that time with the Patriarke of Rome in all things touching iurisdiction and he restrained within certaine bounds beyond the which he might not go And so others had allowed theÌ„ as ample authotie in their circuits as he had in his This appeareth by the expresse decrees of sixe Councels the first is the first generall Councell of Nice holden ann 325. wherin were 318. Bishops z Can. 6. The words are these Let the ancient customes continue in force that are in Aegypt Lybia and Pentapolis that the Bishop of Alexandria haue the gouernment of all these forsomuch as the Bishop of Rome also hath the like custome and so likewise throughout Antioch and in the other Prouinces let the Churches haue their prerogatiues vpholden them Where we see the Councell intending to confirme the preeminence of Alexandria against the Arrians that began to vexe it maketh the Popes gouernment in his Prouince a Ex cius forma quod Alexandrinae Ecclesiae tribuerit particulariter sumpsit exemplum Epist Nicol. ad Michael the forme of that gouernment which should be in the Prouince of Alexandria Which sheweth that the Popes gouernment reached but to his owne Prouince For had it stretched it selfe all ouer the world then would it haue bene no forme for Alexandria which was to abide in one Prouince and no more Besides the Councel saying the Bishop of Rome hath the like custome sheweth plainly he of Alâ—xandria was to be equall with him else it could not be the like For there is no b Parilis mos est paritie betweene an vniuersall Bishop and a prouinciall The second and third are the first generall Councels of c Can. 2. 3. Constantinople ann 381. of 150. Bishops and of d Cap 8. sentent super petit Cyprio Ephesus ann 431. of 200. Bishops in both which the prouinces of the world are distinguished and Patriarks restrained to their own circuits and he of Constantinople by name is made equall with the Pope in all Ecclesiasticall matters whatsoeuer All the difference was that he of Rome had the chiefe honour e Consistebat hic honor in hoc videlicet quod ad locum in sedendo primo post Rom. pontificem in responsionibus hâ—beâ—et secundam voceÌ„ in subscriptionibus Turrecrem d. 22. Constantinopolita which consisted not in iurisdiction but sitting in the first place and such like titles The fourth is the Councell of Chalcedon an 451 wherin were 630. Bishops the words wherof are these f Act. 16. Following the decrees and rules of the holy fathers and of those 150. Bishops assembled vnder Theodosius the elder of blessed memorie in the royal citie of Constantinople and acknowledging the same we also decree and ordaine the same things concerning the priueledges of the said Church of Constantinople which is new Rome For our fathers gaue the priuiledges to the seat of elder Rome because that citie had the Empire and the 150. Bishops moued with the same intent gaue the same priueledges to the most sacred throne of new Rome thinking it reason the citie which is honoured with the Empire and Senate should also haue equall priuiledges with elder Rome and in ecclesiasticall matters be aduanced alike with her being the next vnto her The fift is another Councell of Constantinople ann 686. where were 280. Bishops g Sext. Syn. in Trull Can. 36. who renewed and confirmed the former decree of Chalcedon repeating it in a manner verbatim as that had renewed and explaned the former Councels of Nice and Constantinople Whereby it expresly appeareth that Constantinople had as much authoritie in Church matters as Rome and that Rome first obtained the primacy of honour by reason it was the Imperiall Citie and this was the meaning of the first Nicen and Constantinopolitan Councels this the fathers would not haue said and done if they had thought Christ himselfe had giuen the Pope the Supremacy questioned Whereupon h Concord l. l. c. 13. Cusanus thinketh that what of right belongeth to him was giuen him by the Church and Marsilius i Defens part 2. c. 18. writeth That he hath no power ouer other Bishops and Churches either by God or mans law but such as was giuen him either absolutely or for a time by the Nicen Councell The Sixt is the Councell of Carthage ann 418. of 217. Bishops k c. 92. 105. In this Councell when Sozimus the Bishop of Rome had claimed a right to receiue appeales from all parts of the world and pretended a certaine canon of the Nicen Councell that should giue it him the Bishops thereof by the space of foure yeares debated the matter against him and Boniface and Celestin his successours and hauing searched the originall copyes of the Nicen Councell whereby the vntruth of his claime was discouered they wrote sharply to him that he should not meddle with the people of their prouinces nor admit into his fellowship such as they had excommunicated telling him that he had nothing to do in their causes either to bring them to Rome or to send Legates to heare them at home for this were against the Nicen Councell The euidence of this Councell is such against the Supremacy that no art of our aduersaries can auoid it and therefore they are driuen to vse such shifts for the answering thereof as it is pitie to see and I dare say griefe to themselues to be forced to them 27 The second experience to be obserued is touching appeales for the Church did alway constantly forbid the Bishops of Rome medling with meÌ„ or their appeals to him that were not of the Romane Patriarchy This is cleare by the practise of the sixt Councell of Carthage before mentioned the fathers whereof among many other things l C. 105. Ep. conc ad Celest write thus to Celestine The fathers of Nice did wisely see that all businesse should be determined in the places where they began and that the holy Ghost wonted not to be wanting to assist the Priests of Christ both in seeing and holding the right specially seeing it was free for euery man if he misliked the iudgement of the arbitratours to appeale to a CouÌ„cell either prouinciall or generall Where this is to be marked that by the Church-gouernment of that time a Councell was the last and highest iudge of all controuersies arising And before this when certaine persons being iudged in Affricke had fled to the Pope for reliefe marke what Cyprian m Lib. 1 Ep. 3. writeth to him Seeing it is rightly and iustly decreed vnto vs al that euery mans cause should be heard where the fault was committed and euery Pastor hath a portion of the flocke committed to him which he must gouern as he wil giue account of his deed to the Lord it behooueth truly such as are vnder our gouernment not to runne vp and downe and by their cunning rashnesse to breake the concord of Bishops but there to follow the cause
faith The Answer 1 The Iesuite hauing immediatly before propounded the vnitie of his Romane Church affirming that therein onely the vnitie of faith and concord of the learned is to be found now proceedeth to proue it by shewing the meanes which they haue for the preuenting of discord which he thinketh so all-sufficient that it were impossible there should be any dissention among them The summe of that which he saith is briefly this They which acknowledge one chiefe Pastor to wit the Pope to whose definitiue sentence in all matters they submit themselues cannot possibly dissent But all Catholickes acknowledge this chiefe Pastor and submit themselues to his definitiue sentence Therefore how is it possible they should dissent The second proposition he assumeth as granted though indeed it be vntrue as I will shew the first he proueth thus They cannot dissent who submit themselues to him that hath authoritie and infallibilitie of iudgement But the Pope hath this authoritie and infallibilitie Therefore they which submit themselues to the Pope cannot dissent The second proposition he confirmeth thus We know that to S. Peter and his successors Christ promised the keyes and sayd vpon them as vpon a rocke he would build his Church praying for them that their faith should not faile and bidding them strengthen their brethren and feede his sheepe which importeth this authoritie in ruling and infallibilit it in iudging But the Pope is S. Peters successor The Pope therefore hath this authoritie and infallibilitie This being the summe of his discourse I answer first to that which he assumeth so confidently that all Catholicke men submit themselues to the Popes definitions acknowledging the same to be of infallible truth For whatsoeuer his authoritie and iudgement be yet the Catholickes do not so vniformly as the Iesuite pretendeth submit their opinions to him but contrariwise when occasion is offered they vtterly refuse both him and his definitions and this is so true that he which will denie it must be reputed ignorant of all sense and experience the which manifestly shew that not onely the Christian Catholicks of the Primitiue Church but the Popish Catholickes of the Romish Church this day themselues haue reiected his determinations and held opinion against him Digression 25. Wherein it is shewed that in the Primitiue Church the Popes determination was not thought an infallible truth neither did the Christians for the maintenance of vnitie submit themselues thereunto 2 For many Catholicke Bishops in those dayes dissenting from the Bishop of Rome and refusing his decrees were not thought therefore to breake any vnitie in the Church For Aeneas Syluius who was himselfe a Pope about seuen score yeares since a Epist 301. writeth that before the Councell of Nice euery man liued to himselfe and small respect was had to the Church of Rome b Sozom. l. 3. c. 8. The Bishops of the East withstood Iulius in the cause of Athanasius and charged him that he had done against the lawes of the Church c Theod l. 5. c. 23. Sozom l. 7. c. 11. Flauianus the Patriark of Antioch about his succeeding Meletius in that sea against Paulinus resisted foure Popes one after another when they would haue had him giue roome to Paulinus d Epi. ad Vrsac Valent. Germin apud Baron annal to 3. ann 357. nu 44. Liberius who was Pope in the yeare 360. confessed that Athanasius was separated from the communion of the Church of Rome Yea e Baron ibid. nu 43. 46. the Papists themselues acknowledge this Liberius condemned Athanasius and entred communion with the Arrians which sheweth against all exception that in those dayes the godly Christians did not thinke either that the Pope was the head of vnitie or that all were of the true Church that held communion with him for then the Arrians had bene good Catholickes and Athanasius with all that tooke part with him had bene hereticks which no man dareth say About the yeare 450. f Act. 16. the Councel of Chalcedon wherein were 630. Bishops withstood Leo then Pope of Rome in the question of his supremacie Concerning which matter g Concor Cathol l. 2. c. 20. pag 748. Cusanus a Cardinall beareth witnesse It is manifest saith he that Pope Leo would not in certaine points receiue the constitutions of the Chalcedon Councell specially that the Church of Constantinople should go before the Church of Alexandria but alwayes gainsaid them as some other Popes did after him and yet the decree of the Councell alwayes preuailed Which experience proueth that in those times the Bishops ouer all the world would as occasion serued refuse the Popes iudgement and yet they were counted good Catholickes for all that So likewise in the yeare 418. h Cap. 105. the sixt Councell of Carthage hauing in it 217. Bishops resisted three Popes one after another decreeing things contrary to the authoritie of the Church of Rome as i Contaré sum Concil magis illustr pag. 263. the Papists themselues expound the Councell whereof Cusanus k Vbi supra writeth thus The Councell of Affricke withstood Celestin in that he would do against the Councell of Nice and Celestin replied not that he might do it but alledged for himselfe the Councell though corrupted Which opposition made against the Pope is so apparent that many Papists indeed labour to excuse it but none denie it and l Sic vndique CarthagineÌ„ses patres constringuntur vt elabi nullo modo possint quis iam ferat crassissimae ignoâ—antiae illam vocem in tot tantis patribus vbi illa Augustini reliquorum prudentia Alan Cope dial pag 76. 77. the despitefull speeches of some Papists against S. Austine and the Bishops bewray that they discouer the same resistance made by the Councell against the Pope that I mention 3 Againe in the yeare 167. m Euseb hist l. 5. c. 23. inde Niceph. l. 4. c. 37. inde there arose a contention in the Church about the keeping of Easter whereby the Bishops of the East and West were deuided in which contention the Popes definitiue sentence was not receiued but refused without any offence against the vnitie of the Church For first Polycarpe coming to Anicetus that was Bishop of Rome in his time would not yeeld to him neither could Anicetus perswade Polycarpe to lay by his maner of obseruation n Euseb li. 5. c. 26. saith the story and yet both sides retained vnitie About thirtie yeares after the question was renewed o Cap. 25. and Victor the Bishop of Rome being earnest against the Easterne Bishops excommunicated them But this saith Eusebius pleased them not for they wrote vnto him reprouing him sharply and bitterly as namely Polycrates the bishop of Ephesus and Irenaeus the bishop of Lyons here in the West These had many on their side that stood against the Bishop of Rome and that which afterwards tooke vp the controuersie was not his
the Apostles time increased by the heresie and ignorance and superstition of some that dayly corrupted e Euseb hist l. 3. c. 32. l. 4. c. 22. Niceph. l. 4. c. 7. the truth For the stories remember vs of a saying of Hegesippus that the Church continued a virgin vndefiled as long as the Apostles liued but when that generation was passed the conspiracie of wicked heresie through the seducement of those which taught other doctrine tooke beginning But hereof f Act. 20.28 Phil. 3.18 the Apostles gaue warning euen with teares and g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil ep 70. the ancient Fathers complained that we may see the Papacie to haue bene resisted when it was yet in the Cockatrice egge 21 After 600. yeares were expired that the seuerall points of the true faith began one after another to be more grosly corrupted and changed by the Church of Rome in the first fiftie I name h Alphons v. imago Serenus the bishop of Marsils in France who brake the Images that began to be set vp in his Diocesse And Gregory the Bishop of Rome i L. 4. ep 32.34.38.39 resisting the supremacie and k Plat. Bonif. 3. the whole Greeke Church complaining when Phocas had first conferred it on Boniface 22 After 650. to 700 I name the sixt generall Councell l Sext. Syn. Can. 13. decreeing the mariage of Priests against the Church of Rome labouring to restraine it m Carranz in Can. 82. and forbidding to make the holy Ghost in the likenesse of a Doue n Concil Bracar 3. c. 1. The Councell holden in Portugall where the cup is appointed to be ministred to the people in the Sacrament against the practise of some that vsed to dip the bread and so giue it which was one beginning of the halfe Communion 23 After 700. to 750 I name o Synod c. 138. Zon. tom 3. pag. 84. the generall Councell of Constantinople vnder Leo Isaurus against Images p Illyric catal test tom 1. pag. 633. and Clemens Scotus and Adelbartus who preached against the supremacie traditions images in the defence of Priests mariage also against Purgatory and Masses for the dead and were therfore persecuted by Zachary the Pope which is the reason why in some histories they are so hardly censured 24 After 750. to 800 I name q Zon. tom 3. pag. 88. Synod c. 141. the Councell of Constantinople vnder Constantinus Copronymus and r Rhegino chro l. 2. of Franckford vnder Charles the great against images and the booke yet extant that he caused to be made against the second Nicene Councell with another set forth by Ludouicus his sonne to the same effect both which are to be seene at this day 25 After 800. to 850 I name Ioannes Scotus a great learned man Å¿ Danae resp de Euchar. l. 1. c. 1. who resisting the reall presence which in that time some priuate men began to set on foote was therefore murdered The same time Bertram also writ against it whose booke is extant Trâ—heinius t Catal. script saith of him that he was a man very skilfull in the Scriptures exceedingly learned and of a holy life u Ionas Aurel. de cult imag Claudius the Bishop of Towers in France resisted Images worship of Saints and pilgrimage x Anast vit Pont. in Serg. 2. Lotharius the Emperour reduced the Pope to the obedience of the Empire for which cause he sent three Archbishops twentie Bishops and diuers noble men to Rome who disputed against him and confuted him 26 After 850. to 900 I name Volutianus a Bishop that wrote to Nicolas the first in the defence of Priests mariage y Ep. Nicol ad Michael Michael the Emperour and Phorius the Patriarke of Constantinople resisting the Popes supremacie z Anast in Nicol 1. as also did the Bishop of Rauenna 27 After 900. to 950 and so forward such abuses were noted in the Church of Rome that a Fascic temp pag. 68. an ancient historie mentioning the same complaineth Alas alas Lord God how is gold obscured and the colour changed What offences do we reade to haue happened about these times euen in the holy Apostolicke seate which hitherto with such zeale thou preseruedst What contentions emulations sects enuies ambitions intrusions persecutions O the worst time that euer was wherein the holy failed and truths are diminished from the sonnes of men To the same effect b An. 912. nu 8. writeth Baronius What was then the face of the holy Romane Church how filthy was it when potent and withall base whores bare all the sway at Rome at whose lust seas were changed Bishops were bestowed and that which is horrible to heare and not to be vttered their louers were thrust into Saint Peters chaire In such times as these were the Reader may easily thinke there was matter enough in the Romane Church that deserued resistance As c Osbern vit S. Odonis quem refert Fox in Martyrol pag. 1039. certaine of the English Clergie maintained the Sacrament to be onely a figure of the bodie and bloud of Christ against the reall presence then increasing 28 After 950. to 1000 we haue d Sigon Reg. Ital. l. 7. an 963. Otho the great that deposed Iohn the Pope and assumed into his hands the nominating and making of Popes hereafter which was a manifest resistance made against the growth of the Primacie e Homil. Saxon Aelfr Aelfricus the Archbishop of Canterbury that preached and published his homilies against the reall presence coming in And I name f Refert Baron an 992. nu 22. Arnulphus who in a Synode holden at Rhemes noted the Pope to be Antichrist O Rome saith he to be lamented which to our ancestors yeeldedst shining lights of Fathers in our time sendest monstrous darknes which in the age to come shall be infamous What ô ye reuerend fathers what I say thinke ye him to be which sitteth thus in a loftie throne in purple robes and glittering gold Certainly if he be voide of charitie lifted and puffed vp onely with knowledge he is Antichrist sitting in the temple of God and shewing himselfe as if he were God but if he want both charitie and knowledge then is he an idol and to seeke to him for answer is to enquire of the marble stones 29 After 1000. to 1050 I name Rodulfus Ardeus preaching against g Homil. Dominic in Sept. 18. Dominic post Trin. ho. 1. merits and h 18. Dom Trin. hom 2. abilitie to keepe the law i His l. 2. c. 4. queÌ„ refert Baron Glaber Rodulphus that wrote how the Bishop of Rome should haue nothing to do in another mans Diocesse the which he also saith was the opinion of all the Prelates in France k Baron an 100 4. nu 5. Leuthericus an Archbishop in France denying the reall presence 30 After 1050. to 1100 I name l D.
secreti regula Pastor erit Roma suis magna suis Brittannia normam Pandit in incertum ne rapiare caue Consilium Medici Pastoris consule vocem Iudicium certum PAGINA SACRA dabit Le. Asshaw ar A BRIEFE DISCOVRSE CONCERNING FAITH BY WHICH IS euidently declared how euery one that hath a desire to please God and a care to saue his soule the which should be the chiefe desire and care of euery Christian man ought to resolue and settle himselfe in all points questions and controuersies of faith The Answer IF the Discourse had performed what the Title promiseth you had bene beholding to the man that bestowed it on you the rather because the coÌ„trouersies of the present time haue changed the sweet Spring of our Church into a stormy Winter But seeing the author thereof vnder colour of directing you in the controuersies goeth about to make another Eue of you by seducing your minde from the simplicitie that is in Christ you haue little cause to thanke him and a Deut. 27.18 he lesse to reioyce in his labour For his reasons whereby he thinketh to declare his matter so euidently all tend to perswade you that the Pope of Rome b Gregorius decimus tertius filiorum ecclesiae pater amantissimus Camp rat 5. apud Posseu bibl l. 7. c. 21. his fast frieÌ„d c Nomine Ecclesiae intelligimus eius caput id est Romanum PontificeÌ„ Gregor de Valent. in Thom. tom 3. pag. 24. Venet. is this verie Rule that must resolue you in these points questions and controuersies of faith An vnreasonable position voyd of all indifferencie when common sense teacheth that he which is a partie cannot be iudge and d Niceph. Gregor hist lib 10. cap. vlt. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which it selfe is a thing wauering and inconstant cannot be the Rule to discerne the right by What father e Luc. 11.11 saith Christ if his sonne aske him bread will giue him a stone or if he aske a fish will giue him a serpent yet thus the Iesuite hath dealt with you But f Epicharm the heathen mans counsell is good Be sober and suspicious and g 1. Thes 5.21 the Apostles better Trie all things and sticke to that which is good Neither must you hope to learne truth in the schoole of lies for they that seeke Christ among heretickes shall lose him § 1. First it is to be suppoâ—ed and set downe for a certaine ground that there is but one faith which whosoeuer wanteth cannot possibly please God nor consequently be saued since none are saued which do not please God This is proued out of S. Paule who in one place saith Vna fides Ethes 4 and in another Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo Heb 11. The which two places make this sence in English Faith is but one and without faith it is impossible to please God Secondly this one faith without which we cannot please God must be infallible and most certaine because faith is the credite and inward assent of mind which we giue to the word of God the prime and first veritie which neither can deceiue nor be deceiued Fides saith the same S. Paule Rom. 10 ex auditu auditus per verbum Dei The sence of which words be that faith is bred in vs by hearing and yeelding assent to the word of Christ who is of God The Answer 1 Both these conclusions be true and you shall graunt them to be as himselfe calleth them certaine grounds wherein we all agree that there is but one faith wherein we can be saued and this faith must be infallible or certaine that is free from error and such as cannot deceiue vs beleeuing nothing that false is And this later is well proued Because faith is the assent of the mind that we giue to the word of God which word being the first truth neither can deceiue vs nor be deceiued it selfe This confirmation I say will serue meaning by the word of God the holy Scriptures for h Cyrill Hiero. fol. cat 4. the securitie of our faith ariseth from the demonstration of the diuine Scriptures i 1. Cor. 4.6 that no man presume aboue that which is written 2 But if by the word of God which cannot deceiue nor be deceiued he meane also the Constitutions of his Church and the Popes Decrees which they call Traditions then his confirmation is naught and we reiect it because the words thereof will be resolued into this sence That our faith or religion to this end that it may be infallible must be grounded partly on Traditions and partly on the Scriptures and the certaintie thereof dependeth no lesse on the former then on the later a point which no wise man will graunt considering that such Traditions are so farre from securing our faith that directly they leade it into a verie sea of errors and vncertainties and being once admitted euery Friers dreame and base custome of the Romish Church shall be thrust vpon you for an article of religion necessarie to eternall life And I dare vndertake the Iesuit in this place by the word of God of Christ meaneth these verie Traditions so farre that put him to it and before he wil forgo them or hazard the least of his Papall Decrees you shall see him k Vide as quaÌ„ti ponderis sit ipsa traditio vt ex ipsa noui testamenti scripta omnia authoritatem acceperint quam qui non admiâ—tunt ab ipsis etiam canonicis scriptis excidat necesse est Traditio est scripturarum fundamentum In eo scripturas excellunt quod illae nisi traditione firmentur non subsistant hae vero etiam sine scriptis suaÌ„ obtineant firmitatem Caes Baron annal tom 1. an 53. nu 11. verie strangely speake of the Scriptures as the l Demades Eras apop man of Athens that thought his countreymen should not by striuing for heauen in the meane time venter to lose the earth Digression 1. Prouing that the Papists grounding the doctrine of faith on Traditions make them equall to the written word 3 For the Trent Councell m Sess 4. decret 1. decreed they should be receiued with the same reuerence and affection wherewith we receiue the Scripture it selfe Canus n Loc. l. 3. c. 3. saith Many things belong to Christian faith which are contained in the Scripture neither openly nor obscurely o Confess Petric c. 92. Hosius saith the greatest part of the Gospell is come to vs by tradition very little of it is committed to writing p De Purgat cap. 11. Peltanus that many verities lye hidden in the Church which if she would reueale we were bound to beleeue with the same faith wherwith we beleeue the things reuealed in the Scriptures q Vaux Canisius English catech c. 1. The Popish Catechismes teach that Faith is a certaine light wherwith whosoeuer is enlightened he firmely agreeth to all such things as
God hath set forth by his Church to be learnâ—d of vs whether they be written or not written Doctor Standish in r Cap. 6. probat 3. his booke against English Bibles crieth out Take from them the English damnable translations and let them learne the mysteries of God reuerently by heart and learne to giue as much credit to that which is not expressed as to that which is expressed in the Scripture Å¿ D. 40. Si Papa in Annot. margin The Canon law newly set out by Pope Gregorie the thirteenth saith that Men do with such reuerence respect the Apostolicall seate of Rome that they rather desire to know the ancient institution of Christian religion from the Popes mouth then from the holy Scripture and they onely inquire what is his pleasure and according to it they order their life and conuersation So that you see howsoeuer the Iesuite say our faith cannot apprehend a falshood because it assenteth onely to the word of God yet by the word of God he meaneth Romish Traditions as well as the Scripture and so maketh those things of equall truth with it and then beareth you in hand that the certaintie of your faith and religion dependeth on their infallibility as much as on the infallibilitie of the Scripture a point which I would easily graunt him if the question were of the Romish faith for I confesse it dependeth vpon Traditions more then on the written word so farre forth that as t Andrad Orthodox explicat lib. 2. quam traditionum authoritatem si tollas nutare iam vacillare videbuntur pag 80. a Doctor of his owne side speaketh Many points therof would reele and totter if they were not supported with the helpe of Traditions But against this let the iudgement of u Regul contract 95. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 502. Basil be noted by the way It is necessary and consonant to reason that euery man learne that which is needfull out of the Scriptures both for the fulnesse of godlinesse and lest they inure themselues to humane Traditions § 2. Thirdly the one and infallible faith without which we cannot please God must be also entire whole and sound in all points and it is not sufficient to saluation to beleeue stedfastly some points and not other some So saith Athanasius his Creed receiued of all Quicunque vult saluus esse c. Whosoeuer will be saued before all things it is needful that he hold the catholike faith which vnlesse euery one keepe entire and inuiolate without doubt he shall perish euerlastingly Againe to beleeue some points of faith and to denie others is heresie as not to beleeue anie point of faith at all is absolute infidelitie But it is certain euen out of Scripture that neither infidell nor heretick shall be saued For our Sauiour hath absolutely pronounced Qui non crediderit condemnabitur Marc. 16. And the Apostle S. Paule Gal. 5. putteth heresies among the workes of the flesh saying Manifesta sunt opera carnis quae sunt fornicatio fictae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in English heresies of all which he saith Qui talia agunt regnum Dei non consequentur Moreouer the reason why anie one point of faith is vnder paine of damnation to be beleeued by Christian diuine and infallible faith is because God almightie hath reuealed it and by his Church hath proposed it vnto vs and commanded it to be beleeued for otherwise they be not points of faith but of opinion or of some other kinde of knowledge Therefore all points of faith are vnder paine of damnation to be beleeued The Answer 1 This third conclusion toucheth a second propertie required in sauing faith and it must be granted him with the confirmation thereof in a true sence namely that we are bound to beleeue the points of saluation by obtaining a particular distinct knowledge of the same in our selues and so assenting to them that our faith may include an apprehension also and knowledge of the things beleeued as well as an assent to the proposition thereof If this be the Iesuites meaning in this place then I embrace it as the truth 2 But peraduenture his mind runs vpon a further matter which his Church teacheth about infolded faith and then you may note the grosse heresie that he thrusts vpon you in his smooth words For x Implicita fâ—des est credere secuÌ„dùm quod ecclesia credit Vnde noÌ„ omnis Christianus teneturillos articulos fidei scire explicitè sed tantùm clerici Iacob de Graf decis lib. 2. ca. 8. nu 16. the Iesuites and Schoolemen teach how the lay-people are not bound to know what the matters of their faith be y Fides meliùs per ignorantiaÌ„ quà m per notitiam definitur Bellar. de iust l. 1. c. 7. ignorance is better it sufficeth if they consent to the Churches faith whatsoeuer it be assuring themselues it beleeueth and knoweth all things necessary but what those things are they need not enquire thus excluding knowledge from the nature of religion and placing it in assent onely as sufficient to make it whole and entire This being a sottish conceit deuised for the nonce to suppresse knowledge yet marke how boldly these men presse it on vs with the style of an entire faith which I manifest further in the Digression following Digression 2. Shewing the infolded faith of the Papists and confuting the same as not entire 3 For howsoeuer the Church of Rome pretend this whole complete faith yet when the matter cometh to scanning she vtterly refuseth knowledge sendeth her children to schoole to the Collier of him to learne to beleeue as the Church beleeueth For first whereas z Mat. 22.29 Chrys ho 3. in Laz. prol hom in Rom. the ignorance of the Scriptures is the roote of all error and the cause of vnbeleefe a Index lib. prohib Reg. 4. the Church of Rome forbiddeth the reading of them among the people b Franc. Ouan Mogol breuilo in 4. sent D. 13. prop. 3. pretending the vulgar translations to be one principal cause of heresies and therefore c Linwood in constitut prouinc l. 5. titul de magistris cap. Quia when the law was in their owne hand they vtterly forbad them d Mart. Peres de trad pag. 44. One of them saith he thinketh verily it was the diuels inuention to permit the people to reade the Bible e Thyâ—rae de Demoniac cap. 21. th 257. Another writeth that he knew certaine men to be possessed of a diuell because being but husbandmen they were able to discourse of the Scriptures Thus theeues put out the candle that discouers them 4 Next f Nauarr. Manual cap. 11. nu 16. Iacob de Graff decis l. 4. cap. 24 nu 23. they make it heresie for a lay man to dispute in a point of faith and g Magin Geograph pag. 104. Linwood lib. 5. tit de Magist c. periculosa suffer no
him Secondly Christ saith Simon louest thou me more then these Why doth he examine him of his loue more then the rest but that he intended him more authoritie I answer to make him see his fault who hauing lately vndertooke more then all euen to die with him though all should forsake him yet when it came to triall performed lesse then any denying him thrise which none else did And possible also to let him know his sinne was pardoned x Luc. 7.47 because more is forgiuen to him that loueth more Thirdly he not onely examineth him of his loue but also thereby draweth out of him a feruent confession of it I answer this he did also in regard of his former sinne y Isid Pelusiot l. 1. Ep. 103. by a threefold confession to heale his threefold deniall and to assure his fellow disciples of his repentance and to shew by his example how deare the loue of Christ should be to them that meddle with feeding Christs flocke Fourthly he biddeth him Feed and feeding is Ruling with fulnesse of power I answer he biddeth him feed his sheepe and lambes which are the people and not the Apostles properly which proueth that feeding hath no such meaning Besides feeding signifieth ruling not euery way but in such maner as appertaineth to the persons that do feed And therefore in kings it is to rule with fulnesse of power but in Pastors with the word and discipline onely as appeareth by this that all Bishops and teachers are called z Eph 4.11 Pastors and bidden a Ier. 3.15 Ezec 34 Act. 20.28 1. Pet. 5.1 feede the flocke of Christ and yet no man thinketh they are made Popes thereby Lastly Peter is bidden Feed the sheepe the Apostles are a part of Christs sheep therefore he must feed them I answer this is granted but then feeding signifieth no more but edifying by word and example and so as Peter must feed the Apostles the Apostles must feed him againe by the same commandement of Christ b Marc. 16. that bade them preach the Gospell to euery creature as c Gal. 2. Paul fed him at Antioch by reproofe And whereas some vrge that the sheepe signifie the vniuersall Church because Christ saith not these are those sheepe in particular but my sheeepe in generall and so Peter is set ouer the vniuersall Church this is but a speculation for if the Church be strained into so wide a signification he could not feed it because he could feed no more then that part which was in his time or followed after him wherein the other Apostles fed in community with him and feeding was not Poping Thus we see that vnlesse the Papists may be allowed to racke the words of Scripture beyond all compasse of ordinary vnderstanding and bring to them the sence which they should fetch from them there is nothing in all the Bible sufficient to vphold any part of that wherein they are so confident § 37. So that this difference may be assigned betweene any sort of heretickes and the Romane Church that they are a companie not vnited among themselues by anie linke which is able to containe and continue them in the vnitie of faith whereas the Romane Church is as S. Cyprian speaketh Plebs sacerdoti adunata grex pastori suo adhaerens A people conioyned to their priest and a flocke cleauing to their chiefe Pastor Whom whilest it heareth as it is bound to do it is vnpossible but it should retaine vnitie of faith Like contrarie according to the saying of the same S. Cyprian lib. 1. epist 5. ad Cornel. contra Haeret. Non aliunde haereses obortae sunt aut nata schismata quà m inde quòd Sacerdoti non obtemperatur nec vnus in Ecclesia ad tempus sacerdos vnus iudex vice Christi cogitatur Nor from any other roote haue heresies and schismes sprong vp but from this that men do not obey the priest of God neither do they consider how that in the Church there is one Priest and one iudge for the time in stead of Christ The Answer 1 How well the Romane Church is linked together I haue said in the former section and therefore if the Iesuit will assigne a difference betweene it and heretickes which will be the same that is betweene fish and herrings he must do it by somthing else then by their vnitie wherunto Saint Cyprian giueth no testimony in the words alledged but that it pleased the Iesuite thereby to impose vpon his ignorant reader For first he speaketh not in any of both places concerning the Church of Rome but of euery part of the Church whersoeuer saith It is a company adhering to their Pastour c. Next by this one Pastor and iudge whereto the Church adhereth he meaneth not the Bishop of Rome ouer all the world for himselfe dissented from him in the cause of appeales and rebaptization but euery Bishop in his owne circuit Thirdly supposing he had conceited the Pope and by these words immediatly meant him yet what is that to the Pope now who is degenerate into another creature then at that time he was whereby it cometh to passe that many good things might be said of him then that cannot now and of his Church then which since that time are perished 2 But the truth is that saying the Church is a people cleauing to their Priest he meaneth it not of al Gods Church cleauing to the Pope but of euery particular Church obeying their Pastour according to Saint Pauls admonition a Heb. 13.17 Obey and submit your selues to such as haue the ouersight of you And the want hereof he saith is the roote of schisme not the dissenting from the Pope And this is proued to be his meaning because in b Lib. 4. Ep. 9. ad Florent another Epistle he hath the same words applying them to himselfe and complaining thereby that some had vnderhand refused him and communicated with others For the Nouatians at Carthage in a schisme had made them a Bishop of their owne and written to the Church of Rome falsly that he was lawfully elected the which being against the custome and peace of the Church moued him to vrge as you see the vnitie of one Bishop and to defend the Church-gouernment of that time c Hiero. comment in Tit c. 1. Chrysost hom 1 ad Philipp which was to haue but one Bishop in one citie Hence proceed his words touching euery Bishop in his owne place as the Iesuite hath alledged them Whereby you see how wel he proueth the vnitie of his Church and authoritie of his Pope euen as well as if a man should make that proper to the Bishop of Rome and his Church which appertaineth to euery Bishop and euery Church and expound that of the supremacie which importeth no more but ordinary gouernment vsed by Pastors in their owne charge This kinde of disputing is called inclosing of commons § 38. Secondly the Protestants Church is
kings gift calling him to the place implieth both So is it in our sanctificatiō which is the way that leadeth to the kingdom that God hath freely giuen vs and the dutie which that gift calleth vs to and therefore necessary in it owne kind and order no otherwise Which the Protestants holding do not teach thereby that men should neglect good workes but the contrarie they onely thinke them not necessary or requisite to our iustification for the satisfaction of the law because herein nothing concurreth with the merit of Christ or can do as many learned Papists themselues confesse and the ordinarie sort of people that now misconceiueth our doctrine in this point when they vnderstand it as I haue laid it downe will not denie Digression 35. Touching the merit of our workes and what is to be holden thereof 12 Next the Iesuite accuseth our doctrine of good works because it denieth the merit thereof For answer whereunto we beleeue assuredly our good workes shall be rewarded both in this life and in the life to come yea farre beyond that which they are worth onely we deny their merit that is to say we thinke this reward is not giuen for the merit or desert of the worke but of the meere grace and mercie of God for the merits of Christ Wherin we haue not onely the Scripture and ancient Doctors but the most skilfull and learned Papists that euer liued on our side t Exod. 20.6 The law saying the reward is of mercie and u Rom. 8.18 the Gospell telling vs The sufferings of this life are not worthy of the glorie in the life to come 13 That which the Papists meane by merit is this which I set downe in their own words and let the reader iudge whether the Protestants haue not reason to refuse it Andradius x Orth. expl l. 6 saith The heauenly blessednesse which the Scripture calleth the reward of the iust is not giuen them of God gratis freely but is due to their workes yea God hath set forth heauen to sale for our workes The Deane of Louan y Expl. Artic. Louan tom 2. art 9. saith Farre be it from vs that the righteous should looke for eternall life as a poore man doth for his almes for it is much more honour for them as victors and triumphers to possesse it as the garland which by their labour they haue deserued Bayus z De merit operum l 1. c. 9. saith That although the restauration of mankinde be ascribed to the merits of Christ yet it is not for Christs merits that our workes are rewarded with eternall life neither doth God when he giueth the reward looke toward Christs death but onely to the first institution of mankind wherein by the law of nature it was appointed that in the iust iudgement of God obedience should be rewarded with life as disobedience is with death Suarez a Tom. 1. in Tho. 3. d. 41. sect 3. §. Secundo oportet saith A supernaturall worke proceeding from grace within it selfe and of it owne nature hath a proportion and condignitie with the reward and a sufficient value to be worth the same The reward therfore is not giuen for Christs merit The merit of Christ cannot be made our merit therefore neither can our merits haue the power of meriting from Christs merits or any more worthinesse then they be ordained to haue of themselues It must not be denied but our merits are true merits so that the workes of the godly proceeding from grace haue of themselues an inward worthinesse and are proportionable to the reward in the same manner as if we conceiued a man to be iust and worke well without the merits of Christ as many thinke of the Angels and of man in the state of innocencie Thus the merits which the Protestants denie are not the reward of good workes but that inward condignitie which our aduersaries place in them whereby they thinke God is bound to reward them yea without any respect to the death or merits of Christ This we hold a detestable opinion because it abrogateth the Gospell and setteth on foote the couenant of workes 14 Beggers asking for almes shew their wounds but Papists will haue vs shew our merits and not aske heauen as an almes for Christs sake but challenge it as due for our workes sake but what saith one b Marc. herem de his qui putant se ex oper iustif He that doth good seeking reward thereby serueth not God but his owne will Origen c Ad Rom. l. 4. c. 4. saith I can hardly beleeue there is any worke that may require the reward of debt Austin d De gr lib. arb c. 9. writeth We must vnderstand that God bringeth vs to eternall life not for our merits but for his owne mercie And Bernard e De Annunc serm 1. That the merits of men are not such that eternall life should be due to them of right or that God should offer men iniurie if he did not therefore bestow it f In Cant. ser 61. The mercy of God is my merit g De grat lib arbit The things which we call our merits are the nurses of our hope the prouocations of loue the signes of our election the forerunners of our future happinesse the way to the kingdome not the cause why we raigne And Gregory himselfe who was a B. of Rome h Super. Ps 7. poenit saith It is one thing for God to reward men according to their works and another thing to giue the reward for the workes themselues When the Scripture saith according to our workes the qualitie of our workes is vnderstood that the reward shall be his whose the workes are for vnto that blessed life wherein we liue with God can no labour be compared no worke likened seeing the Apostle saith The suffering of this life is not worthy of the glorie of the life to come This that these fathers haue said is it we also say for our selues answer our accusers Now I know well enough a witty Romanist deuoted to contention can inuent some fine distinction to make these men speake good Romane Catholicke whatsoeuer they meant let him do vs the like fauour making the same distinction for vs that he will do for Austin Bernard or Gregorie and we shall be as good Catholickes as they 15 Moreouer it is diligently to be obserued that howsoeuer our aduersaries contend for their merits yet the learnedst and most iudicious among them disauow them teaching people at their way-gate to renounce them and holding that which I haue said to be the sounder doctrine so did Anselme the Bishop of Canterbury 500. yeares since teach the people to die in this faith i Refert Hos confes Petrico◠1. c. 73. confessing Lord I set the death of Christ betweene me and my bad merits and I offer his merits for my owne merits which I should haue but haue not
what say you to forty thousand yeares of pardon Pope Sixtus the fourth granted it to whosoeuer will say a prayer of his making not fiue aboue fortie words long that his Catholickes might not complaine the Protestants satisfaction was easier then theirs And there is another prayer somewhat longer which Saint Bernard vpon a time saying before the Rood so pleased the said Rood that bowing it selfe it embraced him in his armes being belike of the same good nature that the Rood of Naples was f Anton. Chro. part 3. tit 23. c. 7. § 11. p. 206. which spake so kindly to Thomas Aquin or of the same mettal that the crucifixe was of g Sibi or anti crucifixi imaginem inclinare caput aspexit Baron annal to 11. an 1051. nu 1. which nodded his head to the monke Gualbertus Now such a praier as this that like h Dictus Amphion Thebanae conditor vrbis Saxa mouere sono testudinio prece blanda Ducere quò vellet Horat. art Poet. Amphions harpe could make stones moue by all likelihood would pierce further then the straightest satisfaction that could be taught Or if the Protestants haue an easier way yet at last they must giue place to one peculiar kinde of deuotion throughly plied in our country which is to haue the armes of Christs passion the crosse nailes whip lance heart and hands of Christ for example painted and them deuoutly to worship For this kind of satisfaction hath wonderfull priuiledges granted it by one and thirtie Popes and an hundred twentie eight Bishops The first Pope granting three yeares pardon to them that vse it the other thirty adding euery one a hundred dayes more and each Bishop fortie 36 And so I conclude that the premises considered our aduersaries haue no cause to disgrace the Protestants with their penance or any longer to raile vpon them for putting it away for as much as their owne doctors haue spoken so coldly and vncertainly thereof and contrary one to another and allowed such qualifications by contrition pardons as make it a thousand times easier then an hypocrites repentance Which they would neuer haue done being warie and wise but that they thought in their conscience the repentance taught in our Church to be the truth and their penance a discipline of their owne inuentioÌ„ And so froÌ„ henceforward we wil take their angrie words about this matter as spoken in zeale of their cause and iealousie of their pardons but neuer thinke they meane in good earnest to condemne vs thereby though they speake somewhat rigorously for feare of the worst lest their people should suspect them and buy no more pardons Digression 40. Wherein the doctrine of iustification by faith onely is expounded and defended 37 The ninth point whereof he accuseth vs is for teaching that by onely faith our sinnes be not imputed to vs the which we teach indeed or rather haue learned of him that teacheth all truth the Spirit of God who i Psal 32.1 Rom. 4.6 saith Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinne is couered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne Now I neuer knew but k Sixt. Senens biblioth l. 6. annot 216. it was alwayes lawfull for Catholick men to vse the Catholicke phrase of the Scripture and speake as it doth For to say they are not imputed and by faith onely they are not imputed is all one because the not imputing of sinne is a mercie of God l Nazian orat in sanct bapt whereby he ascribeth it not to vs nor deputeth it to condemnation but as if we had neuer done it he forgiueth it and esteemeth vs no sinners The which mercy being in God alone supposeth somewhat on our behalfe that may receiue it which can be nothing but faith alone the Scripture saying m Gal 3.14 We receiue the promise of the spirit by faith and n Rom. 4.11 righteousnesse is imputed to all them that beleeue as o V. 3. Gen. 15.6 Abraham beleeued and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse The which our exposition making faith alone the instrument and not penance or workes if our aduersaries mislike then let them hearken what some of the learnedst among themselues haue written Forsomuch p 4. d. 15. q. 1. saith Bonauenture as man was not able to satisfie for so great offence therefore God gaue him a mediator who should satisfie for it whence it cometh to passe that by onely faith in his pâ—ssion all the fault is remitted and without his faith no man is iustified And q In Ioh. 19. â— 30 Ferus Our saluation is consummate not fully but in hope by reason maÌ„ beginneth to be iustified healed so that whilest he is iustified the rest of his sin remaining in his flesh through Christ is not imputed to him And r Antididagm Colonienf tit de Iustif hom pag. 29. Gropper By faith we are iustified as by the apprehensiue cause that faith whereby without doubting we firmly beleeue that hauing true repentance our sins are forgiuen vs for Christ whereof notwithstanding it behoueth vs by faith to haue the inward testimonie of the holy Ghost Whereby we see that iustification or not imputation of sin by faith onely is good diuinitie among our aduersaries themselues 38 But because either through ignorance or malice it is misreported to the people who are made beleeue that thereby we exclude the necessitie of a godly life therefore I will briefly expound the meaning of this proposition By faith onely we are iustified Wherein there are three termes the first is iustification and thereby we meane Gods acceptation of a sinner to grace and glorie For man being guiltie of the breach of Gods law and so subiect to the penaltie thereof which is condemnation cannot be restored againe vnlesse he bring a righteousnesse to satisfie this law againe that is to say which may answer both the obedience that it requireth and the punishment that it inflicteth The reason hereof is because the law being part of Gods will and being giuen to man out of the iustice of God must take his effect else God should leaue his iustice vnsatisfied and depart from his nature Å¿ Mat. 5 18. which is vnpossible This righteousnesse we affirme to be not our owne inherent iustice but the obedience of Christ alone whereby he fulfilled the whole law most perfectly for vs. We denie not but euery seruant of God hath in him true sanctification and holinesse enabling him to repentance satisfaction faith hope and charitie but we denie these or any of them to be the iustice whereby the bond of Gods law is answered and we appeare righteous before Gods iudgement seate partly because they are vnperfect and partly for that we do them not by our owne strength But the very thing that maketh vs accepted as iust is the obedience of Christ whereby he fulfilled the law and satisfied the punishment in his life and
since Christ till now without interruption 2 Gregory of Valenza teaching that it is one property of the Church to be alway visible b Tom. 3. pag. 142. saith this troubleth vs exceedingly in as much as we are not able to shew any company of people which in times past was known in the world to hold that form of doctrine and religion that now we haue brought in And I haue obserued in all my acquaintance with persons affected to Popery in this country where I dwell that they obiect nothing against vs more willingly then this And therefore I will answer it fully and directly And touching the time immediatly after Christ and so forward til 800. yeares were ended I name the Primitiue Church and the other Churches throughout the world professing the faith of Christ and affirme that they were of our religioÌ„ though some corruptions especially laterward came in withall And if our aduersaries deny this we offer to make the triall by the new Testament and writings of all the said ages successiuely out of which we will shew that our faith is the same which the Apostles preached and the fathers for al that time beleeued whatsoeuer came in beside was resisted and disallowed all the difficultie is touching the ages following til Luthers time And we say that all that time also in euery age successiuely there was a Church of our religion Our aduersaries bid vs shew it and name the place and persons whereto I answer two things That touching the place the Church of Rome it selfe was it For in euery part thereof there were some that held our faith and that which was called the Church of Rome was but a contagion outwardly cleauing to it and by reason of the multitude preuailing against it in a sort and obscuring it Concerning the persons and particular companies we lay downe two things first it must needs be granted that such there were because the names of some are extant as for example the Waldenses Wickliffe and the Bohemians which agreed with vs in the substance of our religion Next we are not bound to shew an exact catalogue from time to time precisely of euery such person and companie so that vnlesse we do it we lose our cause for first it was the time of Antichrist wherein the Church must be persecuted and by that persecution be diminished and obscured which is the cause why the professors could not ordinarily possesse whole cities and countries wherein they might professe their faith openly but in all places they liued oppressed with the tyrannie and obscured with the greatnesse of Rome that their names and places with other circuÌ„stances whereby their memory should haue bene preserued could not so easily come vnto vs. Next it is certaine that the Church may be in places where none can see it as c 2. Reg. 19 18. in Elias his time there were seuen thousand in Israel and yet he saw neuer a one of them Whence it followeth that they argue but weakly against vs that say our religion was not because we can shew no professors for Elias could shew none and yet there were seuen thousand Thirdly the want of histories is a hinderance For things past can be shewed by no other meanes and the most of those times were exceeding barren of good writers Baronius d An. 90â— n. 1. noteth such want of writers in the nine hundredth yeare that therfore it is called the obscure age So that many things might appeare at those present times which for want of stories could neuer come to our knowledge And the consideration of this one point may iustly stay the discreete from being too confident against vs when they shall see many things to be done that are not written to the posteritie but he forgotten And more then this we assure our selues that the Church of Rome would in all those ages do her best to deface the memorie of any thing that might witnesse for vs whereby it came to passe that so little was written of the men of our religion For what they writ themselues it was easie for their enemies to suppresse and what their enemies wrote of them is of as much credite as that which the Iesuites write this day of vs. This that I say is more then probable For if at this day our aduersaries e Azor. instit tom 1. l. 8. c. 16. Posseu biblioth select pa. 130. a. wipe our very names out of bookes and commaund that no man shall name vs but in contempt and charge vs with horrible opinions that we hold not as that we make God the author of sinne denie fasting praying and good workes c. we may with good discretion assure our selues their ancestors haue done the like in former ages to the men of our religion Hence it cometh to passe that their memorie is very scant in Popish stories as the matters of the Iewes are rarely mentioned in the writings of the Gentiles though they were famous and where they are remembred it is with contempt and slander and hence it is that Wickliffe and the Waldenses are charged with such vile opinions For if the Iesuites thus charge and belie vs at this day why might not their forefathers belie them in like manner and deface their memorie The man that readeth but Wickliffes owne bookes and compareth them with that which Frier Walden most impudently chargeth him with shall finde this to be true that I say And euery bodie knoweth what monsters are written touching Ierom of Prage by his aduersaries and yet Poggius the Popes owne Secretarie that was an eye-witnesse of his death and triall at the Councell of Constance saith f Epist ad Leonard Aretin inter epist Pij 2 â—p 425. he was a man worthy eternall memorie there was no iust cause of death in him he spake nothing in all his triall vnworthy a good man and he maketh question whether the things obiected against him were true or no. So then the practise of the Papists this day with vs defacing our names belying our opinions burying our memorie corrupting our bookes suppressing the truth of things purging and razing all manner of euidence maketh vs assure our selues that in the same manner our ancestors were vsed and that it is a principall reason why we yeeld not so perfect a catalogue as else we might do 3 That which is more to be said touching this point shall be handled below sect 50. § 46. But the Romane Church is for it hath bene continually without interruptioÌ„ since Christ and his Apostles time still visible professing the same faith without change which now it hath and therefore is Catholicke or vniuersall in Time It hath had and hath at this day at least some of euery countrey where there are anie Christians which is almost if not absolutely euery where that communicateth and agreeth in profession of faith with it therefore it is Catholicke and vniuersall in Place It teacheth a most ample and
c. 9. pag 131. that the power Imperiall dependeth vpon the Popes authoritie and is subordinate to it and that the Pope hath power to remoue reuoke correct and punish Kings whose secular gouernment is not meerly necessary or expedient but when the Church cannot and this they say is to be holden with the right faith as the naturall morall and diuine law of God This is a peece of the present faith of the Church of Rome the execution and practise whereof affoordeth her such store of Martyrs in euery kingdome But that you may see how vainly they brag of their vncontrolled antiquitie marke what Waldensis hath left written almost three hundred yeares ago he b Tom. 1. p. 196. lib. 2. art 3. c. 78. saith The regall power of Princes is not by our mother the Church vsed to be set behind the priestly power as if it were nothing of it selfe but sprang from it and were the second after it They erre he saith that affirme the roote of earthly power hangeth so much on the Pope that by his commission the execution of the same is deriued to the Prince Thus he writeth in that booke which he calleth the DOCTRINE OF THE ANCIENT FAITH that we might see the Church of Rome holdeth some things which in the records of her owne Court are noted for Nouelties and late incrochments against the ancient faith 10 The first restraint that euer was made of Priests marriage was by Siritius the Bishop of Rome 380. yeares after Christ For before that time it was beleeued and practised that Priests might haue wiues as all other men and Siritius was the first that euer forbad it The first part of this which I say that before his time maried men exercised the ministerie is proued before Digress 49. num 4. and is further proued by the confession of our aduersaries themselues For Alphonsus c Aduers haeres verb. Sacerdot haeres 4. writeth that in the Primitiue Church it was obserued that he which was maried might be promoted to priesthood though it were not required of him that he should first be maried And he addeth that this custome preuailed till the times of the Nicene Councell The second part that Siritius was the first that forbad maried Priests appeareth first by the decree it selfe extant in d D. 82. plurim the Canon law next by the confession of our aduersaries For e Inuen l. 5. c. 4. Polydore affirmeth it and the Glosse vpon the f D. 84. Cum in praeterito Glos §. Qui sacrameÌ„ Canon law saith Siritius brought in the continencie of Priests and Deacons yea some affirme that of old before the time of Siritius Priests might contract mariage g Index Expur pag. 308. nu 26. This Glosse Pius Quintus the late Pope hath commanded to be wiped out because it is cleare against the Papacie but Nauclerus h Tom. 2. generat 13. pag. 537. saith in effect as much that Siritius commanded Deacons to be continent And Clictoueus i De continen sacerdot c. 4. Quem refertâ— Bellar. Greg. Valent. writeth that it is a commaundement of the Church first brought in by Siritius that maried men should not be ordained Priests vnlesse from that time forward they would containe Here he confesseth that Siritius brought in that k Greg. Valent. to 4. d. 9. q. 5. p. 5. § 1. p. 1571. a. which the Iesuites thinke to be the chiefest thing whereunto the law of single life bindeth Thus Siritius began the matter but yet l Inuen l. 5. c. 4. saith Polydore it could neuer be effected that their mariage should be taken away till Gregorie the seuenth came to be Pope in the yeare 1074. The which thing when he attempted in Germanie as m Sigeb anno 1074. Lambert pag. 201 207. Auentin annal l. 5 Naucler vol. 2. generat 36. Baron an 1074. n. 37. Sigon reg Ital. l. 9. anno 1074. the stories with one consent record he was resisted as one that brought in a new custome neuer receiued before Auentine writeth n Pag. 448. that in those dayes Priests had wiues openly as other men had and begat children their wiues being called by a seemly name Presbyterissae o Pag. 460. And when the Pope forbad them mariage this to many Bishops and other learned and good men seemed a new doctrine and a pestilent heresie as euer troubled any Christian kingdome And he saith the Bishops of Italy Germany and France met together and for this cause decreed that he had done against Christian pietie and deposed him for that among diuers other things he diuorced men and their wiues denying such as had their lawfull wiues to be Priests when yet in the meane time he admitted to the altars whoremongers adulterers and incestuous persons Let any man iudge if it had bene possible the Bishops and Cleargie of Italy France and Germanie should thus bitterly haue censured and withstood this doctrine of Hildebrand if the Church had receiued it alwayes before 11 The Images of the Trinitie p Posseâ—in biblioth l. 8. c. 16. Vasq adorat l. 2 disp 3. c. 3. Bellar c. 8. which the Church of Rome now vseth and adoreth came not in of seuen hundred yeares after Christ For q Can. 82. Carranz ibi the sixt generall Councell holden anno 687. forbiddeth the making of the holy Ghost in the likenesse of a Doue and r Apud Baron an 726. pag. 87. Gregorie the second liuing anno 726. in an Epistle to Leo Isauricus writeth that in his time they vsed not to paint or represent God the Father Vpon which words Baronius hath noted in the margent that AFTERWARDS the custome grew to paint God the Father and the holy Ghost in the Church If it grew afterwards then it was not vsed at the first 12 So likewise the beginning of all image worship was in the second Nicen Councell for Å¿ Act. 7. Zonar tom 3. pag. 95. Geo. Cedren Compen p. 387 that decreed it Whereas but a little before when Serenus a Bishop in France in detestation thereof had cast out of a Church and broken certaine images Gregory the Bishop of Rome t Lib 7. Ep. 109 wrote vnto him The zeale which you had that nothing made with hands should be worshipped we commend but we are of mind that you should not haue broken those images for painting is therefore vsed in Churches that they which are vnlearned might by sight reade vpon the wals that which in bookes they cannot Your brotherhood should therefore haue spared the breaking of them and yet withall haue kept the people from worshipping them that such as are simple might haue had meanes whereby to come to the knowledge of the story and yet the people not sinne in worshipping the picture Which words shew that howsoeuer he fauoured the historicall vse of images which we deny not to haue bene brought into the Church before his time
erre he sitteth in the temple of God and beareth rule farre and neare 34 After 1250. to 1300 I name Å¿ Magd. Cent. 13. c. 5. Gulielmus de S. Amore. withstanding the Friers and their abuses t Crantz Metrop l. 8. c. 16. Refert Illyr Catal. The Preachers in Sweden that publickly taught the Pope and his Bishops to be heretickes u Panor de Iudicijs c. Nouit ille Naucler vol. 2. gen 45. Dante 's the Florentine wrote in a booke that the Empire descended not from the Pope for the which cause after his death they condemned him of heresie About the same time also liued Gulielmus Altisiodorensis an auncient schoolman in whose Summes are found many things confuted that then were coming in and maintained by others the which because I haue partly obserued throughout this my answer by alledging him against the Iesuite I will not now stand to produce 35 After 1300. to 1350 I name Marsilius Patauinus that writ against the Popes supremacie x Defensor pacis in which booke is to be seene the confutation of all such reasons as were made to proue him the head of the Church I name Occham the school-man y Beside his owne workes see Sleid. comment l. 2. Auent annal l. 7. p. 628 Naucl. vol. 2. gen 45. p. 1003. who exceeding vehemently writ against the Popes authoritie ouer Kings a great article of the Romane faith this day in England and Councels z Trithem de Scriptor he told the Emperour that if he would defend him with the sword he again would defend him with the word And as he resisted the Primacie so did he confute many errors now holden by the Church of Rome and confirmeth that which is our faith in not a few points as may be seene in his booke vpon the Sentences I name Gregorius Ariminensis who in his booke vpon the Sentences hath diligently confuted that which is now holden by the church of Rome touching Predestination Originall sinne Freewill the merit of workes and other matters a Illyr catal tom 2. pag. 797. The same time the Vniuersitie of Paris condemned the Popes pardons 36 After 1350. to 1400 I name Aluarus Pelagius who wrote a booke b De Planctu ecclesiae of the lamentation of the Church wherein he reproueth diuers abuses of his time c Fox acts and mon. pag. 38â— And Mountziger who in the Vniuersitie of Vlms openly disputed against Transubstantiation and adoration of the Sacrament I name Michael Cesenas d Illyr catal tom 2. who said the Pope was Antichrist and Rome Babylon and held there were two Churches one of the wicked wherein the Pope raigned which was a florishing Church the other of the godly an afflicted Church and he complained that the truth was almost extinguished The same time also liued Iohn Wickliffe and infinite more with him in England whom in that time they called Lolards resisting Papistry to the shedding of their bloud 37 After 1400. to 1450 I name againe the Lolards in England as Puruey Badby Thorp Browne Beuerly and the rest that were persecuted at that time I name Chaucer who expresly e Plowmans tale writ the Pope and his Clergie to be Antichrist The same time Nilus wrote his booke against Purgatory and the Popes supremacie and Iohn Hus Ierome of Prage and the Churches in Bohemia notoriously resisted the Papacie f Naucler vol. 2 gen 47. p. 1033. Their doctrine was the same with that of the Waldenses 38 After 1450. to 1500 I name Sauonarola the Florentine g Bucholch chronol Naucler vol. 2. gen 51. Illyr catal tom 2. p. 890. who preached that the time was come wherein God would renew his Church that the Church needed reformation he affirmed that the Pope taught not the doctrine of Christ he maintained the communion vnder both kinds and held against traditions iustification by workes and the Popes supremacie The same time Wesselus Groningensis and Ioannes de Vesalia were famous for holding against merits freewill traditions pardons shrift fasting dayes pilgrimages extreme vnction confirmation and the primacie In England also and Bohemia liued those which followed the doctrine of Wickliffe and Hus continuing the same till Luther 39 And when 1500. yeares were expired arose Luther Zuinglius Tindall and diuers others whom God raised vp to call his people out of Babylon who you see were not the first that misliked the Papacie many in all ages grudging at it before them and the reformation which they brought in was wished for and desired long before 40 And touching the catalogue that I haue set downe I warne the Reader of two things Note first that I haue not set downe all either that liued or are recorded in the seuerall ages nominated but onely some few for example to answer the Iesuites demaund by which few you may easily gather there were many more when so learned men neuer vse to want partakers howsoeuer the tyrannie and oppression of their aduerse part may keepe them vnder Next my meaning is not to iustifie euery one that I haue named to haue bene free from error and a ful Protestant in euery point though many were so in euery point fundamentall but onely to shew that the Papacie in all ages was resisted as it came forward which the Iesuite denieth If it be replied that these persons were hereticks condemned by the Church I answer first the Iesuite biddeth vs name who resisted Rome were all asleepe none to obserue the change c. and I name these whereunto it is no sufficient answer to say they were heretickes because it vpholdeth not the question and one hereticke may be able to detect another and the Iesuite should not make his chalenge so broade as to say No mention is made in any story of such an alteration Next it cannot be proued that these were heretickes For one part of them is the Greeke Church another part is some ancient Diuines of their owne Church a third part is such as the Romane Church persecuted The second are sound and lawfull witnesses being the true Church of God to this day though polluted with some errors The second though Papists in many points yet shew against al exception those points wherein they were no Papists to haue bene no part of the Catholicke faith so called in their time for then they would not haue resisted them but embrace them as they do all the rest The third part I grant the Church of Rome then persecuted and now calleth hereticks but that is the question whether they or their persecutors were the essentiall parts of the Church this must be decided by the Scriptures onely For our aduersaries say they are the true Church and proue it by their antiquitie without resistance both which we deny shewing the contrary in the precedent catologue which catologue when they will disproue againe by replying the men contained therein were condemned for heretickes by the Romane
could not haue bin without it Now our aduersaries say otherwise 4 Secondly the Fathers insisted on the succession of other Churches as well as the Church of Rome which proueth manifestly that the succession which they assumed proueth not the Church of Rome to be the Church of God because it proueth not other Churches so to be Our aduersaries haue e Posseuin noc verbi Dei pag. 329. written that the ancient Fathers reckoned not vp the successors of other Bishops alike as they did the successors of the Romane chaire but this is an vntruth proceeding of desperation for Irenaeus in the chapter alledged mentioneth the Churches of Smyrna Ephesus Asia and in f L. 1. c. 3. another place the Churches of Germany Spaine France Egypt Lybia and others And Tertullian g Praescript referreth vs to Corinth Philippi Thessalonica Ephesus Rome Whereby it is plaine that if Rome be now the true Church because the Fathers mention the succession thereof then the Churches of Greece must be granted to be the true Church also because the Fathers mention their succession also which in Constantinople and Alexandria is preserued to this day But in that they reckon vp the succession of other Churches as well as of Rome it appeareth that they thought it was tied no more to Rome then to others 5 Out of all this that I haue said I answer to the places alledged And first to Irenaeus that he saith not simply he conuinced heretiks by shewing succession but by shewing the faith which successiuely had continued to his time and we are contented the Iesuite conuince vs so too if he can Tertullian biddeth hereticks if they can deduce the succession of their Churches and sectmasters which he might wel do although it would not follow thereupon that wheresoeuer outward succession were there should be also true doctrine And he had reason to make them this challenge for though euery company be not the true Church that hath outward succession yet they pretend themselues so to be therefore he prouoketh them to put the succession in triall and shew if they can that the first author of their sect was an Apostles successor This was a good trial then but now it is not when not onely new seas are erected but the successors in ancient thrones are corrupted Austine saith the succession of Bishops retained him in the Church of Rome And good reason when they succeded in faith as well as in sea If he were now aliue he would say otherwise when the succession such as it is remaineth without the faith it was not the succession alone that retained him but other motiues ioyned with it and mentioned in the same place which now are wanting So likewise h Ep. 165. in his epistle to Generosus he reckoneth vp the Bishops of Rome that had bin till his time not vsing their succession as an argument to proue it the true Church but naming those that had succeeded therein and perseuered in the truth which he then well might do but the Iesuit now cannot in as much as the Popes following declined from the faith of their ancestors Optatus mentioneth the Romane succession as Austin doth reckoning vp a catalogue of the Bishops that had bin in that sea till Siritius time to shew the Donatists that the Church was in other places as well as in Affrick and to admonish them that their Churches wanted succession also and not the true faith onely This is no aduantage to the Iesuites cause For as some hereticks want succession so all that haue it are not proued thereby to be true Catholicks for any thing that Austin or Optatus say That which Cyprian saith receiueth the same answer that I haue giuen to the rest § 54. The which to be conioyned may euidently be proued out of S. Paul himselfe Ephes 4. who saith that our Sauiour Dedit pastores doctores ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerij in edificationem corporis Christi donec occurramus omnes in vnitatem fidei agnitionis filij Dei in virum perfectum in mensuram aetatis plenitudinis Christi c. Signifying that Christ appointed these outward functions of Pastors in the Church to continue for the edification and perfection thereof vntill the worlds end especially for this purpose as is said in the same place vt non simus paruidi fluctuantes non circumferamur omni vento doctrinae that we may not be little ones wauering and caried away with euery wind of doctrine Therefore that this ordinance and intention of our Sauiour might haue the purposed effect he must prouide so to assist and direct these Pastours in teaching the true faith that the people their flocke may alwayes by hearing them be preserued from wauering in the ancient faith and from error of new doctrine the which cannot be vnlesse with succession of the Pastors lawfully succeeding be conioyned true doctrine in such sort that all true Pastors shall neuer vniuersally erre or faile to teach the ancient and Apostolicke doctrine For if they should thus vniuersally erre then all the people who do and ought like sheepe follow the voyce of their Pastors should also generally wauer and erre from true faith and be caried about with the wind of new doctrine contrarie to this purpose of almightie God expressed in this place by S. Paule Yea the whole Church which according to S. Gregorie Nazianzene orat de moderat in disput habend consisteth of sheepe and Pastors should vniuersally erre contrarie to diuerse expresse promises of our Sauiour Christ of which I haue spoken somewhat before Since therefore these promises cannot be false nor the purpose of almightie God faile it followeth that the people hearing their Pastors may also infallibly alway learne and continue in the true Apostolike faith consequently that these ordinary Pastors appointed by almightie God of purpose to instruct and confirme the people in true faith shall neuer at least vniuersally faile to teach the true faith And therefore the succession of this externall function of ordinarie Pastors must needs be conioyned with the succession of one and the same true holy Catholike and Apostolike faith The Answer 1 The Iesuite hauing said immediatly before that with the outward successiō was alway infallibly conioyned the true faith now proceedeth to proue it wherin you may easily conceiue he taketh a hard taske in hand because his owne Bellarmine confesseth the contrary a Not. eccl c. ◠It is not necessarily gathered that there is alway the Church where there is succession and the Greek Church at this day proueth it inuincibly against our aduersaries For they haue the succession as entire as Rome it selfe and yet b Bell. ib. §. Dico secundo argum Can. loc l. 4. c. vlt. the Papists thinke them not the Church of God because among diuerse errors they will not submit themselues to the Popes authoritie The Iesuit therefore hath vndertaken to proue that which the learnedst
of his owne side know and confesse to be false But that is ordinary 2 And as his assertion is insolent so he proueth it as weakly though I must confesse he hath verbatim borrowed his discourse from c Greg. Valent. tom 3 d. 1. q. 1. punct 7. §. 25. as learned a Iesuite as euer Iesuited But I answer two things First that no man denieth but the succession of true doctrine and communication which the true Church of God is vnseparably annexed with the succession of Pastors lawfully succeeding I say not the outward succession of Pastors but the true succession of Pastors lawfully succeeding the which are the Iesuites owne words whereto if our aduersaries will hold them and require no more they shall be yeelded vnto and I wil grant the same to be sufficiently proued by the text of Eph. 4. But this neither confuteth vs nor iustifieth the Church of Rome It confuteth not vs because d §. 52. per totam I haue shewed the teachers of our faith do lawfully succeed so alway haue done though not outwardly and visibly to the world And it iustifieth not the Church of Rome forasmuch as the ordinarie Pastors therein succeed not lawfully They succeed in a sort externally sitting in the seats where sometime the Apostles and their successors did but they succeed not lawfully as I will shew in the next section or any other way then the Greecians now do or then the Pharises high Priests did in our Sauiors time when they refused him denying him to be the Sonne of God requiring a murtherer to be giuen vnto thē the which they could not haue done if the Iesuites assertion were true that the faith of Gods Church is infallibly conioyned with the outward succession For they had the outward succession from Aaron lineally without interruption and yet if the people had obeyed them in all things they had led them into an vniuersall error no lesse then the reiecting of the Sonne of God Now if onely lawfull succession haue the truth abiding with it and that is lawfull which succeedeth principally in doctrine retaining the ancient faith as well as the place and externall shew which our aduersaries dare not deny and Tertullian affirmeth e Praescrip c 32 where he saith the Churches that conspire with the Apostles in the same faith are reputed no lesse Apostolicall for the consanguinitie of the doctrine if I say this lawfull succession onely haue the true faith going with it let them say freely and without collusion to what purpose should they pleade their externall succession to iustifie their faith before they haue pleaded their faith to iustifie their succession which when they haue done and they can do it no way but by the Scripture the Protestants will neuer except against their succession but imbrace it And what vanitie is it to obiect against vs that we want outward succession when that succession which is to be stood vpon consisteth not in the circumstances of place and shew but in the retaining of the true faith which may be done without interruption when the outward shew of places and persons is interrupted 3 Secondly I answer further to the text alledged and to all his discourse thereupon granting first that the ministerie of Pastors is the ordinance of God Secondly to continue in his Church for euer Thirdly for the teaching of his people Fourthly in such sort that they shall neuer vniuersally erre or faile to teach the ancient and Apostolicke doctrine Fiftly whereupon the people are bound to heare them And hence it followeth that sixtly where such Pastors succeede the true faith is alway conioyned This is granted But then our aduerries should consider that such Pastors furnished with these promises do not alway succeed openly or in one place without interruption of the externall succession but they may arise and successiuely continue when the world seeth them not or seeing them driueth them from the Episcopall seas that they shal be constrained to teach the Church in secret S. Paul saith Pastors and Doctors shall succeed and succeeding teach the true faith but he saith not all that haue outward succession hold the true faith neither is there any thing in his words that proueth this succession to be of that nature which our aduersaries require Now the question betweene vs is not whether there be a perpetuall succession of Pastors in the Church of Christ that infallibly teach his truth for we deny not that but whether these Pastors be onely they that continue in one place one after another outwardly and visibly at all times to all the world whether Pastors succeeding in this maner be so priuiledged that they cannot erre which we deny and in al Saint Pauls discourse there is not a word against vs because whatsoeuer he saith may be vpholden in that kind of succession that I haue described Againe our English Bishops this day succeed lineally in their places from the first Apostles of our land will the Iesuit therefore grant we are the true Church he will not though indeed we be because they haue changed that which the precedent Bishops held for the true faith the which being thus obiected ouerthroweth himself for now you see that with Pastors succeeding the true faith is not alway ioyned for one may succeed that will change the ancient doctrine which the Iesuite thinketh our English Bishops haue done though they haue not that which is most ancient but we proue against all exception their Italian Popes haue as I haue shewed Digress 49. 51. 52. § 55. But as I haue said before and by many Catholicke writers hath bene proued at large in the Romane Church onely is this lawfull vninterrupted succession of ordinarie Pastors found therfore the Romane Church and those that communicate agree with it is the true Apostolike Church and hath in it alway taught the true Apostolike faith The Answer 1 Lawfull succession is when the persons succeed in doctrine as well as in place which in the Romane Church at this day they do not inasmuch as they are departed from the ancient faith to their owne heresies And this is the principall cause why we deny that which the Iesuite saith here touching the Romane succession 2 We do not deny but they haue a ranke of Bishops whether interrupted or no I will shew in the Digression following externally sitting in Rome one after another but we deny lawfull succession to stand in this And we deny againe that this is found onely there and no where else for it is found in the Greeke Church also at this day as appeareth by e Legat. eccl Alexand. apud Baron annal tom 6. in fine the letters which the Patriarke of Alexandria sent to the Pope about 15. yeares since wherin he stiles himselfe thus Gabriel by the grace of God the seruant of the seat of Saint Marke in the citie of Alexandria in Aegypt and all other places ioyning to him and bordering
horses a Bishop of ten yeares old and made Bishops for mony He put out his godfathers eyes cut off his Cardinals members one mans tongue he cut out and maimed two Cardinals more cutting off ones nose and anothers hand t Anton. chro part 2. tit 16. c. 1. § 16. Fascic temp an 944. Baron ann 964. n. 17. in the end as he was committing adultery with a mans wife he was sodainly slaine by the diuell and died without repentance 10 I could giue the like exaÌ„ples of many more but Alexander the sixt that was Pope about one hundred yeares ago shall serue the turne Machiauel u De Principe c. 18. writeth of him that he did nothing but play the deceiuer of mankinde he gaue his mind to nothing but villany and fraud whereby to deceiue men * Onuph vit Alex. vi Guicci hist l. 1. He got the Papacie by Simony buying the consent of the Cardinals that after smarted for it The king of Naples signified to the queene his wife with teares when he heard of his election that there was a Pope created who would be the bane of Italie and of the whole commonweale of Italy y Stultissime PontificeÌ„ creatum exitio tandem cunctis futurum non falsi vates denuntiarunt Onuph the which was also the generall conceit of all men Guicciardin z Lib. 6. saith He was a Serpent that with his poysoned infidelitie and horrible examples of crueltie luxury and monstrous couetousnesse selling without distinction things holy and profane had infected all the world a Lib. 1. His manners and customes were dishonest little sinceritie in his administrations no shame in his face small truth in his words little faith in his heart and lesse religion in his opinions All his actions were defiled with vnsatiable couetousnesse immoderate ambition barbarous crueltie He was not ashamed contrary to the custome of former Popes who to cast some colour ouer their infamy were wont to call theÌ„ their nephews to cal his sons his children and for such to expresse them to the world b Lib. 3. The bruite went that in the loue of his owne daughter Lucretia were concurrent not onely his two sonnes the Duke of Candy and the Cardinall of Valence but himselfe also that was her father who as soone as he was chosen Pope tooke her from her husband and maried her to the Lord of Pesere but not able to suffer her husband to be his corriuall he dissolued that mariage also and tooke her to himselfe by vertue of S. Peters keyes c Lib. 6. Onup It was among other graces his naturall custome to vse poysenings not onely to be reuenged of his enemies but also to despoile the wealthie Cardinals of their riches And this he spared not to do against his dearest friends till at the last hauing a purpose at a banket to poison diuerse Cardinals and for that end appointed his cup-bearer to giue attendance with the wine made readie for the nonce who mistaking his bottle gaue the poisoned cup to him was thus himselfe dispatched by the iust iudgement of God that had purposed to murder his frieÌ„ds that he might be their heire 11 I am afraid I haue bene to bold in medling with these matters For the Church of Rome hath a law within her selfe d D. 40. Non ncs glos §. quiâ— enim that it is sacriledge to reason about the Popes doings whose murders are excused like Sampsons and thefts like the Hebrewes and adulteries like Iacobs e Qualis qualis autem fuerit Sleidanus sacra mentarius haereticus dignus non fuit qui illum reprehenderet Sur. comment an 1547. saith thus of Sleidan because be reported such like matter of Paul the third as Guicciardin doth of Alexander And our aduersaries thinke whatsoeuer their Popes be yet such sacramentarie heretickes as we are be not worthie to reproue them and therefore the good and courteous reader shall be at liberty whether he will expound my narration as a reproofe of the Pope which were dangerous or as a bare report of the conceit which all men euen his best friends haue of his Popes which I make for no other intent but to shew that Luther liued died an honester man then anie Pope of Rome in his dayes For Guicciardine f Lib. 16. saith the goodnesse of the Pope is then commended when it exceeds not the wickednesse of other men that we may know how rare a thing it is for the Bishop of Rome to be good The which when our aduersaries see they should desist from their veine of railing against vs and by holding them close to the argument they should maintaine their cause or else for euer hold their peace § 58. But how shall one preach truly at least in all points nisi mittatur vnlesse he be sent of God But how should we know that Luther or Caluin or anie other that would needs leape out of the Church and leaue that companie wherein was vndoubted lawfull succession and by succession lawful mission or sending from God How should we I say know that these men teaching new and contrarie doctrine were sent of God Nay certainly we may be most sure they were not sent of God For since almightie God hath by his Sonne planted a Churâ—â—â—n earth which euer shall be vntill the worlds end and hath put in his Church a visible succession of ordinarie Pastors which he will alwayes with the assistance of himselfe and of his holy Spirit as hath bene proued so guide that they shall neuer vniuersally faile to teach the true faith and to preserue the people from error we are not now to expect anie sent from God to instruct the people but such onely as came in this ordinarie maner by lawfull succession order and calling as S Paul saith Heb. 5. Nec sibi sumat honorem sed qui vocatur â Deo tanquam Aaron to wit visibly and with peculiar consecration as his was Leuit. 8. to which accordeth that which we reade 2. Paralip 26. vers 18. whereas Azanas said to Ozias the king Non est tui officij Ozia vt adoleas incensum sed sacerdotum hoc est filiorum Aaron qui consecrati sunt ad huiusmodi ministerium Egredere de sanctuario c. Which bidding when Ozias contemned and would not obey he was presently smitten with a leprosie and then being terrified feeling the punishment inflicted by our Lord he hastened away as in the same place is said By which place doth plainly appeare that it doth not belong to anie other to do priestly functions as to offer incense or sacrifice to God or to take vpon them authoritie to preach instruct and teach the people but onely to Priests called visibly consecrated for this peculiar purpose as Aaron and his children were For though the priesthood of the Pastors of the new law be not Aaronicall yet it agreeth with the priesthood of Aaron according to S.