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
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
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
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
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
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
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
praied for the Peter that thy faithe maye not faile Therefore that which foloweth is demaunded of Peters successour And thow being once conuerted strengthen thy brethern Hetherto S. Bernard against whose learning and life as you can take no exception so haue youre selfe clered him of all suspition of flatterye by those wordes which so frely and franckly without all dissimulation he vttred to pope Eugenius Which maketh not a little for his faithe and vprightnesse in applieng this text as he doth This you well perceiuing either elles to shewe youre selfe learned in the canon Lawes attribute rather to Bonifacius the 8. those wordes Ecc◠duo gladij then to S. Bernard whose they are in dede vttred fol. 25. b. 13. Lib. 4. ad Eugen. in this sorte Quid tu denuo vsurpare gladium tentes quem semeliussus e◠ponere in vaginam Quem tamen qui tuum nega◠non satis mihi videtur attendere verbum domini dicentissic Conuerte gladium tuum in vaginam Tuus ergo ipse tuo forsitan nutu etsi non tua manu euaginandus c. VVhy then does thow assaye to vsurpe the sworde which thow wast once bidden to putt vp into thy sheate VVhiche yeat he that denieth to be thine semeth not to me well to considre the worde of oure Lorde saing put vp thy sworde into thy scabbard The sworde is therefore thine to be drawen out at thy becke percase although not by thyne owne hande Otherwise if it shoulde haue perteined to the no waye oure Lorde woulde not haue answered to his Apostles saing Beholde here two swordes it is enough but he woulde haue answered it is to muche Bothe the swordes therefore belong to the churche the spirituall and the materiall but this is to be occupied for the churche that of the churche Thus muche S. Bernard which wordes notwithstanding I confesse and those other also of the prophete Hieremias Behold this daye do I Cap. 1. set the ouer people and kingdomes Bonifacius modestly applieth B. 18. to the churche and ecclesiasticall power and to the pope no otherwise but as to the chiefe ministre of this power Cap. vinc de maiorit obed extrauag com as appeareth by this conclusion Ergo si deuiat terrena potestas iudicabitur a spirituali If the earthly power therefore be out of the waye it shal be iudged of the spirituall By this it appeareth that what so euer S. Bernarde hath written or spoken against the pompe and abuse of the B. of Romes auctoritie that yeat by his example we are taught this lesson not to cut of oure heade because it aketh And therefore him selfe when he had saide all that you are wont to bring against the abuses of the courte of Rome in his time yeat he confessed that as in heauen angelles and archangelles De considerat ad Eugen. li. 3 Seraphins and Cherubins are disposed vnder one heade which is God that so here also vnder one high bishop be primates patriarches archebishoppes bishoppes priestes abbattes with the rest in like maner which head in how manie places of his worckes dothe he call the B. of Rome Yoy saye that the popes bragge that they haue in the box off Nowell fo 25. a. 8. their bosoms all scriptures all interpretation of doctours c. The popes that yow name are Boniface the 8. and Dorman Paule the 2. The place of Boniface is you saie sext Decreta lib. 10. tit 2. cap. licet Yow shoulde haue saide primo No greate faulte I confesse if there were either so manie bokes and not onelie fiue or if yow vsed not so rigorously to note suche scapes in other men youre selfe laing to their charge that they meane to entangle the readers that their fraude yow saye maie not be espied Whereas surely in you there might be greate cause to thinke no lesse For what Doth Bonifacius saie in this place that he hathe all the lawes in his brest No truly doth he not But he saieth A lye 21. that pontifex Romanus censetur habere The B. of Rome is iudged or presumed to haue although sometimes it maye otherwise happen I merueile that you remembred not the chapitre beginning praeterea in the decrees where the B. of Rome hath speaking of lawes that he neuer reade any suche thing except by forgetfulnes he be deceauid wherby Dist 22. you might haue vnderstode that some time by the popes owne confession it maie happen otherwise But if he had saied as you saie he did had he done anye otherwise then borowed a phrase of the emperours Honorius and L. omnium C. de testā How ▪ rulers are vnderstandē to haue the lawes in their breastes Theodosius who vsed first the same Whereby is signified that suche states by reason of their learned councell which they haue allwaies about them ready to instructe them are presupposed to haue the lawes ripe in their remembraunce As for Paulus the seconde I maruell how it happeneth that Platina maie be allowed to be a witnes against him A 19. professing in his life so little good will towardes him for the putting him out of his office seing yow are in the examining of other witnesses so harde But let it be true that Platina saieth hardely it maketh to oure purpose neither of nor on It is a worthy thing to be reade in Platine you saie how Gregory Nowell b. 26. Matth. 16. the 7. vpon these wordes what so euer thow doest binde or lose vpon the earthe shall be bounde or losed in heauen gathereth this reason that muche more the bishoppes of Rome in earthe maye take awaye and giue empires kingdomes principates and what so euer mortall men haue elles It is a worthy thing to be noted howe you continue Dorman allwaies like youre selfe in feeding the reader with vaine matter nothing to the purpose and alleaging suche places as yow bring otherwise then they are in the Originalls from whence you take them For loke in Platine once againe and you shall finde that the wordes be not so odiouse as you woulde haue them seme to be For whereas you affirme them to be spoken of the Pope Platine hath that the B. of Rome spake them of Peter and Paule Howe euer it be it is no pointe to be reasoned here as being impertinent to oure principall question of one heade beside that as I protested in the beginning of this chapitre if these wordes or anie other like were vntruly or arrogantly spoken yeat they coulde derogate nothing from the auctoritie otherwise laufull Yow care not what you saye nor how shamefull or sclaunderouse youre lies be so that yow maye satisfie youre cancred hatred against the Pope as appeareth here by this that you woulde make men beleue that Iulius the third f. 25. b. 2◠caused to be stamped on his coyne these wordes the nation and people that shall not serue me shall perishe as though mēt Hierem. 1. of him selfe whereas
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.
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
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
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
this is a frowarde heretike might denie S. Paules epistles to the Corinthiās especiallie the Latter in the which the case so requiring he glorieth so farre that him selfe confesseth that he hath played the foole 2. Corinth cap. 11. 1◠compelled thereto by them Ywisse S. Paule was as much subiect to persecution and deathe as anie of the popes that you haue named He had as litle lust or leisour to occupie his heade or pen about the setting furthe of him selfe to boaste of his apostleship to tel of his reuelations as anie of them But necessitie compelling bothe him and them to stande vpon their auctoritie it was expedient that they shoulde earnestlie set furthe the same The epistles that you speake of here to haue bene forged were gathered together aboue nine hundred yeares past by one Isidorus archebisshop of Hispalis in Spaine so that when you come to proue this matter those popes of these latter nine hundred yeares you see how they be discharged Now M. Nowell if you thinke that you haue walcked long inough out of the waye we will returne thither from whence we departed to the. 53. Leafe of youre booke The which because as the reader maye see it conteineth nothing but very matter of bragges not worthy to be answered I steppe ouer Ofschismes and sectes wherewith M. Nowell burdeneth the Catholikes The 17. Chapitre HERE M. Nowell by occasion of a fewe lines but such Nowell fol. 54. a. belike as touched him to the quicke and made him to wynse discourseth in manie leaues in defence of schismes and sectes This note of mine whereby I admonished the reader for better credite to be giuen hereafter to the auncient fathers Cypriā and Hierom who telling vs that the not obeing of one chiefe heade in one seuerall diocesse is the cause of schismes and heresies saye withall allthough not in expresse wordes asmuche by force of greater reason vnlesse there be one suche heade acknowledged and obeied in the vniforme gouernement of the whole churche to haue an eye to the present schismes whiche haue burst in vpon vs in oure countrie in stede of one commō receiued truthe in the daies of oure fathers this note I saie so graueled M. Nowell rubbing him on the verie heade of that festred boile of his poisoned heresie that he coulde finde no grounde to stande vpon but nedes must he fling out and laie about him as a man halfe wood and beside himselfe sparing none not the blessed Apostles them selues He beginneth this pastime after his accustomed maner with this Lewde lye It is well knowen that there is as muche consent in true doctrine Nowell A facing lye 44. in the churche of Englande at this time as euer was in anie realme at anie time What a face thinke you hath this man or hath he anie Dorman face or forheade at all I will not trouble him with forein realmes shewing him what consent in true doctrine there is presently in manie Catholike countries nor I will not appeale to all the former ages that haue passed I will only put him in remembraunce of the consent in true doctrine in oure owne countrie fifty yeares ago Can you saye M. Nowel for with you I loue gladliest to talcke that there was then anie dissention in doctrine at all Can yow recken vs vp anie diuersitie of opinions touching beliefe in all the realme of England at that time Will you saie they had no true doctrine at all and therfore no consent in true doctrine If you saie so then name vs a time when there was euer true doctrine in Englande that suche a time being knowen it maie be proued vnto you that there were no suche sectes and schismes then as rage emongest you nowe Note vnto vs the yeare and religion vsed at any tyme since oure realme was firste christened when yow write nexte that we maye aske you whether at that tyme Caūtorbury Rochester Glocestre were of one opiniō cōcerning the presence of Christes most blessed body bloude in the sacramēt and Londō Winchester and Dirham of a cleane contrary as they are nowe that occupye these roomes Who hathe not hearde of a sermon latelye preached before the Queenes maiestye in the defence of the reall presence and the preacher called of his brethern for his labour an asse in a Rochet the Sermon it selfe by a mightye Samson shortly after as it semed confuted Is this a consent in true doctrine M. Nowell Haue you not hearde off these Sermones Or if you hearde them did you nodde there while and beare so litle awaye that you haue cleane forgotten the whole matter telling vs nowe scarse oute of youre sleepe that you haue as muche consent in true doctrine as euer was in anye realme at anye tyme How many of youre brethern be of Verons minde touching predestination Let M. Moulins the vsurper of the Archedeaconry of London youre neighbour tell you M. Nowell why he did excommunicate M. Thomas Walbot a ministre in London Let the saide Walbot instructe you who they are that in his learned supplication to M. Doctour Parker he calleth Florinitians Tell vs M. Nowell whereof it procedeth that three of the moste graue modeste and learned emongest yow men to saye the truthe in all respectes heresye set a parte worthy to beare the office off M. D. Parker M. Cheyny M. Gest true bishoppes in Christes churche are of their subiectes so contemptuouslye set at naught whereof I saye it procedeth that one is called Matthewe meale mouthe a Lince wolsy bishoppe c. that the other hathe Moyer the ministre of Wootton vnder headge borne out against him the thirde termed an Asse but of this that there be schismes and sectes emongest you Are you ignoraunt M. Nowell what cōmunion M. Whittingham celebrated at Duresme not onely against the mynde of his bishoppe but the ordre appointed also by the communion booke Neuer hearde you what a singuler and straunge maner off baptisme he deuised and ministred at Duresme Is al this in your eye consent in true doctrine when you agree not emongest youre selues neither in the substance of the chiefest Sacramentes neither in the maner of their ministration Are we ignoraunt thinke you of the Anabaptistes Arrians Eluidians and whole swarmes of these and other heretikes that lye smoothering in corners looking for the ioyfull tyme of their deliueraunce in to the world and broade light as you and youre felowes did 30. yeares ago Are we ignoraunt thereoff because when some of them sturring before their tyme are brought before youre bishoppes they are with good wordes of greate policie dismissed with exhortation to them to lyue lyke quiet subiectes c. Lest suche hastie and vntimely teeming might be not onely the vtter ruine and ouerthrowe of all those heresyes that hauing nowe continued almost twentie yeares begin to growe to mannes state but of so muche faire issue allso as that cursed moother is lyke to bring furthe hereafter Iudge you vs to
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
you haue hearde were yeat emongest the religiouse in the primitiue church You see how often he repeateth and neuer proueth that it is impossible for one man to gouerne the whole churche You see that Nazianzenes wordes were not alleaged by me as spoken of one pope and that therfore therein as in manie other thinges he hathe also beelied me You see the wordes of an auncient auctor printed with S. Austen and of long time taken for him alleaged why not as boldely M. Nowel as you without blusshing alleage a worcke by the title of being printed withe Chrisostome and of long time taken for him And vniuersally you see M. Nowelles falsehode in translating or fraude in corrupting mangling or adding to suche auctors as he dothe alleage you see his lyes as thicke as leaues You see my selfe discharged of suche false translating corrupting mangling as here vntruly he reproueth me of 5. tymes in the margent Neither is his deceite and fol. 120. b. 30. guile comparable to his impudency as being not abasshed to alleage the epistle of the African councell sent to Celestinus for the proufe of a decree pretended to be made in the councell against appealing from thence to Rome and sending legates from Rome thither whereas there is no suche decree specified there And thus you see good Readers while M. Nowell in this long Reproufe of his hathe answered nothing to the scripture alleaged but moste vainely and fondly this that God hathe prouided better for his churche then for the Synagoge by apointing ouer it many heades where as the Synagoge had but one and also that the Iues were but one nation c. which answeres haue bene cōfuted before while the argument taken from S. Cyprian and S. Hierom concluding that seing schismes be raised by not obeing the particuler heades of euery diocesse that then by greater reason schismes are like to growe in the vniuersall church if emongest so manie heades there be not one chiefe heade to rule the rest is not yeat soluted while the reason that euerie seuerall companie that is one ought to haue a seuerall heade to rule the same applied to the churche hath not hetherto bene answered the only reason that M. Nowell leaneth to to the contrarie that it is impossible for one man to gouerne the whole churche being directed by the spirite of God for otherwise we affirme it not neuer being proued it foloweth that my prouffes by the scripture by the mindes of the auncient fathers by good and probable reason stande vpright against youre wrangling Reproufe M. Nowell You re charging of me with impertinent discourses I answered before let the iudgement of that matter be referred to the learned reader But beholde nowe foloweth M. Nowelles conclusion Seing therfore this first and moste principall pointe of one heade of the churche is not proued c. all the popes supremacie Nowell commeth downe vpon their heades If I had proued this first pointe as weakely as you woulde Dorman make men beleue I haue or not proued it all yeat commeth not downe the popes supremacy as before in the beginning of the. 11. cbapitre I shewed And therfore for the councell that you giue me here out of time to recoyle from this Thesis of one heade of the churche to the Hypothesis of the pope heade of the churche as there is no nede to admit it so there is no cause to thanke you for it You saie that I haue placed in the residue of my booke as in the rerewarde bag and baggage withe suche pages drudges Nowell and slaues to attende vpon the same as are more readie to runne awaye then to abide anie brunt of battaile The which saie you I haue not as yeat assailed for that I saw the B. of Sarisbury his bāde bent vpon them whose hādes if anie of that cowardly company escape c. I promise to haue them shortly in the chase vntill I haue left of all M. Dormans bragging but moste cowardly army of lewde popishe reasons and allegations not asmuch as one souldiour vntaken or put to shamefull flight Take heade what you doe and aske councel of your wife Dorman It is possible that the fauourable aspecte of Venus may moderate youre Martiall fury In any case if this great bishoppes bande that you speake of encountre not with this cowardly company as I heare saye he hath inough to doe already and wil combre him selfe with no more venture not your owne person so good a mannes bodye against suche drudges and slaues Against whom as it is possible that you may take some hurte so are you suer neuer to gett honour What should so valiant a capitaine as ful oftē times you haue at Paules crosse shewed your selfe to be when that coragiouse stomacke of youres hath prouoked the papistes to meete with you when they durst whose daggers were as sharpe as theirs you tolde thē when you offere your selfe with a small cōpanie but yeat so that they were of the same spirite that you are to kepe Newehauen against all the power of Fraunce when it woulde you saide doe youre harte good to rase youre buckler vpon a papistes face What shoulde I save so singuler a capitaine matche him selfe with suche a sorte of pages drudges and slaues as were those mecocke and dastardly bishoppes assembled in the coūcelles of Nice Constantinople Ephesus Calcedon as were Beholde what pages drudges and slaues M. Nowell hath foūde oute Ignatius Policarpus Irinaeus Ambrose Hierome Augustine Chrisostome Athanasius Theodoret Leo Innocentius whome I placed as it were in the rerewarde more likelier as you saye to runne awaye or to bide by it and laye their heades vpon the blocke then to plaie the tosse buckler to kepe a holde with you or to dye in the fielde armed with youre maister Swinglius But thanked be God this is but youre opinion and a fewe other suche Bulliners as you are emongest the learned they haue bene allwayes taken to be as they are triarij milites of the verie best souldiors M. Nowell Of this question whether a laye man a woman or a childe maye be heade of the church The last Chapitre THIS being the second pointe of my purposed ordre to proue that the partye that shoulde gouerne in spirituall matters ought to be a prieste no laye man c. it is a worlde to see howe M. Nowell bestyrreth him selfe aboute it and whereas he dareth not come neare to it howe yeat he reacheth at it a farre of as it were with a long pole or a morispike and so laboureth to saue his honour as well as maye be For he saieth that I proue those thinges whiche no man dothe denye to witte that no prince man woman nor childe maie ministre the sacramentes preache excommunicate and absolute c. And lo this is the ioly pretense that M. Nowell maketh to shifte his handes of this seconde pointe as that wherein for excuse of his silence he saieth that