or some other like vnto it If this were not youre meaning M. Nowell why cut you of the worde quaÌ„uis at the beginning and these other in the middest Tell vs some other cause if you can Next after these auctorities you alleage a treatie of one fo 73. a. Borowed of the coÌ„fession of wittenberge Tit. de Eccles that you set furth Rhetorically calling him an auncient auctor printed withe Chrisostome and of long time taken for him to proue that the churche must be tried by the scriptures To this place I answere that whether it be Chrisostomes owne worcke from whence it is taken or no this is a thing moste certeine that it is to be warily readen as the boke which hath thrust into it if it be Chrisostomes owne or anie other catholike mannes by some false Arrian heretike manie poisoned and perniciouse sentences for the maintenaunce of the Arrians heresie Emongest other to note to you one or two euen in the. 48. homilie whiche is the verie nexte before this that you alleage here the Catholikes for mainteining the equalitie of Christe with God the father are nombred emongest heretikes and in the. 45. they are called heretikes that holde that the blessed trinitie is equall of like substance and auctoritie And therefore in suche places as this auctor who so euer it be dissenteth from the common faithe of Christes churche we haue iust cause to suspect that there this heretike who hath it appeareth ouerronne the whole hath dipped in his fingres and therefore that we reiect As in this place it is likely that he thought to make a waie for his heresies by chalenging to be tried by the scripture onelie the common request of the Arrian heretikes because the worde they saide Homousion was not to be founde in the scriptures But nowe if these wordes were Chrisostomes owne and not put in by the heretike yeat foloweth it not that because the churche is to be tried by the scriptures onelie that therefore all other questions maie be decided by the same alone For God whose wisedome diuised whose holie spirite brethed whose finger wrote the scriptures as for heretikes that coÌ„temne the auctoritie of the churche he hath so disposed them as Tertullian writeth that they might ministre them Lib. de praescript aduers haeres matter so hathe he againe for them that shal be content humblie to rest in the lappe of the same made that matter by the scriptures so clere that a catholike man maie be bolde to prouoke an heretike yea all the heretikes in the worlde to dispute by scripture onelie of that question whiche and where is the true churche And suerlie so was it expedient that it shoulde be that the churche whiche shoulde iudge of the true sense and meaning of the scriptures shoulde by the scriptures be so euidentlie proued that about that their might be no wrangling As it is not to be merueiled therefore if anie catholike man giue councell to proue the church by the scriptures the scriptures speaking of the churche as hath S. Austen more plainelie then they â—narrat in psal 30 doe of Christe him selfe and therto being writteÌ„ so euideÌ„tly that the textes making for the trial therof nede no interpretatioÌ„ Lib. de vnitate ecdes ca. 16 so can you not reason that all other controuersies in semblable wise must be tried by the scripture because the scripture is more ambiguouse in other maters and because the church is proued so plainelie that it might afterwarde hauing the continuall assistence of Goddes holie spirite and being the piller of truthe assuer vs being in doubte of the true meaning of scripture And thus muche for answere to your long place alleaged to so little purpose out of that auncient auctor printed withe Chrisostome and of long time takeÌ„ for him By whose auctoritie lest the worekes of S. Clement making so muche against youre newe A sleight of M. nowells doctrine might get anie credite being here alleaged by this auncient auctor printed with Chrisostome and of long time taken for him you toke youre pen in to youre hande and cut that sentence clene awaie Hauing nowe spent youre store of testimonies brought fo 74. b. 9 by you to proue that the scripture alone ought to be the iudge of all controuersies you returne to youre olde plea so often auouched and neuer proued that we be the phariseis and therfore can not be the true churche of god that you alleage scriptures against vs as the Apostles did against the phariseis of whom and vs you saye furder as foloweth And I am suer that the high prieste withe his Iuishe churche Nowell b. 29. was able to saye as muche for the ordinarie succession of the highe priestes his predecessours euen from Aaron vntill his time for antiquitie for consent and for vniuersality against Christe and his Apostles so fewe in comparison and as it semed latelye start vp as yowe are able to saye for youre churche or againste vs. But yeat we doe thinke that the worde of God as it was alleaged by Christe and hys Apostles againste the saide high prieste and his churche so maye it and ought it allso to be alleaged by vs againste youre highe prieste and youre churche cet What so euer the Phariseis had to saye againste the Apostles Dorman for them selues they had not this to saye whiche we haue againste you that theire churche was by the testimonies of the Scriptures promised to continue for euer The Apostles proued to them the contrary oute of the scriptures if you can doe the lyke to vs and shewe by euident scriptures that the churche of Christe shoulde for the space of fiftene hundred or nine hundred yeares either be ouerthrowen and at the length restored by a newe Messias we renounce the benefite off succession we giue ouer antiquitie consent vniuersalitye and what so euer elles Thus alleaged the Apostles the worde of God against the Phariseis Thus must you alleage it against vs if you will alleage it at all And whether you be so or no the true church of god seing it Nowell fol. 75. a. 23. is in question and a greater doubte and controuersie emongest men I am suer then can be aboute the sense of anye place off the scripture yow shall neuer be hable to make anie exception to the scripture as no competent iudge in controuersies but we shall be able ten tymes more to make exception to youre Pope and his churche as no indifferent nor meete iudge We make no exception nor euer did againste the scripture Dorman as of it selfe an incompetent iudge to determine controuersies This we saye that the frowardenes of men addicted to mainteine their once receiued opinions maketh that the scripture is not alone sufficient to decide the same till the church haue giuen sentence betwene those that shall thus contende which is the true meaning of the scripture How the scripture decideth controuet
sprong vp euen with youre first maister and his scholers as youre selues can not denie and departe from Christes knowen churche or elles Christe had no churche at all as those disciples off Christe that you speake off did With whom youre resemblaunce is so muche the greater because that as these first heretikes departed from the church Christe and his Apostles because they would not beleue in Christes doctrine of the blessed sacrament so haue you parted a greate nombre of yow from vs for the same cause and mainteine the same heresie as S. Augustine In psalm 54. calleth it Nowe as it were no good reason to proue vs schismatikes because yow are parted from vs being onoe as yow can not denye of vs so can no man iustly charge Christe and his Apostles with that crime because his disciples parted from him And as I answere to this so doe I to youre other obiections of the schismatikes in S. Paules time of those other also of the Nicolaites the Simonians Cerinthians c. who all parting from the knowen churche of Christe ought not to preiudicate the same For their departure was alwaies so sensible that the true christian might saye with S. Iohn They haue departed from emongest Ioan. 1. cap. 2. vs but they were none of vs. The Apostles and their companye remained alwaies a visible and knowen churche So that these examples can nothing helpe to couer your schismaticall sores whereas in Christe and the Apostles them selues there was neuer anye breache of vnitie whiche yow shoulde haue proued lykewyse therby to excuse your first Christ and his Apostles Whereas an other plea of youres is that emongest the high priestes and Phariseis there was no dissention but greate vnity and concorde emongest them against Christes Apostles to that I saye that although they agreed in this all to persecute the Apostles yeat emongest them selues they were Ioseph lib. Antiq. Iudaie 13. cap. 8. diuided into sectes and schismes some being called Phariseis other some Sadduces and yeat a thirde secte called Esseni so that they resemble more liuely yow protestantes then vs catholikes agreing as the Phariseis did against the truthe and diuided also with them into sectes emongest youreselues If you departed from vs as Christ and the Apostles you saie did from the high priestes and their churche then should you be at vnitie and concorde emoÌ„gest your selues as the Apostles were then must you shewe out of the scripture the fall of the churche of Christe the corruption of Esaiae 6â— the same and the restitution in the latter daies to come all Esaiae 66. Hierem. 6. Ezech. 44 Habacuc 2. Act. 7. 13. 28. foreprophecied in the lawe as the Apostles proued oute of the scripture the fall of the Sinagoge the corruption of the high priestes the comming of Messias the placing of the newe lawe that shoulde continue When yowe can proue this and defeate Christes promise made of his churche to be visible and vniuersall ouer all the worlde and to his churche to continue for euer then call vs phariseis hardely Matth. 16. and spare not calle youre selues Christe and his apostles we giue yow leaue For furder excuse of your schismes and diuisions yow fo 56. b. 1. tell vs of the troubles that rose in Iurie and shortly after ouer all the world vpoÌ„ the preaching of Christes gospell c. If diuisions and troubles were then it is not to be merueiled at oure sauiour him selfe saing of him selfe non veni pacem Matth. 10. mittere sed gladium I come not to sende peace but a sworde But oure age is not nowe M. Nowell the primitiue churche oure faithe is not nowe to be begonne of newe It hathe bene with consent of all the worlde established these 12. hundred yeares And therefore youre comparison is lewde and vntrue Yow saie furder And as iustly might yow charge the Apostles and their doctrine Nowell with those schismes sectes and troubles as yow do charge vs with those that haue risen in oure dayes Euer yow harpe vpon that string that yow woulde be Dorman like the apostles which when yow can proue that Christ promised to builde an other churche beside that whereof he made Peter the heade and that frier Martine Luther shoulde be the seconde Messias and Zuinglius or Carolstadius the heade therof then we will easely graunte to you But note againe I praie yow M. Nowell the difference of the schismes arising in the Apostles time and of youre schismes arising in our time The Apostles were not at diuision emongest them selues yow are The Apostles were before those schismes yowe haue risen together with the schismes Those schismes departed out from the Apostles your schismes are within youre selues Againe see the agrement of those schismes with youres and confer the case of the state of the churche nowe with that of the primitiue churche then Those schismes and sectes departed out off the primitiue churche euen so haue yow departed nowe oute of the same churche being of longre continuance They being departed multiplied into mo schismes and parted into farder diuision yow being departed multiply daily from schisme to schisme and newe sectes haue risen sence youre departure from Martin Luther They troubled and disquieted the primitiue church of the Apostles yow trouble and disquiet the catholike churche that nowe is If you demaunde the prouffe of this which I saie answer the booke which I am suer yow will neuer be hable to answere lately set furthe in oure tongue moste truly called The forteresse of the faithe c. And shewe vs as you will stande to it hereafter when the faith and light of goddes holy word which yow saie hathe nowe of late sprong againe was extinguished where and by whome Where it is well knowen to the worlde that oure learned men Nowell haue by their writinges more oppugned and repressed the saide sectes then all the papistes haue done This is that whiche I saide before that yow in dede Dorman wright diligently one against an other which is a moste euident assurance of youre dissention in doctrine And if these youre writinges were in the vulgare tongues to be reade of all men there woulde be no better argument in the worlde to disgrace youre doctrine for euer Whereas yow compare your diligence in writing with that of the catholikes if the late writinges of learned catholikes of all countries especially of Germanie it selfe were in dede compared to youres it shoulde appeare howe false and vntrue this is In dede we must nedes confesse a truthe that whilest we all remained Nowell vnder this quiet obedience of youre Romishe heade in one doctrine of his traditions there was a coloured kinde of quiâ—tnesse c. Foelix necessitas quae cogit ad meliora Happye is the Dorman necessitie whiche forceth to the better Here M. Nowell correcting him selfe for that before he charged vs so heynously withe schismes and sectes wyll somewhat
haue loked so farre in the 34. and 35. leafe of my firste booke Nowe to the place of Chore Dathan and Abiron of the whiche you saye Nowell B. 5. thus Concerning the reason made by Chore Dathan and Abiron that the people ought not to obeye their gouernours because they be all holye * These wordes and the lorde is emōgest them left oute by M. Nowell Dorman and that therefore the magistrates ought not to lifte them selues aboue the Lordes people it is not oure reason cet No in dede M. Nowell as you haue alleaged it it is not youre reason But if you had trulye reported it it woulde haue gone as nere to your reason as twelue pense to a shilling But you doe here as you did before with the reasons of Swenckfielde that is leaue oute the chiefe reason wherein the comparison is made and then crie oute vpon me for making suche wise comparisons Who seeth not that I compare you hereto these schismatikes refusing to obeye Moises and Aaron not because they saide they were all holy but because they added in ipsis est Dominus and the Lorde is present with the multitude as you refuse that one heade of Christes churche because Christ is present with his churche As for the wordes that you note here in the margent of youre boke multitudo sanctorum and populus domini papae as though you coulde thereby make some shewe that this place might be applyed to Chanon Chore Deane Dathan and his felowes it deserueth to be rather laughed at then answered seing that bothe it is a manifeste lye wherewith you sclaundre the cleargye who neuer called them selues the holy people of the greate Lorde of Rome as you here feine and also it is well knowen that what so euer libertyes and immunities the cleargye had the same were giuen as the faithe encreased by Emperours and kinges them selues and therefore they were moste far from the maner of reasoning vsed by these schismatikes Nowe whereas M. Dorman alleageth the Apologie as thus reasoning Nowell B. 25. that the churche hathe no neede of anie other ruler because Christ is with it truth it is if M. Dormā doe meane one only heade of the vniuersall church For Christe nedeth no suche generall gouernour seing he is bothe present him selfe continually by his spirite as he promised and also for that he hathe in euery peculier countrie and churche his Moises and Aaron that is to saye his feuerall deputies in his steede euerye where here in earth for that no one mortall man can possibly suffice to the gouernaunce of the whole worlde or churche c. If he nede gouernours of euery peculier churche where Dorman he is no lesse present then with the whole why nedeth he not aswell one chiefe heade to gouerne the whole who shall emongest so manie heades diuided into partes euerye one thinking his opinion to be best strike the stroke and preserue vnitie If yowe saie God maie so preserue euerie bishop that he fall not into heresie you put god to worke daily mo miracles then he doth to preserue the chiefe bisshop of all whiche yet you stagger to graunte as a thinge impossible The wordes folowing in youre Apologie that no one mortall man can suffice to the gouernement of the whole fo 96. a. 3. worlde or church I of my accustomed sinceritie omitted yow saye And what haue you gotten by it nowe you haue alleaged it youre selfe Verilie this that you will make all men vnderstande that god is able with you to doe no more then you list to giue him leaue but of this I haue entreated before sufficiently You saye that you are far from rebelling Nowell against youre naturall soueraigne and other gods ministers appointed to gouerne you c. But how farre M. Nowell I Dorman praie you Who made the boke of succession at home Who sounded the two traiterouse blastes against the mōstrouse regiment of women their Quene being a woman From whence were they blowen but from the lake of Gehenna Who grudgeth against the princes ordinaunce in matters indifferent and of small importance no greater then of a square cap Who made warre against their prince in Scotland Who set all Fraunce in an vprore against their king Who but that vnhappy vermine the protestants That which foloweth fol. 96. b. and 97. a. b. is answered before That the waye to ouerthrow Fol. 68. vsque ad fol. 106. heresies is not by the only scripture The 27. chapiter THIS matter hath bene sufficiently handled before in the 21. chapitre And allthough in me it be a greate faulte and highly laide to my charge to alleage thrise one place of scripture yet muste yowe good readers beare withe M. Nowell if he alleage his absurde and wicked assertions more then six times thrise and maie not in any wise twite him with the prouerbe Crambe his that to muche of one thing is naught yea allthough he neuer proue anie of them once But maie yowe not be ashamed M. Nowell so vniustly to M. Nowell repre hending other men for vnreuerent speaking of the scripture speaketh of all other most vnreuerētly him selfe charge Pighius and Hosius with vnreuerent speaking of the scripture when youre selfe in this place applie your prophane prouer be to signifie that to muche of scripture maie be nought that anie place thereof maie so often be alleaged that it shoulde become vnsauory By what auctoritie claime yow I praie yowe tell vs suche libertie that yowe maie speake of the scriptures that whiche is vnlaufull and plaine blasphemie and other maie not vse so muche as similitudes or comparisons betwene the scriptures and other prophane thinges Why is it laufull for yow so oftentimes to repeate these heathenishe wordes that it is impossible for one man assisted by gods grace for otherwise we affirme it not to gouerne the whole churche of Christe that we be like to the Phariseis and high priestes of the Iues you to Christe and his apostles that there ought no more to be one chiefe heade to gouerne the churche then one emperour to gouerne the whole worlde that the pope can not be iudge in his owne cause as though goddes cause were his owne priuate cause with suche like absurdities a nombre mo and maie not be laufull for me to alleage thrise the holie scripture of God to proue three seuerall pointes Firste that it coulde not be likely that God prouiding for his chosen The place of Deuter. alleaged by me thrise to three seuerall purposes people the Iues a chiefe and heade gouernour to ende and determine all their controuersies woulde not for his churche whiche he loueth more tendrely where he knewe shoulde be greater nede doe the like nexte to answere thereby youre foolishe reason Christe is heade of his churche and present allwaies withe it therefore there nedeth no other By which reason I saide that God shoulde haue prouided for the Iues no chiefe
wolud woulde   26 ouersthrowe ouerthrowe 27 b 25 tho warte thow arte 51 a 32 betwe betwene 57 b 3 saunderouse slaunderouse 58 a 29 as in well as well 64 b 2 plaees places 65 b 3 praesbiterum presbyterum 74 a 24 ades heades 81 b 25 Macedonio Macedonia 82 b 5 nexte chap. nexte chap. saue one 96 b 6 Agipto AEgipto 98 b 26 Aricans Africans 108 a 1 toke on take on 155 b 10 amsuer am suer 179 a 15 churchand churche and 182 a 13 not not cōpare not compare 192 b 23 * Specially to be corrected fidei ecclesiae 198 b 1 call then call them 205 b 32 African Africanes    esbeare beare 211 b 7 in ipiet incipiet    * Specially to be corrected ipsa est sedes Petri ipsa est petra    shall not doe not In margine 86 a 21 Dorman Nowell 108 a 28 Goddes gooddes If yow finde any other faultes I trust yow will frendely amende them youre selues and considre that we printe not withe suche ease as doe oure aduersaries whose bookes yeat lacke not their faultes HONY SOYT QVI. MAL. Y. PENSE God saue the Quene A DISPROVFE OF M. NOVVELLES REPROVFE THAT the sentence prefixed before my boke to proue the Protestants Schismatikes was not abused and that M. Nowell hath passed ouer in silence the chiefe pointe in it The. 1. Chapter I TOLDE yow M. Nowell before that in this youre long Reproufe of mine so fewe leaues yow had for youre pleasure walcked oftentimes farre out of the way and that therfore I woulde in no wise binde my selfe allwaies to folowe your steppes As euen here in the very entrie to giue men to vnderstande what they are lyke to finde yow in youre whole processe leauing S. Austens interpretation vpon the place of scripture wherby he proueth them to be Math. 7. the rauening wolues that are schismatikes and those to be schismatikes who communicate not with all nations nor those churches that haue bene founded by the Apostles labour yow slily slip from that to youre owne and beare vs in hande that we are the Phariseis of whome oure Sauiour spake the saide wordes Because we walcke grauely in long garmentes pretende long praiers c. Leauing therfore all this by talcke of youres as wide from our purpose I will come to the pointe of the question which is betwene vs M. Nowell whether I lacked iudgement or store of choise in choosing this sentence of S. Austen to sette before my boke or no. Of the which I saie that all were it so that yow had clerely vanquished S. Austen and proued that this texte had bene to be vnderstande against vs because we go in long gownes grauely and yow clime in clokes vp in to pulpites or walcke in long robes lightly yeat had this mised to leaue no one suche sentence vnanswered Ergo the reader maye iudge by this how likely yow are to deale truly hereafter that begin so trustely That the places alleaged by me oute of S. Cyprian Lib. 3. epist 11. and lib. 4. epist 9. were alleaged to the purpose The. 2. Chapter I conclude therefore that these places are by M. Dorman falsely Nowell Fol. 2. b. 7 and shamelesly alleaged to make a showe or as he calleth it an introduction to the B. of Romes auctoritie whereunto they appertaine nothing at all but onely to the euersion thereof I neuer brought these places M. Nowell to proue the Dorman popes supremacie Yow nede not therfore to trouble youre selfe with the prouse of this that they apperteine to the deacon disobeing his bishop Rogatian and to Pupianus abusing S. Cyprian But allthough I graunte yow thus much M. Nowell yeat that these places because they proue not the popes supremacie appertaine therefore nothing at all to him but only to the euersion of his auctoritie that faultie and vntrue conclusion I can in no wise graunte to yow not allthough yow thinke to vnderproppe that ruinouse collection as yow doe with this sclendre staye that there is not one worde in these places of the bishop of Rome Fol. 2. a. 1. b. 6. or hys Supremacy nor he as muche as once named therein For yow shoulde haue considered M. Nowell that I entreate here in this place of the maner and nature of heretikes and schismatikes Which is I saie to rebell against their heades to contemne their superiours and laufull gouernours Nowe as youre selfe woulde not I trowe saie that if anie of yow shoulde by writing or anie other vnlaufull meanes which god forbid go about to stirre vpp the people against oure laufull Quene he shoulde speake impertinently to the purpose that to disswade them therefro shoulde begin his purposed talcke after this manner Remembre my frendes that the nature and propretie of heretikes is and allwaies hath bene after that they be once waxen strong to rebell and make warre against their laufull gouernours Remembre the late tumultes raysed in Fraunce by the Huguenotes there against their gouernour as I saie it is not to be thought that yow woulde reiect this mannes exhortation calling it impertinent to the matter tending to the euersion of the Quenes auctoritie because the example brought was of disobedience to an other prince betwene him and his subiectes and not in termes of the Quene oure maistres so surely ought yow no more to haue quarelled against me bringing these examples out of S. Cyprian Especially seing that I presupposed and afterwardes proued in the discourse of that article that the B. of Romes auctoritie was no lesse ouer the whole churche in spirituall matters then is that of other princes ouer their seuerall kingdomes in temporall iurisdiction The which pointe if yow had done ordrely yow ought first to haue confuted that so iustlie after suche disproufe yow might haue reproued the applieng of these auctorities There is no mention made in anie of these places of the B. of Cauntorbury ne yeat of London neither all though youre selfe graunte that by these places yt is proued that euery inferiour ought to be obedient to his owne bishop as Fol. ◠b. 14. his superiour and that the disobedience of suche is cause of schismes and heresies Whereupon what letted me in my preface to applie aswell these places to the disobeing of the B. of Rome allthough he be not there named as for yow when the case shall so requier to applie them to the bishoppes of Cauntorbury or London no more there then the pope mentioned by name Who is as I saide before as truly the bishop of the whole church as anie other is ouer his owne propre diocesse Yow go forwarde and saie Onely this is moste euident in what sense so euer S. Cyprian Nowell fo 2. b. 19. taketh these wordes One bishopp that ruleth the churche the B. of Carthage is that one bishop and not the B. of Rome and therfore that phrase of one bishop can make nothing
of heresies and schismes when men shoulde departe from the obedience of the pope the chiefe bishop of all other and therefore neither without cause or guilefully to deceiue the simple as yow vncharitably surmise Which youre selfe also perceiued verie well and therefore by the figure called extenuatio you terme this reason of mine a simple collection after this maner Now if he thinke yeat that he might make suche a simple collection Nowell fol. 5. a. 31. of S. Cyprian and S. Basile his wordes as this that as the beginning of heresies in their time was the contempte of the inferiours towardes their owne bishoppes for so Saint Cyprian teacheth so in likewise is the contempte of the Pope as the highest of all bishoppes the beginning of heresies nowe First I denie the argument for that it foloweth not though it be euill for the inferiour to disobey his owne bishop to whose obedience in all godlines he is bounden therefore it is euill for a straungier not to obey a straunge forraine vsurper to whome he oweth no dutie of obedience Againe I saie though it be the beginning of heresie to disobey Cyprian Rogatian yea or Cornelius being godly or catholike bishoppes yeat is it not likewise the beginning of heresies to disobeye any the late Popes of Rome who were not only no godly bishoppes as were Cyprian Rogatian and Cornelius but bothe moste wicked and in deede no bishoppes att all but false vsurpers of wordly tirannie Whome for the subiectes of an other Christian and laufull soueraigne to obeye and not to disobey is the beginning of heresies treasons and other mischiefes This is my simple collection you saie I acknowledge it Dâ—â—man for mine as simple as it is and to youre double answere thereto replye as foloweth First to the first that it is moste false that you laye for a grounded truthe that the bishop of Rome is a forraine vsurper as when I so gathered in my introduction I minded to proue in the handling of the first principall article of the popes auctoritie and so sence haue done Whereof seing youre selfe are not ignorant you haue delt not simply but doubly labouring to deceiue the simple by defacing as you thougth my preface as vnskilfully written for that I haue there only sayde and not proued that the pope is the chiefe heade of Christes churche in earthe whereas that I referred as by good ordre of writing the learned knowe I ought to the first article of the popes supremacie To the reasons and proufes in which place brought as in all youre answere you neuer come neare but cauill and wrangle against my Introduction whiche showeth the cause of schismes to be disobedience against pastours and bishops so if they be applied to this place as they must then shall it appeare how falsely you saye that the wordes of S. Cyprian were alleaged without all cause But because the whole force of this first answere of youres to proue my argument naught standeth in this that the bishop of Rome being a forriner no suche reason can be made from S. Cyprian and S. Basile his wordes I will here ouer and aboue that which I haue allreadie saide in the handling of this article in his propre place presently proue The pope taken for no foriner by S. Cyprian and S. Basile by S. Cyprian and S. Basile bothe that he was taken by them for no foriner neither in Africa Fraunce Spaine neither yeat in the Easte churche of the whiche S. Basile was For Africa first was the B. of Rome thinke yow taken Afrike there by S. Cyprian to be a forraine vsurpar whose churche he called ecclesiae catholicae radicem matricem the roote Lib. 4. epist 8. and mother churche of the catholike churche If the churche of Rome be the roote and mother to all other churches then if the mother be aboue the children if the mother and roote be no foriners to the children and branches of the tree it will folowe verie wel first that the churche of Rome as it is no foriner to the churches of Africa and to the other churches through out the worlde but aboue them all that so the bishop of the same is aboue the B. of Carthage and all other bishoppes and no foriner or vsurper And as carnall children how farre so euer they lyue from their naturall parentes cease not therfore to be their children nor their saide parentes become therby forriners euen so the bishop of Rome who gouerneth that churche that is mother to all other ceasseth not to be a father to his children dwell they neuer so farre of Was the B. of Rome reputed a straunger to the bishoppes of Africa Lib. 4. epist 8. who vsed to sende their legates to him to pacifie matters and to bring knowledge of the truthe Whose communion to holde S. Cyprian calleth in this epistle the firme holding and allowing of the vnitie and charitie of the catholike churche When all the African bishoppes assembled together in councel directed their lettres to the bishop Apud August epi â–ª 90. of Rome praying him to confirme their doings by the auctoritie of the Apostolicall See pro tuenda salute multorum quorundam peruersitate corrigenda for the preseruation of the healthe of manie and the amendement of the frowardenes of diuerse toke they him thinke yow for a forriner If S. Cyprian had had of the See of Rome that opinioÌ„ that you would gladlie persuade men he had woulde he thinke we haue saide of those schismatikes that sailed oute off Africa to Rome to complaine vpon him to Cornelius Post ista adhuc insuper c. Beside all this they haue bene so Lib. 1. Epist 3. bolde hauing appointed to them by the heretikes a false bishop to saile euen to Peters chaire and the principal churche from whence priestly vnitie sprang and to carie from schismatikes and prophane men lettres not considering that the Romaines are they whose faithe by the Apostles mouthe is praised and to whome false faithe can haue no accesse Woulde he haue saide Romam cum mendaciorum suorum merce nauigarunt quasi veritas post eos nauigare non posset quae mendaces linguas rei certae probatione conuinceret They are sailed to Rome with their marchandise of lies as though truthe coulde not saile after them able to conuince their lieng tongues by suer and vndoubted proufe Naye he shoulde and woulde you maie be suer had he bene of youre minde haue saide Let them go on goddes name what care I for the bishop of Rome Shall I be so foolishe to folowe them to debate the matter before him who is a plaine forriner to vs and hathe nothing to doe therein For thus woulde yow I dare saie at this daye answere if one shoulde go to Rome and complayne of you But nowe considering that saint Cyprian saied not thus but contrariewise made his account to stande with them and trie the matter before the bishop of
of youres to Dorman this place borowed of Ruffians and ribauldes not of any that haue either learning or witte is most farre from the auctours meaning whiche as anie that vieweth the place will easely perceiue so is it in Eusebius from whome Nicephorus toke it moste euident euen at the eye For Eusebius hath that Nouatus made them sweare per ea quae vnusquisque tenebat in manibus by those thinges which euery one Lib. 6. cap. 34. of them helde in his handes but they sware by the bodye and bloud of Christe saieth Nicephorus ergo they had the bodie and bloud of Christe in their handes Well although you doubted whether youre stamping staring and swearing alehouse solution shoulde finde with all men suche credite that they woulde by and by beleue yow yeat of this you doubted nothing to make some men at the least beleue that the doctrine of transsubstantiation Fol. 8 a. 4. were by this place quite ouerthrowen and withall to set furth youre selues to the worlde as the verie folowers of the primitiue churche in deliuering the sacrament into the receiuers handes But this ioy if you conceiued anie hereof you are like to enioy but a while M. Nowell For both Eusebius and Nicephorus calling here the sacrament by the name of bread are to be vnderstand to haue folowed therin the phrase of scripture which either so calleth it as did S. Paule because a littell before it so was as Moises rod being 1. Cor. 11. turned in to a serpent was in scripture called notwithstanding Exod. 7. a rod and saide by the name of a rodde to haue deuoured the roddes of the enchauntors which were also serpentes or as oure sauioure him selfe did not meaning by this worde bread the substance of materiall bread but the true bread of life Ioan. 6. Whereas you saye oute off Nicephorus that they Fol. 8. b 5. tasted that which they receiued and expound it thus that is to saye bread that is youre owne blinde glose and is not in the text If you woulde nedes playe the expositour yow should haue referred that tasting of theirs to the bodye and bloude of Christ which he made them sweare by and which went next in the sentence before So shoulde yow haue done the part of a true interpretour and haue made Nicephorus agree with the auncient fathers of Christes churche and namelie to omitt Tertullian Chrisostome and diuerse other with Cirillus the B. of Alexandria who saith of this matter quomodo Lib. 4. in Ioan ca. 14 non viuemus qui carnem illam gustamus manducamus How can it be that we shoulde not liue who doe both taste and eate that fleshe But what speake I of making him to agree with other when by this meanes you shoulde haue made him to agree with him selfe who in other places for that which he calleth here simply bread ioining thereunto an epithetoÌ„ calleth it vitalis panis liuely bread And whereas Lib. 1. cap. 30. yow would haue him to saye that in this place the communicantes held breade in their haÌ„des and tasted breade in rehearsing the oration which S. Ambrose made to Theodosius the emperour minding to entre in to the churche of Milain bringeth in S. Ambrose emongest other thinges speaking after this sorte Quomodo manus extolles quae caede Lib. 12. cap. 41. iniqua diffluunt Quomodo in eis diuinuÌ„ etiam corpus excipies Quomodo sanguineÌ„ praetiosum ad os afferes per quod ira transuersim actus tantuÌ„ effudisti sanguinis that is How wilt thow lift vp thy handes which flow with wicked murdre yea how wilt thow receiue in them the diuine body How wilt thow bring to thy mouthe the pretiouse blood by the which being caried away with angre thow hast spilt so muche bloud B. 15. S. Austen calleth the sacrament of Chrâ—stes bodie and bloude the sacrament of the altar I made no lye neither yeat dissembled the truthe or cloked the matter as yow charge me vntruly by calling this heauenly and liuely bread the blessed sacrameÌ„t of the altar with the which worde if yow be offended yow maye chalenge S. Austen for his worde it is and not mine It is yow M. Nowell that haue muche daungered youre honestie by falsifieng this place of Nicephorus For where he hath Cum Lib. 10. de Ciuit dei cap. 6. oblationes offerret qui mos sacerdotibus est when he offered the oblations as the maner of priestes is yow adde to the text this worde his and saye when he made his oblations Which The place of Nicephorus falsified worde of youres so conueighed in is such a spiteful worde as destroieth the whole minde of the auctor For whereas we defende the consecration of Christes bodye and bloude of which name yow are ashamed as appeareth by youre ConsecratioÌ„ as they terme it although S. Austen so affirmed the same against Manicheus the heretike that he saieth plainely iff Lib. 20. cap. 13. the bread and chalice be not consecrate it is foode for refection but not a sacrament of religion whereas we I saye defende such consecration to be an oblation and sacrifice when yow sawe the wordes of Nicephorus to meane the publike oblations of the whole churche which are the bodye and bloude of Christe yow thought that sense to be litle for youre aduantage and therfore it semed good counsell to shift in the worde his to the intent it might be thought that Nouatus had offred somewhat of his owne priuate deuotion Let the worlde nowe iudge M. Nowell whether this be true dealing or no. As for youre bragging how yow folow the vsage of the primitiue churche by giuing the sacrament into their handes who receiue it I aske yow this question grounding the Ad Ianuar epist 118. same vpon S. Austen why yow wrangle more aboute the giuing the sacrament in to the receiuers handes because they so toke it in the primitiue churche then yowe doe about the receiuing it fasting which Christ and his apostles did not If that be altered which Christ and his apostles did for the more honour of this greate sacrament why might not for the same reason or for some other as greate or greater the other manner of receiuing it into the handes be abolished also and taken awaye and yow counted schismatikes for breaking the peace of the church Why cause yow not yong babes to communicate againe as once they did in the primitiue churche and then make youre bragges thereof to that yow kepe the vsage of the primitiue churche Now that yow haue discoursed learnedly as yow thinke Fo. 9. a. 3. vpon the place of Nicephorus with charging me off mingling impertinent thinges by the waye c. Whereas he that hath but halfe an eye maye see that without I woulde haue out of halfe the sentence I coulde doe no otherwise then I did Which if I had yow woulde not belike neither haue
table c. And that S Paule calleth it mensam dominicam oure Lordes table To the facte of Christ maye be answered two wayes Dorman First that we considre not in this word altar so muche the matter whereof it is made as we doe the thing which is executed vpon it For it is not stone that maketh it to be called an altar no more then wood siluer or golde but it is the sacrifice done vpon it which maketh it so to be called So that when Christ our sauiour instituted this sacrifice or oblation of the newe testament as namely the auncient father Irineus calleth it although as yow saye Li. 4. c. 32 men had in those daies in their houses no altars in stede of tables yeat was this table made an altar by Christes offring him selfe thereapō Again if you will yeat reason that because it was a table of wood or a woodden altar therefore we must change the ordre off Christes churche and downe with oure stone altars and set vp tables of wood then must I answere you that this was one of the thinges which oure sauiour determined nothing of but lefte to the discretion August epist 118. of his Apostles by whom he would dispose the busines of the church and that by the same very mene that you wolud haue altars pulled downe you may also ouersthrow churches b. 13. A reason of M. Nowelles to ouerthrowe churches For except you think M. Nowel to vse your own reason made here against altars that mē vsed to dwelle in those daies in churches in stede of priuate housen you wil graunte I dare saye that Christ instituted this sacramēt in a priuate house and so by that reason of youres down with the churches and let your cōmunion be ministred in parlors of priuate houses Neither I nor al the papistes with me yow say cā bring so muche Nowell b. 20. out of the newe testament for altars as you haue done for the Lordes table Yes that I can my selfe alone M. Nowell without anie Dorman other helpe Is the first epistle of S. Paule to the Corinth anie parte of the newe testament I trust you wil saye yea seing that one of youre places is taken out of that epistle Yea but is the ninth chapitre anie parte of that epistle If it be then haue you there expresse mention of altars where the texte saieth that they that serue the altar shall liue by the altar And againe to the Hebrues we haue an altar whereof they maye not eate that serue the taberuacle Where you 1. Cor. 9. can not saye that he ment of any altar other then of the Hebr. 12. newe testament for he compareth together the tabernacle of the olde law and the altar of the new How saye you nowe M. Nowell haue we scripture for altars out of the newe testament or no I thinke you will say that we haue and he that shal wel way the places that they are better applied thē are youres toe For whereas you woulde seme to wipe away all such places of the fathers and aunciēt writers which be infinite and the worde altara hundred times no doubt mētioned in their writinges for the worde table once by a figuratiue speche by which reason and by better to as you haue by figures robbed vs allready of Christes body and bloud the sacrifice of the churche so you might bring the temple it selfe to a figure because the Apostle saieth templum Dei quod estis vos the temple of God which are you it is the worde table that is figuratiuely vsed aswell in the scriptures as the fathers writinges As namely in this place here alleaged by you of the Apostle where it is saide Yow can not be partakers of the table of the Lorde and of the table of the 1. Cor. 10. diuels Is not the worde table which you here bring to proue M. Nowell auoiding the worde alta◠by a figure alleageth the worde table that can not otherwise be vnderstand youre communion table by whereas if you woulde nedes vse that worde you shoulde haue taken the table here mentioned in the seconde place which agreeth more aptly thereto is it not I saye a plaine figuratiue worde signifieng to vs the feast or banket exhibited thereupon For when he sayeth partakers of the table it shoulde go verye harde with them that shoulde eate if that were propre speache you wote well And thus you maye see that we haue not onelye scripture for altars aswell as you but more proper also and that better proue the same then the places by you brought You saye that if S. Basile and some other olde writers call it Nowell fol. 14. b. 27. an altar that is no propre but a figuratiue name c. O M. Nowell you knowe well inough howe euer you Dorman woulde here extenuate the matter that it is not S. Basile alone with some fewe other that so call it but all the auncient writers euen from the Apostle Paules time to oures haue so called it and that the contrarie is moste true that as they haue vsed this worde table seldom times so they haue vsed it at suche times as did S. Paule to signifie by a figure either the heauenly banquet deliuered vpon the same or for that an altar hath the office and is in dede a spirituall table The whiche thing youre selfe woulde not sticke to graunt were it not that the graunting of a true altar were like to enforce a true sacrifice But to the entent the worlde may perceiue how you abuse them both in the one and the other I wil here oute of certaine aunciēt writers saye so muche as I trust they shall all perceiue that this figuratiue altar and figuratiue sacrifice is the false fable and vaine dreame that you speake of onely mete for such figure flingers as you are your selfe M. Nowell Touching altars that they be not so called of the fathers by figure but truly what better proufe can you haue then out of Martialis the B. of Burdeaulx one of the 70. disciples of our Sauiour who speaking of suche altars as were throwen downe by the Apostles and at the last of that dedicated to the vnknowen God whereof is mention made in the actes of the Apostles writeth thus Dum altaria daemonum Act. ca. 17. Epistol ad Burdegalens in puluerem redigerentur aram ignoti Dei reseruari iussimus Qua dedicata in nomine Dei Israel ipsius testis Stephani qui pro eo a Iudeis passus est non hominis cultum sed Dei in ea frequentatis That is to saye while the aultars of the diuels were brought to powder we commaunded the altar of the vnknowen God to be reserued The whiche being dedicate in the name of the God of Israel and of his witnesse Steuin which suffred for him of the Iewes you doe not now practise thereupō the worshipping of man but of god Can there be
a plainer place then this M. Nowell to proue that which you denie and which you woulde drawe to so greate an absurdite as that because the Iewes had altars b. 25. therefore it were vnlaufull for vs to haue them Whereas you here may learne that Christes owne disciples without pulling downe without anie other changing or altering then by dedicating it in the name of god and S. Steuin vsed a material altar to worship God vpon Can you cal this a figuratiue altar Chrysostome in a certaine homely or sermon that he Homil. 53. made to the people of Antioche asketh this question Si quis hanc destrueret domum hoc suffoderet altare nonne quiâ—◠〈…〉 prophanum impium 〈…〉 woulde not euery man caste stones at him as a prophane or wicked man How thinke you M. Nowell when to ouerthrowe altars they must be digged vp ment Chrysostome of figuratiue altars or reall tables There nedeth you wote wel neither matock nor pykeax to remoue youre tables If there did they woulde not I trow walke their stations so often in the churche from place to place as they doe especially if the clarcke or ministre shoulde be in daunger to be stoned to deathe to be taken for a prophane and wicked man so often as he shoulde doe it For altars this maye suffice especially the testimonie of Chrisostome who liuing in the same age ought to persuade all reasonable men what maner of altars they were that S. Basile ment of rather then M. Nowels simple reason because it is saide that Fol. 15. a. â— Christ offred him selfe vpoÌ„ the altar of the crosse therfore no altars maie be set vp vnlesse we will turne all crosses in to altars Wheras although it were true that he imagineth that the crosse whereon Christ suffred was called an altar by a figure as in dede to him that considereth the greke worde it is not true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but false for a true altar was it yeat had it not folowed that because there was a figure in those wordes where so euer in anie place elles there shoulde be mention made of an altar there it shoulde be vnderstand by a figure For the sacrifice offered vpon oure altars which we saye to be the verie bodye and bloude of Christe Yow phantasye to be a spirituall thankes giuing onely and drawe to the sacrifice of praier how muche might here be saied to the contrarye if it were not impertinent to the matter Omitting therefore Irinaeus Cyprian Ambrose Austen Chrisostome Cirillus Athanasius with the rest I shall here be contented to haue alleaged one onely testimonie oute 〈…〉 councell of Calcedon so euident to the purpose that bothe the distinction of the bloudy and vnbloudy offering of Christes body and bloude which yow M. Nowell thought you might here vpon the credite of youre bare honestie without farder proufe affirme to be abused is proued thereby to be good and youre onely spirituall sacrifice vtterly condeÌ„ned The place is taken out of the libell which one Isâ—hyrion a deacoÌ„ of the church of Alexandria offered vp to Leo the pope and the whole councell against Dioscorus the bishop there and is this Tanta autem contra omnes Act. 3. non sicut decebat episcopum maximè tantae ciuitatis euangelicae illius sedis praesulem constitutum perpetrare ausus est vt etiam frumentum quod a piâ—ssimis nostris imperatoribus ecclesijs Libiae propter ariditatem illius prouinciae quia ibi omnino triticum non nascitur praestitum est inprimis quidem vt ex ipso hostia offeratur deinde vt peregrini nec non etiaÌ„ prouinciales pauperes ali quod mereantur solatium non permitâ—eret suscipere sanctissimos episcopos illius prouinciae sed aestimaret memoratum frumentum largissimis praetijs ipsum verò in tempore famis amarissimis estimationibus venundaret Et ex hoc neque terribile incruentum sacrificium celebratum est neque sic vt dixi peregrini aut prouinciales hoc solatio fruiti sunt That is to saye He hath bene so hardy to commit so greate thinges against all men not as it became a bishop and especially of so greate a citie and of that euangelicall seate that euen the verie corne which was giuen by oure godlye emperours to the churches of Libya for the bareÌ„nesse of that prouince and because there groweth no wheate there chiefelie * Vt ex ipso hoâ—liâ— offâ—ratur that the sacrifice might be offred of that and next that strangiers and suche pore nedy men also as be of the same prouince might receiue some reliefe therby he suffreth not the holy bishoppes of that prouince to receiue but prysing the saide corne at excessiue prices in time of famine he selleth it most rigorously And thereby neither is the dreadefull and vnbloudy sacrifice celebrate neither doe either strangers or those of the prouince enioye this comforte Hetherto the wordes of this godly deacons supplication whereby all men maye see that the beliefe of the churche at that tyme was that the vnbloudy sacrifice which was offred on the altar stoode not in the onely offering vp of praiers and praises vnto god Which kinde of sacrifice might and may be offred at al times were there neuer so great lacke of corne and can be by no meanes called dreadefull For it is not dreadefull M. Nowell to prayse god inwardly it is the onely comfort to oure consciences so far is it from all terrour But terrible is it to come to goddes table where we shall receiue either to oure damnation or saluation the very bodie and bloud of Christ Go nowe and saye that the wheate here mentioned was figuratiue that this naughtie bishop solde and toke monie for it by a figure For excepte yow saie thus yow can neuer auoide this place Now whereas yow call it a false phantasie that the bodye Fo. 15. b. 13 and bloud of Christ are offred for the quicke and the deade c. therein surely yow note not so muche me of dreaming as if it were true that yow saye yow shoulde note all the fathers of Christes churche of sleping For to begin with S. Iames the apostle of oure sauiour praieth he not in his masse extant in the greke tongue to be sene that this oblation sanctified by the holy ghost maye be acceptable to purchase rest for their soules which slepe before vs Doe not Chrisostome and S. Basile the like in their masses Doth not Athanasius expressely affirme that by the vnbloudy oblation the soules of sinners Lib. de Varijs quest q. 34. In cap. 11. prouerb departed this worlde receiue comfort Doth not S. Hierome holde that veniall sinnes maye be purged after this life by the praiers or almoise dedes of their frindes or by the celebrating off masses As for S. Austen who calleth it a tradition of the fathers De verb. apost serm 52. an obseruation of the whole and
miserably shaken notwithstāding the labour of the chiefe prelates of euery prouince Now to come to princes and tēporall gouernours if they haue as many seueral or contrary lawes as their be seuerall countries or nations cōcerning the keping of their people in ciuile ordre and peace what breache off vnitie What hurte What disordre in the worlde will folowe hereof I praye you So that to haue made this reason of youres probable you shoulde thus haue reasoned As in the whole worlde there is no disordre because seuerall princes haue seuerall and contrary lawes so in the churche will there be also none if diuerse bishoppes teache diuerse and contrary faithes But as no man is so blinde but he seeth the falsehode of this comparison so is no man I truste so voide of wit but that he seeth this to be as true as that which you made before Thus by reason we finde that schismes can not be appeased without one heade in the churche to whome the greater causes ought to be referred whome the rest ought to credite and obeye To the which heade because he is by Christes owne mouthe so priuileaged in Peters faithe that as he neuer yeat deliuered to the churche any erroniouse doctrine to be beleued but hathe allwaies continued the faith receiued from the Apostles so are we suer that he neuer shall we ought and maye in matters of faithe giue full and assured credite As by S. Austen we be counceled who to this purpose bringeth this saing of the ghospell Quae dicunt Epist 165 Matth. 23. facite c. Doe what they bidde you doe and addeth for the reason that in so doing oure faithe being moste certaine as being grounded not vpon man but vpon goddes promise can neuer be scattred by the tempest of anie schisme This being most true we maie boldely conclude that this state of Monarchie that is of gouerning the churche by one heade as it is moste necessarie so because we are suer that this one heade can not giue wrong iudgement in matters of faithe it is of all other for the churche the moste conuenient as being the verie best For in this pointe doe all men agree euen the moste aduersaries to this state that if one Monarche were suer allwaies to gouerne well that then that state off gouernement were to be preferred before all other To all this that hathe bene saide maye be added that iff you will nedes haue the seuerall diocesses and churches off euerie bishoprike to be like seueral kingdomes then as there is no only kingdome in earthe so by you it shoulde folowe that there is no one only churche in earthe Or if it may be enough for the church in earthe to be one body because Christe in heauen is the one heade thereof why maie not then the kingdomes of the earthe be in earthe one because Christe in heauen is the king of them also This being not I thinke vnknowen vnto you howe vneuen this comparison of youres was made yow will nowe leauing youre reason trie the matter by auctoritie S. Cyprian yow saie dothe most plainely teache that Nowell fo 32. a. 30 it is right and reason that seuerall bishoppes haue the gouernement of seuerall diocesses euen for the same cause for the which I yow saye doe vntruly alleage the necessitie of one heade To the place of S. Cyprian beginning Cum statutum sit Dorman Lib. 1. Epist 3. omnibus nobis c. I answere that it is right and reason that seuerall bishoppes haue the gouernement of seuerall diocesses and that to appease schismes and correcte vices as often as these thinges maie be in suche seueral diocesses commodiously done But that this maie be allwaies perfourmed in particuler bishoprikes and that if it can not recourse maie not be had to higher power that yow shoulde haue proued and that S. Cyprian hathe not Therefore this place maketh not against the auctoritie of one heade But you force it further and saie S. Cyprian affirmeth all suche appellations from a bishop off Nowell one countrie to a bishop of an other countrey to be vnlaufull for that that all bishoppes of all countreys be of like auctoritie and that none but naughtie and desperate men doe thinke the auctoritie of some bishoppes to be inferiour to the auctoritie of other S Cyprian affirmeth not here that all appellations from Dorman one bishop to an other be vnlaufull He saieth that it is reason and hathe bene ordeined emongest them that the subiectes of euery bishop haue their causes hearde there where the faulte was committed And maye not the B. of Rome doe this by sending his legates in all such cases of appeale to the places where the offences were committed there to examine the processe to receiue witnes to determine the matter Beside this if S. Cyprian had in this place vttrely forbidden all maner of appeales to Rome yeat by the phrase of his wordes it appeareth that it was decreed emongest them by a locall statute of their owne for the better maintenaunce of brothrely concorde Which as it extēded no fardre then to that place so if anie of them that once agreed to that ordre refuse at anie time to obey it although it ought to be a barre to him that once gaue his consent to the cōtrary yeat is it none to the pope why he maie not procede in the cause who neuer renounced his right if it be appealed to him The like to this is to be seene in the colleages of oure vniuersities where the founders in most places haue ordeined by their statutes that the membres of such colleages for the better reteining and vpholding of quiet and brotherly agrement emongest them shall propose suche quarelles and contentions as happen emongest them to the seuerall heades of suche colleages This ordre thus taken right and reason woulde haue kepte but if some frowarde body not contented with this will complaine furder to the chauncelor of the vniuersitie or chiefe patron of his colleage he may at their handes haue iustice That this was the case that S. Cyprian speaketh of manie thinges may persuade First that he saieth Cùm statutū sit omnibus nobis wheras an ordre is taken emōgest vs all he giueth vs two thinges to vnderstande that whereas they toke suche an ordre emōgest S. Cyprians place expoundyd thē it was not ordinarily so before but accustomed rather to be otherwise or elles what neded a statute to be made to for bid a thing neuer any otherwise practised Nexte that it was but for thē only for he saieth omnibus nobis emōgest all vs. So that in other places he denieth not yea by these words he cōfesseth rather that it was otherwise And therfore you haue done lewdly and made alowde lie M. Nowel to gather of this place this generall propositiō that all appellations from the bishop of one countrie to the bishop of an other be vnlaufull Whereas this ordre being taken
the worlde This one heade executed the censures of the churche vpon See M. Doctor Hardinges booke the seconde edition fol. 111. b. malefactours and transgressours of the ecclesiasticall canons confirmed the ordinations and elections off bishoppes approued or disalowed councelles restored bishoppes wrongfully condemned and depriued receiued into the church such as had erred and gone a straie and all this thorough out the whole worlde But with all this I saye I will not presse you because youre Apologie and you be it neuer so easy to be proued will yeat for your honour sake perhappes denie it Only this I aske of yow how yow be not ashamed to saie that it is impossible for one man to gouerne the whole churche seing by youre owne confession for 900. yeares it hathe bene so If yow will saie that the churche hathe bene euill gouerned these latter 900. yeares allthough that yow coulde right well proue as you shal neuer be hable what maketh that for this assertion off youres that one man can not possybly gouerne the whole churche conteining to vse yowre owne wordes so manie nations so diuerse Languages and natures of men Howe proueth it that one generall heade can not so ouersee his charge that he shall be able to kepe all churches from schismes and troubles and pacifie them when they are risen If one man alone coulde for the space of 900. yeares so rule all churches dispersed thorough out all the worlde that he Note was able to plant emongest so manie nations so diuerse languages and natures of men one naughty and corrupte faithe as yow saie might not the same or maye not an other with as muche facilitie haue planted or plant if it were to be planted a truthe thorough out the whole worlde If the churche haue bene so gouerned during this terme of 900. yeares that all the affaires of the churche haue by one heade bene so ordered that no membre hath had iust cause to complaine that all membres haue agreed in perfecte quietnesse one with an other and all with their heade as youre selfe hereafter confesse allthough yow labour to qualifye the matter in this wise In deede we must nedes confesse a truthe M. Nowels confession cōcerning the quiet agrement vnder the gouernement off the Pope fol. 56. b. 25. that whilest we all remained vnder the quiet obedience off youre Romishe heade in doctrine of his traditiōs there was a coloured hinde of quietnesse concorde and loue emongest all the membres of that heade the subiectes of that one gouernour and ruler and specially emongest the cleargie of that one churche if I saye by youre confession there was suche a quiete agreing thorough out all the worlde in false doctrine will you still abide by it that the same one heade that gouerned in this peasable maner all the worlde whome he fedde with euill doctrine might not haue gouerned them as quietly if he had deliuerd to them sounde and wholesome doctrine Or will you saye that God can doe lesse in procuring good thinges then the diuell in promoting euill that God can make one man hable alone to gouerne all the worlde without schismes or to appease them being moued as great as it is in euill gouernement but not in good If you will not saye thus you must nedes saie that it is nothing impossible for one man assisted by goddes grace to gouerne the churche of the whole worlde were it greater then it is and so to confesse with all that the Apologie in saing the contrary and yow in defending the Apologie haue bothe off yow falsely blasphemously and foolishely erred As for the reason whereunto the Apologie and yow leane that as God hathe giuen to no one king to be aboue all so to no one bishop to rule the whole churche that is as I tolde you before to appoint God because he hathe made manie kingdomes to make many heades of the churche which is but one and so consequently to multiply religions and make many faithes But because you repeate verie often this comparison and thinke it so absurde that there shoulde be any more one heade ouer the whole churche thē one chiefe king aboue all the kingdomes in the worlde I will here proue that within the first six hundred yeares it was taken for no absurditie There is no man I thinke that hathe bestowed anie time in the ecclesiasticall histories ignorant what a doe Theodora the Empresse wife to Iustinian the Emperour made to haue Siluerius the pope depriue Menna the good archebishop of Constantinople and to restore Anthimius the heretike laufully before by Agapetus the pope depriued To the which wicked attempt when by no meanes the good pope coulde be brought to consent false accusations were brought in against him and so he was by tirannie remoued and cōstreined to flee to a towne called Patara of the prouince of Lycia Whither the emperour Liberatus in Breuiario cap. 22. on a time comming the bishopp there as Liberatus the Archedeacon of Carthage writeth complaining to him and calling to witnesse the iust and terrible iudgemēt of God for the vniust expulsion of the bishop of so greate a seate addeth at the last these wordes Multos esse in hoc Many Kinges to gouerne the worlde one pope to gouerne the churche mundo reges non esse vnum sicut ille papa est super ecclesiam mundi totius a sua sede expulsus that there are manie kinges in this worlde and that there is no one only kinge as that pope is ouer all the whole churche of the worlde expelled from his seate Doe you not here see M. Nowell that within the first 600. yeares the whole worlde was gouerned by one heade in spirituall matters without anie necessitie to haue it so gouerned in temporall Woulde this good bishop is it credible being a suter to the Emperour if the churche had not bene gouerned by one heade at that time or if it had bene an absurditie that there shoulde be one chiefe bishop and manie equall kinges haue dasshed the Emperour in the mouthe with suche an absurde and flatte lye Or woulde the Emperour vpon this talcke immediatly haue caused Siluerius to be called backe againe into Italie and not rather haue checked the bishop for abusing him with a lye if he had not acknowledged his wordes to be true Thus muche I trust maye serue to make the indifferent reader vnderstande that I reprehended not the Apologie without iust cause You re railing against me because it is as youre selfe cōfesse fol. 39. a. beside the matter I passe ouer But so can I this by no meanes that yow take it for no reproche yow saye to haue Nowell b. 1. youre congregation secrete scattred and vnknowen to all the worlde because this is common to yow with the primitiue churche of oure Sauiour Christe and his holie Apostles Considre I beseche the good Reader whether these newe Dorman vpstart heretikes of oure age be not brought
to a very Exigent and to extreme desperation when to excuse the secretenesse of their congregation their hidden and vnknowen churche they wrappe them selues like crafty wolues for feare of being betraied in the fine fleeses and soft wooll of the name of Christe and his Apostles As though after so manie hundred yeares that Christes faithe hath floorished thorough out all the worlde it were nowe newe to begin againe Considre whether they ought not to be ashamed if shame there were anie in them to saie that the churche was in Christes time and his apostles secrete and vnknoweÌ„ seing that to them that shall reade the Actes Act. 2. 4 alibi of the Apostles it can not be vnknowen howe mightely the churche encreased euen in their tyme Seing that the Apostle S. Paule witnesseth the contrary in saing that the Rom. 1. faithe off the Romaines Christes true faithe was preached euen then in the vniuersall worlde It is therefore a A sclaunderouse and blasphemouse lye 28. moste sclaunderouse and blasphemouse lye to saye that Christes churche was at anye tyme after the comming downe of the holie ghost secrete or vnknowen It is a lye to saie that it was so hidden that who so euer woulde at anie time haue ioyned him selfe thereto might not haue knowen it But this is an olde shift off the Donatistes who when they coulde finde none off their religion but only in Africa were driueÌ„ to say that there the church was only as you must say it was 50. yeares agoe in Germanie or elles no where Of whom as S. AusteÌ„ said then so will I saie of you now O impudenteÌ„ voceÌ„ c. O impudeÌ„t voice is there no church because thow arte not in it See to thy selfe lest thow be not in it In psalm 101. therefore For the churche shal be allthough thow be not This abhominable this detestable voice of presumption and falshoode boulstred with no truthe lightened with no wisdome seasoned with no discretion vaine rashe hedlong perniciouse did the spirite of God forsee and spake euen as it were against them when he preached vnitie In gathering the people and kingdomes together to ser us Psalmus 101. oure lorde Where is now I praie you youre churche spred thorough all nations Where was there anie signe thereof in all the worlde the yeare before that Martin Luther begaÌ„ to preach his gospel When I call youre coÌ„gregation scattered and vnknoweÌ„ I haue relatioÌ„ to that time in which you first shewed your selues to the world For that you now brag that the pope and his haue both more knowledge and feling also of your coÌ„gration theÌ„ liking that is coÌ„mon to you seing you will nedes holde in coÌ„mon with the ArriaÌ„s Whose heresies were as famouse in the world as yours are and yeat coulde neuer by time so grow in credite God be praised therfore that their first beginning bewrayed them not to the worlde as youres doth you Might you not be ashamed M. Nowell if there were anie shame in you to goe about to persuade meÌ„ that Christes churche after fiftene hundred yeares shoulde be now in her enfancy yea within these fifty yeares not borne at all Ihon Caluin youre late maister in a litle treatise that he made against Michael Seruetus whome for his heresies he put to deathe in Geneua disputeth thus against him Ecclesiam fingit ab annis mille ducentis sexaginta fugatam Caluins opinion of the churche a mundo fuisse vt coelum illi exilium fuerit Nos certé é splendidis aedibus eiectam fuisse fatemur sed it a vt electas a se reliquias admirablili gratia seruauerit dominus Alioqui mentitus foret qui semper aliquem sibi populum in terra fore promisit quaÌ„diu Sol Luna in coelo fulgebunt Scimus quid passim de aeterno Christi regno testentur prophetae An eius sedem in coelis locant Imò fore praedicunt vt sceptrum eius é Sion procul dominus ostendat quo dominetur ab ortu vsque ad oâ—casum eius haereditas sit terraruÌ„ orbis Nunc ergo populo eum priuare qui nomeÌ„ eius celebret est ac si abscissa eius parte ipsum in coelo multilum includere tentemus Seruetus saieth Caluin feineth the churche these 12. hundred and thre score yeares to haue bene chased oute of the world so that it must be in banishement in heauen We trulie confesse that she hath bene cast out of glittring and shining palaces but yeat so that the lorde hathe preserued his chosen remenaÌ„tes by his merueilouse grace Otherwise he shoulde haue lyed who euer promised to him selfe some people in the earthe so long as the sonne and mone shoulde shine in the firmament We knowe what the prophetes doe in euerie place witnesse of the aeternal kingdom of Christe Doe they place his throne in heauen Yea trulie they prophecy that it shoulde come to passe that the lorde shoulde showe a far of his sceptre out of Sion with the which he shall rule froÌ„ the easte vnto the west and his enheritaunce shall be the whole worlde Now therefore to depriue him of his people which shoulde glorifie his name it is euen as though cutting of a parte of him we woulde assaie to include him mangled in heauen Thus farre Caluin touching the church And therfore you may not blame me M. Nowell if I reason as youre maister dothe nor maie not thinke your selfe well excused if after fiftie yeares you shewe a fewe remenantes of youre church which at the beginning thereof 51. yeares ago coulde not shewe in all the worlde one man that might be as a stone thereof so secrete so scattred so hidden and vnknowen was it Yow are not headlesse you saye yow haue Christe in heauen and youre prince vnder him c. you haue the rules and groundes Nowell fol. 39. b. 3 of goddes worde You are not headlesse if so manie bishoppes as you haue so manie heads you be vnder But you ioyne in no one head Dorman in earthe for which cause onelie I call you headlesse Your prince in earthe for now youre minde is changed and being past the places of S. Cyprian which made so muche for the auctoritie of priestes and bishoppes yow crie that the prince is youre heade can not make you haue a heade in earthe in so muche as youre whole congregation whereof I trowe yow will confesse youre selues in Englande to be membres is not vnder any one prince â–ª Yow haue not the rules and groundes of goddes worde to staye vpon forasmoche as you reiect the certeine meanes and waies to vnderstande goddes word by And therfore you knowe not whither to goe nor whereupon to rest That S. Hierom was of the minde that there ought to be one chiefe bishop in Christes churche Dialog aduersus Lucifer The 13. Chapter Yow graunt M. Nowell that saint Cyprian and saint Hierome fol. 30. b. 23. fol.
by and by to be confounded as one in truthe and nature the names whereof be confounded Otherwise because the Apostles are in the gospell called disciples an Apostle and a disciple are all one which is well knowen not to be so Likewise though the termes of prieste and bishop were common yeat the thinges were neuer one in so muche that S. Austen making mention of the heresie of Aerius saieth Dicebat etiam praesbiterum ab episcopo nulla differentia secerni debere He saide Ad quod vult Deum haeres 57. also that a prieste ought to be distinguished from a bishop by no difference But what meane you here M. Nowell to talcke so much of the equalitie of bishoppes and priestes being a matter in this place nothing to oure purpose Or if it were seing it might be saide that euen as the olde canons as I declared before in that equalitie which is in priestehode vsed yeat In the 6. chapitre fol. 33. b. the worde Archipraesbiter chiefe prieste and ordeined suche a dignitie in the churche so there is nothing that letteth why in the equalitie of bishoppes and priestes while no one is more bishop or prieste then an other there maie How one bishop is equall to an other not be degrees notwithstanding of superioritie allthough not in the sacrament of ordres which is common to them all yeat in the execution of that power that is conferred thereby But perhappes you be of the opinion youre selfe that there ought to be no difference betwene a bishop and a prieste and therefore are the gladder to snatche occasion by all meanes direct or indirect to vtter youre minde therin Nowe foloweth vpon this grounde laied that bishoppes and priestes be by the first institution and the lawe of God one youre conclusion whereby you will make it appeare that you haue not without cause made mention of this equalitie of bishoppes and priestes So that all bishoppes which be the successours of the Apostles Nowell b. 24. be also praesbiteri that is to saie elders or priestes Whereof it foloweth also that there is an equalitie emongest all bishoppes by goddes lawe as the equall successours of the Apostles And that this is S. Hieromes minde in that place all learned men who haue reade the saide epistle doe well knowe This was not the minde of S. Hierome but is an idle Dorman phantasy of youre owne The learned knowe and to their iudgement I appeale that his minde was here to compare together the state of a prieste and a bishop in the sacrament of holie ordres common aswell to the one as to the other that so he might refell the better the errour of those who helde that deacons ought to be equall to priestes as appeareth by these wordes of his in the beginning of the epistle In this epistle ad Euagri◠Nam quum Apostolus c. For whereas the Apostle teacheth manifestly that priestes and bishoppes be one what eyleth the seruaūt * He meaneth deacons of widowes and tables arrogātly to extoll him selfe aboue them at whose praiers the bodie and bloud of Christe is made Doth not this example put in the consecrating of the bodie and bloude off Christe the whiche the poorest prieste that is hathe as good auctoritie to doe giuen hym in the sacrament of holie ordres as the pope him selfe declare that S. Hieromes minde was no otherwise to make priestes equall to bishoppes but in the only ordre of priestehode common to bothe Yea but yow will saie that the Apostles were equall in all respectes for if you saie not so you can not conclude absolutely as yow doe that all bishoppes their successours be so equall If yow saie so that is but your bare Lib. 1. contra Iouinianum saing only not by the auctoritie of S. Hierome confirmed but most plainly by the same impugned Who in one place saieth that emongest the twelue there was a heade chosen Peter by name and in an other place that Christ made Peter In cap. Marci 14. Note the cause of appointing one heade the maister of his house THAT VNDER ONE SHEPHERD THERE MAY BE ONE FAITH Which is directly against the equalitie that you build vpō But let it be graunted vnto you that the apostles were equal yeat shall not your cōclusion folow for all that For it is to be considered that in the Apostles there is a double respect which is to be weighed nowe of vs. Either we considre them as they were all Apostles or as they were bishoppes As they were Apostles they How the Apostles were all equall were all equall they had all like power to preache and teache thorough out the whole worlde As they were bishoppes and rulers of particuler churches they were all subiect to Petre the chiefe bishop of all As they were Apostles that is to saye generall legates to plante Christes faithe thorough out all the world to founde churchs to preach the word of God finally to gouerne vniuersally in all places where their should come they trāsmitted this right none of thē to their successours but only Peter who was the generall shepherd of all Which is the cause that some of the fathers namely S. Austē saie that the power giuen to Peter was giuē to him In psalm 208. in the persone of the church because it was not giuē to him alone but to all his successours to cōtinue for euer As the Apostles were bishops of particuler places their auctoritie ended not with them but wēt further to the whole church to cōtinue for euer Now to applye this to our purpose howe doe the bishoppes that now are succede the Apostles They succede them as bishoppes not as Apostles For if they succeded them so who seeth not that as the Apostles made lawes absolued excommunicated and ruled thorough out all How bisshoppes be the successours of the Apostles the worlde where so euer they came so might the bishoppes that nowe succede thē doe the like The which thing seing we finde by no recordes sith the apostles time that euer it was practised in the church and if it should it were the nexte waie to disquiet al the worlde and to fill the churche full of schismes and heresies reason it selfe dothe conuince that the ordre taken emongest the Apostles was but by speciall priuileage not appointed to continue for euer or to derogate anie thing from the generall ordre begonne in Peter and appointed to be perpetuall as long as the church shoulde endure To conclude therfore I graunte to you M. Nowell that the Apostles were equall as they were all the generall legates of Christe but not as they had their speciall bishoprikes and charges limited vnto them In which latter sense because the bishoppes that are nowe succede the Apostles in which pointe they were not equall it foloweth against you that all bishoppes be not equall Iff yow will saye that the Apostles were also equall euen in that that
they were bishoppees of priuate places yow haue against yow S. Hierome him selfe Who can not be otherwise taken theÌ„ to meane thus by calling Petre as you hard before the heade of the other Apostles the maister of Christes house the one shepherd vndre whome there might be one faith You shall speake against Chrisostome who speaking of S. Iames the B. of Hierusalem hathe Quôd si quis percontaretur quomodo Homil. â—â—lt in cap. Ioan. vlt. igitur Iacobus sedem Hierosolomis acceperit responderem hunc totius orbis magistrum praeposuisse That if any man woulde aske how then Iames came by the bishoprike of HierusaleÌ„ I woulde answere that the maister of all the worlde Peter made him bishop And a litle after in the same place Nam quum magna Christus Petro communicasset c. For when Christe had communicated greate thinges to Peter and committed to his charge the care of the whole worlde c. Last of all if you will nedes contentiously mainteine that Petre was no more aboue the Apostles as they were bishoppes Arnobius then as they were Apostles theÌ„ to omitte diuerse other that might be alleaged to this effect yow shall saie againste that auncient eloquent and learned father who liued in the In psalm 138. time of persecution before the reigne of Constantine the greate Arnobius the scholemaistre of that eloquent and learned Lactantius who by name calleth Peter EPISCOPVS EPISCOPORVM the B. of bishoppes Seing nowe that Peter is coÌ„fessed by the fathers to be the heade of the apostles the one pastour the maister of the whole world and bishop of bishops which caÌ„ not be in that respecte that the Apostles were all the generall legates of Christe thorough out the whole world what remaineth but to acknowledge that superioritie to haue place as Arnobius wordes importe ouer them as bishoppes And so is youre argument taken from the equalitye of the Apostles shewed to be insufficient to proue your fantasied equalitie of all bishoppes Hetherto you haue talked generally of this epistle of S. Hierome to Euagrius Nowe will you come to the place you saie alleaged by me oute of this epistle Quòd autem postea vnus electus est c. That one was afterwarde chosen to rule the reste that was done for a remedie against schismes c. To this place you adde an other sentence of S. Hierome where for example of that which he had saide he bringeth the churche of Alexandria VVhere from Marke the Euangelist vnto Heracla and Dionisius being bishoppes the priestes did euer place one chosen off their companye in the higher roume and named him bishoppe c. Vpon this place yow conclude as foloweth VVhereby it appeareth plainely that the wordes of Saint Hierrome Nowell â— â–ª a. one chosen afterwarde emongest them to rule the reste for a remedie of schismes doe apperteine to euery bishoppe as heade ruler of the cleargie off his ownâ— diocesse For saieth Saint Hierome suche an heade ruler was chosen at Alexandria in Aegypt c. The example of Alexandria maketh nothing against Dorman my vnderstanding of these wordes to be ment of the Apostles For why might not S. Marke the B. of Alexandria be made bishop there after this fourme of gouernement vsed emongest the Apostles that as emongest the Apostles one was aboue the reste so in Alexandria shoulde be one chiefe ruler aboue the rest of the cleargie there But in this pointe I will contende with no man For howe euer they be to be vnderstande of the Apostles or of euerye bishop as heade ruler off the cleargye in his owne diocesse once this is cleere that by them is proued that of one company there must for the better auoiding of schismes be one heade Againe on the other side you seme to be as indifferent and therefore you adde And withall what so euer was done afterwarde was not done Nowell fol. 43. a. 23 de iure diuino vpon the grounde of Goddes lawe but of an ecclesiasticall ordre and policie I praye you what if this were but an ecclesiasticall ordre Dorman M. Nowell Thinke you it nothing to breake the canons and constitutions of the vniuersall churche Because with men of youre vocation that is counted a small faulte I will proue to the reader euen by S. Hierome him selfe that this ordre to haue one generall heade ouer Christes churche is neither the inuention of ambitiouse popes as before sclaunderously you saide neither grounded only vpon anye ecclesiasticall ordre and policie as here vpon better aduise more modestly you reporte but vpon the infallible grounde of Christes owne expresse ordinaunce S. Hierome therefore writing against one of youre auncestors Iouinian the heretike who maintained that votaries and professed persones might laufully mary for the defence Aug. lib. 2. Retractat cap. 22. Haeresi 82. of this heresie of his for so hath S. Augustine termed it brought the example of Peter who was he saide a maried man By this occasion offred S. Hierome vttreth of S. Peter these wordes At dicis super Petrum fundatur ecclesia Lib. 1. coÌ„trâ— Iouin licet idipsum in alio loco super omnes Apostolos fiat cuncti claues regni coelorum accipiant ex aequo super eos ecclesiae fortitudo solidetur tamen propterea inter duodeeim vnus eligitur vt capite constituto schismatis tollatur occasiâ— â–ª Sed cur non Ioannet electus est virgo AEtati delatum erat quia Petrus senior erat ne adhuc adolescens ac pené puer progressae aetatis hominibus praeferretur magister bonus qui occasionem iurgij debuerat auferre discipulis c. causam praebere videtur inuidiae That is to saye But thou saiest the churche is builded vpon Petre allthough the same in an other place be done vppon all the Apostles and al of them receiue the keyes of heaueÌ„ and indiffereÌ„tly vpon theÌ„ is the strength of the church grounded yeat therfore is there one chosen emoÌ„gest the 12 THAT BY APPOINTING A HEADE OCCASION OF SCHISMES BE TAKEN AWAYE But why was not Iohn chosen being a virgin Age was preferred because Peter was elder Lest a strippling and yeat almost a childe should be preferred before auncient and elderly meÌ„ and the good maister which Christ appointed Peter to be heade shoulde take from his scholers occasion of strife c. might some to ministre cause of enuie Hetherto the wordes off S. Hierome Of the which maye be concluded Firste that this ordre to haue one heade in Christes churche is no ecclesiasticall ordre and policie but an ordre appointed by Christes owne mouthe to begin in his blessed Apostles in whome if this gouernement were necessary for the auoiding of schismes howe muche more necessary it is emongest vs I leaue to the learned and wise to iudge The secoÌ„de coÌ„clusion that I gather vpoÌ„ this place is that here S. Hierome teacheth vs that this common obiection of the heretikes
that Christ gaue power of losing and binding to al indifferently and that therfore Peter had no more premineÌ„ce then the rest is a naughty and vntrue reason as appeareth by these wordes of S. Hierome tamen etcae yeat one is chosen etc. Thirdly I gather that seing the apostles were bishoppes this Maxime of youres is cleane ouerthrowen that all bishoppes be equall and that no one hathe anie other ouer him seing the Apostles being bishoppes had Peter to be their heade Fourthly I note that this confession was wroong as it were by violence from S. Hierome by the force of his aduersarie his reason Which being that priestes might marie seing Peter the heade of the Apostles was maried it had bene for S. Hierome his vantage to haue denyed that he was heade of them to haue sayde as yow doe that they were all equall and no one aboue the other And so woulde he we maie be suer being so vehement and learned an aduersary as he was if it had not bene so manifest a truthe that it coulde be no more denied then that Peter was maried His qualifieng of the place here that the churche was in an other place builded vpon all maie giue vs to vnderstande what he woulde quickly haue done if Christe had not for all that specially made Peter the heade By this appeareth the corrupt iudgement of Erasmus who in his notes vpon the epistle Ad Marcellam where S. Hierome hath againe that the churche was builded Tom. 2. ad Marcellam adueâ—sus Montanum vpon Peter giueth this iudgement Hoc detorquet in commendationem Petri. This he wresteth to the commendation of Peter Last of all it is to be noted that in S. Hieromes time it was acknowledged euen by heretikes that Christe appointed this ordre of one heade as appeareth by this that Iouinian grounded him selfe thereupon in reasoning against S. Hierome for the maintenaunce of his heresie Vpon the which last note some other maie happely note that yow and youre companions are more shamelesse heretikes then were Iouinian and his To this place of S. Hierome I will adde one other to shewe that yow abuse his auctoritie to muche in labouring to founde vpon him this vntrue proposition of youres that not by goddes lawe but by mannes this ordre of one heade in Christes Churche shoulde be established The wordes off S. Hierome alluding to the house mentioned in the ghospell where Christe eate his passeouer are these Dominus domus Petrus apostolus est cui dominus domum suam In cap. 14. Marci credidit VTSVBVNO PASTORE SIT VNA FIDES The maister of the house is Peter the Apostle to whome One head shepherde that the faithe maye be one oure Lorde committed his house that vnder one shepheard the faithe maye be one Doe yow not see M. Nowell the necessitie of one heade that vnder one shepherd the faithe maye be one Heare yow not that it is not mannes deuise that it be so but Christes owne ordinaunce Haue you not with all S. Hierome expounding as it were the wordes of S. Cyprian tamen vt vnitatem manifestaret vnitatis eiusdem originem Lib. de vnitat ecclesiae ab vno incipientem sua auctoritate disposuit yeat to make vnitie manifest he Christe disposed by his auctoritie the beginning of this vnitie to procede from one by these wordes of his That vnder one shepherde there maye be one faithe By this it appeareth that S. Hierome is not of that minde that yow woulde haue him to be that is that this ordre of hauing one heade in the churche shoulde be off mannes ordinaunce not of Christes institution But here yow will aske me how I can then reconcile him and make him agree with him selfe who in this place hath that one Quòd vnus postea electus est S. Hierom expounded by him selfe was afterwarde chosen to rule the rest If after saye yow then not vpon goddes lawe Yes I reconcile him after this sorte M. Nowell If yow vnderstande this place to be of the Apostles then he expoundeth him selfe in the place that you harde before where allthough he confesse that in one place Christe builded the churche equally vpon all his Apostles which was done streight after his resurrection Ioan. 20. yeat in an other he graunteth that the good maister for so he calleth Christe there builded it vpon Peter a little before his ascension into heauen whome he appointed Ioan. vlt. to be the heade of the rest So that the worde here Postea afterwardes hath relation to that ordinarie prerogatiue of S. Peter giuen to him at Christes assension at whiche time he perfourming the promise made before to Peter in the future tense to builde his churche vpon him Matth. 16. appointed him as Chrisostome saieth vpon that place to haue orbis terrarum curaÌ„ the charge of the whole worlde Homil. vlt. in Ioan. vlt. If yow vnderstande not these wordes one chosen afterwarde to rule the rest of the Apostles but of the gouernement in particuler churches as because of the example brought by S. Hierome of the churche of Alexandria you thinke they shoulde then Postea afterwarde must haue this sense that whereas vnder one generall heade of Christes churche the particuler churches were at the beginning gouerned by manye heades and common consent whiche was as Epiphanius saieth because the apostles could not furthwith take ordre for all thinges his wordes are non enim omnia statim potuerunt Apostoli constituere for the apostles could not furthewith take ordre for all things afterwardes the state of the church being better Lib. 3. haeâ—es 75. setled and being come to vse the words of Epiphanius ad propriaÌ„ mensuraÌ„ to her own measure that ordre appearing to be such as was not coÌ„uenieÌ„t for the gouernemeÌ„t of the churche was alltered and one chosen to rule alone for the auoiding of schismes in euery particuler church not as though S. HieroÌ„ should meane that the vniuersall churche lacked at anie time one heade or had bene gouerned by diuerse the coÌ„trarie wherof he affirmed before but that afterward particuler churchs began to see the necessitie of one head ouer euerie churche according to the patern wherein Christ appointed Peter to be the chiefe head of all As S. Hierom him selfe in an other place doth well declare where he saieth An tequà m diaboli instinctu studia in religione fierent c. Before by the instigation of the diuell factions were made in religion and In cap. 1. epi. ad Tit. 1. Cor. 1. one saide I am of Paule I am of Apollo I of Cephas the churches were gouerned by the coÌ„mon councell of priestes But after that euery one thought those that he baptized to be his and not Christes it was thorough out all the worlde decreed that one being chosen out of the priestes shoulde be set ouer the rest to whome all the care of the churche should belong and the occasioÌ„ of
schismes be taken away Thus farre S. Hierom. By which words as it appeareth that the schismes were in particuler churches so the heades of whome he speaketh were afterwarde by his minde chosen in particuler churches Thus is S. Hierome expounded by him selfe which I trust the learned will like much better then suche crooked gloses of youres as tende to no other ende but to the defacing of the graue and learned fathers as this coulde not choose but here discredite S. Hierome if in a matter of suche weight as this is he shoulde be founde contrarie to him selfe It foloweth This which was thus done afterwarde saieth S. Hierome was done rather for the honour of priestehod then for the necessitie of Nowell fol. 43. b. 4 the lawe For by the lawe of God which is first the prieste as S. Hierome saieth may doe asmuche excepting ordering only as maye the bishop but afterwarde for ordre one was placed in the highest place for the auoiding of schismes And if a prieste by S. Hieromes minde may doe as muche as a bishop I thinke also one bishop may by goddes lawe doe as muche as an other bishop Beholde here good reader in M. Nowell a singuler Dorman pointe of false and vntrue dealing which although it be with him in this booke of his and other his companions in their other doinges a thing verie common and therfore the lesse to be merueiled at yeat surelie is it in the wresting of this place of S. Hierome of all other moste euident to be perceiued For whereas S. Hierome in his Dialogues against the Luciferians hath that this ordre in the churche that the bishop confirmeth those that are Christened not the prieste was taken rather for the honour of priestehode then for the necessitie of the lawe M. Nowell to make the matter S. Hierom beelied by M. Nowell 29. probable that this ordre of hauing one heade in the church shoulde not be grounded vpon goddes worde and that there is no necessitie in it but done rather to honour priesthode applieth it to these wordes of S. Hierome to Euagrius where in expresse wordes he hathe that the appointing one to rule and gouerne the rest was to be a remedie against schismes For the better vnderstanding of this false dealing of his I shall wishe those that either haue not the worckes of S. Hierome at hande or if they haue vnderstande not them in Latine or if they doe can not so easelie turne to the place to considre them as they folowe here in this place Quôd si hoc loco quaeris quare in ecclesia baptizatus nisi per manus episcopi non accipiat spiritum sanctum quem nos asserimus in vero baptismate tribui disce hanc obseruationem ex ea authoritate descendere quod post ascensum domini spiritus Hieron in dialog aduer Lucifer sanctus ad apostolos descendit Et multis in locis idem factitatum reperimus ad honorem potius sacer dotij quam ad legis necessitatem Alioqui si ad episcopi tantum imprecationem spiritus sanctus defluit lugēdi sunt qui in viculis aut castellis aut in remotioribus locis per praesbiteros diaconos baptizati ante dormierunt quà m ab episcopis inuiserentur That is to saye But if in this place thow aske of me wherfore he that is baptised in the church dothe not receiue the holie ghost but byt he handes of the bisshop the which holye ghost we doe all affirme to be giuen in true baptisme Learne this obseruation to come of that auctoritie that after the ascension of oure lorde the holie ghost came downe to the Apostles And we finde that the same is done in manie places rather for the honour of priestehode then of necessitie of the lawe Els if the holie ghost come downe only at the praier of the bishop they are to be lamented who being baptised by priestes and deacons in litle townes or villages or places further of doe dye before they be visited by the bishoppes Hetherto the wordes of S. Hierome Nexte after the whiche because it foloweth that the high prieste must haue auctoritie peerelesse aboue all other otherwise that there will be as manie schismes in the churche as there be priestes M. Nowell thinketh that he might vnderstand both the peerelesse auctoritie aboue all other that is mentioned in the dialogue against the Luciferians and the preeminence that one had giuen to rule the rest as for a remedye against schismes spoken off in this epistle to Euagrius to be ment of onely power to confirme children or other lately baptised which because bishoppes had and priestes had not he thinketh S. Hierome should call by the name of a peerelesse power able to be a remedie against all schismes For so vnderstandeth he this place here and before fol. 41. b. 20. But nowe I praye yow let me aske of you M. Nowell when S. Hierome had saide that this obseruation that the bishop shoulde confirme and not the prieste came of this that the holie ghoste after Christes ascension came downe to the Apostles when he added Et multis in locis idem factitatum reperimus c. And in manie places we finde the same to be done rather for the honour of priestehod then necessitie of the lawe What idem what same thing constrew M. Nowell was it that was so done to honour priesthode rather then for necessitie Was not it the ministring of the Sacrament of Confirmation Doe not the wordes that folowe nexte after Alioqui si ad episcopi c. Otherwise if the holye ghoste come downe only at the praier of the bishop c. spoken to proue that there was no suche necessitie of the Sacrament of Confirmation as thoughe to them that dwelling far from the bishop and dieng before they were confirmed the holye ghost shoulde not be giuen in baptisme euidently conuince that S. Hierome ment off that pointe of preeminence that the bishop hathe aboue a prieste in ministring of this sacrament that that was not of the necessitie of the lawe c not of that power of gouernement that we dispute of But what labour I to conuince this wresting of youres to belieng and vntrue which who so euer shall reade the place can not but presently perceiue if he haue his common senses Who is so verie a dolt that when he heareth you bringing in S. Hierome prouiding for the peace of the churche that is the auoiding off schismes this souereigne remedie that the bishop of euerye diocesse maye confirme children or other lately baptised which the priestes cā not do and that there in cōsisteth his peerelesse power wil not be able to tel you that this reason procedeth from some franticke braine M. Nowell not frō the staied and graue heade of S. Hierome For what staye for schismes what remedie against heresies were it like to be tell vs I coniure you by youre wisedome that first founde out this speciall remedie if
nombre of priestes there ought to be one chiefe ruler chosen as though only Petre had bene a bishop and the other apostles pore priestes and no more Where is nowe the equalitie that you are wont to obiect to vs of the Apostles with Petre Who maketh the Apostles more inferiour to Peter you or we We saie the Apostles all of them were bishoppes in one place or other you make youre count that they were only inferiour priestes Now being all of them bishoppes and Peter by youre confession their heade Who seeth not that the ordre planted by Christe in his church is that there be one bishop for the pacifieng of schismes ouer the rest Againe if 12. persones so well instructed by the spirite of God as the Apostles were had a heade appointed ouer them for remedie against schismes what reason leadeth yow to thinke that emongest so manye â—ades as be in the vniuersall churche gouernours of particuler churches not so priuileaged with grace there maye not be the like yea greater cause to feare schismes and so consequently that there ought not to be the same remedie that is to saye one heade So that if you counte youre selfe hurt when it is proued that there ought to be one chiefe heade of Christes churche you are by graunting of this prerogatiue to S. Peter aboue the rest of the Apostles verie daungerously hurte Yea but you were prouided for all suche after clappes before I doubte not Other wise so circumspect a man as you are woulde neuer haue yealded so farre And therfore you adde And if M. Dorman vpon this graunte woulde inferre suche a Nowell supremacie of one ouer the rest of the Apostles as the pope claimeth ouer the churche S. Paule reprouing Peter more sharpely Galat. 2. to his face then is laufull nowe for any bishop to deale with the pope dothe proue that Peter had no suche supremacy One thing I must here tell you by the waie M. Nowell Dorman that in debating this matter of the auctoritie of S. Peter aboue the rest of the Apostles except you forsake S. Hierome you must forgo this example of S. Paule his reprouing of S. Peter which S. Hierome holdeth against S. Austen how truly I dispute not in this place to haue bene but a made matter betwene them that Paule shoulde reprehende and Peter suffer him selfe to be reprehendid for vsing the legall ceremonies as appeareth in the epistles written to and fro betwene them And therfore if you will be tried by S. Hierome he shoulde rather holde with this supremacie as the man who if he erred in striuing with S. Austen about this reprehending of Peter erred onely because he thought it a thing vnsemely and vnlikely that S. Paule woulde so reprehende the prince of the Apostles Which was he saieth the cause why Origen and other to stoppe the mouthe of Porphirius the heretike who laied to S. Paules charge that he was ouerbolde to reprehende Peter the chiefe of the Apostles expounded this place as he did But leauing S. Hierome and graunting that Peter was truly and in deede reprehended by S. Paule let vs examine whether suche a supremacie as is here spoken of maie not by the iudgement of the learned fathers of Christes churche stande wel inough for all this reprouing of S. Peter vsed by S. Paule I will emongest other alleage to this purpose two only S. Cyprian and S. Austen Epist ad Quintum The wordes S. Cyprian are these Naâ— nec Petrus quem primum dominus elegit super quem aedificauit ecclesiam suam c. For neither Pure whome oure lorde chose to be the chiefe and vpon whome he builded his church when he contended after with Paule about circuÌ„cision reuenged him selfe or chalenged anie thing insolently or arrogaÌ„tly in saing that he had the primacy and that he ought rather to be obeied of those that were nouices and came after Thus farre S. Cyprian With whome agreeth S. Austen as he that alleageth this verie place to proue that S. Cyprian to whose auctoritie the Donatistes leaned Lib. 2. de baptis contra Donatist ea for the baptising againe of suche as were Christened by heretikes woulde easely suffer him selfe for his humilitie being but one bishop or the doinges of his owne prouince either to be corrected by the statutes of the whole churche seing that he praised S. Peter in whome was the primacie of the Apostles for the same vertue of humilitie in suffering him selfe to be reproued of S. Paule Thus it appeareth that S. Paules resisting of S. Peter was no derogatioÌ„ to S. Peters auctoritie as the which by the confessioÌ„ of both these learned fathers remained saufe and whole notwithstanding the reprehension of S. Paule and withall that you and your fellowes M. Nowell who vse so often to the derogation of S. Peters auctoritie to cite this place of the epistle Galat. 2. to the Galathians doe shamefully abuse the same with no small iniurie to the blessed apostles bothe But yeat you fare that I haue saide nothing all this while to this that Peters supremacie was no suche as is the popes whome no man may blame what so euer he doe Yes sir the pope maie be blamed Neither doe the texte nor the glose by you here alleaged saye the contrarie And so haue diuerse good men freelie reprehended diuerse popes S. Bernard a moÌ„ke reprehended Eugenius the third more sharpely iwisse as youre selues can full well tel and therfore make much of him in that respect then euer did S. Paule reproue S. Petre. Paulus 4. was admonished by lettres writteÌ„ by one in Rome of the vnhonest behauiour of his nephues the two Caraffas He toke the aduertisemeÌ„t in good parte and banished them the courte immediatly What should I remembre the lettres written by Petrus a So to a frier also to Pius the pope that nowe is wherin he admonished him freely to take ordre that bishoppes and other inferiour pastours might be compelled Dat. Tridenti 17. Aprilis Anno Do. 1563. Nowell fol. 44. b. 24. to kepe resideÌ„ce with their charges and threatened to him vtter daÌ„nation in the iudgemeÌ„t of God vnlesse he did It foloweth not you saye that one being chosen to beruler emongest twelue that therefore one maie be also chosen to be ruler ouer all the cleargie of the worlde No more do the it that because there was one chosen of euerye one churche or diocesse to rule the reste that therefore there shoulde be one chosen to rule all bishoppes of all diocesses namely at Rome and the saide ruler to be called pope or heade of the vniuersall churche The first answere touching that one heade emongest Dorman Institut li. 4. cap. 6. Sect. 8. fol. 53. a. b the Apostles you learned of youre Maister Caluin against whome I haue proued that the consequent holdeth verye well in my first booke The argument I haue showed oftentimes howe it holdeth and last of all in the
disposuit Hoc erant vtique caeteri apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari consortio praediti honoris potestatis SED EXORDIVM AB VNITATE PROFICISCITVR VT ECCLESIA VNA MONSTRETVR That is to saye And although oure Lorde gaue like power to all his apostles after his resurrection and saide As my father sent me so sende I you Take you the holie ghost whose synnes you forgiue they are forgiuen whose sinnes you reteine they are reteined yeat to set furthe vnitie he disposed by his auctoritie the same vnitie to beginne of one That were trulie the other apostles also that Peter was indued with like felowship of honour and power but the beginning commeth from vnitie that the churche maie be declared to be one These be the wordes of S. Ciprian faithfullie alleaged and trulie englished I will now repeate the matter euen from the beginning and doe you good Readers to vnderstande the cause why S. Cypriā mentioneth here at all S. Peter and why he entreth in to this comparison betwene him and the other apostles and then after make you priuey to the misteries of M. Nowelles sleight in alleaging this place which he perhappes thinketh that no man knoweth but him selfe and woulde I dare saie be lothe that anie mo shoulde For the first it is to be vnderstande that not manie lines before this place that I haue nowe in hande S. Cyprian complaining of the fraude and subtilite of oure enemie the diuel saith that now that idolles be euerie where destroied he hath bethought him of a newe waie to deceiue mankinde and that is by heresies and schismes to carie them oute of the churche And this commeth to passe saieth he while men come not to the beginning of truthe the heade is not sought out neither the doctrine off oure heauenly maister kepte which thinges if a man woulde considre and examine there woulde nede no long discourse nor greate argumentes The truthe hath made the way to proue the faithe easy Oure Lorde saieth to Peter and vpon this rocke will I builde Math. 18. my churche c. And after his resurrection he saieth to him feede my shepe And although after his resurrection he gaue all his apostles like power and so furthe as I rehersed before After all this he addeth Hanc ecclesiae vnitatem qui non tenet tenere se fidem credit This vnitie of the churche he that holdeth not thinketh he that he holdeth the faith Thus farre S. Cipriā The occasion you see that moued him to mention Peter Note and to compare him with the other apostles was because to auoide schismes we must he said seke out vnitie by the scripture where we shoulde finde that our lord woulde haue his churche to begin of one of him to whome he saide thow art Petre and vpon this rocke will I builde my churche Well then must this be reteined as a truthe in the meane season if we will be within the vnitie of the churche we must kepe vs in that churche which beginning and springing out of one roote or flowing out of one heade founteine for these be also in this place S. Cyprians similitudes is one Now let vs applye the place as it is alleaged by you M. Nowell and see whether you haue vsed S. Cyprian wel or no. You alleage the place to proue such an equalitie emongest th' apostles as that there should be no difference emongest thē and so ouerthrowe all S. Cyprians drift whereby he woulde proue the churche to be one because it taketh beginninge of one For if they be all equall and no difference betwene them then either the churche hathe no one beginning or 12. beginninges If no one beginning howe can the vnitie procede of that which is not if 12 how can the churche be therefore one because as S. Cyprian saieth the vnitie thereof beginneth of one or what beginning call yow that of vnitie that commeth from suche an equall multiplicitie If therefore it be builded vpon one alone as by S. Cyprian it appeareth that it must then is that one aboue the rest Nowe to haue the churche builded vpon one is thus muche to saye that as in a materiall building there is one foundation whereupon all the rest thereof stone tymbre Iron and what so euer elles leaneth so there is in the churche one to whome after Christe the great rocke and firste grounde all the rest that be membres thereof muste as it were leane he him selfe bearing the burdē of the whole building Is not this to be the chiefe stone in Gods building If you shoulde here perhappes wrangle and saye that although it appeare by this place that Christe disposed the beginning of vnitie to procede from one and from Peter toe that yeat here is no mention that the churche shoulde be builded vpon him notwistanding that Christe speaking off Peter saide he woulde builde it vpon that rocke then I remit you for the proufe that S. Cipriāmeaneth so here to those places of his lib. 1. epist 3. epist 8. 12. lib. 4. epist 9. lib. de habit Virgin lib. de bono pati epist ad I ubaianum And last of all to the epistle ad Quintum where he hath in expresse wordes against this equalitie that you dreame of Petrus quem Dominus primum elegit super quē aedificauit ecclesiā suam Peter whome oure Lord chose to be the chiefe and vpon whom he builded his churche This because yow sawe M. Nowell M. Nowell shamefully misuseth S. Cypriā that the verie wordes of S. Cyprian in this place did purport and that alleaged wholly they were to vnequall to serue your fantasied equalitie you first hewed of this knot Et quamuis and although Then you shaued cleane awaye tamen vt vnitatem manifestaret yeat that he might make vnitie manifest vnto this place Hoc erant vtique And yeat that sentence escaped not youre fingers for the last parte thereof Sed exordium but the beginning procedeth from vnitie you pared cleane awaye First the worde Quamuis althoughe is of suche a nature that where so euer it be put it is a messenger that signifieth some diuersitie like to followe as when S. Cyprian saide here although the Apostles were equall that which foloweth yeat he disposed the beginning off vnitie to begin of one argueth in that point some inequalitye Againe the wordes that folowe tamen vt vnitatem manifestaret yeat that he might make vnitie knowen and vt ecclesia vna monstretur that the churche may be shewed to be one These you passed ouer because in them lyeth the very cause why oure Sauioure hath appointed one to be aboue the rest for vnities sake because otherwise it coulde not haue bene chosen but so manie rulers so manie faithes and then where had vnitie bene Beside this the worde ab vno incipientem beginning of one lefte also quite oute ouerthroweth that false proposition of youres that to vnite the churche and make it one in earthe
there neadeth no other heade then Christe which is in heauen Whiche if it had bene so what nede was there that Christe shoulde appointe a mortall man to that office as here it appeareth he did Peter To this moste shamelesse mangling and mutilating of this and other lyke places of the fathers vsed by you and youre fellowes I saye as S. Cyprian in this verie place saieth to such like craftes men that vsed so to alleage thinges to their vauntage in his tyme. Corruptores euangelij atque interpretes falsi extrema ponunt superiora praetereunt partim memores partim subdole corrumpentes Vt ipsi ab ecclesia scissi sunt ita capituli vnius sententiam scindunt That is to saie The corrupters of the ghospell and false interpretours take that which commeth behinde and leaue out that which goeth before partly mindefull partly craftely corrupting As they are them selues cut from the churche so deuide they the meaning The answere to the place of S. Cyprian of one sentence Thus muche of youre falsehode in alleaging this place Nowe to the place I answere that S. Cyprian sayeth not that Christe gaue like power to his Apostles in all respectes absolutely but determineth particulerly wherein this equalitie dothe consist as in being sent to preache thorough out all the worlde as Christ was sent by his Father in power of forgiuing sinnes Which power being giuen to them streight vpon Christes resurrection and being common to them as they were all the generall legates of Christe thorough out the worlde derogateth nothing by S. Cyprians minde from that speciall auctoritie that Christe departing out of this worlde gaue to Peter to continue And therefore to shewe that this was his meaning euen as before S. Hierome after the like equalitie mētioned Cap. 13. in the Apostles concludeth that notwithstanding that Peter was chosen to be the heade emongest them so dothe here S. Cyprian after the generall rule that they had all like power adde as an exception from the rule the same that S. Hierome hath in other wordes Tamen vt vnitatem c. yeat to make vnitie manifeste he disposed the beginning thereof by his auctoritie to begin of one Thus much maye suffice to satisfie youre wondring M. Nowell with what face I haue bene so boulde and busye with S. Cyprian To the place of S. Hierome which you bring also to fol. 50. a. 9. b. 6. proue that the dignitie of a bishop is not estemed by the greatnesse of his diocesse or citie and that all be equall in office I saie that it is true that the dignitie of a bishop dependeth not vpon the greatnesse of his diocesse but it is false that there be no degrees in the office of a bishop That yow bring Erasmus to proue it it forceth not For he is with Catholikes of no more auctoritie thē Pighius is with yow That betwene S. Cyprian Hierome and Leo there is no disagrement The 15. chapiter Yow are now come to the comparing of the sainges of S. Cyprian and S. Hierome with the testimonie of Leo bearing witnesse yow saye to him selfe The which you compare firste after this sorte Leo saieth In the holie Apostles them selues there was a difference Nowell b. 8. of power and that it was geuen to one to be aboue all the rest On the contrarie parte S. Cyprian saieth the Lorde gaue like and equall auctoritie to all his apostles all the Apostles be indewed with like felowship both of honour and power Neither are Leo his wordes trulie alleaged neither yeat Dorman S. Cyprians Leo sayeth that inter beatissimos Apostolos False dealing in alleaging the wordes of Cyprian and Leo. in similitudine honoris fuit quaedam discretio potestatis emongest the blessed Apostles in likenesse of honour there was a certeine difference of power quum omnium par esset electio vni tamen datum est vt coeteris praeemineret And whereas they had all one calling yeat it was giuen to one to be aboue the rest S. Cyprians wordes are that although oure Lorde after his resurrection gaue all his Apostles like power behold the likenesse of honour that Leo speaketh of c. yeat to make vnitie knowen he disposed by his auctoritie that it should begin of one Lo here quaedā discretio potestatis that certeine difference of power acknowledged by S. Cyprian that Leo mentioneth What iarring is there here M. Nowell their wordes being trulie alleaged Naie what swete consent is there betwene these two learned fathers Leo saieth there was emongest the Apostles a likenes of honour but yeat a certeine difference of power he saieth their calling or election was like but yeat giuen to one to be aboue the rest Doth not S. Cyprian saie the same when first in their election to be sent into all the worlde to preache then in the power of remitting sinnes he maketh them equall and yeat in adding afterwarde this particle tamen but yeat he noted a certeine difference of power this forsoth that vpon one of them the beginning and verie fundation of vnitie should be laied notwithstanding all the equalitie otherwise Is this true dealing M. Nowell thus to bring in M. Nowell mangleth the wordes of Leo and S. Cypriā to make them disagree mangled at youre pleasure the sainges of the fathers to deface them to the worlde as here yow doe by taking from the wordes of Leo this particle quaedam making him to seme the more to differ from S. Cyprian and cutting from S. Cyprian those wordes that vnitie should begin of one conteining that certeine difference in likenes of honour that Leo speaketh of Yow saie that S. Cyprian hath this in his boke De simplicitate praelatorum noting them as double faced prelates that teache or attēpt to make one bishop aboue an other The true title of the boke is De vnitate ecelesiae of the vnitie of the churche as to him that shall reade it maie easly by the contentes thereof appeare Yow are therefore a double faced or manie headed prelate that for one chiefe heade giue vs so manie You procede in youre cōparison and saie that Leo hathe out of this fourme is taken oure difference of bishops that in euerie prouince one be Dorman chiefe and of most auctoritie and the bishop of greter cities to haue greater care and consequētly that he that sitteth in Peters chaire should haue charge and be head of the vniuersal church Thus you say Leo saieth because he him selfe wold be Lord and head ouer all the church wheras S. Cyprian on the other side saieth Euerie bishop hath his seuerall portion of Christes flock to rule and gouern c. that those who are vnder the charge of the B. of one coūtrie may not appeale to a bishop of an other for that the auctoritie of one bishop is not inferiour to an other nor the auctorite of the B. of Afrike is lesse then the auctoritie of the bishopps of
Italie or Rome it selfe for his wordes haue euidentlie that relation and that none thinke the auctoritie of one bishop to be lesse then the auctoritie an other but a few wicked and desperate men You were driuē to the wall M. Nowell when you were forced Dorman for a pore shift to say that Leo said as he did because he wolde haue bene lord and heade ouer the church S. Cipriā saith that euerie bishop hath his seuerall portion The same saieth Leo. Leo saieth that the charge of the vniuersall church must Lib. 1. ep 3 haue recourse to Peters chaire S. Ciprian saieth not the cōtrarie Yea so saieth S. Ciprian toe calling Rome matricem the mother church And whither should children I pray you haue recourse for succour but to their mother He saith not that the subiecte of one bishop may not appeale to an other Lyes that is one lie He saieth not that the cause determined by one bishop may be called before no other that is an other lie He maketh no comparison as you say he doth betwene the bishoppes of Afrike Italie and Rome behold the third lye He saieth not that none but a fewe wicked and desperate men thinke the auctoritie of one bishop to be lesse then the auctoritie of an other which if he shoulde youre selfe were like by that meanes to be of the nombre of such desperate and wicked men who before acknowledged chiefe prelates a worde that presupposeth other that be inferiour and fol. 32. 2. be cōtrarie to him selfe as I proued before by his writing to Steuen the pope wherby he required him to take ordre by his lettres for the remouing from his bishoprike Martianus the B. of Arles and by that that him selfe sent to Rome to Cornelius to trie the matter before him with those euill mē that complained vpon him there by his excepting againste the sentence giuen by the pope for the restitution of Basilides for no other cause but because it was obteined by false information All which exāples doe not only proue that he was not of the minde that no one bishop was aboue an other but this also that the B. of Rome was of greater auctoritie then the bishoppes of Fraunce Spaine or Afrike Hetherto of the disagrement betwene S. Ciprian and Leo which by this time all men I trust perceiue to be no suche as you vaunted it was yea to be none at all but suche consent rather as in diuerse wordes there can not be greater It foloweth that we examine how Hierome and Leo agree S Hierome yow saye hath that all churches worshipping one Nowell fo 51. a. 10 Borowed out of Caluin Inst. lib. 4 cap. 7. Sect. 3. Christe and obseruing one rule of truthe are equall with the churche of Rome that all bishoppes be the successours of the Apostles and of one priestehod and of the same merite and dignitie But Leo saieth contrarie that it was giuen to one to be aboue all the rest and that they who be in greater diocesses or cities haue more care and auctoritie and that the onelie see of Peter hath charge of the vniuersall churche and is heade thereof Yow belye S. Hierome He saieth not that all the churches Dorman A lye 38. in the worlde be equall If he did he shoulde saie contrarie to Irinaeus who saieth that the churche of Rome hath potentiorem principalitatem greater souereintie then other churches haue contrary to S. Cipriā who calleth Rome the Li. 1. cap. 3 Lib. 1. ep 3. mother churche the roote and principall churche and contrarie to S. Austen who calleth it the churche in the which the principalitie of the apostolicall see hath allwaies florished Epist 162. He saieth that Christes church is not diuided * Nec altera Romanae vrbis ecclesia altera totius orbis existimanda as thoghe Rome were one and the whole worlde an other As for that that he saieth that all bishoppes be the successours off the apostles those wordes make merueilously for the opinion of Leo against you For vpon that proposition of S. Hierome I reason thus All bishoppes be the successours of the Apostles but the Apostles were not all equal because as S Hierom saith Peter was their head Ergo by S. Hieromes minde all bishoppes who be their successours be not equall but haue the successour of Peter their heade Againe Peter was heade of the Apostles and made because there shoulde arise no schisme emongest them Ergo the B. off Rome who is Peters successour must be heade of his felowe bishoppes for the same cause These two propositions that there was emongest the Apostles one heade and that that was Peter be S. Hieromes owne in his first boke against Iouinian The wordes although I rehersed before yeat because they perteine not onelie to this matter but to shewe also how these thre Ciprian Hierome and Leo mete and knit as it were together in this sentence that Christ appointed ouer his church one generall heade I will recite once againe The wordes therfore of S. Hierō to Iouiniā be these At dicis super Petrum fundatur ecclesia licet idipsum in alio loco super omnes apostolos fiat cuncti claues regni coelorum accipiant ex aequo super eos ecclesiae fortitudo solidetur tamen propterea inter duodecim vnus eligitur vt capite constituto schismatis tollatur occasio That is to saie But thou saiest The churche is builded vpon Peter although the same in an other place be done vpon all the Apostles and all of them receiue the keyes of heauen and equallye is the strength of the churche grounded vpon them yeat for all that is there one chosen emongest the twelue that by making a heade emongest them occasion of schisme maye be taken awaye See yow not nowe by this place of S. Hierome M. Nowell howe the equalitie of power that S. Cyprian speaketh of the similitude of honour and equalitie of calling that Leo remembreth the building of the churche in one place vpon all the Apostles indifferentlie that S. Hierome mentioneth notwithstanding they all three conclude in one maner with this worde tamen notwithstanding that the churche was builded vpon one that there was one heade that there was one preferred before the reste This place of S. Hierome as it vtterly stoppeth their mouthes who reason that the Apostles were absolutely in all pointes equall so confirmeth it moste strongly the answere made before to the place of S. Ciprian that the Apostles were all of equall power and auctority that that was true at the first but Ioan. 20. that after oure Lorde last before his ascension gaue the Ioan. 21. chiefe auctoritie to one in respecte as one was chosen from the rest vpon whome the churche shoulde be builded S. Hierome saieth that al bishoppes are of one priesthode and of the same merite you plaie the falsefier and adde of youre owne and of the same dignitie The gentlewoman
to 15. wordes I can not but thinke that his pleasure was by a young man suche as I am to shewe how little those greate pillers off their side were hable to doe I am not I confesse of that reading and studie in diuinitie that manie other be in oure countrie What so euer it be that is in me I vowe it to Christe and his catholike faithe against all heretikes and heresies during my life And suerlye that littell which I haue shal I trust I will saie with S. Cyprian dico prouocatus dico dolens dico compulsus I saie it being prouoked I saie it sorowfully I saie it compelled by yow thereto be sufficient at all times to matche with yow in anie of those foure questions that I haue handled in my boke For why should I doubte by the aide of God to be hable to saie in defence of the catholike faithe more then yow shall against it Yow saie that hetherto I haue proued nothing and that I Nowell fo 51. b. 1. haue gone about most lewdely to gather that because euerie seuerall countrie citie and companie haue their seuerall princes rulers and heades that all churches dispersed in all countries cities townes villages c. shoulde haue one onelie heade here in earthe I reasoned and yeat doe reason in this wise Euerie seuerall Dorman countrie because it is one bodie euerie seuerall citie and companie for the same cause must haue their seuerall rulers and heades Therefore all the churches in the worlde being but one misticall bodie must haue one chiefe heade to rule and gouerne the same I reasoned after the same māner Euerie particuler churche as hath S. Ciprian and S. Hierome must haue one bishop to rule the same and to be the heade thereof Therefore the whole churche of Christe where the daunger of schismes is greater and the mischiefe likelier to happen must haue in like case one heade I haue shewed yow nowe that youre reasons to the contrarie There is no one head ouer all the kingdoms in the world and it is impossible that there shoulde be one suche therfore in like maner it is impossible that there shoulde be one generall heade in earthe ouer the vniuersall church Fol. 32. b. 14. ar of no force forasmoche as the difference of these two states is suche as suffreth Supra cap. 11. fol. 49. b. 50. b fol. 50. a 61. a. not youre argument to holde As because the diuision off vnitie that is of faithe in the churche for the maintenaunce wherof this ordre was takē that there should be one heade in the whole church is merueilouse daungerouse to christian men forasmoch as without faith there is no saluatiō as hath our Sauiour him selfe Qui non crediderit condemnabitur Marci vlt. Heb. 11. he that beleueth not shall be damned And the Apostle Sine fide impossibile est placere deo To please God without faithe it is a thing impossibile Whereas it is not so touching the obseruation of anie other vnitie emongest Christian men in ciuile policie forasmuche as it is not necessarie that all agree in common gouernement but they maie well according to the diuersitie of countries tongues conditions of men haue diuerse maners of liuing and gouernement Yea it is necessarie the contrarie natures of men and countries so requiring that there be not onelie diuerse but contrarie positiue lawes in diuerse countries and prouinces When notwithstanding no diuersitie of natures no varietie of customes no circumstances what so euer they be can excuse them from the vniforme obseruing in all the whole worlde of godde◠commaundementes and ministring of his sacramentes without the which there is no entraunce to life To this maye be added that to gouerne the whole churche in spirituall thinges how harde and impossible a thing so euer it seme to you is yeat much more easie to be done then to gouerne the worlde in temporall gouernement bothe because the businesse and affaires of the worlde are more diuerse and contrarie then are those of the church and also because the sworde of excommunication wherewith the heade of the churche dothe punishe rebelles and suche as forsake the truthe passeth soner and easelier to the correction of suche offendours be they neuer so far of then doth the materiall sworde which the temporall magistrate vseth Againe that there shoulde be one head ouer the whole churche it is Christes institution who woulde so haue it when committing to Peter the charge of aswell his shepe as his lambes he made him generall shepherde and Homil. 87 in cap. 10. han 21. ruler as saith Chrisostome ouer the whole world Whereas in temporall gouernement it appeareth not by the scriptures that he planted euer anie suche ordre Naye the scripture Eccles 17. maketh mention of the contrarie if we will beleue yow It foloweth Nowell b. 17. You haue hearde also how ignorantly if he did not vnderstande how shamelesly if he did vnderstande he hathe alleaged S. Cyprian and S. Hieromo for him c. Men haue hearde M. Nowell doubt you not how like a Dorman propre mā you haue quit your selfe And yeat as though no man had sene you hetherto with a shamelesse repetition of a nombre of lies made before you turne you as it were about againe to be better considred Howe S. Ciprian and S. Hierome make not againste me but euidentlye with me how vaine or rather a balsphemouse lye it is to saie seing God hath so appointed it to be that it is impossible that there shoulde be one only heade ouer the whole churche How my witnesses agree with moste perfite consent it hathe bene to your shame before declared Yow see there was no suche opinion muche lesse knowledge Nowell of any suche heade emongest the Apostles or in the primitiue churche but that it is a newe diuelishe deuise of the late ambitiouse bishoppes of Rome who when they were neuer able yeat hitherto well to rule the churche of Rome one citie as by all histories and experience is euident woulde yeat of the worlde vsurpe the superioritie and supremacy And if S. Paule did thinke he was not meete to haue charge of one church who coulde not well gouern his own house of what mōstrouse ambitiō and presumption is he that being neuer yeat hable to gouern one peculier church doth claime the regiment of all churches thorough out the world whereas he is not hable to tell the onelie names of a small parte of the saide churches neither knoweth in what parte a greate many of them be Are yow not ashamed M. Nowell to call it a newe diuelishe Dorman deuise of the late bishoppes of Rome and to saye that there was no suche opinion of one heade emongest the Apostles or in the primitiue churche seing that S. Cyprian and Hierome who yow saye vntrulye are againste Epist ad Quint. fracrem Lib. 1. aduers Ioninian me doe make mention thereof as I shewed before
in the easte churches that they might the rather ouerronne the catholikes The one parte giueth a perfect cause of their testimonie because they were present when the matter was concluded Imagine nowe the other who hauing sought in the east churche for suche a decree saide they founde no suche to saie which they doe not that they had harde of some that were present at the councell that there was no suche thing decreed which witnesses were to be beleuid This that hath bene saide maye seme I doubte not to anye reasonable man a sufficient cause why we ought to giue full credite to Athanasius and those other bishoppes and pronounce for the innocencie of Zozimus Yeat to make it the better appeare how true it is that Athanasius Manie canons made in the 1. councell of Nice that we haue not nowe saieth of the burning of the Nicene canons I will note vnto yow certeine canons which the fathers and stories off the churche witnes to haue bene concluded in that councell which yeat are not emongest those twentie whiche we haue I will first beginne with S. Ambrose who telleth you M. Nowell that you haue done euell being twise maried Epi. 82. li. 10. colū 11 Note M. Nowell to thrust youre selfe into the ministerie of the church not only because the apostle he saieth forbiddeth it but the fathers also in the councell of Nice S. Augustin reporteth that there was a decree made in the councell of Nice that a bishop shoulde not ordeine his Epist 110. successour bshiop with him notwithstanding that him selfe he confessed by ignorance thereof was so ordeined by Valerius his bishop and predecessour Iustinian the emperour saith that it was defined by the first foure generall councels that the B. of Rome should be Constitut 131. the chiefe of all other priestes S. Hierome saieth that the booke of Iudith was counted emongest the canonicall by the fathers of Nice In praefat in Iudith Theodoritus alleageth a decree of giuing ecclesiasticall degrees of consecrating bishops made also by the councell of Nice Lib. 5. cap. 9. Leo affirmeth that there was an other canon touching the doctrine of Christes incarnation Epist ad Leonē 78. Where is there anie canon of the obseruation of the Easter daye the desire of the vniforme obseruation whereof Histor tripart lib. 1. cap. vlt. Haere 70. Lib. 2. ca. 2 was one cause why the councell of Nice was called Yeat dothe bothe Epiphanius and the tripartite historye make mentiō of a decree made by the fathers touching the same Youre Apologie citeth out of the councell off Nice that we ought not to be humiliter intēti ad panem et vinum ouer basely bent to breade and wine We confesse it to be true but shew you it emongest the canons Who doubteth that the councell of Nice was assembled together against Arrius Yeat shewe one canon againste him emongest the 20. that remaine Was there thinke yow none made That were surely a strange matter that in the whole doinges thereof nothing should haue bene concluded against him for the repressing of whome the councell was specially called together Howe saye you now M. Nowell is it likely that the Arrians burned the canons of the councel or no Are all these falsaries and corrupters that haue alleaged thus manye canons to be of the councell of Nice because at this daye there is none of them extant I thinke you will not saye so If yow will not why Zozimus more then they Yes you saye there is an other cause why if not Zozimus for I thinke by this tyme you be ashamed of that matter yeat some other hath fasified those canons What is that I praye yow Because there appeared in the copies sent from the Easte the Nowell fol. 47. a. 11. cleane contrarye to that whiche the pope claimeth For the sixt and seuenth decree off the sayde Nicene councell make the patriarkes of Alexandria Antiochia and Hierusalem equall with the bisshoppes of Rome Trulye if it had bene so it is merueile that Athanasius Dorman who was there present shoulde haue bene ignorant of it Therefore excepte you will saye that either this epistle is feined and not Athanasius owne as that is wont in other auctorities brought against yow to be youre common and last refuge when you be sore pressed which if you doe you must not onelye saye it but proue it also Or that his memorie was so euill that he coulde not remembre so notable a thing so latelye before done or his malice so greate that he woulde faine that which neuer was done you muste nedes graunte that this sixt and seuenth canon haue an other meaning then to make the patriarkes of Alexandria Antiochia and Hierusalem equall with the bishoppes off Rome And so haue they in dede For the true meaning of The true vnderstanding of the 6. and 7. canon of the councel of Nice them is to appoint the limites and boundes of those primates iurisdictions of whom mention is there made according to the custome of the bishop of Rome As the wordes whiche answere trulye to the greke and are in Latine these doe wel declare Antiqui mores obtineant in Agipto Libia Pentapoli vt Alexandrinus horum omnium habeat potestatem quia episcopo Romano hoc consuetum est Similiter etiam per Antiochiam in caeteris prouincijs priuilegia seruentur ecclesijs Let olde customes be kepte in Aegypt Libia and Pentapoli that the B. of Alexandria haue the auctoritie ouer them all for as muche as the B. of Romes maner is suche Semblablye also thorough out Antioche and in other prouinces let the churches haue their priuileges kepte These wordes of the councell as they doe nothing at all diminishe the B. of Romes auctoritie so doe they confirme it verie muche The reason of the councell why the iurisdiction of the B. of Alexandria shoulde extende so far being beside the auncient custome in those partes the custome also of the B. Rome who it is to be thought vsed of long time so to alow it by conteining in his rescriptes those prouinces vnder the patriarchie of Alexandria Which was now brought as an argumēt to confirme and continue the same For this meaning that they should be all equall in power and auctoritie there is no worde there able to induce Except a man woulde bring in those graue fathers reasoning thus foolishely because the B. of Rome hath iurisdictiō ouer his owne bishoprike for more you giue him not and the councell nameth no place at all therfore the B. of Alexandria shall haue iurisdiction ouer all the bishoppes of Aegipt Libia and Pentapoli Had not this bene thinke you a goodly making of them equall If you will saie that the councell ment that the B. of Rome shoulde be patriarke in the west partes and therein they shoulde be equall beside that there be no suche wordes in the councell to inforce suche a meaning yeat shoulde
be suche doltes and so depriued of common sense that we vnderstand not to what ende the fauour shewed to an Anabaptist an Eluidian or anye other heretike for the crueltie practised on the catholike tendeth Argueth it not to the worlde that you seke rather meanes politikely for the tyme to staye them then vtterly for euer to represse them Well thus muche off youre priuate dissensions and lurking heresies whereof one of late in spite of all polycie sustening Verons heresie touching praedestination to abyde no longre burst oute hathe the blaste off common fame blowen ouer to vs. What other priuey store of opinions and seuerall doctrines maye be founde emonge you they knowe best that best are acquainted with you We as we can not knowe all so we can not reporte all This that hathe bene brought is sufficient to proue yowe M. Nowell a lowde lyer vntill you shewe the like to haue bene emongest vs before your heresies began The whiche because yow dispaired to be euer able to doe for yow confesse hereafter that there was at that time a coloured kinde off quietnesse emongest vs fol. 56. b. Yow bethought yow off a better councell that is to saye that emongest the Apostles of Christe the learned fathers of the councell off Nice and other off no lesse fame in Christes churche there haue bene also schismes and sectes You re wordes are these And though there were not a perfecte consent of all men in all pointes what merueile yeat were it if that shoulde happen emongest Nowell vs which was not alltogether lacking emongest the Apostles themselues c. This impudent and blasphemouse shifte you haue borowed Dorman of your Apologie the Apologie of Iohn Caluin he of that greate Lombard the diuell him selfe But here I beseche Staphilus in Epist ad Episcop Eystetēsen the considre with me good reader what either a miserable and detestable religiō is this either elles what weake but shamelesse patrones hathe it founde when suche faultes as be noted therein can no otherwise be excused but by sclaundring moste wickedly the learned doctours of the churche the generall councelles of the same yea the moste blessed and gloriouse apostles them selues Tell these newe gospellers that whereas the churche of Christe is Matth. 5. a citie builded vpon the toppe of a hill a candell set in the house to giue light to all that be in it a kingdome that reacheth from sea to sea and from the East to the west that Lucae 11. Psalm 71. their churche that they boast of is a secrete scattred congregation vnknowen to all the worlde and to them selues toe yow shall haue a peuishe proctour steppe furthe and answere as M. Nowell dyd before we take this obiection as Supra fol. 39. a. 32. no reproche being common to oure congregation with the primitiue churche of oure sauiour Christe and his holie apostles specially in the time of persecution Charge them as I doe here with schismes and you haue hearde the answere thereto allready The reporter whereof and as manie as before haue vsed this and like defences I can resemble to no worldly thing better then to a filthy and beastly sowe who being fowle and bemired her selfe neuer careth to be cleane but fodeth on still in the durte beraieng all thinges that she meeteth or rubbeth her selfe vpon as these schismaticall proctours doe not caring so muche to purge them selues as to laie their filthe vpon other that be cleane and to make them tomble and walowe in the mire as they doe Now to this blasphemouse shift because it is in the confutation of In the 3. parte fol. 136. and seq the Apologie so learnedly answered I will saie no more but that it is moste directly repugnant to the holie scriptures which beare witnesse that credentiū erat cor vnū anima vna Those which beleued at the first preaching of the Act. 4. Apostles were of one harte and of one minde It tendeth The Apostles varied dot in doctrine openly to the defacing of that marcke which Christe as of all other the moste certeine and suer to discerne those whiche are his gaue to his disciples when commending peace and vnitie he tolde them In hoc cognoscent omnes quia mei Ioan. 13. discipuli estis si diligatis inuicem In this marcke shall all men knowe that you are my disciples if you loue together M. Nowell chargeth the Apostles as the heathen philosophers dyd that finally it commeth from the ethnike and heathen spirite of certeine vaine philosophers as witnesseth the learned father Cirillus the B. of Alexandria who made in his time this verie obiection that M. Nowell nowe dothe Th◠Lib. 1. contra lulianū which place maie it please the learned reader to viewe and there shall he finde that this good bishop was so assured off that perfecte agrement of the Apostles that he was not afearde to make the offer to those vaine philosophers that so reasoned with him as M. Nowell dothe with me to leaue to defende them anie farder in case they coulde proue anie disagrement emongest them in doctrine Nowe that yow haue done with the Apostles yow come to the fathers and doctours of Christes churche of whome yow saye What wondre if that were emongest vs touching some pointes Nowell that was not wanting in the primitiue churche emongest the olde fathers Let the variance emongest the bishoppes assembled at Nicene councell let the contention betwene the bishoppes of the east and west churche about the keping of Easter daye * Beholde an arrogant spirite taking vpon him to iudge and reprehende the most vertuouse and learned bishoppes of the East and west churche Dorman a matter not worthy of suche variance be a witnesse thereof This vaine obiection borowed also of youre Apologie as is allmost alltogether what so euer yow haue here patched vp in fiue leaues concerning this matter of schismes is in the answere therto made abundantly satisfied Thither I referre the good reader where as thow maiest finde that some of these controuersies here mentioned by M. Nowell were of matters indifferent and not determined by the churche other some not of doctrine or religion but off priuate quarelles as happened emongest the fathers in the councell of Nice finally some suche as be schismes if they be schismes at all in logike not in diuinitie or matters off faithe so in matters of weight arrested vpon by the determination of the churche such striffes can not be named neither by this schismaticall proctour neither yeat by anye other So greate cause we haue to giue thankes to allmightie God the preseruer of his churche who hathe so mightely defended the same that when schismatikes and heretikes haue done all that they can for the better cloking of their dissension to proue the like in the fathers and learned doctours that haue gone before they being not able with all that malice can deuise or falsehode
inuent to spotte them there with are compelled at the last with shame inough to twhite this greate post to a pudding pricke saing that there be schismes emongest the catholikes about Genus and Species and the rest of the predicables because forsothe some men be of one minde about them and are called by a name agreable to their opinion Nominals other some off an other minde and be called Realles But yow haue better stuffe then this yow will saie for yow aske VVhat be these Benedictines CistertiaÌ„s Carmelites Carthusians Dominicans Franciscanes with others like an huge numbre Nowell 54. b. 25. but names of popishe schismes and sectes Who all forsaking the religion and name of Christe haue chosen to be called religiouse as by a speciall name of a seuerall religion and to be named after Matth. 23. men their fathers on earthe forsaking the heauenly father c. That whereof youre Apologie for shame woulde saie Dorman nothing you so muche are you one alone more impudent then so manie as were the compilers thereof set out to the vauntage making a greate matter therof Youre Apologie saieth I saie nothing of so manie diuersities of friers and mockes You saie they shall not escape youre handes so You call their names the names of popishe schismes and sectes their persones you charge with the forsaking of the name and religion of Christe c. Had it not bene better for you M. Nowell to haue imitated also the countrefeit modestie of youre Apologie rather then by suche vnmercifull dealinge to slaundre and beelye youre Christian brethren Thought you that you should be able to make anie honest nature beleue that these religiouse men whome you here name professing to be of this or that ordre shoulde in so doing forsake bothe the religion and name of Christe What is if this be not an impudent lye of all other that I haue hearde moste like to that made by youre felowe Fox when he saieth that Bradforde was charged by the Quenes councel that then was emongest other thinges with the beleuing Actes and monumentes fo 1173 b. and preaching of Christe crucified What will these lieng Maisters be ashamed to feine that vtter suche vntruthes as these are It is false that you saie to coloure the better youre slaunderousse reporte that they haue chosen to be called religiouse as by a speciall name of a seuerall religion For as the religion is not seuerall but the same that is common to all true Christians so neuer gaue the professours therof anie suche name to them selues to be called religiouse The vniforme consent it is of good men thorough out al the worlde that hath giuen them that name as to those that hauing chosen a kinde of life more streighter and painefull theÌ„ the common sorte of men haue done the rather to atteine to the perfection as muche as mannes infirmitie wil suffer in this life of that one religion which we all professe haue semed best worthy therof It is the maner therfore of conuersation and liuing in this one common religion that seuereth the folowers therof from the rest not religion Religion hath two significations it selfe Religion hathe two significations M. Nowell The one concerneth faithe and so there is in all the worlde but one religion to witte of the catholike Christians as S. Austen noteth the other perteineth to vertue and good life And so there are bothe diuersities and degrees of religion as the same S. Austen reconing vp Anachoretes Eremites Cloister monckes nonnes and colleages of religiouse not without reioising therein obiecteth Lib. de morib eccl Cath. cap. 31. to the Manichees But how forsake they the religion and name of Christe M. Nowell why tell you vs not Thinke you that it maye be laufull for you in print to vse youre pulpite talcke and flowing in your ruffianly Rhetorike to droppe in slaunderouse lies as yow doe without all proufe These religiouse men that yow mention folowe Christe in pouertie as the Apostles did and manie holie men in all ages haue done and as Christe him selfe gaue the yong man councell to doe that asked what waye he shoulde take to get heauen when he bad him if he Matth. 19. woulde be perfecte to sell all that he had giue it to the pore and folowe him They vowe chastitie to be the more apte to serue Christe as the Apostle saieth of them that be 1. Cor. 7. vnmaried They renounce them selues vtterly by vowing obedience to their heade whiche oure Sauiour willeth Lucae 9. them to doe that will folowe him In all this what is there to be misliked where is anie forsaking of Christes name and religion Where are the popishe schismes and sectes that you rauingly talcke of If these be schismes and sectes if to liue thus be to forsake Christes name and religioÌ„ then is Christe the auctor of oure schismes then haue the holie fathers Paulus Hilarion Anthonie Basile Hierome Austen yea the Apostles them selues forsaken Christes name and religion Who bothe haue pracâ—ised this kinde of life in them selues and earnestly commâ—n did the same to their folowers O God for thy mercy how perilouse are the daies that we liue in How farre are the heresies of our time passing those whiche in times past haue bene raised vp and haue raged in thy churche This maner of life which M. Nowell here declameth against and calleth schismaticall persuaded by Christe practised by the Apostles and from their time continued in the churche till oures as the stories of all ages beare witnesse hathe bene by good men alwayes honoured by tirantes and infidelles wondred at euen by the worst kinde of men well spoken of onelye proude protestants and licentiouse Libertines who neither can saye well nor doe well call it schismatical terme it a for saking of Christes name and religion Whereof as we haue here by one of them a glimmering in generall wordes so hath his felowe giuen vs a perfect sight and full viewe thereof in the combate that he kepeth with the blessed spirite of that holye saincte then whome since the Apostles tyme I maye be bolde to saye there liued not one that expressed Fox kepeth a coÌ„bate with S. FrauÌ„ces in his Actes and monumeÌ„tes fol. 70 more neare the lyfe and conuersation of oure sauiour S. Frauncis him selfe He calleth him Assisian asse because he was borne in a towne called Assisium rude idiot and Frantike frauncis him selfe being as verie an asse as euer was breade in the mountaines of Arcadia for so saing a right idiott for calling the wisedome of God foolishenes 1. Cor. 3. and if not when he made that houge donghill yeat surelye at that time when he imagined him selfe to be an Vrinall a frantike Fox And why giueth he to him these reprochefull titles I praie you Forsothe he calleth him Asse rude Ideott c. because I will vse his owne wordes hearing vpon a tyme howe Christ sent furthe his disciples to
they were clothed this is most certeine that those good men that wandred about the worlde in pelttes and gotes skynnes of whome S. Paule maketh Heb. 11. mention and saieth that the world was not worthy of thē had apparel diuerse and distincte from other men and yeat I trust you will not make them schismatikes As for the other diuersities that you gather as of shauing going becking bowing c. Who woulde euer haue thought that a man of youre qualities had bene so scrupulouse or superstitiouse as to requier that all men should be shauen a like that they vse the like gate in going the same maner of becking and bowing and such like But if in shauing there must nedes for the auoiding of schismes be one vniforme fashion why not in clipping I praie you M. Nowel And then you might doe wel when you preache nexte sobrely to persuade withe the barbers that they cut hereafter all mennes beardes alike all a la marquesato all a la philippina all a la moresca all forcked all square or otherwise as to youre wisdome shall seme best so that all be a like and schisme hereby auoided Let your discretion also prescribe some one vniforme maner of going becking and bowing Nowe concerning diuersitie of diete and meates you will not I thinke take vpon you to prescribe al Englāde one diete and one kinde of meate you will rather turne it ouer to the phisicion and bid him vnder perile of schisme to appointe one suche diete to the whole realme But if this be a note of schismes or sectes M. Nowell for one ordre of religiouse men to vse one diet an other to feede after an other sorte bothe of them notwitstāding susteining nature with no other then with suche as by ordre and law they maie what are they I praie you that in the holie time of lent when all the worlde absteineth and from the Apostles time hetherto euer hath absteined from flesh doe then of al other times moste greedily desire the same That religiouse men haue not allwaies obserued vniformitie neither in cutting their heare neither in their diete emongest other of the auncient fathers none witnesseth more euidently then Epiphanius the B. of Cypres who describing the fourme of the church in his daies when he commeth to make mentiō of the religiouse men writeth thus Quidam verò ex solitariā vitā degentibus c. Some of these that Sub sin lib. 3. contra haereses Diuersities of liuing emongest religiouse men in the primitiue churche Acto 18. leade this solitarie life in the church dwell in cities Some continue in monasteries and get them farre out of the waye Some haue thought good to let their heare growe for cōlinesse sake of the propre inuentiō of their minde not of anie cōmaundemēt of the gospel or tradition of the Apostles for S. Paule the Apostle cut of this attyre There be beside other moste excellent conuersations of lyfe which are obserued in the same holye catholike churche I meane off them which absteine from all fleshe foure footed beastes byrdes and fishe yea egges also and cheese and other diuerse rules of lyfe For euery one shall receiue his rewarde according to his owne laboure And some truly absteine from al these other some from foure footed beastes only eating fowle and all other meates Some absteine from fowle and vse egges and fishe Some eate no egges neither some eate fishe onely Some absteine allso from fishe and eate cheese Some there be that eate not so muche as cheese Beside these there be other whiche absteine from breade other allso from harde fruites nuttes and all sodden thinges manye haue the grounde for their bedde Other weare no shoes other were priuey sacke clothe VVearing of sacke clothe for penaunce for vertue and penaunce sake which do trulye well For it is vnsemelye to be sene openlye wearing sacke clothe as some doe Hetherto Epiphanius touching the diuersitie of maners emongest religiouse men in his tyme. How saye yow M. Nowel were yow ignoraunt of this place when yow made youre description of sectes and schismes or knewe yow of it Iff you were ignoraunt thereof acknowledge at the length that you were deceiued if yow knew it crye shame to youre selfe that durst charge the Catholikes with schismes vsing suche maners as the primitiue churche of Christe vsed Nowe iudge good Reader whether thou haddest rather beleue Epiphanius or M. Nowell The one Epiphanius taketh occasion by these diuersityes to sette furthe the beauty of the churche the other M. Nowell to obscure thereby and deface the same The one calleth these diuerse fashions off lyuing praeeminentes vitae conuersationes moste excelling conuerastions of lyfe the other the vorie propertye of schismes and sectes Epiphanius sayeth they shall be rewarded M. Nowell as muche in effect as that they shal be condemned But where hathe Epiphanius these wordes for that maketh not a little to the matter Forsothe in that worke of his where he doeth nothing elles but fight against heresies and sectes in the very ende thereof when hauing declared before howe heretikes and schismatikes had deformed the church he would as it were oppose and set against them the holy lyfe and vertuouse conuersation off suche good men as had decked and garnished the same So that if these diuerse fashions of liuinges had bene the verye propertye of sectes and schismes he woulde neuer we maye be sure that wrote purposely against them haue cōmended thē for good and vertuouse Now for reading singing and tuning it greueth me to heare how farre you be M. Nowel from all good tune As though it were either nedefull or youre churches at home vsed thorough out all the realme one tune and not diuerse But for this matter I will leaue yow to the musicians mercy for diuinitie maketh no matter thereof I assure yow Yeat there is an other diuersitie and that is of churche seruice If diuersitie herein make a schisme then wo be to you M. Nowell and your companions who haue altered the common receiued seruyce thorough out all the latine churche Ex ore tuo te iudico serue nequam But it is not euery diuersitie of churche seruice that maketh a schisme but onely suche diuersitie as is done against ordre and lawe I meane Goddes lawe the lawe off the church giuen by those spirituall rulers and gouernours whome Christe hathe appointed for the building off his Ephes 4. Acto 20. misticall bodye the churche and to guyde and rule the same redemed with his pretiouse bloude Is there anye suche diuersitie M. Nowell in church seruice emongest religiouse men Or howe euer the same seruice be emongest them in this pointe diuerse that in some places it is longer and hathe therefore mo lessons Antiphones Responces then in other in some places shorter and therefore fewer whiche procedeth of this that some of these ordres being specially instituted to preache as the Dominicanes and those of the
Societye of Iesus other some to lyue in contemplations The cause of diuersitye off churche seruice emongest religiouse men and meditations as the Carthusians must bestowe more time in studye and contemplation then in publike prayer other to be wholly in the churche to praye for their sinnes and the sinnes of the people as the Benedictines and other who maye and ought therefore to haue their seruice longer yeat all this notwithstanding the churche seruice is in the substance thereof in all places vniforme For all religiouse men worshippe one God call vpon his blessed sainctes to helpe vs praie for the deade c. This because the whole churche of Christe doeth and euer hathe done denye it if yow can and yow doe not in youre seruice the blowe that yow had thought to haue fastened vpon vs is light vpon youre owne nowle and youre seruice thus farre differing frō Christes churche not theirs that agreeth therewith is schismaticall Youre last diuersitye is of rules and life Is it anie maruell good Reader if they that after the Apostles first practised the imitation of their life in renouncing the worlde and vanites thereof as S. Basile S. Austen S. Benedict S. Dominike S. Frauncis did deliuer to their folowers diuerse rules of life this considered that allthough Christ were the only marcke that they all shot at yeat the meanes that they vsed to compasse and atteine therto were diuerse S. Dominike for example had this speciall meaning to make Christe knowen to the rude and ignorant by preaching S. Frauncis bothe by worde and example enforced him selfe to persuade to the proude and arrogant humilitie and contempt of riches Who can now denie but that suche meanes are here to be prescribed as by the which the professours of this ordre or that maie sonest atteine to their desired ende As it is in these so is it in all other Benedictines Carthusians Bernardines c. Emongest all the which it suffiseth vs that yow are able to name no suche diuersitie of rules and life as being diuerse one from the other are anie of them against the commaundementes of God whereas contrarywise how diuerse so euer they seme to yow they all agree in the ende of glorifieng God allthough they differ in the meanes the one worcking this waie the other that and yeat euery waie good All times woulde faile me if I shoulde or coulde reherse all Nowell their diuersities which is the verie propretie off schismes and sectes Helpe the man to a daie more some good bodie for Dorman goddes sake Will yow see so much worthy matter lost for lacke of time to vtter it If not a daie some man spare him an idle houre perhappes it would serue his turne as well as a yeare O that there were now an other Iohannes de temporibus to lende yow M. Nowell some of his time But if the worst happen that no suche creditour can be founde rather take the morow after Domes daie or the Griekes calendes and holde men in suspense till that time put them not out of all hope by suche discomfortable wordes Well we haue all that we shall haue at this time I perceiue what conclude yow therfore of these diuersities that yow haue rehersed already Forso the that they are the verie propretie of schismes and sectes Nowe iwisse M. Nowell if yow had all times at commaundement if yow coulde proue no otherwise schismes and sectes to be emongest vs then by this meanes you nede to take no longre daie the time that you haue spent allready was long inough and to long to without yow had better bestowed it S. Austen teacheth you an other S. Austens definition of a schisme lesson to knowe schismes by then this that you haue learned of the Apologie of Bale and suche like maisters of the diuersitie of coates hosen shoes c. For thus defineth he a schisme Schisma est recens congregationis ex aliqua sententiarum Lib. 2. cap. 7. contra Crescon Crammat diuersitate dissensio Schisme is a newe dissension of a companie by some diuersitie of opinions Now I praie yow what schisme or secte haue yow proued all this while to be emongest Catholikes or what suche schisme or secte coulde yow proue if all times failed yow not The learned fathers Cyprian Austen Optatus and other describe schismatikes to be such as set vp chaire against chaire erect altar against altar How far wide is this frō your description These be those schismatikes and sectaries with an infinite multitude Nowell whereof of late Englande was replenished of the whiche nowe thankes be to God the realme is well ridde Vpon youre false and vntrue premisses yow inferre as Dorman false and as vntrue a conclusion I will make therefore the conclusion true and right for yow These be the religiouse persones who embrasing the perfection of christen religion after the counsell of oure Sauiour after the example of the Apostles of the learned and holie fathers S. Hierome S. Austen and S. Basile who professing voluntary pouerty holy obedience and perfecte virginitie serued God bothe daie and night preached the Catholike faith praied for all estates relieued the poer aboute them kept liberall hospitalite These be such whose profession and order is blamelesse though the life of many were faulty as it was also euen in the primitiue church in the time of S. Paule of S. Basill S. Hierom and S. Augustin who yet haue ben tolerated in Christendom for the good and vertuous sake as emonge all other sortes of men the euil are tolerated for the goodes sake These are they with a great multitude whereof praised be God and the deuotion of such as were the authours of such godly fundations our dere countre of England not of late onelie M. Nowell but euen sence the first cōming of Christen faithe in to England abunded to the honour of God and welth of the realme of the whiche now thankes be to lewde Apostatas to rennagat friers and monkes to vowebreakes and incestuous votaries to vpstert protestants the realme is miserably spoiled so that if yow passe from one ende of the realme vnto the other of so many thousand monasteries hospitals almes houses chappels and cloysters as then stode partly endued with bountefull liuely hods partly charitably maintained of the inhabitants to the great weale of their soules of so many I saie so standyng you shall not see one stande now but either defaced or prophaned either all ruinouse or in the hādes of such who vse it as temporall landes not for the maintenance of spirituall exercises So that if you meete a thousande men and women one after an Nowell other and aske of them of what religion be you they shall al and euery one answere you I am a Christian we be all Christians there shall not one answere to you as was wont vnder your heade I am of the religion of S. Frauncis c. I tolde you before that this worde
58. a. youre sclaunders of schismes and troubles as by vs raised doe we alleage the effecte of the same parable of the stronge man so quiet in his house vntill a strongre then he came and disturbed him whiche Christe oure sauiour in like sclaunder rehearsed for defense of himselfe Although the parable serued our Sauioure against the Dorman Phariseis yeat it serueth not yow against the churche off Christe When yow can proue that which yow only without proufe blasphemously hetherto haue affirmed making it aswell of the application of this parable as of all that you elles haue sayde touching comparing of vs to the Phariseis youre selues to Christe and his Apostles the verye foundation that all faitheful Christians were in that case when Martin Luther beganne first to preache that the Phariseis were at the comming of Christe then applye it and vse it it will wel serue your purpose Yeat truly to make this parable in some wise to serue youre turne it maketh well for youre Sacramentaries againste the poore Lutherans whome you haue in dede not onely disquieted but driuen from their possessions in moste places and deuoured also and swalowed into your hongresteruen paunches euen as is saide that Pharao dreamed of the seuen leane carion oxen that they had eaten vp the fatte And so let Gen. cap. 41. this parable and dreame bothe if you wil serue youre turne Iff the reader shall thinke that I haue bene to tediouse in answering Nowell this matter here but touched as it were by the waye I trust he will beare with me therein for that M. Dorman as he began and floorished the first face of his boke with blotting vs with the sclaunder of schismes so hathe he hetherto continued in the same and applied all his allegations out of S. Cipriā Basile Hierome Nicephorus and others chiefely to that purpose c. The reader must beare with yow in mo thinges then Dorman this or elles it will be wrong with yow And euen in this me thinketh and so I doubt not but other thinke to wherin yow craue pardon as hauing sayde to much he had ned◠to beare with you for saing so little For your owne defence till yow proue vs by Scripture that Christes churche shoulde decaie and come to vtter ruine and that so it dyd yow haue sayde nothing against vs till yow bring better matter then different opinions of schoolemen in disputable matters of Logiciners aboute the predicables of religiouse men in clothing diet going becking bowing c. yow haue sayde as little The first sentence that I prefixed before my booke out of Saint Augustine yow haue not yeat answered If yow had answered it there as yow pretended that you woulde you shoulde not haue neded here to haue troubled either youre selfe or the reader with that matter For answere once directly yea or nay to this whether yow communicate with all nations and with those churches founded by the Apostles labour and the matter is answered who be the schismatikes in fewe wordes you or we Where you saye that my allegations out of S. Cyprian Basile Hierome Nicephorus were applyed chiefly to this to note you of schismes I muste note that you be here contrarye to youre selfe and youre sainges before For M. Nowell contrary to him selfe in youre reproufe vpon these places you make me to haue suche sense as though I had alleaged them all directly to proue the popes supremacy And for that cause you labour with toothe and naile to proue that they ought not so to be taken Neither are they contented here with but doe also plaie with Nowell pictures very pleasantly as they thinke in the which they painte out a multitude of suche heretikes or rebelles as oure confederates or allies whose opinions we do moste abhorre and against whome we continually bothe preache and wrighte Yea forsothe this was the matter in deede allthough Dorman yow be lothe to confesse so muche that made yowe to lauish out youre store in defence of schismes and sectes It was this table this arbor as you call it or crooked tree that made yow to daunce But what saie yow to this tree I praie yow Yow saie that we haue placed there a multitude of heretikes whose opinions yowe doe moste abhorre We marueile not though yow like not all for therein standeth the grace of the table that of so manie sectes as be there set out no one of them liketh the other Yowe shoulde haue done well to haue named the opinions which yow doe abhorre as perhappes yow would had it not bene for waking some of youre felowes that seme to be a sleepe That these sectes appeare not all of them euidently emongest yow as they doe in Germanie where youre heresies first beganne VVhy sectes and schismes shewe not them selues so euidently in Englande as they doe in Germanie as that excuseth yow not being all membres of that malignant churche youre mother so is it the lesse to be merueiled at because the states of these two countries are not like England is ruled by one souereigne heade Germanie by diuerse Which is the cause that the heades being diuersly affected in religion auaunce euery of them that religion whiche liketh him best Whereas in Englande yow lacke that commoditie being vnder the rule of one only heade whiche is an inuincible argument to shewe how necessarie in the churche of God it is to haue one heade to gouerne the reast Had yow in Englande as they haue in Germanie your free cities youre dukes youre Lantgraues youre Palsgraues euery one a king within his owne dominions O how yowre sectes woulde triumphe in the courtes of princes what combattes they would kepe in open pulpites that nowe dare not but by steal the and in corners one of them snatche and snarle at the other As for youre continuall preaching and writing against these sectes whereof yowe bragge so muche what yow preache against the Lutherans Anabaptistes Osiandrins or any suche like I reporte me to them which be youre hearers I thinke what so euer face yow set vpon it here yow be colde and rare inough in that argument and be as plentifull and whot as you will yow shall haue these heretikes and suche other in places where they dare saie as muche of yowe As for youre writing yow protestantes at home haue not written anie one worde that is to be sene abroade against anye secte of the table more then in some sely translations of youre felowes bookes as yowe terme by contempte that kinde of excercise So busy yowe are in doing the message of youre father in setting furth to the worlde youre Sacramentarie heresie and defacing the popes auctoritie that as little leisour haue you to wright against other sectes if yow mislike them as yow pretende as yow haue to exhorte mē by preaching to fasting to praier to good worckes And therefore youre writing I let passe as a manifest Lye 51. lye And all
one seuerall churche it is like to their fantasie who woulde haue manie equall goddes to rule the worlde But one seuerall ruler in one seuerall dominion one seueral bishop in one seuerall diocesse doe resemble one God ruling one whole worlde I take you at youre worde M. Nowell that if many magistrates Dorman haue equall rule in one common wealthe it is like to their fantasie who woulde haue manie equall goddes to rule the worlde But the churche of Christe saye I is but one An argument against M. Nowell vpon his owne graunte christian common wealthe therefore it foloweth by youre owne confessiō that if manie doe equally rule without relation to one head it is like to their fantasie who woulde haue manie equall goddes to rule the worlde One seuerall bishop in one seuerall diocesse dothe not fo 62. b. 4. resemble one God ruling one worlde as you dreame but one chiefe bishop in the catholike churche whiche in your crede you professe to be but one he M. Nowell resembleth trulie one God without anie presumption at all seing goddes pleasure is it shal be so It was no presumption in the apostles to sit still and suffer Christe to washe their Ioan. 3. feete You knowe what Peter had saide vnto him for streining curtosye as he did That you saie it is a thing vnheard of but in the pope of Rome there you made your bargaine somewhat wiselie We graunt the same and adde beside that it were intollerable presumption for anie other to lay claime to that auctoritie And yeat we trust because S. Peter Homil. vlt. in Ioan. was pope and as Chrisostome saieth maister of the whole worlde and thereto out of the compasse of the last nine hundred yeares and had this auctoritie by Christe and not from Phocas you wil be the better for his sake to all the rest Now foloweth youre conclusion VVherefore M. Dorman and D. Harding maie as well saye that Nowell b. 19. the worlde is seditiously gouerned by diuerse Princes as the churche by seuerall bishoppes But as Nazianzene neuer dreamed of one Emperour ouer all the worlde to auoide sedition though he teacheth there is one God no more did he though he teache one Christe yeat euer dreame of one only heade bishop or pope c. I haue oftentimes shewed here before that the regiment Dorman of the churche is farre different from that of the worlde It shal be nedelesse to repeate it here againe Yow can not therefore reason from the one to the other Whereof Nazianzene dreamed I knowe not of this I am suer that to applye by drift of reasoning the sentence of an Auctor to that which he neuer ment or intēded so that to his meaning and intent it be in no wise repugnant or contrarye is not onely no dreame but the vsage also and practise off learned men And therefore in the lawe manye a case is decided by wordes which the lawier neuer dreamed peraduenture that they euer shoulde be so applyed The better and more excellent the Author is the more ample sense maye be gathered in his writinges As in the Scripture especially the infinite variety of commentaries doth declare Wherefore I doe the more meruell that you a man traded and brought vp in good lettres and a professour off the same shoulde raue rather waking then talke after suche a sorte in yowre slepe dreaming But I knowe the cause youre parte is here altogether to reproue not to proue as by the title of youre boke you warned vs before He speaketh further in his sleape and sayeth Howe shall we Nowell fol. 63 a. 1. Psalm 86 then saie oure lord loueth Syon aboue al the tabernacles of Iacob What this dothe meane or to what purpose it is I knowe not Nor I beleue M. Dorman when he waketh if euer he wake can tel him selfe I am glad that my name ministreth you so muche Dorman matter of scoffing mirthe and sorie that so excellent inuention shoulde be more then halfe loste for that that the gretest parte of youre ministres thorough lacke off the Latine tongue can not perceiue that swete allusion that is betwene dormire in Latin and Dorman in Englishe But thinke you thus to passe ouer the scripture with a sleepish scoffe Thinketh youre noddis nowlle I might saye M. Nowell if I listed to contende with you in this kinde of eloquence so to delude the worde of God that yow maye call it a dreame and so let it slepe No M. Nowell truthe will ouercome when it shal be with you as it was in the beginning And therefore I repeate againe if the Sinagoge of the Iues had one heade to rule them and the churche more ample and therefore in more daunger of schisme and consequently standing in more nede of one heade haue yeat no suche heade then I saye M. Nowell howe dothe God tendre Syon the churche of Christe aboue the Synagoge of the Iues By Syon is ment therefore in this place the churche which oure Lorde loueth more then the Synagoge as Saint Augustine vpon this place dothe in these wordes well declare Diligit illam spiritualem ciuitatem super In. psalm 86. omnia figurata quibus intimabatur illa ciuitas semper manens He loueth that spirituall citie aboue all the figuratiue thinges by the which that citie which euer shall continue was signified This being therefore true it foloweth that he hathe left to vs aswell one heade to rule vs and directe vs in one vniforme faithe as he gaue to the Synagoge Nowe am I awake M. Nowell yow see and can tell you and haue tolde yow what I meane by these wordes Iff yow coulde as well tell what you meant by that musicall twang of youre harpe you should take out of many mennes heades manie odde crachettes You nede not now to be carefull for Pighius waking or to make any combate with his spirite for the matter who slepeth not excepte you will defende the heresie of them that beleue so of all soules but is in perfect rest I trust or in assured hope to be Howe God hathe prouided better for the churche then for the Synagoge and of the strength of my reason drawen from the Synagoge to the churche The 20. Chapter God hath prouided for the churche you saye as well as he Nowell fol. 63. a. 24. did for the Iues and better too Here you graunte all that I saied and more too But let Dorman vs marcke youre mightie reasoning howe you proue it I praye you For whereas they had but one chiefe bisshop for their whole Nowell nation he hath prouided for the churche in euery diocesse one that they may be the better gouerned and lesse pained to trauaile far for the decision of their doubtes and controuersies To this saye we if God had done no otherwise he had Dorman done lesse for the church then for the Iues. For better it is to haue one heade
it is true I graunte by such laufull ministres as are appointed Cap. 31. to teache it as appeareth by the verie place of Deuteron that yow alleage here For the mariage of priestes why yowe maie not reason from the olde lawe to the newe to establishe it the firste cause is because the priestes of the olde lawe did serue in the temple by turnes and when their courses came to serue they were seperated from theire wiues In the lawe of the Lib. 1. contra Iouinia Ca. 3. 1. ad Timoth. distin 31. cap. tenere ghospell the prieste must be readie continually and daylie to ministre This doe S. Hierome S. Ambrose and Innocentius the firste confirme by this argument The priestes off the olde lawe absteined from their wyues when their course came to ministre but the priestes of the newe lawe must be alwaies reaadie to ministre therfore they may not marye at all Againe the church makethe suche only priestes as doe vowe chastitie This vowe is free to be made or not made when it is made not the church onelye but the law of God forceth men to kepe it The single state in the olde law was not so cōmended nowe it is by the Apostle preferred before honorable wedlocke Beside this the Apostle sayeth The maried thinketh 1. Cor. 7. on those thinges that perteine to the worlde and how he maye please his wife the vnmaried man vpon those thinges that perteine to God how he maye please hym Therefore he exhorteth all men most of all the ministers of God to be like to him selfe that is single and vnmaried The fifth cause of differēce may be because priestehode went then by successiō within one tribue and therefore it was necessarie that they maried to continue the same whereas oures goeth by lauful vocatiō and the priestes are and may be chosen through out the worlde and therefore there is no such necessitie Last of al I answere as Sainte Austen did to Faustus the Manichee obiecting Lib. 22. Cap. 47. to Iacob as a greate crime the hauing of foure wiues Quando mos erat crimen non erat nunc propterea crimen est quia mos non est When the maner was so it was no faulte and nowe therfore it is a faulte because it is not the maner Are not these M. Nowell reasons sufficient to assoile youre doubte why priestes should not now mary because they were maried in the olde lawe Replye first againste these and then shall you here more In the meane season thus much be sayed to the lawe Nowe to your reason why ptiestes should be maried nowe as well as they were in the olde lawe You reason not with S. Paule as you bragge here but against him For whereas he saieth that such younge widowes a ▪ 28. 1. Timot. 5 as after theire vowes maried haue theire damnation you bring him for the contrarie disagreing by that meanes bothe with him selfe and the auncient fathers who agree all in the interpretation of this place He that can not conteine let him marye c. that it is to be vnderstanden of such 1. Cor. 7. Amb. cap. 5. ad virg lapsam alij alibi as hauing not vowed to the contrarie be yeat in the ful possession of their libertie and intende not to vse the meanes to atteine chastitie Yow reason against S. Paule whome you wrest here to this meaning that he should will all men to marye Whereas he wissheth on the contrarie parte in this very chapitre all men to be vnmaried as he was him selfe He meaneth here M. Nowell as witnesse S. Hierome S. Lib. 1. contra Iouin Amb. in hoc cap. 7. Chrysost hom 9. in hunclocū Ambrose and S. Chrysostome that the Corinthians whome saieth S. Ambrose he sawe so to swarme with vices that he thought it very harde for them to liue continentlie should continue to kepe euery man the cōpanie of his maried wife which they doubted whether it were laufull for them to doe or no and therefore consulted S. Paule therein That this is the true meaning of the place beside the auctoritie of these fathers by the whole discourse also of the chapitre and these wordes that followe nexte after those alleaged by you Vxori vir debitum reddat c. Let the man yealde to his wife the due debt of mariage it maye manifestly appeare To your last question of images I answere that suche images as Christian men haue were not forbidden They were idolles that were forbidden or images to be worsshipped as God of which sorte we haue none Men doe not stoupe to insensible blockes or stones no more than he dothe reuerence to wax or parchement that kisseth the Quenes broade seale and therefore that reason argueth him that of men hauing life or reason so saieth or thinketh to be him selfe for his witt a blocke for his Christian charitie a verie stone The honour that we giue to images is to the thinges that they represent not to the matter of the image it selfe You haue by this time I trust M. Nowell your request satisfied not by greate leasoure but all other busines set aparte with as much spede as I coulde The reason you see why I maie reason as I doe but not you as you woulde is other than my bare pleasure And therefore I will now procede further In this leafe and first side you saye first that Christ is the onelie fo 68. a. Nowell heade of the catholike churche and none but he alone then that the scriptures are the iudge of all controuersies because they shall iudge vs in the last greate daye Christ is onelie the chiefe heade of his churche and after Dorman that manner there is no other heade thereof but he Whiche as he is also of all the particuler churches that be in the worlde and yeat that no let but that there be other inferiour heades vnder him so is his being heade ouer the whole churche no more let that there shoulde be an other inferioure heade to rule in his corporal absence ouer the whole churche here in earth When you talke of Scripture and thinke it straunge that it shoulde not be the onelie iudge in all controuersies we merueile not seing we remembre that you haue reason to holde with youre forefathers olde condemned heretikes But of this I shall when I come hereafter to your discourse vpon this point haue more occasion to speake Presently I will note to the reader the wise reason that yowe bring to proue that the onelie scripture ought to be the iudge of all controuersies which is because it shall iudge bothe yow and vs in the latter daye So shall oure Sauioure in his visible personne M. Nowell So shall the 12. Apostles wil you proue therby that Christ and the twelue Apostles in their visible persones ought to be the iudges of all controuersies that arise now in the churche Beside that these wordes can not be
run to morowe nexte with the bloude of heretikes as God of his tendre mercie forbid suche hardenes of harte in those that professe them selues to be Christians yeat ought not therefore the cause to be iudged anie whit the better seing that we see the cursed secte of Anabaptistes and haue heard of the wicked Donatistes and knowe beside that the diuell hathe aswell his false witnesses readie to suffer gladlie moste bitter deathe for their conceaued opinions as Christe hathe his true martirs to doe the like for the true catholike faithe Thus muche be saide to M. Nowelles impertinent discourse of copes vestimentes gilted crosses candelstickes c. and to his other idle talcke of the persecution forsothe and martirdome sauing youre reuerences of his deare brethern Nowe at the length he commeth to that whiche he shoulde chiefely haue answered in this place that is of thetrieng of all controuersies by the only scripture To proue that of controuersies rising about the true vnderstandinge of the scripture the scripture it selfe should be the iudge he vseth a similitude wherin he compareth vs to the phariseis and him selfe and his companions to the Apostles And vpon that comparison reasoneth in effecte as foloweth As in the controuersie betwene the Apostles and the Phariseis Nowell fol. 69. a. 1 the question being whether Christe were the true Messias the Apostles affirming the Phariseis denieng if the matter had bene referred to the interpretation and determination of the high prieste and his consistorie we mighte yeat haue loked withe the Iues for Messias to come and as it was no reason that in the controuersie betwene the saide highe priestes and the Apostles whether they had put Christe iustlie or vniustlie to death they shoulde be them selues the iudges who were not onelie accessaries but the principall partes to the murther so must we nowe with the Apostles make the scripture the iudge of oure controuersies and the pope by all reason must be excluded as he that is the sinke of all the abhominations wherewith he that hath but halfe an eye maie see how shamefully the lawe of God is as it was by the Phariseis corrupted Youre similitude M. Nowell halteth and is not able Dorman therefore to go so far as it should For the better declaration whereof it is to be knowen that as sone as Iohn the Baptist Matth. 11. began to preache the Synagoge which had no promise to continue for euer began to languishe and so was at the length weakened that after Christes deathe it came to nothing Christe hauing then established a newe church and made his Apostles the doctours and iudges thereof and Peter the gouernour of all Now see I praye you how this similitude of youres holdeth The Apostles being the true church of Christe referred not their controuersies to the Phariseis which perteined not to the church yea were enemies and persecutours thereof but referred the same to the scriptures and iudged by the scriptures them selues ergo the church of Christe that is nowe maye not be the iudge of controuersies but we must refer the same to the scriptures I denie that consequent M. Nowell You proue it because the Apostles did not referre their controuersies to the high priestes and Phariseis I graunte you for their priestehode and auctoritie was expired When you shal be hable to proue vs Phariseis and your selues the true churche then maie you by this similitude reason that as the Apostles referred not the iudgement of the meaning of the scriptures to the Phariseis which were not the church nor of the church so you will not being the church refer the matter to vs but iudge of the scripture your selues as the Apostles The Apostles being the true churche of Christe iudged of the scriptures did In the meane season as the Apostles alleaged for thē selues the scripture and saied it made for thē wherein they gaue iudgement of the scripture so foloweth it that Christes church which is now the same that was then iudgeth in al controuersies which is the right and true sense Neither can it serue you to saie to the contrarie as you doe sclaunderouslie that the worde of God hauing bene moste shamefully by vs corrupted as he that hath but halfe an eye maie well see it is no reason being parties that we shoulde be iudges therein Seing that thus might the Phariseis haue saide euen of the Apostles them selues and laied to their charges partialitie because they were Christes scholers and disciples and so parties to the cause whiche they mainteined and also for that you haue not as yeat proued nor euer shal be hable to proue that Christes church hath euer erred in the faith or the heade thereof at anie time deliuered to the church any tradition or erroniouse opinion whereby the worde of God hath bene corrupted Which assertion of youres being moste directly against the scriptures bearing witnes so manifestly Math. 14. 16. Ioan. 14. alibi of the continuance of the churche incorrupted so often auouched by you and being the only fundation of this plea of youres that we be the Phariseis and you Christes true Apostles me thinketh you should haue done well once in so often affirming it to haue proued by one sentence of scripture or some approued auctor and not facingly to saye that he that hathe but halfe an eye maie see that it is so or elles till you coulde haue proued it it had bene more for your honestie to haue absteined from suche vnmercifull and vnchristianlike demeanure as you vse towardes bothe the church of Christe and the head thereof Where you saye that I will haue the scripture reiected there you reporte vntrulie of me This I saie that scripture not thorough anie imperfection or insufficiencie that is in it but onelie by occasiō of stubborne wrangling and contentiouse natures who neuer will giue ouer the opinion that they haue once conceiued euerie one being at apoint to receiue no other interpretation thereof thē to them shal seme good is not hable to ende and determine al cōtrouersies moued vpō the lettre thereof and that therfore euen as in the lawes of the realme whiche were to decide all controuersies sufficient so that the lawe being broughte euerie man woulde furthewithe yealde to it because they will not there be iudges by the prince appointed to cut of all altercations and to preserue the realme in quiet who when the councellours bothe of the one parte and the other haue contentiouslie disputed the matter eache of them affirming that the lawe is on his side shall by opening the meaning thereof ende the strife So is it not to be thought but that God forseing the innumerable sectes of heretikes that shoulde trouble his churche of whome there shoulde be no one no not of them that directlie blush not to teache Suencfeldius that there ought to be no scripture at all that woulde not colourablie defende the same by scripture it is not I saie to be
serueth well for youre purpose to giue vs the slippe and to wynde youre selfe from the matter To my demaunde what heretike was euer vanquished by the scriptures you saye I answere the Arrians Anabaptistes and all heretikes without Nowell fol. 101. a. 5 exception were vanquished and ouerthrowen by the scriptures and that if they were not vanquished by the scriptures they were not vanquished at all By youre answere it shoulde seme M. Nowell that either Dorman you vnderstande not my demaunde or you will not vnderstande it For when I speake of vanquishing of heretikes I meane of ouerthrowing and so coÌ„futing their heresies as that they maye with the worlde be brought vttrely oute of conceite and the memorye of them cleane abolisshed and extinguished as we see Arius heresie once more vniuersall then youres God be praised to be I meane not you maye be sure that the heretikes them selues shoulde confesse them selues to be ouercomen Againe when I aske how they were vanquished by the scriptures I vnderstande by the scriptures alone by the scriptures withoute a iudge who in this doubtefull contention where the Arrian bringeth scripture as well as the catholike as apparent as the catholike more plentifully then the catholike where no other place of scripture can by the catholike be brought to make the matter plaine by waye of conference but the aduersarie will be readie to alleage as euident for him maye giue sentence whether parte hathe better right who alleageth and conferreth the scriptures moste sincerely Thus did the councell of Nice ouerthrowe the heresie of Arrius although not so that he him selfe coulde be brought to acknowledge so muche yeat in suche wise that in processe of time the worlde giuing credite to so learned and generall a councell fell from his heresie and nowe there is not one fauourer thereof in the whole worlde that dare shewe his face Thus shoulde youre heresies and all other be ouerthrowen if we woulde either in suche thinges as the churche hath already determined folowe that sense of the scriptures that it hathe deliuered to vs either elles in thinges ambiguouse and not defined aske and folowe the iudgement therof For that you here cauil that the pope nor popish Nowell b. â— church can be coÌ„uenient and coÌ„petent iudges in controuersies no we risen for that they are bothe parties and parties accused therein no more then the Iuishe high prieste with his churche of Scribes and Phariseis were conuenient and competent iudges in the controuersies betwene them and Christes Apostles The absurditie of this comparison bothe I haue there where Dorman Cap. 12. fol. 164. before in like maner you made it sufficiently declared and the Arrians also might haue pleaded this plea againste the councell of Nice In the whiche the fathers assembled were as muche affected against Arrius heresie as the late councell of Trent or anye that can be holden is againste youres Yeat do not the histories mention that euer they were so impudent Touching the conference of Scriptures together I did so late Nowell b. 15. before at large intreate thereof that I nede not nowe to repeate the same againe As largely M. Nowell as you intreated thereof you saide Dorman neuer a worde howe this controuersie betwene the Arrians and the catholikes bothe alleaging scripture for their M. Nowell answereth not the force of my reason defence might be by onely scripture determined To pretende therfore that it is no nede to repeate that which you neuer touched it is a pretye figure to excuse silence in that wherein you are able to saye nothing Iff you feared you shoulde haue dwelled to longe in that matter you might haue eased that by cutting of manye impertinent discourses that bothe go before and folowe after in this booke off youres namely the nexte sentence that foloweth wherein you labour to proue youre selues to be no Arrians withe the whiche heresye neither I nor anye other doe charge yowe To procede whereas I aske howe it happeneth that the Caluinistes and the Lutherans agree not by conferring one place of scripture with an other to that you saye Nowell fol. 102. a. 23. This is M. Dormans vsage when he can saye nothing off the present case to entremingle foraigne matters thereby to auerte the readers minde from his principall cause remaining vnproued still The principall cause is that there muste be one visible Dorman heade in Christes church to appease controuersies and determine doubtes the heretike saieth it nedeth not the scripture by diligent conference beinge able to satisfie all men therein To this I replied how happeneth it then that the Caluinistes and Lutheranes agree not c Nowe lett all men iudge how truly yowe reprehende me for entremingling foraigne matters But let vs here youre answer to the question But how so euer Caluin and Luther agree in the exposition of Nowell these fewe wordes Hoc est corpus meum This is my bodie they agree bothe in this that the papistes expounde them falsely Who euer hearde a more absurde or folishe answere Or Dorman what answere rather is this to my question to tell vs that the Lutheranes and Caluinistes agree together against vs So did as the scriptures beare witnesse the phariseis and Sad duces so did Herode and Pilate agree against the pretiouse Lucae 23. bodie of Christ at the Crosse as yow doe against it at the altar S. Austen saieth of heretikes Dissentiunt inter se contra Lib. siue Homil. de ouibus vnitatem omnes consentiunt Emongest them selues they are at variaunce against vnitie they all agree My selfe also in the nexte sentence folowing confesse as muche that allthough heretikes in some point dissent yeat they all ioyne and agree in one cancred hatred against the churche What letteth by this meanes why yow shoulde not easelie reconcile together all that huge rable of heretikes mentioned in the table of late set furthe by M. Stapleton who hauing one common father with yowe allthough in manie pointes dissenting agree yeat all with yow against vs But what is this I saie to the purpose Answere if you be hable if scripture can alone ende all controuersies howe happeneth it that the Lutheranes and Caluinistes ende not theire strife thereby whiche continueth notwithstanding their agreing against vs It foloweth For to vse the places by M. Dorman noted out of Hosius he Nowell A. 26. nor all papistes with him shall neuer be hable to showe cause why these wordes Ego sum viâ—is vera I am the true vine do not proue aswell a transsubstantiation as Hoc est corpus meum This is my bodie What this For shoulde perteine to the answering off Dorman my question I see not this I see well it confirmeth strongly my saing that by scripture alone all controuersies can not be iudged For as Caluin bringeth for his opinion this place so I trust yow are not ignorant that Luther had also his places to alleage
Dorman vaine or euill thing neither because the Arrians and Anabaptistes vsed it neither for any other cause you haue therfore beelied me once more I acknowledge it to be bothe A lye 80. proffitable and necessarie only I saie that to ende all controuersies it is an insufficient meanes Because reiecting the determination of the churche you take vpon you as the Arrians did and the Anabaptistes doe to mainteine youre heresies by this pretensed conference of scripture not regarding that suche iudgement belongeth to the churche therefore I call yow and iustly terme you heretikes And as I doe reiect this conference that you talcke of because you vse it to that ende that these heretikes did so doe I refuse all suche scripture toe as is falsely wrested as was that whiche the diuell alleaged In whiche sense because Christe and his Apostles neuer alleaged anie I can not finde faulte with them I can not you saye deuise a waye that shoulde satisfye Nowell a. 20. all heretikes withoute all contradiction or exception on their parte I can deuise no waie in dede M. Nowell to satisfie al heretikes Dorman it passeth my power I cōfesse But God hathe deuised a waye to ouerthrowe all heresies if suche as you are woulde The way to ouerthrowe heresies be no let to his working And that is the thinge that ought to suffice vs. Will you knowe what waye it is Forsothe if this principle and grounde the which I labour to proue that Christes churche here in earthe being but one and visible hathe also one chiefe visible heade to rule and gouerne the same were thoroughly as it ought to be persuaded to all men then the heretike which nowe by coloured argumentes triumpheth ouer not onely the meaner sorte but also oftentimes many of the wiser and better learned the thinge called into question being either suche as is the question of baptising of infantes as whereof we haue no expresse scripture but onelye a tradition continued in the churche from the Apostles time and deliuered from hande to hande to vs either elles so perplexe and doubteful as the aduersarie will for his heresie bring not onely as many but mo textes also that shall seme to make for his purpose then shall the catholike as did the Arrian then shoulde I saye the heretike in al mens iudgemēt although neuer in his owne easely be discomfited and ouerthrowen For then let the Anabaptiste crie as muche as he woulde that the baptisme of infantes hathe no grounde of scripture the meanest man in a parishe woulde be able to tell him Sir the churche whiche I am bidden to giue eare to by the scripture vseth it and hathe done from the beginning this suffiseth me Againe let the Arrian bringe and heape together all the scripture that he hathe let him vse all his shiftes distinctions and gloses when he hathe all done the true catholike seketh after the interpretation of the churche that interpretation to witte that the membres agreing with the heade obserue and haue obserued vniuersally thoroughe out the whole worlde Thus if the more parte of men woulde doe as they ought neither woulde heretikes haue any list to publishe heresies their starting holes being by this wholesome remedie taken awaye neither shoulde they being brought furthe into the light be hable anie while to continue And this call I the ouerthrowing of heretikes and heresies For to persuade an indurat heretike by anye meanes I confesse it to be a thing impossible seing that not euerye man that is a true Christian can by conference of the scripture be by and by persuaded in all doubtes as you here vntruly saye he maye When partes be taken in opinions emongest learned men eache parte forcing the scriptures by conference and otherwise to make for that sense which he hathe conceiued is no man a true Christian but he that cā be satisfied in this case by the scripture Hath it not bene sene that the mainteiners of suche contrary opinions beinge for vertue and learning estemed of the worlde haue made also right good Christians to doubte And what case had Christe lefte vs in if in this perplexitie there were not a churche to directe vs if that churche had not a heade to speake to vs which being in S. Augustine and Prospers tyme Prosper lib. contra Collator cap. 10. Zozimus the Pope as you hearde before shewe vs nowe if you can why Pius the pope shoulde not be the lyke And thus you see M. Nowell I truste that you haue to muche abused bothe the Readers and me in labouring firste to persuade that I mislike the Scriptures whiche I doe in no sense or the conference thereof whiche I doe not simply but in this respecte that you contende that that waye alone is sufficient to ende all controuersies nexte in this that you altre my reason whiche is that because by this pretensed conference of youres heresies can neuer be ouerthrowen while by the subtilitye of heretikes alleaging scripture conferring scripture and that so probably that euen the best learned maye be shaken in their faithe and so heresie mainteined you make the same reason to be because there can no waye possibly be founde able to satisfie all frowarde heretikes Vppon this supposall of youres that I reiect this conference of scripture as no sufficient meane to ende all controuersies because it can not satisfie al men you aske this question And thinketh he that Popes of Rome men of suche lyfe suche Nowell b. 6. Holde the man a bowle for he will vomite partialitie suche ignorance such vntruthe such falsehode such bribery Simoniakes poisonners murtherers shal satisfie all men in all iudgementes of all causes and controuersies yea in their owne verye causes wherein they be parties and that without all exception The diuell they shall and that I may saye truly Non loqueris sed latras you speake not here M. Nowell Dorman but you barcke you reason not but you raile If all these faultes that you here heape together were in one pope at one time yeat shoulde they not be all any let why the same might not and shoulde not giue true iudgement and satisfie all good men To this I haue answered before where Cap. 3. fol. 8. b. 10 fol. 39. b. yow gaue me like occasion thither I remit the reader Yeat this I woulde faine knowe of yowe by the waie and desire yow when yow wright nexte to resolue me therein whether if these popes had the contraries to these vices that is so manie vertues yowe thinke they might giue true iudgement and satisfie all men If yow saie they could not what neded then this odiouse rehersall of so manie grieuouse faultes seing by no meanes they coulde If yowe saie that being good men they might then shewe scripture or bring reason to proue that this auctoritie is lost by euill manners In controuersies rising vpon the scripture the popes cause is not handled but gods and
an other yeat all this notwithstanding the firste stone of this building that shoulde be laide vpon the rocke were also the foundation but not as hauing soliditie or strength of it selfe but of that other perfect fundation whereunto it leaneth To this alluded Saint Ambrose when in a certeine place he calleth Petre firmissimam petrā the moste strong rocke quae ab illa principali petra Lib. 2. de vocat gēt cap. 9. communionem virtutis sumsit nominis which tooke from that principall rocke he meaneth Christe communion bothe of vertue and name What can be saide more plainely to expresse that Petre is called a rocke as well as Christe to confirme this distinction of rockes or fundations Hauing nowe detected the vanitie of youre prouffes whereby you laboure to proue that this place of S. Hierom shoulde be falsified by me I will confirme the catholike doctrine in this pointe and showe that this Parenthesis added by me for the better vnderstanding of the place was trulie added And because yowe complaine of me for leauing out two lynes I will proue not onelie by them but by the preamble of the epistle that S. Hierome wrote not to Damasus as to his owne bishop but to him as heade of the churche and successour to Petre. In the two lines that yow saie I cut of are these wordes cum successore piscatoris discipulo crucis loquor with the successour of the fissher Peter and a disciple of the crosse I speake Of these wordes I make this argument S. Hierome wrote to Damasus as to the successor of S. Peter But S. Petre was acknowledged by S. Hierome to be heade of the church therefore S. Hierome wrote vnto him as heade of the churche The minor proposition is proued by S. Hieron in Psalm 13. Hierome writing vpon the 13. Psalme where expounding these wordes Non est qui faciat bonum c. no saieth he not Petre him selfe which is heade of the churche Againe in an other place where he saieth Coenaculum grande ecclesia magna In cap. Marci 14. est in qua narratur nomen domini strata varietate virtutum linguarum vt est illud circumamicta varietate in qua paratur domino Pascha Dominus domus Petrus apostolus est cui dominus domum suam credidit vt sit vna fides sub vno pastore That is to saie The greate parler is the greate churche in the which is preached the name of oure Lorde garnished with varietie of giftes and tongues according to the saing Clothed with change of apparell in the whiche is prepared our Psal 44. Lordes passeouer The maister of the house is Petre the apostle to whome oure Lorde committed his house that Note this reason there maie be one faithe vndre one shepeherd The consequent of this argument is proued to be good by this reason of S. Hieromes why God appointed S. Petre to be the ruler of the churche For seing we muste nowe aswell auoide multitudes of faithe as the churche was bounde in S. Petres time to doe there must as necessarilie be nowe one heade as there was then whiche no man can iustly doubte whether S. Hierome ment that Damasus shoulde be seing he confesseth that Damasus is Petres successour who was by his confession that one heade And that it maie the better appeare that this was in S. Hieromes time the faithe of the church that as Petre was heade therof so were also his successours S. Ambrose liuing with S. Hierome calleth this verie Damasus ruler of gods house the churche whome I woulde In 1. Timoth 3. not alleage but trie out S. Hieromes meaning by him selfe were it not that yow might see how vniformely they agree in this point Hierome calling Petre the maister Ambrose calling Damasus his successour the ruler of goddes house the churche Moreouer that in calling Peter heade of the churche and Damasus his successour S. Hierome called Damasus also heade of the churche is proued by this that S. Hierome in this place protesting that he was ioyned to Damasus in communion expoundeth him selfe id est cathedrae Petri that is to saie to the chaire of Petre. Thus did S. Cyprian in his time describing the bishoprike of Rome by these wordes Locus Fabiani Fabians place expounde by and by his meaning in this wise id est locus Petri gradus cathedrae sacerdotalis that is to saie Petres place and the degree Lib. 4. epist 2. of the priestely chaire If therefore the popes that succede S. Peter haue the same place the same chaire that is to saie the same auctoritie for this worde chaire signifieth no thing elles that S. Petre had who doubteth but that S. Hierom in this place acknowledging him selfe to speake to Petres successour did agnise also the same auctorite in him that he did in S. Petre Next after this weigh I beseche yow the preamble of this epistle of S. Hierome to Damasus vttred in these wordes Quoniam vetusto Oriens inter se populorum furore collisus c. Because the Easte being sore broosed and shaken with the olde furie of the people emongest them selues teareth pece meale the whole and seamelesse coate of oure Lorde and the foxes destroye Christes vineiarde so that emongest the leaking pittes that haue no water it is harde to vnderstande where is that sealed founteine and walled gardein therefore I thought that Petres chaire and Rom. 1. the faithe praised by the Apostles owne mouthe ought to be consulted by me from thence nowe asking foode for my soule from whence once I receiued Christes lyuory Thus far S. Hierome By which wordes we maie vnderstande that he wrote this epistle to Damasus as to him that being successour to Petre was heade of the churche and therefore in all doubtefull cases to be consulted not as to his owne proprebishop For if he had why shoulde he then haue mentioned Petres chaire which worde because S. Peter was heade of the whole churche as hath bene proued out of S. Hierome argueth a rule ouer the whole not of a particuler place alone If nowe S. Hierome were not afearde to saie that he ioyned him selfe in communion to Petres chaire that in this doubtefull case he thought that that chaire was to be consulted why take yowe the matter so whotly against me for saing with S. Hierome that the churche is builded vpon Petres chaire Why call you this more blasphemie then the other to be ioyned in communion to Petres chaire to consult Petres chaire Is it vnlikely that S. Hierome shoulde saie that Petres chaire was the rocke whereon the churche was builded to the whiche chaire he sought for councel to the which he protested to be ioyned in the same communion Or is it likely that he woulde haue so saide of anie chaire saue that on the which the churche was builded I can not here but note by the waie how to make the matter seme odiouse to the
vnlearned you vse termes like youre selfe against this chaire of S. Petre minding as I take it to persuade that I shoulde drawe S. Hieromes wordes to suche a meaning as that he shoulde meane that Christes churche were builded vpon a materiall chaire You maye be ashamed M. Nowel where you lacke iust matter to blotte paper and waste incke with suche cauilling triffles as euerie man that hath common sense wil as sone as they haue passed once youre mouthe be hable to discouer and reproue Dothe not S. Hierome in this place make twise expresse mention of Petres chaire Why triumphe you not ouer him as you crowe against me with youre foolishe and vnsauory Rhetorike and saie that he was well occupied to write from Siria to Rome for councell from a rotten chaire that he was a wise man to ioyne him selfe in communion theretoe Who seeth not that yow woulde haue taken the matter as whotly with S. Hierome as you doe with me hauing as good cause alltogether sauing that yow feared the burning of youre lippes I saie therefore M. Nowell that VVhat S. Hierome ment by Peters chayre S. Hierome to answere you in this pointe if you were so verie a dolt that you vnderstode it not before by building the churche vpon Petres chaire meaneth euen as he did in those two places before where you can not denie but that he maketh expresse mention of that chaire Sainte Hierome meaneth there no materiall chaire and therefore no rotten chaire as you like a rotten membre and deuided from the churche blasphemously saie He meaneth as Matt◠23 Christe doeth in the ghospell speaking of Moises chaire as the fathers Cipriā Epiphanius Austen Ambrose Optatus and the rest doe as often as they vse this worde that is to saie by the chayre the power and bishoplike auctoritie which Petre hauing giuē to him cōmitted to his successours For euē as a riuer though it runne manie thousandes of miles leeseth not yeat but reteineth neuerthelesse the name of the founteine and heade spring from whence it came so fareth it in the succession of bishoppes that how many so euer there be that succede yeat they are all saide to possesse the chaire of him that ruled firste yea allthough euerie of them had made for him selfe a newe chaire For the matter consisteth not as I saide before in materiall chaires no more then doth the opening or shutting of heauen gates depende vpon materiall keyes And as well might you like a Lucianist or a Porphirian haue scoffed at Christe for saing that the scribes and Phariseis sate vpon Moises chaire which if they had had emōgest them if euer Moises sate in anie should at that time haue bene as rotten as is S. Petres nowe there being betwene Moises and S. Petre not manie fewer yeares then are nowe betwene S. Petre and oure time or for making keyes for heauen as yow doe against me But to let this passe and to exaggerate no furder that for the which at the handes of suche as be of the learneder and wiser sorte you are like to susteine punishment enough by incurring the note of this infamie to be no learned reasoner but a railing wrangler I will nowe as compendiously as maie be iustifie the inserting of this Parenthesis Peters chaire First these wordes vpon this rocke I knowe the churche to be builded ought to be referred rather as youre selfe before confessed and in this case if in anie you ought to be beleued for you haue bene a scholemaister and practised better in the gramer rules then in the scriptures and fathers writinges to the wordes that go nearest before but the wordes Peters chaire are placed nearest before Therefore by youre owne confession the building of the churche ought to be referred thither Againe S. Hierome in this place it is to be presumed alluded in these wordes I knowe the churche to be buylded on that rocke to the wordes of the ghospell Tues petrus super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam Thow Matt. 16. arte Petre and vpon this rocke wil I builde my church But in that place Christe appointed an other fundation of the church beside him selfe to wit Peter It foloweth therefore that S. Hierome in this place ment not of Christ but of Peters chaire that is Peters auctoritie or Peter him selfe Thirdly it is more then probable that sainte Hierome mēt not in this place of building the churche vpon Christe only but vpon Petre also nexte after Christe because to him that with iudgement wil reade the epistle considre duly the circunstances especially the beginning it shal appeare that his whole talcke is so framed that whereas of purpose and directly he maketh mention of consulting Peters chaire off ioyning him selfe to Peters chaire and in that whole discourse of his setteth furthe the praises of the churche off Rome he speaketh of Christe but incidently and as it were by the waie of a parenthesis and that toe to auaunce the dignitye of the See of Rome as before the which he woulde preferre he saide none but Christe The whiche being so what sounde iudgement will not rather refer these wordes aboute whiche the controuersie is to that whiche is principally and directly handled rather then to that which is mentioned but incidently and indirectly Last of all it is to be iudged that S. Hierome agreeth here with his owne writinges in other places Nowe is this euident that euen the thirde epistle before thys he saieth in plaine wordes that the churche was builded vppon Petre. His wordes are Apostolus Petrus super quem Dominus fundauit ecclesiam Tom. 2. epist ad Marcellā Petre the Apostle vpon whom our lorde founded his churche Thus you see good Readers I trust howe falselye and withoute all cause M. Nowell hathe quarelled with me for this parenthesis added only to make more plaine the wordes of Saint Hierome It foloweth that I showe to you howe he prosecuteth his purposed malice by the auctorities of Erasmus and S. Augustine in the 108. 109. and 110. leaues Erasmus saieth M. Nowell cleane contrarye to all papistes Nowell fol. 108. a. 18. saieth in his notes vpon these wordes Super illam petram c. Non super Romam vt arbitror c. That is to saie Vpon that rocke not vpon Rome I trowe c. From Erasmus thus farre we dissent not that we knowe Dorman as well as he that the church was not built vpō Rome For if Rome were sacked as God forbid to morowe nexte the church should continue neuerthelesse although the bishop went from thence and shoulde sit at the meanest towne in all Italye or elles where As for that that he woulde haue the churche to be builded by S. Hieromes meaning vppon Peters faithe that first he affirmeth not confidently but saieth he troweth so next it maye be saide that in this place Erasmus telleth his owne opinion in the other place off this epistle vpon these wordes Extra hanc domum without this
Dorman to alleage it for S. Augustines Beholde I praie the good Reader in what credite Erasmus is nowe sodenly with M. Nowell whome before noting S. Hierome to be of the minde that all churches shoulde be subiect to the See of Rome he estemed so little Then he was no body nowe hauing wonne M. Nowelles fauour againe he is so extolled that to denie that whiche he shall affirme or contrarywise is extreme impudency so greate a matter is it to be in his good grace But I praie you M. Nowell in what case then are those shamefull shamefast and modest maisters I woulde haue saide the compilers of youre Apologie who notwithstanding his iudgement vpon S. Austens libri Hypognosticon haue yeat with to much impudency for anie man but onelye for them alleaged them against purgatory What case are yow in youre selfe who notwithstandinge Erasmus iudgement vpon that worcke taken for Chrisostomes vpon the ghospell of S. Mathewe were not ashamed as modest as yow woulde seme Opus imperfectum to be to alleage it against vs I will not be so malapert as to compare withe youre Apologie but surely me thinketh of reason I might as well vse anie thing in this worcke of S. Austens as yow in that of Chrisostome If the difference betwene oure two cases be that yowe handle the matter rhetorically calling the auctor an auncient auctor printed withe Chrisostome and of longe time taken for him whereas I giuing no suche credite nor reuerence neither to Erasmus iudgemente of the true or countrefeite writinges of the olde doctours like a plaine blunt felowe alleage the place as I finde it I will sone mende that faulte if it be one and by imitation saie as yow doe an auncient auctor printed withe S. Augustin and of long time taken for him And nowe what saie yow to this auncient auctor First yow saie that the greatest parte of these wordes alleaged Nowell by me be not to be founde in the place by me noted I graunte nor it is not necessary for I doe not so alleage Dorman the place as though euerie worde shoulde be there I doe allude only to S. Austens wordes It is enough that there is there sufficient to proue youre chaire a chaire of pestilence and youre bodie a bodie without a heade Make of it then a tronck or what yowe list elles For the better declaration herof I will reporte here the wordes of S. Austen or rather this auncient auctor that I misse not my termes printed withe S. Austen and of longe time taken for him whiche are these Quoniam cathedram pestilentiae non esse de August in ques◠veter noui test q. 110. dei ordinatione asseuer auimus etiam eorum qui extra ecclesiam vel contra ecclesiam sedes sibi instituerunt cathedram pestilentiae esse dicimus Qui enim inconcessa praesumit reus est quanto magis si corrumpat traditionem eius cuius sedem vsurpat Nam ordinem ab Apostolo Petro coeptū vsque ad hoc tempus per traducem succedentiū episcoporū seruatū perturbant ordinem sibi sine origine vendicantes hoc est corpus sine capite profitentes vnde congruit etiam eorum sedem cathedram pestilentiae appellare That is to saye for as moche as we affirmed that the chaire of pestilence was not of gods ordinaunce euen their chaire also we call the chaire of pestilence who haue made them selues sees without or against the churche For he that presumeth vpon that which he ought not is guilty how much more if he also corrupte the tradition of him whose seate he vsurpeth For they trouble the ordre begonne of Petre the Apostle and kepte to this time by the continuance of bishoppes succeding chalenging to them selues ordre without beginning that is to saye professing a bodie without a heade * These wordes M. Nowell trāslated falsely thus wherefore it is agreable their seate allso to appeare to be the chaire of pestilence Wherefore it is agreable to call their seate also the chaire of pestilence Hetherto S. Austen or c Of whose wordes I reason thus who so euer make them selues sees against the churche or out of the churche whiche hath continuall succession of bishoppes from S. Peter sit in the chaire of pestilence But oure counterfeit bishoppes of England doe so ergo their chaire is the chaire of pestilence The maior is proued by this auncient auctor the minor allso by him because they trouble the ordre begonne of Petre and continued by the succession of bishoppes to their time They trouble this ordre because they chalenge to them selues ordre without beginning as they who deriue it not from S. Petre the chiefe rocke after Christe and are a bodie without a heade The which thing if you denie M. Nowell thē let vs loke to the ordre begōne of Petre. what was that Let S. Cyprian tel you who in his boke de simplicitate praelatorū or rather De vnitate ecclesiae witnesseth that God by his auctoritie disposed the beginning of vnitie to begin of one that was Petre. If this were the ordre begonne of Petre who seeth not who be the troublers of this ordre We that for vnities sake admitte but one chiefe heade bishop vnder Christe and no other but suche as be deriued from him or yow that will haue manie heades without suche ordinary deriuation Hath not this ordre bene kepte in the church euer since by the continuance of bishoppes without interruption till youre vnhappy time Peruse if you list the ordre in oure churche of England of the bishoppes of Cauntorburie for example beginning at william Warham the last catholike bishop before heresie founde first entreteinement there and so ascende by degrees till you come to sainte Austen oure English Apostle In all this succession the space of allmoste a thousande yeares this ordre hathe bene continued in Englande so that you are not able to shewe for youre liues anie one of all those bishoppes that continued not this ordre begonne of S. Petre. Nowe staye not here but from S. Austen the first bishoppe of Cauntorburie go to him from whence he receiued that ordre to Gregory the bishop of Rome from Gregory to Pelagius from him to Benedictus and so in ordre to S. Petre and name if you can one of them in whom this ordre was not kepte This being most true where began nowe your ordre Who was the auctor thereof but frier Luther From whom conueighed he this ordre but from Sathan the father of all disordre and lorde of all misrule If it be not so proue the contrary If you doe not disturbe the ordre begonne of S. Petre then acknowledge one heade bishop ouer the reast and kicke not against Gods ordonaunce who hath so disposed that the vnitie of the churche shoulde begin of one that is of Petre. Confesse that the cause during still why as saieth saint Hierome sainte
his election be vncerteine or vnlaufull Must he yeat Nowell fol. 115. a. 2 be the moste certeine and onely iudge If the election be not lauful it giueth to the elected person Dorman no right VVhat if we haue a shee pope suche as was pope Ioane otherwise Nowell Iohn the eight What iff that be a lye and to be founde in no storye Dorman of worthy credite Iff suche a chaunce should yeat happen then were there no pope but for the time the See vacant VVhat if the popes successours doe disanull their praedecessours Nowell popes decrees c In matters perteining to thinges indifferent it maye so Dorman chaunce time and place so requiring but in faithe and doctrine deliuered to the whole church that any such chaunge or alteration hath happened you are not able to shewe nor euer shall and therfore you might haue kepte this what if with the rest in youre purse Thus are these doubtes of youres answered M. Nowell and so shall I trust the other great manie mo that you threaten me withall which you loked for belike at the writing hereof to come shortly from Franckeforde marte The pope is not iudge in his owne cause The cause is A. 19. gods and the churches So I tolde yow before Yow make muche a doe to proue that the scriptures are the waye of truthe iudgementes yea and iudgementes off truthe whiche no man denieth For it hathe bene allwaies graunted vnto yow that the scriptures conteine all truthe in them sufficient to confirme all true doctrine and to ouerthrowe the contrarie when by the voice of the churche they are interpreted and made manifest When we harcken to the popes interpretation of scripture we acknowledge and so ought all true catholikes that we heare the holy gost speaking by his mouthe in which case we saie that the credite whiche we giue to his sentence is not giuen to him as he is a man but to gods worde whereby we are taught that the thing whiche mannes nature coulde not obteine Christe God and man obteined for Peter the first pope of Rome Lucae 22. that is that his faithe shoulde not faile and so consequently for all that shoulde after him succede in the gouernement of the churche And so is youre texte answered God is true but euerie man is a lier Or elles we coulde not be assured of that which the prophetes and Apostles teache vs. Of the title heade of the churche of England giuen to oure late souereigne Kinge Henry the 8. The 31. Chapter I ASKED here by occasion of that foolishe reason of fo 116. a. 1. your Apologie Christ is heade of the church Ergo it hath or nedeth no other how it happened then that youre companions gaue to kinge Henry the 8. the title of heade of the churche of Englande and yow youre selues to oure moste gratiouse lady his daughter the same also in effecte To this yow saie If it will please yow to resorte to the recordes of the 22. and 24. Nowell 1. b. 7. yeares of King Henry the 8. there shall yow finde who they were that first offred this title to the saide Kinge there shall yowe finde that all Abbottes and other religiouse all the bishoppes Deanes Archedeacons and cleargie of both the houses of the conuocation then liuing gaue him that title To the latter question of the Quenes maiestie to that yowe will shortly answere yowe saie but presently yow doe not When yow haue ransacked all the recordes and saide all Dorman that yow can to make the Catholikes oure forefathers partakers withe yow of this facte yeat is this moste surelie recorded in all mennes remembraunce that all Catholikes ioyned not with yow and those that did were folowers and no leaders consented to that title which was required and offred it not of their owne motion The first auctors that put that wicked deuise in to the kinges moste noble heade were not the catholikes but heretikes and the scholers of Luther suche as were Cromwell Cranmere and other I speake not this notwithstanding to excuse them who confesse their owne faultes and are moste sorie and penitent therefore This was a case wherein we maie saie withe oure forefathers peccauimus iniusté egimus iniquitatem fecimus We haue sinned we haue done vniustly we haue committed iniquitie But what is all this to the purpose What if the catholikes did amisse withe yow as they did how can yowe answere this standing in youre wicked opinion still that a particuler church maie haue one heade gouernour vnder Christe in earthe and the whole maie not To that yow saie I truste the reason is not to seeke in the good readers memorie Nowell fo 117. a. 22. seing it hathe bene so ofte declared before yet will I answere M. Dormans question by an other question Yow burden verie sore the readers memorie to remembre Dorman that which hetherto yowe neuer vttred Yow are not wont to be so daungerouse I reporte me to the reader to repeate one thing diuerse times but there was good cause that yow shoulde here doe as yow did to wit because yow are not hable standing in strength the argument of youre Apologie to giue anie reason why the churche of one particuler realme hauing two prouinces two archebishoppes and vndre them aboue 20. bishoppes whereof Christe is as muche the heade as of the whole churche shoulde more haue an other heade beside Christ ouer all these particuler heades then all the particuler heades of Christes vniuersall churche shoulde haue an other heade beside Christe ouer them Yeat I knowe yowe meane that reason of youres whiche being so foolishe so wicked and blasphemouse that one man is not hable to rule and gouerne vndre Christe the whole churche alone yow haue so often repeated hauing no other shift of descant that euen verie shame compelleth yow now at the last to wrappe and inuolue it in silence As for the answere that yowe make by a question VVhy one kingdome maye haue in earth vnder God one head and the whole world can not to that I saie that it is a false proposition that the whole worlde can not haue one onlye head in earth vndre God often in this youre Reproufe stoutely affirmed but neuer as yeat proued To this answere I ioyne also the seconde that the questions be not like But then you saye If M. Dorman saye the questions be not like I aske with what Nowell b. 1. face he can so saye seing that in the beginning of this his treatie he brought the example of ciuile gouernement in the whiche euery kingdome hath his king euerie countrie citie and companie haue their seuerall gouernours c. to proue that the church ought likewise to haue one head I acknowledge this example and dare further make Dorman you M. Nowell youre selfe the iudge whether these questions of youres and mine be lyke I compare one kingdome to the whole church which is also
that to deceiue the simple vseth here these wordes Yealde vp the honour and glorie of gouerning the whole world and church to god as though any man so claimed the gouernement of the churche as that he woulde displace Christe thereof Also you see that in this treatie hetherto as M. Dorman hathe Nowell not one worde out of the newe testament so hath he alleaged but only two textes out of the olde testament one oute of Deuteron cap. 17. c. an other of Numeri 16. which bothe make directly against him c. You see and knowe I doubte not that one texte of holye Dorman scripture is as good as a hundred You see that M. Nowell goeth guilefully aboute to abuse the simple by this terme nation as thoughe because the Iues whiche were but one nation had their chiefe prieste and high bishoppe therefore there shoulde folowe thereof naught elles but that euerye nation countrye diocesse or churche shoulde haue also their chiefe bishoppe withoute anye one heade ouer the whole whereas the Iues althoughe they were but one nation were yeat the chosen people and churche of God and emongest diuerse heades of seuerall tribues there was ouer all those heades one chiefe heade You haue seene that of S. Cyprians applieng of this texte to inferiour magistrates can be gathered no necessary argument that it maie not be otherwise applyed that is to the higher You haue seene as many as haue readen my first booke fol. 33. 34. 35. that Moises was a prieste that yeat there foloweth no absurditie of being two high priestes at once because as S. Augustine Lu quaest super Leuitic lib. 3. cap. 23. saieth they were bothe high priestes in diuerse respectes the one in commaunding to be done the other in executing thinges commaunded And withall you see that we are here by M. Nowell vntruly burdened of disobedience to oure Souereigne as not acknowledging suche auctoritye in the same ouer spirituall matters as was in Moises and Aaron VVherefore you maye well vnderstande that were it either Nowell proffitable or necessary c to haue such an one heade God woulde haue certified vs of a thing so proffitable and necessarie more plainely and exprossely then by two olde shadowes of the Iuishe churche which doe teache vs also the contrary God hath certified vs by building his church vpon one Dorman by making one generall pastour ouer all the rest that his Matth 16. Ioan. vlt. pleasure was to appointe this maner of gouernement in his churche But what meane yow to finde faulte with the testimonies of the olde testament calling them shadowes and to demaunde other of the newe hauing brought for youre opinion not so muche as one piece of a sentence out of either the olde testament or the newe Yow see howe blindely he going aboute to proue that there Nowell fo 120. a. 1 ought to be one onelye heade ouer all the church bringeth in for proufe thereof the regiment of seuerall countries kingdomes cities c. by seuerall princes seuerall magistrates and heades whiche maketh moste directly with vs that seuerall churches should in likewise haue their seuerall heades Yow see that oure question being whether the catholike Dorman churche of Christe whiche is but one ought to be ruled by one heade or manie M. Nowell here like the blinde bayard that he speakethe of saieth that my example proueth for them that it ought to be ruled by manye because many kingdomes haue many kinges wherein yow see that diuiding the church which is but one he goeth against the faithe of the churche Yow see that he dissembleth my reason which is that as a kingdom because it is one is best ruled by one heade so the church which is but one is best ruled by one heade Yow see that to this reason hetherto he neuer answered Yow see how often S. Cyprian is by him alleaged for the pope Nowell of Rome his supremacy in those places where he speaketh of Rogatian and of him selfe being bothe bishoppes c. Yow see howe the places of S. Cyprian and S. Hierom Dormna expressely mainteining the superioritie of one aboue the rest in euerye diocesse with the cause added for the auoiding of schismes brought by me to proue by more forcible reason the necessitie of one heade ouer the whole M. Nowell wresteth to the directe prouing of the B. of Rome his supremacy wherof in that place as it was not my purpose to intreate so if I had I had done preposterously and confounded my appointed ordre of writing Yow see howe the place of S. Basile brought to declare the maner off heretikes in contemning the auctoritie of their bishoppes he laieth to my charge vntruly to haue bene brought as spoken of the pope of Rome Yow see that the comparison made betwene Nouatus and oure protestantes of England holdeth in this that either of them laboureth to withdrawe the subiectes from their laufull obedience Yow haue heard good Readers the sory melodie of M. Nowelles harpe whereupon twanging on a false string he made a shamefull lye in saing that Vrsitius and Valens offred vp their recantation as well to Athanasius as to Iulius the pope Yow see that he hath oftentimes beelied S. Cyprian and S. Hierome feining them to make all bishoppes equall in auctoritie and no one to be aboue the other Yowe see his owne inconstancie and disagrement withe him selfe one while affirming all bishoppes to be equall and none to be aboue the other an other while denieng and making chiefe prelates in euerie prouince yow see him reiecting pope Leo as witnesse in his owne cause and bringing in the African to esbeare witnesse to them selues Yow see to deface pope Leo howe shamefully he sclaundreth Zosimus of whome the whole Africane councell wrote so reuerently Yow see howe he burdeneth without all maner of proufe Celestinus of whome Prosper writeth so honorably with other his successours to haue forged a greate many of the epistles nowe abrode in the names of Clement Anacletus c. yowe see howe he spareth no iniuriouse wordes to Leo calling him theefe noting him of ambition whome the councell of Calcedon called thrise blessed and God honoured withe miracles Yow see that he chalengeth vntrulie the copies of Leo to be contrarye one to an other Yow see that he is a plaine makebate and to mende his cause by setting the doctours at variance betwene them selues how he heweth mangleth and cutteth awaie from the auctors that he alleageth wordes yea sentences to serue his purpose You see in defence of schismes howe he laboureth to finde vnquietnesse emongest the Apostles and disciples of Christe you see that to deface vnitie as he taketh it from the Apostles so he attributeth it to the Phariseis and enemies of Christe You see for lacke of weightier matter he chargeth vs with the disputable opinions of scholemen and logiciners with diuersitie of apparell of diete and meates which maners as