rotten chaire or ruinous Rome were the rocke whereon the churche of our sauior Christ is builded And to make the purposed wickednesse of these aduersaries of the verie rocke Christe and his truthe who care not what thei allege for the maintenaunce of their desperate cause of the Popes supremacie though theÌ„selues dooe knowe it serueth nothing for their purpose at all more manifeste to all the worlde I lette the reader vnderstande that Erasmus in his scholies or annotations vpon this epistle whiche M. Dorman were he not asleape muste needes see did warne him that he should not after this sorte so falsifie S. Hierome in this place For though he coÌ„fesse that S. Hierome might seeme by this place to thinke that all churches ought to be vnder the Romaine see or at the leaste not straungers from it yet when he noteth vpon these woordes I knowe the churche is builded vpoÌ„ that rocke he saieth Super illam PetraÌ„ c. Non super Romam vt arbitror nam fieri potest vt Roma quoque degeneret sed super eam fidem quam Petrus professus est quam hactenus Romana seruauit ecclesia qua non alia minus laborauit haeresibus That is to saie Vpon this rocke not vpon Rome I trow for it maie come to passe that Rome also goe out of kinde but vpon the faith whiche Peter professed and the whiche hither to the Romain churche hath kept then the whiche church no other hath been lesse infected with heresies Thus farre Erasmus cleane contrary to M. Dorman and all Papistes who would haue the Romaine see to bee the rocke wheron Christes churche is builded and that the said see can not possibly erre Yea and further the same Erasmus in the beginnyng of his argument vpon his treatie againste the Luciferians whiche is nexte to his twoo epistles to Damasus hath these woordes Nulla haeresis grauius afflixit totius orbis ecclesias quà m Arrianorum adeò vt Romanum quoque pontificem ipsos inuoluerit imperatores That is to say No heresie hath more greuouslie afflicted the Churches of all the worlde then the Arrians in so muche that it hath wrapped in the Bishop of Rome and the Emperours themselues Thus farre Erasmus It pleaseth M. Dorman sometyme to allege Erasmus against vs whose authoritie if it bee good doune goeth the Pope and all Poperie for if the bishoppes of Rome haue been infected with heresie their Chaire is not that vnmoueable rocke as M. Dorman would haue it Now if M. Dorman did not see these notes of Erasmus vpon the place by hym alleged out of S. Hierome I praise his diligence he maie of Dorman bee called Dormitantius as sainct Hierome whom he falsely allegeth called Vigilantius and more iustlie bothe by nature and sounde of name maie M. DormaÌ„ be so called then euer was Vigilantius by sainct Hierome But if M. Dorman did see Erasmus note and dissembled it as he did see these S. Hieromes woordes I folowyng no heade but Christe nexte and moste necessarilie ioigned to the sentence by hym alleged and yet of purpose cutte them of by the necke then is M. Dormans candor and sinceritie vsuall to hym throughout all his booke moste woorthie of plentifull Popishe praise But if Erasmus iudgemente and authoritie be nothyng woorthe but onelie when he seemeth to speake againste vs then I will yet in Christes quarell that he is the Rocke not Peters rotten chaire bring foorth one witnesse not onely greater then Erasmus but also equall with S. Hierome and aboue all Papistes in creadite and authoritie S. Augustine in his 13. Sermon vpon the Gospell of Mathewe hath these woordes Quia tu dixisti mihi inquit Christus Petro Tu es Christus filius Dei viui ego tibi tu es Petrus Simon quippe antè vocabatur hoc autem nomen vt Petrus appellaretur ei à domino impositum est hoc vt ea figura significaret Ecclesiam Quia enim Christus Petra Petrus populus christianus Petra enim principale nomen est ideo Petrus à Petra non Petra à Petro quomodo non à christiano Christê° sed à Christo christianus vocatur Tu es ergouÌ„quit Petrus super hanc Petram quam confessus es super haÌ„c Petram quaÌ„ cognouisti dicens tu es Chrstus filius dei viui aedificabo ecclesiam meam id est super meipsum filium dei viui aedificabo ecclesiam meam Super me aedificabo te non me super te NaÌ„ volentes homines Ä™dificari super homines dicebant ego quidem sum Pauli ego autem Apollo ego verò Cephae ipse est Petrus Et alij qui nolebant aedificari super Petrum sed super Petram ego autem sum Christi Apostolus autem Paulus vbi cognouit se eligi Christum coÌ„temni diuisus est inquit Christus Nunquid Paulus pro vobis crucifixus est aut in nomine Pauli baptizati estis Quomodo noÌ„ in Pauli sic nec in Petri sed iÌ„ nomine Christi vt Petrus edificaretur super PetraÌ„ non Petra supra PetruÌ„ c. That is to saie Because thou haste saied to me saieth Christe to Peter Thou art Christe the sonne of the liuyng God I dooe also saie to thee thou art Peter for before he was called Simon but this name that he should be called Peter was geuen him of the Lorde to th' ende that by that figure he might signifie y e churche For because Christe is Petra the Rocke Petrus is the Christian people For Petra is the principal name and therefore Petrus cometh of Petra and not Petra of Petrus as Christus Christe is not named à Christiano of a Christian but Christianus a Christian is named of Christus Christ Therefore saith Christ Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke which thou hast confessed vpoÌ„ this rocke whiche thou hast knowen saiyng Thou art Christe the sonne of the liuyng God I will builde my churche that is vpon my self beyng the sonne of the liuyng God will I builde my churche I will builde thée vpon me not me vpon thee For men y e would be builded vpoÌ„ men did saie I am of Paule I of Apollo and I of Cephas that is of Peter And other who would not bee builded vpon Petrum Peter but vpon Petram the rocke did saie I am of Christe And the Apostle Paule wheÌ„ he did knowe that he was chosen or preferred and Christ despised by some men saied is Christe diuided Was Paule crucified for you Or were you Baptized in the name of Paule And as not in Paules name no more were ye baptized in the name of Peter but in the name of Christ that Peter might be builded vpon the rocke not the rocke vpon Peter and so foorthe Thus farre S. Augustine And the same interpretation and defence that Christ is the rocke and not Peter doeth sainct Augustine againe in his Retractations repete and maintaine Wherefore you see maister Dorman
A REPROVFE written by Alexander Nowell of a booke entituled A PROVFE OF CERtayne Articles in Religion denied by M. Iuell set furth by Thomas Dorman Bachiler of Diuinitie and Imprinted at Antvverpe by Iohn Latius Anno. 1564 Prouerb 19. 4. Teflis falsus non erit impunitus qui loquitur mendacia non effugiet A false witnesse shall not remaine vnpunished and he that speaketh lyes shall not escape Set foorth and allowed according to the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions Imprinted at London in Fléetestréete by Henry Wykes Anno Domini 1565. 13. die Iuly Cum Priuilegio ad imprimendum solum M. Dormans preface to D. Harding to whom he dedicated his booke and to the Reader are onely omitted for that nothing materiall was conteined in them Of all the rest so farre as I haue proceded not one woorde of M. Dormans either in the treatie it selfe or in his marginall notes is pretermitted There is nothing in this Impression altered from the first sauing onely that M. Dormans euyll handlyng of the auncient Doctours is in some places more at large explicated and that some part of M. Dormans treatie somewhere before diuided is now for more perspicuitie and plainenesse ioyned togeather THE PREFACE to the Reader THOVGH many simple soules may muche meruell at suche plentie of Englishe bookes as are of late so sodeinly sente vs from beyonde the seas by our countrey men there and bothe the authors themselues doo muche bragge therein and their fautors doo magnifie the same exceedingly yet the learned and discrete Readers accustomed rather to vveigh and iudge then to counte and numbre vvill easely consider that it is no harde mater for our aduersaries abouÌ„ding vvith leasure and multitude by common conference of many to patche vp a sorte of suche bookes in Englishe vvherein there is nothing to any purpose vvritten but that vvhiche vvas longe before vvritten in sundry latine bookes and readie to their handes to translate thereout into their Englishe bookes as they thought meete for their purpose so that they be but seely translators or borovvers of those bookes vvhose first authors they vvoulde appeare to be In the vvhiche poincte yet M. Stapleton translating Staphilus his longe Latin booke so longe before vvritten vvorde for vvoorde into Englishe and not dissembling the matter hath dealt therin more simplie theÌ„ the rest of his felovves haue doone By vvhose example the meanest men in learninge and vvitte amongst them all haue they onely a litle vnderâ—â—â—nding in the Latin tongue may lode vs vvith hauocke of bookes vvhen they list For it is vvell kuovven to all that be learned that nothing of vveight or to any purpose can novv nevvly be vvritten for the mainteinance of the Popes vsurped supremacy or any other their matters vvhiche they novv treate of but suche as hath been alreadie both vvritten and printed many yeres agoe in bookes as vvell of the Latin tongue as other languages and the same to be fully ansvvered vnto also to the satisfiynge of the Readers and daily vvinning of greate numbres of men and vvemen of all sortes and degrees from their popishe superstition vnto the truth of the Gospell such bookes as vvell of the one sorte as of th' other beinge rise in the handes of such as vnderstande to such decay of their saide superstition and successe of the truthe as to the vvorlde at this day cannot be vnknovven VVherefore our aduersaries mistrustinge that such kinde of vvriting or rather translating should not appeare vvoorthie to be accoÌ„pted the earnest dooing of any learned or vvise man haue doone vvittely ether to pretende that to be vvriten but lightly for a priuate friende or tvvaine and not mente to be printed but by persvvasion of friendes against their ovvne purpose suffered to come abroade vvhiche yet they in deede haue of longe by common conference elaborated at conuenient oportunitie to be put in printe to the publike patrocinie of their decaied and almost desperate cause or els to appoincte suche to beare the name as the authors of their bookes as may seeme moste meete therefore beinge accompted of all that knovv them for learninge and discretion the simplest men amongst them The same distrust of their ovvne dooinges or rather other mens dooinges set foorth for their ovvne may seeme a cause vvhy they directe their vvritinges either onely or chiefely against the Bishoppe of Sarisburie thinkinge that though they shall absolutely of the matters they take in hande be hable to say nothinge but that is alreadie saide and is likevvise or easely may be ansvvered yet may they seeme abundantly to say to him vvho chalengeth them that they can say nothinge at all and vvho also doth not tie them streightly to the triall of the scriptures the certaine and onely iudges in controuersies of ReligioÌ„ and vvherin in deede they can say nothing at all as shall hereafter be plainly proued but geueth them a moste large scope of all Doctours of the Churche vvho haue vvritten for the space of sixe hundreth yeres after our Sauiour Christes beinge here in earth and of all Councelles kept in the saide continuance of time Out of the vvhiche Doctors and Councelles for that the said Bishop hath aduouched that the best learned of all the aduersaries or all the aduersaries togeather are hable to bring nothing to any purpose for them he hath set all the aduersaries learned and vnlearned a vvoorke by coÌ„mon conference to deuise to say somthing for themselues and against him vvho affirmeth they can say nothing at all And yet fearing least that somthinge vvhiche they all are hable to say â–ª vvill fall out at the lengthe to proue nothinge to purpose they haue all like vvise men agreed that some fevv shall take vpon them to be the onely authors of that something vvhich they all can say least if that somethinge as it is deuised by them all so it should passe abroade in all their names and in time proue nothing at all all their estimation vvere lost at once And for more cautell suche some also to be named for the saide authors as haue not all learninge vvit nor discretion but men of a diuers profession vvho haue yet some fight in Diuinitie as studientes of the same for so they professe them selues VVherin they seeme to me to deale vvith vs as did the Phariseis vvith Christe vvho vvould not come them selues to dispute vvith him but sent their Disciples vvell instructed and furnished vvith all that themselues coulde possibly say to oppose him to th' ende that if their Disciples should obtaine the victorie the glory of their maisters vvho had suche excellent scholers might mount aboue the Moone But in case the scholers should be blanked it might for excuse yet be saide vvhat maruell if yonge men and yet but studientes in the Scriptures tooke a litle foyle But if the olde Doctors come themselues I vvarrant you this nue Prophet shal be othervvise handled And yet like vvise men they
of the deuill other mischieues in the churchâ— in his tyme as we likewise prooue it now to bee in our tyme. And therefore thei that seeke other beginnynges beside this onelie beginnyng other heades besides this onelie heade other doctrines besides this doctrine of this onelie heauenlie schoole maister are the verie authours of the saied schismes heresies endlesse contentions and all other mischieues whiche trouble the Churche of God Now lette vs heare S. Augustine concernyng the scriptures and Councelles who contendyng with the Artians allegyng the Ariminense concilium for them hath these woordes Sed nunc nec ego Nicenum nec tu debes Ariminense tanquam prÄ™iudicaturus proferre concilium nec ego huius autoritate nec tuillius detineris scripturarum autoritatibus non quorumque proprijs sed vtrisque communibus testibus res cum re causa cu causa ratio cum ratione coÌ„feratur c. That is to say But neither I ought to bring foorth the councell of Nice nor thou the Councell of Ariminum as one thereby to preiudice the othâ—r neither am I bounde to th' authoritie of the one nor thou of the other By the authoritie of the scriptures not peculiar witnesses vnto either of vs but common and indifferent to bothe let matter with matter cause with cause reason bee coÌ„pared with reason Thus farre S. Augustine You sée that your Councelles by S. Augustines iudgemeÌ„t ought not to preiudice vs beyng at controuersie with you you se how your councelles are partiall to you as was the Ariminense councell to the Arrians yea and muche more too you see that S. Augustine would not in this case vse the authoritie of the Nicene councell whiche yet of all other had and hath the greatest authoritie and that therefore the authoritie of the Scriptures partiall to none but common and indifferent to all is to bee vsed of all and aboue all as iudge Sainct Chrysostome coÌ„cernyng the same writeth thus Grauior est scripturarum ac prophetaruÌ„ doctrina quaÌ„ siquid à mortuis resuscitati renuÌ„cient quà m si angelus è coelo descendat quae illi dicunt serui sunt qui loquuntur quae verò scripture loquuntur loquutus est Dominus Docet ergo nos DnÌ„s vt scripturis potiùs credendum existimemus quà m caeteris omnibus Whiche is to saie More weightie is the doctrine of the Scripture and the Prophetes then if suche as bee raised from the dead dooe reporte any thyng or if an Angell dooe descende from heauen as for the thinges that thei talke thei bee but seruauntes that speake them but whatsoeuer the Scripture vttereth the Lorde hath spoken it The Lorde therefore dooeth teache vs that wee should thinke creadite should be rather geuen vnto the scriptures then to all other thynges These are the woordes of Chrysostome in that place And in an other he saith Nemo vult ad scripturas attendere si enim aduerteremus non solum noÌ„ incideremus in fallaciam sed etiam alios deceptos inde liberaremus periculo abstraheremus That is to saie No man will geue heede vnto the scriptures for if wee did consider them wee should not onelie not fall into errour our owne selues but also therof deliuer other that are deceiued and pull them from perill So muche affirmeth Chrysostome Sainct Hierome also agreeth to the same who speakyng of a matter conteined in the writynges called Apocrypha saieth Hoc quia de scripturis non habet autoritatem eadem facilitate contemnitur qua probatur That is to saie This because it hath not the authoritie of scripture for it is as easely conteÌ„ned as proued The same saincte Hierome euen in an other place alleged also in the Popes owne Canonnes hath these woordes Non adferamus stateras dolosas vbi appendamus quod volumus pro arbitrio nostro dicentes hoc graue est hoc leue est sed adferamus diuinam stateram de scripturis sacris tanquam de thesauris dominicis in illa quid sit grauius appendamus Whiche is to saie Let vs not bryng deceiptfull balances wherein wee maie weigh whatsoeuer wee luste at our owne discreation saiyng this is heauie this is light but lette vs bryng the heauenlie balaunce of the holie Scriptures as from the treasure of the Lorde and therein lette vs weigh what is of more weight Thus muche concernyng the soueraintie of the Scripture I thought good to bryng out of the Doctours Nowe touchyng the expoundyng and sense of the Scriptures S. Augustine hath these woordes Vbi apertius ponuntur in scripturis sacris ibi discenduÌ„ est quomodo iÌ„ locis intelligantur obscuris c. Where thynges are more plainlie vttered in the scriptures there must we learne how thei are to bee vnderstanded in darke places These bee saincte Augustines woordes who dooth often in sundrie places of his woorkes inculcate and repeate the same Saincte Chrysostome agreeyng with saincte Augustine concernyng the same hath these woordes Ad ipsum diuinae scripturae scopum accedamus quae seipsam interpretatur mox Sacra scriptura seipsam exponit auditorem errare non sinit Whiche is to saie Let vs come to the leuell and marke of the holie scripture whiche dooeth expounde it self And by and by after The sacred scripture expoundeth it self and suffereth not the hearer for to erre Hitherto Chrysostome Now concernyng the authoritie of the scriptures and the Churche there is a moste notable and true declaration thereof in the auncient authour printed with Chrysostome and of long tyme taken for hym who vpon these woordes of our sauiour in the Gospell of sainct Mathewe Qui sunt in IudÄ™a fugiant ad montes That is to saie Thei that be in Iewrie let them flie to the mountaines saith thus Id est qui sunt in Christianitate conferant se ad scripturas Et quare in hoc tempore omnes Christiani conferre se ad scripturas debent Quia in tempore hoc ex quo obtinuit haeresis illas ecclesias nulla probatio potest esse verae Christianitatis neque refugium potest esse Christianorum aliud volentium cognoscere fidei veritatem nisi scripturae diuinae Antea enim multis modis ostendebatur quae esset ecclesia Christi quae gentilitas nunc autem nullo modo cognoscitur volentibus cognoscere quae sit vera ecclesia Christi nisi tantummodo per scripturas Quare Quia omnia hÄ™c quae sunt propriè Christi in veritate habet heresis illa in schismate Similiter ecclesias similiter ipsas scripturas diuinas similiter episcopos caeterosque ordines clericorum similiter baptismum similiter Eucharistiam cÄ™tera omnia denique ipsum ChristuÌ„ Volens ergo cognoscere quÄ™ sit vera ecclesia Christi vnde cognoscat iÌ„ taÌ„ta coÌ„fusione similitudinis nisi tantuÌ„modo per scripturas IteÌ„ ex moribus ipsis priùs iÌ„telligebatur ecclesia Christi quando coÌ„uersatio ChristianoruÌ„ aut omniuÌ„ aut multorum
now to helpe the poore surmised felone somwhat if he appealyng for the triall of his innocencie to God can bryng for hym so many testimonies of Gods owne mouthe as wee are able for our innocencie to brynge testimonies of woordes proceadyng from the mouthe of God and of our sauiour Iesus Christ and yet it will not serue the seelie felowe nor healpe hym any thyng in his plea of not guiltie then I thinke there can not bee a fitter lawe whereby to proceade againste hym then the Popes Canons whiche you knowe well M. Dorman for you haue therein spente more tyme then in the studie of the Scriptures neither can he haue a meeter iudge to condemne hym then the Pope hymself and an handsomer man emongest all men to bee I will not saie his hangman but the foreman of a Popishe quest to passe against the seelie soule shall not any manne I beleue easilie finde nor a fitter then is M. Dorman And thus I lette this his parable passe For that he by the waie saith that there is in our case beside the scriptures an other heade to order vs and kéepe vs vnder meanyng the Pope it is true there is suche a one in deede that hath too longe kepte vs and all the worlde too vnder by his false hypocrisie and horrible tyrannie and he maie also bee called an heade of the churche by the same phrase as Sardanapalus Nero Heliogabalus and suche like monsters were named heades of the coÌ„mon wealthe whiche thei vtterly subuerted and he is in deede the head and husbande too of that cruell stepdame the Popishe Synagoge beeyng a moste horrible murtherer of those whose mother she would be accompted to be That he saieth Christe the thief heade of all vseth in all necessarie knowledge to geue answere by this head to witte the Pope it is M. Dormans position and a false fable The filthie spirites that are called Ventriloqui are more méete to geue answere by suche a polluted mouth Now that it pleaseth M. Dorman to ioigne vs with felons and to conclude that wee as well as thei bee theeues and that as felons would without controlment robbe the bodie so would we doo murther mennes soules he fareth herein with vs as did an hastie scholde once with an honest woman callyng her whoore at the first woorde for feare leaste the other should haue happened firste vpon her name whiche was the same For it is well knowen to the worlde that the Papistes themselues be rather theues and murtherers who by their pardons and Masses and other suche their pedlar pilfrey set a sale haue picked all mennes purses and of the temple of God by suche buiyng and selling haue made a deÌ„ne of theeues and vnder the colour of long praiers of Diriges soule Masses and Trentalles haue spoiled poore widowes houses often tymes takyng awaie by the name of a Mortuarie the onely Cowe whiche with her Milke should haue fedde the sorowfull poore widowe and a seelie sorte of fatherlesse children Whiche Papistes also as thei haue with all crueltie murthered infinite numbers of Christian mennes bodies so haue thei by their poysoned doctrine slaine infinitelie moe thousandes of mennes soules then thei haue murdered bodies and so haue plaied all partes and fulfilled all poinctes of perfecte theeues and murderers too So that a Popishe prieste might moste iustlie bee termed by a Plautine periphrasis trifur trifurcifer Dorman Fol. 9. But let vs examine this reason of theirs wherof thei are wont so muche to triumphe Christe is head of the Churche Ergo the Pope is not Ergo it can haue no other head That Christ is the head of the Churche wee grauÌ„ted before and none of our side did euer yet denie it But as it is moste manifest that Christ himself is the worker of all his sacramentes for he baptizeth he forgeueth sinnes he coÌ„secrateth his blessed body bloud he ioigneth together in Matrimonie the man and his wife yet forasmuche as he should needes depart out of this worlde and could not alwaies dwell with vs after a corporall maner he hath chosen ministers to dispense those giftes by and we saie and no faulte founde therewith that the prieste his minister baptizeth that he forgeueth sinnes that he consecrateth his most pretious body and bloud So after the same maner and for the same cause that is to saie because he could not bee alwaies presente with vs in suche sorte as we might see hym and speake with hym face to face to bee resolued at his mouth of suche doutes and questions as should arise amongst vs he left vs also one that in his absence should gouerne and rule his whole churche He remaineth neuerthelesse head thereof he ruleth he reigneth he exerciseth his power and authoritie in the same but yet by maÌ„ his minister whoÌ„ for that cause moste aptly the Scholasticall writers haue termed caput ministeriale that is to saie a heade but yet by the reason of his seruice and ministerie vnder an other that is Christ who is onely absolutely simplie and without all relation to any other the head therof Not as though he were not able to rule the same without any suche help or instrument whiche he could haue dooen also in the old law where his pleasure was that the people should resort to the chief priest to be resolued in all doutes arisyng apoÌ„ the lawe and had no more nede of helpe then then he hath now but for that this waie it hath pleased hym to showe his exceding greate loue towardes mankind by choosing out of emongest men suche as he wil execute his will by in this worlde suche as he wil vse as his mouthe to interprete the secretes of his holie pleasure to vs and finallie suche as should represente to vs his owne parsone Nowell Now that M. Dorman hath refreshed his readers with his pleasaunte pastyme folowyng the preceptes of his Rhetorike he retourneth to earnest againe and falleth to examination of this reason Christe is head of the Churche Ergo the Pope is not Ergo it can haue none other heade The antecedente he graunteth confessyng that none of their sorte euer denied it though a little before he made a greate wonderyng at it inquiryng by a musing interrogatorie what head thinke you good readers appoincte thei to gouerne Christes church c. And the argumeÌ„t also is good the churche beyng taken as it is there in the Apologie for the vniuersall churche which hath not nor can possiblie haue any one earthly head ouer it to gouerne it as hath béen often at large heretofore declared Maister Dormans examples of Christes ministers of his holie SacrameÌ„tes here in earth make rather against hym then with hym for one chief heade hath many vnderministers in diuers seruices and places vsuallie but what perteineth that to proue that there muste bee one â—eade ouer all places and seruices ecclesiasticall throughout the whole worlde Whiche is vnpossible to bee Neither can your
woorde of God is the true light wherein wee endeuoure our selues to our power to walke Your vnwritten verities are more meeter for blinde Battes to flitter in Wee haue our heade and Iudge in heauen one Christe onelie and in earth one prince and other ministers bothe ecclesiasticall and ciuill to gouerne and Iudge vs accordyng to his holie woorde To iuggle and to coniure too bée your owne Popishe properties we haue nothing to doo with theÌ„ And thus I haue answered M. Dormans asseueratioÌ„s in this place by shorte poinctes which maie suffice seyng he onely saith his pleasure proueth nothing at al. Dorman Fol. 14. Tell them that you haue seen them thriue so euell apon that presumption of theirs so many heresies so many schismes and leude opinions broughte in thereby that you are at a poincte with your selues to leaue them and take that waie that Saincte Hierome in the like case hath doen before you who although his knowledge in the tongues were suche as by the reporte of moste men it passed any others in his tyme yet would not he take vpon hym in the discussyng of doutes to leane to that rule of theirs to laâ—e and conferre together one texte with an other but referryng hymself to the see of Rome he alwaies protested that by that seate and faithe praised by the Apostles owne mouth would he be counceled and ruled Beatitudini tuae id est cathedrae Petri communione consocior To your holines saieth he writyng to Damasus then the Bishoppe of Rome that is to saie to Peters chaire am I ioigned in communion and he addeth a cause whie Super illam Petram aedificatam ecclesiam scio I knowe that on that rocke Peters chaire the Churche is builded Nowell The Pope and Papistes haue thriuen so well vpon their striuyng againste the truthe of Goddes woorde that I trust all the worlde shortly will be at a poinct to leaue them Saincte Hierome saieth no where that he would not compare the scriptures together for the discussyng of doubtes as M. Dorman would beare vs in hande and S. Augustine saieth he would dooe it and exhorteth other to dooe the same S. Hieromes woordes to Damasus Bishop of Rome make nothyng againste vs nor with M. Dorman For what meruaile is it if that sainct Hierome borne in a coaste of Italie Christened at Rome brought vp at Rome and made priest at Rome would in the faith of the blessed Trinitie rather ioigne himself in communion with Damasus Bishop of Rome a learned and godlie man then with Vitalis and Meletius whom M. Dorman calleth Miletus and Paulinus who were Antiochian bishops and therefore straungers to him and also not cleare from the Arrian heresie What argument can M. Dorman frame hereof Hierome a Prieste of Rome c. ioigned hymself in communion to his owne bishoppe Damasus Ergo we Englishemen musie ioigne our selues likewise to the bishoppe of Rome that now is beyng bothe a forainer and an enemie Againe Hierome ioigned in communion with Damasus a godlie bishoppe of Rome Ergo we must submit our selues to a false vsurper and enemie of God and all godlinesse Naie it foloweth rather thus As saincte Hierome refused to ioigne hymself to Vitalis bishoppe of Antiochia and an Arrian bothe because he was a straunger and also an heretike and ioigned hymself to Damasus his owne Bishoppe and a godlie Bishop so ought wée to refuse the Pope beyng bothe a foraine vsurper and a false heretike to ioigne againste hym with our owne godlie bishops at home But will M. Dorman saie saincte Hierome addeth a cause whiche is the pith of the matter saiyng thus Super illam petram c. I knowe that vpon that rocke Peters chaire the Churche is builded whiche is the cause why S. Hierome ioigned with Damasus will he saie But he maie be ashamed had he any shame at al thus shamefully by a false parenthesis to intermingle these woordes Peters chaire in this sentence of S. Hierome and so to falsifie it as though S. Hierome had saied or ment in this place that the Popes chaire is the rocke whereon the Churche is builded And now maie ye see to what ende all M. Dormans long former drifte commeth to witte to bryng vs from the scriptures to Peters chaire that is the Popes consistorie there to bee iudged whiche now at the laste after so long suspensioÌ„ and delaie vnder S. Hieromes name but moste falsly he hath vttered For the more plain declaration wherof I will report here sainct Hieromes woordes a little more largely then M. Dorman hath dooen whiche are these Facessat inuidia Romani culminis recedat ambitio cuÌ„ successore piscatoris discipulo crucis loquor Ego nullum primum nisi Christum sequens Beatitudinis tuae id est Cathedrae Petri communione consocior super illam Petram aedificatam Ecclesiam scio Quicunque extra hanc domum agnum comederit prophanus est Si quis in Arca Nohae non fuerit peribit regnante diluuio That is to saie Let enuie auoide let the ambition of the height of Rome departe I speake to the successour of the fisher and a disciple of the crosse I folowyng no chief or head but Christ am ioigned in communion to your holines to saie Peters chaire vpon that rocke I knowe the Churche to bee builded whosoeuer eateth the Lambe without this house he is prophane or vnholie If one be not in the arke of Nohe he shall perishe when the floud is aloft Thus farre S. Hierome Now if a manne would aske of M. Dorman why he left out those twoo lines wherein S. Hierome admonisheth Damasus as the successour of the poore fisher Peter to laie aside all ambitioÌ„ whiche the greatnesse of the citie of Rome might mooue hym too and withall affirmeth that he will folowe no chief head but Christe whiche woordes are ioigned and by a participle dependyng to that whiche M. Dorman alleged whatsoeuer he shall answere thereto I knowe the true answere M. Dorman did of falsehood and corruption of the meanyng of sainct Hierome thus detrunke and mangle his sentence for he did sée that S. Hierome admonishing Damasus of humilitie and withall professyng hymself to folowe no chief or head but Christ not exceptyng Damasus case but rather affirmyng hym not to be Primum the chief maketh clearely with vs who in this controuersie of the Popes vsurped supremacie saie the same We folow no head but Christ we ioigne in communion with none but suche as folowe hym c. Furthermore he did see that the woordes of S. Hierome folowyng vpoÌ„ this rocke I know the church to bee builded might and ought to bee referred vnto Christe mentioned by S. Hierome so nere before and by Peter coÌ„fessed to be that rocke wheron the churche is builded and therefore M. Dorman left out of saincte Hieromes sentence the meÌ„tion of Christ that he might most falsly and blasphemously referre the rocke to Peters chaire as though Peters
by saincte Augustine that Christe is that rocke whereon the Churche is builded and not Peter nor Peters chaire vnlesse you take Peters confession made before be came at Rome to be his Chaire and then ye make with S. Augustine and vs against the Pope for Rome was not his chaire before he was bishop there You see that Peter is here the figure of the whole Churche in makyng his confessiō not of the churche of Rome onely you see that as Christe is the rocke so representeth Peter the christian people and not the people of Rome onely muche lesse the Pope onely you see that Petrus to saie the Churche is builded vpon Petra Christ and not Petra Christe builded vpon Petrus Peter you see that suche as will haue Peter beyng a man to be their rocke to builde vpon bee sectaries and heretikes diuidyng them selues from Christe despisyng hym and choosyng men and that thei onely be true Christians whiche wil not builde vpon Peter nor vpon any other man but vpon the rocke onely whiche is Christ hymself you see thei that builde vpon Peter maie saie I holde of Cephas whiche is Peter but thei that builde vpon the rocke maie saie I holde or I am of Christe Wherefore I conclude that all that builde vpon the Pope or his chaire as it were vpon the rocke as thei bée called so bee thei in deede Papistes not Christians as were all those false orders of hypocrites who forsakyng to builde vpon the rocke Christ and buildyng vpon men woorse then Peter Paule or Apollo a thousande tymes forsooke to saie Ego sum Christi I am of Christ I am a Christian and saied Ego Franciscanus ego Dominicanus c. I am of Francisce I am of Dominike a Franciscane a Dominicane a Bernardine yea an Augustinian cōtrary to this doctrine of S. Augustine whiche argueth that those hypocrites were neuer of his institution as thei falsely feigned thē selues to be And as S. Augustine witnesseth with Erasmus that Christe is Petra and not Peter nor Rome Peters chaire or see so hath Erasmus felowe witnesses enough of the auncient doctours of the churche yea and generall Councelles too that Popes were heretikes and therefore their chaire was not the rocke but waueryng and vncertaine sande the buildyng whereon did runne to the ruine of heresie Nowe you maie see good readers the cause why M. Dorman hath thus alleged vnto you sainct Hieromes sentence headlesse leauyng out the mention of Christ whom onely S. Hierome acknowledgeth for the head that the wordes of the rocke nexte folowyng might seme to be spoken of Peters rotten chaire or of ruinous Rome and not of our Sauiour Iesus Christe who liueth and reigneth for euer With like fraude did M. Dormā leaue also that whiche nexte foloweth in S. Hierome of the house without the whiche he that eateth the Pascall lambe is a prophane or vnholie man and the arke of Noe without the whiche all that bee perishe by the floudde For though that place might seeme to make for M. Dormans purpose concernyng the supremacie of the bishop of Rome as Erasmus hath noted yet he knowyng or some manne warnyng hym that it is in deede nothyng to his purpose for that the house without the whiche the Pascall lambe maie not bee eaten the Arke without the whiche no man can bée saued frō the floude by all olde doctours is interpreted to bee the one vniuersall churche of Christ and by none to be the churche of Rome and therefore like a wise man orels a false Fore hath he let that folowyng alone also as he cutte of Christe the head goyng and ioigned nexte before and so he hath tolde you a tale bothe without head and taile thereby to proue the Pope who is Antichriste to be the head of Christes churche Dorman Fol. 14. Saie vnto them as saincte Hierome saied vnto the Ibidem heretikes Vitalis and Miletus because thei are aduersaries to this seate that you knowe them not that thei scatter are schismatikes altogether out of the churche that gather not with Peters successour Nowell By your leaue sir you saie vntruelie that saincte Hierome saieth he knoweth not Vitalis and Meletius whom you call Miletus because thei were aduersaries to the seate of Rome but because thei were aduersaries to the true doctrine of the moste blessed Trinitie which Damasus did defende Saincte Hieromes woordes are these Non noui Vitalem Meletium respuo ignoro Paulinum Quicunque tecum non colligit spargit hoc est qui Christi non est est Antichristi That is to saie I knowe not Vitalis I refuse Meletius Paulinus I knowe not Whosoeuer dooeth not gather with thee he scattereth that is he that is not of Christe is of Antichriste Thus farre sainct Hierome I praie you maister Dorman what is in these woordes but thei maie as well bee spoken to saincte Augustine bishoppe of Hippo in Afrike or to saincte Ambrose Bishoppe of Milane or to any other godlie Bishoppe holdyng the truthe of the blessed Trinitie againste Vitalis Meletius and Paulinuus teachyng erronious doctrine and vsyng vnfitte termes thereof Here is neither mention made of this seate or that or the aduersaries thereto as causes why sainct Hierome should not knowe these menne but because thei taught false doctrine and Damasus taught true and therefore gathered not with hym but scattered and were not of Christe but of Antichriste therefore did saincte Hierome not knowe thē he beeyng a Romaine would not acknowledge their errours cloked vnder a straunge and newe inuented Greeke ternie But beeyng a Romaine prieste he well knewe Damasus the Romaine Bishoppe and so consequentlie his owne bishoppe as euery man is bounde to knowe his owne godlie Bishop he knewe his true doctrine and plaine Latine termes whereby he vttered the plaine truthe plainelie and therefore so knowyng hym and his doctrine he ioigned with hym in communion not for the seates sake or for that he was Peters successour therein but for the truthes sake whiche he beeyng Peters successour in truthe of doctrine more then in seate or Chaire did professe Againe the cause why saincte Hierome did not knowe but reiected Vitalis Meletius and Paulinus was not for that thei did not submitte them selues to Damasus as to the supreme head of the Churche or for that cause tooke them to bee enemies as maister Dorman would haue it seeme for there was no suche matter then in question but because thei did not agree with Damasus in the truthe but taughte falselie of the greateste poinctes of our religion and would haue wrapped the same in obscure and strange termes therby to deceiue the more therefore did sainct Hierome not knowe thē This is the true sense of this place good readers as al learned that wil reade it shall easily perceiue Wherfore maister Dorman thus corruptyng and falsifiyng Saincte Hierome by takyng awaie from hym and addyng to hym what he liste and drawyng the woordes of sainct Hierome concernyng the doctrine of
the moste blessed Trinitie to the Popes vsurped supremacie minglyng vs in lente vnguentum to witte matters moste impertinente together might moste iustlie bee blamed in this place therefore sauyng that he dooeth so in all places Finallie I would haue thee good reader to note that as S. Hierome would not knowe Vitalis and Meletius for that thei were forainers and not his owne bishops for that they taught false doctrine and therefore were not of Christ but of Antichrist and for that they were of a straunge language so haue we the same causes altogether not to knowe but to refuse the bishop of Rome and moe too as this specially that he being a forainer would vsurpe suche a supreame authoritie or rather cruell tyranny ouer vs with whom of right he hath nothing to doo Dorman fol. 14. Tell them boldely vvith S. Austen that yovv vvill ovve neither sute nor seruice to their chaire of pestilēce nor be a member of that body that either lacketh a head and is a dead tronke or hath many and is a liue monstre Novvell Be bolde and blushe not M. Dormā as boldly to belie S. Augustine as ye streight before haue dealt with S. Hierome For neither be the woords you doo reherse S. Augustines neither are the greatest part of them to be found in the place by you noted nor y e woordes which be in that place whiche you haue noted whose so euer they bee make ought for your purpose or against vs. You should haue done more simply had you alleaged a proufe for your headles trunke or liue monstre out of Pighius Hosius Pope Boniface his Extrauagants there shall you in déede finde for your purpose for much adoo is made there to saue the Popishe churche as hauing two heades one in heauen an other in earth as they say from being a liue monstre Erasmus being no simple iudge of the true and counterfeite writinges of the olde doctours in his preface before the booke De quaestionibus veteris noui testamēti intitled vntruly to S. Augustine doth by diuersitie of S. Augustines phrase and the phrase of that book probably and by very barbarous and false Latine vsuall in that booke vnaccustomed to S. Augustine certainly and by sundry doctrines in that booke most contrary to S. Augustines doctrine in his bookes vndoubtedly prooue that it is not S. Augustines worke so that it were to muche impudencie for any man but onely Hosius and M. Dorman to alleage it for S. Augustines The woordes of that authour who so euer he was a little more largely rehearsed by Hosius than by you M. Dorman leaste it myght appeare you had followed him to neere are these Eorum qui extra ecclesiam vel contra ecclesiam sedes suas instituerunt Cathedram pestilentiae dicimus Qui enim inconcessa praesumit c. We saye that the chaire of them whiche haue made them sees without or against the churche is the chaire of Pestilence He that presumeth vpon vnlawfull thinges is guiltie howe muche more if he also corrupte the tradition of him whose seate he vsurpeth For they trouble the order begunne of Peter the Apostle and kept to this tyme by the continuance of Bishoppes succeedyng chalenginge to themselues ordre without origine that is to saye professinge a bodye without an head Wherefore it is agreable their seate also to appeere to be the chayre of Pestilence Thus farre that incerteine author alleged by Hosius and nowe by M. Dorman for S. Augustine First if you woulde haue this place to make for you against vs you must proue your selues to be the true churche of Christe which you shall neuer be hable to dooe being in deede the Synagoge of Antichriste Further it appeareth by these woordes vvhose seate he vsurpeth meaninge Peters seate that this was writen in later times against some Antipope wrongfully chosen and intruding himselfe into the Bishoprike of Rome For it hath been no noueltie for these .iii. or .iiii. hundreth yeres to haue .ii. or .iii. Popes at once one chosen at Rome by some Cardinalles an other at Auinion by other some Cardinalles the thirde in a thirde place appointed by the Emperour and one to keepe his Papal see at Rome an other at Auinion in Fraunce the third at Rauenna in Italie or some where els And so some writer in fauour of him by like that was chosen and kept residence at Rome hath written this against some other that vsurped Peters seate and so they beynge many at one time troubled the order of the succession of one after an other begunne at Peter and so continued till such discorde came in by those who settinge vp an other chaire and so not sitting in Peters chaire sate as he saieth in the chaire of pestilence Howsoeuer it be the mater can not be applied to vs who doo not vsurpe Peters chaire Further what woord is there here to proue y e chayre of Rome to be the head of y e vniuersall church but rather to be the head of that peculiar church of Rome onely where Peters successours haue cōtinued Such kinde of head gouernour as we doo not denie euery bishop to be in his own diocesse so yet subiect to his prince as y e bishop of Rome ought to be to y e Emperour his lord To proceede we hauing Christ to be our head our church is no dead trunke as lacking an head and hauing him our head onely other his ministers our gouernours vnder him our churche is no liue monster as hauing many heades no more than our cōmon wealth hauing God the only head in heauen our prince his seruant our head gouernour in earth is therefore a liue monstre or the whole worlde hauing God to his head is therefore a dead truncke because it hath no one onely earthly head nor can haue any such no more can the vniuersall churche throughout the whole worlde haue any suche one earthly head Wherefore as M. Dormā would gather our church to be a dead truncke for that we will not graunt one onely head in earth ouer all the churche though we graunt Christe to be the onely head therof as in déede he is so let him gather in like wise that the whole world is a dead trūcke for that it hath no one onely head in earth though it haue God for his head in heauen and so he may cōclude that god and Christ the authours of life be no heades or no such heades as can saue the bodies whereof they be heades from being dead trunckes except the saide bodies haue a false vsurper from Rome to be their head besides and to geue them life And had M. Dorman had so muche leasure from his diuinitie matters as to haue looked better vpon his notes of the Canon lawe his peculiar studie he would haue bene better aduised than to haue called vs Acephalos headles and therfore dead trunckes who doo obey our owne Prelates seing Acephali as is there
and you haue seene that saincte Cyprian so taketh it The other shewyng that Christian princes are superiours to Bishoppes or high Priestes as was Moses to Aaron or els if Moses were as thei saie a prieste also that there were twoo high priestes in the Iewishe churche at once and so consequently ought to bée in our churches whereby M. Dormans assertion of one head ouer the whole churche is quite ouerthrowen And withal you see how the Papistes theÌ„ selues disobedient to their owne soueraigne appoincted by God to bee their gouernour are the successours of Chore Dathan and Abyron rebellyng againste Moses and Aaron their gouernours by God appoincted Wherefore you maie well vnderstande that were it either profitable or necessarie were it Goddes and Christes pleasure as maister Dorman saieth it is to haue suche an one head in earth ouer his churche God would haue certified vs of a thyng so profitable and necessarie for vs and so pleasaunt to hym in his scriptures where he hath declared his pleasure more plainlie and expresselie then by twoo olde shadowes of the Iewishe Churche whiche also bee suche that thei dooe teache vs cleane contrarie to that whiche M. Dorman saith is so necessarie for vs and Christes pleasure also You se how blindly he goeth about to proue that there ought to be one onely head ouer all the churche bringeth in for proufe therof the regiment of seuerall countreis kingdomes cities c. by seuerall princes seueral magistrates and heades whiche maketh moste directly with vs that seueral churches should in like wise haue their seueral heades And yet he thus dealing auanteth himselfe askinge who is so blinde that he can not sée that he reasoneth effectuously Like blinde bayard laiyng himselfe in the mire and there walowing neieth yet for wantoÌ„nesse as though he were galoping in the gréene and flinging in the plaine You see how often S. Cyprian is by him alleaged for the Pope of Rome his supremacie in those places where he speaketh of Rogatian and of himselfe beyng both bishops of other countreis and places of the equalitie of al bishops whiche is directly against the supremacie of one ouer all You sée in likewise how he alleageth S. Basil bewailing the state of the bishops of the Gréeke and east churche and the decay of their authoritie and of their sées as though he had spoken of the Pope of Rome and his estimation nowe decayed and his see so sore ruined and howe he hath either very ignorantly or moste malitiously by false translation corrupted S. Basil You sée how vntruly he would make Nouatus his othe exacted for the maintenaunce of his heresie to séeme the same that is our othe of obedience to our prince and renouncing of the Popes foraine vsurped tyrannie And howe he would make Vrsitius and Valens to séeme to acknowledge the Popes supremacie onely for that they after long dissention reconciled them selues to Iulius bishop of Rome as they did in likewise to Athanasius bishop of Alexandria in Egypt who by the like reason should be the head of the whole churche as well as Iulius You sée howe he hath alleaged S. Hierome speaking of the authoritie that euery bishop hath ouer the priestes and clergie of his owne diocesse as though he had spoken of the supremacie of the bishop of Rome ouer all byshops and the whole thurche throughout the world Yea and thus hath he not been ashamed to alleage out of suche treaties of S. Hierome as either haue not as muche as one woorde spoken nor meant of the bishop of Rome though the saide treaties be very longe either if any mention be made of him other Bishoppes are expressely made equall in authoritie with hym and therefore his supremacie ouer other Bishoppes cleane ouerthrowen You sée Pope Leo his witnesse in his owne cause can not helpe hym specially the witnesse being corrupted and the copies of his testimonie not onely diuers but cleane contrarie one to an other whiche taketh awaye all creadite from them all And were they as they are surmised Pope Leo his woordes yet they are as you haue séene by S. Cyprian and S. Hicrome euen in the same places by M. Dorman alleaged clearely and fâ—lly confuted You sée howe shamefully he alleageth Nazianzene his sayinges of one God as though they had beene spoken of one Pope of whome Nazianzene neuer dreamed You see the woordes of an vncertaine and vnwoorthie authour boldely without blushyng alleaged for S. Augustines woordes whiche woordes yet were they S. Augustines make nothing against vs. And vniuersally you sée his falshoode in translating or fraude in corruptinge manglinge or addynge to such authors as he doth alleage Neither is his deceite and guile comparable to his impudencie and vnshamefastnesse beinge not abashed to alleage those authours for him who aboue all others moste make agaynste him As namely S. Cyprian and S. Hierome beynge both most plaine and earnest for the equalitie of all byshops and so directly against the supremacie of one ouer all And thus you sée good Readers that such an one head of the whole churche in earth to be neither appeareth to be Gods and our sauiour Christes will or pleasure by any thinge hitherto by M. Dorman alleaged out of the scriptures neither to be the wil of any godly auncient doctour by any thing hitherto brought by M. Dorman out of their writinges neither appéereth it by any good or probable reason by him made to be profitable muche lesse necessarie to Christes church that any such head should be Nay the cleane contrary to witte that it is not Gods nor our sauiour Christes pleasure that it was not the will of the godly auncient doctours that it is neither necessarie nor profitable to Christes churche to haue any suche one head in earth appéereth euidently by the Scriptures doctours and reasons yea and by the same scriptures doctours reasons which are by M. DormaÌ„ for his purpose alleaged And these good reader be those most plaine and euident reasons these be those vrgent causes whiche M. Dorman promysed in the beginninge of this treatie he woulde alleage for the necessitie of one head ouer the whole churche Neyther séemeth it that M. DormaÌ„ him selfe was ignorant of this infirmitie weakenes of his sclender proufes and therfore hath he to call away the readers mynde from this consideration intermingled many matters impertinent as complaintes and lamentations for the great persecutions that they innocent laÌ„bes God wot doo suffer as trifling tales of surmised felons as the defence of Cardinal Hosius one of the greatest estates for learning and vertue as saith M Dorman that this day Christendome hath as long treaties of the Suenkfeldianss Arrians Anabaptistes as declamations against the scripture and conference of tertes of the scripture together whiche he is very oft in hande with declaringe a speciall offence and stomake against the same Al which