whatsoeuer was in Peter beside faith was flesh and blood but that could not be the foundation Ergo Peters faith onely was the foundation his person had therein no part at all 4. Distinct. There is a principall and soueraigne head of the Church and that is onely Christ there is a ministeriall heade beside of that part of the Church which is vpon the earth so is the pope head of the Church Rhemist annot Ephes. 2. sect 5. This distinction by their own confession may be ouerthrowen for if the pope in any sense may be the head of the whole Church the Church also in the same sense may be called his body but the Church say the Rhemistes is not called the body mystical either of Peter or of pope or any prelate whatsoeuer Ergo he is not the head Againe one family hath but one head the Church in heauen and in earth maketh but one familie Ephes. 3. 15. The pope in no sense can be said to be head of the triumphant Church Ergo neither of that part that is in earth Distinct. 5. The pope as a priuate person or as a man and in matters of Fact may erre and be deceiued but as he is head pastor decreeing any thing concerning the faith he cannot erre Bellarm. lib. 4. de pontif cap. 13. Harding defens apolog 660. Ans. Peter when he was reproued of Paule Galath 2. erred not onely in example and conuersation as Bellarmine answereth but it was an error concerning the faith S. Paule saith they went not the right way to the trueth of the Gospel they erred then from the trueth of the Gospell Ergo in faith If Peter might fal into an error of faith much more the pope So is their distinction proued but vaine Distinct. 6. Non est idem aliquid esse de fide de iure dinino It is not al one for a thing to depend of faith and of the law of God as to beleeue that Paule had a cloake is not a point of faith yet it is De iure diuino It belongeth to the word of God So to beleeue that the pope is Peters successor belongeth to the faith though it be not by the word Bellar. de Rom. pontif lib. 2. cap. 12. Ans. This distinction is easely ouerthrowen whatsoeuer is by the word of God is De iure dinino Of the diuine right or of Gods law but whatsoeuer is of faith is grounded vpon the worde for faith it selfe commeth by hearing the word preached Rom. 10. 17. Ergo whatsoeuer is of faith is also Deiure diuino Concerning the example alleadged that Paul should haue a cloake it was not necessary neither by the word nor by faith simply but by a consequent because it is expressed in the word and it is a point of faith to beleeue all thinges therein contained to be true to beleeue this also is of or belonging to saith Distinct. 7. There is a proper succeeding of the Apostles an improper properly the pope is Peters successor whom he succeedeth as an ordinary pastor of the Church But other Bishops do succeed the Apostles improperly in respect of their pastoral episcopal calling Bellar. de Rom. pontif lib. 4. cap. 24. Ans. If to succeed in place be a proper kind of succession as the Iesuite seemeth to grant as one king succeedeth another one bishop another then had other Apostles their proper successors as S. Iames at Ieru salē S. Andrew at Cōstantinople S. Iohn at Ephesus S. Mark at Alexandria as wel as Peter had at Rome If a proper succession require a succession of giftes and calling then neither the Bishop of Rome nor any other do properly succeede the Apostles hauing not the calling of Apostles but of Bishops and pastors of the Church And the Iesuite him selfe graunteth that the pope succeedeth Peter not as an Apostle but as a pastor But Apostles properly succeed Apostles a pastor improperly is said to succeed an Apostle Distinct. 8. The pope directly hath not any temporall iurisdiction ouer kinges and princes as they haue ouer their subiectes or as he hath ouer Bishops yet indirectly he hath and so by his indirect power as he is the spirituall prince of the Church he may depose kinges cite them iudicially before him abrogate the lawes of princes and establish his owne if he see it necessarie for the health of mens soules Bellarm. de pontif lib. 5. cap. 6. Ans. The places which the Iesuite him selfe bringeth against the direct power of the pope doe also ouerthrow his indirect power As how Christ refused to be a king Iohn 6. and to be a iudge Luk. 12. 13. he did execute neither of these offices either directly or indirectly Ergo no more should the pope And S. Paule maketh euery soule directly subiect to the higher powers that beare the sworde Rom 13. 1. 4. Howe then can any soule directly subiect vnto them indirectly commaunde and controule them In deede an indirect power it is which the pope chalengeth that is vsurped and vnlawfull and they do well so to call it Distinct. 9. In general councels there are two kindes of voices or suffragies there is suffragium decisiuum a deciding or determining voice which onely belongeth to Bishops and suffragium consultatiuum a consulting or discussing voice and so other pastors ministers may assemble to consult and giue their aduise Bellarm. lib. 1. de Concil cap. 15. Ans. In the councell held by the Apostles and Elders Act. 15. there was no such difference of voices the Apostles and Elders did indifferently both consult and decide the matter in doubt vers 6. the Apostles and Elders came together to looke to this matter as well to prouide some remedie and to determine and conclude as to examine and aduise vpon the matter so vers 28. It seemed good to the holy Ghost vnto vs The decree goeth out in the name of the Apostles and Elders As therefore the Elders did decide conclude with the Apostles so ought pastors and ministers together with Bishops Distinct. 10. As by this distinction next before they would exclude the Clergie al beside Bishops so they haue inuented an other tricke against the liberty of the Laitie in Councels The Bishop subscribed in this forme Ego definiens subscripsi By giuing my definitiue voice I haue subscribed The lay Magistrate thus Ego consentiens subscripsi I by giuing my consent haue subscribed Harding pag. 748. defens apolog B. Iewel in the same place sheweth the vanity and vntrueth of this distinction and proueth that these two formes were indifferently vsed sometime the Bishop said I haue consented and subscribed sometime the magistrate is also said in councell to determine as it is there alleadged of Constantinus out of Sozomene Distinct. 11. One may be said to be the sonne or childe of God truely two maner of waies First veritate essentiae seu formae if he haue the true forme and essence of a member of Christ and childe
epistle to the Ephesians word for word And how is it like that Marcellinus which died in the 20. yeare of Dioclesian could write of consubstantialitie of the diuine persons when that controuersie and terme of consubstantialitie was not heard of in the Church before the Nicene Councell which was 23. yeares after him Fox ibid. Eusebius in his decretall epistle writeth thus In sede apostolica extra maculam semper catholica seruata est religio That is in the Apostolike Sea alwayes the catholike religion hath beene preserued without any spotte or blemish And yet his late predecessor Marcellinus within his time and remembrance did fall grieuously in sacrificing to Idols though afterward hee repented thereof and was condemned for the same and expulsed the citie by the Councell of 300. Bishops How then could Eusebius this fault and error of his predecessor beeing so fresh in memorie so report of the Apostolike Sea that it was neuer stayned with any blemish in the faith therefore it is apparant that it was none of his doing The decretall epistle also of Milciades bewrayeth it selfe to be counterfeite wherein the forged author sheweth how much more worthie the popish sacrament of confirmation is then baptisme Thus I hope it is a cleare case to anie man that is not wilfully blinde that those decretall epistles are but forged and bastard writings those holy Bishops and Martyrs to be falsely reputed the authors thereof considering that the matter therein conteyned neyther seemeth to be agreeable to those times nor yet besitting the grauitie of their person Beside these counterfeite decretals of the Bishops of Rome they haue also many other of the like inuention In the decrees of Gratian Distinction 10. Quoniam Is set foorth vnder Ciprians name Ciprianus Iuliano imperatori Ciprian to Iulian the Emperor wherein it is affirmed that the imperiall dignitie is subiect to the papall dignitie as the inferior to the superior But Ciprian lyued not in lulian the Apostata his time not by 200. yeares wherefore this is a lying glosse Siluesters constitution whome I should before haue recyted amongst the number of the Bishops of Rome That the Corporal whereupon our Lords bodie lyeth vpon the altar must bee pure and plaine linnen seemeth also to come out of the same forge for the papistes practise is contrarie they lay it vpon a guilt patten and they haue a certayne poke for reseruation lyned indeed with linnen but the out-side is silke gold siluer and pearles Dionisius booke de Eccles. Hierarchia which commonly is thrust vpon Dionisius Areopagita who was conuerted by S. Paul is worthily suspected not to bee of that authors doing for his writings coulde not haue beene vnknowen to Eusebius Hierome Gennadius who continued the catalogue of the principall writers of the Church for 500. yeares after Christ. And Dionisius Bishop of Corinth who lyued in the raigne of Commodus about ann 185. writing of Dionisius Areopagita declareth how hee was first conuerted to the faith by S. Paul as it is in the Actes of the Apostles and afterward was made Bishop of Athens But of his booke de Hierarch he hath not one word Euseb. li. 4. ca. 23. Gulielmus Gracinus did read in his open lecture in the Church of S. Pauls this book de eccl Hierarch who at the first entrance vehemently inueighed against those that held opinion that Dionisius Areopag was not author of that booke but after a fewe weekes being better aduised hee altered his minde and protested openly that in his iudgement Dionisius Areopag mentioned in the Actes was not author of that booke Ex Erasm. ad Parisiens Historia passionis of S. Andrew S. Martialis epist. ad Burdegalens are but counterfeite fables Fulk Hebr. 10. sect 9. No better is that pamphlet which goeth vnder Linus name intituled De Petripassione Which if it were true that is there reported Peter was most iustly condemned for entysing and leading away women from their husbands Beza annot Iohn 21. v. 19. against the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles The Liturgie of S. Iames is but a late deuised toye for Balsamon patriarke of Antioch sayth that the Liturgie of S. Iames was not extant in his time but vtterly worne away Fulke annot 1. Corinth 11. sect 10. No maruell then if these good fellowes make it not dayntie to belie the auncient Bishops and Martyrs with phantasticall and forged pamphlets seeing that they presume without blushing to vtter their forgeries both of the Apostles themselues and vnder their names not much vnlike to the olde heretikes the Manichees and others that scattered abroade hereticall deuises vnder the Apostles names as the Apocalypse of S. Paul whereof S. Augustine maketh mention Tract in Iohann 98. Another booke of S. Thomas the Apostle Augustine epist. 38. Certayne Epistles fathered vpon the Apostles August in Psalm 47. Yea they conteyned not them selues here but in their foolish conceyte deuised fables more auncient then the floode as the booke of Henoch whereof Augustine speaketh de ciuitat Dei lib. 18. cap. 38. And yet were more impudent for they alleadged an Epistle which they say was of Christes owne writing August cont Faust. lib. 28. cap. 4. I would now our aduersaries did not giue vs occasion by these imaginarie and decoytfull writings of theirs which they would notwithstanding to bee reputed as sound and substantiall to compare them in this respect to those heretikes of elder time Let vs now see what other phantasies they haue which doe maske vnder the name of later writers In the Liturgie that beareth the name of Chrysostome which the papistes call Chrysostomes Masse as it is set foorth by Claâ—dius du Sanctis there is a prayer for Pope Nicholas and the Emperour Alexius whereof the one was neare 500. yeares the other 700 yeares after Chrysostome Iudge therefore Christian reader whether it bee likely to bee Chrysostomes The Liturgie bearing the name of Basill sheweth it selfe to bee none of his because it obserueth not that forme of doxologie that is prayse to the holy Ghost with the prepositioÌ„ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Basil doth so earnestly maintayne to be deriued from the Apostles tradition de Spirit sanct cap. 27. 28. There are 4. bookes interserted among Cirils commentaries vppon Iohn which were composed by Iodocus Clictouaeus to supplie so many bookes of Cirils wanting yet are they commonly alleadged by our aduersaries in Cirils name Paulinus Bishop of Nola his epistles forged For epistle 1â— hee writeth thus of the wood of the crosse That it hath such an incorruptible vertue that it susteyneth no diminishing but continueth as though it had neuer beene touched men daily taking part of it Which is so grosse a fable that the Censors appointed according to the Councell of Trent in their Ind. expurgat commanded it to be put out How many bookes are foysted into Augustines workes it were to long to rehearse for as he in number of his workes exceeded any one of the auncient doctors of the
offend against the lawe of charitie Leuitic 5. 4. 1. Samuel 25. 22. Dauid breaketh the oth or vowe which he had rasblie made in his anger That Christ was Verèmendicus A meere begger and wanted both the vse and dominion of temporall thinges Bellarm. de monach lib. 2. cap. 45. But Augustine according to the scriptures saith Nisi putetis quia dominus petebat indigebat cuiseruiebant angeli qui de quinque panibus tot millia pauit Vnlesse ye thinke saith he that Christ begged was in want vnto whom the Angels ministred and who was able of fiue loaues to feede so many thousand in Psal. 146. This opinion which the Iesuite holdeth that Christ was a begger was condemned by Pope Paulus 2. for heresie Ann. 1465. ex histor sca. mundi Howe dare hee then controule his Pope holy fathers determinate sentence Diabolus odit imagines The deuill himselfe hateth and cannot abide an image Bellarm. de imaginibus sanctor lib. 2. cap. 12. yet S. Paul saieth what is offered or sacrificed to Idols is sacrificed to deuils 1. Corinth 10. 20. He doth so abhorre an image that who so worshippeth them doth the deuill great seruice Whensoeuer wee see either a maunger to be painted or grauen to represent the natiuitie of Christ or a post or piller to represent his scourging Non carent veneratione sua There is some religious reuerence to be done vnto them Bellarm. de sanctor imaginibus lib. 2. cap. 30. So in the Iesuites iudgment euerie Alehouse painted cloath shewing any such picture must be adored and worshipped That the sacrament doth conferre grace Ex opere operato by the very worke that is wrought that is the externall action not for the worthines of the minister or the receiuer Neither doth faith giue efficacie to the sacrament no more then the drines of the wood is the cause that it burneth which is the fire Bellarm. lib. 2. de effect sacrament cap. 1. not 4. These are foule absurdities as to thinke that any action of it selfe pleaseth or is acceptable vnto God without faith contrarie to the scripture Hebr. 11. 6. And to make the sacramentes to be more principall then faith whereof they are but seales Rom. 4. 11. And faith being the verie life of a righteous man Rom. 1. 17. Thata Pagane or Infidell may baptize in a case of necessitie or extremitie Bellarm. de Baptism lib. 1. cap. 7. A verie absurde thing that one by Baptisme may be receiued into the Church and made a member of Christ by him that is not in the Church nor of the bodie of Christ nor euer was Whereas Christ said onely to his Apostles Goe and teach al nations baptizing them c. Math. 28. 19. That it is very probable that Iohn Baptist vsed no forme of words at all in his baptisme Bellarm. de sacram Baptis lib. 1. cap. 20. Which is an absurd saying and contrary to S. Paul who testifieth of Iohn that he baptized the people saying vnto them That they shoulde beleeue in him which should come after him that is in Iesus Christ Act. 19. 4. That the Apostles were first made priests in the institution of the Lords supper and Bishops afterwarde when Christ was risen from the deade Bellarm. de sacram Confirmat cap. 12. resp ad 2. argum But what neede they be ordained priestes or Bishops who already were called to be Apostles which is the first and chiefest office in the Church Ephes. 4. 11. And includeth other inferior functions for the Apostles together with their Apostleship were made pastors and doctors Bishops to if you wil of the Church so that they needed not any new inuesting to these functions That the Bishop is the onely pastor of his diocesse and that inferior ministers teachers are not pastors properlie Bellar. de Concil lib. 1. cap. 15. Yet S. Peter maketh Elders Presbyteri as they translate priestes to be the proper pastors of their seuerall charges Feede the flocke of God which dependeth on you 1. Pet. 5. 3. But if a particular flocke or congregation depend on their teacher and instructer then is he properly their pastor The regiment of the Church is easier then the gouernment of the common wealth Facilior est gubernatio ecclesiastica quam politica Bellarm. de Roman pontif lib. 1. cap. 9. respons ad obiect 4. Here the Iesuite bewraieth his great ignorance seeing there is no greater charge thē that which concerneth the soules of men the care wherof Bellarmine confesseth not at al to belong to the politicall or ciuill magistrate And therefore S. Paul crieth out in admiration of this waightie and wonderfull calling Who is sufficient for these thinges 2. Corinth 2. 16. And therefore calleth the care which he had of the Churches a trouble a cumbrance 2. Corinth 11. 28. It is not therefore so light and easie an office as the Iesuite thinketh to haue charge of mens soules Tantum abest saith Bellarmine vt negatio Petri obsit primatui vt potiùs eum confirmet Peters deniall of Christ was so far from hindering his primacie that it did rather further it De Roman pontific lib. 1. cap. 28. A greate absurditie for it was so sarre from being any helpe or furtherance to Peter that it had bene sufficient without the great mercie of God to haue hindred his saluation And if Peter receiued such a benefite by his deniall of Christ he might haue spared some teares and not haue wept so bitterly for his fault Whereas we alleadge against our aduersaries that it is like that Peter was not at Rome when S. Paul wrote his Epistle to the Romanes because he is not remembred amongest so many in the Apostles salutation cap. 16 They shape vs these and the like aunsweres It might be that Peter at that time was out of the towne or that there were special leters sent to Peter beside or this epistle might be sent enclosed to S. Peter by his means to be deliuered to the Church Rhemist annot Rom. 16. sect 4. Who seeth not the absurditie and insufficiencie of these aunsweres That Peter failed in charitie when he denied Christ and not in faith if he failed in faith he lost the confession of faith not faith it selfe Bellarm de Roman pontif lib. 4. cap. 3. But how I pray you can a man faile in charitie and not in faith seeing a liuely faith alwaies worketh by loue Galath 5. 6. and can not be separated or diuided from it And it is as absurd a thing to say a man may loose the confession of his faith and yet keepe his faith sound for these two are the principall fruites of faith to Beleeue with the heart and confesse with the mouth Rom. 10. 10. And where either of these is wanting there cannot be a right perfect faith That the pope as he is pope can not erre And yet whether he may erre or not Est ab omnibus fidelibus obedienter audiendus He is obediently to be heard and
P. 146. He thus friendly saith vnto vs If you do not allowe euerie man yea and euery woman to be a Priest why driue ye not some of your fellowes to recant that so haue preached Why allowe yee the bookes of your new Euangelistes that so haue written An odious vntruth for touching the Ministerie of the Church wee haue none that either haue preached so or written so Iewel defens Apolog. pag. 146. That wee saye all things necessarie to saluation are expressed in the Scriptures pag. 240. But so wee say not Wee holde that all things necessarie are either in the Scriptures expressed or therein contained by necessarie collection and diduction to be drawen from the same That wee which say wee can by no meanes fulfill the law of God doe make God vniust euill impotent and not able to giue so much grace as may helpe to fulfill his lawe pag. 368. Wee make not God vniust or impotent but wee confesse our selues to be sinners Neither is the question here what God is able to doe but what he hath promised for howsoeuer God be able by his abounding grace to make vs perfect in this life and altogether voide of sinne as wee shall be in the life to come yet his power is not contrarie to his will reuealed in his worde which saith that all men haue sinned Rom. 3. 23. And as many as are of the workes of the lawe are vnder the curse Galath 3. 10. That wee tell Christian men they may worke as much as they will but all in vaine page 371. Vntruth for wee saye with Saint Paul your woorkes shall not bee in vaine in the Lorde Although wee doe exclude them from being any cause or meane of our saluation and that by the warrant of the Scriptures Roman 3. 28. Ephesian 2. 10. and in other places That wee professe that the faith of the Catholike Church may faile and fall page 493. Wee speake not of the vniuersall Catholike Church but of the Church of Rome or of any other particular Church which may faile in faith as wee see the Churches of Corinth and Galatia are nowe thoroughly departed from the faith and are wholly subiect to the Turke That wee animate temporall Magistrates by the pretensed example of Dauid and Salomon to intermeddle with Bishops offices pag. 689. Vntruth it is not our doctrine But they rather embolden the Pope to meddle with Princes offices And Bellarmine a great Champion of theirs doeth free vs from this slaunder who confesseth of vs that wee holde Regimen ecclesiasticum spirituale esse distinctum a politico That the Ecclesiasticall regiment is spirituall and a thing distinct from the politicall or temporall That wee teach that the Lordes supper is verie bakers bread and wine with the onely figure of Christes bodie and bloud pag. 320. But wee neuer so vnreuerently called that holy Sacrament It is your selfe master Harding that doeth so vilely disgrace this holie Mysterie calling it A piece of bread not woorth a point a leane and carrien banket a toye Wee call it the Sacrament of thankes-giuing the Sacrament of the bodie and bloud of Christ with other names fit for so great mysteries Neither doe wee make them bare figures and signes but as the Apostle saith seales of the righteousnes of faith Rom. 4. 11. Now hauing seene thus farre with what false opinions they charge our Church generally in respect of our doctrine let vs take some triall also of their iust and true dealing with vs in matters belonging to manners And here I doe not thinke but wee shall finde them halting as before First Harding chargeth vs with continuall aduoutrie and incest calling without all honestie or shame Ministers lawfull wedded wiues their filthie yokefellowes pag. 439. Yea hee saith that our Gospel hath no substance beside carnall libertie and licentious liuing pag. 289. And that thorough our euill teaching the worlde groweth more to be dissolute and wicked pag. 382. But if master Harding had remembred the dissolutenes and licentiousnes of life that is at Rome Hee could not without blushing haue charged vs with incest aduowtries and all Carnall libertie He had forgotten belike that olde English prouerbe Hee that goeth once to Rome seeth a wicked man hee that goeth twise learneth to know him hee that goeth thrise bringeth him home with him Fox pag. 843. The Rhemistes doe accuse the Protestants whom they call heretikes for their lightnesse in admitting euery one without discretion to the Clergie 1. Timoth. 3. 6. But as for that vncharitable name of heretikes wee shall shewe anone that it is more proper vnto them than vnto vs. And neuer any heresie admitted more vnworthie persons to the Clergie than Papistrie hath done not onely into the inferiour places but euen into their chiefe Bishops see for as Alphons testifieth whome wee cited before Manie of their Popes did not knowe so much as their Grammar Harding chargeth the Protestants in diuers Countries to haue attempted to wrest the sworde out of the Princes handes Were the hundred thousand Boures in Germanie saith he consumed by the sworde of the Nobilitie there for their obedience P. 441. So hee slaundereth Luther also that hee stirred vp Thomas Munzer in Thuringia who was the Rebels preacher pag. 447. Thus the Rhemistes deale with Caluin calling him one of the principall Rebels of this time and moste falsely giue out of the Protestants that their Consistories are shoppes of rebellion Thus also they report of Wickliffe that hee should teach that Princes are not to be obeyed being in deadly sinne Annotation 1. Peter 2. Sect. 8. All these are malicious slaunders deuised against vs. First the boures of Germanie were most of them aduersaries to Luther and vnderstoode no parte of the Gospell but conspired together as they saide onely against the crueltie of their Lordes as they had two and twentie yeares before in the conspiracie called Liga Sotularia Anno 1503. fifteene yeares before Doctor Luther began to preache which was Anno 1518. Iewell pag. 441. Secondly Luther was so farre from stirring vp Thomas Munzer that hee called him the preacher of Sathan Sleidan li. 5. Thirdly Neither did Wickliffe teach any such thing for he him selfe was obedient both to Edward the third and to Richard the second both which princes as wee knowe were guiltie of some notorious sinnes Fourthly you rather shewe your selues the rebelles of this age who make no conscience in mouing the subiects to rise vp and conspire against their naturall Soueraignes And England knoweth by experience that your Seminaries of Rome and Rhemes are the shops of rebellion which haue forged so manie conspiracies against our Soueraigne but all hitherto in vaine the Lorde be thanked and wee trust in God shal be so still yee might therefore haue beene ashamed to haue cast vs in the teeth with that which your owne consciences may accuse your selues of Thus much of the slaunders in generall which they belch out against our whole Church now wee will
they what a principall sectmaster with his blasphemous mouth or penne vttereth saying In the verie best times such was partlie the ambition of Bishops partlie their ignorance and foolishnesse that the verie blinde may easely perceiue Sathan verely to haue beene president of their assemblies And in the margent they note Bezaâ— blasphemie against the first general Councels Rhemist act 15. sec. 10. In this place Beza speaketh not one word against the first general councels but against the assemblies of proud vnlearned light-headed Bishops of Greece which liued in those best times whereof it is manifest by the Church stories that many of them were heretical and blasphemous It is a loose argument Beza saith there were wicked Bishops in the best times Ergo he blasphemeth against the first generall councels That Beza saith Melchisedeches priesthoode was wholly spirituall Annot Hebr. 8. sec. 3. He saith not that Melchisedeches priesthoode was onely spirituall as the spirituall priesthoode of the faithfull is but that Melchisedeches priesthood was figuratiue hauing a spirituall relation to Christes eternall priesthoode Fulk ibid. But no maruell if they make not daintie to slaunder the ministers of the gospell when they dare open their lying mouthes against christian princes and offer violence to the Lordes annointed As Bellarmine most slaunderously giueth out of our gracious Soueraigne I am reipsa Caluinistis in Angliamulier quaedam summus Pontifex est And nowe in trueth a certaine woman in England taketh vpon her to be chiefe Bishop of the Caluinistes Bellarm. de notis Ecclesiae lib. 4. cap. 9. A foule and a disdainefull slaunder Whereas our prince doth not vsurpe vpon the office of Bishops and ministers but as all godly princes haue done as Dauid Hesekiah and others she thinketh that it belongeth to her princelie charge to haue a care of Religion and to looke to the house of God Beside these slaunders which they haue raised concerning the opinions and doctrine of our Church they haue deuised and forged lies also concerning other matters Staphylus and furious Surius say that Luther learned his diuinitie of the deuill An other maintaineth that he has borne of the deuil An other that he died of drunkennesse vid. Fox pag. 1257. Bellarmine reporteth out of railing Cochleus that Luther died sodainely for saith hee hauing supped verie daintily and being made merrie with good cheere and with his ieastes made al at the table to burst foorth into laughter he immediatelie sickened and died the same night Bellarm. lib. 4. De notis eccl cap. 17. And he maketh himselfe pretie sport in telling a lying tale out of the same Cochleus how Luthers bodie being clapt in lead in the midst of winter in the frost and cold sodainly beganne so to stincke that the verie smell pearced the lead and whereas they were purposed to conuey his corps to Wittemberge to be buried they were constrained to leaue it by the way lib. 4. De notis eccles cap. 14. They may be ashamed to forge such shamefull lies for neither was Luthers death sodaine who had an old infirmitie hanging vpoÌ„ him being accustomed to be much troubled with oppression of humors in the orifice or opening of his stomach Neither died he the same night but the next morning betweene 8. and 9. of the clocke Reported by Melancthon who better was acquainted both with Luthers life and death then any papist of them all Luther made a most comfortable end made a most sweete praier before his death which is rare I thinke with the popish sort consul Fox Pag. 864. The rest which they report of his body is as true as that which they fained of M. Bucer that he should denie at his death that Christ our Messiah was come Fox Pag. 1257. colum 2. whose maner of death D. Redman that preached at his funerall and many other English men knewe to be contrarie to their vngodly reportes Of like credite is that foule sorgerie of M. Caluins departure as Bellarmine though not the deuiser therof yet blusheth not to be the reporter That Caluine calling vpon the deuill blaspheming and swearing gaue vp the ghost and that he accursed the day and houre when euer he began to apply him selfe to studie and writing Bellarm. lib. 4. De notis eccles cap. 8. Whose eares now would not tingle to heare these malicious and deuilish reportes of so godly a man as though M. Beza who was an eie-witnesse both of his life and death and hath penned the storie thereof could not better testifie for this matter then they which haue al by hearesaie Wel M. Caluin liued well and died the Lordes seruant whatsoeuer these blacke-mouthed and cankred-harted papistes say to the contrarie It were better for them rather to make Balaams wish that they also may die the death of the righteous then thus to blaspheme Gods Saintes As though we were ignorant of their popish custome and practise in belying the seruantes of God When Horsey that wicked Chauncelour had with his owne handes murthered Rich. Hun in the prison was it not giuen out that he had hanged him selfe Fox pag. 867. How cruellie was the congregation at Paris persecuted and most vilely slaundered of theÌ„ Ann. 1558. The priestes and friers in their rayling sermons perswaded the people that the Lutheranes assembled together to make a banquet in the night and there putting out the candles they went together Jacke with â—ill as they said after a filthy beastly maner Other Sorbonistes accused them that they maintained there was no God and denied the diuinitie and humanitie of Christ the immortalitie of the soule the resurrection of the dead and briefly all the articles of true religion Fox pag. 927. with such like malicious misreportes and slaunders the auncient Church in the primitiue time was slaundered who were accused of incest conspiracie sacrificing of infantes putting out of candels and filthy whoredome with such like Fox pag. 36. Therefore it neede not seeme strange vnto vs that the enemies of the Church doe in these daies also whet and sharpen their tongues against the professors of the trueth especially seeing that they which doe euen now scourge and afflict vs with their scorpion tongues are not ashamed to speake broadly yea and vntruly of the primitiue Church for these are the Rhemistes owne wordes In the primitiue Church when Infidels dwelt among the Christians and oftentimes came to their publike preachinges it was both vnprofitable and ridiculous to heare a number talking teaching singing psalmes one in this language an other in that all at once like a blacke Sauntes Annot. 1. Corinth 14. sect 5. Although there were some disorder among the Corinthians yet it is lewdly done generally to charge the whole primitiue Church And thinke ye these men haue not a verie reuerent opinion of the labours of the Apostles that compare the publike exercises of the Corinthians who were a Church planted and founded by S. Paule to a blacke Sauntes Barke on now ye papistes and seeing
you spare neither Apostle pastor nor minister neither primitiue and auncient nor present and now being Church say on still as ye doe that the protestants tende euery day more and more to Atheisme and Antichristianisme Rhemist 2. Thessa. 2. sect 14. That the protestantes haue forsaken Christ the protestantes are become Iewes the protestantes wil be circumcised according to Moses law the protestantes require to haue the paschal Lambe the protestantes tell the people there is no hell at all the protestantes at their next proceeding wil vtterly denie God Har ding praefat ad defens apolog ex Iuello Well yee slaunderous mouthed hypocrites if Ieremies saying were not verified vppon you Thou hast a whores forehead thou wouldest not be ashamed 3. 3. ye might well blushe and shew al your blood in your face when you inuent such vnchristian slaunders against vs which the worlde crieth shame vpon and your owne consciences accuse ye of Wee haue no other shielde to holde vp against these iniuries of yours but the prophet Dauids saying with his words in the person of our Church As he loued cursing so let it come vnto him and as he loued not blessing so shall it be farre from him as he clothed him selfe with cursing like a rayment so shall it come into his bowels like water and like oyle into his bones Let it be vnto him as a garment to couer him and for a girdle wherewith he shall alway be girded Let this be the rewarde of mine aduersarie from God and of them that speake euill against my soule Psal. 109 vers 17. 18. 19. 20. Heare ye also what Bernard saith Gladius anceps lingua detractoris Nec verò huiusmodi linguam ipso mucrone quo dominicum latus confossum est crudeliorem dicere verearis haec enim non iam examine Christi corpus fodit sed facit examine fodiendo A slauderous tongue is a two edged sword And such a tongue we need not doubt to cal more cruel then the speares point that peirced our Lordes side for this doth not pierce or wound the dead bodie of Christ but slayeth and woundeth it to death serm de triplici custodia Thus yee papistes shew your selues greater enimies to Christ in slaundering his Church then if ye had thrust his body through that hanged vppon the crosse for then his bodie was first dead before it was pierced But you doe rent and wound the liuelie bodie of Christ now which is his Church I pray God giue you grace if yee belong vnto him to repente you of this wickednes And thus much also concerning the slaunders and malicious reportes giuen out by papistes against our Church The 3. part of the manifold vntruthes forgeries and bold denials of papistes of manifest vntruthes Part. 3. IT followeth now in the third place hauing alreadie sufficiently discoursed of their personal slaunders which they vomite and spue vp either against our Church in general or against some particular members thereof that now we lay open to the worlde their vntruthes and lies which in heapes are coyned and forged out of their shoppes that whereas they accuse vs of lying saying most scornefully That lies are as common with heretikes as lice with beggers Harding it may euidentlie appeare to the world whether of twaine be the greate lyers And first of their forgeries Neuer anie Heretikes were more cunning or had better dexteritie in forging of writinges and foisting bookes of their owne deuising and making vnder the name of other authors First the Canons of the Apostles as they call them which are fathered vpon the Apostles are but bastard writinges falsely going vnder their name for in the last canon the gospell written by S. Iohn is numbred among the bookes of the newe testament which is confessed by all to haue beene penned by the Euangelist after the death of all or most of the Apostles How could then these Canons as they affirme be deuised and published by the Apostles them selues assembled together Againe those Canons of the Apostles doe recken 3. bookes of the Macchabees amongest the canonicall scripture But the papistes them selues receiue but two if then they were perswaded them selues that they were the verie Canons of the Apostles how durst they disagree from them in opinion Plura apud Whitacher controu 1 de scriptur cap. 4. The constitutions also of the Apostles the collection whereof is ascribed to Clemens seemeth to be but a forged booke conteining many thinges false and friuolous as lib. 6. cap. 14. He bringeth in Iames the brother of Iohn writing and speaking with the rest of the Apostles many yeares after his death Lib. 6. cap. 7. he calleth Philip spoken of Act. 8. an Apostle but lib. 8. cap. 52. he maketh him but a Deacon Of the like credite are the counterfeit writinges which passe vnder the name of Abdias Ignatius Hippolytus Policarpus as it may appeare by the homely stuffe contained in them Abdias prescribeth a most superstitious obseruation of Lent fast not onely in abstaining from all flesh-meates but also from all carnall copulation betweene man and wife The same Abdias is also contrarie to himselfe for he affirmeth that Paule suffered 2. yeares after Peter And saith further that Paule after Peter was crucified remained in his custodie at Rome mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles which was as Hierome saith the 3. or 4. yeare of Nero so that by this account there must be 10. yeares space betweene the suffering of Paule and Peter for it is confessed by all writers that Paule suffered the 14. that is the last yeare of Nero. Ignatius saith in his epistle to the Philippians that if any man shal fast on Sunday or Saturday he is a murtherer of Christ so hoat this counterfeit father is about his counterfeit traditions Of the like authoritie is Policarpus epistle ad Philippen which is gathered out of the Apocryphall constitutions of counterfeit Clemens Hippolytus booke is too ful of fables then to be thought to be that auncient Martyrs worke for writing of Antichrist he saith he shalbe no man but a deuil in the shape of man that Iohn the Euangelist shal come with Henoch and Helias before the comming of Antichrist that Antichrist shal bring deuils with him in the shape of Angels and commaund them to carie him vp to heauen with other such stuffe Now commeth in that vncleane dunghil of decretals which are falsely attributed to those good Bishops of Rome that suffered in the great persecutions in the primitiue age of the Church for the testimonie of Iesus As wee may strongly coniecture by the matter and substance of those decretals The epistle fathered vppon Alexander doth euidentlie appeare to be counterfeit by the date which it beareth when Traianus and Helianus were Consuls But there was neuer anie Helianus Consull with Traianus Fulk 1. Tim. 4. 13. Euaristus Bishop of Rome is saide to haue decreed that no priest should be ordained without a title But it is not like that
Church beside which are reckoned to 232 bookes beside his homilies and epistles which were more then as many againe So foolish men haue presumed to be most bold with his writings defiling his learned workes with ridiculous additions of their owne All I cannot neither is it needful in this place to recite onely for some trial of the matter I will set downe these fewe The questions Veteris noui testamenti are none of Augustines for quest 21. it is affirmed that Melchisedech was the holy ghost which opinion is heresie with Augustine and in his booke de haeresib he numbreth the Melchisedechians amongest other heretikes Therefore Augustine is not the author and this Bellarm. confesseth De sacrament lib. 2. cap. 10. yet is the authoritie of this booke vrged by our Rhemistes as sound Annot. 1. Corinth sec. 5. Saint Augustine not the author of the serm de sanctis for the author of these homilies alleadgeth the testimonie of Isidorus who liued about 200 yeares after Augustine August ser. 91. and 251. none of Augustines the author saith that the mightie men when they come to Church compell the priest to make short his masse this manner agreed not with Augustines age The booke de visitatione infirmorum none of his Erasmus saieth it is the speech of a brabler neither learned nor eloquent and most impudently entituled to S. Augustine The 215. serm de tempore the treatise de rectitud Cathol conuersat none of Augustines Fulk annot Galath 4. sect 2. The booke de dogmatib ecclesiastic none of Augustines for the author of that booke excludeth those from orders that had eyther more wiues then one or one concubine By this rule Augustine could neuer haue beene a Bishop for he had two coÌ„cubines And many other beside these are found to be counterfeit bookes as he that wil take the paines to peruse Erasmus censures vpon Augustines workes shall easily finde The last forgery which I will charge our aduersaries withall in this place shalbe concerning the donation of Constantine vpon the which the Bishop of Rome doth ground his supreame dominion and right ouer al the political gouernmeÌ„t of the west partes The which said donation is but a forged and deuised deede or instrument of their owne For the donation saith that Constantine was baptised at Rome of Siluester and the 4. day after his baptisme this patrimonie was giuen before his battaile against Maximinus and Liâ—inius Here are manie vntrueths couched together 1. Because the trueth of the storie of Constantines baptisme is otherwise reported by Eusebius Hierom Ruffin Socrates Theodoret Sozomen that Constantine was baptized at Nicomedia not at Rome and by Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia not by Siluester and not before that battaile but in the xxxi yeare of his raigne a little before his death 2. whereas the saide donation giueth iurisdiction to the Bishop of Rome ouer the 4. patriarchall seas of Antioch Alexandria Constantinople Hierusalem how could this be done before his battell with Maximinus when as the citie of Constantinople was not yet begunne So this forged donation neither agreeth with itselfe nor with others Plura apud Fox pag. 105. All this notwithstanding which we haue not barely and nakedlie affirmed but I trust sufficientlie prooued and to the indifferent Reader by more then probable argumentes demonstrated that our aduersaries haue vsed much deceit in conueying false and forged writinges vnder auncient authors names yet they will needes beare the worlde in hand that there is no such matter but that they are those authors proper and peculiar workes Whereupon they are boulde in euerie controuersie as they haue occasion to presse vs with their light and vaine authorities As the constitut of Clemens alleadged by the Rhom annot Luk. 4. sec. 1. Ignatius Math. 4. sec. 2. 1. Peter 2. sect 6. Hippolytus Math. 24. sec. 5. Policarpus Act. 6. sec. 1. Decret Alexandri 1. Timoth. 4. sec. 13. Milcâ—adi Fabian Act. 8. sect 6. Dionisi Areop ibid. S. Andrew S. Martial Hebr. 10. sect 11. Leiturg Iacob Basil. Chrysost. 1. Corinth 11. sect 10. Iodoc. Clicton for Cirill Iohn 11. sect 1. Paulinus Iohn 19. sect 2. August serm de sanct Act. 1. sect 7. de rectitâ—d cathol conuers de visitation infirmor serm de tempor Galath 4. sect 2. de ecclesiastic dogmatib 1. Corinth 11. sect 7. Thus we see both the great boldnes of our aduersaries in vrging such authorities which they knowe to be counterfeit as also the apparant weakenesse of their cause that are constrained to vse such beggerlie shiftes But let them vse and vrge these stragling runnagate and fatherlesse bookes neuer so much wee will still holde vs to this point wherein they shall neuer be able to disproue vs that they do deceiue them selues and abuse the world in making men to beleeue that they are the fathers owne writinges Wee say therefore of these and of all such other bookes as Augustine did of that which went in Henoehs name Libriisti ob nimiam antiquitatem reijciuntur These bookes are too old to be true De ciuitat dei lib. 18. cap. 38. And concerning some of them as those which are fathered vpon the Apostles and them that followed in the next age as Augustine saith of the epistle which the Manichees ascribed to Christ Si aliqua huiusmodi epistola fuit ab eis proferri potuit qui illi adhaerebant So if they wrote any such bookes it is like they would haue brought them to light that were the Apostles schollers cont Faust. lib. 22. cap. 79. And of them all and the rest of that sort wee pronounce this sentence with the same father Quae proferuntur ab errantibus sub nomine ipsorum quia non sunt ipsorum improbantur nec acceptantur ab ecclesia Those bookes which are brought forth vnder the name of the Apostles and other auncient writers because they are not theirs are reiected and not receiued or acknowledged of the Churche in Psal. 130. Thus hauing in part declared so much as I thought necessary for the matter in hand how deceitfully our aduersaries haue dealt with the worlde giuing them Quid pro quo as wee say one thing for an other in falsely entituling their friuolous pamphletes with graue and good authors names I will spende a little time before I leaue this place to shewe how they haue not onely thrust vppon those auncient doctors and fathers false writinges but haue also falsified their good woorkes by putting in and putting out by clipping chaunging and altering lines wordes sentences And no maruaile then if by such cunning rather cousoning sleightes they make those good authors to speake what they list them selues Ann. 420. There was a councell held in Africa by 217. Bishoppes called the 6. councell of Carthage whereat Augustine was present vnto this councell sent Zosimus then Bishop of Rome certaime messengers with fower requestes or demaundes whereof this was one that it might be lawfull for Bishops or Priestes to appeale from the sentence
of their Metropolitanes and also of the councel to the sea of Rome alleadging for him selfe certaine wordes as he pretended taken out of the Nicene councell Hereupon the councell sent their Legates to Cirillus patriarke of Alexandria for the auncient copies in Greeke of the Nicene councell wherein they found no such canon as was pretended but the contrarie howe the decrees of the Nicene councell had committed all and singular persons Ecclesiasticall vnto the charge of their Metropolitanes Thus then to beginne this game withall the Bishops of Rome them selues are proued to bee forgers and falsifiers of auncient writinges Plura apud Fox pag. 10. Canisius reporting Augustines wordes for the continuall succession of the Bishops of Rome from Peter alleadgeth onely the former part of the sentence Cathedra quid tibi fecit Ecclesiae Romanae in qua Petrus sedit in qua hodie Anastasius sedet What hath the sea of the Church of Rome offended thee wherein Peter sometime sat and Anastasius now sitteth but he craftilie leaueth out that which followeth Vel ecclesiae Hierosolymitanae in qua Iacobus sedit in qua hodie Iohannes sedet Or what hath the sea of Ierusalem offended thee wherein Iames sometime sat and Iohn nowe sitteth these wordes he cunningly suppresseth because they made little for him Canis oper catechistic cap. de praecept eccles artic 9. Christoforson translating Eusebius storie into latine where Nouatus is brought in thus adiuring the people that came to the oblations holding both their handes in his sweare to me by the bodie and blouds of the Lorde Iesus that thou wilt not leaue me and go to Cornelius and he refused to distribute vnto them till that they swearing vnto him in steade of Amen to be saide at the receiuing of breade shoulde aunswere I will not returne to Cornelius Christoforson I say comming to these wordes craftilie leaueth out the name of breade because the author so calleth it in plaine termes after consecration Christofor lib. 6. cap. 43. The Rhemist 1. Corinth 10. sec. 8. speaking of their popish sacrifice of the Masse alleadge the authoritie of Ciril Alexand in concil Ephesin Anathem 11. where he should call it The quickening holy sacrifice the vnbloody hoast and victime But this is a false forgerie for there is no such worde found there Likewise in the same place they quote Tertullian de coron militis Chrisost. homil 41. in 1. Corinth Ciprian epist. 66. August Enchirid. 109. That the Masse is a propitiatorie sacrifice for the liuing and dead which is founde to be a great vntrueth for those authors in some of these places speake of praier for the dead but of any such propitiatorie sacrifice not one word Fulk ibid. Gregor Nyssen oration cap. 37. is made to speake much of the transmutation of the bread in the sacrament and it is often repeated but there is no such thing found in many auncient copies And Nicephorus writeth that many things were foisted into him by heretikes Niceph. lib. 11. cap. 19. The wordes of Ciprian de vnitat Eccles. are falsified by Pammelius for whereas Ciprian writeth thus Uerilie the rest of the Apostles were the same thing that Peter was endued with equall fellowship both of honor and power but the beginning proceedeth from one that the church may be declared to be one But the Rhemistes according to their corrupt edition reade thus But the beginning proceedeth from one the primacie is giuen to Peter that the Church of Christ may be shewed to be one and one Chaire Fulk Iohn 21. sect 4. In like sort haue the papistes corrected as they say but in deede corrupted other writinges of the auncient fathers and especially Bertram amongest the rest who is a great enemie to their popish opinion of transubstantiation They meane to deale with him as with other ancient writers In whom say they we beare verie many errors and extenuate them excuse them and verie oftentimes by deuising some pretie shift wee doe denie them and doe fayne some commodious sense vnto them when they are opposed against vs This is the iudgement of the vniuersitie of Doway in their owne words approoued by the Censors according to the Councell of Trent And thus they meant to haue filed nay rather defiled althe auncient writings where they seemed to contradict them as it appeareth in their Index expurgatorius lately printed to their perpetual shame which they purposed to keepe in secret Hee that will resort to that booke shall not want proofe of their Popish falsifying of writers And it were to bee wished that they would haue stayed here though this bee shamefull enough onely to haue defaced the writinges of men but when they take vpon them to correct and amend the sacred Scriptures which are the Lords owne writings who will not crie out against so great impietie As Dan 11. 37. Where the text according to the Hebrue is Hee shall not regard the Gods of his fathers nor the desires of women Bellarm. readeth cleane contrarie taking vpon him to correct the text Erit in concupiscentijs mulierum He shalbe giuen to the pleasures of women Whereas S. Paul sayth Tit. 3. 10. Reiect him that is an heretike after once or twise admonition Bellarm. denieth the text and saith it should rather be thus read after once admontion De laicis cap. 22. Likewise where the true reading is agreeable to the originall Galath 2. 9. Iames Cephas and Iohn Bellarmne not well content that Iames should be named before Peter sayth the more auncient reading is thus Peter Iames and Iohn De Roman pontif lib. 1. cap. 18. Iudith cap. 5. ver 18. The text sayth That the Temple of the Iewes had bene cast downe to the ground Bellarmne to make his opinion stande that the storie of Iudith fell out before the captiuitie saith flatly that these words are supposititia are foysted into the text And this booke of Iudith though it be not with vs yet is Scripture with them Bellar. lib. 1. de verb. dei 12. Leuit. 18. 16. Whereas the text is plaine Thou shalt not discouer the shame of thy brothers wife There steppeth me foorth a bold shamefull papist and saith plainely Illud praeceptum vitio scriptorum superadditum That this precept was put into the text through the default or ouersight of the writer Iohan. Maior in 4. sentent distinct 40. qu. 3. And as they are not ashamed thus boldly and wickedly to defaulke clippe from the Scriptures so an otherwhile they will bee so saucie as to adde thereunto and put to of their owne Thus Pope Sixtus the 4. added this clause to the salutation of Marie which is commonly called the Aue Marie hayle Marie full of grace the Lord is with thee blessed art thou amongest women then followeth that blasphemous addition Et benedicta sit Anna mater tua de qua sine macula tua pro cessit caro virginea And blessed is Anna thy mother of whom thy Virgines flesh hath proceeded without
immediately by Iesus Christ Galath 1. 1. and verse 16. he saith he did not immediately being now called and appointed of Christ communicate with flesh and bloode Faith which iustifieth is not the efficient or instrumental cause of saluation Rhemist Galath 6. sect 4. But the contrarie is proued out of scripture 2. Corinth 5. 7. We walke by faith and not by sight As the eie then is the instrument whereby wee behold thinges present so is faith the organon or instrument of the soule whereby we apprehend thinges absent and inuisible That also is an euident place to this purpose Ephes. 2. 10. By grace are ye saued through faith and that not of your selues for it is the gift of God and not of workes What else can be the meaning of this place but that we are saued by grace apprehended by faith So that grace is the efficient cause faith the instrumental And least that any man should say that faith saueth vs as other vertues wrought in vs by grace not by an apprehension of grace but as a meritorious cause as the Rhemistes affirme the Apostle addeth that faith is the gift of God and therefore meriteth not and he excludeth workes euen workes of grace ordained for vs to walke in from beeing any cause of Iustification before God And so faith also is excluded as it is an act or worke of the vnderstanding onely and hath place onely in the matter of saluation in respect of the apprehensiue facultie and power thereof Whereas the Apostle saith the gift of God is eternall life Rom. 6. 23. The Rhemists take vpon them to correct the Apostles wordes saying thus The sequele of speech required that as he said Death or damnation is the stipend of sinne so life euerlasting is the stipend of iustice and so it is Rhemist Rom. 6. sect 8. What can be more contrarie to the Apostle then this Life euerlasting saith he is the gift of God Nay say they it is as properlie the stipend of righteousnes as damnation is the stipend of sinne but the Apostles declination from that sequele sheweth the contrarie Christes paines were of no account of their owne nature compared with his glory Rhemist Rom. 8. sect 5. A monsterous blasphemie and contrarie to scripture for if there were no comparison betweene Christes sufferinges and the glorie which he hath purchased for vs by them then his sufferinges were no satisfaction to Gods Iustice Wherefore his passion being the passion of the sonne of God was both a full satisfaction and a worthie desart of that glorie which hee hath obtained for vs Thou art worthie to take the booke and to open the seales thereof because thou was killed Reuelat. 5. sect 9. Christ therefore in respect of his passion did fully deserue all that glorie which hee hath obtayned for vs but there is no desert where there is not a proportion betweene the labour and the reward yet wee affirme not that Christ merited for him selfe for his owne glorification was due vnto him before the worlde was Iohn 17. 5. That our afflictions are meritorious of heauen Rom. 8. 18. Saint Paul sayth cleane contrary that the afflictions of this time are not worthy of the glory which shall be reuealed ibid. They deny that the Iewes did receiue the trueth or substance of Christ in their sacramentes as we doe in ours or that they and wee do eate and drinke of the selfesame meate and drinke Rhemist 1. Corinth 10. sect 2. and yet the Apostle saith plainely That they did all eate the same spirituall meate and all drinke the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the spirituall rocke which followed them the rocke was Christ. ibid. Doth not the Apostle now say here that they did drinke the same spirituall drinke with vs for Christ was their spirituall drinke and so is he ours That where the Apostle sayth This is not to eate the Lords supper 1. Corinth 11. 20. Hee meaneth not the Sacrament which Christ instituted at supper but the feastes of loue which were vsed in the primitiue Church Rhemist ibid. And yet it is most manifest by the circumstance of the place that S. Paul reprooueth them for the abuses in the Lords supper and therefore putteth them in minde of the institution of Christ verse 23. which had beene a matter impertinent if hee in so saying the Lords supper had not meant the Sacrament That the force and efficacie of common prayer dependeth not vppon the peoples vnderstanding hearing or knowledge and that the infant idiote and vnlearned man taketh no lesse fruite of diuine office than any other Rhemist 14. sect 10. And therefore it is not repugnant to saint Paul to pray in the latine that is an vnknowen tongue ibid. sect 15. Yet in trueth S. Paul flatly condemneth the vsing of an vnknowen tongue in publike prayers and thankesgiuing Hee that occupieth the roome of the vnlearned can not say Amen at thy giuing of thankes seeing hee knoweth not what thou saiest for thou verilie giuest thankes well but the other is not edified And it followeth verse 19. I had rather in the Church speake fiue woordes with mine vnderstanding that I might instruct others then ten thousand words in a strange tongue What could haue beene spoken more plainely against the vse of an vnknowen and vnedifying tongue in the Church That man hath a proper freedome and motion in his thoughtes doings and all is not to be referred vnto God 1. Corinth 3. sect 2 Rhemist that man was neuer without free will but it is made onely more free by grace Rhemist Iohn 8. sect 2. That the Gentiles doe beleeue by their free will Act. 13. 2. All this is flat opposite to scripture Which saith wee are not able to thinke a good thought of our selues 2. Corinth 3. 5. And that God worketh in vs both the will and the deed Philipp 2. 13. That wee are not formally made iust by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed vnto vs but by a iustice inherent and resiant in vs. Concil Trident. sess 6. can 10. Rhemist Rom. 2. sect 4. yea they condemne it as hereticall to say that a man hath no iustice of his owne to be iustifyed by but the iustice onely of Christ Rhemist Philip. 3. sect 3. And yet S. Paul sayth thus in plaine termes That I might be found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the lawe but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnes which is of God through faith Philip. 2. 9. Here the Apostle refuseth his owne inherent righteousnesse and cleaueth onely to the imputatiue iustice of Christ to bee iustified by though wee denie not an inherent righteousnesse in the faithfull but imperfect not a meanes of their iustification before God but the fruites thereof and is no other but that which we call Sanctification They doe set vp Idols or images to bee adored and attribute vnto them religious worship contrarie to the scripture Children keepe your selues
counted heretikes for Christ saith my wordes are spirite and life the flesh profiteth nothing Iohn 6. Vpon the which words Augustine thus writeth Spiritualiter inquit intelligite quod loquutus sum Non hoc corpus quod videtis manducaturi estis bibituri illum sanguinem quem fusuri sunt qui me crucisigent sacramentum vobis aliquod commendauâ— spiritualiter intellectum viuificabit vos You must spiritually vnderstande that which I say You shall not â—ate this bodie which you see nor drink my bloud which they shall shed that shall crucifie me I haue commended vnto you a certaine sacrament it being spiritually vnderstood shall quicken you in Psalm 98. So Bernard saith writing of the Eucharist Cibuâ— iste non est ventris sed mentis non vadit in secessum sed tendit in excelsum This is not the foode of the bellie but of the minde it goeth not into the draught but tendeth to heauen Serm. de coenadomint But if the flesh of Christ were verily eaten as other materiall meates are it must needes go into the bellie and so into the draught which as the Scripture saith is the purging of all meates Mark 7. 19. Againe he saith Christum habemus non quomodo Angeli in praesentia maiestatis non quomodo Apostoli in visione humanitatis sed quomodo eum etiam nunc habet ecclesia in fide sacramentis Wee haue Christ not as the Angels haue him in the presence of his maiestie not as the Apostles in the sight of his humanitie but as the Church now hath him in faith and the sacraments Serm. in fest Martin The presence of Christ then in the sacrament is no otherwise than by faith therefore hee is not carnally present for faith is not of things present but hoped for Heb. 11. 1. Thus are wee with other auncient fathers without cause by the new-fangled Papistes condemned as heretikes Their mouthes wee cannot stoppe yet prooues they neuer shall haue any against vs. Thus as wee see the Iesuite hath almost runne himselfe out of breath in following vs with open crie of heresie might and maine hath hee laboured to charge vs with twentie heresies but hee hath tolde as manie vntruthes and lies Let any indifferent man now consider how the Iesuite hath paltred with vs. First he obiecteth those heresies which we our selues condemne that they know as the heresies of Seruet haeres 7. and of Swinkfeld haeres 15. Secondly he forceth those heresies vpon vs which doe with better right rec oyle vpon themselues as haeres 14. 17. Thirdly he slaundereth vs with those opinions which we holde not as Luther haeres 4. Caluine Bucer haeres 14. Beza haeres 15. Fourthly he calleth those heresies which we doubt not to defende as Catholike opinions howsoeuer they displeased some of the olde writers Such is that of Aerius that prayer is not to be made for the dead haeres 11. And that of Vigilantius that the reliques of Saints are not to be adored nor themselues to be prayed vnto haeres 13. All the rest for the most part which the Iesuite calleth heresies are by Augustine defended maintained in his works As therfore Hierome said to Augustine epist. 11. inter epist. Aug. Si me reprehendis errantem patere me quaeso quasi errare cum talibus If you reprehend me for my error giue me leaue to erre with such notable men After hee had alledged diuers auncient writers of his opinion So if wee were in some errour as wee are not neither shall the Iesuite euer prooue it against vs hee might somewhat beare with vs because wee erre and are deceiued with Augustine Although in deede as Augustine aunswereth Hierome Puto quia cum his errare nec te ipse patieris I thinke you would not willingly your selfe erre no not with these worthie men epist. 19. So neither will wee with Augustine Hierome or any other willingly by Gods grace maintaine any error much lesse heresie Thus I trust we haue for this time and for our purposed breuitie sufficiently aunswered the Iesuite hee hath hitherto but spent his breath laide his nettes in vaine The pitte of heresie which they digged for vs them selues as it shall now appeare are fallen into Wee will therefore seeing the Iesuite hath first prouoked vs to this cumbate a little requite his kindnes and bestowe vpon him and his fellowes a full scoace of heresies not deuised or imagined by vs but such as were condemned by the fathers of the Church for heresies and are nowe either in part or in whole maintained by the Church of Rome And herein I will rather follow Augustine than either Epiphanius or Philoster to whom the Iesuite seemeth to be more addicted for Augustine hath written more exactly and with better iudgement of this argument than either of them And of Philoster Augustine giueth this censure Multas haereses commemorat quâ— mihi appellandae haereses non videntur he reckoneth vp many heresies which seeme to mee not worthie the name of heresie haeres 80. But now to the purpose First Marcelline the companion of Carpâ—crates that monstrous heretike was noted also of heresie because shee worshipped the images of Iesus and Paul and offered incense vnto them August haeres 7. So it was concluded in the second Nicene Councell that the image of God is to be adored with the same worship that is due vnto God which idolatrous decree is defended by Thom. Aquinas Bonauenture Caietanus Bellarmine also alloweth censing and burning of odors before images lib. 1. de sanctor beatitud cap. 13. which is a part of diuine worship for therefore Hesekiah brake downe the brasen serpent because the people burned incense vnto it 2. King 18. 4. Secondly the heretikes called Heracleonitae did after a new sort purge and redeeme their dead by anointing them with oyle balme haeres 16. So the Papists haue excogitate a sacrament of extreme vnction wherein they annoint their sicke with oyle for remission of their sinnes their eyes their nostrels eares mouth hands reynes feete of this popish custome of aneeling see the Rhemist annot Galath 4. Sect. 2. Iam. 5. Sect. 14. Thirdly the heretikes called Caiani did highly extol Iudas as a diuine and holy man and they counted his wicked act in betraying of Christ for a singular benefite August haeres 18. So some of the Papists haue written Iudaei mortaliter peccassent nisi Christum crucifixissent the Iewes had sinned mortally if they had not crucified Christ distinct 13. look before Blas 59. 4 The heretiks called Taciani did coÌ„demn mariages made no better account of them than of fornication neither do they receiue any maried person into their order haeres 24. That the Papistes are not farre off from this heresie it appeareth both by their doctrine and practise First for their doctrine thus they write That the order of the Priesthood is prophaned by mariage Greg. Martin discou cap. 15. Sect. 11. Whereas the Apostle saith
Seraphicall doctor sent vnto Rome to be discussed souring rather of Iewish superstition then of Christian faith and iudgement Plura apud Fox pag. 117. The like stuffe a monkish letter sent to king Naiton king of Pictes by Abbot Colfride conteineth In the which entreating of the shauing of priestes he exhorteth the king to reforme his countrey and to imitate the shauing of S. Peter rather then the shauing of Simon Magus Which at the first appearance saith he hath a shew of a shauen crowne but if you marke his necke you shall finde it curtailed in such wise as you will say it is rather meete to be vsed of the Simonistes then of Christians The blinde superstitious king hauing read this letter kneeled on the ground and gaue God thankes that he had deserued to receiue such a present out of Englande ex Beda lib. 5. cap. 22. Is not this deepe diuinitie and fit matter for the king and states of a land to busie their heades about And had the countrey no neede to be reformed touching the doctrine of faith or maners but all must be laide aside and care onely taken for shauing of crownes He speaketh much of S. Peters shauing howe Peter was shaued one way Simon Magus an other but where findeth he in scripture or any approued writer either this or that But such was the diuinitie that Monkes spent their time in in those daies Such an other great and difficult question much troubled and busied the popes schoolemeÌ„ of later times as who should be our Ladies coÌ„fessor or ghostlie father after much discussing and debating of this matter it was agreed to be S. Iohn But hereupon sprang a more doubtful matter that seeing our Ladie was void of al sinne both Original and actual as they affirme what neede she should haue of confessioÌ„ or if she did confesse what she did say in her confession And here Albertus Magnus doth helpe at a pinch telleth vs plainly her confessioÌ„ was this That she had receiued that great grace to be the mother of Christ not excoÌ„digno of any dignity of her own but yet notwithstanding of congruitie Albert. cap. 74. super Euan. Missâ—s est Ann. 1509. There was a fierce contention renewed betweene the Franciscane and Dominike friers about the conception of the virgin Mary The Franciscans held this most blasphemous opinioÌ„ that she was not only void of actuall sinne but euen free from Originall sinne vnto the which she was not subiect no not one moment of her Conception The Dominikes affirmed more agreeable to the scriptures that Christ onely had this priuiledge to be conceiued and borne without Originall sinne notwithstanding they graunted that the blessed virgine was also sanctified and purged in her mothers wombe from Originall sinne Yet the Franciscanes preuailed and the poore Dominikes with the trueth were crusht to the walles the Pope himselfe who was then Sixtus the fourth determining against them Plura Fox pag. 800. Were not these deepe diuines and profound doctors that would trouble them selues with this question which was long before decided by the Apostle who doubteth not to say That al haue sinned Rom. 3. 23. 5. 12. Yea and Mary her selfe acknowledgeth that she had neede of a Sauiour Luk 1. 47. And therefore was a sinner as well as others Such were the matters which in those times of ignorance and darknes the popish clergie did occupy them selues in Magis puerilibus ineptijs quà m sacerdotum cordatorum virorum prudentiae conuenientia Matters fitter for children to toie withall then beseeming the grauitie of priestes stayed men as Constantine saith writing to Alexander and Arrius Euseb. de vit Constantin lib. 2. Thus farre also concerning the absurd and friuolous positions maintained by our aduersaries I professe not as I haue often said in this treatise to make a collection of all but euery where taking what came next to hand to giue the reader a taste referring the rest to him selfe for I trust by these few examples which I haue set downe we may easely iudge and discerne of popish religion for it fareth with them as Augustine saide of some other heretikes in his daies Quâ—madmodum solet accidere vt quando transeuntes nubes per obscura noctis intuemur earum caligine sic acies nostra turbetur vt in contrarium nobis sydera currere videantur sic isti quia in erroris sui nubilo pacem non inueniunt c. As it happeneth when we see the cloudes mooue in a darke night our sight is so dimmed that we imagin the starres to goe another way So these fellowes not finding any ende or stablenes in the cloudes of their error are not able rightly to iudge of the trueth but thinke that the scripture and all goeth awrie De diuers ser. 15. Euen thus our aduersaries being besotted with their owne imaginations and their eye of iudgement obscured with the thicke cloudes of wilfull ignorance doe runne as it were in a maze taking error for trueth absurd and strange positions for catholik and sound doctrine Now to the next Piller The third Piller of Popish doctrine consisting of 3. partes loose argumentes weake solutions and subtil and sophisticall distinctions The first part setting forth the loose and light argumentes whereby papistrie is vpholden FIrstlet vs see how pithily our aduersaries dispute how lustely they lay about them for the supremacie and peerlesse authoritie of the pope Peter did excommunicate Ananias and Sapphira He healed the sicke by his shadow Ergo he was head of the Church Rhemist annot act 5. 8. Peters person was garded with 4. quaternions of souldiers Act. 12. 4. the Church praieth for him ibid. sect 4. Paule nameth him Cophas 1. Corinth 9. 5. Ergo he was chiefe of the Apostles consequently the pope his successor is head of the Church Christ said vnto Peter I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen Math. 16. 19. And Christ againe bid Peter feede his sheepe Iohn 21. Ergo Peter and his successors the popes are the iudges of the true sense of the scripture Bellarm. de verb. interpret lib. 3. cap. 5. Christ saith Iohn 10. 16. There shall be one shepheard and one sheepefoldeâ— Ergo there ought to be one chiefe pastor of the vniuersall Church and that is Peter and his successors Bellarm. lib. 1. de pontisiâ— ' Roman cap. 9. Whereas Christ in that place speaketh of the calling of the Gentiles Other sheep I haue also which are not of this fold That they together with the Iewes shall make but one sheepefold vnder Christ. Christ said to Peter I haue praied for thee that thy faith should not faile Ergo the pope cannot faile nor erre in faith Bellarm. de Roman pontif lib. 4. cap. 3. So Christ praieth for all the faithfull Iohn 17. 20. Therfore by this reason all beleeuers should be priuiledged from errour Wheresoeuer two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of
auoiding of offence That the hearing preaching of the word of God is a necessarie note of the Church we conclude out of our Sauiour Christs words Iohn 10. My sheepe heare my voice Bellarmine aunswereth it is a note whereby a man may gesse of his election to heare the word of God but not a visible note to know the Church by Bellarm. de notis eccle lib. 4. cap. 2. A grosse aunswer as though whereby a man is knowne to be a true member of the Church the Church it selfe also is not knowen to be a true Church If one man be knowen to be of the Church because hee obeyeth the voice of Christ why shal not a congregation of many men be knowen to bee the Church of God likewise by embracing the worde of God Againe our Sauiour Christ saith Wheresoeuer two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest Math. 18. Hence we conclude that to assemble togither in the name Christ that is to heare his worde receiue the sacraments is a most manifest note of the true Church Bellarmine aunswereth this place sheweth not where the Church is but where Christis Bellarm. ibid. A most ridiculous and vnskilful answere as though where Christ is knowen to be present there is not necessarily the church for where els is he to be found but in his Church Christ said to Peter dic Ecclesiae Tel it to the Church an obstinate sinner must be referred to the censure of the Church Ergo Peter his successors are not the supreame iudges for here he is referred to the Church Bellar. So the Pope doth dicere Ecclesiae tel it to the Church id est sibi ipsi that is he telleth it to himselfe lib. de Concil 2. ca. 19. Ans. Is not here good stuffe the Pope is now become the whole Church contrarie to the sense of this place for in censuring of offendors wee must proceede by degrees first one must rebuke him that sinneth the 2 or 3. last of all it must be declared to the Church so then as two or three are more than one so the Church is more than 2 or 3. But the Pope is not 2 nor 3 much lesse can hee stande for the whole Church That the Apostles were al equal in authoritie we shewe it out of Saint Paul Ephes. 2. 20. where the Church is said to be built vpon the foundation of the Apostles indifferently Bellarmine answereth that they had all chiefe authoritie committed vnto them as Apostles but Peter as ordinarie Pastor Ans. But the Apostleship was the highest office in the Church A pastor or Bishop was inferior to an Apostle first Apostles faith S. Paul 1. Corinth 12. 28. If then they were equall as Apostles there could be no superioritie amongst them but such are their fond childish aunswers Whereas we reason thus against reliques that therefore the Lord buried the bodie of Moses lest the Israelites should haue worshipped his bodie and so committed Idolatrie Bellarm. telleth vs that men are not so prone to Idolatrie nowe as the Israelites were and therefore may more safelie be admitted to worship reliques de Reliqu Sanctorum lib. 2. cap. 4. Whereas daily experience of Popish idolatrie sheweth the contrarie for there was neuer no not in the most corrupt times of that Church such grosse idolatrie and superstition and with such boldnes committed so vsually as is now among Papistes And these with such like are their aunswers to such places of scripture as we bring against them The like aunswers also they giue vs in other matters Whereas wee tell them that this name Latinus in Greeke letters thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth conteine the mysticall number of 666. Apocal. 13. The Iefuit maketh this simple aunswere that Lateinus with e. i. maketh that number not with single i. lib. 3. de Pontif. cap. 10. Ans. Herein first hee sheweth his ignorance as though the Greeke dipthong ei be not vsually expressed by a single i. in Latine And what if e. be left out wee want but 5 of the number But what a poore shift is this we haue founde out the name of Antichrist in Latinus sauing one small letter Where wee tell them that Rome is the citie built vpon seuen hilles they aunswere vs that it now standeth in a plaine in Campo Martio Sander A sillie shift But it is certaine at that time when Saint Iohn wrote the Apocalypse that it stoode vpon seuen hilles and to this daye there are auncient monuments and goodly buildings Churches chappels Abbeyes or such like vpon euerie one of those hilles It were too long particularly to set downe all their absurde and aunswerlesse aunswers their sillie shifts and starting holes As whereas Gregorie maketh one Scholasticus author of the Canon of the Masse they aunswere S. Petrus Scholasticus dicipotest that S. Peter may well be termed a schooleman Bellar. de Miss li. â— ca. 19. which is in deede to set the spirite of God to schoole to say that the Apostles were brought vp in schooles Thus in another place he is constrained to graunt that marriage betweene Infidels ought to be after they are baptized the second time contracted solemnized Bellarm. de Matrim li. 1. 5. as though they had liued in adulterie before for if the first contract were firme what neede a second and if the first contract be dissolued by baptisme then are the parties free to marrie where they wil. See what an absurd answere this is Whereas we tell them that Sylâ—ester the second was a great coniâ—rer Necromancer as it is recorded in authenticall stories The Iesuite thus pretily would excuse the matter that because he was well seene in Geometrie in the Mathematikes therefore that rude vnlearned age iudged him to be a Sorcerer Bellarm. de Pontif. lib. 4. cap. 13. So another telleth vs whereas wee worthily vpbraid them with that whore Pope of theirs dame Ioane that sate 2 yeares in the Papacie that the Pope might be an Hermaphrodite or Herkinalson that is both a man a woman or being first a man might afterward be turned into a woman Corpus dialog 1. p. 47. And all this might be more likely in their opinion than that a woman should step into the Popes chaire What now will these men be ashamed to speake or write that dare vtter such follies It were too long to declare all their shiftes of descant as wee saye as when they are pressed with the authoritie of auncient writers whome in words they will seeme to make great account of if they cannot readily finde some cauil or other to shift it off they wil not stick boldly to refuse and denie them as where wee report the storie out of Sozomene vpon what occasion Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople abolished the custome of auricular confession Bellarmine steppeth in boldly and saith Non ignoramus Sozomenum in historia multa esse mentituÌ„ We are not ignorant that Sozomene hath told many
namely Christ and yet againe that they were yet Bellarmine affirmeth both the first lib. 2 de Sacram. cap. 17. resp ad argument 3. The latter lib. 1. de Miss ca. 20. 19 To say that faith goeth before repentance or as they terme it Penance and that repentance goeth before iustification is all one to say that repentance goeth before iustification and that iustification likewise goeth before repentance for by faith are wee iustified Roâ— 5. 1. As soone as faith commeth iustification doth accompanie it If faith go before so doth iustification and if iustification follow repentance so doth faith yet are they both affirmed by Bellarmine de Poenitent lib. 1. cap. 19. 20 Manie such contradictorie and repugnant sayings are easily to be found in Bellarmines volumes in the writings of other papistes so that they neither agree with others nor with themselues as the Rhemists sometime say that the meritorious workes of the Saints the verie ground of popish indulgences are to be disposed by the Pastors of the Church 2. Corinth 2. Sect. 5. Sometime that they are applicable by the sufferers intention Annot. 1. Coloss. 1. Sect. 4. Harding Sometime calleth their Legend storie an old moth-â—aten booke and confesseth that among many true stories it may haue some fables Defens Apolog pag. 166. And yet forgetting himselfe hee stoutly affirmeth that there are no fables nor lies in that booke pag. 750. Thus much of the personall contradictions among the papistes both olde and newe Nowe wee will set downe for a taste and tryall the repugnances and contrarieties which their religion hath within it selfe Popish Religion contrary within it selfe Part. 4. 1 IT is generally taught and beleeued in the popish Church that Baptisme is necessary to saluatioÌ„ which errour they would ground vpon those wordes Iohn 3. 5. That vnles a man be borne of water and the spirite he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen yet they themselues also affirme that baptisme was not necessarie before the passion of Christ but beganne in the day of Pentecost after to bee necessarie Bellarm. lib. 1. de baptis cap. 5. Yea and nowe also they make two exceptions of Martyrs and penitent persons who without baptisme may bee saued Bellarm. cap. 6. The Rhemistes adde vnto these a third exempt case of those that depart this life with vowe and desire of the sacrament of baptisme Annot. Iohn 3. sect 2. But if they ground the necessitie of baptisme vpon those words of our Sauiour it beganne to bee necessarie when those words were vttered and therefore was necessary before the passion of Christ. Secondly the wordes are general in so much that there is no priuiledge graunted to Martyrs or penitent persons if they stande strictlie vpon that place In this poynt therefore papistrie is not at vnitie in it selfe 2 Bellarmine with the rest do affirme that Christ gaue the cup onelie to his Apostles whom at that instant they say he made priestes and therefore priestes onelie not lay-men are bound by the word of God to receiue in both kindes Yet the practise of their Church is contrary For neither doe priestes if they communicate onely and minister not the sacrament receiue in both kindes according to the decree of the Tridentine chapter Bellarm. de sacram Eucharist lib. 4. cap. 25. 3 Againe in their priuate masses the priest saith Quotquot ex hac altaris participatione sumpserimus As many of vs as haue beene partakers of this altar When as there be no communicantes beside the priest himselfe how can this hang together ex canon missae 4 The priest also being at masse saith commaund these to be caried by the handes of thine Angels vnto the highest altar in heauen and anone he swalloweth downe the host into his belly that he would haue conueyed into heauen how can these thinges agree 5 The papistes generally make but seauen degrees of ecclesiastical orders as priestes deacons subdeacons Acolythistes or Attenders Readers Exorcistes doore-kepers Bellarm. de Cleric cap. 11. And yet Bellarmine the mouth of the rest affirmeth that Ordinatio episcopalis the ordaining of Bishops is a sacrament as the other ministerial orders be Ergo it is also a distinct degree from the rest and so there are eight in al Bellarm. de sacram Ordinis cap. 5. Further if there be eight distinct Orders euery one by it selfe is a sacrament as Bellarmine teacheth then haue we eight sacraments of Order beside the other six for al these seuerall orders cannot make one sacrament seeing they differ one from another both in forme of wordes in the externall signes or ceremonies that are vsed Consul Bellarm. lib. de Ordin cap. 5. 6. 7. 8. 6 In wordes and outward profession they affirme that matrimonie is a sacrament And yet some of them call it a pollution or prophanation of orders Gregor Martin And that the mariage of ministers is the worst sort of incontinencie fornication Rhemist 1. Cor. 7. sect 8. Haue not these men now a very reuerent opinion of their sacramentes 7 Againe they preferre continencie before matrimonie as a state far more excellent and meritorious before God Yet they hold matrimonie to be a sacrament and to conferre grace of iustification how then is it not more excellent then single life which is no sacrament neither a conferrer of grace 8 Bellarmine saith Bonum est a Deo petere tum vt sanctos pro nobis orare faciat tum vt illos pro nobis orantes exaudiat It is good for vs to craue of God that he would cause the Saintes to pray for vs and that then he would heare them entreating for vs De Miss lib. 2. cap. 8. Thus they make God a mediator between the Saintes and vs. And what an absurde thing is this to pray to God that the Saints may pray for vs whereas in thus saying they confesse that we haue accesse vnto God our selues without their mediation 9 It is the opinion of the schoolemen approued by Bellarmine that the fathers of the lawe were iustified by the merite of Christes passion as we are but herein to stand the difference that the merite of Christs Death is applied vnto vs by the sacramentes Hebrâ—is autem per solam fidem But vnto the Hebrues by onely faith Bellarm. de sacram lib. 2. cap. 13. I pray you now if they were iustified by faith onely who liued vnder the law which is contrary to faith The law is not of faith saith the Apostle Galath 3. 12. shal not we much more vnder the Gospel which is by S. Paule called the word of faith Rom. 10. 8. Who seeth not nowe the packing and iugling of papistes 10 Now coÌ„cerning the pope they euery where beare vs in hand that he is heade of the Catholike vniuersall Church And yet in the end being vrged they confesse that he is Christes vicar but in the regiment of that part which is on the earth Rhemist Annot. Ephes. â— sect 6. He is not then