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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69038	The theatre of Catolique and Protestant religion diuided into twelue bookes. Wherein the zealous Catholike may plainelie see, the manifest truth, perspicuitie, euident foundations and demonstrations of the Catholique religion; together with the motiues and causes, why he should perseuer therin. ... Written by I.C. student in diuinitie.	I. C., student in divinity.; Copinger, John, b. 1571 or 2, attributed name.; Colleton, John, 1548-1635, attributed name.	1620 (1620)	STC 4284; ESTC S115632	314,600	666

more indisciplinable then they were in poperie These be Luthers owne wordes As touching their learninge or knowledge in diuinitie Stanc lib. de trinitate mediatore Francis Stancarus witnesseth one of their prophetts one Petrus Lombardus is more worthie then one hundreth Luthers two hundred Melancthons three hundred Bullingers foure hundreth Martyrs fiue hundreth Caluines Who all if they were pounded in one morter there could not be beaten out of them one ounce of true diuinitie especiallie in the articles of the trinitie incarnation mediator and sacraments 12. You see what testimonie your owne prophett doth beare against you looke to all those countries where they haue stirred vpp their tragedies was there any countrie the better for this ghospell or was the wicked life of any one reformed by it or were the professors themselues amended any thinge in their wicked liues by it Compare the wicked life of the professors of this newe religion with the vertuous life of the holie fathers that haue planted the religion that wee professe No kingdome gained vnto thirst by the woord Haue they not shined in all holines of life in all heauenly conuersation by which they haue allured the hearts of faithles and stiffnecked gentiles did they conuerte any kingdome vnto Christe by the sword haue they euer surprised citties or ouerthrowen kingdomes or euer brought with them armies into the fielde no not by the sword but by godes word and humilitie of spiritte haue they ouercome the deuill Was not Luther a professed Fryar many yeares who beinge giuen to loosenes of life did transgresse the lawe of God in breakinge his vowe by which he consecrated himselfe to serue God in holines of life and continencie of body all the dayes of his life whoe rann awaie and tooke a Nunne with him out of her Cloister Was not Iohn Caluine the fire brād of France and Scotland and other countries alsoe he being a priest for Sodomitticall wickednesse burned in the backe and continewinge his wicked life stil in that filthie sinne surprised Geneua Was not Beza his next successor giuen to that wicked and abhominable sinne with a boy called Andebertus and that manifestlie And to defend their wicked lines and filthie sensualitie they cast forth poisoned doctrine as that vowes and votaries are not made by the lawe of God that wee are not iustified by works done by Gods grace and that the same be not meritorious before God but that wee are iustified by faith only that all our woorkes though neuer soe good are sinfull before God that to bridle or restraine our filthie desires is to resist Gods ordinaunces that God is the cause of all euill and that from him all mischeefe comes Therfore they take away free will from man saying that man doth not concurre to his owne iustification with many such damntble heresies which were to long to relate and whether these be false prophetts who bringe into the world such poisoned doctrine lett euerie man iudge at least lett him take heede that his soule be not poisoned therwith in followinge their liues or imbracinge their cursed heresies out of which as our Sauiour wittnesseth noe good fruicte can bud forthe and consequentlie noe meritorious works of religion or charitie can wee euer expect at their handes The absurditie of this doctrin that euery one should assure him selfe that he is predestinated vnto life euerlastinge and that wee ought to be soe certayne therof as wee should not once feare the contrarie or to misdoubt the same is discussed CHAPTER V. 1. THis doctrine is most false wicked and hereticall sith the holie scriptures saie Cogitationes mortalium timidae incertae prouidentiae nostrae Sap. 9. The thoughtes of men are fearfull and their prouidence is vncertaine by reason that the bodie which is corrupted doth aggrauate the soule beinge in great danger by reason of the inclinations of the flesh occasions of the world and tentations of the deuill and wee being in the countrie of our enemies wherevpon S. Bernard saith faciles sumus ad seducendum debiles ad operandum sragiles ad resistendum wee are easilie to be seduced weake to worke and labour well and fraile to resist manfullie and couragiouslie And soe our Sauiour said to the Apostle Luc. 10. Neminem per viam salutaueritis You shall salute none by the waie as S. Vincentius expoundeth Ser. 11. post trinit Saluum dixeritis viatorem to him that is a poore pilgrime● or stranger you cannot assure his saftie without danger nor securitie without feare for the shipp is not safe without feare in dangerous seas otherwise wee should not be admonished Lauda post mortem magnifica post consumationem prayse none before his deathe nor magnifie any before his end The scripture confirminge the same Eccle. 9. Nemo scit vtrum ●dio vel amore dignus sit sed omnia in futurum seruantur incerta None knoweth whether he be worthie of hatred or loue when all thinges are reserued in tyme to come And therfore the Apostle which was one of the greatest Saintes that was saith Nihil mihi conscius sum 1. Cor. 4. sed tamenin hoc non iustificatus sum I am not guiltie in conscience of any thinge but I am not iustified herein The Apostle durst not assure himselfe that he was iustified neither would he iudge whether this thoughtes were pure or noe but the trial thereof he left to Gods iudgment And for this cause wee are wild to worke our saluation with feare and tremblinge 2. As for predestination which is almightie God his election foresight purpose and decree of his deare children as alsoe his other actes touchinge their vocation inspiration illustration and illumination of them and consequentlie their iustification and last of all their glorification wee doe not denie but it ought to be reuerenced and embraced of all men with tremblinge feare dreadfull humilitie but that wee should not cast our selues with headlonge fall into any precipitat madnes and presumptuous malipartnes for this hath bene the gulfe wherein manie proude persons aswell at this tyme as before haue by godes iust iudgment perished groundinge thereon most execrable heresies and damnable blasphemies against godes mercie good life free will humble behauiour and religious christian modestie Rom. 8. S. Paule hath these wordes of predestination whome he hath forknowen he hath also predestinated to be made conformable to the Image of his sonne that he might be the first borne in many brethren and whome he hath predestinated them also he hath called and whome he hath called them also he hath iustified and whome he hath iustified them alsoe he hath glorified S. Augustine answereth those that are curious of Gods fore-knowledge and decree who saith Si quaeras c. If any man will aske wherfore God doth make choise more of this man then of that man lett him search godes inscrutable and vnsearcheable iudgment and in that search lett him take

it and therwith be healed the signe of the crosse is the signe of humilitie but pride will not ymbrace the meanes by which her loftinesse may be remedied And in another place he saith Idem trac 118. in Ioannem Quid est quod omnes nouerunt signum Christi c. What is the cause that all men doe knowe the signe of the holy crosse which signe if it be not vsed in our fore-heades or in the water by which wee be regenerated or in the holie oyle by which wee be anointed in the Chrysme or in the sacrifice by which wee are nourished nothinge of all these is well done Againe in another place he saith Crucis mysterio rudes cathechisantur c. Idem ser 19. de sanctis By the misterie of the crosse the ignorant are cathechised the fountayne of our regeneration is consecrated by imposition of handes the baptized receaue the guift of graces Churches are dedicated Altares are consecrated Priestes and Leuites are promoted vnto holie orders and all ecclesiasticall Sacraments by the vertue of the crosse are perfected and consumated Abdius that was disciple vnto the Apostles who wrote their liues and their acts doth also obserue howe often at all occasions of dangers they made the signe of the Crosse on their fore-heades which euerie Christian also doeth obserue in all ages in all dangers and perils all Christian Churches in euery kingdome and Prouince from age to age from posteritie to posteritie are framed and shaped in likenes of this blessed Crosse in which crosse S. Paul did glorie so much Gal. 5. 1. Pet. 5. Gal. 2. Gal. 6. that he said the world was crucified vnto him and he also crucified vnto the world by which S. Peter saith he himselfe was ioyned and fastened vnto Christ Whether Papistes blaspheme against God in sayinge that any man can meritt CHAPTER I. 1. THe cause wherfore you will not haue merittes in man is because you say that no man though neuer soe iust or by any grace of God a man may haue can keepe or obserue his commandements Iosue 11. 3. Regum Which is most false for in the holie scriptures manie godlie men are praysed because they haue kept and obserued godes comaundements as may appeare in diuers places Luca 10. Was not Zacharie and Elizabeth iuste before God because they did walke in the comaundements and iustifications of our Lord without blame Ezec. 36. This is confirmed by Ezech. Spiritum meum ponam I will fixe my spiritt in the middest of you and I will cause you that you shall walke in my precepts and that you shall obserue and keepe my comaundements And although without godes grace the comaundements cannot be performed yet by the grace of the holie ghost which is promised to the iust they may be kepte Matt. 11. Iohn 5. for by that grace the yoke of Christ is made light and his burden sweete and as S. Iohn saith his comaundements are not heauie Aug lib. de natur gratia cap. 43. This is proued by the holie fathers especially S. Augustine Non igitur Deus impossibilia iubet c. Therfore God doth not comaunde thinges impossible but comaunded you to doe what yow may doe and to aske of him what of your selfe you coulde not doe And according hereunto holie S. Hierom saith Symbo ad Damas Execramu● inquit eorum blasphemias c. Wee execrate their blasphemies because they said that God comaunded any thinge impossible and that Godes comaundemēts may be kept not onlie of some but of manie The same verie wordes S. Augustine hath vnto which agreeth S. Basill sayinge Aug. ser 100. 91. de tēpore It is a wicked sayinge that preceptes of the spiritt are impossible Basil in oratione super illud attende'tibi Con Trid. sess 6. Cano 18. Wherfore by the holie councell of Auransica in Affrique and of Trent the contrarie is defined as a matter of faith for if men coulde not obserue the preceptes of God it should be no offence to transgresse them for noe man offendeth in that he cānot shunne And therfore almightie God without cause and most iniustlie should punishe transgressors either in this world or in the next but he doth not iniustlie punish offendors but iustlie for the offences which they could haue auoided and for not doinge the good which they could haue done Obiection 2. But the heretiques obiect against this catholique doctrine that by the comaundement thou shalt loue thy Lord thy God withall thy harte c. and thou shalt not couett wee ought so to direct and ordayne all our actions thoughts and affections vnto God suppressinge and mortifyinge all concupiscence of our proper desire or comoditie as the Apostle saith Referr all your actions vnto God 1. Cor. 10. 16. and lett all you actions be don in charitie but noe man can performe this thinge for as longe as a man liueth in the flesh he doth couett against the spiritt Wherfore in all our actions though neuer so iust those two precepts are violated touchinge the loue of God and not to couett any thinge 3. Wee answere that the precepte of louinge God is affirmatiue and neuer bindeth any man allwaies and at all tymes so as wee should neuer cease from louinge God actually that is to say in euerie time or moment to shew and declare the effects of our loue by externall signes and tokens but by that precepte wee are bound to shewe our loue outwardlie and to putt it in due execution when iust opportunitie and fitt occasion shal be offered and neuer to preferre any creature before God For to thinke of God allwaies and to direct all our actions vnto him is not meant or comprehēded in the obligation of this precepte but is a good councell and a thinge which shal be accomplished in the state of blisse euerlastinge felicitie as S. Thomas and S. Augustine doe declare D. Tho. 2. 2. q. 44. art 6. Aug lib. de perfect iust 4. Secondarilie wee answere that the precepte thou shalt not couett byndes vs that wee should not obey or yelde vnto the filthie motions of concupiscence which are called motus primo primi by free delectation and consent which comandement the Apostle inculcateth in other sayinge Rom. 6. Non regnet peccatum in vestro mortali corpore vt obediatis concupiscentijs eius Lett not sinne raigne in your corruptible bodie that you shold yeld or consent therunto so longe as the concupiscēce of the same doe not raigne that precepte is not violated for to feele the vnbridled motions of concupiscence is not a sinne Aug. li. 1. de nuptijs concupis c. 23. lib. 5. contra Iulianum D. Greg. Ozius in confess but to yeld consent therunto is a sinne for it is manifest that many doe not yeld vnto filthie cōcupiscence but with all speedie meanes and force they resist the same by the grace of

God which is readie to be offred to euery one that will imploie his best endeuour Soe auoucheth S. Augustine and S. Gregorie Ozius and other holie fathers To the intent therfore that you may take awaie all good indeuours from man in the buysines of his saluation and that wee should doe nothinge therin you take away all cooperation of man with godes grace and that grace it selfe without which wee can doe nothinge in the worke of our iustification you take it quite awaie sayinge that man hath not this grace inherent in him 2. lib. de capt To this purpose you say with Luther in his second booke of the captiuitie of Babylon that to teach that good workes are necessarie to saluation is deuilishe You say also with Caluine Calu. 3. de instit c. 19 that neuer any good workes were done of any saincte which did not deserue reproache And a little before he said that all our workes are pernitious and whosoeuer doth them is cursed And the said Luther in the 30. articles condēned of Leo the Tenthe saith all the euill that wee doe is by the inspiration of God and that by sinninge wee doe well God beinge the cause of all euill as Caluine saith lib. 1. inst cap. 28. in so much saith he that not to sinne is sinne and to restraine any appetite or motion of any thought is to resist God and to sinne And so Luther saith in his booke Lib de ser arbit the more wicked you be the neerer you are to purchase godes fauour How damnable these articles be lett any Christian iudge that will open his eares to heare them I would euerie one would stoppe his eares from hearinge such horrible blasphemies so contrarie to holie scriptures and all honestie Noe prophane Philosopher or wicked heretique though neuer so damnable euer said the like And therfore these blasphemous and wicked articles are condemned by the whole Senate of Christianitie in the councell of Trent most worthilie Con. Trid. sess c. 11. cano 28. 21. because they be against comon honestie and against the holy scriptures in which many tymes the workes and endeuours of good people are comended and praysed as good and holie in which works there was noe sinne as it is said in Iob. In all these thinges Iob hath not offended Iob. 1. Lutae 1. and in the Ghospell of S. Luke it is said of Zacharias and Elizabeth that both of them were iust before God walkinge in godes comandements and righteousnes without grudge And as S. Paule saith 1. Cor. 7. if a virgin should marrie therein shee shoulde not sinne and in many other places wee are comaunded not to comitte sinne therfore the holie scriptures doe meane that wee may doe many good works by godes grace without sinne 5. Hereticks answere vnto these scriptures sayinge that the cause wherfore the scriptures saies that there are many good works of iust persons is because it is not imputed vnto them to damnation for the faith of Christ although say they they be sinfull I replie against that for the scriptures doe distinguish betwixt this which is to sinne and that which is to remitte sinnes or not to impute vnto vs the sinne which wee haue comitted as it is playne Scribo vobis vt non peccetis 1. Ioh. 2. Conc. Auranc c. 9. 18. 20. Hier. li. 3. contra Pelag. In Proemio super epist ad Philomen Ephes 1. Aug. sup Luc. 1. Amb de Spiritu litera cap 36. De natura gratia reg super Cōc Trid. I write vnto you that yow should not sinne for if any man shall sinne wee haue an aduocate with the Father c. this trueth is confirmed by the tradition of the Church and the holie fathers It is also defined against Pelagius that without the grace of God a man cannot liue iustlie without sinne yet saith the councell by the grace of God wee may liue without offence Therfore S. Hierom saith Hoc inquit nos dicimus posse hominem c. And this selfe same wee saie also that a man maye liue without sinne if it please him accordinge to the tyme and place accordinge to the frailtie of his nature as longe as his mind is well disposed c. And the same he teacheth vpon that place of S. Paul Vt essemus sācti immaculati as S. Amb. sup Luc. S. Aug. and other saincts doe teach the like Protestants saie that a Christian though neuer so vertuous or so acceptable to God hath noe grace or vertue inherent in him because they would haue noe good acte to come from m●n by reason of that grace CHAPTER II. 1. THe generall Councell of Trent against this your heresie saith Cōc Trid. sess 6. c. 7. The onlie formall and intrinsicall cause of our iustification is the iustice of God not by which he is iust himselfe but by which he makes vs iust by which wee beinge endued and inuested wee be renewed by the spiritt of our soule and not onlie that wee be soe reputed but that wee are trulie iust not only by name but by deede and the said holy councell hath these words Whosoeuer shal saie that men are iustified either only by remission of our sinnes or only by the imputation of the iustice of Christ excludinge takinge away grace and charitie which is diffused in their hartes by the holie Ghost which is giuen vnto them and by which the same grace doth lodge in them Anathema sit let him be anathema Thus farre the councell This also is proued by reason for when wee see a man to change his wicked life and vngodlie custome of sinne and to putt on the newe man which accordinge to God was created in sanctitie and iustice wee see so palpable a change in him that wee say Haec est mutatio dextrae excelsi From the right hand of the highest comes this alteration from bad to good from impietie to iustice from spirituall death to spirituall life but this true alteration and mutation cannot be without some feelinge or sparke of grace in man inwardly inherent in him The Maior proposition is proued by the gospell Wee are translated from death to life 1. Ioh. 3. Ezec. 36. and Ezeech I will giue vnto you a newe harte and I will put into the middest of you hart a newe spiritt and I will take away a stonie harte Coloss 3. and S. Paule saith Spoile yourselues of the old man with his actes and putt one the newe that is renewed in knowledge accordinge to the Image of him that created him And to the Ephesians 4. Ephes he said be renewed in the spiritt of your minde and putt one the newe man which accordinge to God is created in iustice and holynes of trueth I meane in true holynes and iustice and not in feined imputatiue iustice Iohn 4. This is proued by S. Iohn of whom it is said of the grace and iustice by

very diuills Erasmus said that such as he knewe to be vertuous● innocent without deceite or craft when they were papists becoming gospellers were most wicked craftie deceitfull and of viperous behauiour If all these gospellers deliuered this censure of protestant religion God almightie soe disposinge the enemies of trueth to declare the trueth how much oughte Catholiques to confirme the same for as all the heretiques that euer were at anny time are by them in heresie soe all the wickednes and vices of all the wicked damnable people that euer were dispersed throughoute all the world at any tyme are also by them and in them linked and vnited together And Caluine himselfe declared the same when he said that these gospellers which had made shippwracke of their consciēce Calu. de scanda pag. 128 haue also made shippwrack of their faith 10. Note 13. The 10. note or marcke is the glory of miracles miracles are verie necessarie for the confirmation of anny newe faith Exodus 4. or for to make any extraordinarie mission allowable for it is written in Exodus when Moises was sent from God vnto the people he said they will not beleue me nor heare my aduice and God did not answere him that whether they will or nill they should beleue him but to the intent they should beleue him he gaue him power to woorcke miracles Matt. 10. vt credant quod apparuerit tibi Deus that they may beleeue that God appeared vnto thee In the newe testament also it was said vnto the Apostles heale the sicke reui●e the dead cleanse the lepers cast foorth diuills and in saint Iohn Christe said Iohn 15. if he had not wrought greater woorks then anny other the Iewes had not sinned in not beleeuinge in him This is also declared in the last of saint Marcke where our Lord is said to confirme the preachinge of the Apostles by signes and tokens that did follow S. Augustine yea Melancton himselfe said Hebr. 2. Aug. lib. 22. de ciuitate Dei cap. 8. Melancth cap. 3. Matth. that miracles were necessarie for the confirmation of the faith of any newe doctors or newe doctrine for trewe miracles cannot be wrought but by the power of God for miracles doe exceede the power and force of all creatures 14. For this cause Luther sought to delude the people by false miracles for goinge about to dispossesse a maide that was possessed of a deuill he coulde not doe it but was in danger to be slaine himselfe of the deuill as Staphilus saith Staphilus absoluta responsione Cochleus in actis Lutheri who was present at that that time Also the said Luther as Iohn Cochleus writeth went aboute to restore to life one that was drowned but could not doe it and beinge frustrated of his purpose none coulde abide to be present through the filthie stinche that was in the place An. 1523. copus l 6. dialogor Also Allanus Cope setteth downe the historie of one Mathewe in the borders of Hungarie who beinge perswaded by a certaine minister to faine himselfe dead and that as it were he should be raised vpp by him in conclusion was found dead in deede The like fiction Caluine vsed who perswadinge one to faine himselfe dead to the intent he might make the people beleeue that he could worke a miracle vppon him but when he thoughte to bringe his fiction to passe the partie was found dead indeede 5. But here protestants say that S. Iohn Baptiste wrought noe miracles Hieron Bolse in vita Caluini● 13. Wherto I aunswere that God wroughte wonderfull thinges aboue the capacitie of our naturall vnderstandinge by which his missiō should not be suspected the austeritie and sanctity of his behauiour and conuersation was a sufficient token that he was sent from God but the Catholique church did florishe with miracles in all ages First in the time of the Apostles Secondarillie in the time of M. Aurelius by the Christian souldiors that were in his army vide Tertull. Thirdlie wee haue the miracles Tertul. in lib. ad Scapulum in apolo cap. 5 Euseb l 5. hist. Oros l. 7. hist of Gregorie Thaumaturgus an S. Basil setts downe lib. de Spiritu Sancto cap. 29. and saint Gregorie Nissenus in his life Fourthlie wee haue the miracles of saint Anthonie saint Hillarie saint Martine saint Nicholas and others written by saint Athanasius saint Hierom and Sulpitius soe that in all ages of the church wee haue miracles Bernardus in vita cius saint Bernard wrote manny miracles of saint Malachias and this age we haue miracles of Francis Zauier prieste of the Societie of Iesus the Apostle of the easte Indies and of many others 16. The 11. marke is 11. Note the perfection of life that Catholique religion doth teach the dissolution and wanton behauiour that protestant religion tendes vnto The trew Christian religion ought to withdrawe and remooue our loue and affection from these vil●e base and transitorie thinges and to ele●ate and lifte vppe our hartes mindes and thoughtes to the consideration and contemplation of celestiall and heauenlie thinges to abstaine from the filthie exercise of wanton delightes and raginge concupiscence to set at naught all suche baites as prouokes the fleshe to rebell against the spiritt to despise and contemne all worldlie honors promotions and riches of this fraile life Also it ●oth teache perswade fastinges praiers almesdeeds wearinge of heare cloath austeritie of life and other afflictions of the corruptible and rebellious flesh by which the damnable allurements thereof should be restrained and extinguished Also it doth teach voluntarie pouertie perpetuall chastisie and perfecte obedience But the doctrine of the protestant saies that these exerci●es are but meere follies and that they be but humane traditions by which God is not pleased that all abstinence from fleshe is but superstition that vowes and votaries are but fained hollines that it is impossible to liue chaste or continente that euerie one ought to haue a wife and that it is as necessary for a man to haue a woman Lutherus de vita coniugali as meate or drincke 17. The true catholique religion teacheth that good woorcks are necessarie for our saluation the protestant saies that man deserues nothinge by any good woorcke he doth before God and the more badd woorcks yow doe the more yow are in godes fauour soe as it makes the professors of this doctrine to runn headlounge to all kinde of mischeefe takinge awaie all the meanes by which he should be reclaimed as the sacrament of pennance contrition and satisfaction which they say were not instituted of Christe but fained of the people with such like soe also they take away free will from man affirming god to be the only cause of the sinnes that wee comitt That none can keepe godes comaundemēts and that wee are not bounde to keepe them Caluin 2. instit c. 7. Also the protestant religion takes from

vs all feare of God or of hell and soe giueth a scope to all mischeefe That the comaundements pertaines not to the christians That there is noe sinne but incredulitie and that all are deceaued if they thincke to be saued by good woorcks with many such vild and absurde doctrines which make a man careles of his saluation rechles of his behauior and nothinge willinge to doe anny good when neither he that doth them is not recompensed or rewarded or God offended or displeased by the saide doings For as by the catholique religion Christ reformed the wicked inclination of man gaue hoalsome precepts and councells to amend his desolute misdeamenor instituted also Sacramēts to cure all diseases of our soules and to purge our conscience from all filth of sinne now by these carnall and wicked doctrine all ragged conuersation and discomposed misbehauiour is reuiued and as Ouid saieth I● quorum subiere locum fraudesque dolique Metamorphose Insidiaeque vis a●●● sceleratus habendi In place of simple dealinges and honestie Were brought into the world by heresie ●eceite couetousnes and leacherie 18. The 12. note is the perfecte rule that the Catholique church Io. 20. Luc. 10. Matt. 23. Matt. 19. Iacob 4. and Catholique● haue to direct them in their faith for the church of Christe hath the holy ghoaste to instruct her in all trueth and to guide her from all errors Iohn 14.16 and wee Catholiques beleeuinge the church as wee are taughte in the Creede when wee saye I beleeue in the holy Catholique church obeyinge her in all thinges as wee be comaunded by our Sauiour wee cannot be deceaued by her nor is it possible we can offend God in submittinge our selues to her doctrine Matt. 18.3 Reg. 4. Actor 15 beinge comaunded by God to hearcken to her and as Rebeca vnder tooke for Iacob to rid him of his fathers malediction if he should followe her aduise soe the Catholique church which Rebecca figured shall deliuer vs from the enormitie of godes malediction if wee shall obey her But the protestants haue noe rule of their faith for they doe not beleeue the churche neither the traditions and generall councells thereof neither the auncient holye doctors of the same The onlie rule they as themselues saie is the scripture But this is noe certaine rule for that wee are bounde to beleeue manny thinges which be not in the scripture Matt. 13. Hebr. 13. yea that which the scripture doth teach the contrarie as the obseruation of the saboath daye and thinges strangled Againe in many places the holy scripture doth wante explication of manny thinges 2. Petr. 3. for saint Peter saith that the epistles of saint Paule are verie hard to be vnderstoode which the vnlearned and vnstable depraue as alsoe the reste of the scriptures to their owne perdition Alsoe all heretiques doe alleadge the scriptures for themselues as saint Augustine sayes Aug. li. 1. de Trin. Hier. aduersus Lucifer for as saint Hierom saith the scripture doth not consiste in readinge but in the sense and vnderstandinge thereof and as for the vnderstandinge and sence of the same there may be a thowsand controuersies as for the trewe sense of these woordes Hoc est corpus meum this is my bodie I am sure Luther and Caluine are against one another touchinge the sense a and meaninge of those woords Therfore S. Augustine saith he would not beleeue the ghospell had he not bene moued therunto by the auctoritie of the churche 19. Soe as these protestants forsakinge the church they haue noe rule of their faith as may appeare by the deadly contention and debate which is daily betwixt them as betwixt Lutherans Caluinists and Anabaptistes for they charge on an other with heresies soe as each of these sectes is diuided into manny sectes for there are 13. sects of Lutherans differinge in opinions one from the other Also amoungest the Caluinists there are many as the world can tell for some of them would haue the kinge to be supreame head of the church others doe repine against it as the puritans doe The Anabaptistes are diuided vnto 14. sects and eche of them haue seuerall and contrarie opinions touchinge the principall pointes of their faith how can two lawiers pleadinge one against the other and ech of them alleadginge lawe for himselfe determine the righte of the cause and the sincere meaninge of the lawe without there were some iudge vnto whome they should referr the controuersie to be decided and debated And because these sectaries will haue noe other iudge but the scripture ech one alleadginge and interpretinge the sense thereof accordinge to his priuate opinion and corrupt affection their controuersie can neuer be decided nor their faith can neuer be setled or made certaine 20. The 13. note is the lawfull authoritie and mission of catholique pastors and preachers whereof the Protestants are wholie destitute no heretique being euer able to shew his next predecessor For as the holie doctors affirme There is no accesse to God but by Iesus Christ No accesse to Iesus Christ but by the church No accesse to the church but by the Sacraments No accesse to the Sacraments but by a Priest None can be a Priest vnles he be ordained by a Bishopp Neuer was there lawfull Bishopp ordained out of the catholique roman church Wherfore as saint Ierom said vnto his aduersarie you are out of the communion of the church of Iesus Christ because you haue not a priest of the order of the Mediator This marke of the vocation and perpetuall succession of pastors in the church of Christ hath euer ben most terrible vnto all heretiques for euen as Baptisme is the only doore to enter into all other Sacraments a Sacrament not reiterable and whose character is indellible euen so this Sacrament of holie Orders and of entring into steward-ship ouer the flock of Iesus Christ was ordayned by our Sauiour as necessarie for distinguishing and discerning such as be vsurpers and robbers from true and lawfull pastors then the other of Baptisme to knowe and discerne sheepe from Wolues and Christs flock from the troupes of infidels 21. This argument doth so gaule and pinche the Protestants that they are forced to fetch all the authoritie they haue for their vocation only from the temporall prince alledging the wordes of saint Paul that all authoritie is from God then saint Matth. that wee must giue vnto Cesar that which is Cesars then saint Peter that wee should be subiect to euerie humaine creature for godes sake all which places aswell the puritantes as the Catholiques doe interprete and vnderstand of temporall authoritie only for gouerning the common wea●th and not of spirituall direction and instruction of our soules in articles of our faith and saluation for that all Princes and kinges were then and 300. yeares after Christs passion infidels and especially the Romaine Emperor of whome this was principally intended Otherwise saint Peter and the Apostles who were