that M. Dormans euyll handlyng of the auncient Doctours is in some places more at large explicated and that some part of M. Dormans treatie somewhere before diuided is now for more perspicuitie and plainenesse ioyned togeather THE PREFACE to the Reader THOVGH many simple soules may muche meruell at suche plentie of Englishe bookes as are of late so sodeinly sente vs from beyonde the seas by our countrey men there and bothe the authors themselues doo muche bragge therein and their fautors doo magnifie the same exceedingly yet the learned and discrete Readers accustomed rather to vveigh and iudge then to counte and numbre vvill easely consider that it is no harde mater for our aduersaries abouÌ„ding vvith leasure and multitude by common conference of many to patche vp a sorte of suche bookes in Englishe vvherein there is nothing to any purpose vvritten but that vvhiche vvas longe before vvritten in sundry latine bookes and readie to their handes to translate thereout into their Englishe bookes as they thought meete for their purpose so that they be but seely translators or borovvers of those bookes vvhose first authors they vvoulde appeare to be In the vvhiche poincte yet M. Stapleton translating Staphilus his longe Latin booke so longe before vvritten vvorde for vvoorde into Englishe and not dissembling the matter hath dealt therin more simplie theÌ„ the rest of his felovves haue doone By vvhose example the meanest men in learninge and vvitte amongst them all haue they onely a litle vnderâ—â—â—nding in the Latin tongue may lode vs vvith hauocke of bookes vvhen they list For it is vvell kuovven to all that be learned that nothing of vveight or to any purpose can novv nevvly be vvritten for the mainteinance of the Popes vsurped supremacy or any other their matters vvhiche they novv treate of but suche as hath been alreadie both vvritten and printed many yeres agoe in bookes as vvell of the Latin tongue as other languages and the same to be fully ansvvered vnto also to the satisfiynge of the Readers and daily vvinning of greate numbres of men and vvemen of all sortes and degrees from their popishe superstition vnto the truth of the Gospell such bookes as vvell of the one sorte as of th' other beinge rise in the handes of such as vnderstande to such decay of their saide superstition and successe of the truthe as to the vvorlde at this day cannot be vnknovven VVherefore our aduersaries mistrustinge that such kinde of vvriting or rather translating should not appeare vvoorthie to be accoÌ„pted the earnest dooing of any learned or vvise man haue doone vvittely ether to pretende that to be vvriten but lightly for a priuate friende or tvvaine and not mente to be printed but by persvvasion of friendes against their ovvne purpose suffered to come abroade vvhiche yet they in deede haue of longe by common conference elaborated at conuenient oportunitie to be put in printe to the publike patrocinie of their decaied and almost desperate cause or els to appoincte suche to beare the name as the authors of their bookes as may seeme moste meete therefore beinge accompted of all that knovv them for learninge and discretion the simplest men amongst them The same distrust of their ovvne dooinges or rather other mens dooinges set foorth for their ovvne may seeme a cause vvhy they directe their vvritinges either onely or chiefely against the Bishoppe of Sarisburie thinkinge that though they shall absolutely of the matters they take in hande be hable to say nothinge but that is alreadie saide and is likevvise or easely may be ansvvered yet may they seeme abundantly to say to him vvho chalengeth them that they can say nothinge at all and vvho also doth not tie them streightly to the triall of the scriptures the certaine and onely iudges in controuersies of ReligioÌ„ and vvherin in deede they can say nothing at all as shall hereafter be plainly proued but geueth them a moste large scope of all Doctours of the Churche vvho haue vvritten for the space of sixe hundreth yeres after our Sauiour Christes beinge here in earth and of all Councelles kept in the saide continuance of time Out of the vvhiche Doctors and Councelles for that the said Bishop hath aduouched that the best learned of all the aduersaries or all the aduersaries togeather are hable to bring nothing to any purpose for them he hath set all the aduersaries learned and vnlearned a vvoorke by coÌ„mon conference to deuise to say somthing for themselues and against him vvho affirmeth they can say nothing at all And yet fearing least that somthinge vvhiche they all are hable to say â–ª vvill fall out at the lengthe to proue nothinge to purpose they haue all like vvise men agreed that some fevv shall take vpon them to be the onely authors of that something vvhich they all can say least if that somethinge as it is deuised by them all so it should passe abroade in all their names and in time proue nothing at all all their estimation vvere lost at once And for more cautell suche some also to be named for the saide authors as haue not all learninge vvit nor discretion but men of a diuers profession vvho haue yet some fight in Diuinitie as studientes of the same for so they professe them selues VVherin they seeme to me to deale vvith vs as did the Phariseis vvith Christe vvho vvould not come them selues to dispute vvith him but sent their Disciples vvell instructed and furnished vvith all that themselues coulde possibly say to oppose him to th' ende that if their Disciples should obtaine the victorie the glory of their maisters vvho had suche excellent scholers might mount aboue the Moone But in case the scholers should be blanked it might for excuse yet be saide vvhat maruell if yonge men and yet but studientes in the Scriptures tooke a litle foyle But if the olde Doctors come themselues I vvarrant you this nue Prophet shal be othervvise handled And yet like vvise men they
Popes supremacie as dooeth his maister D. Hardyng who hath these woordes It is not good saieth Homere to haue many rulers lette one bee ruler It is true that Homere saieth it is not good to haue many equal rulers ouer one countrey or nation but this maketh nothyng to proue that there should bee one heade ouer all the Churche throughout the worlde excepte D. Hardyng can proue that Agamemnon was kyng of all the worlde or at the least that Homere meant he should so bee but he meante nothyng lesse for he speaketh of the gouernemente of the armie of the Greekes onely And so I graunt it is good likewise that one bishop doo gouerne one diocesse as it was good in Homers iudgemente that one graunde capitaine should gouerne the Greeke armie And thus muche by the waie to D. Hardyng his Poeticall argumente for the Popes supremacie Now seyng it pleased doctor Hardyng to make mention of Aristotle who misliketh not Aristocratie that is to saie the gouernyng of the beste and wisest men beyng a competente number and seyng further that many cities haue been and bee farre better gouerned in Democratie by many rulers chosen of the people then euer was the whole churche by one Pope It is presumptuouslie doen by M. Dorman bothe against his maister doctor Hardyng and against Aristotle so noble a philosopher and to zelously for one Pope to safe thei be all blinde that can not see the necessitie of one onely head gouernour euery where And it maie seme to some that suche kinde of speache doeth not so muche spryng out of absurditie of the matter as out of the disposition of M. Dormans drousie head and dimme sight Let vs in Englande bee in that poincte of the best iudgement and in the beste case as we be in déede vnder so moderate a Monarchie and yet let them withall who haue of long tyme been vnder the quiete gouernemente of many reasonable rulers neither bee starke blind neither though not in so happie a state as are we yet in no vnhappy case as it semeth M. DormaÌ„ would place them But let euery nation citie thinke it self moste happie in that state of regiment that God hath placed it in And concernyng the gouernement of the vniuersall Churche seyng it standeth of so many or rather innumerable thousandes of menne and women of al countries nations and languages throughout the whole worlde so that it can not possiblie be ruled and gouerned by one neither was it by God appoincted to bee by one gouerned no more then the whole worlde it self the seuerall kyngdomes countries thereof being appoincted by God to seuerall kynges and gouernours Yet if it must nedes be gouerned by popes seyng it nedeth many gouernours I would we had many Popes were thei good gouernours but beyng as thei are false vsurpers and cruell tyrauntes one Pope is to many by one Concernyng the auoydyng and quietyng of Schismes and troubles in the Churche we saie that as the seuerall kynges of euery kyngdome the seuerall gouernours of euery countrie and citie c. are able to ouersee their seuerall charges and to kepe their people in ciuill order and peace so are the seuerall Bishoppes of euery diocesse and the seuerall chief prelates of euery prouince able to auoide or to appeace if thei rise all schismes and troubles ecclesiasticall as saincte Cyprian out of whom this reason is borowed and falslie wrested by theÌ„ to an other purpose dooeth moste plainlie teache saiyng thus Cum statutum sit omnibus nobis c. Whereas an order saieth saincte Cyprian is taken emongest vs all and it is right and reasonable that euery mannes cause be there heard where the fault was coÌ„mitted and wheras euery Bishoppe hath a part of the flocke assigned to hym whiche he ought to rule and gouerne and for the whiche he muste gâ—ue an accompte vnto the Lorde it is not conuenient that suche as bee vnder their gouernaunce should runne from one Bishoppe to an other but there to make answere in their causes where thei maie haue accusers and witnesses of their crimes Excepte suche desperate persones thinke the authoritie of Bishoppes in Afrike to bée lesse then is the authoritie of other Bishoppes Thus farre saincte Cyprian with muche more in the same place expresly affirmyng that it is right and reason that seuerall Bishoppes haue the gouernemente of seuâ—rall diocesses euen for the same cause for the whiche you doo vntruely alledge the necessitie of one heade and declaryng the commoditie of pacifiyng of heresies Schismes and dissentions for of them he speaketh in that place and of correctioÌ„ of vices by euery suche seuerall Bishoppe in his owne charge mosie directlie against D. Hardyng and M. Dormans doctrine of pacifiyng of schismes by one onelie head of the vniuersall Churche affirming all suche appellations from a Bishoppe of one countrey to a Bishoppe of an other countrey to be vnlawfull for that all Bishoppes of all countries be of like authoritie and that none but naughtie and desperate menne doo thinke the authoritie of some bishoppes to be inferiour to the authoritie of other And further folowyng D. Hardyng and M. Dormans owne groundes wee saie that as God is the one heauenlie kyng ouer all the worlde and yet hath not appoincted any one man to bee his onelie deputie in earth ouer all the Kyngdomes of the worlde but that the whole worlde is gouerned by his prouidence as the onelie kyng thereof and by the ministerie of many seuerall kynges and rulers whom he hath seuerally appoincted ouer euery nation as his deputies as is expreslie declared in the scripture so in like wise is Christe the onelie heauenlie heade of his Churche and neither neadeth nor hath appoincted any one persone in earth to bee his deputie or vicar generall ouer all the churche throughout the worlde but by his prouidence and the ministerie of many Bishoppes his seuerall vicars in euery diocesse bothe hath and dooth well gouerne his Churche and that as it is impossible that there should bee one onelie earthlie kyng ouer all the worlde as by the state of the worlde from the beginnyng hitherto is moste manifest and in case there were one yet were it impossible for that one to ouersée his charge and to keepe all the worlde in Ciuill order seyng the wisest kinges that be haue of one particular kyngdome their handfull as thei saie so in like maner is it impossible that there should be one generall head in earth ouer the vniuersall Churche or all Churches dispersed throughout all the world conteinyng so many nations so diuerse languages and natures of men or that suche an head could ouersee his charge keepe all Churches from Schismes and troubles and pacifie them when thei were risen This as a thyng tried by the state of the worlde at this daie and euer sith the first beginnyng thereof I leaue to thy reasonable consideration good reader to determine betwixte vs. Dorman Fol. 5. And because good
impudente that he cared not whom he brought or what he saied so he mighte seeme to saie and bryng somethyng were it neuer so farre from or so muche against his purpose Dorman Fol. 5. 6. Leo of whom the whole Councell of Calcedon as one of the greatest for nomber so of all men accoÌ„pted emongeste the fower generall for authoritie reported so honourably that thei did not onely with one voice all openly professe themselues to beleue as he did but called him also by the name of Sanctissimus et beatissimus that is moste holie and blessed of all other speakyng of the misticall bodie of Christes Churche writeth after this sort Haec connâ—xio totius quidem corporis vnanimitatem requirit c This combination and ioignyng together he speaketh of the bodie of Christes Churche requireth an vnitie of the whole bodie but especially of the priestes emongest whom although there be one dignitie common to them all yet is there not one generall order emongest them all For euen emongest the blessed Apostles in that similitude of honor was there yet a difference of power and whereas in their election thei were all like yet was it geuen to one to bee aboue all the rest Out of whiche forme is taken our difference of Bishoppes and by merueilous order and disposition is it prouided that euery one should not chalenge to hymself euery thyng but that in euery Prouince there should bee one whose iudgement emongest the reste of his brethren should bee chief and of moste authoritie And againe certain appoincted in greater cities whose care should be greater by whom to the only seate of Peter the charge of the vniuersall Churche might haue recourse that nothyng might at any tyme dissent from the head Nowell The Councell of Calcedon professed that thei beleued as did Leo concerning the moste blessed Trinitie condemned Eutyches heresie but what is that to the purpose We professe that we doo therein beleue as did Leo and we doo like wise condemne the heresie of Eutyches For that the saied Councell calleth hym Sanctissimum beatissimum the moste holie and blessed what maketh that for his supremacie All the Priestes and deacons of Rome doo call S. Cyprian bishoppe of Carthage Beatissimum gloriosissimum papam the moste blessed and moste glorious Pope as I haue before noted and yet I thinke that M. Dorman will not therefore graunt sainct Cyprian the supremacie But what the Councell of Calcedon graunted to Leo Bishop of Rome or is feigned to haue graunted to hym or what thei graunted equallie with hym to Anatholius bishop of Constantinople and what Leo did like or mislike allowe or reiect of the said Councell I shall haue more conueniente place to declare afterwardes where M. Dorman dooeth more speciallie entreate of the saied councell Now concernyng this epistle by M. Dorman alleged this is first moste euident that the epistles caried about in the names of the firste auncient Popes are either forged or at the leaste corrupted by their ambitious successours of later tyme to make a shewe of the antiquitie of their chalenge of the supremacie and this to bée true is easie to perceiue by many circumstances as shall hereafter at large bee declared But be it that these be Leos owne woordes and were this Leo accompted neuer so holie yet I trust he beyng bishop of Rome maie netther bee his owne witnesse nor iudge in his owne cause of the Popes supremacie The holiest and the beste men that bee are lightly partiall in their owne matters Wherefore Christ our sauiour moste woorthie of all credite saieth Si testimonium perhibeam de meipso testimonium meum non est verum If I beare witnesse of my self my testimonie is not true whiche he saieth for that were his testimonie neuer so true as it was euer moste true yet beyng of hymself it would not be taken of men as true as it appeareth by the woordes of the Phariseis to our sauiour Tu de teâ—pso testimonium perhibes c. Thou say the Phariseis beareth witnesse of thy self thy witnesse is not true If Christes woordes maie not here take place let the Pope then cause this note to be blotted out of his own canon lawe also Papa iudex esse noÌ„ debet in causa propria The Pope maie not bee iudge in his owne cause For it standeth there in vaine as it seemeth To the whiche yet it appeareth that Pighius in the fifte booke of his Hierarchie had a respece for he allegyng a Clementine that is to saie a Popes decree for his purpose hath these woordes Quum Clementinam audis nolo imagineris audire te vnius hominis Romani pontificis in sua ipsius causa sententiam sed cogita te sententiam audire Viennensis concilij in quo ex vniuersa ecclesia conueneruÌ„t plusquaÌ„ 300 episcopi That is to saie When thou hearest the name of a Clementine I would not haue thee to imagine that thou hearest the iudgemente of one man to witte the bishop of Rome in his own cause but consider that thou doest heare the Sentence of the Councell of Vienne in the whiche moe then 300. Bishops were assembled out of the vniuersall Churche Thus farre Pighius Wherby it maie seeme that he dooeth not thinke the Popes onely testimonie in his owne cause to be sufficient D. Hardyng who dooeth folowe Pighius verie muche saieth that he will not allege the testimonies of many Popes for the proofe of the supremacie for that wee doo make though without all cause saieth he exception against the popes as vnlawfull witnesses in their own cause And therefore he is somewhat more shamefaste then M. Dorman and hath onely noted this epistle of Pope Leo whiche M. Dorman thus largely rehearseth and with marginall notes so beautifieth as some speciall place to prooue the Popes supremacie As he laith on loade coÌ„tinually not of popishe witnesses but Popes theÌ„selues witnesses in their owne false claime though he can not dissemble hymself in an other place but that wee maie make exception vnto them as not indifferent witnesses in their owne quarelles Well if these causes of exception to Popes in their own cause whiche I haue alleged shall not seeme to D. Harding and M. Dorman sufficiente I trust yet that all reasonable indifferent men shall iudge them sufficient And for more reasonable cause of exceptioÌ„ to this Leo here and all other Popes too in this matter wee saie that Zozimus or Sosimus bishop of Rome about a. 24. yeres before this Leo moued with an ambitious desire of this supremacie which the bishops of Rome his successours now striue for as it were pro aris focis for life and death as one might saie did corrupte and falsifie the decrees of the Nicene Councell pretendyng that it was decreed in that Councell that the bishop of Rome should be the chief iudge aboue all other bishops that it should
be lawful for any mā vnder any other bishop to appeale to the Bishoppe of Rome as to the highest iudge ouer all ecclesiasticall persones and the said Zozimus as the maner of falsaries is did counterfeite a decrée to that purpose and put it in writyng and labored to put it in executiō by mainteinyng one Apiarius a priest of the diocesse called Siccēsis in Afrike against his bishop called Vrbanus whiche Apiarius beyng by his saied bishop for his moste wicked life excommunicate appealed to the saied Zozimus Bishop of Rome If ye aske me how I prooue that I haue saied to witte the saied Zozimus Bishop of Rome to be a corrupter and falsarie I answere I prooue it not by twoo onely but by twoo hundreth and .xvij. good witnesses the whole Councell of Afrike in the whiche so many Bishops were assembled and emongest them was saincte Augustine the beste learned of all bishops and equall in vertue and godlinesse with the beste not onely of his tyme but of all ages with Orosius Prosper and many other bishops notable in learnyng and vertue Thei al as in their epistle to Celestine one of the successours of this Zozimus appeareth testifie that there was no suche matter for the Bishop of Romes superioritie as was by Pope Zozimus alleged neither in their vsuall copies of the Nicene Councell neither in the authenticall examples whiche were sent them by Cyrill Patriarke of Alexandria and by Atticus Patriarke of Constantinople whiche authenticalles agreyng with their owne copies and all other copies euery where had no suche thyng as Zozimus alleged but had the cleane contrary for that the sixt and seuēth decrée of the saied Nicene Councel make the Patriarkes of Alexādria Antiochia and Hierusalem equal with the bishop of Rome And the saied 217. Bishops made a decree in that Africane Councell that no sailyng ouer the Sea with controuersies nor appellations to the Bishop of Rome nor sendyng of his Legates laterall into their countries as iudges should bee vsed accordyng as by the epistle of the said whole councell sent to Pope Celestine plainly appeareth In the inscription of whiche epistle thei doo acknowledge the saied Celestine none other but Bishop of the citie of Rome for this terme Papa Pope was in those daies cōmon to any notable Bishop of what place so euer he were For the whiche it pleased D. Hardyng to call the Africanes emongest whom S. Augustine Orosius and Prosper with many other learned godlie Bishops were schismatikes as those that submitted not their neckes to the Pope and folowyng Hosius his author he saieth that Afrike continued in this schisme 100. yeres to wit from Boniface the firste to Boniface the seconde And M. Dormans iudgemente is that all suche are out of the state of saluation and in damnable case folowyng the iudgement of Pope Boniface who doeth saie declare define pronounce for the man as in a matter of weight laieth on loade of woordes that of necessitie of saluation all men must bée subiecte to the Bishop of Rome But I had rather bée a schismatike frō that false vsurpar with S. Augustine Orosius Prosper and those 217. godlie and learned fathers and with the Patriarkes of Alexandria and Cōstantinople Cyrill and Atticus ioignyng with them in the truthe of the Nicene Councell and so beyng I thanke God doo little feare any damnation other then to their fagottes and fire then to bee with the corrupter and falsarie Zozimus bishop of Rome a counterfeite catholike and in deede a false schismatike frō Christ and the truthe Though Hosius goeth about in vain to defende the cause of this corrupter moste impudently goyng about to prooue that neither in Gréece nor Afrike nor els where there was any true copie of the Nicene Coūcell remaining but onely with the Bishop of Rome whiche how credible it is I leaue to the discreate readers iudgement But of this matter M. Dorman geueth me occasion to speake more largely hereafter After this Zozimus his successour Bonifacius the first Celestine the first with all others almoste folowyng Zozimus steppes and ambition haue with toothe and naile striuen for this supremacie and for that purpose did sticke still to the falsified Nicene Canon and haue likewise falsified other Councelles in sundrie places and haue forged a great many of the epistles now abroade in the names of the olde Popes Clemente Anacletus Euaristus Telesphorus and other their predecessours whome thei make to write almoste of nothyng els but of the prerogatiue of Peters chaire the see of Rome whereas those godlie olde fathers euer subiecte to persecutiō and death neuer thought of any suche matters neither had luste or leasure to occupie their heades and pennes about such ambitious matters as by the true stories of thē doeth moste plainly appeare and shall hereafter at large bee declared And whereas this Leo refused the title of Oecumenicall or vniuersall Patriarke geuen hym by the said Councell of Chalcedon and apperteinyng to hym of right as Pighius saieth though maister Dorman doo denie it there muste needes bée some errour And it is greate marueile that Leo would so ambitiously chalenge in his epistle the same title in effect whiche he refused so freely offered vnto hym by the whole Councell And it maie seeme that if the Popes iudgemente bee aboue the Councell as Pighius doth teache the Councell did erre in geuyng hym suche a title and if the Councell in this poincte did well as Pighius saieth but M. Dorman denieth either the Pope should haue receiued the said title offered or not haue claimed the like of those who would not gladlie graunte it vnto him Wherefore I trust no reasonable man will disalowe our exceptions to suche witnesses in their owne cause Yet besides these causes of moste iuste exceptions to this Pope and all other Popes in their owne cause of their falsely vsurped supremacie I will goe otherwise to woorke with M. Dorman I saie that Leo here bee it these bee his woordes whiche yet is in controuersie saith vntruely If M. Dorman aske howe I prooue it I would firste aske hym whether he hath truely translated this place And if he haue howe he can make these woordes in this epistle there is one digniti◠common to all Bishoppes to agree with these folowyng there is difference of power emongst them and it is geuen to one to bee aboue all the reste whose iudgement is of moste authorite and how this manne is not in dignitie differyng from the reste And if maister Dorman thinke he can well enoughe frame this Iarre I saie further I will proue the saiynges of Leo vntrue by twoo witnesses againste this one by indifferente witnesses against this partiall witnesse in his owne cause by witnesses without and aboue all exception againste this witnesse vnto whom so many and so iuste exceptions maie bee taken I will proue I saie his own witnesse of hymself false and M. Dorman too by M. Dormans owne
witnesses sainct Cyprian and sainct Hierome brought in by hymself for the proofe of his parte and that whiche is more I will prooue it by the verie same places of sainct Cyprian and sainct Hierome whiche are by Doctour Hardyng and maister Dorman here alleged that is to saie by the thirde epistle of the firste booke of the epistles of sainct Cyprian and by the epistle of sainct Hierome to Euagrius And I doubte not but as of his three witnesses brought for hym one is no witnesse but suche as if one would saie aske my self whether I bee a theefe or no so the other twoo witnesses who bee moste woorthie credite shall proue my cause true I truste and maister Dorman a verie liar Wherein I doo thus proceade First I will putte the reader in remembraunce yet once againe of Saincte Cyprians owne woordes before touched written in the same epistle by maister Dorman alleged whiche are these Cum statutum sit omnibus nobis c. whiche maie bee thus translated whereas an order is taken or statute made emongeste vs all and it is also reasonable and right that euery mannes cause be there hearde where the faulte was committed and whereas a portion of the flocke is assigned to euery bishoppe by himself whiche euery one ought to rule and gouerne and must geue an accompte of his doynges to the Lorde these whiche bee vnder our gouernaunce ought not therefore to runne about to witte from one Bishoppe to an other neither to breake the agreable concorde of Bishoppes by their guilefull temeritie or rashnesse but ought there to make answere in their causes where thei maie haue accusers witnesses of their crimes excepte it seeme to a fewe desperate and caste awaie persones that the authoritie of the bishoppes that bee in Afrike is lesse then the authoritie of others whiche Bishoppes haue alreadie geuen iudgement of them their cause is alreadie heard sentence is alreadie pronounced against them neither dooeth it agree to the graue iudgemente of Bishoppes to be blamed of the leuitie of a mouable and inconstant mynde whereas our Lorde dooeth saie Let your speache bee yea yea no no. Thus farre saincte Cyprian M. Dormans owne witnesse euen in the same epistle by hymself alleged And this sentence of saincte Cyprian touchyng the determinyng of controuersies in the places where thei dooe rise and that no appellations shal bee made to any bishop of an other Prouince yea and that namely not to the Bishop of Rome nor that he shall sende any Legates Laterall to heare or determine foraine matters dooeth the whole Carthaginense councell approue and allowe wherein was saincte Augustine Drosius and Prosper with 217. moe learned and godlie Bishoppes assembled as I haue before noted The same sainct Cyprian euer agreyng with hym self in this veritie of the equalitie of al bishops which is the ouerthrowe of the supremacie of one dooeth applie many suche places of the scriptures as are customarelie but moste falsely alleged now a daies by this authour and other aduersaries for the proufe of the popes supremacie ouer all Bishoppes to the declaration of the equall authoritie of euery Bishoppe in his own diocesse as the place of Deuteronomium concernyng the obedience due to the high Prieste out of Numerie of the disobedience of Chore Dathan and Abyron against Aaron out of the Actes of the Apostles touching Saincte Paules woordes I wiste not that he was the high Bishoppe for it is written thou shalt not speake euill to the prince of thy people All these places I saie doeth saincte Cyprian allege for the authoritie of Rogatian an Africane Bishop and againste the disobedience of the saied Rogatians oeacon against his bishop And the same places dooeth sainct Cyprian likewise againe in an other place allege for his owne authoritie beeyng Bishop of Carthage and against the stubbornesse of Pupianus towardes hymself So that saincte Cyprian doeth in all places maintaine the equalitie of bishops and withal ouerthrowe the supremacie of one ouer all directlie againste this place by you as out of Pope Leo alleged But in no place is sainct Cyprian more effectuous and piaine concernyng this matter then in his booke intituled De simplicitate praelatorū where he hath these woordes Dn̄sapostolis oībus post resurrectionem suam parem potestatē tribuit mox Hoc erant vtique caeteri apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari consortio praediti honoris potestatis That is to saie The Lorde after his resurrectiō did geue like orequall power to al his Apostles The other Apostles were the veric same that Peter was beeyng indued with like felowship both of honour and power Thus farre saincte Cyprian who beyng in so many places so directlie againste this vsurped supremacie of one and for the equalitie of all Bishoppes it is to be wondered with what face M. Dorman hath been so bold and busie with S. Cyprian in this his treatie of the popes supremacie Now let vs heare S. Hierome M. Dorman his second witnesse and euen in the same epistle by M. Dorman alleged also Where Saincte Hierome speakyng of the authoritie of Churches and Bishops and makyng thē all equall and none aboue an other hath these woordes Nec altera Romanae vrbis ecclesia altera totius orbis estimanda est c. Wée maie not thinke that the Churche of the citie of Rome is one and the Churche of the whole worlde an other Bothe Fraūce and Britaine now called Englāde Afrike and Persie lande the East countreis and Indie and al barbarous nations woorship one Christe and obserue one rule of truth If you seke for authoritie the worlde is greater then the citie of Rome wheresoeuer any bishoppe is whether he be at Rome or Eugubium at Constantinople or at Rhegium at Alexādria or Tanis he is of the same merite of the same priesthoode The power of riches or basenesse of pouertie maketh not a bishope either higher or lower But thei be al the successors of the Apostles But thou wilte saie how dooe thei at Rome a◠the testimonie of the deacon ordein the priest What dooest thou allege to me the custome of one citie what dooest thou chalenge for the lawes of the Churche the vsage of a fewe whereof presumptiō hath risen Thus farre sainct Hierome Vpon the which place Erasmus in his Scholies noteth that Eugubium Rhegium and Tanis were base and little tounes and that sainct Hierome matcheth in paires and couples a poore simple little toune with a noble citie to she we therby that the dignitie of the Bishop is not estéemed by the greatnesse of his diocesse or citie but that all bishops bee equall in office Now let vs compare these twoo sainct Cyprian I saie and saincte Hierome bearyng witnesse with the truthe with Leo onely bearyng witnesse to hymself Leo saieth In the holie Apostles themselues there was a differēce of power and that it was geuen to one to be aboue all the reste On
this doubt how this argument of yours holdeth As it was in the shadowe so must it be in the body also but al the Iues had one head priest Ergo all christians must so haue also Why this I saie should holde and not the other I would gladlie learne the reason of you at your leisure if there be any other reason then this that you maie take of shadowes what you liste and leaue and refuse what you list and as pleaseth you without al colour or shadow of reason or truthe that ye maie be the children of your Romishe father the Pope with whom as by Daniel was before prophesied of hym and as in his owne Canon lawe is recorded will standeth for reason and so dooeth it with you all in all thynges likewise Now where M. Dorman concludeth thus for his one heade saiyng Haue I proued onely by reason and by examples of common wealthes that there must be one head ouer all Christes churche Haue I affirmed this because sainct Cyprian S. Hierome blessed and holie Leo sainctes in heauen now so saied Saieth not the lawe so too I answere Noforsooth M. Dorman you haue neither proued it by reason nor by examples of cōmon wealthes for bothe all reason and all examples bee againste you and dooe proue and declare that euery particular kingdome dominion citie and companie haue their seuerall gouernours and not all the worlde one earthlie gouernour Sainct Cyprian and S. Hierome say not so but cleane contrarie to your saiyng to witte that euery diocesse euery prouince ought to haue his peculiar bishop to gouerne it And as for blessed and holie Leo though he bee by you adourned with a double epitheton where S. Hierome and S. Cyprian muste bee content with a single S. though you put to the third title too in woorship of the three circles in the Popes Imperiall mitre yet haue I alleged sufficient cause why he cā not serue your tourne And as for the lawe it likewise saieth againste you and your owne witnesse S. Cyprian testifieth that it speaketh against you for the equall authoritie of euery bishop in his owne diocesse and therefore ouerthroweth your supremacie of one heade Bishoppe ouer all And the leudenesse of your collection that because one nation had one head bishoppe therefore must all nations haue one head bishop ouer them is besides so manifest that it needeth no confutation Dorman Fol. 8. But here I knowe our aduersaries will saie that these proofes neded not to proue that christes churche must haue a head and a iudge to order determine doutfull questiōs whiche happē emōgst vs wherof the world is now so full For that will thei say thei know as well as Cyprian Hierome Leo or any of thē all although thei wil not admit the same iudge or the same head that thei doo But what head thinck you good readers appoinct thei to gouerne Christes Churche here in earthe what iudge to determine controuersies Forsoothe the head of the churche thei saie wherein we finde no faulte but say the same our selues is Iesus Christ and the iudge of all controuersies arisyng therin thei call the scriptures Nowell Although you question with the reader as merueiling at the straungenesse of our head yet are we bound to you that you finde no faulte with vs that wee saie Christe is our head as in deede he is the onely head of the catholike or vniuersall churche of all places and ages and none but he alone neither in heauē nor earth what so euer you saie to the contrarie That you dooe thinke it so straunge that wee call the Scriptures the iudge of all controuersies we meruaile not seyng you folowe your owne phantasie in matters of religion directlie against the scriptures But what soeuer you doo or saie we saie and beleue that the woorde of God and of our sauiour Christ ought to be iudge here betweene vs in our daies For it shall iudge both you and vs too in the laste greate daie accordyng to the saiyng of our sauiour Qui spernit me non accipit verba mea habet qui iudicet eum Sermo quem locutus sum ille iudicabit eum in nouissimo die That is to saie He that despiseth me and receiueth not my woordes hath that shall iudge hym The woorde whiche I haue spoken that shall iudge hym in the last daie M. Dormā auoide the contempt that you maie escape the iudgement Dorman Fol. 8. Here suffer me a little I beseche you to shake these maskers out of there cloutes and to make open to the worlde their greate dissimulation and sotteltie whereby vnder the name of Christ his moste holy worde so glittryng at the firste shewe in the eyes of the simple yea perhappes of some of the wiser sorte also that it is to be feared leste it strike them blinde all together thei seeme to haue purchased to them selues a double benefite at once first greate credite by pretendyng and vsyng naie rather abusyng the name of Christ and his worde next greate securitie bothe for ther owne persones and also for all suche diuelis he doctrine as thei or any other heretikes liste to vtter VVhilest on the one side thei take themselues to be out of all checke of man and maie be controlled of none as thei saie but of God onely who if he let thē alone till that tyme that thei thinck he will then bid thei vs let them shifte for thē selues theie shall haue tyme enough in the meane season to preache and teache without controllmente what thei list and on the other side whilest by prouokyng to the scriptures as ther iudge thei thinck themselues to stande apon a sure grounde seyng thei are alreadie with themselues at a poinct to receiue no other interpretation thereof then shall make for ther purpose and thei also see that emongest so many heresies as haue hetherto troubled the churche of God there was neuer yet any one so horrible and absurde that the author thereof hath not by this meanes in his owne iudgement been right well able to susteine defende Nowell Holde not the man for Goddes sake he seemeth to phantasie that he is plaiyng his parte in the stage and wil by priuilege of his office vnuisour and vncase some of his plaie felowes to make sport and to mooue laughter But where he calleth Christ and the scriptures our cloutes I would he wist we reioyse of those cloutes as muche as dooeth M. Dorman either when he is in a glorious golden Cope with a paire of glitteryng gilte Censers in his handes perfumyng and withall woorshippyng a golden God no boliar nor wiser then the golden calfe or when he is in his robes on the scafolde and plaiyng his part in a Christmas game and I trust he shall sooner reueste himself againe in these his royall robes then plucke vs from Christe our head and from the scripture our iudge whiche he calleth our cloutes Good
and you haue seene that saincte Cyprian so taketh it The other shewyng that Christian princes are superiours to Bishoppes or high Priestes as was Moses to Aaron or els if Moses were as thei saie a prieste also that there were twoo high priestes in the Iewishe churche at once and so consequently ought to bée in our churches whereby M. Dormans assertion of one head ouer the whole churche is quite ouerthrowen And withal you see how the Papistes theÌ„ selues disobedient to their owne soueraigne appoincted by God to bee their gouernour are the successours of Chore Dathan and Abyron rebellyng againste Moses and Aaron their gouernours by God appoincted Wherefore you maie well vnderstande that were it either profitable or necessarie were it Goddes and Christes pleasure as maister Dorman saieth it is to haue suche an one head in earth ouer his churche God would haue certified vs of a thyng so profitable and necessarie for vs and so pleasaunt to hym in his scriptures where he hath declared his pleasure more plainlie and expresselie then by twoo olde shadowes of the Iewishe Churche whiche also bee suche that thei dooe teache vs cleane contrarie to that whiche M. Dorman saith is so necessarie for vs and Christes pleasure also You se how blindly he goeth about to proue that there ought to be one onely head ouer all the churche bringeth in for proufe therof the regiment of seuerall countreis kingdomes cities c. by seuerall princes seueral magistrates and heades whiche maketh moste directly with vs that seueral churches should in like wise haue their seueral heades And yet he thus dealing auanteth himselfe askinge who is so blinde that he can not sée that he reasoneth effectuously Like blinde bayard laiyng himselfe in the mire and there walowing neieth yet for wantoÌ„nesse as though he were galoping in the gréene and flinging in the plaine You see how often S. Cyprian is by him alleaged for the Pope of Rome his supremacie in those places where he speaketh of Rogatian and of himselfe beyng both bishops of other countreis and places of the equalitie of al bishops whiche is directly against the supremacie of one ouer all You sée in likewise how he alleageth S. Basil bewailing the state of the bishops of the Gréeke and east churche and the decay of their authoritie and of their sées as though he had spoken of the Pope of Rome and his estimation nowe decayed and his see so sore ruined and howe he hath either very ignorantly or moste malitiously by false translation corrupted S. Basil You sée how vntruly he would make Nouatus his othe exacted for the maintenaunce of his heresie to séeme the same that is our othe of obedience to our prince and renouncing of the Popes foraine vsurped tyrannie And howe he would make Vrsitius and Valens to séeme to acknowledge the Popes supremacie onely for that they after long dissention reconciled them selues to Iulius bishop of Rome as they did in likewise to Athanasius bishop of Alexandria in Egypt who by the like reason should be the head of the whole churche as well as Iulius You sée howe he hath alleaged S. Hierome speaking of the authoritie that euery bishop hath ouer the priestes and clergie of his owne diocesse as though he had spoken of the supremacie of the bishop of Rome ouer all byshops and the whole thurche throughout the world Yea and thus hath he not been ashamed to alleage out of suche treaties of S. Hierome as either haue not as muche as one woorde spoken nor meant of the bishop of Rome though the saide treaties be very longe either if any mention be made of him other Bishoppes are expressely made equall in authoritie with hym and therefore his supremacie ouer other Bishoppes cleane ouerthrowen You sée Pope Leo his witnesse in his owne cause can not helpe hym specially the witnesse being corrupted and the copies of his testimonie not onely diuers but cleane contrarie one to an other whiche taketh awaye all creadite from them all And were they as they are surmised Pope Leo his woordes yet they are as you haue séene by S. Cyprian and S. Hicrome euen in the same places by M. Dorman alleaged clearely and fâ—lly confuted You sée howe shamefully he alleageth Nazianzene his sayinges of one God as though they had beene spoken of one Pope of whome Nazianzene neuer dreamed You see the woordes of an vncertaine and vnwoorthie authour boldely without blushyng alleaged for S. Augustines woordes whiche woordes yet were they S. Augustines make nothing against vs. And vniuersally you sée his falshoode in translating or fraude in corruptinge manglinge or addynge to such authors as he doth alleage Neither is his deceite and guile comparable to his impudencie and vnshamefastnesse beinge not abashed to alleage those authours for him who aboue all others moste make agaynste him As namely S. Cyprian and S. Hierome beynge both most plaine and earnest for the equalitie of all byshops and so directly against the supremacie of one ouer all And thus you sée good Readers that such an one head of the whole churche in earth to be neither appeareth to be Gods and our sauiour Christes will or pleasure by any thinge hitherto by M. Dorman alleaged out of the scriptures neither to be the wil of any godly auncient doctour by any thing hitherto brought by M. Dorman out of their writinges neither appéereth it by any good or probable reason by him made to be profitable muche lesse necessarie to Christes church that any such head should be Nay the cleane contrary to witte that it is not Gods nor our sauiour Christes pleasure that it was not the will of the godly auncient doctours that it is neither necessarie nor profitable to Christes churche to haue any suche one head in earth appéereth euidently by the Scriptures doctours and reasons yea and by the same scriptures doctours reasons which are by M. DormaÌ„ for his purpose alleaged And these good reader be those most plaine and euident reasons these be those vrgent causes whiche M. Dorman promysed in the beginninge of this treatie he woulde alleage for the necessitie of one head ouer the whole churche Neyther séemeth it that M. DormaÌ„ him selfe was ignorant of this infirmitie weakenes of his sclender proufes and therfore hath he to call away the readers mynde from this consideration intermingled many matters impertinent as complaintes and lamentations for the great persecutions that they innocent laÌ„bes God wot doo suffer as trifling tales of surmised felons as the defence of Cardinal Hosius one of the greatest estates for learning and vertue as saith M Dorman that this day Christendome hath as long treaties of the Suenkfeldianss Arrians Anabaptistes as declamations against the scripture and conference of tertes of the scripture together whiche he is very oft in hande with declaringe a speciall offence and stomake against the same Al which