and anguish vpon euerie soule of man that vvorketh euill of the Ievv first and of the Gentil but glory honour and peace to euery one that vvorketh good to the Ievv first to the Gentil for there is no acceptiō of persons vvith God by which wordes also he clearlie refuteth that distinctiō of media and causes efficient wherein M. whit seemeth well to please him selfe and twiteth M. Martine with ignorance thereof for when he layeth in indifferente balance good workes and euill and so maketh one the cause of heauen as the other is the cause of hell to which effect the place is flat and euident M. W. must be content to geue ouer that inuention how dearely soeuer he esteeme it except he wil say that sinnes are the meanes but not the cause efficient of damnation That heauen cometh of mercy S. Paule sheweth at large in the first and second chapter to the Ephesians that it cometh of iustice the same S. Paule sheweth when he saith There is laid vp for me a crovvne of iustice vvhich our lord vvill render to me in that day a iust iudge and not only to me but to them also that loue his comming when he saith in iust iudgement God vvil render to euery man according to his vvorkes and iustice requireth that as God should punishe the vvicked so he should revvard the good it were iniustice to do otherwise as he sayth to the Hebrues That heauen commeth by adoption and of inheritance M.W. sayth it and though he proue it not we beleeue it because it is true but that it is not gotten by vvorkes and trauayls this we deny because it is false and S. Paule refuteth when he compareth the crowne of heauen to a pryce or garland which is proposed to wrestlers runners or such like thereby declaring thus much that as the first is gotten by running and labouring so is the second by payne and wel working and the same our Sauiour signified when he sayd The kingdome of God suffereth violence and the violent beare it avvay The same is proued by that ordinarie phrase wherein heauen is called merces operum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the hyre paiment vvages stipend or pryce of vvorks The same is proued by S. Paule whereas though the worde properly sound in the better part yet for truth of doctrine he vseth it indifferently as well for the payment of eternall damnation which sinners receaue for their iniquities in hell as the contrary payment of eternall saluation which good men receaue for their holines in heauen So he saith in the epistle to the Hebrues that all preuarication and disobedience hath receaued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iuste retribution and payment as afterward in the same epistle that Abrahā Isaac Iacob and Moyses for Christs loue susteyned all affliction hoping for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iust retribution or paiment and in the same chapter he putteth the beleefe of this pointe as a first principle in Christian religion for so he speaketh He that commeth to God must beleeue that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that vvill repay men for their good vvorkes which point sith you haue not yet learned it foloweth that you are very greene and a mere nouice in Christian religion And S. Austin whose iudgement agreeing with S. Paule I trust you will esteeme as wel as before you did Luthers in sundrie places expounding these wordes of S. Paule 2. Timoth. 4. My resolution is at hand I haue fought a good fight I haue consummate my course I haue kepte the fayth concerning the rest there is layd vp for me a crovvne of iustice vvhich our lorde vvill render vnto me in that day a iust iudge neuer maketh doubte of this veritie He vvill render sayth S. Austin being a iust iudge for he can not deny the revvarde vvhen he seeth the vvorke I haue fought a good fight that is a vvorke I haue consummate my course that is a vvorke I haue kepte the fayth that is a vvorke there remayneth to me a crovvne of iustice this is the revvard but in the revvard thou doest nothinge in the vvorke thou art a doer but not alone the crovvne commeth to thee from him the vvorke from thy selfe but not vvithout his helpe And agayne VVhy vvill God render to me a crovvne of iustice because he is a iust iudge VVhy a iust iudge because I haue fought a good fight I haue consummate my course I haue kepte the fayth therefore being iust he can not but crovvne these thinges By these vertues sayth the same doctor imparted to vs from God a good lyfe is ledde in this vvorlde and lyfe eternall the revvarde thereof is repayed in the next for here these vertues are in acte there in effecte here in vvorke there in revvarde here in office there in ende And he doubteth not to call them the very pryce whereby as I may say we buy heauen with which worde you are so much offended And that this iustice nothing diminisheth gods mercy or this purchase our adoption as you very simply imagine the same doctor in very many places teacheth To note one for all explicating the place of Timothee before touched God vvill render to me sayth he a crovvne at that day a iust iudge He said not he vvill geue but he vvill render vvhen he gaue he vvas merciful vvhen he shal render he vvil be a iudge because mercy and iudgement shall I singe to thee ô Lorde but forgeuing our offences he made him selfe a debtour of a crovvne there I obteyned mercy our lord therefore is mercifull first but aftervvardes he vvill render a crovvne of iustice Is not a crovvne sayth he els-where disputinge this matter more at large rendered as due to good vvorks yet because God vvorketh those good vvorkes in vs therefore he crovvneth vs in mercy c. This may serue to informe you a litle in the state of this question and for your further satisfaction I referre you to the Catholike new Testament in English especially those places whence you commonly fetch your arguments agaynst this necessary parte of Christian lyfe and fayth Finallie I say you vnderstand not your self and your owne doctrine when you write that such vvorkes though they be not causes efficient of saluation yet are they necessarily to be done except vve vvil be excluded from grace and glorie For how stādeth this with your doctrine of only fayth how wil that alone serue the turne if now of necessitie good workes must come to helpe forth the matter Thinke you that impertinent distinction of causa efficiens medium can serue you the whole course of your doctrine whole bookes and cōmentaries of your maisters brethren being against you some there are sayth Flacius Illyricus vvho drousely vvayghing the matter thinke this to be the cōtrouersie properlie betvvene vs the papistes vvhether good vvorks
inuinciblie for when S. Paule saith vve are coheires vvith Christ yet conditionallie that is if vve suffer vvith him that vve may also be glorified vvith him he sheweth the excellēt dignitie which in Christ we are called vnto beinge graffed into that vine and made members of his bodie and partakers of the diuine nature he doth shew and deduce this that as Christ our head suffered first and those his sufferinges were not only media meanes but also causes efficient of his glorificatiō in some respect so from him the lyke vertue is deriued vnto vs his members for as it behoued Christ to suffer and so to enter into his glory as he humbled him selfe to the death of the crosse propter quod for vvhich cause God exalted him so his members by tribulations folow where he is gone before and not by faith only but also by patiente suffering inherite the promises and such sufferinges workes of charitie are semen and fundamentum the verie foundation and seede growing to life euerlasting as the Apostle calleth them And in this comparison cōsisteth the dignitie of our Christianitie as in S. Paule euery where appeareth for vvhom he hath foreknovven he hath also predestinated to be made conformable to the image of his sonne that he might be the first borne in many brethrē And albeit the sufferings of this life wayghed in them selues are short and transitorie and therefore can not be condigne to the glorie to come vvhich shal be reuealed in vs yet being wayghed as rysing and wrought in vs by the spirite of God sanctified in the bloud of our Sauiour and applied to his honour so this our tribulation vvhich presentlie is momentanie and light vvorketh aboue measure exceedinglie an eternal vveight of glorie in vs. And S. Paule els-where most diuinelie conioyneth both these in one so as a man can not deny this effect to Christian mens workes but first he must deny the same to the workes of Christ vve see Iesus saith the Apostle because of the passion of death crovvned vvith glorie and honour that through the grace of God he might tast death for all for it became him for vvhō all thinges and by vvhō all thinges that had brought many children into glorie to consummate the author of their saluation by his passion for be that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified all of one for the vvhich cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren In this diuine discourse S. Paule compriseth the maner of Christes glorificatiō and of Christians of him as the head of vs as the mēbers of him as the roote first begotten brother principal anointed with oyle of exultation prae participibus aboue his felovves vs as braunches seconde brethren inferior receiuing of his fulnes yet so that we alway continue in the same race and course according to our measure and proportion and so are made conformes conformable to our head vvho is the firste borne amongst many brethren The sum of al is this that as in the place cited by M. Martin glorification in Christ sheweth his workes to haue bene the causes efficient thereof and in Christ passion and glorification are so compared together as the cause and the effect and one inferreth the other so in vs Christians his members compassion in the Apostles sense and conglorificatiō proueth lyke cause and effect and one is concluded of the other and this shal appeare more plainlie by that which ensueth You vnderstand not S. Paule alleaged by your selfe when of his wordes Donum Dei vita aeterna eternall life is the gift of God you conclude ergo it is not gotten by our trauails fot the Apostle meant nothing lesse then any such illation which in so manie places he refelleth And if these two grace and vvorkes be so opposite in Christians that one must destroy the other then consider I pray you the force of these argumentes In feare and trembling vvorke your saluation sayth S. Paule ergo our saluation is of workes and therefore not of grace our afflictions and calamities susteined patientlie vvorke our glorie ergo it is not of grace he that sovveth sparinglie sparinglie also shal reape and he that sovveth in blessinges of blessinges also shall reape that is he that geueth almes aboundantlie shall haue in heauen aboundant reward and he that geueth lesse shal haue his reward proportionable ergo heauen is not of grace Come ye blessed saith our sauiour receaue my Kingdome why so for what cause for because you haue done the workes of charitie you haue fed the hūgrie harboured the stranger visited the sick succoured the diseased c. ergo heauen is not of grace he that is not a hearer but a doer of the lavv shall be blessed in or for his vvorke ergo not by Gods grace and mercy and so forth infinite such argumentes might be made after the paterne of M. Whit. and proue as wel and yet notwithstanding how many so euer they be be they a carte-loade they are all wicked and not worth a straw and no more is his And the Apostle intended nothing els in so sainge but to commend the grace of Christ which is the true cause of merite or good workes and not to deny the value of good workes as he might haue learned of S. Austine noted vpon that place in the new testament were it not that he disdaineth him and plainly accompteth him a superstitious and Sorbonical papist for geuing that sense and interpretation And vpon these his good argumēts fourthlie I say M. Whit. vnderstandeth not the state of the question where of he writeth for if he had he woulde neuer talking of Christians regenerate by the spirite of God haue imagined a contrarietie betweene grace and vvorkes mercy and iustice inheritance and purchase which although perhaps it is not so easelie conceiued in buying a peece of lande yet is it not hard to be conceiued in buyinge or procuringe heauen no harder then it is to beleeue that we shal enioy heauen by Gods infinite grace and mercy yet for al that by right and iustice because Christ our sauiour hath trulie and fully paid for it and S. Paule and S. Austine of old haue many tymes notified vnto vs the recōciliation of these two which to ignorant men seeme so opposite That heauen is of grace S. Paule cited by M. W. proueth that it is of vvorkes any one of those places sheweth which last of all I noted and in the same epistle whence M. W. taketh his argument the same S. Paule most euidentlie declareth where he saith In the iust iudgement God vvill render to euerie man according to his vvorkes to them truly that according to pacience in good vvorkes seeke glory honour and incorruption life eternall but to them that are of contention and that obey not the truth but geue credite to iniquitie vvrath and indignation Tribula tion
a refuter of errors make this a light one had you any part ether of the spirite of S. Paule S. Cipriā S. Austine or such Saintes of the Catholike Church or some zeale and sense of your owne Gospel and religion how could this euer haue slipt out of your penne to cal them most holy who by your doctrine were as far from al true holynes as euer was Scribe or Pharisee to cal thē most holy who had not in them the first stepp or degree where holines beginneth for whereas to holines first of al and principally is required faith in the death and passion of Christ then zeale and feruour in good woorkes to cal a man holy without the first is to commend for strenght and valor a man that hath neuer a sound ioynt or to praise for eloquence such a one whose tongue is cutt out of his head In the number of Christians professors of Christianity there haue bene from the beginning many that haue liued very hard seuere lyues that haue bestowed their goods amōge the poore that after many labours and trauails rare workes of extraordinarie zeale haue at lenght suffered death for the testimony of Christ And this oftentimes chaūced in the primitiue Church within the tyme of the first persecutions before Constantinus Magnus yet if such men liued and died schismatikes that is not beleeuing rightly in the church did euer any true Christian holde them for good holie If I spake vvith the tongue of men and angels saith the Apostle and knevv al mysteries and could moue mountaines if I bestovved al my goods vpon the poore and my bodie to the fier for the testimonie of Christ yet wanting the charitie of my brethren being without ecclesiasticall vnitie it profiteth me nothing wherevpon S. Ciprian They cānot dvvell vvith God that be not in vnitie vvith the Church though they burne amidst the flames being deliuered to the fier or cast to vvild beastes so yeld their lyues yet that shal not be to them a crovvne of faith but a punyshment of infidelitie such a one may be slaine he can not be crovvned he professeth him self such a Christiā as the deuil many times pretendeth him self to be Christ For as S. Austine saith vvhosoeuer is separated from this Catholike Church though he thinke him self to liue verie commendablie yet by reason of this only offence that he is deuided from the vnitie of Christ in his Catholike Churche he shal not haue life eternal but the vvrath of God remaineth vpon him And is al this true of men Christians by profession beleeuing rightly in euerie other article of faith onely erring in a secondarie point against the visible church and is it not much more true when the error runneth so grossly against the first and chief and capital article of Christianitie and that proper and peculier part whēce Christianitie hath his name the death and passion of our sauiour the verie hart life and soule of our religion can a fault against the bodie so pollute and contaminate a man that he becometh with al his supposed holines an infidell vvicked prophane an enemy of God and a damnable creature and can such sacriledge against the head be so light and contemptible that the offender remaineth notwithstanding faithfull a good Christiā and most holie S. Paule in the beginning when the law of Moyses was not yet quite abolished nor the gospel so vniuersallie and clearlie published said of the Galatians who would haue ioyned the law with the gospell O ye sensles Galatians vvho hath bevvitched you not to obey the truth Beholde I Paule tell you that if you be circumcided Christ shal profite you nothing and though an Angel of heauen teach you so that is preach you workes wherebie you should be withdrawen from Christ anathema be he that is the curse of God light vpon him how thē may a Christian that ether loueth or feareth Christ thus extenuate the fathers error being by M. W. declaration in substance the self same by reason of circumstance farre more haynous the light of the gospel spread more larglie the truth of doctrine more deepely rooted the law more vndoubtedlie abolished and euerie part of Christian religion more clearly acknowledged and professed wherefore in this I take M. Whit. inexcusablie rather for a Pagane then for a Christian when he saith The fathers by their penitentiall vvorkes derogated from Christ and thrusting them selues into his roome ascribed to their ovvne inuentions the satisfying of Gods vvrath and remission of their sinnes and yet for al this calleth them sanctissimas most holy whereas this being true they were the most impious and detestable men that euer the sunne saw Luther in his booke aduersusfalsò nominatum ordinem episcoporum describing his iustifiing faith writeth thus although wickedly yet agreablie to his owne doctrine and the common doctrine of the protestants Marke me saith he vvhat is Christian faith Christian faith is to beleeue that by no vvorkes but by onlie faith in Christ as thy mediatour and by mercy in him geuen thee freely thou art iustified and saued Gal. 1. so as a man despaire of all his ovvne strength vvorkes and endeuours and depende altogether of an other mans merites and an other mans iustice Iudaical faith is to entend to be iustified to blot out thy sinnes and be saued by thy ovvne strength and merites Rom. 10. by this Christ is cast avvay To like effect he writeth in his second commentarie vpon the Galatians expounding these wordes his qui natura non sunt dii seruiebatis ye serued them vvhich by nature vvere not gods vpon these words he maketh this question and thus solueth it is it all one in S. Paule to depart from the promise to the lavv from faith to vvorkes and to serue gods vvhich by nature are not gods I ansvvere vvhosoeuer falleth from the article of iustification he becommeth ignorant of God and is an idolater And therefore it is al one vvhether he returne to the lavv or to the vvorshipping of idols al is one vvhether he be a monke a Turke a Ievv or Anabaptist for this article once taken avvay there remaineth nothing but mere error hipocrisie impietie idolatrie although in shevv there appeare excellent truth vvorship of God holines c. Yea speaking expresly of the auncient fathers and in respect of this special matter he most wickedly but most plainly adiudgeth them to hell fier for their wicked faith in this verie cause I speake not saith he against the papistes for their life but for their faith because they vvil not come to God by only faith but by faith and vvorkes and therfore if the fathers those old papistes liued now I would speake vnto thē as I do to these new papistes thus stand his wordes Si illa facies veteris papatus c. if that face and forme of old papistrie stoode novv if that discipline vvere
ether for truth of doctrine sinceritie of publike diuine seruice and other policie should geue place to any church in Christendome England is not bound to the example of ether France or Scotland I say truely that vve are not bound to their examples These be al the places and corners of argumentes vvhich â—n their diuinitie by any search vve can find out For although they haue amongst them Popes I meane such ministers as affect and vsurpe Papal and more then Papal authoritie as the Tigurines against Luther and other Zuinglians against the Lutherans commonly inueigh for such arrogant behauiour and the gouernours of Berna being them selues Sacrâ—mentaries vsed to cal Caluin Pope of Geneua for his lordlynâ—s and sway which there he bare and Caluin writeth of Ioachim Westphalus that in sending forth condemnations and excommunications against the churches of his sect he passed al the Popes officers Omnes Papae scribas et datarâ—os superat and the Germane Lutheranes of one fashion accuse their felow Lutherans of an other fashion that they play the Popes and practise ouer them a nevv dominion of Antichrist and that al their doings sauour of a very Papacie and the Puritanes commonly name the Archbishop of Canterbury the perie Pope of England and D. Whitgift sheweth wel that euery Puritane minister laboureth to haue in and ouer his owne parish more then Papal iurisdiction yea that they seeke to transfer the authoritie both of Pope Prince Archbishop and Bishop to them selues bring the prince and nobilitie into a very seruitude so as the Protestant churches want no Popes but haue them after an other sort and in far more abundance then haue the Catholikes yet because these Popes of theirs differ nothing from the doctors of whom before I haue spoken no seueral or distinct kind of argument can be drawen from their primacie And as for general Councels so far are they from euer hauing any that I verely suppose they can not so much as in their fansie and imagination conceaue how any one should be euer gathered For hauing no one head amoÌ„gst them who should take order for any such assembly hauing no consent and vnitie among the members who should labour to the helping forward of such a coÌ„pany being diuided into so many churches sectes and congregations they can neuer resolue ether who should be the President in such a CouÌ„cel or who should be the actors or disputers or of what strength the Canons should be or who should haue the execution of them And when al coÌ„meth to al the libertie of the gospel which maketh euery man iudge of other fathers doctors and auncient Councels wil geue like freedom to euery particular man to take like iudgement and controle ouer the fathers of such a Councel Wherefore these being al the meanes and waies which we haue to reason or write against them and these being their fashions of answering as we find in euery Germane Zuitzer or French Protestant albeit for the readers ease and more facility of iudgement I haue exemplified the same by two or three of our English writers such as I take to be common in most mens hands if now a man list to draw these their answeres into a certaine methode we shal find that they containe for euery vnlearned bold â—angler an vniuersal forme and art of reiecting whatsoeuer Theological argument he may be pressed withal and of reducing the supreme conclusion and resolution to his owne singular fansie and wilfulnes Against many bookes of Scripture he is taught to say that they are superstitious and therefore he vvil not beleeue vvhat they teach though it be affirmed in them a hundred times Against CouÌ„cels that they are not to be admitted because by them the principal groundes of his faith are shaken Nether yet the auncient doctors vnto whom he yeldeth no more in cause of faith and religion then him self perceaueth to be agreable to scripture And touching the late doctors and writers of his owne church and gospel although in courtly and honorable termes he magnifie them far aboue the other yet nether to their iudgment wil he stand farther then he can esteeme that which they teach to agree with the canonical scripture when as in his opinion they geue the true sense and meaning thereof And vvhereas to refuse any it is sufficient to say that he vvas a man or he had some other error or some other is of a contrary iudgement which neuer wanteth amongst doctors guided by so contrary spirites or they geue the churches leaue to dissent from them vvhich I take graunted vnto me being one of the same church vvho can be so simple as to be tyed to one or other doctor hauing so manifold reasons to refuse them al And as for their martyrs whose names should be most reuerend and iudgement most weighty they also are reduced in to the same order and obedience with the rest For their martyrdom may not take avvay from the Protestant this libertie that he hath to enquire of the cause of their death or preiudice him in speaking against their errors for this is to oppose the bloud of men to the bloud of the sonne of God And those martyrs being sent out in the morning before the sunne of the Gospel vvas risen so high ouersaw many thinges which these men see now which liue as it were at noonetide in the most cleare beames light of the same gospel Which comparison expressing most apâ—ly their continual proceeding and running forward to new pointes and articles of faith alâ—o before hand instructeth their after coÌ„mers to keepe on the like course which they see these their predecessors to haue begoÌ„ne For as those Protestants who liued twenty yeres since and bragged then of the cleare light of the gospel are now cast backe by these men in to a darksome kynd of twylight vnto whoÌ„ the sunne was not yet risen so the posteritie who shal liue ten or tweÌ„ty yeres after these are by like example informed to turne ouer this present age vnto that obscuritie of the day dawning and chalenge vnto them selues the brightsomnes of the noone light And the same may euery age and sect say as it marcheth farther farther on in newnes of heresie last of al the authoritie of whole Churches and prouinces is as lightly shaken of as any of the rest for so much as England is not bound to folovv France or Germany more then France or Germany is bound to folovv England ech Sect of Protestants is as vvel assured of his doctrine and hath as good groundes and reasons for it as hath any other to chaleÌ„ge such authoritie to the church of any prouince is to bring in plaine papistry and make that Church Romish and Antichistian Iudge thou now Christian reader what hold or stay we haue in disputing with these felowes whom thou seest to cast away and refuse al
answere to the next demonstration where to S. Austin and S. Hierome reaching Peters chayre and succession of Priests in that Sea to be the very rocke vvhich the proud gates of helâ— ouercome nor which thing they affirme vpon manifest warrant of Christes wordes he answereth vpon warrant of his owne vvord that that succession of priestes is not the rocke the gates of hel haue prevayled against that church so as the faith vvhich somtimes florished there novv appeareth no vvhere in it long since is departed into other places Whereas D. S. replâ—eth this to be false and and that church euer to haue reteyned the same true faith and neuer to haue brought in any heresie or made any chaunge of doctrine vvhich he proueth by al historiographers that euer liued in the church Eusebius Prosper Beda Regino Marianus Scotus Schafnaburgensis Zonaras Nicephorus Cedâ—enus Sigebertus Gotfridus Viterbiensis Trithemius and many others against them al this only censure he opposeth Historias vestras Sandere non moramur vve regard not M. Sanders your stories and yet him selfe for his ovvne side bâ—ingeth not so much as one story So that against scriptures reason councels fathers old and nevv historiographers al kynd of vvriters him selfe euer cometh in as an omnipotent and vniuersal Apostlâ— Doctor Father c. as though in his only vvord consisted more pith then vvas in al mens that euer liued since Christes time And now somwhat farther to descrie the incredible vanitie folie pride and selfe loue of the maÌ„ let the reader note the grosse and barbarous impossibilitie of that paradox vvhich by this his supreme authoritie he vvould defend He graunteth the Church of Rome to haue bene pure godly christian for six hundred yeres after Christ as before hath bene declared VVhen then grew it to be so impure wicked and Antichristian ten yeres after For thus he writeth Six hundred and ten yeres after Christ or there about Bonifacius the third gouerned the Romane church VVhat vvas he to ansvvere truly very Antichrist In which wordes ioyned together thus much he saith in effect That whereas within the space of ten or twelue yeres before the Romane church was religious and euangelical in such sense as they vnderstand it that is abhorred the Popes vniuersal iurisdiction as Antichristian and limited his power within the precinctes of his owne Patriarkship reuerenced euery prince as supreme head of the church within his owne dominion detested the sacrifice of the masse as iniurious to the death of Christ acknowledged no iustification but by only faith allowed mariage of priestes and religious persons as agreable to the libertie of the gospel held for sacramentes none other but Baptisme the Eucharist and Baptisme an only signe not remitting synnes and the Eucharist a sole figure from which the truth of Christes body was as far distant as heauen is from earth and so forth according to the rest of the articles of their reformed faith within the decourse of so few yeres al these thinges were turned vpside downe the contrary faith planted in steede thereof That is the Romane church of late so sound and perfite sodaynly became most corrupt and impure she approued the vniuersal authoritie of the Romane Bishop and appointed no boundes or limites to his iurisdiction which was mere Antichristian she tooke from Princes their Supremacie she brought in the sacrifice of the masse and highly aduaunced it against the death and sacrifice of Christ she acknowledged iustification to proceede not of only faith but of workes also she established the single life of priestes and votaries and condemned their mariages as sacrilegious and execrable for two sacramentes she admitted seuen to baptisme she attributed remission of sinnes and in the Eucharist she beleeued the real and substantial veritie of Christes presence so forth according to the articles of Catholike religion or papistrie as these men terme it Now whereas thus much is comprised in their paradox of making the succession of the Romane bishops Antichrist whereas such weight lieth in the matter which of it selfe to common intendement is so absurd vnreasonable and in deede vnpossible whereas we also bring forth Fathers Councels and Doctors auouching the contrary gather thou Christian reader whether vve haue not iust cause vtterly to discredite them in this so blunt sensles assertioÌ„ vntil we see their Chronicles their monumeÌ„ts their aÌ„tiquities some maner warraÌ„t besides their owne in a matter of such importance Whereas they allow vs no such and yet chalenge to be credited vpon their owne vvord assure they selfe reader their dealing in this behalfe is not only foolish vnlearned and ignorant but also inhumane furious and diabolical Notwithstanding whereas M.W. besides those former profes which to any indifferent man may seeme more then sufficient requireth of vs farther declaratioÌ„ that in these later ages the Romane church hath not departed from that faith which in her first time she professed to content him if any thing mâ—y content him and make more euident the inuincible equitie of the Catholike cause I wil proue the same by such â—istoriographers as him selfe I trust wil allow for vpright and nothing fauorable to our cause Those witnesses I meane to be first of al him selfe and then Iohn Calum Peter Martyr Martin Luther Flacius Illyricus with such other pillers founders of his owne congregation Out of him self this I gather That to haue bene the true and Christian faith which the Romane church maâ—ntained the first fiue hundred yeres at what time that church vvas must pure excellent preserued inuiolablâ— the faâ—th deliuered by S. Peter and S. Paule This proposition is commonly found almost in euery page of M.W. answere to the second DemoÌ„stration Out of the other Caluin Luther c. this I gather that the Romane church in her first primitiue puritie maintained and beleeued the Popes Supremacie the sacrifice at the masse the same to be auailable for the dead priesthode the real presence c. no lesse then we do now This thou shalt find witnessed by their seueral confessions and approued at large hereafter in places conuenient The conclusion hereof rising is this first that these are no pointes of false or AntichristiaÌ„ doctrine but such as Peter Paule taught the primitiue Romane church Next that the later Romane church hath not departed from the former but hath kept inuiolably the self same faith without chaunge or alteration And so the false supposal whereupon this booke standeth being by such euideÌ„ce refuted the rest of the building must needes come to ground Now I say farther that this point which M.W. taketh for a most certaine and cleare veritie that is the fal of the vniuersal church for after the fal of the Romane church they can shew none that stoode and it is their general both preaching and writing that she corrupted the whole world with her errors and her
verū est c. Sotus braggeth that he taketh nothing frō Christ but rather glorifieth him but the contrary is true that Christ by him and his felovves is iniuried vvith great cōtumely For to attribute vnto Christ that not only he by his death hath deserued the expiation of our sinnes but also hath imparted that merite vnto our good vvorks this is to attribute much more to Christ then ether he acknovvlegeth or the thinge it selfe can suffer and it is comtumelie not onlie to detract from the glorie due to any thing but also to ascribe to much praise and glorie to it and the lavv of God manifestlie signifieth that in seruice of God it is a sinne to decline not onlie to much tovvardes the lefte hand but also to much tovvardes the right Thus he howbeit Andreas Fricius the Kinge of Poles Secretarie a great learned and zelous Zuinglian disprouinge both the one and the other both M.VV. the Zuinglian and Brentius the Lutheran geueth vs testimonie that in this parte our doctrine is sincere and holdeth the iust and goldē mediocritie and bendeth to much nether to the one hand nor yet to the other for thus he writeth Although Christ take not avvay all infirmitie from such as be regenerate yet renevving them by his spirite and planting in them vertues of nevv life and imparting to them merite and his iustice most truelie and vvith singuler fruite he is sayd to liue in them anh by this meanes the glory of Christ is not obscured but clarified the Crosse of Christ is not euacuated but made more copious the price of the bloudshed for vs is not diminished but increased vvhereas that vvhich by his ovvne nature is not so great by his goodnes is accōpted for such so far he truely and according to gods word and therefore by your warrant I may not thinke otherwise if a thousand Caluins and thousandes of any other protestantes should striue to perswade me the cōtrarie much lesse can I be moued with such seelie and pitifull sophismes as you shuffle together for thus you goe on Atque hic insultas c. And here you triumph S. Paul saith our suffering vvith Christ is necessarie to saluation M.VV. saith it is a derogation to Christes suffering vvho M. Martine may not vvonder at your egregious subtiltie but I ansvvere heauenly lyfe and glorie is the gift of God ergo it is not gotten by our trauayls and the Apostle calleth vs heyres of God coheires of Christ ergo the kingdome commeth to vs freelie by inheritance and adoption in Christ. hereof it folovveth that our sufferinges are not the efficient causes of saluation and glorie as you M. Martine foolishly reason yet are they necessarily to be vndertakē of vs except vve vvil be excluded from grace and glorie c. if you could haue distinguished the meanes frō the causes efficiēt you vvould neuer haue reasoned thus Certainly M. W. if some aduersary would haue made a booke in mockerie of your diuinitie I thinke he could not possiblie haue more disgraced you then you shame your selfe you heape vp absurdities together so grosse and so thicke one in the neck of an other that whereas I should by appointment haue gone thorough with this pamphlet in a few howres I weene I shal not riddle my handes of it in many dayes When Stancarus the Archheretike of Polonia began to breake from Caluine in the article of the blessed Trinitie and Caluine ether through malice or ignorāce fel into greater wickednes in that mysterie then he and amongst other raylinges and scorneful reproches obiected to him his studie in Peter Lombard the Maister of the sentences Stancarus after much spoken in the commendatiō of that writer comminge at length to Caluin and the great Rabbines of your new Church God saith he hath deliuered you vp into a reprobate sense so as you say teach vvrite and persuade others such things as are naughtie vvicked and heretical for I tel you one Peter Lombard is more vvorth thē a hundred Luthers thē tvvo hundred Melancthons then three hundred Bullingers then foure hundred Peter Martyrs then fiue hundred Caluins vvho al if they vvere pounded together in a morter there vvould not be beaten out of them one ounce of true diuinitie especiallie in the articles of the Trinitie the incarnation the Mediator and the Sacramentes I wil not applie this odious comparison against the Englishe writers of our tyme. but this I protest in my cōscience touchinge you that I suppose neuer mā of any account set penne to paper to publish a thinge in printe to the vew of the world who vttered such notorious ignorance as euery where appeareth in this your discourse whether the fault be in me that I haue not hetherto so narrowly examined others as I haue now cause to examine you or whether the thinge in truth be so as I imagine or whether you in your other writinges vtter more substantial matter in this through much hast haue ouershot your self as canis festinans caecos parit catulos I see that much you couet to be counted a quick dispatcher of bookes or whatsoeuer els may be the reason for scarce any sentence haue you geuen forth which carieth not with it some marke to the shame of the maker In this paragraph you cōmit as many errors as lightly you may For first you vnderstand not M. Martin Secondarily you vnderstand not S. Paule alleaged by him Thirdlie you vnderstand not S. Paule alleaged by your selfe Fourthlie you vnderstand not the state of the question of which you talke And last of al you vnderstand not your selfe the doctrine of your felowes You vnderstand not M. Martin whē you make him to conclude that good workes be the causes efficient of saluation because they be necessarie to saluation M. Martine maketh no such argument nether hath he in that place any cause to talke thereof and so that distinction of causae efficientes media is pulled in by you to make a shew whē it needeth not M. Martins argument is this plainly you say good workes are iniurious to Christes passion he proueth they are not because the scripture requireth them and that as necessarie to saluation And how can you be so blynde as not to see this argument good workes are necessarie to saluation therefore they derogate nothing from Christes passion for cleare it is if they derogate from Christes passion they sette vs forwardes to damnation helpe vs nothing towardes saluatiō You vnderstand not Sainte Paule alleaged by M. Martine when you make sporte with the argument drawē from the Apostles wordes and would seeme to shake it of so lightly for though M. Martine not talkinge of that question which you for ostentation of a litle skil now hale in vrged not the place so farre as to proue workes the causes efficient of saluation yet the place proueth it
iustifie or be the merite cause efficient of iustice life and not vvhether they be in any respect necessarie to saluation which in deed is or was when you first began the verie point of the controuersie which he therefore defendeth vz that they are in no respect necessarie by 26. most firme and stronge demonstrations as he calleth them and reckeneth this your doctrine for a papisticall error and calleth you a nevv papist for putting the questiō as you doe These are his wordes Hetherto touching the papistes corruption of this doctrine novv I come to the doctrine of the nevv papistes vvhich is as pernicious as the old they say that the Apostle meant to exclude good vvorkes from iustification non simpliciter ratione debiti not simply and as due but only as meritorious causes efficient vvhere-vpon these doctors or rather seducers do diuers vvayes elude that proposition of S. Paule vve are iustified by faith gratis vvithout vvorkes eche one according to his ovvne head and as his priuate spirite suggesteth to him and most of thē couet diligently to mingle vvorkes as a certain harmefull leauen vvith iustification the lambe of God And there he reckneth twelue such corruptions the last where of is yours the very self same which here you defend against which he setteth downe the protestantes faith thus But the true sense of Paules vvordes is that vvithout al merite condition or necessitie of our vvorkes by only faith in Christ vve are iustified before Christ saued so as our saluation doth in no sort depend of our vvorkes nether be they any vvay necessarie to saluation c. Scripture Luther and al doctors of sound iudgment thinke thus of vvhich doctrine these be most firme demonstrations c. and in fine he saith Iste ipse error est omnino papistica corruptela articuli iustificationis This verie error is altogether a papistical corruptiō of the article of iustificatiō And if you can recal to memorie the common argumentes gathered to your hand by euery heretike that hath writtē vpon the epistle to the Romanes namely the fourth chapter you shall soone perceiue that your opinion and their commentaries can neuer match together out of the mayne heape I wil note one or two such as are most common to euery preacher and found in euery booke whereby you shal see how by this assertion you ouerthrow your whole doctrine S. Paule excludeth al our boastinge from iustice and saluation and that in Abraham a man most holie ergo vvorkes are by no meanes so much as causa sine qua non of saluation othervvise vve shoud haue some occasion of boasting Againe Paule him selfe separateth his vvorkes and iustices so far from his saluation that he accounteth them for trashe and hinderances of saluation If such an Apostle vvho for Christ and the Gospel laboured more then al the rest be constrained to cast avvay his innumerable most excellent vvorkes as trashe and hinderances to saluation hovv madly do vve say that our vvorkes are necessarie Againe all our iustices saith Esai ca. 64. are as foule stayned clothes hovv can a thinge so filthie and disallovved of God do any thinge or be necessary to iustice before God Out of which M.W. may of two cōclusions choose one which shal lyke him best ether that his principall doctors interprete S. Paule peruersly and wickedly when in S. Paules epistles they interprete the vvorkes of the lavv our iustice legal iustice I esteemed my vvorkes dunge durte that I might obteine the iustice of Christ when I say they stil expounde these places of the workes of Christian men done by the grace and spirite of God or els that his assertiō is against al sense and reason to make that necessarie to saluation which the Prophetes Apostles do so abase so condemne make so filthie in the sight of God of these two which he wil choose I know not but because I thinke he wil rather cōdemne them then deny him self for so long as he may be his owne iudge the word of God shal be cleare on his side I finallie oppose against him as in this self same question the zelous Lutherans opposed against the cold Melanchthonistes in the Councel of Altemburg after manifold argumentes brought for only faith against any necessitie of workes After al this say they vve conclude vvith that vvorthy sainge of Luther in his first tome printed at VVittemberge if vvorkes be necessary to saluation then saluation can not be had vvithout vvorkes and then vve are not saued by only faith And thus you see how wel you haue disproued M. Martins saing and approued your owne so wel that by verdite of your great writers in fine you haue marred the topp and crowne of your Kingdome your solifidian iustification and by them for your paines are iudged to be a Papist which I wish were true for your owne sake CHAP. VI. Hovv vnreasonably M. VV. behaueth him self in reprouing and approuing the auncient fathers for their doctrine touching good vvorkes NOw come I to the third part that is your accusatiō of the fathers wherein also M. Martine noteth you of contradiction to your self for with what reason could you call them most holy sanctissimos when in the self same place you defaced them as most iniurious to the bloud passion or Christ you answere smoothing so much as you may the matter and say that they erred a litle and yet within fiue lines before you say they erred greuously and diminished not a litle the force of Christes death passion and there error proceded rather of lacke of vvitte then of malice and though vve graunt that herein they erred a litle yet in respect of yours their errors seeme ether light or none at all Here of you conclude that vvel you might cal them most holy although they erred once or vvere not so vvise as they might haue bene This is that which in the beginninge I tolde you that you speake doubtfully and stammer falter in your tale know not wel what to say for to let passe that in one page you make it a greuous error and in the next ether none at all or a verie light one compare your cruel and bloudie wordes whereof riseth M. Martins reprofe with this second modification then let euery man iudge what a miserable defender you are you say there that the fathers thought by their external vvorkes of penance to pay the paines due for sinnes and to satisfie Gods iustice and to procure to thē selues assured impunitie remissiō iustice that thereby they derogated not a litle from Christes death attributed to much to their ovvne inuentions and finallie depraued repentance Here you say it vvas a litle error a smale ouersight they slipt a litle and that they vvere not vvithstanding most holymen You a Christian M.W. dare thus to write you
as M.W. can neuer maynteine except withal he maynteine him selfe to be an Anabaptist an Ebionite and a Nestorian And thus much touching your philosophicall reason wherein I haue staied somewhat the loÌ„ger partly because you crake so much of it as though it were verie pregnant partly because it is an argument whereinto both in pulpit and writyng you gladly fall because it standeth wel with sense and reason easely deceaue the simple partly also because it toucheth M. Iewels challenge which here is disproued sufficiently except these great States and Euangelistes so magnified by your selues be so fowly ouerseene as so vehemently to auerre that which hath no one clause of Scripture Father Councel or Doctor to vphold it And if they do so in this where they vse such heate and detestation how may we credite them in any other parte of their doctrine how may we be perswaded but they continually lye and deceaue vs in like sorte But I trowe you wil not iudge so rashly especially of Luther what soeuer you accompt of Barns Frith Westphalus Melanchthon and Illyricus and those auncient fathers alleaged by him and his companions for seing the whole church of England commendeth Luther for a man so excellent sent of God to geue light to the vvhole vvorld I hope that you being but a simple member of thar church wil not by defending the contrary oppose your selfe vnto him And certaine it is you can not come from God if you poore worme resist withstand that excellent man whom God sent to be your Prophete and Euangelist which is as monstrous a case as if some simple sheepe should presume to direct his skilful pastor some ignorant scholer to teach his maister most learned or some Alexander a myserable coppersmith should oppose him self against S. Paule whom Christ had made his gouernor and furnished with sufficient giftes to instruct him and al the world besides But you haue I feare a general salue for such fores that you beleeue nether Luther nether yet the church of England any farther then they agree with Gods worde your owne conceite thereof And so still the supreme rule determition of al shal rest in your owne handes After your reasons against the sacrament you bring in to like purpose a place out of S. Ciril that Christ is ascended in to heauen and is absent from vs in the presence of flesh vvhich if vve did not beleeue vve vvould neuer say the Crede so oft as vve doe nor keepe the day of Christes AscensioÌ„ so honorable and festiual as you I thinke may knovv Mary if you thinke there is more pith in S. Cirils vvorde of absence you myght better haue obiected Christes ovvne vvordes The poore you shal haue alvvaies vvith you me you shal not haue but then for ansvvere I should haue sent you to the note vpon that verse as I do novv also for this the reason being al one For that S. Ciril vvas not a Sacramentarie appeareth most clearely by a large discours vvhich he maketh as it vvere of purpose against that maner of reasoning vvhich you haue geuen out in this place Thus he vvriteth Quomodo potest hic nobis carnem dare c. The Ievves aske hovv can he geue vs his flesh Thus they crye out vpon god not vvithout great impietie nether remember they that vvith god nothing is impossible But let vs making great profit of their sinnes and hauing a firme faith in these mysteries neuer in such diuine thinges vtter or so much as thinke of such doubting for that vvord Quomodo hovv is Iudaical and cause of extreme punishment And after a long and good treatise against such peeuish fantastical toyes as here M.W. obiecteth for profound arguments thus he concludeth Yf notvvithstanding al this thou Ievv crye stil hovv is this done I folovving thy ignoraÌ„ce vvill demaund of thee hovv so many miracles vvere done in the old testament the passinge ouer the red sea Moses rod made a serpeÌ„t etc. vvherefore vve ought rather to beleeue Christ humbly to learne of hym then like drunken sots to cry out hovv can he geue vs his flesh by vvhich questioning thou must needes be driuen to deny the vvhole scripture In vvhich vvords vve see he reckeneth you amongst the Ievves accompteth you nethâ—r verie learned nor much better then an Infidel for these stout reasons vvhich here you so magnifie And Peter M. being pressed vvith the authoritie of this Ciril that Christ by the mystical benediction that is by receauing of the Sacrament dvvelleth corpâ—rally in vs vvhich M. Ievvel after his maner ansvvereth verie learnedly though verie easely by comparing it vvith an other phrase that corporally is as much as truly and truly may signifie spiritually and that is al one vvith tropically saith more rudely yet more sincerely The flesh of Christ so to dvvell in vs corporally that the substance of his body should be coÌ„municated vvith vs that is as this man interpreteth it be mingled vvith our flesh it is not in any case to be graunted no not if a thousand angels much lesse if one Ciril said it For it can not be that Christs flesh should so be diffunded or multiplied in infinite men and places which sheweth that Peter Mart. tooke not S. Ciril to be of your faith touching this article of the sacrament The place vvhich you cite out of S. Damascene because you direct me no vvhere to find it I vvil not bestovv the paines to seeke it being graunted it is not much to the purpose and I marueile vvhy you put it in greke as though there vvere some great terrible bugge in it That vvhich vvas circumscript saith he vvas circumscript vncircumscript vncircumscript and visible visible and inuisible inuisible vvhich I take to be as true as that a spade is a spade and a mattock a mattock fier is fier not vvater and the sunne is the sunne and not the moone And if you meane hereof to infer your heresy that therefore Christ is not in the sacrament frame you the argument perhaps it vvil persvvade much In the meane season that Damasc vvas no more of your religion then S. Ciril I refer you for proufe to his books de Orthodoxa fide vvhere namely in the fourth you finde a verie good and large chapter against your Zuinglian heresie especially against your philosophical fansies he disputeth thus If the vvorde of god be liuely forcible if vvhat soeuer our lord would he did if he said let light be made it vvas made let the firmament be made and it vvas made if by the vvorde of god the heauens vvere established and vvith the spirite of his mouth all the povver of them if heauen and earth and vvater-fier and ayer and al their furniture and man him selfe vvere perfited by his vvorde if vvhen god the vvord so vvould he became man and of the moste pure and immaculat
hebrue nor yet the hebrue bible true by which she might once againe mende and correct the latin And here let the reader waigh whether we thinking of the Church as we doe thinking of Christes promise and the assistance of the holy Ghost as christian faith teacheth vs whereby we are most assuredly perswaded that she neuer erreth nor euer can erre damnably whether we I say haue not great reason to support our opinion which here we defend Caluin in his Institutions recounting certaine causes why the auncient writers speake so reuerently and yeld so much to the Romane church amongst other putteth this for one That vvhereas the churches of the East part and of Greece as also of Africa vvereful of tumultes and dissensions amonge them selues the Romane church vvas more quits then other and lesse troublesome For as the vvesterne people are lesse sharp quick of vvit then they of Asia and Africa so much lesse desyrous are they of nouelties This therefore added very much authoritie to the Romane church that in those doubtful times she vvas not so vnquiet as vvere the other and the doctrine once deliuered to her she held and retayned more fast then did all the rest This grace of constancy in the faith and truth once receaued when as the aduersaries yeld to the Romane church and reproue the Oriental and greeke church for lightnes inconstancie mutabilitie in the same kind we who beleeue the same grace of god to haue stil remained haue iust occasion to thinke that she was as tenax as constant in preseruing the truth of the bibles as of other parts of religiō wherein by Caluines verdite she excelled al churches vnder the sunne And if the greeke churches then in that prime flower were so mutable and incōstant and so far inferior to the latin in this respect especiallie of holding fast matters of religion once deliuered vnto them with what iudgement or conscience can we magnifie the later ages of those Greekes who much more haue deflected from the Catholike Apostolike faith haue more decayed in learning vertue and al good qualities haue degenerated almost in to a barbarisme and are now fallen in to such miserie ignorance and slauery as euerie man seeth much lesse can we mention in this comparison the Iewes Synagog who hauing the maledictiō of god vpō them as many times our Sauiour foretold in the gospel are not only quite destitute of the graces of god but also for the most part seeme altogether void of the giftes of nature of vvit iudgement policie and ordinarie humane discourse But al this vvil M.W. say is but coniecture and as probablie he disputeth against it for the contrarie part that in the hebrue and greeke there is no corruption For if it be so that the Ievves and heretikes haue laboured so much herein vvho can doubt but they haue attempted this especially in these places and sentences of scriptures vvhich the Church of Christ most vsed for confirmation of her faith and religion There are most euident testimonies of scriptures by vvhich the Ievves and all heretikes are refuted tel vs vvhat in them haue those men peruerted but that they remaine vnto vs safe and sound Neuer vvould other Ievv or heretike corrupt the scriptures except he thought that might be to him some vvaie commodious for the mainteining of his monstruous opinions VVherefore seing those places are safe by vvhich the Ievves are refelled and the heretikes of al times are killed this must needes seeme a fained tale vncredible and false vvhich you bring that the fountaines are corrupted To satisfie M.W. longing who would so faine know wherein the Iewes or heretikes haue falsified the bibles I wil seuerally geue him examples some sithence S. Hieroms tyme and some before and acknovvledged by S. Hierom him self from whom M. W. taketh most in commendation of the hebrue fountaines And that those fountaines are somewhat infected and degenerated from that puritie which they had in S. Hieroms time and before I proue by euident reason manifest experimentes plaine confessions of our more learned aduersaries First touching the hebrue S. Hierom read and translated according to the ordinarie reading and pointing of his time Esaie 9. Puer datus est nobis et filius natus est nobis et vocabitur nomen eius admirabilis consiliarius Deus fortis pater futuri saeculi princeps pacis A child is geuen to vs and a Sonne is borne to vs and he shalbe called Admirable a Counseller God Strong Father of the vvorld to come Prince of peace And in his commentarie expressing euerie word he maketh no doubt of any other reading Forsake the latin and go to your Iewes and their hebrue fountaines now and what find you pro thesaur◠carbones Thus. Puer datus est nobis et filius natus est nobis et vocabit nomen eius qui est admirabilis consiliarius deus fortis et pater aeternitatis vel futuri seculi principem pacis VVhereby is taken from Christ as principal a testimonie of his diuinitie as any we find in the old testament And whence cōmeth this alteratiō but from the iniquitie of the Iewes who haue altered the passiue vocabitur into the actiue vocabit geuē other pointes then were vsed or read in S. Hieromes time And this Luther confesseth manifestly Totus hic textus miserè sceleratè saith he a Iudaeis est crucifixus c. This vvhole text is miserably and vilanouslly crucified depraued and corrupted by the Ievves For as the child him self vvas crucified of them so by the same men both this place and his scripture or scripture appertayning to him is daily crucified The prophete attributeth six names to the child and sonne the Ievves reade the first fiue in the nominatiue case the sixt in the accusatiue and they al expound it of Ezechias vnder whom God gaue that great victorie against Sēnacherib And in the same place The text seemeth to haue bene corrupted by those that put to the points The letters vvhether ye reade them vvith pointes or vvithout pointes are alone and the grammer doth beare it vvel but the Ievves most pestilent men oft tymes corrupte sentences of the prophetes by their pointes distinctions But let it suffice vs that the Chaldee interpreter and the 70. thinke as vve do Thus Luther condemning of vile corruption on your pure originals geuing withal this general rule that the Iewes most pestilent men haue no conscience in that foule abusing and altering and crucifying the scriptures no more then they had in crucifying Christ and that therefore he preferreth the Septuaginta and Chaldee interpreter before al the hebrew copies VVhich reason touching Luther and the Protestantes is nothing at al. For the Chaldee interpreter is no more the hebrevv original then is Luthers translation And the translatiō of the 70. which is now extant besides that it is ful of diuersitie
they I shal I doubt neuer be vvorthie to be named scholers example vvhereof take thou Charkes scornful abusing of Father Campian in the Tower for ignorance in such trifles as these are or were I disposed to disgrace the fountaines and originals which I am not but honour them as I may and sauing the euident truth and faith of Christ which standeth fast and vnmoueable though heauen and earth fall much more though the Iewish Pharisees and Scribes write their text amisse this cause faith I say foreprised I esteeme of them as of things deseruing much studie and reuerence because how soeuer some grosse errors partly of malice partly of ignorance haue crept in yet commonly and for the most part the text I hold to be true and sincere And againe I suppose this kinde of writing can not be but tedious to the English reader whose profit I principally intend and therefore will go from these particularities so far as I may to talke of a few resonable the same general arguments and questions wherein M.W. if he haue some part of that wit intelligence and modestie which a scholer diuine should haue wil not I hope much stande against me And first gladly would I learne of him what reason he and his fellowes haue why they should thinke the hebrew text to be so inuiolate so sincere and vpright is it because of Gods promise and prouidence or of mans circuÌ„spection and wisdome if because of Gods promise where finde they any such how many examples in the scriptures haue they to the contrarie whole bookes of the prophetes are perished bookes of singular coÌ„moditie made by Gods owne appointment and they perished then in that time of the sinagoge when Iacob vvas the peculiar people of God and Israel the lot of his inheritance when of al nations they vvere to God a holy nation a kingly priesthode when al other people vvere suffered to go their ovvne vvaies the Iewes only were in Gods special protection For touching the bookes of the auncient prophets somtime extant and now not appearing we reade coÌ„monly in the old testameÌ„t as of Liber bellorum domini The booke of the vvarres of our Lord The booke of the iust men The booke of Iehu the sonne of Hanani The bookes of Semeias the prophete and Addo and Samuel vvrote in a booke the lavv of the kingdome hovv kings ought to rule laid it vp before our lorde and the vvorkes of Salomon vvere vvritten in the vvordes of Nathan the Prophete and in the bookes of Ahias the Silonite and in the visioÌ„ of Addo the Seer and many other which were to long to rehearse VVhich entier bookes of the warres of our lord of the iust of those excellent prophets of Iehu of Semeias of Addo of Samuel of Nathan of Ahias and others are quite perished and perished then when the Iewes were so chosen a people such a kingdome in such order gouernment of Kings and princes and Senate ecclesiastical regiment And now when they are no people haue no gouernment no king no Priest no comparable regiment may we reasonably thinke their diuine and ecclesiasticall bookes to haue bene so warelie kept that euerie parte is safe euerie parcel sound no points letters or titles lost al sincere perfit and absolute If the protestaÌ„ts will claime this to them by mans wisdome and policie see how notably they contradicte themselues Al the bishops and princes and states of Christendome were not wise inough by the protestants opinioÌ„ these thousande yeres past to keepe them selues in the true religion and Gospell of Christ But whereas vntil 600. yeres as we learne by M. Iewels chalenge they were protestants and enemies of the Masse of the Real presence of the Pope of Rome and as M. W. telleth vs here vniuersally protestaÌ„ts quo ad praecipuas religionis partes in the principall parts of religion they fell from that pure protestant-Gospel to serue Antichrist to worship bread and wine for God to adore Images which is most grosse idolatrie in steed of a true bible and word of God to haue our coÌ„mon translation which is most impure fullest of corruptioÌ„ Al this M.W. telleth vs and he telleth vs in this booke and it is the common songe of them al. And therefore how is it credible that al this while the Iewes should be so wise so prudent so politike and circuÌ„specte that they admitted no faults kept their bible so sincere and immaculate that there only the water of life was reserued and the minde meaning of the holie Ghost vvas to be found no-vvhere so assuredly as there what is this but to make the Christians al this while more brutish then beastes and the Iewes almost equal to Angels Againe so great likenes and similitude is there betwene some hebrew letters that excellent learned men haue bene deceaued by mistaking one for an other as appeareth by comparing the olde translations of the bible with the later and S. Hierom affirmeth the same of the Septuaginta This if a man would declare by examples I thinke he might gather some hundreds out of the psalter I wil note only one verse of a short psalme which also may serue for a higher pointe In the psalme 109 after our translation thus we reade with the Septuaginta Tecum principium in die virtutis tuae in splendoribus sanctorum ex vtero ante luciferum genuite The ProtestaÌ„ts for the more parte as we see by Marlorate folowing therein Bucere Musculus Caluine and Pomerane translate it thus Populus tuus cum voluntariis oblationibus in die exercitus tui in pulchritudine sanctitatis ex vtero ab aurora tibiros adolescentiae tuae The english bible of the last edition differing notably both froÌ„ olde and new from vs and the Protestants translate thus Thy people shal come vvillingly all the time of assembâ—ing thine armie in holie beauty the youth of thy vvoÌ„be shal be as the morning devv which translation is farthest from the hebrew farthest from al sense and reason for who would make youth to rule vvombe and ioyne them together being sundred so far and the bible geuen out two yeres before hath scant one worde like and touching the later part is cleane opposite for thus it translateth In the day of thy pâ—vvâ—r shal the people offer thee free-vvil offeringes the devv of thy birth is of the vvombe of the morning there is youth of the vvombe and devv of the morning here is devv of the birth or youth for that is one word in hebrew and vvombe of the morning If a man would translate it precisely vsing only the libertie to make choise of diuers significations which the hebrew words yelde and drawe it so far as the hebrew wil beare to the sense of the Septuaginta which I take to be the best then word for word thus it should
by good vvork you may make sure your vocation and electi◠But this is more easily auoyded the any of the rest For first it standet◠vpō courtesie vvhether this epistle sha◠be autorized or no. for being doubted of in the primitiue Church by some vve may doubt of it novv This is a case ruled in the Towre disputatiōs Againe admitting the epistle for canonical the place auaileth nothing For notvvithstandinge it be in al latin copies that euer vvere manie greeke and therefore put in the first translation of the Protestants as namely that vvhich vvas appointed to be read in the english church the yere 1561 and Luther otherwise an immortal enemie to good vvorkes in his commentarie saith expressely Petrus hortatur vt vocationem et electionem nostram bonis operibus certam et stabilem reddamus Peter exhorteth that vve make our vocation and election stable firme and assured by good vvorks yet because those vvords vvant in the later greeke prints and therefore are not put in Beza his translation and therefore are left out in the later english versions this text is not scripture and so the argument taken thence is nothing vvorth This ansvvere geueth Vergerius in his dialoges against that great learned man Cardinal Hosius Hosius obiecteth vnto me that Peter saith c. Possum respondere illa tria verba nempe per bona opera non reperiri in fonte graeco I may ansvvere him that those three vvords by good vvorks are not found in the greeke foūtaine Therefore leauing this search vvee farther And to this purpose very pregnant is the place in the first epistle of the same Apostle S. Peter vvhere he exhorteth Christians to liue as be commeth men of so excellent a vocation Castificantes animas suas in obedientia charitatis Purifying their soules by obedience of charitie remembring alvvaies that God vvithout acception of persons iudgeth euery man according to his vvorkes And this place at lest conuinceth the aduersarie first that vve haue free vvil vvorking vvith the grace of God then that we purifie cleanse our selues frō sinne thirdly that good vvorkes are necessarily required of Christian men For by many diuine arguments S. Peter vrgeth this cōclusion Vt animas nostras castificemus That vve purifie our ovvne soules And against this epistle there is no exception as being neuer doubted of and therefore by the Protestants is not refused And al greeke copies haue this text most clearely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so translateth that man of god Luther Castificantes animas vestras per obedientiam charitatis Illyricus Qui animas vestras purificastis and the Tigurine translator hath the same vvords and according to this vvas translated the testament in King Edvvard his time For as much as you haue purified your soules and the first of the Quenes raigne That ye might haue faith and hope tovvards God euē ye vvhich haue purified your soules So as this place standeth strong for proofe of our faith and those seueral points which now I noted But saith my Protestant howsoeuer Luther or the Diuines in king Edwardes time or in other times and places read it should appeare that ether some greeke copies haue otherwise or at least our maisters deliuer otherwise vnto vs. For Theodorus Beza translateth it in this maner Animabusvestris purificatis obediendo veritati per spiritum which the later bible printed by C. Barker printer to the Q. maiestie and translated according to the hebrevv greeke rēdereth in these words Seing your soules are purified in obeying the truth thorough the spirit and so translateth the english bible printed at Geneua and so doth the Scottish printed at Edēborough so that these words make nothing at al ether for free wil or cooperation or value of good works Nay rather they make much for the contrary side against free wil and our working with Gods grace and proue that in our iustification we worke not but actiue are wrought we cleanse not our selues but are cleansed we are not actiue and doers but passiue and sufferers which is the very opinion of Luther and the Protestants and for such condemned in the Tridentine Coūcel Wherefore leauing this and wishing the reader to remember by this example amongst many how madly and furiously our aduersaries are bent to coyne vs a new testament of their owne who trāslate thus hauing no greeke or latin copie in the world fauouring them but euen in the very same place when they geue vs this latin yet there leaue they the greeke as they finde it agreable to our latin therefore controling them of desperate falsificatiō proceede wee to some other text cōcerning the same veritie that shal be out of S. Paule who handling the fame argument and making the like exhortation willeth the Christians not to be afraid of the aduersaries of Christ though they persecute neuer so terribly VVhich to them is cause of perdition but to you of saluatiō where he maketh good workes necessary and so the causes of saluation as sinnes are the cause of damnation But Beza replieth that the old interpreter was ouerseene translating so Quū nusquam fideliū afflictio dicatur salutis eorum causa sed testimonium Because the afflictiō of the faithful is neuer called the cause of their saluatiō but the testimonie and therefore he translateth it Inditium and the english translators his scholers a token although the first testament before noted translate it as we do a cause so doth Erasmus so doth the Tigurine trāslator And the Apostle matching sinnes with good workes these leading to heauen as the other do to hel conuinceth the sense to be so Theodoretus a greeke father gathereth so much of that word Id enim illis exitium vob is autem salutem conciliat saith he That procureth to thē destructiō but to you saluation And to passe ouer S. Primasius S. Hier. S. Aust the other latin fathers how false the reason of Beza is which moued him to alter the text hath bene shewed els where sufficiently And our Sauiour sheweth best of al other when he thus speaketh of Marie Magdalen Remittuntur ei peccata multa quoniam dilexit multum Many sinnes are forgeuen her because she hathe loued much Against which no man liuing can cauil by greeke hebrew or latin but that workes of charitie are a cause why sinnes are forgeuen and so a cause of our iustification and saluation for so saith and meaneth our Sauiour most euidently the latin and greeke word for word agreeth with this english and in hebrew the Euangelist neuer wrote But Beza hath a shift for this also thus he translateth Remissa sunt peccata eius multa Nam dilexit multum That is according to our english translation Many sinnes are forgeuen her for she loued much And what difference is there betwene
these two translations howsoeuer it seeme to thee Christian reader the difference is as great as is betwene our doctrine theirs And first they make a wilful fault and corrupt the text by making a fuller pointe then ether the greeke or latin beareth And Beza doth somewhat more desperately who maketh a downe ful point thereby more diuiding and distracting the later parcel from the former as though it contained not a reason of that which went before as it doth but were some new matter wherein he is controled of fowle dealing by his owne translation set out the yere 1556 and by the very greeke prints of Geneua Zurick Basile other Germane cities who point it as doth our latin and english But the reason of his and their turning Quoniā in to Nam Because in to For descrieth yet more their obdurate harts against Christ and his worde For where as Christ by S. Lukes reporte saith in effect thus because she loued much therefore manie sinnes are forgeuē her they by this peruersion and mispointing make a cleane different and almost contrarie sense thus because she had many sinnes forgeuen her therefore she loueth much this loue folowing was a token of the remission which she by only faith had obtained before so turning the cause in to the effect the antecedent into the consequent and hereby vtterly spilling the doctrine which Christ by his words and reason geueth and the Church of his words reason gathereth That this is the true groūd reasō why they so Luciferlike alter the speech of Christ Beza plainly cōfesseth Thus he writeth Nam dilexit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For she loued The vulgar translation and Erasmus turne it Because she loued but I had rather interprete it as I do that men may best vnderstand in these vvords to be shevved not the cause of remission of sinnes but rather that vvhich ensued after such remission that by the consequent is gathered the antecedent And therefore they vvhich abuse this place to ouerthrovv free Iustification by only fayth are very impudent and childish wherein he speaketh very truly the words and sense being so as he hath framed them But if he had not plaid the part rather of a diuel then of an heretike to alter in pointing worde and sense the speach of our Sauiour and so taught him his lesson what he should say it had not bene impudencie for vs thus to argue but it had bene more then brutish ignorance in him to haue denied that charitie is required as wel for obtaining remission of sinnes as is faith which both in this place our Sauiour most diuinely conioyneth saying of charitie Many sinnes are forgeuen her because she hath loued much and adding straight way Thy faith hath made thee safe goe in peace And so of this text gathered al the auncient fathers who were for al that nether impudent nor childish So S. Chrysostom As first by vvater and the spirit so aftervvard by teares and confession vve are made cleane And he proueth it by this place So S. Gregorie expounding the same place Many sinnes are forgeuen her because she loued much as if it had bene said expresly He burneth out perfectly the rust of sinne vvhosoeuer burneth vehemently vvith the fier of loue For so much more is the rust of sinne scoured avvay by how much more the harte of a sinner is inflammed vvith the great fier of charitie And S. Ambrose vpon the same words Good are teares vvhich are able to vvash avvay our sinnes Good are teares In quibus nō solū redemptio peccatorum sed etiam refectio est iustorum vvherein is not only the redemption of sinners but also the refreshing of iust men And S. Austin debating this storie in a longe homelie saith This sinful vvoman the more she ovved the more she loued the forgeuer of her debtes our lord him selfe affirming so Many sinnes are forgeuen her because she loued much And vvhy loued she much but because she ovved much Quare fecit illa omnia nisi vt dimitterentur sibi peccata VVhy did she al those offices of vveping vvashing c. but to obtaine remission of her sinnes I omitte other fathers al agreing in the selfe same veritie al making her loue to be a cause going before nor only an effect or sequele comming after the remission of sinnes And this was the gathering of the auncient fathers S. Chrysostom S. Gregorie S. Ambrose S. Austin c. who were euer reuerenced for holy and learned fathers by the children of Christs Catholike Church vntil this Chams broode and prophane generation inuaded their roomes who now condemne them for impudent and childish But let me with thy leaue and patience Christian reader prosecute in one worde more their wonderful tossing and turning and inuerting this shorte sentence of our Sauiour And in this one allegation which I wil now produce thou shalt see the very image of Atheisme of contempt of God and man of impossibilitie to do any good by scriptures so longe as this licence of framing new translations is allowed Thou seest what sturre Beza hath kept and to serue his turne what fowle and detestable corruption he hath vsed But to make vp the matter and reconcile Christs words a litle better to this new solifidian gospel commeth in Wolfgangus Musculus with a deeper fetch after this maner First because S. Lukes words be very plaine and he can not so probably wrangle vpon thē in greeke he in his owne fansie imagineth what Christ ether did or should haue spoken in hebrew Next that fansie he putteth to be true and forthwith according to the same he correcteth S. Luke and so concludeth that al matcheth right with their Lucianical only faith For nowe by this time with his good helpe not one worde in effect stādeth as Christ spake it at least by S. Lukes reporte Thus he discourseth Ecce inquiunt manifestò datur dilectioni remissio peccatorum Ergo non sola fides iustificat c. Behold say the Papists remission of sinnes is attributed to loue ergo faith alone iustifieth not but vve ansvvere that loue in this vvoman vvas not the cause of remission of sinnes but a token declaration thereof Remissiō of her sinnes she obtained by faith in Christ Therefore vvhereas Christ saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The vvorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as vvitnesseth Suidas is a Dorical vvorde signifieth not in the imperatiue Remittantur Remitted be they but in the preterperfect tense Remissa sūt Haue bene remitted Next the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth here not the cause but the probatiō of that vvhich is put before Thirdly the vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath loued is an hebrew phrase by vvhich the preterperfecttense is put for the present For the hebrevves speake thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is because she hath loued much in
Populus positus in tenebris Illyricus Populus qui agebat in tenebris Castalio Populus in tenebris degens c. So that if in ether of our latin testaments be any error one folowing precisely the hebrew of the prophete the other the greeke of the Euangeliste how much greater is their fault which folow nether of both But not to spend time in so vaine a cauâ—l the truth is reader we folovved as I haue said the coÌ„mon best corrected printes vvhich haue this in the text the other in the margent And therfore in this also note thou to vvhat beggerly shiftes this man is driueÌ„ who to make some shevv of talking is glad to snatche at such shadovves to imagine faultes to seyne lyes and the some nothing vvorth if they were graunted And these faultes in number of obiecting tvvo for any color pretence or shevv one in truth veritie none are al those prophane horrible outragious and desperate corruptions committed in our testameÌ„t for which he boldly pronounceth as from his chayer of estate that this 5000 yeres from the first creation of the vvorld he might haue added or 50000 yeres before there was neuer set forth a new testament in any language so ful of outragious faultes so much to the contempt and irrision of Gods vvorde vvherein the desperatnes of the papists so much appeared c. A man might say Medici mediam pertundite venam or minister vnto him some phisicke for surely he seemeth not to be very vvel in his vvittes CHAP. XVI A defence of such faultes as are found in the annotations of the nevv testament FROM the translation which he impugneth by such stroÌ„g arguments as novv hath bene shewed he proceedeth to the annotations which he refelleth vvith like learning and vvisedome And first he beginneth as before vvith a like inuectiue in these vvords Nihil illis annotationibus contaminatius vnquam in lucem prodiit c. Nothing vvas euer published a brode more corrupt then those annotations Truely as heretofore I haue euer hated the Romane religion euen vvith al my hart so sone as I could iudge of it so novv I confesse that I am induced by these mens desperatnes and importunitie to abhorre it much more Hovv much or hovv litle he abhorreth our religion vvere it not for regarde of his ovvne soule it is not much material For except he haue better learning in store then he hath vttered yet I trust his great hatred against it wil not do it any great harme And these are but vvords And as he vpon this pretended occasioÌ„ conceiueth so euil of our faith if he meane as he speketh so I knovv many vvho hauing bene brought vp not in Catholike religion as he vvas in heresie but in heresie vvith him continuing a long time in the same and louing it vvith al their hart comming to better iudgmeÌ„t through the grace of God vpon consideration of such lying writers as he most honoreth M. Iewel M. Horne c. haue bene so altered that they haue detested his gospel euen to hel gates of which number I confesse my self to be one But this kinde of asseueration is common to both sides This rather is worth the examining whether we haue ministred him sufficient occasion to fall in to so deepe hatred of the Catholike faith or they rather haue geueÌ„ vs iust cause in like maner to abhorre their new gospel This in some parte wil appeare by M W. discourse against these Annotations Thus he proceedeth I doubt not but vvhen this beate of the Papistes is somevvhat cooled vvise men vvil daily more and more dislike that religion For vvhen they vnderstand such things as of old vvere alvvaies accompted false or at least suspected the same novv to be set forth of these men as most true articles of the Romane religion vvhen they consider vvith them selues hovv miserably these men abuse the holy scriptures to most absurd interpretations it can not othervvise bee but that they vvil disallovv the vvhole cause of the Papists vvhich they see to be supported vvith such trifles and tales VVhen they heare the vvise men vvhich came from the East to vvorship Christ to be called three kinges vvhose names are Gaspar Melchior Baltasar That Iohn Baptist vvas a monke and father of monkes That vvhen S. Steuin vvas stoned to death a stone rebounded backe from his elbovv vvhich novv is kept at Aâ—cona in Italie That Elias the Thesbite is expected to come before the later day Vnto three heads he reduceth al the faults vvhich he findeth in the Annotations To errors committed in matters historical to faults committed in framing arguments and to certaine blasphemies as he calleth them vttered against S. Paul The first parte is comprised in these vvords which here thou seest The second and third shal folovv in order To ansvvere al that he saith pointe by pointe vvhat he meaneth by aestus poÌ„tificius Heate of the Papists vvhich he hopeth vvil be cooled I knovv not vvel If he meane the zeale of good Priests vvho to reclaime some from damnation venture their liues in England although he vvith his felovv ministers take a readie vvay to coole their heate by their strauÌ„ge maner of disputing I meane by thrusting in euery Syllogisme a conclusion of treason from Sacrament Masse Confession Reconciliation Church inferring â—go you are traitours and so enflaming the ciuil magistrate to ansvvere by hanging them vvhom they cannot ansvvere by learning yet our lord be praised this maner of their dealing though it be bloodie and of them assumed against the preaching of their first apostles and martyrs euen of necessitie because othervvise they see their gospel can not stand yet I say our lord be praised experience sheweth that it cooleth none but enflameth many Ignem veni mittere in terram saith our Sauiour et quid volo nisi vt ardeat howsoeuer our lord shal deale hereafter with our Countrie whether he wil abandoÌ„ it to Apostasie as he hath Asia and Africa or reduce it to the vnitie of his church which he of his infinite mercie graunt thus much assure your self M. W. that this kinde of heate wil neuer be cooled in your daies The plot is laid the charges are cast and the matter is begonne and we see and feele that Christ hath powred his blessing vpon it abundantly If you meane the heate of vvriting bookes vvith vvhich notvvithstaÌ„ding you are not much troubled the vvay to coole that heate is ether to aÌ„svvere them more substantially then hitherto you haue or els not to ansvvere them at al. For so long as you set forth such stuffe as you for your part and your late vvriters of like qualitie allovv vs your selues blovve the coales and make matter to kindle the fier that if men vvould be silent children may find sufficient argument to proue you heretikes If you imagine that our church is so vnconstant
of Protestāts pa. 411. M. W. inuectiue against the Annotations of the nevv Testament page 476. The summe thereof pa. 477. Annotations of the new Testament vvhat they cōteine pa. 484.485 what fault M.W. findeth in them 484.491 Blasphemie in the Annotations touching Christes Priesthod pa. 528.529 Ansvvered 530. vsque ad 542. blasphemie touching merite of vvorkes pa. 543. ansvvered 544 c. Hovv the Protestants fel to cal the Pope of Rome Antichrist in praef pa. 42. M. W. knovveth not vvel vvhat that Antichrist is against vvhom he vvriteth Ibid. pa. 4. The absurditie of that assertion Ibid. pa. 4. The impossibilitie of that opinion 52.53.54 The end of that doctrine 72.73 Arguments ridiculous made by M. W. and attributed to vs. pa. 497.498.499.502.504.510.511.513 such arguments tend to make a mockerie of al faith 516.517.521.522.523 S. Leo the great called Antichrist by Beza pa. 155. The first Apostles of our nation were Papistes and Massing priestes by the cōfession of our aduersaries p. 165.166 Auncient archheretikes the protestants forefathers in sundrie partes of their faith pa. 31.32 S. Athanasius called Sathanasius by the heretikes pa. 84. S. Austin called a blind bussard pa. 166 S. Austin most filthily abused and mangled by the Sacramentaries pa. 166.177 S. Austin a priest 65. S. Austin S. Hierom old papistes 121. B BEza a fierbrand of sedition pa. 231. VVriters against him pa. 232. He correcteth S. Luke and our Sauiour 233.234.236.241 and is defended by M. VV. in so doing 236.237 His reasons 238.239 Refuted ibid. et 240.241 Refuted long ago by Luther 257.258 how he correcteth the new Testament 260.261 Bezaes fault in excusable for ought M. VV. ether hath said or can say 250. He doubteth of a part of S. Iohns gospel 363.364 He furthereth the Anabaptistes against Christes incarnation of the B. virgin 368.369 See Translation of scripture Bible-beaters pa. 400. The Bible neuer so mangled by any as by the protestants 400.401 Their bible is no bible 404.405 See Scriptures Ceremonies in Baptisme pa. 504.505 C Catholike doctrine vnpossible to be ouercome by any heresie least of al by this of our time pa. 41. The name Catholike not applicable to the English religion praef 87.88 Caluin condemneth the auncient fathers for approuing Melchisedecs sacrifice pa. 60.61 Caluin for the real presence pa. 223. Carolostadius exposition of Christes wordes Hoc est corpus meum pa. 254. allovved by Zuinglius 255. Castalios translation of the Testament much commended by the protestants pa. 380. His discours that Christ is not the Messias praef pa. 67.68 The Church catholike after Christes time is euer populous and spread in many nations pa. 350. et praef pa. 62.63 She is the ground of al faith 442. built vpō a rocke vnmoueable 479. No good worke or martyrdom profiteth to saluation out of the Catholike Church 116.117 Infinite difference betvvene the Catholike cause and the Protestante pa. 556.557.558 No stay in faith out of the Catholike Church praef pa. 24. To say that the vvhole Church hath fayled is to deny Christes incarnation pref p. 56.57 58.59 to make him a lyer ib. 66.67 to deny him to be the true Messias ib. 68.69.70.71 The inuisible Church a poetical fansie pref pa. 60. refelled by Melanchton 60.61 by Caluin Oecolampadius and others 62.63.64 the Protestants sensibly cōtradict them selues in deuising it 64.65 The foundation of the English Protestant church pa 480.481.482 The antiquitie thereof 524. It is ful of Atheistes 410. S. Chrysostom for the real presence p. 188.208.215.217.218 his place comparing Christ vvith Elias pa. 207. It proueth inuincibly the real presence a pa. 204. vsque ad 214. S. Chrysost for the sacrifice pa. 214.215 He is almost as ful of lies as words by the protestants doctrine pa. 227. S. Ciril for the real presence p. 198.199.200 D S. Damascene for the real presence pa. 201.202 Dauid George vpon vvhat ground he denied Christ pref pa. 66. Defendere is vvel translated to reuenge pa. 464.465.466.467 The Doctors of the primitiue Church condemned by euery priuate sectarie in that vvherein they gain say his heresie pa. 82.83 by the Zuinglians for approuing the sacrifice of Melchisedech pa. 60. and Masse pa. 69.70.71.72 and for disallowing the mariage of priestes and votaries 83. by the Puritanes for allovving holydaies in the honour of Christ his Saintes 84. by the Trinitarians for acknovvledging the B. Trinitie 84. by the Lutherans for denying the Vbiquetie of Christs body 85. by M. W. for their doctrine of penance and vvorkes 82 11◠and for sayng that Antichrist is one man pref pa. 44.45 See vvorkes E Elias cloke the Zuinglians supper compared together pa. 212.213 Elias shal come before the day of iudgment pa. 494.495 English vvriters 478. their maner of vvriting 284.285.475 and disputing 477. more absurd then others pref pa. 6.7 Those of the English religion are not Protestants pref pa. 88. they are properly called Zuinglians or Sacramentaries ibi 89.90.91 by vvhat names they cal them selues praef pa. 91. hovv they are called by Acte of parlament ibi 21. F The true meaning of Only faith iustifying pa. 280.411.412 Libertinisme the end thereof 127.128 The nature of true Christian faith pa. 517.518.519 hovv one part of faith is applied to the confirmation of an other 521. Ecclesiastical maner of fasting commeth from Christ and his Apostles pa. 89.90 The Zuinglians figure in Christs wordes touching the sacrament pa 251. The figure of the Catholikes ib. infinite difference betvvene these tvvo 252.253.254.255 Freevvil pa. 509. G Grace hindereth nothing the merite of workes pag. 102.103 To say God is the author of synne is to say God is an Idol or a deuil pa 451. The protestants say so 451.453 454. S. Gregorie much praysed by the Protestantes pag. 158. much rayled at by the Protestantes 164. A booke written against him by Vergerius 165. S. Gregorie a priest without al reason made minister by M. Iewel 164. The Greeke Testament more aduantageable for the Catholikes then the common latin pa 283.284 Our common latin Testament more pure then the greeke now extant 361.362.363 The greeke Testament now differeth much from the old 363.364 Additions rashly made to the greeke 365.366.367 Parcels of importance left out of the greeke 367.368.369.370 H HEauen is of grace vvorkes pa. 104.105.106.107 544.545 Of mercy and iustice 105.106 107.108.109 Heauen must receaue Christ Act. 3. v 21 maketh nothing against Christs presence in the sacrament pa. 179.180.181.193 handled at large a pag. 170. vsque ad 175. S. Paule to the Hebrevves as much doubted of in the primitiue church as the epistle of S. Iames. pa. 38.39 The Apostles cited not scripture alwaies according to the hebrue pa. 287.288.289 Bookes of scripture written in hebrue lost 290. S. Hierom preferring the hebrue before the latin in his time iustifieth not the hebrue of our time pa. 297.337 More probable that the hebrue hath bene corrupted then the latin pa. 297.298.299.300 Corruptions in the hebrue pa. 302. in Isai against
vvorst of al other 381.382.383.384 he then most busily corrupteth scripture vvhen it is most to the dishonour of Christ 384.385 M. W. inuectiue against the late Catholike translation of the new Testament 444. it is mere histrionical 445.446.448 in condemning it he reproueth himself 447.454.455 the hypocrisie of his accusation 449.450 Notable bragging and lying 459.460.461 how weakely he iustifieth his inuectiue 462.463 he obiecteth only two faults 263.264 both false and if they were true of no importance 464.470.472.473 What they are in particular 464. his vnconscionable dealing 472.473 What is principally requisite in a Translator of scripture pa. 371.372.375 Translations more autentical then the original pa. 290.291.306 V Of the name Vniuersaliâ— See Primacie W Arguments that Good vvorkes are not the cause of saluation pa. 95. refuted at large 99.100.101 c. Good vvorkes in Christians are cause of saluation pa. 99.100 vsque ad 106. 418.421.422.423 as euil workes are cause of damnation 104.105.106.107 See Heauen Good vvorkes are in no respect necessary to saluation by the Protestants doctrine pa. 110.111.113 their argumentes prouing the same 112.113 The fathers doctrine touching good vvorkes set downe by M. W. pa. 115. the wickednes thereof 116.118.119 they are therefore condemned by Luther as verie Iewes 120.121.122 M.W. notable wrangling pa. 14.15 his manifold ouersights 97.98 he vnderstandeth not the Protestants doctrine of only faith 109. he commonly contradicteth him self 23.25.114.115.123.126.319 he proueth the English ministers to be Antichrists for sayng Communion 127.128 how fondly he answereth a place of S. Chrysost 204.206.211.212 his straunge assertion that only the hebrue text is scripture 286.287 Refuted 287.288.289 he calleth S. Austin a Sorbonist for his doctrine touching the value of good workes p. 543.545.546 and by like reason al the Apostles and Prophetes pag. 545.546 his arrogancie in condemning al doctors 495.496 et praef pag. 44.45 The summe of his answering D. Sanders consisteth partly in preferring him self before al other pref pa. 42. ad 51. partly in leauing out the substance of D.S. arguments ibid. pa. 75. vsque ad 81. Z Zuinglius the Apostle of the English church pref pa. 89.90 Zuinglians notable lyers pag. 525.526.555 and braggers 554. their maner of writing pref pa. 81.82 The faultes correct thus Pa. 4 linea 13. for charged reade charging Ibidem in many copies wanteth a marginal note Contra Campian pag. 11. Pa. 41 li. 26. Estaticus reade Ecstaticus Pa. 85. lin 6. Christ reade Christes Pa. 145. lin 18. forth reade forth Pa. 195. l. 17. argumenr reade argument Pa. 328. li. 8. for the two hebrew letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where also in some few examples the later hebrue word is diuided which should be ioyned Some other faultes there are of like qualitie especially of one letter for an other as s for f and r for t and in one place of some copies is vvhich for vvhich is al which considering the ordinarie difficulties of printing where straungers are the workers coÌ„positors correctors besides other extraordinarie mishaps I trust the Reader of his curtesie wil easely pardon Whom I request if by reading hereof he fynde ought for the encrease of his faith towardes Christ and his Church Catholike euen for loue of the same Christ and Church to help me with his prayer FINIS Contra Sand. pa. 5. in fine Ib. pa. 6. in principio M.W. knoweth not wel what that Antichrist is against whom he writeth Lucian de vera historia lib. 1. Cyclades Lucians historical verities the Protestants Euangelical verities are of like nature and probabilitie Much good time spent in reading or refuting heretical bookes 1. Tim. 6. Tertul. de praescript Heretikes are generally proude and ignoraÌ„t 2. Timoth. 6. v. 4. W. contra Sand. pag. 250. See after chap. 7. pag. 130.131 Whit. contra Camp pag. 154. Ibi pag. 153. Fulke con Mart. pag. 64 65. in sine Supra pa. 4. A strange proposition to say the church is Antichrist In the Protestants faith there is no cercertaintie In their writing and disputing there is no ground That the Protestantes haue no certaine fayth The Prince supreme head of the church The Prince not supreme head of the church A declaration of the iust c. Printed by special commaundement and licence â—no â—532 a pag. 411. Cart. in his second reply b 412. c 413. d 414. Ibi. 419 Communion booke in the forme of publike baptisme Baptisme remitteth sinnes Baptisme remitteth not sinnes Tower disputatioÌ„ the second day Priuate baptisme allowed Priuate baptisme disallowed M. W. contra Sander pag. 276.278 Ficta quaedam necessitas Great difference and coÌ„trarietie in the Communion bookes The sacrameÌ„t of confirmation admitted Refused T.C. pa. 174 apud Whitg pag. 785. Christ descended into hel Christ descended not into hel Carlile Caluin Instit aedit anno 1553. ca. 7 ¶ 28. et in postre aeditione l. 2. c 16. ¶ 9. Christs diuinitie graunted Christs diuinitie denyed M. Whit. contra Campian pag. 25.2.153.154 Sleid. Coâ—â— 17. an 1546. Rebellion against princes iustified and commended Ibidem lib. 8. an 1531. fol. 124. Ibid. lib. 22. an 1550. fol. 411. Sleid. li. 18 anno 1546 fol. 320. Beza ad D. Elizabeth Angl. Regi in praefat noui testament aedit 1565. Fox Actes and monumentes pa. 250.255.257 Ibi. pa. 251.252 a pa. 250. ad 260. Vbi supra pag. 250. Ibi. pag. 260 Gilbie Goodman c. WomeÌ„ may beare no rule ouer men in matters temporal The boâ—kes were pâ—inted at Geneua the yere 1558. yere 1559. Women may beare rule ouer men in al matters temporal and spiritual The Communion booke in the beginning before morning praier Copes and such like ornaments approued CoÌ„demned General chaunges and contrarieties in faith Foâ— actes monumeÌ„tes pag. 586. Real presence CommunioÌ„ in one kynd Mariage of priests vnlawful Vowes of chastitie Priuate masse Auricular confession These articles were according to the law of God in king Henries time Ibi. pag 587 The same articles were contrarie to the law of God in king Edwards time Fox vbi su in historia Cranmeri pag. 1473. A realme pitifully ordered where a chyld of 9 yeres old may by order of law ouerthrow al religion Chaunge vpoÌ„ chauÌ„ge D. Whitg Defensâ—a pa. 31. vsque ad 51. Ibi. pag. 178 Infinite difference betwene our English protestants and those of other nations Whit. Def. Tract 1. p. 74 A rule most assured Groundes or heads of disputation In the protestants writing or disputing there is no grouÌ„d Scripture denyed Whit. contra Camp pag. 17. Traditions of the Apostles denyed General Councels denyed T.C. pag. 16. apud D. Wh. Tract 2. p. 95 Of this see more chap. 3.5.7.17 after in the praeface Auncient doctors of the Catholike Church denyed Whit. coÌ„tra Sand. pa. 92. then we perceaue to be agreable to scripture Si vel intogrum patruÌ„ Senatum in nos commoueris D.
pag. 598.603.604.605 See D. Hum. iudgement after in the 14. chap. Carlile in his booke that Christ went not downe to hel fol. 144. The English translations draw men to thinke that Christs soule perished Ibid. fo 117. O singular puritie of the English Bibles Against the immortalitie of the soule Ibid. fo 120. So translateth the Bible of the yere 1579. The English translations leade men to detestable errors Ibid fo 116. Bezaes true iudgment what harme is like to ensue by abusing ecclesiastical words Beza in Act. c. 10. ver 46. edit anno 1556. He or the printer hath altered some part of these words in the later editioÌ„ an 1565. Chaunge of words induceth chauÌ„ge of fayth The summe of such foule and ethnical corruptions as by reason are proued and by confession of the aduersaries are grauÌ„ted to be in the â—nglish translatioÌ„s The sect of Libertines far spread Beza de haereticis a ciuili magistratu punieÌ„dis pa 41. Right Gospellers These shew vs what is the true meaning of only faith iustifying Concil Trident sessio 4. 3. thinges to be noted in this question M.W. discourse most against him self Discou in prefat nu 39. The greeke and hebrew more aduantageable to the Catholike cause then the latin Pag. 15. In prefa noui testamen M.W. reasons for preferring the hebrew and greeke before the latin Pag. 15. If the latin testament be not the word of god whose word are their vulgar translations An assertioÌ„ both foolish and impious The Apostles and Euangelists cited scripture not according to the hebrew Rom. 10. v. 18. Linea coruÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anno 1575. Act. 13. v. 41. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. in gentibus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iac. 4. v. 6. Prouerb ca. 3. ver 34. Caluin in Iacob ca. 4. Caluin maÌ„gleth S. Iames epistle 1. Pet. ca. 2.3 5. Beza in Ioh. c. 19. v. 37. Ireneus l. 3. cap. 25. Hier. prefat in Tobiam Iudith li. Regum S. Mat. wrote the Gospel in Hebrew a Apud Euseb l 3. c. 33 Irene li. 3. ca. 1. Euseb lib. 2. ca. 18. b li. 5. c. 19. c l. 6. c. 19. d in argumeÌ„t in Mat c. in catal e Mt. gospel in hebrew set forth by Munster and Quinquarboreus Pag. 15. It had bene valiantly done of M. W. by one example to haue made this conquest ouer vs. S. Hierom author of our commoÌ„ edition of the new testament and that by the Popes appointement In catal in fine praef in nouum testamentum The old testament Aug. de doctrina Christian li. 2. ca. 13. epi. 10 ad Hieron 4. things haÌ„deled in this questioÌ„ That M. W. speaketh neuer a word to the purpose More probable that the hebrew is corrupt theÌ„ the latin The church warranted that she should euer keepe the word of God Esaie 59. Ioan. 14. 16. Praise of the Romaine Church for holding fast the true doctrine once deliuered Caluin inst l. 4. c. 6. ¶ 26. a Vnto this reason drawen from humane wisedome set the ChristiaÌ„ reader adde Christes prayer Luc. 22. v. 32 I haue prayed c. that thy fayth faile not Doctrinae semel traditae suit aliis omnibus tenacior The Greeke church not comparable to the Romane Math. â—5 Pag. 20. That the hebrew bibles are in some places corrupted Esa 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luth. tom 4. enarration Esa cap. 9. The Iewes corrupters and crucifieis of such places of scripture as appertaine to Christ a Scriptura eius 4. Reg. 19. Luth. in Esa ca. 53. v. 11. fol. 282. Lyra. proba diuinitatis humanitatis Christi contra Iudaeos in fine glos noui testamenti 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 TranslatioÌ„s truer then the original text Ierem. 23. v. 5.6 Hier. in Ier. ca. 23. v. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lyra vbi supra The Iewes corrupt the letter of the scripture Al bibles corrupt in this place Esa 53. v. 8. Hierom. in Esa ca. 53. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bib. 1577. 1579. Bib. 1562. The English translations adde to the text Luther to 4. in Esa c. 53. The Iewes corrupt the scripture in despite of Christians â— maners of corruption Rom. 9. v. 5. Sixtus Senensis in bibliotheca sancta lib. 8. pag. 646. General reasons why the hebrue text can not be so sincere as the aduersarie would pretend Deut. 52. v. 9 Exod. 19. v. 6 Act. 14. v· 15. a Num. 21. v. 14. b Iosue 10. ver 13. 2. Reg. 1. v. 18. c 2. Paral. 20 v. 34. d ibid. 12. ver 15. e 1. Reg. 10. vers 25. f 2. Paral. 9. vers 29. The Iewes haue lost many whole volumes of their Prophetes much more may they leese or alter points letters and syllables Most vnreasonable absurditie and contradiction Whit. pag. 9. Whit. pa. 15. Similitude of letters Hieron in Osee c. 2. Psal 109. v. 3 Marlorate in Psal 110. Of the yere 1579. Of the yere 1577. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hebr. 1. v. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 58. v. 10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Genes 3. v. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Cor. 2. v. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pretie aÌ„sweeres interpretations Luther in Esa ca. 64. Illyric in 1. Cor. ca. 2. v. 9 Martyr in 1. Cor. ca. 2 fo 46. S. Paule missed in reading Hebrue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza in 1. Cor. ca 2. v. 9. The Protestantes attribute more to the Iewish scribes then to S. Paule the Apostle Act. 22. Castalio defens suae traÌ„slatio pag. 227. M.W. opinion touching the Hebrew vncorrupt is luysh Humfre lib. 1. de rat interpre pag. 178. Lib. 2. pag. 219. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pellican to 4. in psal 85. vers 9. The Iewes at al tymes negligeÌ„t in conseruing the scriptures Idem ibideÌ„ in psal 108. vers 11. In vulgo legend is legis suae translationibus The Protestants Iewes resemble one the other in many pointes both of fayth and maners Munster in Gen. ca. 27. Where is now becom the canon of Carthage Counsel 4. cap. 47. so much vrged by M. Iewel that nothing should be read or sung in the church beside Canonical scripture Bad time worse reasoÌ„ Great varietie in the Hebrew bibles Munster in praefat bib â—omi primi ps 144. ps 33. The Hebrew bibles vnperfit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The protestants opinioÌ„ iniurious to the holy Ghost Although S. Hierom appealed from the latin to the Hebrew yet the like reason is not for vs now August de doctr Christiana lib 2. ca. 11. S. Hierom thought the hebrew bibles to be in some places corrupt and faultie Gal. â— v. 1â— Deuter. 21. v. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hiero. in â—al c. 3. Gal. â— v. 10. Deutron 27. v. 26. Hier. in Gal. cap. 3. The Iewes conuicted by S.
by the same authoritie Euery man sayng publishing preaching teaching affirming declaring disputing arguing or holding opinion against the first of these articles is adiudged a manifest heretike c. misbeleuers in the other are with great rigor corrected and reformed This was the state of religion left by king Henry after whose death in the time of his sonne vpon very â—ight occasion was quite disanulled al this that the father had by parlament Actes and statutes so carefully established For streight vpon his fathers funerals king Edward saith M. Fox being but a child of nine or ten yere by the instinct of his vncle the Lord protector and Cranmer by consent of parlament did first abolish these six articles and then set forth a second booke of Reformation and after that a third as the religion had dayly more encrease more perfite then the first vnder the title and authoritie of his name After which sort the Zuinglian religion being placed with much dissension and alteration held out for the time of that Prince and was of the next with like authoritie of ParlameÌ„t reiected abolished But being restored againe in the beginning of the Q. Maiesties reigne from that tyme hetherto how the body of the realme hath more and more degenerated from that Zuinglianisme to Puritanisme which as D. Whitg wel proueth is the very next degree to Anabaptisme what infinite numbers in euery shyre as their owne writers record are ioyned to tâ—e Familie of loue which is a mere abnegation of Christianitie what swarmes of Atheistes haue sprung vp with which as D. Whig telleth vs their English congregation is râ—plenished this I leaue to the knowledge remembrance experience and eye sight of the discrete reader If I should note the varietie and difference betwene our Protestantes and the Protestantes of other nations as of Germany Polonia Zuitzerland and France I should neuer make an end because most true it is there is no one article of faith ether touching the blessed Trinitie Christes incarnation and passion resurrection ascensioÌ„ touching the person of the holy Ghost or touching his office there is no one sacrament as the Eucharist Baptisme Forgeuenes of sinnes in penance confession of sinnes to a priest Holy orders there is no one rite or ceremonie ether touching gouernement or diâ—cipline of the church wherein they disagree not These few examples which I haue brought conteining matters of such weight That princes are heads of the church and are not that baptisme remitteth sinnes and remitteth not that priuate baptisme is lawful and vnlawful Confirmation allowed and disallowed Christs descending into hel graunted and denied that he is God of his father and yet is God of him self that al kinds of Religions may for their conscience sake take armes against their prince yet Catholikes may not in any case or for any cause make supposal of such a matter that women are barred by the law of God from exercising authority ouer men euen in matters ciuil and agâ—ine that women by the law of God haue supremacy ouer the cleargy bishops and archbishops eueÌ„ in matters most diuine spiritual that copes and such like ornamentes are to be vsed in church seruice and are to be abolished and burned as monumentes of Idolatrie that by like authoritie of parlaments diuers and contrary faithes are confirmed and ratified These few examples I say al appearing manifestly in the practise and behauiour of one litle Iland and in the compasse of a few yeres al notoriously to be seene in perusing a few english bookes and writers declare sufficiently how true that is which D. Whiteg affâ—rmeth of the Puritans and we find as true in all sortes of Protestants that commonly such as once diuide them selues from the Church fal from errour to errour vvithout stâ—y they declare sufficiently how true that is which I affirme â—â—at these meÌ„ haue no certaintie or stabiliâ—ie of faith therfore hard it is foâ— vs to know what to refâ—â— or dispute aâ—aâ—nst whereas we find such continuâ—l chaunge and varietie Yet al this notwithstanding albeit they haue one faith for Germany an other for Engâ—and and in England one for the South an other for the North one for the fathers reigne an other for the sonnes one for the brother an other for the sister and vnder the â—ame Prince one for the beginning of her reigne an other for the time ensuing one for the nobilitie an other for the commonaltie one for the publike church another for their priuate houses one in their CoÌ„munion booke an other in their seueral writinges although they haue Annuas and menstruas sides as S. Hilary and S. Basil said of the Arrians euery yere and somtimes euery moneth a new faith yet gladly could we deuoure the paine to finde out and learne such their yerely monethly faithes that by refelling them we might saue those christian sowles which through the same monethly dayly and hourely perish euerlastingly had we not a far greater dâ—fficultie in learning out what maner of argumentes are of force and allowable amongst them for refuâ—ing of the same Among Catholikes in al scholes and Vniuersities in al bookes writings argumentes drawen from the scriptures of God from the Traditions of the Apostles from the Authoritie of the Catholike Church of general Councels of the auncient Doctors fathers of the supreme Pastors of the Church geuing sentence definitiue in any controuersie these al and singular are of such weight and estimation that ech one coÌ„uinceth the aduersarie part and no Catholike dare euer resist or oppose him self if he heare the voice and sentence of any one of al these and besides these other argumentes in diuinitie we can not possâ—bly deuise any Vse any of al these in disputation with the Protestant he careth not for them nether wil be bound to them farther then it liketh his owne lust and fansie Approue the Inuocation helpe of Angels by the authoritie of Tobias the free wil of man by the booke of Ecclesiasticus they answere Litle care vve for the example of Raphael the Angel mentioned in Tobie nether acknovvledge vve those seueÌ„ Angels vvhereof he speaketh As litle accompt make I of the place of Ecclesiasticus nether vvil I beleeue the freedom of mans vvil though he affirme it a hundred times And as for the Traditions of the Apostles besides the written word it is their very profession to contemne them and who is there of them al that euer wrote any booke of câ—mmon places who hath not a large treatise particularly against them Alleage against theÌ„ general Councels they answere If this be a sufficient profe to say such a CouÌ„cel decreed so such a doctor said so there is almost nothing so true but I can impugne nothing so false but I can make true and vvel assured I am that by theâ—r meanes the principal groundes of our faith may be
shaken Alleage the auncient fathers not one or other but al together affirming one and the self same thing they answere If you argue from the vvitnesse of men be they neuer so learned and auncient vve yelde no more to their vvordes in cause of faith and religion then vve perceaue to be agreable to scripture Nether thinke you your self to haue proued any thing although you bring against vs the vvhole consent and svvarme of fathers except that vvhich they say be iustified not by the voice of men but of God himself And it is their common maner as to make smale accompt of any author that is against them so least of al of the old auncient fathers whom some of them are not ashamed in most despiteful sort to cal Pillorie doctors But this their behauiour towards the auncient fathers and Doctors that be of our Church may seeme in the iudgement of many to stand with reason For why may it be said should they be bound to our Austins HieroÌ„s and Cyprians more then we wil be bound to their Luthers Caluins and Melanchthons At the least then say we they ought to be ruled by doctors of their owne such as they cal and honour for Apostles Euaâ—geâ—istes of their new church and beleefe Yet when the authoritie of such is pressed against them it weigheth no deeper then of those other whom they cal pillorie doctors For how freely contemne they Martin Luther how freely reiect they Hulderike Zuinglius VVe receaue M. Caluin saith T.C. and vveigh of him as of the notablest instrument that the lord hath stâ—rred vp for the purging of his churches and restoring of the playne and sincere interpretation of the scriptures vvhich hath bene since the Apostles time And yet vve do not so reade his workes that vve beleeue any thing to be true because he saith it but so far as vve caÌ„ esteeme that that vvhich he saith doth agree vvith the Canonical scriptures The very self same answere geueth the contrary part wheÌ„ the same mans iudgement is obiected against him I reuerence M. Caluin saith D.W. as a singular man and a vvorthy instrument in Christes church But I am not so vvholy addicted vnto him that I vvil contemne other mens iudgmentes in diuers points not fully agreing vvith him c. vvhen as in my opinion they come neerer to the true meaning and sense of scripture then he doth And because the course of this new diuinitie is now brought to rest most of al on the credit of these reuereÌ„d fathers and doctors and in steede of the auncient forme of alleaging T. us saith S. Chrysostom thus S. Augustin thus S. Basil the fashion is now to alleage Thus saith M. Caâ—uin thus M. Bucer thus M. Bullinger therefore thorough varietie somewhat to avoyde tediousnes and not greue to much the eares of their auditors by flat denyal diuers wayes and reasons haue they to passe ouer when they please the authoritie of such their owne doctors and maisters One way and the same very playne is to refuse them because they were men As for example If you presse me vvith M. Martyrs and M. Bucers authoritie I first say they vvere men and therefore though othervvise very vvatchful yet such as slept somtymes A second way is because they had some other error as M. Bucer you say allovveth priuate baptisme and consequently the baptisme by vvomen It may be that as M. Bucer although othervvise very learned hath other grosse absurdities so he may haue that A third because some other doctor of as good credite and estimation is of a contratie opinion as M. Musculus a learned man is of your iudgement and M. Caluin as learned as he and diuers other are of that iudgment that I haue alleaged This is no great profe on your side nor reprofe of ours A fourth and the same most sure is to chalenge the libertie of the gospel and therefore not to admitte their verdict but at pleasure as Touching M. Bucers M. Bullingers Illyricus allovvance of holy daies if they allovv them in such sort as M. Doctor vrgeth then that good leaue vvhich they geue the Churches to dissent from theÌ„ in that point I do take it graunted vnto me being one of the same church Although as touching M. Bullinger it is to be obserued that since the time he wrote so there are aboue 35 yeres since vvhich time although he hold stal that the feastes dedicated vnto the lord as of the Natiuitie Easter and Pentecost may be kept yet he denieth flatly that it is lavvful to keepe holy the dayes of the Apostles If these serue not the turne a man would thinke their martyrs those who were so ful of the spirite that they willingly shead their bloud and suffered death by fier for confâ—irmation of their faith these mens testimonie should be irrefragable for iustifying of those pointes especially for which they lost their liues But nether want they their old ordinary meanes to shift of the authoritie of these martyrs were they neuer so glorious For although they vvere excellent personages say they yet their knovvledge vvas in part and although they brought many thinges to light yet they being sent out in the morning or euer the sunne of the gospel vvas risen so high might ouersee many thinges vvhich those that are not so sharpe of sight as they vvere may see c. And if they had died for this or that article yet the authoritie of their martyrdome could not take avvay from vs this libertye that vve haue to enquire of the cause of their death Martyrs may not be said to seale their errors vvith their bloud or vvith the glory of their martirdome preiudice those which vvrite or speake against their errors For this is to oppose the bloud of men to the bloud of the sonne of God What remayneth now for the last cast but the maiestie not of one or other doctor or of a few martyrs but of great and ample reformed churches as of France of Germany of Zurike or Geneuâ— yet euen these also passe with like maner of answere And they haue as general a rule to reiect such as they haue the poorest doctor that commeth in their way As for exaple when other reformed churches are brought to reforme the disorders of the English church To vvhich reformed church saith the ansvverer vvil you haue the church of England framed or vvhy should not other reformed churches as vvel frame them selues vnto vs For vve are as vvel assured of our doctrine and haue as good groundes reasons for our doing as they haue except you vvil bring in a nevv Rome appoint vs an other head church and create a nevv Pope by vvhom vve must be in al thinges directed And againe I haue told you and novv I tel you againe that there is no cause vvhy this church of England