is out of a malignaÌ„t spirit and a synne against the holy Ghost to attribute the myracles wrought by the Saincts of God vnto the power of the Diuell OBIECTIO IN Belzebub in the power of the Diuels the Papists cast out Diuels worke myracles Ergo their myracles are of the Diuell and not of God ANSVVER THE proposition is false for if at the touching of the relyckes of Sainctes or in visiting their Sepulturs Chapells or to goe pilgrimagie to their relycks and places or make prayers and inuocations to them or applications of the Sacraments in honour and deuotion towards them the myracles wrought and done in the Catholycke Church are to be attributed and ascrybed to the power and vertue of the Diuell Of this proposition should followe two great absurdities First that the Diuell with all power and force should honour Christ and his Sainctes which is most contrary by the absurditie for then the Diuell should distroy himself and his kingdome in promoting the worshipe and honour of God and his Sainctes vnto whome he will giue none nor acknovvledge any due eyther to God or his Sainctes Secondly that the name of Christ his Saincts should serue for the working the workes of the Diuell and the diuyne power and vertue of God should serue to the obsequie of the Diuell Which assertion by the absurditie is horrible blasphemy against the holy Ghost OBIECTIO WHen those and such lyck myracles fall out they are not to be attributed and ascrybed to come of the Sainctes or of their merytes or by their intercessions or praeyers but because it fortuned so ANSVVER IT is an open blasphemy eyther to speake or thinke to straine the bodyes and soules of men to the course of the planets and to the hid influences of the heauens so that Leo affirmes Epistol ad Astoricensem VVho followeth these there is no more place left for him in the Church of God because sayth he who once haue giuen themselues vnto the constellations and persuade themselues after their owne opinion departe and cut themselues from the bodye of Christ Vnto this the counsell of Braccar cap. 1. If any belieue that the souls and bodyes of men are astricted and gouerned of the fatall signes with the Priscilianists let him be accursed Moreouer myracles and prodigious thinges oft fal out and are wrought when the relyckes of the Sainctes are of the people reuerenced and applyed and when these Sainctes are inuocated by their ernest deuotion and to beare witnes of their reuerence and honour to Gods Saincts they receaue the holy Sacraments euen then especially myracles are done rather then any other tyme therefore seing at the deuotion of the people the application of the relykes of the Sainctes myracles are done they cannot be attributed to come of fortune or influeÌ„ces of the planets but of God the author of all goodnes and the gouernour of this world for if the fishe-poole Probatica in Ierusalem had vertue giuen to it to cure diseases at a certayne season of the year by the descending of an Angell mouing the water which vertue and working of myracles in the Probatica of IerusaleÌ„ cannot be attributed to the influences of the planets neyther to fortune but to God and mediatly to the ministery of the Angell euen so myracles done by the relyques of his Sainctes or at their Sepultures or Alters cannot be attributed to fortune or any fatall starâ—e but to God and by the mediat miniâ—tery intercession of his Sainctes by whose ministery God is honoured QVAESTIO VII The Pope is taken of the reformed for Antichrist WHerefore doe the simple and ignorant Papists obey the Pope in maâ—ters of religâ—on seing he is but a man anâ—â—â—uely Antichrist Luther ass art 27. Smalchald de pot paâ—ae Caluin in 2 Thes cap. 2. Illir de primat papae ANSVVER VPon this proposition I demaunde and aske wherefore doe your mynisteres of your Churches in spirituall things in vvhatsoeuer Kingdome The Protestants minysters are subiect in matters of faith to lay-men or Comonwealth they are in obey men and that lay-men of no ecclesiasticall function neyther of ecclesiasticall authority Is not this euident and known to all Europe how the Caluinistes of Ingland gaue their homage sure obedience in matters of faith vnto Queene Elizabeth and instituted hir head of their reformed Synagogue lykwyse by hir ordinances and statutes we know and vnderstand that these mynisters were compelled The minysters made Queen Elysabeth head of the Church swore obedience in maters of fayth contrary to their owne conscience The scripture forbyds wemen in church matters The hereticks wrytes against the lawfull temporall gouernment of wemen and bound to diuerse ecclesiasticall ceremonies repugnant to their iudgments and yet of necessity must rest contented and also must subiect themselues obedient to her statutes What absurditie what basenes what indignity and what madnes of mynd to giue to a woman the primacy of the Church whom the Apostle 1. Timoth. cap. 2. v. n. 12. commaundes to learne with silence with all subiection who is neyther permitted to teach neyther to rule ouer a man How much more preposterous to rule the charge of the Church For if Buchanan and Knox writ books against the regiment of a woman in which bookes they excluded his maiesties mother of happy memory from the temporall gouernment and as a thing most vnworthy that a woman should haue any temporall gouernment ouer man How much more indecent to rule ouer Preists in the Church of God In the begynning of this heresie both in Ingland and Scotland so long as the two most Catholyck Maryes Princesses liued the Heretickes opposed wrot against their gouernement in temporall things vvhich was by the law of God Hereticks doe allowe the gouernement of wemen for their purpose and nature lavvfull for them Notvvithstanding when Queen Elizabeth obteined the crowne then it vvas lawfull for her to rule not only in temporall thinges but also in ecclesiasticall causes as head of the Church Therfore it is farr lesse strange It is not against the law of God or reason to obey a man neyther contrary to the tenor of reason neyther to holy Scripture to be subiect to a man then to a vvoman howbeit in lay-men this prehemineÌ„ce was neuer giuen of our Lord neyther was it euer permitted to them to haue the primacy of his Church For if as the Protestants sayes Christ neuer commited the iuriâ—diction of his Church to lay men vvhy are the Papists so simple and ignorant to obey a man in matters of religion May it not be ansvvered with the lyke humanity vvhat is his Maiesty King of great Britany a man or no I hope they will not call him a Prophet neyther Euangelist The King of Britanie is not a prophet nor an apostle nor an angel but a man neyther Patriarch nor Angell yea a man and head of the Church vnto whom all his good dutifull subiects are
of God lykewyse that Church which was after Christ hath neuer fayled or might fayle according to that stait in which it was instituted of himself It is euideÌ„t by testimony of holy Scripture in which Christ kingdomes is fortold to be eternall as psal 47 v. 9. Is sayd as we haue hard so we haue we seen in the city of our God and God hath established it for euer Which psalme is spoken altogeather of the Church and her perpetuity lykewyse her visibility is also meÌ„tioned whyl the prophet sayes as we haue hard and seene therefore it is not obscurly designed or inuisible Also Dan. 2. v. 44. sayes That in the dayes of those Kings the God of Heauen shall set vp a Kingdome which shall neuer be distroyed and this Kingdome shall not be giuen to another people but it shall break and distroy all these Kingdomes and it shall stand for euer Moreouer S. Matth. 16. v. 18. sayes That the gates of Hell shall not preuayle against her for as there is a visible head there must be a visible body and seing Christ was seen in earth did conuerse with men shall not his body and members therof also be visible if the foundameÌ„t be visible it behoweth also the house to be visible and seing the Apostles and prophets are foundament of his Church Ephes 2. who can deny the building not to be visible Lykewyse our coniunction with Christ is not only spirituall but also is bodily that we may be bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh the Apostle calleth it a great Sacraments Eph. 5. And seing by Sacramentes we are vnited and knowne togeather which are visible things and therfore appertayne to a visible body which is his Church also which hath a visible head that the Church of God may euer appeare visible wherupon Chrysest Tom. 5. orat de non rontemnend Eccles What is more stronger then the Church of God the barbarous may pull downe the walles but the infernall diuels cannot ouercome it When she is battered she is victor and when she is inuaded with deceipt ouercommeth thus he And S. Bernard Serm. 79. neyther by the verbositie of Philosophers neyther cauillations of heretyckes neyther by the sword of the persecutors might the Church at any tyme be separat from the loue of God thus he Moreouer it is sayd Eph. 4. v. 11. He gane some to be Apostles and some Prophets some Euangelistes and some Pastors and â—eachers for the â—â—summation of the Saincts for the worke of the ministery and for the edification of the body of Christ whyll we all meer togeather in the vnity of faith and in knowledge of the sone of God vnto a perfyt man and vnto the measur of the age of the fulnes of Christ In which words the Apostle rehearsing these offices Apostles Pastors and Doctors to abyd in the Church to the end of the world declares the Church to be visible which no ways caÌ„ be vnderstood of an inuisible church by reason that there is no such offices that Moreouer it implicates a contradition the visible Church sometyme to haue fayled and the inuisible to remayne for somuch as the wonders of the world are noted partly by Scripture as the deludge Gen. 6 4 Reg 17 Matth. 25. the going back of the sonne the sonne mone to haue lost their light and darkenesse to haue ouer shaddowed the whole face of the earth at the death of Christ Lykwyse Historiographers and Chronologies make mention of erthquakes fyre tempestes pestilence and such lyke prodigious things which are registred and are extant in euery mans hand and yet what tyme the Church fayled and became inuisible there is no Scripture no chronologie no witnes euer to be found but only clamorous mens voyces to say it once it was visible this they graunt but how in fayled it is improbable For if the visible Church hath fayled and the inuisible remaine and was not seene there followe to wyld absurdities for eyther she professed her fayth and yelded not to the persecutions of the Gentills or Heceticks and in so doing it followeth that she was visible as the primitue Church in the tyme of the Apostles and Martyres in tyme of persecutors for in profession suffering sho appeared and was a spectacle to the world and contrary wise if she professed not her sayth but lurked and retayned it inwardly in the hart and outwardly by dissimulation accommodated hirself to the tyme in following of false worship as the Helchesiâ—nes did as witnes Euse lib. 6. cap. 31. In so doing sho cannot be accounted the true Church of Christ For Christ sayes Matth. 10. â— 33 VVho shall deny me before men him shall I deny before my Father in Heauen Therefore the Church in vigor and subsistance cannot want a signe of visibility Morouer the Church contayning alswell the vniuersality of faithfull as of Byshops absolutely cannot err in matters of fayth which vniuersally eyther are to be belieued of fayth or propounded vnto vs to be done for good manners whether expressely they be found in the Scripture or noe because the Church is gouerned of Christ the head as S. Paul sayes Ephes 1. u 22. He hath giuen him to be head of all the Church which is his body And therefore if sho may err it redounds vnto Christ which according to the verity it self no manner of way may fall because God is true and because the Church is the pillar and foundament of verity 1. Tim. 3 v. 15. Therefore sho cannot err lykewyse Christ promissed to his Apostles and to the whole Church The spirit of verity to abyd with hir for euer and to leade hir in all verity S Ioan. 14. 16. It is not to be vnderstood of simple verity because the Scripture speakes generally of all verity descrybing the holy spirit to teach the Church and sho to be a pillar of verity that in nothing sho should err otherwayes if the Church may erre in teachings things necessary to saluation no man shall know wher the verity is and the holy Ghost shall be found the lyar For haue not all the Fathers in whatsoeuer question and controuersie of fayth fled to the church as vnto the ancher of verity They would neuer haue taken this refuge if they thought that the Church might erre To this effect S. Aug. lib. 1. contra Cresc c. 33. sayth the verity of the Scriptures is kept of vs seing we doe that thing which hath pleased the vniuersall Church the which doth commend the authority of the selfe Scripture forsomuch the holy Scripture may deceaue none but whosoeuer hath feared to be deceaued by obscurity of any question let him consult with the Church which without any ambiguâ—ty doth demonstrate and shaw the holy Scripture Againe Epist 118. To dispute against that thing sayes he which the vniuersall Church belieues it is most insolent madnes Againe in psal 57. In the bowells of the Church sayes he veritie remaynes
Bishopes vnto this present day from the very seat of Peter to whom our Lord commended the feeding of his sheepe after his resurrection to the Episcopal dignitie of the present Bishop and last the name catholik doth hold me in the vnitie of the Church Not without caus the churh hath retained the name Catholick which name this Church hath alwayes not without cause among so many different sectes of heresies in such sort obtained that although all heretiks desire to be called Catholikes yet if a stranger should demaund where is the assembly of the Catholick Church No heresie can show their church for catholick ther is no heretik that dareth assigne him his temple or his preiching-hous for Catholick Lykewise in his Symbol sayes he we do beleue the holy Church that is Catholik for the heretiks schismatikes do cal their congregations Churches but the heretikes beleuing those things of God which ar false Heretikes by error do violat the faith Schismatikes by making diuisions violated vnitie They apertein not to the Catholik church do violate the faith the schismatikes by vnlawful diuisiōs do separat them selfes frō brotherly charitie although they beleue in all things the same with vs. And for this cause nether do the heretikes or schismatikes apertain to the catholik Church And againe S. Aug. lib. de vnit eccles c. 4. sayes all those that beleue that our lord IESVS CHRIST is come in the flesh in which he was borne and hath suffered that he is the Sonne of God with God and one with the Father the only immutable word of the father by whom all things weer made but do in such sort dissent from his body which is his Church that their communion is not withall them with whom the Catholick Church doth participate but ar in som diuided part it is a manifest token that they ar not in the catholik Church lykwise Prosper sayes that he who doeth communicat He who accordes with the vniuersall Church is a Catholik Vnder S. Cyprian the people where called Catholikes with this vniuersal church is a Christian and a Catholick he that doth not communicat is an heretik an Antichrist And Pacianus sayes the people vnder S. Cyprians charge haue neuer been called otherwayes then Catholikes Now amongst thiese testimonyes what place haue our reformed to be named with a catholik tytle whom as S. Aug. sayes dissention and diuision makes heretikes And againe in his Epist. 152. ad donatist Whosoeuer is deuyded from the Catholik Church sayes he how laudable soeuer he seeme to liue for this only cryme No heretik nor schismatik how soeuer he liue well can not be saued out of the church that he is only separated from the vnitie of the Church he shal be also secluded from lyf and the wrath of God shal remaine on him This same argument hath Fulgentius lib. de fid ad Pet. diac cap. 29 saying hold for most certain and dout not in any maner that no heretik or schismatik baptized in the name of the Father Sonne Holy Ghost if he be not in vnitie with the catholik-Church although he giue great almes and shede his very blood for the name of CHRIST yet can he in no wyse be saued Thus the fathers in the primitiue tyme wholly affirme how so euer they agree with the Catholikes in all the artickles of the belief and in holy Scriptur yet not being in the vnitie of the catholik church can not be saued What shal we say of the moderne heresies that deny the artikles of ther belief The ignorance of heresie to pretend which is no thaires and peruert the Scripture in adding diminishing in glossing and commenting in changing and chopping and yet will pretend the Catholik Church and hir name But in vaine as S. Augustin sayes to the Donatistes yow accord vvith vs in baptisme and in the belief and in all other Sacraments of our Lord but in the Spirit of vnitie and in the place of peace and last in the catholick Church No heresie could euer atteine to the name Catholick how soeuer they weere desirous to haue it you are not vvith vs and therfor heretikes separated and cut of from the church and nothing pertinent to this name Catholik For vve see euidentlie this name kept S. Augustein in the right faith for no heretik could obtein the name of the Catholik Church although euery heresie did much desyr to obtein it The reasō is because that all heresies be but partes and peculiar sects of some country or the doctrin of a small tyme. The word Catholik betokenes ane vniuersall profession Where as the vvord Catholick doth betoken a certaine vniuersall profession induring from the beginning to the ending and spread abrod thorovv all partes but those vvho began their doctrine after the apostles tyme vver euer named of their masteres The heresies haue thair names of the inuentors of that sect as the Arians of Arrius the Lutherans of Luther and the Caluinists of Caluin but they in the contrary vvere called Catholikes vvho kept the vniuersall faith vvhich the Apostles had first taught and vvhich vvas continued alvvayes in the vvhole Church And for that S. Augustin tract 22. in Ioh. We haue receaued the holy Ghost He hath receiued the holy Ghost that keeps vnitie and gif we reioyce of the faith with the name if vve loue the church and if vve be knit and conioyned together by charitie if vve do all exalt and reioyce to be a catholik as vvell in faith as in name Here vpon Pacianus Epist 1. ad Symphron sayes be not angry good brother and do not afflict thy self a Christian is my name The word Christian is the forname and the word Catholick is the surname and a Catholik is my surname by the former I am called and by the second I am made manifest Therfor this name is no wayes attributed to those who are enimies to this name and hath it in scorne and mockerie that iustlie they discouer ther corrupt affection The corrupt affections of heretikes to this name Catholik and hereticall malice toward the word in so much that some of them calleth it a voyd and vaine word some againe a gracelesse terme fruitles name so the old heretikes as S. August cont Gaud. lib. 2. cap. 25. sayes called it a humain fiction Thair intention is to put out of memorie the name Catholik by their euill nature and qualitie they geue diligence to abolish and extinguish both the veritie of our faith the name consonant thervnto therefore their name declare thē sufficiently what they are prognosticating of them as they are as Iustinus in triphone sayes Heretikes were prognosticat to com befor they cáme there shall aryse many false Christs and false Prophet and they shall seduce many of the faithfull and are distinguisht amongst vs taking their names of certane men as euery on was author of
one new doctrin and of these som were called Marcionists Basilidanes other Saturnists others agane of late Lutheranes Thair names and profession is after the name of men and so faile to be called Catholik Caluinists Protestants Puritanes and therfor in this they faile to be called Christianes as sayes Athan. in apol secund Lact. firm lib. 4. c. 30. de vera sapientia Therfor heretikes and ther Reformed faith is not lerned of the Apostles fathers and predecessors of the Church but partly borrowed of som other heresie or partlie by phantasticall and new inuention and so no faith but inuention neither Apostolicall but Pharisaicall The reformed faith â—is lyk a painted man nether Catholik but particular which is no more faith in effect than a painted man is a man For this cause S. Hieron Epist. ad Pamach reproches taxes the heretiks saying Wheir for after fourhundrith years past labor ye to teach which befor we haue not knowne for vnto this present day The world wes Catholik Christian befor thair faith was knowne without your doctrin the world was Christian And Tertull. de praes haeretic repelles their vaine boast concerning any Catholik tytle saying who ar ye from whence and when cam ye where haue ye lurked so longe And S. August no lesse scornes them saying to the Donat. S. Aug. admiration from whence they ar come From whence haue ye apeared of what soile haue ye sprunge out ouer what sea haue ye comed or what heauen haue ye faln from And lykwise Opt. Melet. lib. 2. contr Parm. Sayes in dirision to the heretiks Opt. Mel. derides them asking the originall of thair church Show the original of your Church who would chalenge to you the holy Catholick-Church And as Valer. Max. lib. 6. in principio sayes for conclusion that as the name of God is a most certaine pledge of humane saluation As the name of God is a sauegard to saluation so is the Catholike name a sauegard to al beleueres and a sauegard for man so is this name Catholike a sauegard to al Christian belieuers and theirfor we haue great reason to adheere and ioyne our selfe to the Catholik-Church and not to your reformed which hath no affinitie nor any thing of a Catholik Church or name in it Morouer these and diuerse reasones persuade me Reasone persuades man to beleue the RomaÌ„-Church to be Catholik the only Roman Catholik faith to be accepted as true Apostolicall doctrin but yours and others suchlyk vnder pretext colour of reformation to be repudiat as very fleeting dregges of heresie Which shall not be difficill to proue For the Apostle sayes Ephes 4. that there is one comen and sauing faith in expressing these wordes there is one God one faith one Baptisme This Church is praised of the Apostles own mouch And first for that is the trew and Apostolicall faith which the Apostel praising God and writting the Romans cap. 1. doth say your faith is published through the whol world But our faith which is hated and dispraised by name of Papistry and proprie is that same Roman faith This Catholik church is hated of all heretikes and calumniated Seing no man as yet by any sure reason could shew the Roman Church from that tyme to discrepat or disagree in any substantiall point or that eyther Bishope counsell or any Catholick person do dissent from the Roman Church in essentialles or yet the pastors of our Church Amongst the pastors of the RomaÌ„ Church ther is no variaÌ„ce in essentialles at any tyme to varie from them in substantiall things yea in the smal-lest artickles what soeuer but all to accord and agree with the Catholik faith and to fauour no opinion of heresie Therefor our Papisticall and Roman faith hath obteined the title of the Catholick and Apostolicall name That richtly others sectes discouered this is only to be adiudged and belieued of all men for trew Catholick and Apostolicall and yours for heresie Trew faith most be receaued and belieued of hearing and not by reading of books or reuelations The second reason is the trew faith which who ordinarly declares or teaches to any other it must be first by the ear receaued of the Church of God by the preaching of Christ as the apostell affirmes Rom. 10. faith is by hearing and hearing is by the word of Christ as he would say trew faith is conceaued not immediatly by reuelation or reading of the Scriptures but by those things which are hard of the preacher and mediatly by external doctrin and the doctrin trewly that is harde or to be harde consistes in the word of God preached by the Church But the reformed faith teached by Luther and Caluin and their faith is not by hearing and externall doctrin which they euer receaued in the Church from any pastor doctor bishope or any other hauing authoritie of mission The ProtestaÌ„ts preiching is nether by the word of God nether of the church or euer had commission of any man to preach that reformed faith Therefor their reformed faith is no trew faith The minor is euident becaus they can not produce any doctor nor pastor if they can do it from whome they haue receaued their doctrin For the assertiones written by Luther him self declare the contrary Who in his book of Seruill libertie Luthers glorie him to dissent from all the fathers of the Church obiectes against Erasmus Rotterd in the cause of frewill publiquely to vant boast him to depart and dissent from the doctrin of all the former pastores of the Church and declared by the mouth of the Church and to oppose him self coÌ„traire to Dion Areop Iren. Clem. Cypr. Arnob. August c. Whos 's doctrin in the course of frewill deliuered of the elders to be trew Catholik doctrin and authorised of the mouth of the Church We sayes Luther beliue Luther adiudged all the fathers blind ignoraÌ„t in the Scriptures and preach that the fathers all these many ages past plainly haue ben blind and most vnexpert ignorant and vnlerned in the holly Scriptures And therefor for conclusion of this minor theyr preaching and doctrin is not of the Church nor of any pastor of the Church and consequentlie no faith nether word of God Trew faith should beginne at IerusaieÌ„ The thrid reason is the preaching of the trew faith ought to beginne at Ierusalem and after to go abrod through all the partes of the world as it is writen in S. Luc. 24. it behoued that penance and remission of sinnes should be preached in his name to all nations beginning at Ierusalem but the preaching of Luther and Caluins reformed faith hath not begonne at Ierusalem The reformed faith begane in Germany in Geneue in particulare cornes nether is it spred abrod through the world and therefor it is no trew faith The minor is euident for Luther begane in Wittemberg in Saxonie and Caluin in
the profound doctrine of these diuynes and this is belieued for verity of their ignorantes was it not Christ sayes S. Amb. offic lib. 5. who sett Rome in so great honour Is it not Antichrist that hath set Rome in so great honour to be the see of Christ and his chief disciple Peter as it hath alwayes euer had that honorable fame to be called the seat of the Apostle of Christ Neyther was it Antichrist but Iesus Christ who made his Apostles togeather to die there and to haue a perpetuall succession of Byshops in that city without any infidelity or proffessed heresie coming betwixt the lawfull successors to this present day Neyther vvas it Antichrist but Christ who gaue the crowne of martyr-dome to thirty two Popes of Rome Moreouer did Christ prepare the way for Antichrist by the chief of his Apostles The Heretyks accuse Christ to be the setter vp of Antichrist Could God make no man foreruner of that cursed-man but the sone of God and the redeamer of the world O blasphemous tongues o wycked thoughts vnto this day how many generall counselles haue ben how many faithfull Princes and Kings what nations people vnto this tyme haueth honored Rome and the Pastor sitting in it as honor done to Christ in his Vicare The Heretiks sayes all nations haue committed spirituall whordome in honoring S. Peters see in Rome and now really is called and belieued to be Antichrist Haue all good Christians Kings and People committed fornication with Antichrist Had Christ no man els vpon whome he might haue permitted Antichrist to be builded then vpon his chief Apostle vpon whome he hath builded his Church Hath he promised that the gates of Hell shall not preuail against this foundatioÌ„ coÌ„trary wise Hell gates hath so preuailed that Antichrist himselse doth sit in the seat The Heretiks would say that Hell gaites haue preuealed against his Church and foundation of the Apostle Did Christ so much labour to preferre S. Peter that in the end Antichrist might haue a more honorable seat prepared for him by the labores of the Apostle for his abominable inter pryses are they worthy to be called Christians who fear not to say and teach such blasphemous doctrine and detestable speaches What ignorance In vaine is christs promis to S. Peter and vnlearned iudgment are these men of what hath bewitched and inchanted their spirits How giddy and lunatick are their heade that they should nominat the successor of the blessed Apostle Peter Antichrist who is a peculiar certayn man according to the iudgment of all writters as witnesse Hereticks haue a bewicthed and an inchanted spirit Isai n. dan. 8.9 n. Mat. 24. Ioh. 5. 2. epist cap. 2.2 Thes 2. Apoc. 13. Who is farr opposit to the Pope of Rome for the Popes are not any certayn man but their succession is the continuance of a certaine office The Popes are not oncertayn man but a coÌ„tinuall succession in which many men haue succeeded on after an-other therefore the Popes are not neyther can be called Antichrist For as the name of Christ was giuen in old tymes to many Prophets Priests The name of Christ was comon to many in the old law and yet one Christ came so is the name of Antichrist comon to many and yet one must come and Kings who were anoynted as a figure of the truth vvhich was to be fullfylled did not hinder and lett but that there should come a certaine singular persone vvho should be the Sauiour of man-kynd in that name In lyke manner euen so the name of Antichrist being giuen to many wicked aduersaries of Christ and namely to all Heretickes doth not hinder but rather helpeth to proue that some one singular man shal come at length vvho shall surpasse all other men in setting himself against Christ and this Christ verifyeth saying to the Iewes Ioh. 5. I haue come in the name of my Father and ye receaue me not if auother come in his owne name him ye will receaue The which words the Doctors of the Church confesse to be spoken prophetically of Antichrist and makes the comparison betwixt them saying as Christ was a certayn man so shall Antichrist be a certaine man the difference is that Christ is from God The differeÌ„ce betwen Christ and Antichrist and Antichrist from the Diuell Christ doth saue and the other distroyeth Christ doth vnite his people with concorde and peace the other doth deuyde and scatter Yet in this they agree that each of them is a singular man and as Christ is the man of righteousnes so is Sathan the man of synne 1. Thess 2. VVho shal be made knowne to all men that he shal be wholly addicted to synne And therfore seing that Antichrist shal be a singular man Antichrist is not a Diuel or spirit but a reall man in whom the Diuel shall corporally inhabit and not many men neyther the Popes kingdome whom S. Hier. in cap. 7. dan. n. Let vs think him to be sayth he not the Diuell or a spirit but a man of the propagation of man-kynd in whom the Diuell shall corporally dwell Lykewyse S. Ambros in epist. 2. Thess cap. 2. sayes that as the sone of God tooke fleesh so Sathan shall appeare in man And S. Aug. de ciuitate dei lib. 20. cap. 19. Confessing many Antichrists with S. Iohn called one of them the very head and the last Antichrist for the wordes of the Apostle 2. Thess 2. Prince and last agree to one only persone and not to a whole succession of men in one state of lyfe To this S. Chry. in 2. Thess 2. That Antichrist shal be a certayn man hauing in him the power of the Diuell In lyke maÌ„ner Theod. in 2. Thess cap. 2 That as the Sonne of God tooke flesh to procure our saâ—uation So shall the Diuell choose him a man by whome he may worke mischeif and all iniquity to these subsâ—rybs S. Greg. in 106. lib 14 cap. 11. That in the last dayes the Diuell shall enter in that vessel of perdition which thalbe called Antichrist All these famous witnesses declare sufficiently that it is not the order and estate of the Byshops of Rome that are Antichrist Antichrist is not the order of Byshops or an estate but a man possessed of the Diuell but a certayn man shal be properly Antichrist who shal sett himself against Christ more singularly then euer any Heretyck as yet hath done hitherto For he shal withstaÌ„d Christ so much that none is able to withstand him more for he shal not withstand a peice of the faith but the whole faith and shall deny Christ to be God and man or to be mediator And as Hier. quaest 11. ad Algas sayes He shall exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God that he may tread vnder foote the Gods of all nations and all true He shall abolish all true Religion He shall persuade
asmuch as he had first by vision that the gentiles also were called to belieue in Christ act 10. For asmuch as God choose that the gentills should first of all hear the word of the Ghospel by S. Peters mouth and should belieue Act. 15. For asmuch as when Peter was in prison prayer was made in the Church for him without intermission Act. 14. For Peter prayer is made by the church Peter decides the question moued about the Law For asmuch as when a sedition was among the disciples in so much that Paul and Barnabas came to the Apostles at Ierusalem to seeke a solution from them and chiefly from Peter and tould the controuersie in the counsell Act. 15. Theod in Epist. ad Leenem For asmuch as Peter did not only first speake but also gaue a determinate sentence that the gentils should not be burdened with the law act 15. For asmuch as S Paul came to Ierusalem to see Peter Gal 1. And that as S. Amb-sayes in com cap. ad Gal. 1. Because he was first and chiefest of the Apostles to whome our Lord had commited the cure of his Church For asmuch as Peter was eyther alone or first or chiefest in the greatest affaires of the Church Chry. in act apost Hom. 21. For asmuch as he was send to possesse with his chayr Rome Peter by Gods prouidence is sent to Rome to possesse that see with his chayre the Mother Church of the Roman Empyre Athan. ad Solit. Vit. Agent Aug de sanct serm 27. Leo serm 1. in nat Pet Paul VVho calleth Rome the Head-city of the world to conquer all superstition Heresie and infidelity For asmuch as his chayr and succession hath bynacknowledged of all the auncient Fathers hath florished there to this present day without interruption of that faith which S. Peter professed and taught as expertence doth bear witnes Conc. Calced act 3. Bern. epist 190. For as Christ excelleth the Angels Heb 1 because God neuer said to any of them as he said to Christ euen so Christ neuer sayd to any of the Apostles as he said to S. Peter Thow shaltbe called Peter or vpon this rock I will build my Church or to thee I will giue the keyes or pay for me and thee or I haue prayed for thee that thy faith fail not feed my sheepe and rule my lambes Matt 16. Luc. 22. Iohn 21. To declare one Pastor and one chayre wherein vnity might be kept of all men The building of Christ Church varieth not but is neuer syk it self least the other Apostles might echone chaleng a chaire to himself Opt. milet lib. 2. de Schism donat So that in Peter himself is this rock and faith of his Church And because the building of Christs Church varithe not after his Ghospell planted but is alwayes lyk it self therefore all Catholyckes belieue that when S. Peter died who was the head coÌ„stitute by Christ another succeeded in his place by ordination of S. Peter All christians belieue the Pope to be the head of the church and confessor of the true faith and consequently the rock of the church vpoÌ„ whoÌ„ Christs militaÌ„te Church might be as stedfastly builded as it had ben once built on S. Peter And seing the Byshop of Rome succeedes S. Peter all Christians doe constantly affirme that the Byshop of Rome is the rock and head of his Church who confesses euermore Christes true faith Vpon which confession of the sea of Rome as vpon a sure rock Christs Church is built VVhervpon Bern. lib. de consid ad Eugen. pp. lib. 2. Other Pastores haue flockes assigned to them euery Pastor one flock to thee all are committed one flock to one sheepheard And not only of the sheep but also of the Pastores thow allone art the Pastor doest thou aske how I proue it by the word of our Lord. For to whom I say not only of the Byshops but also of the Apostles so absolutly without distinction are all the sheep committed as it is said It thow louest me Peter feed my sheep which sheep whether the people of this or of that city or country or certaine kingdome he sayes my sheepe Out of which worde it is euident that Christ did not appoint out some to a particular Pastor but assigned all nothing is accepted wher nothing is distinguished Thus he Therfore seing the pastorall office and authority of S. Peter was ordinary it behoueth that it must go for euer vnto his successors and for asmuch as the Byshop of Rome is that ordinary Pastor who succeedeth in S. Petees chayre and is aboue the rest according to Gods word All ordinary offices goe by succession for when the Church was built on S. Peter and he was made cheif Pastor of the same at what tyme he was in Palestina and not in Rome euen then he was accompted the high Byshop of the circumcision of the faithfull Iewes yet notwithstanding for asmuch as the same Peter at the leÌ„gth setled himself at Rome by Gods appointement and left a successor there as the holy Fathers affirme as Iren. lib. 3. cap. 3. Tertul. de praese And seing he was the rocke promised by Christ vpon whome he should build his Church and also the pastor who as he hath loued Christ more then any other So he had the authority to feed Christ flock more then any other Bâ—shop and seing that power of S. Peter was ordinary it must continue in the Church of God permanent and also it must continue in on chiefe sheepheard only which is the byshop of Rome who ordinarily succedees in the said authority of S. Peter therfore the said supremacy of the byshop of Rome is auouched and taught by Gods owne word Et Cyp. ad iubatan de simplicit prol sayes Christ gaue that authority that there should be no schisme Authority is in the Church that there should be no schisme and breach in vnity and that he might make vnity manifest that the originall of the same vnity may haue his beginning of one And therefore Iren lib. â— aduers Haeret. cap. 3. Speaking of the successions of Byshops in those Churches which the Apostls had first intituled called the church of Rome the greatest Church and most auncient and knowne to all men All Churches concures with the Church of Rome as mother Church Hereticks haue appealed from the affrican counsels to the sea of Rome being planted setled by two most glorious Apostles Peter and Paul and ech Church that is about this must come agree and concurr with her for her mighty principality and gouernement Hereupon S. Cyp. lib. epist 3. confesseth the authority of S. Peter to be at Rome for wheras certain factious persons Heretycks sayled from Cathage to Rome intending to complaine of him and the other Byshops of Africk sayd to Pope Cornelius they dare cary letters from Schismaticall and prophane men to the chayr of Peter and principall Church whence the
lyk in all things and equall in degrees of dignitie ANSVVER SAINCT Paul might do it iustly because they were bretheren in the office of Apostleship also for that he had the same holy Ghost with Peter Yet it is to be obserued that no doctrine of S. Peters was then reproued as false but only his behauiour in an outward act as Tertul. lib. de praes Haeret. witnesseth For all the fault was in his conuersation and not in doctrine for he conuersing with the Gentils without respect of the keeping of the law for he belieued the law to binde no man yet at the comming of certaine Iewes he abstained from the Gentils thinking thereby he should do more good to the Iewes to abstaine froÌ„ some meates so that Paul reprehended his dissembling in that the Gentels also were compelled to plaie the Iewes as S. Aug. Epist 19. ad Hier. notes vpoÌ„ this place Yet no lesse S. Paul in this fault is also culpable in tollerating the obseruance of the law in that he circumcised Timothie against the doctrine of the Ghospell Act. 20. Now in that fashion of reproufe S. Paul belieued that the tyme was proper that no man should winke at the ceremonie of the law and to dissemble longer for it was vnprofitable for they belieued the tyme was come to professe Christ plainly c. OBIECTION CHrist is the Head of the Church as the Apostle sayes Eph. 4. He hath constituted him head ouer all the Church but if Peter be head and consequently after him the Pope of Rome there shal be two heades of one body which is absurde Ergo. ANSVVER HOw impertinently doth Luther inferre this argumeÌ„t against vs to proue the body of the Church to be a monster with two heades For we doe not say that Peter is a lyk equall head with Christ but vnder Christ that is to say head-vicar substitute in the place of Christ and so a second head after Christ that is an head of all others froÌ„ Christ or of his misticall body which of all men groweth in Christ and so he is not the head of the full body seing he is not the head of Christ but Christ is simpliciter absolute head of the whole Church yea of Peter who is a member of this whole body notwithstanding more worthy then others As a Vice-roy is truly head of that Kingdome of which he beares charge neuer-theles the King is superior and first head of all his Kingdomes euen so Christ and Peter who is called a rock Matt. 16. and a foundation 1 Cor. 3. vers 11. but not first for Christ is only the first stone layed in the foundation of the Church but Peter is the second foundation and rock vpon whom the rest of the Church is founded by Christ OBIECTION IF the Pope succeed to Peter Ergo he is an Apostle which is false ANSVVER THe sequell is friuolous for more things are requyred to the Apostleshipe then to succeed to the Apostle to wit that immediatly he be called of God moreouer that he be taught of God his doctrine and sent with authority to effectuaâ— the same and lykewise to be indued with the gift of the holy Ghost to write canonicall Scriptures Which things the Pope hath not although in the meane tyme he doth obtaine the Apostolicall power in the whole Church in which he hath succeeded to S. Peter from whence it is called the Apostles seat because of the iurisdiction and authority which the Apostls had and was giuen immediatly by Christ OBIECTIO THE Counsell may depose the Pope therefore the Pope is not supreame head of the Church when the Counsell may depose him ANSVVER THe assumption is false absolutly for a counsell with iudiciall authority caÌ„not depose the Pope because the first seat is iudged of no man the reason is because the Pope hath receaued authority in the whole Church immediately from Christ so that the Church can no way take away that authority Put the case that he should be a manifest Heretick he should not be deposed of men but of God who will not retayne such a vicar who de facto declars himself an heretick cuts himself of so manifestly from his body eyther by euidence of deed or by declaration of a generall counsell QVAESTIO IX Of the Roman Sea of S. Peter WHerefore doth the Roman-Papists boast so much of the succession of the Roman Byshops seing S. Peter was neuer at Rome Welenus Illyr Magdeburg Sebast Franc c. ANSVVER IT is probable that Peter was not only in Rome and to haue made his residence in it but to haue been crucifyed there Howsoeuer the impudeÌ„cy of Heretickes doth prate against the tradition of all antiquity It is probable that Peter was in Rome by his owne epistles First it is proued out of his owne first epistle cap. 5. v. 13. saying The Church collected in Babilon salutes yow that is to say Rome which he calles Babilon because it was full of riches persecution superstion and idolatrie with all manner of sinnes reygning in it as witnesseth Eus lib. 2. cap. 15. Lykwise Papias the disciple of S Iohn sayes that Peter in his first epistle which he wrote from Rome hath remembred Mark whom he calleth his sonne Rome is called Babylong in which figuratiuely he hath nominated Rome Babilon when he sayes that Babylon salutes yow Lykwise Hieâ— de Vir. Illust in Marc. sayes that Peter in his first Epistle vnder the name of Babylon figuratiuely signifieth Rome Moreouer to haue houlden and kept the Episcopall Chayre at Rome At Rome he ouercame Simon Magus and there to haue ouercome and been victor ouer Symon Magus This S. Aug. declares lib. 2. cont lit petil cap. 51. repreheÌ„ding the Hereticks in this manner saying VVhat hath the Chayr of the Roman-Church done to thee S. Aug. defendeth the seat of Rome in which Peter hath sitten and in which at this day Anastasius doth siâ—t Moreouer speaking of Simon Magus lib. de Haer. ad quoduult Har. 1. sayes that he Heretick gaue the images both of himself Simon Magus superstuious dealing in Rome and of the whorishe citie to his disciples to be worshiped the which at Rome he had set vp by publick authority as the images of the heathen Gods in the which city the blessed Apostle Peter ouerthrow him by the true vertue of God omnipoteÌ„t thus he For all the Hystories His ouerthrow at rome by the power of God and Holy writers with generall traditions in all ages haue testified that S. Peter came to Rome as sayes Egisip lib. 3. cap. 2. Ireâ— lib 3. cap. 3. But and Euseb the professors of â—â—â—ditious sayes in Châ—on Eccl. Hist. lib. 2. cap 15 That in the secoÌ„d yeare of Claudius the Emperour Peter the Apostle when he had first founded the Church at Antioch he went to Rome Peter preached at Rome XXV yeares wher preaching the Euangely twenty-fyue-yeares he remained Byshop of that same towne And S.
whosoeuer is separated frō this bowels of the Church of necessity he must speake false I say of necessity he must speake false who eyther would not be conceaued or eyther of the mother is made abortiue being once conceaued Which Church Serm ad Catachum cap. 20. He calleth a true mother a godly mother a chast spouse garnished with the dignitye and riches of hir husband not in outward showe by lying deceipt but in veritie which cannot erre And if the prelates of the Church may err consequently the whole Church may err for the people are bound to follow their pastors Mat. 23. v. 3. from whence then is the protestants Church seing the Church is inuisible and hath erred c. OBIECTION IT is written say they the kingdome of God shall not come with obseruation Luc 17 neither shall they say behold here or behold there Luc. 17 v. 21 Therfore the Church which is thè kingdome of God is inuisible and may not be seen ANSVVER IN the same chapter answer is made saying behold the kingdome of God is within yow or amonge yow for in the obiection Christ repelles the vaine opinion of the Pharisies who thought the kingdome of God to haue his beginninge with obseruation of worldly pompe with triumph and publique coronation after the maner of worldly princes makeing his residence in a certaine place of the kingdome He answers them that the Messias shall not reigne that maner of way but in such maner as he hathe begunne to wit in the hartes of men and in his church which then consisted in his Apostles and disciples which in another place he verifieth saying Blissed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of God Luc. 6. v. 20. as though he would say yow ar members of the kingdome of God with peace without worldly tumultes and triumphes from which the riche Pharisies are far of Lykewyse S. Pet. 1. epi. cap. 2. v. 5. sayes The Church is a spirituall house to wit not according to the inuisible substance as angells or soules c. Neither sayes he that the Churche consisteth of grosse materialls but of consecrated and sanctified men to God vnited in one body and mynd as was the multitud of belieuers in the dayes of the Apostles OBIECTION Yow haue not come to the mount that may not be touched and to the burninge fyre Hebr. 12. v. 18. 22. But yow haue come to the mount Sion the citie of the liuing God Therfore the Church is not visible for that the citie of the liueing God is not visible ANSVVER THe Apostle in this place denyeth not the visibilitye of the Church but discrybes the beautie of the triumphant Church in calling it heauenly Ierusalem vnto which it is sayd the faithfull haue to approche by faith and hope not that there are two Churches seing that it is all one but builded with diuerse estates to wit perfect and imperfyt vnto which perfection the militant doth labour in faith and hope whill she come to that beauties ende which is descrybed in heauen OBIECTION THose thinges which are belieued ar not seen but in the Creed VVe belieue the holy Catholik Church and therfor the Church being belieued is inuisible ANSVVER MAny things are belieued which notwithstanding are seen as Christ was seen with mans eyes and yet he is belieued the Messias and God and this he proues him self Iohan. 20. v. 29. saying Because thou hast seen me Thomas thou hast belieued ergo Christ was seen and belieued Lykewise in baptisme we see water and the application there of with the prolation of wordes and yet notwithstāding the vertue of the Sacramēt which we see not is effected which is that original synne is takē away iustifying grace is infused a character is impressed in the soule none of these are seen and yet faith belieues them for in all these things there is some things seen and other things belieued euen so in the Church we see with our eyes a company of men professing themselfes Christianes vnder the gouernment of a head but that that company is the very trew Church of Christ we belieue so that some things are seen and some things belieued Is therfore the article of our beliefe to be abolished and to say I see and suppose the Catholik Church and deny to say I belieue the Catholik Church this article conteineth many things more proper to faithe then reason because we see not the elect neither do we know them and yet we firmly belieue them to be in this company as lykewise we belieue this company and Church to be ruled of the holy ghost and yet we see him not and to be without error the piller and ground of veritie and in this Church only to be remission of synnes iustification the infusion of grace hope of eternall lyf the holy scripture and hir true interpretation dispensation of the Sacramentes and the true preaching of Gods word and out of this company and holy Church no mortall man can attain to the fauor of God or eternall saluation all these ar belieued and ar not seen nor known ergo the Church is visible OBIECTION ADam and Eua haue synned therefor the whole visible Church which consisteth in these two persones hath failled and erred Ergo ANSVVER ADam and Eua were not the Church but hir begining neither erred they in teachinge of false doctrine but as priuat persones doing euill or thinking euill OBIECTION IN the tyme of Isai and other Prophetes of the old Testament it appeared to haue failled for Isai sayes 1. cap. v. 3. That Israel hath not known me and in the 6. v. he sayes that from the soale of the foote to the crown of the head there is no whole place Lykewise Hier. 2. v. 29. Ye haue left me sayth the Lord. Et Psal 13. v. 3. All haue declyned and are made altogether vnprofitable there is not one who doth good there is not one VVherupon we gather both the Church to be inuisible and to haue erred ANSVVER ALbeit the whole Church of the Iewes in the tyme of Elias or at any other tyme hath failed which I graunt not notwithstāding it follow not that the Church of Christ hath failed because the Synagoge was not an vniuersall company of Gods peopl but a particular in which were many who liued holy and erred not as Melchisedech Iob Cornelius Centurio the queene of Candies Enuch and all these were found both righteous and faithfull Morouer the Prophet speaketh after the maner of Scripture by reason of the multitude of the wicked which speach passeth as an vniuersal signe how beit in truth all are not such for the mynd of the Prophet is no maner of way to affirme that all men haue falne from God absolutly but such as deny the diuyne prouidence of God saying there is no God and to be none who doth good notwithstanding a little after he declaires some to be good whom he calleth the people of God poor Iacob and Israell and
L. course of lyâ—e coÌ„uersation and present exemple of lyfe may thereby glorify God in that your L. haue been an persecutor now to giue a true testimony of a confessor to acknowledg your L. vocation to be extraordinary of God who now hath illuminated your L. vnderstanding in the knowledge of his truth how he hath wrought in your L. according to the multitude of his mercies a strange alteration much from the nature of your L. education and profession to which the whole Kingdome of Scotland can beare testimony of your L. profession in Heresie and of the monuments of your L. Yeall Valour which are yet to be seen extant in the land Symtomes proceeding from an euill cause whose feruour yeall and temerous presumption was greatly to be regrated to see the issue of such noble Carholicke antecessores degenerat indewed with so many good parts of nature to follow such irrationall courses of Heresie in which your L. was nourished instructed brought vp at the feet of Gamaliell weell versant in the circumstances of puritanisme perfect in the oppinions of Caluin yealous and feruent in professioÌ„ in lyfe an another Solon in grauitie conformable with the Rabbies of the new Ghospell in litle Israell in yeall most firy in spirit repugnaÌ„t in will peruerse in knowledge ignorant to wraith sodainly moued in reuendge foreward in execution most ready with Saull making hauock puting coÌ„fideÌ„ce in the multitude of men and in polyce of wordly wites more then in the truth esteeming more the honour of the world then the glory of God or the honesty of the cause albeit there is no polyce or strenth against God who out of euil bringes good who gouern otherwayes theÌ„ man disposeth which may be seen in the conuersion of your L. to the Catholick Faith who in end hath disposed all for the best to bring your L. an other Paul out of Saull and of an veshell of dishonour an veshell of honour that in tyme comming your L. may recall to mynd the infinit goodnesse of God your L. former estat and perill his vocation and cooperating grace And therefore in consideratioÌ„ of Gods manifold benefits towards your L. and of the wisdome and graces wherewith your L. is indewed hath moued me more bold to dedicate this Treatise called The Protestantes Theologie to your L. partly for your L. comfort and vtility that wheÌ„ vacant tyme shall present your L. may reade and peruse this Booke in which your L. shall perceaue the miserable estat and condîtion of all Heretiks out of the Church of God and now hauing opportunatie to redeeme the tyme past your L. may make profit and lay vp in Heauen a treasure that shall not faill approuing your L. self lyke another Iulius Caesar of whome ît is sayd that at all tymes eyther he had a lance in his hand or the Iliades of Homer that when the wares impedite him not theÌ„ was he reading Homers Iliades that out of the I hilosophers sayings he might learne wisdome eueâ— so I doubt not but when your L. shall be vacant of wordly besines your L. will follow that renowmed Caesar in which litle Treatise I Hope your L. shall finde great conteÌ„tement of mynd sufficient matter to discouer the Heretickes Hypocrysie and false Religion and also shal be an helpe to others to come to the knowledge of the truth who allace are lyke the Israelites in Aegypt more willing to liue in slauery of Pharao then to suffer paynes to goe the Land of Chanaan and preferes more the wraithfull contenaÌ„ce of Pharao rhen the holy Land and lykewyse for the good of these who are morall and desyrous to know the truth who in end are lyke the Iewes who loued more the honour of the world theÌ„ the glory of God And lykewyse for the good of such who lyke Atheistes liue lyke the Prodigall sonne contented to liue miserable and to full their bellyes with the huskes of error instead of other fruictes of verity considering with themselues their misery and condition in Heresie as in a farre Country from their Parentes and naturall soyll may come to remorse of conscience to condemne their owne prodigall course and ignorance of lyfe and to make recourse to there parentes whoe pities the misery of their childreÌ„ And lykewyse for all sortes of persones who knowing no better and are ready to imbrace all noualties whose eares are filled with descant of Religions and the innumerable Sectes that euery day appeares or with the vntouned harmony of blasphemy against the Papists And therfore for the good of many aswell as of your L. and vpon the ioy of your L. conuersion and feruent yeall in profession with hope of perseueraÌ„ce and in congratulation of Gods benefits towards your L. and in calling your L. to the knowledg of the truth and in making your L. an child of God and one member of the Catholicke Church who lykewyse hath illuminated your L. eyes with the oile of his grace that the ignorant blindnesse of heresie may be expelled and in pulling you out of the golfe of perdition from the slauery of Aegypt and the basse captiuity of Babylon from the worish Ielousie of Heresie and from eternall damnation vnto saluation for the Ioye of the Angels for the perfection of lyfe comfort of Catholickes conuersion of heretickes and in end for the participation of glorie hath ministred the occasion of boldnes to present this Treatise to your L. for the subiect of this Treatise requyres such a patrone whose yeall in Heresie affore tyme without the knowlege of Godes truth may be in the verity with the true knowledg of God may not only protect and accept of this Treatise but also by your L. magnificent liberality to giue a testimony of your L. yeall to assist and concurre for the affecting of the secoÌ„d Treatise in which fyftie questions shal be intreated Reposing confidently this Treatise in the meane tyme to be acceptable to your L. to an other occasion wishing your L. with all my hart all HeaueÌ„ly blessings with incresse of wordly Honour and the successe of good fortune Farewell Your L. humble Seruitoure F. VVilliam Patersoune Augustin The Preface TO THE READER THE Blessed Apostle S. Paul not without instruction of the Holy Ghost doe forsee the troubles and calamities of the Church of Christ Prognosticates saying 1. cor 11. There must be Heresies amoÌ„gst you to that intente that they who are perfeict and approued amongst you might be knowne In which graue predictioÌ„ two things is to be obserued the one is for our comfort and the other is for our instruction that by the one to wit Heresie we be not dismayed or much offended when we see in the holy profession of our Christian Religion Heresies Sectes and Schismes to arise that then we foresaeke not the field of our faith wherin we warefare to God 1. cor 9. and runnes not as at an vncertaine thing neyther fightes as ' an that
beateth the windes but runnes to obtaine and fightes to vinne the reward And lykewise that we late not goe the steadfast hold of our hope but holding it sure and cleauing fast to the Rock of our faith against which the gates of Hell cannot preuaile neyther infidelity to haue accesse Cyp. Epist 55. ad comm PP If therefore we see by the verdict of the Apostle that Heresies must be which in effect brust out in the dayes of the Apostles as bade weeades springs vp amongst the cornes in the good husbandrie of our Lord and as cockle owersowede of the enemy in the good feild of God For in the dayes of the Apostles there waÌ„ted not most wicked Heretickes as Simon Magus Her nogines Philectus Hymenaeus Alexander Nicolaus who are mentioned in the Scripture to haue wauered and been inconstant in the faith and after the knowledge of righteousnes to haue turned back from the verity and to haue maintayned erroneous opinions and teached false doctrine for lucre cause VVith those also brust out others as the Ebionists Cerinthus MarcioÌ„ against whom S. Paul S. Peter S. Iohn and S. Iude hath writen discouring theÌ„ their doctrin vvth there manners the which wicked persones were so druÌ„ned in the sees of Heresies and delighted themselues in their poysonable opinions of errors yealous and fyrie to mantaine the same with their blood So that to this preseÌ„t day there hath been no age free of Heresie neyther was the world so perfect in Faith and Religion in the dayes of the Apostles more then now neyther is the world so perfect yet as not to haue many simple people in it neyther is the simple people so happy as to keepe themselues securly humble and in the obedience of the doctrine of the Church neyther is the obedient fully secure not to be deceaued of subtill and crafty men neyther is the subtill crafty Heretick so carefull of his credit honesty to moderat his peruerse opinioÌ„ and malice to spare and forbeare to maintain opeÌ„ falshoods old dampned opinions to intangle and snare the ignorantes and simple people VVherfore the Apostle prognosticates Heresies to be that meÌ„ ben forewarnde and fortold that as Heresies must be with it subtility and malice that wheÌ„ men beholde the one to be circumspect not to be deceaued and trapped in the other against whom Christ our Saluiour exhortes vs totake head of false Prophets who are clothed in sheape skinnes and are inwardly reaweing wolues Matth. 7. And S. Iohn biddes not belieue euery spirit but try them and decerne them whether they be of God or no But who is this prudent and wyse that can not be deceaued and who hath that gift to decerne spirits seing Heresie it selfe is of the Scripture and deceit and malice is of the diuell that old serpent for made not Sathan this potion out of Scripture when he said Gen. 3. Eritis sicut dij his deceat and malice is discouered in calling him an Serpent as it is writen erat serpeÌ„s calidior cunctis animantibê° terrae gen 3. Therefore how shall men of good iudgement know theÌ„ farelesse how shall the ignorant and lai-persones try truth from falshood sounde doctrine from error heresie froÌ„ true Religion seing it is coÌ„mon in this age and taught euery man to read the Scriptures and by them to decerne spirites truth and falshood heresie and true Religion I wish froÌ„ my hart if it please God that as holy Scripture is the true tryall therof that it were as euident and plaine to all men to seike the tryall therin which the whole learned holy men froÌ„ the Apostles tymes hath iudged the contrary that the Scripture is a book of difficulties as S Aust saith lib. 2. de doct Christi cap. 6. Many things are darke and obscure in the Scriptures and it hath been so prouyded of God to the inteÌ„t that our pryd may be taymed with traueill and our knowledge not cloyed with facility which quickly contemneth what hath been easily learned In this same mynd is S Hier. in Ezech. cap. 45. saying All prophesie and interpretation of the Scriptute containes the truth in darknes and obscurity to the intent that the scollers learned within may vuderstaÌ„d but the rude people without may not know what is said least we should cast precious perles before hoges if the treasure of Gods secrets should be opened to euery maÌ„ To amplifie at more lenght the difficultie therof Epiph. in Anchoratu saies The Scripture telleth all truth but we haue need of a good vnderstanding and perseuerance to know God and his word Lykewyse Orig lib. 7. in leuit There is in the Gospel saith he the letter that killeth and this destroying letre is not only in the old buc also in the new TestameÌ„t to him that vnderstandes it not spiritually what is said VVhich difficultie Tert. in praesc affirmes saying I am not a feared to say that the Scriptures themselues haue been so disposed by the will of God that they might minister matter vnto Heretickes And therfore seing the Apostle prognosticates that Heresie must be which could not be without the Scripture which is an ample field for all sectes the greater should be our prudence and wisdome to beweere of their deceat and subtilities lest they bring to passe which S. Paul feared saying that as the Serpent deceaued Eua through his subtility euen so your senses may be corrupted and to fall away from the simplicity vvhich is in Christ Iesu For such false Apostles are decetfull workers transfigurating themselues in the Apostles of Christ Neyther is it marueil that they so appeare for their master Sathan can transfigure himselfe in an Angell of light therfore it is not a great matter if his ministers can transfigurat theÌ„selues in the apparance of ministers of righteousnes vvhose end shal be according to their vvorks Secondly to deceat and craft is neuer anexed malice enuy ialousie caluÌ„nies vvhich must proceed from Heresie as Christ himself defines saying ex fructibê° eoruÌ„ cognoscetis eos mat 7. vvhich fruicts are so manifest and euident that they cannot be obscured and denyed is their slanderous reportes inuections lyes skooffs and blasphemies against God and his Church vnknown to the vvorld no in vvhich doing they haue follovved and imitated the Manicheis as vvitnes S Aug. lib. de vtilit cred c. 1. vvho exceeded all other Hereticks before them that vvith open mouth selaÌ„dered the Church of Christ and charging her vvith sensles prodigious dostrines and errours outfaceing their blasphemies vvith bitter inuections and calumnies to affray the ignorant people froÌ„ the bosome of the Catholik Church and by setting them selues in the stoll as fearfull bogelles to affray children that they might not knovv the verity through ther deceat and malice neyther vvhether the Church is but their synagogue manasseing and treatning to ioyne all to there coÌ„uentickle lyke foullars vvho hauing layd the lyme vvands by the spring
and vvater syde go about to stope all other vvaters rouÌ„d about and doe set skar crowes ouer them that the poore birdes not knovving vvher to make succourse to find vvaters not of chose but of very necessity at last most light in their snayres vvhich euidently appeare in the Hereticks of this age euer vvith Heresie to haue malice adioyned vvith it as experience hath proued in Scotland that in the beginning Heresie was so delectable to the vvhole estait of the land after vvith vvhat subtility policy and craft it is established in so far that it is pointly registred in the books of Parlamét the professioÌ„ of their faith is acted vvord to vvord for a perpetual memorie the vvholl bodie of the kingdome is coacted to svveir to subscriue this new faith who refuses eyther Protestant or Catholik theÌ„ malice inuy hatred and blasphemy must force then what by excommunication horning or by prisonement confiscation of goods exill or death they belieue no man whom onse they conceaue iealousie of their malice is in reconciliable that they are in will desire after the mynd of Caligula who wished the heades of all the RomaÌ„s to stand on maÌ„s body that at one blooe he may beheade them al. And therfore to effectuat their malicious desyres and that the poyson of their hart may be made knowne they evvomat clamorous raillings and blasphemies against the Pope of Rome al Catholike people that thereby the ignoraÌ„t being onse snared in their heresie anone are drouÌ„k with the same poysoÌ„ of blasphmy fury hatred and malice against Catholicks and Priests that they are lyke made and frented people and that they cam home from their sermonds no lesse feirce and fyrie then sogeres froÌ„ the warlyke speaches of their Captain exhorting them to the fight or as it is said of the citizins of Abdera that onse hearing a furious Tragedie in a heate sommer day they were so stroken with such a fit of frenesie through the vehemeÌ„t heat of the soune that many days they did nothing but act the same Tragedie vvith furious gestures in there straites VVas not the lyk tragedie acted in S. Iohnstoun and through all Scotland in vvhat frenesie and madnes were the people that in one yeare they raysed throwdown and demolised all the abbayes Churchs Chappell 's and Hospitalls in the whole land with perseuerance in blaspheming condemning skoffing freting raiging and moking God his Church These holy puritaÌ„e Sancts are full of zeall to evomat such haynous abominable blasphemies for poor and sound doctrine dissembling credit and honesty who are known enemies they want in their sermons and make ample disgressions to geet with men of small iudgement the name of a great preachour to be called a cunning clerk that as S. Austen saith Any man of very small learning may doe the same to prate vpon palpable follies and to be inuectiue which custome is deduced froÌ„ the Manicheis who made long sermons with much grauity long graces c. against whom S. Aug. lib. 1. de morib eccl c. 10. writes adiudging suchlyke toyes vvicked vvhich doe no way concerne vs for they speake vpon old wyfes tailles and childish bables for in that in which they are most earnest in approuing and confuting matter of Religion against tht Catholickes the more they show themselues to want iudgment and whosoeuer is seduced and deceaued of them to follow Heresie condeÌ„neth not the Catholik Church but showeth himself ignorant to lack iudgement For the nature of Heresie is to blinde the vnderstanding and induce ignorance And therefore as S. Cyp. lib. 1 epist 3 saith that of theÌ„ who are prophane out of the Church no things is to be expected but a deprauat mynd a deceitfull tongue cankered malice and sacrilegious lyes whosoeuer shall giue credit to these professors shall suffer with them the sentence of damnation at Christ comming to iudg the world In lyke maÌ„ner S. AusteÌ„ serm 22. de verb. Apost declaring the cause of the peruersitie of heretiks with what malice and hatred satan hath spyred them that they so continue in their wicked course against conscience all morall reason is more the feare of the shame of the world then the feare of God or loue of their soule Lest there religion being detected and discouered it should be said to them why haue you deceaued vs so long why did you seduce vs wherfore told yee vs so many fals things regarding more the weaknes of men to reprehend their folly then the inuinciblenes of the truth which must preuaile VVhose description of doctrine and manner is not neadfull to be produced of vs Catholiks when sufficiently of Luther others they are described as ane Anatomie to the obiect of all beholders as reportes Theod. Fabrit in locis comm in art Luth. pag. 4. 5 saying The natures of these Viperes are such that they can cauill deceatfully with wordes making the Scriptures a noise of wax they show their impious ingenious spirit to turne and alter the sense by the meaning of the Apostles in which they are admirable doctors surpassing in skill wite of al the learned and profound men of this world For they are gouerned by a malignaÌ„t spirit w h doth possesse be wich their wits are inradged with satanicall viruleÌ„cy against Gods Church and her professors They caÌ„not eshew but must interpret the Scripturs wroÌ„g for in this they are for all the world lyke spidders that suck poyson out of fayre and fragaÌ„t flours the venome not being in the flours but in theÌ„selues And therfore as heresie must be It is not without our profit to wit for our instructioÌ„ seing that heresies are and suffered to be to that intent that they who are perfect in his Church might be known for by Heresies the Church is tryed as gold be the fyre as the sea that is moued with teÌ„pests casts out his froth filth the poor waters keep his boâ—ds course soe the Church in tyme of tribulatioÌ„ and stormes of heresie voydes away the fooll vncleane meÌ„bers out of her the souÌ„d and faithfull remaine vnder her Catholicke rowfe abydeth in the faith onse receaued and belieued For in tyme of Heresie Schisme the part of euery good Christian man must be to doe as good sogers to ruÌ„ne to their captain generall lookiÌ„g to him expecting to be directed how and wheÌ„ to stryke as the modest and geÌ„tle passager wheÌ„ the teÌ„pest stormes ariseth to disordre their passage sufferes with hartly mynd the master to ruell the sterne medling not with that that which he hath not skill of Euen so when priuie rebelles and wicked members of Christian religion sowe seditious schismes and preaches heresie troubliÌ„g therby the quiet setled coÌ„scieÌ„ces of true belieuers euery ChristiaÌ„ man especially the lai inferior sort ought to cleaue to their heades and ruelers in Christ Church medling not vvith any
point of religion called in controuersie but lock to be directed as they haue been alwayes in all former ages by there Catholik Pastors to vvhoÌ„ they are coÌ„manded by the Apostle to obey submit theÌ„selues no lesse theÌ„ the soger to his captain or the passager to the schipper master of the shippe Therfore after the exaÌ„ple of the Apostle I haue set down the Protestantes opinion sound doctrine that the modest and discret Reader may iudge with equity that their profession is reall heresie and containes nothing but filthy abominable assertions without any good grounds eyther of Scripture or reasone That in vveighing the balance in thy hand of iudgement and vnderstanding thow may saue thy soule which is lost if thow remaine in the profession with them who will goe about to saue his soule will learne the verity And therefore Gentle Reader I haue set downe in this Protestant Theologie there owne wordes lest some would say that I doe belye them which to doe I am very loth but to obserue charity as I would they should doe the lyke to me and whereas Gentil Reader that thow hadst not the full work accomplished blame me not I lippened to mens promises who hath failled when I haue brought this booke so farre on the way for my owne part I am sory that it is manked or abriged if pouerty hath not been my impediment notwithstanding to my ability with the curtosie of some goodes friends out of the zeall of their deuotion This first part of my booke is commed to light expecting opportunatie and frienship to effectuat the other part which God-willing in his owne tyme shall be seene Therefore inioy this for the present and pitie my pouerty bidding the hartly fairewell Thy friend in Christ F. VV. P. A. THE PROTESTANTS THEOLOGIE QVAESTIO I. WHerefor good Christians adheere ye and ioyne rather to the Papists Church and faith than to our reformed Church seing our Church and faith is the trew Catholik faith and is from the Apostles them selues delyuered Cal. praef ad Franc. Gal. Reg. ANSVER The Catholik Roman faith was long befor the reformed WHEREFOR praefere ye not the roman-catholik-Roman-Catholik-Church and hir faith befor the Lutheran Caluinian or any vther sect what soeuer vnder pretence of reformation with a whorish applaud for as God was befor the deuil appeared euin so his trew Church and faith out of all dout is more ancient than the false and was befor it euer appeared for when the husbandman hade soowed his good seed in the feild than efter came the enuyous man and owersowed cockle as is said Matth. 15. but our Catholik Roman Church faith religion by the rest is long befor the reformation The Church and hir crew faith is from the tyme of the apostles ordeered and printed in the tables of verytie forasmuch seing that these many ages it hath bene from the tyme of the Apostles and long befor hath preuented the reformed nether can any of their wryters or centurians shew and declare as yet any forcible and sufficient argument what tyme place or by what author any corruption entered in the Catholick Roman Church Morouer ther was none except heretickes who beleued thes thinges contrary to the doctrin of the Roman Catholik Church or haue proposed to be beleued which they dogmatically indeed belieue and peruersly propound to be belieued if they can as yet shew and declare An honest chalenge let them approue them selues men for thair souls good and the honor of their reformed religion and for the satisfaction of many halting betwixt their new opinions and our old Roman Catholick doctrine Morouer we may easily declare demonstrate these your dogmaticall opinions and paradoxes in which yow do discrepat The new reformed religion is long sensed condemned disagre froÌ„ vs long since to be condemned and to be tryed real heresies out of diuerse sectaries alredy condemned by the Church also what tyme place increas procedings author of whoÌ„ they weer oppugned gainsaid It is bulded on the old heresies alredy condemned which when they weere brought to light and made knowne to all men did all sauour of heresie noueltie and change of religion with no long apparant continuans of long keiping possession or perseuerant tyme as shal be in euery place argument of this book obserued the man and his opinion the oppugner and contradictor the censor iudgment the age tyme. And therfor as for our part we shall first let Tert de praescr haret c. 32. as a defender of the Catholik Roman faith steppe into the feild with whom we demande Tert. demandes of the heretikes their entres and inquyre of your newe nouation and vpstatt reformation becaus yow claime the Catholick Church and hir name vnto you in this maner asking of you by these interrogations saying as he said to the heretikes in his tyme What do yow in my place and bee none of myne lykwyse by what right Marcion Luther Caluin cut ye doun my woodes by what liceÌ„se ValeÌ„tin Luther Caluin made into my fountaines by what authoritie Appelles Luther Caluin break yow my boundes myne is the possession why do ye rest heere to sowe and pasture at your pleasure myne is the possession Tertul defendes the Catholik name to aperte in to him as to a lawful successor of the Apostles long synce I possest it and first I did possesse it I shewe the first original of the owners to whome the thing was proper thus he Morouer our holy father S. August lib. de vtilit cred c. 7. as an other martial champion entereth in the feild against the heretikes of his tyme who vsurped the Catholick name and sayes ther is one Church All heresie confesse one Church as al confesse and if you look on the wholl compasse of the world it exceedeth all other in nomber as they affirme that know also shee is more sincere in doctrine of the treuth and ther is one Catholick Church Diuers heresies heth geuen diuers names to hir bot culd neuer deface hir of the Catholick name to which diuerse heresies haue geuen different names wheÌ„ as euery on of them haue their proper name which they dare not deny by which it may easily appeare to whom the name Catholick of which al are desyrous ought to be attributed This word Catholick made him to boast and outface the enimyes saying contr epist fund c. 4. I may not omit this wisdome This name catholick madâ—s him to boost against heresies which you deny to be the Catholick Church ther ar diuerse other things which do most iustly retaine and hold me in hir boundes as vnitie ther hould me the consent of people Consent of people authoritie and the name Catholik held S Augastin in the Church and nations the authoritie which had hir beginning by mirackles nourished by hope augmented by charitie confirmed by antiquitie there do hold me the succession of
Geneua in Sauoye their preachings They neuer saluted Ierusalem nether is their reformed faith farr spred abrode nether hath it ben in Asia Africk Grece Egypt nether in many Kingdomes of Europe and farlesse through the world nether to the middest of it And although the Church as they say is old and aged yet their Synagogue is more apparant to be at an end Diuisions and sectes are futer tokens of anâ— end for their own diuisiones and daily mutations are prognostications of an end for the Euangellist sayes Luc. c. 1. euery Kingdome diuided in it self shal be desolat this desolation appeares rightly in the propagation of sectes for some are Sacramentaries In what nomber of sectes the reformed fallin whil they forsake the Catholick Church some Confessionistes some fierce some slacker some contra-deuills some hellishe deuills some two Sacramentaries other thre Sacramentaries some superintendents some Luther-Caluinists some anti-Caluinists some new-Pelagians some new Manicheans some Puritans some Gomaristes contra-Puritanes Arminians c. What a rable and a degenerat crew of sectes ech one hath the new reformed Church and the new no faith In vaine they wold be called Catholickes wher Sathan hath his dominioÌ„ it tendes to desolation and are not ashamed to claime the Catholik name to them and the Church of Christ Where Antichrist hath his desolation abominable confusion of sectes And therefor their religion reformation and faith is nether religion faith nor Gospel The Protestants sayes without warrandes Ther exception here can not be omitted vndiscouered in that they affirme and say them to hold the same doctrin which begann at Ierusalem ther vpon to assume to them the Apostolicall and Catholik faith This exception is in vaine for when soeuer any heretik did appare he sayd and affirmed the same Christ answer e our Catholik beg nnâ—g but euill proued here vpon Christ â—eencounters their folish-cauilling-lies who hath not placed the doctrine but the beginning of the Euangelicall preaching to take place at Ierusalem for he sayes Trew doctrin is noâ— knowne but preaching and to preachers beginning at Ierusalem to wit the self preachers for the doctrin is not knowne except by preaching as the Apostel sayes how shall they belieue in him in whome they haue not heard and how shall they heare without preaching therefor the preacher and the doctrine must beginne first at Ierusalem The preacher the doctrin most beginne at Ierusalem Which the new reformed preachers haue not done therefor their doctrin and reformed faith is nether Apostolical nor Catholick All Churches hath one beginning of the Apostolicall preaching beginning at Ierusalem For all particular Churches haue one originall and commun beginning to wit the Apostolicall pr aching beginning at Ierusalem and after by the same Apostles spred abrod in diuerse nations It â—est now after so many ages that albeit the Churches of the other Apostles hath perished not w h standing only Peters the Prince of the Apostles to wit the Church of Rome Rome Church standes by singular priuiledge of God that in it is livly authoritie by the singular benefit of God to remain Wher many yeares he teached and in it ended his lyf which as S. Aug Epist 162. ad Glorium sayes hath euer bene resident with the authoritie of the apostolicall chayre And theirfor for verification of our mission doctrin and faith we make manifest and declare one originall to be of the Apostles for Peter him self first of all other hath preached in Ierusalem and also from this seate when as yet the seates of the other apostles weer extant The church of Rome is cheif of all other seates when the Apostles wer a-liue All the fathers defended ther originall by this church Trew faith should be vndouted in all thinges not with standing as cheif of all others and hereto many holy fathers and the trew Senatours of the world haue inferred and induced punctually the orignall of their churches against the heretikes of their tyme. As Tertull. de praesc haeret 2. con lib 3. c. 3. Epiph. haret 27. aug 4. The fourth reason is that the trew Catholick faith ought to be vndoubted in all things the which the Church proposes to be belieued so that it is most certain to vs the thing which we are commanded to belief to be such lyke for other wayes it should not be trew faith because faith is the substance of things hoped this is the trew proper and sure fundament and an argument of nothing seene Heb. 9. and this is the trew definition of our Catholik faith and the vndoubtenes there of to depend on the Church But the Reformed faith of Luther and Caluin is not vndoubted and first I proue The ProtestaÌ„ts faith is full of doutes because in matters of greatest importance and moment of faith they disagree one from the other extremly For Luther omitting many to touche a fewe discrepants in his booke de capt bap printed anno 1520. about the beginning doth acknowledge only one Sacrament if we do speke sayes he according to the custome of the Scripture Luther and Caluin varie in the number of the Sacraments notwithstanding after he takes occation for the tyme to place three bapt the Lords supper and pennance Far other wayes disputes Caluin in his Parnassus lib. 4. instit cap. 18. § 19 whil he reckneth two Sacraments saying besides these none other is institute of God and yet the Church of the faithfull ought not to acknowledge any other Notwithstanding a little after in the same booke Order a Sacrament acknowledged of Caluin cap. 19. § 31. he sings an other thing placeing order amongst the Sacraments ther rests imposition of handes sayes he which in trew and lawfull ordination I graunt to be a Sacrament Bread wyne to be turned in to the body blood of Christus is Luthers opinion Againe Luther in his book de abroganda miss pri plainly teacheth that Christ when he sayd this is my body and this is my blood changed the bread into his body the wyne into his blood likewyse in his Serm. de Euchar. it is not there bread sayes he and wyne but only the species of bread and wyne Caluin called bread wyne Sacramentall symboles Contrariwise Caluin denyed his body and blood corporally and essentially to be in the Eucharist but only spiritually and sacramentally as lib. 4 instit c. 17. § 5. for that we confesse him to be no other way in the Sacrament thaÌ„ by the eating of faith neither can he no other wayes be presupposed who in his first § sayes bread and wyne sayes he are signes which do represent the inuisible foode that we receiue of the flesh and blood of Christ by faith Morouer how variable and inconstant is Luther in the other artickles of the faith Luth. is so variable in the artikles of our faith that in one artkle he is noted of 36
consequentlie froÌ„ god him self for as S. August sayes he shall not haue god for his father that will not haue the church for his mother OBIECTION OVr faith is pure reformed and is Catholik forasmuch as it is free of the errors and superstitions of the papistis and therefor this our reformation is to be preferred and is more Catholik then the papistes faith is ANSVER TOo late hast thou spruÌ„g vp vaine boaster that with these vaine wordes and suchlyk illusiones thow labores to seduce and blind so many learned men in the church of God or perchance thou thinkest them to be children lying in craddles that in singing of such triflinge songs thow canst mak them slumber or rather stumble The protestants reformation admittes no power spirituall or temporall What puritie â—s in yowr faith how reformed and how long catholike that more iustlie it may be called deformed and the in bringer of all deformatioÌ„ and distruction of all ecclesiasticall powere the which reformation admits no policie and no ecclesiasticall forme but damnes the rites of all former ages Derides the cannones of the Church They deride the canons of the Church and Scoffes at the fathers mockes and scoffes the holy fathers howsoeuer they weer neere the tyme of the Apostles for euidence doth not Cal. lib. 3. instit cap. 4. § 38. condemne all the ancieÌ„t fathers whose bookes ar extant in speaking of satisfaction and that in his fourth booke of instit cap. 12. § 20. sayes he Caluin condeÌ„nes the ancieÌ„t fatheres and presseth them to haue sown superstition in the Church In all he will not excuse the ancient fathers but that they haue sowed the seede of superstition and haue giuen occasion to Tyrannie which therafter a rose in the church and than furth with beganne the superstitious obseruance of Lent thus he and thus is the beginning of the reformation and the puritie of the gospell to bolster heresie for treuth and veritie It may be called a renouation of old damned heresies harken good frends and I shall declare the assumtion and the effect of this reformatioÌ„ first the trew church of God visible in all the countries of the world in this reformed churches opinioÌ„ to haue perished and to remaine and a byde in som certaine places of the world obscure and hidde of this mynd was the Donatists as witnes Opt. meleu lib. 2. cont parm and S. Ang. lib. de Vnit. Eccl. cap. 12. this same doctrin of reformed faith The Church to haue perished was the old heretikes opinion with the reformers hath Caluin teached that the church of Christ hath perished and remaines inuisible aganst the plain tenor of the Scriptur Cal. lib. 4. cap. 2. § 2. Secondlie the Arrianes taught the sonne not to be aequall to the father in deitie as witnes Epiph. heresie 69. The sone is not equall with the father And the same groundes hath Caluin for his reformation lib. 2. inst c. 14. § 3. God is the author of sinne Thirdlie Florinus held opinion God to be the author of sinnes as Euseb lib. 5. c. 20. And the same opinion is stoutly defended of Caluin lib. 1. iust cap 18 § 4 5. lib. 1. cap. 15. § 16. Man is instified by onlie faith Fourtly man to be iustifyed and saued by only faith and not by workes was the opinion of Simon Magus and Eunomius as S. Aug. haer 54. Iren. lib. 1 cap. 20. The same doctrin teaches Luth. in Serm. de piscat Petri We should come only with Ysaac sayes he that is with faith and the seruantes and asses that is workes it behoweth to leave them below and a syde And in an other Sermon in that subiect Sic Deus dilexit munduÌ„ if thow com sayes he with Sackes full of good workes it behoveth thee to lay theÌ„ down otherwayes thow canst not enter into heauen And Caluin ther mak his bragg in his thrid book of inst cap 11. § 14. Now plainly the reader doth behold sayes he with what oequitie the Sophisticall papistes do cauill and iudge our religion when we say Aman is iustified by only faith Man hath no freewill Fyftlie Manicheus condemned and denyed frewill as S. Aug. haeres 49. The same hath Luther renewed as in his book of Servill will cont Eras and suchlyk Cal. lib. 2. cap. 2. § 4. This name of frewill hath euer beene extant with the Latines but with the Grekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word much more arrogant Mariadge and Virginitie is alyk in merit Sixtlie Iouinian made Mariage alyke in dignitie and merit to Virginitie and plainly to haue taught fasting and abstinence to be of no merit as S. Hier. obserues lib. 1. 2. cont Iouian These same subiectes teaches Luther and Caluin Luther in his epithalamio and Cal. lib. 4. c. 12. § 19. cap. 13. § 3. what if I should repeat the erroneous opinions of the Albigenses Waldens Wiclif Hussites Abailardes Baerâ—â— garians Almarik and suchlyk abominable sectes condemned long since of the Church and of all generall counsells accursed and yet not withstanding these are the patrones The old heretikes ar the patrones of the newe heretikes and Rabbies of the reformed who weer renewers of Heresie inuentors of noualties whose begininge and progresse is knowen to be wrapped in errore and superstitioÌ„ while they think to be free ar snared in blindnese of vnderstanding and in hardnes of hart They ar blind through the hardnes of ther hart and indured goeth headlonge to perditioÌ„ as reprobated of God through the hardnes of their own hart and therfore if any maÌ„ censure and iudge with equitie the reformed they haue no faith no religion no name but the name of particular men as Caluinists and Lutherans and of suchlyk monsters already condemned And therfore for conclusion let the catholik RomaÌ„ faith liue and reigne to whose campe I admon she all aduersaries not to approch for treuely it is plesant and delectable to be a protestant but more Secure to die a Catholik therfore let euery good Christian eschewe and flee from the Lutherans and Galuinistes who ar particular sectes seing each Gentell reader flee the heretikes for they promise much and porforme but little one of them promisseth with Faustus Manicheus to giue a new illumination and a new reformation euery on of them endeuoreth to draw the into his sect but take heed and be warned and cry with S. Hieron epist ad Damas Meletius Vitalis and Paulinus also Luther Caluin and Rotman and all other sectaries doe say that they haue the trew and Christian faith so said the heretikes of old so sayes the moderne perchance aman might beleue if one said it but two and three do say and they all do lie what hunting mak they to mak a proselite and a child of hell o tymes o maneres o monsters what absurdities followeth this new reformation as is rehersed that Christian men are
brought in that perplexitie of mynd to stad hummering and in consultation with them selues what syde to be on what religion to imbrace what faith to beleue A conclusion descrybinge them to whoÌ„ they ar lyk for they them selues that ar the rabbies of this reformation are departed from the testament of the Catholik church to wit from vnitie peace and holy obedience and ar Ioyned to the gentilles to do the very workes of the gentilles and ar sold to do euill 1. Machab. 1. v. 16. Matth. 26. mantein the euill and to condemne the righteous and to bring perdition to the soules of men throw their filthy and damnable persuations Matth. 7. O frindly enimies kissing with a venemous mouth hauing sugered lippes to ly O wolfes hypocrisie vnder a lambes countenance to deceave Genes 3. O cruell wound vnder pretext of a charitable medicine Iudicum 14. O serpents narration full of envy and malice to our first parentes O desembled sighes 2. Reg. c. 20. and gronings the hypocritall Teares of Dalila 2. Mach. c. 13. O Ioabs trechorous salutation to Amaza O Triphons wicked banquet to Ionathas O Gabonit policy to deceave Israell what ells ar all the heretikes do they not pretend simplicitie innocency perfection religion and cloth theÌ„ selues with the catholik name when all is falsehood and wickednes that they pretend and thus the prophet sayes they protect them selues putting their hope in an vntreuth and falshoode Isa 68. being men void of grace and destitute of the fear of the Lord and ar become the children of this world to be wyse in their generation and to be destitute of all knowledge concerning God and so in the end to perish miserablie QVAESTIO II. Of the damnable and speciall faith of the Heretikes WHerfore doe the Papistes reiect our speciall faith which giues secure consolation to the faithfull Luth. art 10.11.12 Cal. lib. 3. inst cap 2. § 16.17 ANSVVER THAT speciall faith by whiche ariseth sure confidence by reasone of Christes imputatiue iustice merit and satisfaction in beleueing with your selues sinnes to be remitted and to be iust and of God predestinat to eternall lyffe as also vndoubtedly to obteine the inheritance of the kâ—ngdome of God This securitie Only faith is deadly and fight against God and the Scriptures and confidence is false and full of deadlie poyson and seales your obcecat and blinde conscience to go forwarde temeÌ„rously in presumption against God and his wisdome reuealed in holy Scriptures which reclames this assertion to be false vaine With standes nothinge and foolishe and by consequence accursed As these euident testimonies witnesse And first Ecclesiast sayes that a man knowes not Mans ryghâ—eousnes and predestination is vncertaine in this lyf whether he is worthy of Love or hatred but all thinges ar kept vncertaine to the end Eccl. cap. 9. v. 1. The which wordes ar spoken of righteous-men who ar not guyltie of any sinne in them selues for the preacher hathe saide a little before that there ar ryghteous iust and wyse men whose state of rychteousnes in this lyfe and predestination is vncertain Secondlie the same preacher pronunceth plainlie to reconcyled persones with God Reconciled persones at not without fear of the remitted sinne saying of the forgiuen sinne be not without feare Eccles 5. v 5. therfore what certaintie and securitie can be presupposed when we are commanded to feare the forgiuen sinne Thridly S. Paull 1. Cor. cap. 4. v. 4. Speakinge of the iudgment of conscience sayes as touckinge me I passe little to be iudged of yow or mans iudgment nor I iudge not my self Iustification is a hiden secret so that of hide things no man is sure and farrles secur and certaine For I know no thing by my self yet am I not therby iustified which all do sounde incertantie in iustification and no confident securitie as though he would say the iustification of man is so hidde and secret that albeit no man be guiltie and faultie of sinne in him self yet notwithstanding a man may not therefore promise to him self vndoubted iustification as all the fathers do expounde this place as Ambr. Chryso Theoph. Theod. Anselm c. Vnto which accordes S. Chry. oper imperf in Mat. hom 38. No man sayes he is vnder-propped and vpholden with so great firmnesse and strength that he can be secure of his iustification A presuÌ„ptious temeritie in the protestantes thus he thair for all heretikos puritanes and whatsoeuer sectaries may be ashamed of their temerous presuÌ„ption in persuadinge and assuringe to them selues predestination and iustification which neither the Apostles neither fathers nor holy Church hath euer presumed to ascribe to them selues The temeritie of this only faith detected doth demonstrate the presumption Speciall faith is no wayes reuealed of God as a thing certaine to be belieued and foolishnes of them in this formall argument No man can belieue any thing surely in the certaintie of faith except the self same be reuealed of God Therfore in particular me to be iust with habituall righteousnes at no tyme is reuealed excluding the singular priuiledge of Gods diuyne reuelation which is geuin to veriefewe therfor it can not be that I can belieue the certaintie of suchlyk faith to be reuealed of God which sightes against him self as an axioÌ„ to an impossibilitie In treue faith no man can belieue false thinges Moreouer no man can or may belieue falslie in heauenly faith but this is falslie belieued of many them selues to be iust For the verification of the same doth not the Lutheranes belieue them selues to be iust but the Caluinistes iniust But the protestantes faith beliues falstie many things and treuly coÌ„trary wise the Caluinistes beleue theÌ„ selues to be iust and the Lutheranes iniust For euery sect belieueth their ovne to be iust but others vniust Therfor it is of necessitie this speciall faith to be iniust and false for wherfore is it trewer which the Lutheranes doth beleue than that which the Caluinistes beleue for euery one of theÌ„ obiectes to the other the inspiratioÌ„ of the spirit and each one chaleÌ„dge an other of error Therfor only and speciall-faith is no faith and no thing els but deceipt Only faith is inuented for the libertie of the flesh Eunomius opinion about only faith his policie good lyf that many were deceaued by him and Sathans subtiltie to cosen and deceaue the simple and only inuented to defend the libertie of the flesh Of this opinion was Eunomius as sayes S. August lib. de haeres ad quod vult Deum to affirme this presumption of securitie of Saluation by only faith which this day the moderne sectaries defende yea S. Aug. sayes that the enimie was so subtill and of good maners of lif that many belieued him Moreouer he affirmed that no euill could harme any man nether perseuerance in sinne if he were participant of that faith which of him was teached and defended
so thou takest it not vnworthily or art any wayes guiltie but shalt obtaine grace thereby so that thou belieue The Apostle teacheth Examining of conscience Luther affirmeth that in receauing the Sacramēt with guiltie conscience a man receaues grace if he but only belieue to goe before but Luther and the rest teach only faith to suffise and belieuing doth assure him self of grace and that he doth obtaine the same in the Communion and so by disswading men from the examen and probation of themselues before they receaue the holy Sacrament and teaching them only faith to looke only on the mercyes of God and not on his iudgment doth make men guiltie of iudgment and so throwes them into perdition Moreouer this doctrine of only faith doth subuert ouerthrow the preaching of true repentance Only faith disanulleth repētance conuersiō to God and of our conuersion to God for the Scripture saith Psal 84. Conuert vs our God of saluation and turne away thy wrath from vs. And Isai 1. Let the wicked leaue his way the iniust man his cogitations and returne vnto the Lord and he wil be merciful vnto him Againe VVash you and be ye cleane take away your euil cogitations from before myne eyes cease to doe euil and learne to doe well come and reason with me saith the Lord. If your synnes were as scarlett as snowe they shal be made white Again Do pennance and be baptised enery one of you Pennance and conuersiō are before remission of synnes in the remission of synnes Act 2 Seeing the Scripture is euident witnes which declares and shewes true pennance and conuersion to God to goe before remission of synnes Contrarywise by this doctrine of only faith remission of synnes is obtained But the Protestants make remission of synnes to anticipate all meanes without any other meanes going before only by faith and then followeth forthwith true repentance and conuersion to God this Luther affirmes in Bulla Leon art 11.12 Who belieueth himself to be absolued saith he is absolued whatsoeuer be spoken of contrition and pennance Only faith disannulleth the iurisdiction of the Church concerning the loosing and binding of synne Moreouer the doctrine of only faith is contrary to the power of binding and looseing in remitting and retayning of synnes which power our Lord gaue to Peter and the other Apostles for our Lord did auouch synnes to he remitted to those to whome they remitted synne and those to be loosed in heauen whome they loosed vpon the earth Matth. 26. Ioan. 20. But this onely faith teacheth that synnes are remitted by only faith yea though no looser nor remitter be present or cōdescend thereto yea that hauing this faith euen when they shall come to the Pastors of the Church to be absolued their synnes be remitted to them and they haue obtained and purchased now already by only faith remission of their synnes that it is now ridiculous to stand to the promisses and wordes of our Lord which he hath said to his disciples VVhose synnes ye remitt they are remitted to them seeing their synnes are remitted to themselues before they come to the Apostles or their Successors Yea also no more power is left to the Apostles at the least in this parte then to any Christian man yea also children for after the foolish opinions of these Rabbies that belieuing the preaching of only faith anone receaues forgiuenes of synns Therefore of this maxime is that wonderfull saying of Luther Luthers absurd iudgmēt that women children and ech lay man may remitt synnes aswell as the Priestes of the Church That in the Sacrament of pennance and in the remission of the fault no more doth the Pope or Bisshop then the lowest Priest and when there is not a Priest each Christian may doe the same yea women and children may doe the same if they be present aswell as Pope Bisshop or Priest in Bulla Leon. sent 13. Moreouer the doctrine of this only faith is contrary to it self for no man agreeth and consenteth to any thing This doctrine is contrary to it self No man condescendes and Yeildes to any vnknowne thing but onely faith is belieued as an vnknowne thing which is contrary to al reason The gospell was not belieued without trial and miracles except he iudge it true first before he condescend to it for out of a natural loue of veritie and the hatred of falsehood moralitie teacheth that before we condescend to any thing we doe trye it whether that which is reported to vs be true and when we haue found the same to be in it self true then next we giue consent The same argument appeareth in the Gospell that many receaued and belieued the same by reason of the sygnes and miracles which they sawe done and likewise in searching of the old scriptures found the same thinges prophecyed to be fulfilled in the time of the gospell and to be true miracles but this doctrine of only faith and assured confidence that a man belieues his synnes to be remitted to him is by the same only faith which he belieues so it followes of necessitie that he hath remission of synnes before he belieued by the same faith and therefore the remission A filthie absurditie the effect to be before the cause is behinde the remission which is beliued to be of this only faith so that the effect is first before the cause which is very absurde For truly the Christian faith goeth before iustification as the Apostle sayes The hart belieues to richteousnes Roman 10. Likewise a man is iustifyed by faith Gal. 2. An other absurditie that only faith goeth before the word of God But it is most absurde that faith goeth before the word of God and the self same word of God faith to giue credit to the word it self seeing the word of God is not faith but faith dependes vpon the word of God it is therefore necessary that the testimony of God precede before his testimony may be belieued But the Christian Catholique Church knowes that before any belieue in Christ that he is a child of wrath and the wrath of God to abide on him Ephes 2. Ioan. 3. And also knowes that the vngodly man should leaue his wayes and the wicked man his cogitations Isai 55. and turne vnto God by true pennance and faith in Christ in hope and prayer and by frequent receauing of the Sacraments that so at last God may haue mercy on him This Catholique faith is farr from the other only saith which only doth belieue synnes to be remitted excluding all mediation apprehending the effect before the cause Onely faith doth peruert the word of God Again this doctrine of only faith peruerteth the word for this assured persuasion to belieue doth procede from the vnderstanding of a strange gospell and not of the word of God So that by the same doctrine of only faith the word of God is peruerted wherefore it is to be reiected which
him againe fall with his owne waight in the waters breaking his bones strangled and almost left dead this was the euent of his myracle as witnesseth Thomas Bozio de signis eccl dei lib. 5. cap. 2. Therfore iustly of the reformed minysteres and all Protestants we Catholycks demaunde and aske by what power they haue entered into the church of God Myracles for confirmation of their doctrine iustly demaunded for no true faith is without myracles and with what supernaturall signes for the confirmation of their reformation for a new faith moust haue newe myracles and therefore seing they haue induced a new faith in all things repugnant to the faith professed and belieued this thowsand fyue hundreth yeares past and doe contemne the ordinary mission lawfull succession ordination of the Church and haue intruded theÌ„selue extraordinarly by their mouing spirit therfore rightly demauÌ„de we supernaturall myracles for the confirmation of their supernaturall vocation And seing from the tyme of the begynning of the old Church Myracles are necessary to proue trew faith and lawfull vocation vnto the vprysing of the new no man denyes and all affirmes that myracles were euer needfull For the Heretickes theÌ„selues affirmes myracles to be so necessary as a proofe of their lawful vocatioÌ„ That they who otherwayes would entre into the Church of God to be preachers reformers planters of Religion and Faith are to be adiudged bold temerous heretickes presuÌ„ptuous imitatores of Chore Dathon worthy for their intollerable Zuing. condemnes those that preach a new faith without myracles and diuelish arrogance to descend into Hell for taking more on them then Iohn the Baptist Peeter and Paul yea and Christ himself This hath zuingl vttered against the Euangelicall extraordinary vocation as is euident to be read in his owne booke Tom. 2. Eccl. fol. 52.53.54 Lykewyse Brentius declareth the effect to what end myracles are done Brent declairs that myracle are to confirme trew faith In cap 3. Luc. hom 6. hom 76. de Resurrectione Christi myracles sayth he haue this vse especialy that they are a testimony and a confirmation of a doctrine and religion reuealed from heauen Vnto Brent agreeth and subscrybeth Luther Tom. 4. in cap. 35. Isa Musculus in loc comm 41. de nomine dei pag. 394. The Hereticks seek myracles of the other Sectes and professores of the new Gospell In so much that the Heretycks themselues impugne and contradict other Sectaries and requyre of them myracles who professe a new doctrine For they affirme proue that no doctrine which is from heauen can want myracles for the confirmation of the same doctrine Therfore this their doctrine is not from heauen Heretycks are lyke the sons of Scena the Iewe in working of myracles who are men lyke vnto the sonnes of Scaena the Iew as is written of them Act. 19. v. 14.15.16 who were more presumptuous then wyse who thought to haue coÌ„iâ—red Diuells and for their laboures were beaten of the Diuels so the Protestant willingly would worke myracles but the proofe takes none effect not so much as onlay me-horses No maruail that they worke no myracles Casu blasphemy against myracles after the pharisies manner who account so little of myracles for they so esteem of them as Caluin sayth as of feined fantasticall and Diuelish things and not to be of God Cal praef instit So sayd the Pharesyes of Christ myracles Matth. 12. and the paganes of thoses myracles which were done amongst the Christians yea the Heretyckes shew themselues worse and attributed the working of myracles to the Diuell The Heretiks of old were of this same mynd against myracles Of this mynd were the Arrians Eunomians Vigilantius so that these myracles done by the Catholickes were ascrybed to be wrought by the power of the Diuell and not of God as witnesse the holy Fathers as Aug. lib. de ciuitat dei cap. 18. Ambros Serm. de Geru prof Hier. cont Vigil Victor lib. 2. de vandalica persecut But the Catholyks haue better assurance to wit the word of God and promise of Ghrist for the defence of myracles against all counterpoyses manyfolde sleightes of Sathan Moyses with lawfull vocation workes myracles in Aegypt or what such hyrelings can obiect For first is not Moyses sent to Pharao by diuyne vision and hath communicated to him myracles and the power to worke myracles that the Iewes may belieue that the God of their Fathers hath appeared to Moyses Iohn Baptist natiuity and lyf is full of myracles as Scripture witnesseth Exod. 4.5 Lykewyse is not Iohn the baptist sent to denounce the mysterie of the Incarnation hid to the world who vvas adorned and beautifyed vvith many heygh myracles and a man replenyshed with the holy Ghost Moreouer is not Iesus the sonne of God sent who hath not glorifyed himself as heygh Priest but aboad vntill the tyme that his Father sayd Thou art an high Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech ps 109. And was approued of God by the oppenyin of the heauens Christ proues his owne mission with myracles and the desceÌ„ding of the spirit of God in the forme of a doue vpon him vvith a voyce saying This is my beloued sone in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3. That after bearing vvitnes to the truth for vvhich he vvas sent sayes to the Ievves The workes themselues which I do bear witnes of me that the Father hath sent me Ioh. 5. And agayne he sayes in the 10. cap. If you will not belieue me yet beliue the workes that ye may know and belieue that the Father is in me and I in him And lykevvyse the Apostles The Apostles and Disciples are sent to preach and do confirme it with myracles and Disciples are sent into the vvhole vvorld to preach the Euangely but not except from Christ the chief presedeÌ„t of his Church vvho gaue them povver to preach baptisme and coÌ„secrat bread into his blessed body vvith povver to absolue and bynde synners and to vvorke myracles receauing giftes freely and commaunded to giue freely as witnesseth Mat. 10. saying He gaue them power ouer vnclean spirits to cast them out and to cure all deseases Moreouer in the 7. v. he sayth to them As ye go preach saying the kingdome of heaueÌ„ is at hand heall the sicke clense the leprouse rayse vp the dead cast out diuels frely you haue receaued frely giue And in lyke forte diuerse Prophets vvere sent extraordinarily The Prophets mission was approued with myraclest but not allowed except their missioÌ„ were approued of God vvith signes and myracles for so it agreeth vvell vvith the disposition of Gods prouidence as S. August disputes lib. 22. de ciuit dei cap. 8. For except mission and the doctrine be approued vvith myracles from heauen and receaued with common consent of men Trew doctrine must be approued from heauen with myracle and by the authority of the
Antichrist shall only preuaile in his Kingdome but three yeares and an half and in this time the Saincts shal be delyuered into his had who shall deale with them after his pleasure as Dan. cap. 7. 12. apoc 17. but when he hath reygned the forsayd tyme and hath spoyled all things in this world and shall sit in the temple of Ierusalem whose vprysing shal be by the working of Sathan with all deceipt of iniquity extolling himselfe aboue God And taking away the daily sacrifice Dan. 11. and the signe of the Crosse in all places as sayes Hippol. lib. de consummat saeculi Antichrist shall abolish the daily Sacrifice the signe of the Crosse and follow all sensualitie And lykewyse shal be the cause of the departure from Christs faith lawfull Pastor and Roman Emperour whose glorie shal be in all synne and therfore iustly is called the man of synne and following all sensuallity and lust as Dan. 11. But this the Pope doth not ergo he is not Antichrist neyther is his lyfe blemâ—shed with such bad qualities Therfore what vnderstanding haue these men in the worde of God that belieue it not concerning Antichrist neyther the graue authorities of the Fathers but rashly and presumptuously doe iudg the heigh Priest of God and vicare of Christ to be that abominable enemy of God and Antichrist to be his sonne our Lord and Sauiour QVAESTIO VIII Of the Primacy of S. Peter WHerefore doe the Papists worship the Pope as Supreame head of the Church and Byshop of all other Byshops Successor called to S. Peter and infallible Iudge in all causes of faith which titles and preheminence doe all sauour of Antichrist Luth. art 25. apud Roffens Cal. lib. 4. cap. 7. Centur. 1. part lib. 2. cap. 10. Nilus de primatu ANSVVER GOd did forsee that the people of Israel sometime might fall and declyne from religion eyther to the right hand or to the left therefore he prouided in the Synagogue a Pastor to whom in matters of doubt they might haue recourse God prouyded in the Law a supream Head for deciding of controuersies doubts that by his authority all controuersies arysing might be decyded and defined Moreouer the Scâ—ipture addeth Deut. 17. v. 12. If any man will do presaâ—â—â—uoâ—sly and not obey the commaundement of the Priest who in that tyme ministreth to the Lord thy God by decree of tâ—e iudge that man shall die the death God is no lesse carefull for his Church then he was for the Synagogue What the high Priest in the law was the same is S Peter in the Ghospell It is of greater reason to haue an head now then it was in the law A head is for holping of vnity in faith religion All men belieue that the Pope is head of Christs Church Wherefore seing with no lesse fauour the sonne of God doth assist and succour his owne Church with â—he Priest hood and authority now in this age then he did long since the Synagogue For which he hath instituted and placed S. Peter Pastor and hath ordayned that his successors shall rule in hir Therefore now it coÌ„mes to passe that greater necessity is at the present tyme to haue a Pastor for the gouernement of his Church then in S. Peter tyme. For at this tyme there are many more ChristiaÌ„s in the world indued with farr lese holynes and vertue theÌ„ they were long since Moreouer they are inuironed and compassed daylie with vpstart heresies and nouelties and for this cause greater necessity of a head by whom Gods flock may be preserued keept in one faith and religion and that all controuersies and dissention may be taken away For confirmation of the veritie all good Christians belieue that the Byshop of Rome sitting in S. Peter chayre is by lawfull ordination and the appointment of Christ the chief Pastor of the whole militant Church whose voyce euery sheepe ought to harken to as to the voyce of Christ his Apostle For no man that hath his senses free and is not led with the spirit of errour Will make any question of the Supremacy of S. Peter No man makes question against him that hath not the spirit of errour and his successores Seing so many euident testimonies coâ—firme the same thinge as first Christ sayes to him Iohn 1. Thow art Simon the sonne of Iona thow shalt be called Cephas the which by interpretation is Peter that is a stone or a rock Here it is to be obserued that Christ makes a promise that Simon shal be called Peter for as a stone is the fouÌ„dation of the house For Simon Peter had the first place by Christs appointment so shall Peter be the fouÌ„dation of his mâ—litant Church Secondly in choosing his twâ—lue Aposties Mâ—rc 13. Luc. 6. Simon is nominated first and is furnamed Peter Thirdly when the Godhead of Christ was reuealed to him and when he had confessed the same Chrâ—st answeres expounding his name saying and I say vnâ—o thee thow art Peter and vpon this rock I will build my Church c. For his name declairs him to be a rock and a ground stone of Christs Church In which wordes the promise of Christ is fulfilled and the reason of the promâ—se is declared concerning the new name So that Peter himself is called here a rock and that Christ promisseth to build his Church on him for in promising to Simon that he should be called Peter when as yet he had confessed him was to that end that he might confesse the more strongly and firmly as a rock Christ pronuÌ„ces Peter blessed and a rock to build his church on Next he named him Peter before he had confessed him so that he was thus farr forward in being the rock before his profession And thirdly when as yet he had not confessed Christ pronunces him not only a rock or a man in stedfastnes of the propertie of a rocke in his faith but also such a rock wherupon he would build his Church for euery Apostle was a rock in generall but S. Peter was this rocke in speciall whereof Christ now speakes Fourthly that the confession of Peter might remaine vnmoueable after Christ ascention For allwayes the Church needs a visible head rock Christ prayed for Peters faith The Church hath need of a visible head therefore Christ prayed for Peter that he might streÌ„ghen his bretheren What the giuing of the name and promise of Christ erected and he was bid to strenghen his bretheren After his conuersion of Christs denyall last of all to showe what kynd of strength Peter should giue to his Bretheren Christ willed him feede his lambes as for conclusion of these a foresayd the promise of the name of Peter was the first cause of Peters being this rock The giuing of the name was the performance of the promise The confession of Christs God-head was the fruite of the gift and of the promise The promise to haue the Church build on
Hier. de scrip Eccl in Pet. sayes that Peter after the Byshoprick of the Church of Antioch and the preaching of the dispersed of them who had belieued of the circumcision in Pontus Gallatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithinia In the second yeare of the Emperour Claudius he went to Rome He came to Rome in the second yeare of Claudius to expunge Simon Magus there twenty-fyue-yeares kept the cathedral Priesthood vnto the last yeare of Nero. Now that Peter came to Rome was by prouidence of God that he might saue his flock from the raging fury of SimoÌ„ Magus the captayn of all Hereticks as Euseb sayth lib 2. cap. 13.14.15 who was worshipped for a God at Rome whom by his prayers The cause why Peter came to rome was to saue Christs flock from heresy he caused the Diuell who carried him in the ayre who would imitat Christes ascention to let him fall who brake all his bones by that fall whereupon his death shortly insued after But Nero who tooke delyke in his Sorcery being sore offended with S. Peter for this cause sought by all meanes his apprehension and distrâ—ction as witnes Egesipp lib. 3. cap. 2. At what tyme the Christians being very lothe to be depriued of so good a Pastor with much intreating and many teares prayed him to remoue a litle out of the way at whose request although vnwilling he began to take his journey out of the city but when he came to the port he sawe Christ coming towards him whoÌ„ he worshiped sayd Lord whether goest thow who answered I go to Rome to be crucifyed againe Peter vnderstanding thereby Christ appeareth in the way to S. Peter and telles him that he was going to rome to be crucified againe as S. Ambros epist 32. lib. 5. That Christ would suffer in him at Rome who suffers in euery one of his Sainctes not by payne of body but by compassion of pity vpon this vision Peter returned and being taken was put to death on the crosse with his head downward So that as Egesipp lib. 3. cap. 2. sayes Christ himself appointed Rome to be the place wher he should rest Lykewise Orig. Tom. 3 com in gen Peter at last whyl he remained at Rome is made a lyk to the suffering of our Lord with his head downward for so he desyred to suffer Also Eus lib. 2. cap. 5. alledgeth Dionysius the corinthian who liued in the hundrith yeare after the death of the Apostle Dionisius the corinthians report of S. Peter and reportes him to haue sayd when I was in this towne of Rome sayes he both Peter and Paul togeather teaching at one tyme were crowned with Martyrdome Lykewise for the verification of the same purpose Tertul. writeth Haeret. Hâ—pp apud pruden in peristeph Cyp. de vnit Eccl. Arnob. aduers gent. Bar. ann tom 1. anno Christi 44. num 25. By which testimonies we learne that Christ had a special regard that Peter and his fellow Apostle Paul might die at Rome for diuerse causes alleadged of the Fathers Peter and Paul suffering was for their greater glory The causes of the two Apostles suffering aâ— Rome And first as S. Aug de sanctis sermon 27. was for the glory of the Apostles that Rome might not lack eyther of theÌ„ aâ— dear bretheren Secondly for the distruction of superstition Aug. ibid. That where the head of superstition was there might be the head of holynes where the Prince of the gentiles dwelt there the Princes of the Church might be Thirdly for the honour of the west Church for as S. Aug. ibib sayes VVher as our Lord hath made the cast partes glorious with his owne passion he â—ouchsased in his stead that it might be no lesse to giue light to the west partes by the blood of his Apostles And albeit out Lords passion suffiseth vs for our saluation yet their martyr-dome also hath done vs good for an example Fourthly for the spreading abroad of the holy euangely as sayes Leo serm de nat Pet. Paul That the light of the truth VVhich was reuealed for the saluation of all nations might spread it self more effectually from the very head throughout the whole body Now therefore seing God hath vsed the city of Rome as a most speciall meane to enlarge and spread his faith through all the world it came to pase also that the same city as Leo sayes ibid. Is made the head of the world through the holy-see of S. Peter that it may rule more lardgely by Gods religion then by earthely dominion OBIECTION PAul writting to the Romans salutes not Peter neyther the writters of the tyme whem he come to Rome agree amongst themselses but disagree and vary Ergo Peter was neuer at Rome ANSVVER Certayne reasons why Peter was not alwayes at Rome THe reason of the not finding Peter at Rome or that by salutation he is not mentioned in S. Pauls epistle is his frequent peregrination in diuerse prouinces for the preaching of the faith by which reason it was a cause sufficient to writers to vary of the tyme of his comming to Rome yet notwithstaÌ„ding it followeth not to conclude that he was not in Rome except some would conclude by the lyk argument that Christ hath not suffered because that all writers doe not agree amongst themselues of the tyme. For S. Ignatius S. Iohns disciple writting to the Trallianes doth affirme Christ to haue preached in the thirthy three-yeare of his age If we belieue the variety of wryrers we may doubt of Christs sufferings Some other coÌ„tendes Christ to be liuing and to haue preached in the 40. and 46. yeares of his age And therefore because this variety is amongst the wryters doth it follow that Christ hath not suffered or that he was neuer in Ierusalem neyther to haue been crucifyed in Golgotha And consequently if they doubt of S. Peters being in Rome euen so also may they iustly doubt Christ not to haue been in Ierusalem neyther suffered in Golgotha Therefore for conclusion it is not to be doubted but that S. Luke would haue made mention of their saluting one another and the tyme of his comming to Rome and of the apparition of Christ to S. Peter as he writ the appearing of Christ to S. Paul if he had gone forward in his history of the actes of the Apostles but seing he continued not his narration vntill the death of S. Peter and S. Paul we must needes credit these faithfull ancient wryters who were neerer the tyme of the Apostles then your negatiue denyall without any warrant but euer denying as men without reason with clamorous voyces lyk frogges in the pudle in the nyght tyme euer crying babling nothing prouing QVESTIO X. Of Ioane the eight Pope a woman VVHerefore doe the Papists euer affirme and say the Pope to receaue the Primacy of the whole Church from Christ immediatly who of the Church by lawfull way is receaued in the chayr of
S. Peter Seing Ioane the eight was a woman and incapable of this Byshoprick long since elected lawfull Pope and receaued in the Chayr of Sainct Peter ANSVVER WHen we sayd him to be a lawfull successor of S. Peter to haue receaued full power in the whole Church of Christ who by lawfull way is receaued of the Church The Pope of Rome is euer chosē capable and sett in the Seat of S. Peter This sense no otherway we vnderstand but that the Church lawfully electes receaues him who is capable of the high Priesthood of the which is neyther a woman nor an infidell nor an Heretick capable of nor can be Whatsoeuer be the cause in which a Pope may be chosen incapable of this byshoprick I iudge charitably with many godly and learned men that it came neuer to passe as yet that any was chosen incapable God of his owne goodnes and prouidence turning away the perill of such euentes from his Church who neyther in this manner of canonicall election of his owne Vicar is dead sleepeth or is careles who hath said Math. 28. v. 20. Behold all dayes I am with you to the consummation of the world But this assertion is a manifest and a falsely whatsoeuer they can produce concerning Pope Ioane to be a woman for first there is none of the greek latin historiographers and wryters who make mention of one sillable or word of this mater neyther Cedrinus nor Zonoras much more auncient then Martyn Pollon the first author of this fable who are wranglers and contemners of the Byshop of Rome and most willingly are glad to haue such an occasion to scoff at the Latine Secondly the same Martyn Pollonus doth not affirme this history as certaine The Author doubtes of the historie but sayeth it was spoken by report and of vulgar rumor for Sigibertus Marianus Scotus who were a liue before Martinus Polonus in their old hand written bookes make no mention of a woman Ingland and Moguntia are diuerse regiōs Thirdly Martinus Polonus reportes this woman Pope to be borne in Moguntia in Ingland which is a manifest lie seing Moguntia is not in Ingland but in Germany situat on the Rhyne Fourthly the same Martinus Pollonus doth leane to an other falshoode that this woman-pope was brought vp in Athens The history of Martinus Polonus is full of contradictions and lyes and studied there her course of morall sciences seing by all vniforme consent of all wryters that neyther then nor long before any studies was at Athens much lesse inhabited of any So that it is a manifest lie that euer this woman Pope were Far lesse credible that any woman of honesty or estate bygge with child and neare her tyme of deliurance to goe throughout the streates in publick processiō with so great perill of infamie and scandal to her self from which easely she might haue excused her selfe Last of all I shall euer persuade my selfe that God would neuer haue permitted such a base scādall to ryse in his Church As concerning the rest of the trifles that is obiected by our aduersaries as the hole in the chayr for his dimissorialles the image of a woman the declyning of the street and way all are sufficiētly answered of Bellarm. tom 1. cont Gen. lib. 3. c. 24. Therefore I counsell all Protestants to moderate their hatred and malice against the Pope and see of Rome A friendly exhortation to vse mederatiō in detracting the see of Rome Let them call to remembrance the hereticall mynd and ende of Wiritri Archdeane of Oxford in England who in the yeare of God 1571. expounding that place of Scripture Ephes 4. v. 11. He therefore gaue some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and teachers c. To serue the tyme Weretries fatall end in glossing the Scriptures against the Pope inferres the Pope you heare sayes he what offices are promised and giuen to his Church but amongst these vocatiōs you heare nothing of a Pope which when he had made his application immediatly he was stricken with a great sicknes and became dombe and was caryed out of the stoole to his bed not to his dinner as he presupposed to goe Thus Surius in chronicis de vita Veretri c. Who dyed miserably in raging and wrangling of consciēce to the fear of all that were about him Lykwise I cannot omit to rehearse as it was reported to me by faithfull men and beholderes of the truth of M. walter Makcanker one of the Puritane ministers in Edinburg in Scotland an 1614. expoūding the 13. chapter of the reuelation in his sermon speaking of the beast that had seauen heades Mackankers fatall and in applying Antichrist to the Pope and ten hornes vpon his hornes were ten crownes and vpon his head the name of blasphemy c. Applying these things to the Pope with such vehemence of gaping and gloaring calling him Antichrist as Puritans doe mentioned and discrybed vnder the name of the beast in the reuelation immediatly the hand of God was on him who although he dissembles long yet in the myddest of their iniquity punishes with equitie that his teeth fell into his throat and he fell downe in the stoole and from thence was caryed home to his house half dead the night following senseles ended his lyfe And in such lyke manner the sweet Sainctes so called of the Clouted Kirches-sisters of the new Ghospell make their finall ende for as they lyue in hatred and malice against the Pope so die they in the same malignity that we may rightly see that Luthers benediction hath efficacie and power for as the benedictions of Gods Sainctes was in efficacie towards men that belieued in God euen so Luthers maledictiō workes powerfully in the followers of his misbeliefe Which Vitus Theodoricus a Lutheran makes mentiō of Tom. 4. Operum Luth. Praef. in Ioell The which is worthy of memory saying when he came to the Synod to confirme the confession of Augustana by testimonies of Scriptures Fathers in the way he was wonderfull sicke and by stopping of his vryne nynes dayes almost dead sit vp in his bed and lifting vp his handes to blesse those that were about him vttered these wordes for his benediction saying The Lord replenish yow with his benedictiō and hatred to the Pope So that being almost dead he left them with hatred to the Pope as a right inheritance of his cursed mynd which malediction as from Cain discends linially to his successors so from Luther it passed in his successors as it took effect to worke in himself QVESTIO XI Of the infallible authority of Generall Counsells WHerfore doe the Papists esteeme so much of their Generall Counsells Seing their Byshops in them may erre as men And moreouer vniustly against all reason do exclude the power and voyce of Emperours and Kings in iudging matters of faith Luth. in varijs locis Calu. lib. 4. inst cap.
ANSVVER I Confesse we are called so of only Heretickes but not so of any nation vnder heauen no not of the Turkes neyther is that name of any particular man as Heretickes names be but â—f â—im who in the place of Chrâ—st gouerneth the Church of God and if all the Popes were nombred to thâ—s present day all the Protestants are not able to fynd one that is called by this name Pope or any of them to haue inuented any new religion or to haue left any disciple after theÌ„ who haue byn named after that name Therefore when we are called Papists I aske of the Heretickes was there euer any that was called Papa by his proper name or did euer any Heresie coÌ„tinâ—e a thowsand yeare without a name giuen to it but how should the Church descrybe Heresies to vs but by naming them from their proper names for their names shewe who hath instituted and inuented that sect OBIECTION THe Church is belieued by faith but we belieue the holy Catholick Church Therefore it is not seene because saith is not a thing of appearence and seene ANSVVER THe conclusion is false because that which is seen may also be belieued in so far as it hath some thing that is not seene as Christ Iesus was seene wiâ—h mens eyes a man and was belieued by faâ—th God and man as is said 10.20 to S Thomas because thow hast seen me Thomas thou hast beliued that is to say thou hast seen a man and thou hast belieued him to be thy God and Lord euen so we see men with our eyes who appertaine to the Church and those men we belieue to be the holy Apostolik and Catholick Church and in this Church to be only remission of sinnes grace iustification eternall lyfe and therefore out of this multitude of mortall men neyther Saluation nor the fauour of God is to be expected of any other societie or Church OBIECTION CHrist sayes that the Kingdome of God shall not come with obseruation neyâ—her shall they say behold here or there â—e is ergo the Church cannot be demonstrated and seen ANSVVER THe solution is made in the words following for he sayes behold the Kingdome of God is with yow but Christ denyeth not but the Kingdome his Church may be seen and demonstrated But he answers the folish question of the pharisie who had heard so oft the Kingdome of God preached of Christ who was desyrous to see it it is aÌ„swered that Christ is not to reygne in this world after their mynd as other Kinges doe with magnificence and pompe and to place the throne of Maiesty in a certaine place of the Kingdome but he sayes he dorh reygne as he hath begunne in the hartes of men which is his Kingdome whom he doth paint out with his finger saying Mat. 5. Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of God to wit ye are citizens of Gods kingdome the Church from which the pharisies are farr of OBIECTION THe Church is belieued to be Holy and none except the holy appertayn to the Church but holines is not seen knowne with the eyes ergo the Church is inuisible the members of the Church are vnknowne ANSVVER THe conclusion is false for there are Sainctes and holy men in the Church albeit we see them not yet we belieue for to a lyuing tree there adhere many dead branches and in the body of man are many humors and excrementes without life resident in the body and yet notwithstaÌ„ding all men belieue and say that a man is a lyuing man ergo OBIECTION IT is defended of the Fathers that the Church in this present lyfe is sayd to be beautifull and to be without spot cant 4 Ergo sinners and wicked men are not meÌ„bers of his Church ANSVVER THe Scripture in that place speaketh of the Triumphant Church in Heauen notwithstanding if with S. Greg. cap. 86 Eccl. dogmat Thou coÌ„paâ—re it to be the mâ—litant Church in that sense it is called also beautifull and spotles because of the Sacrament of regeneration which makes her meÌ„bers liuely by inherent righteousnes and grace are made glorious before God and are not obscured and hid as the Donatistes thought with the conuersation of the wicked And albeit as S. Greg. cap. 4. Gen. sayes no iust or holy man doth want sinne yet notwithstanding he fails not to be holy and iust if in affection he retayn holynes and righteousnes and by pennance doth wash away his sinnes carefull to keep himselfe from mortall synnes and is contrite for the venyall saying with the Psalm 50. Create in me a new hart o God OBIECTION THe Church of God is only in the spirit because it is belieued ergo it is inuisible ANSVVER IF the Church be inuisible how hath Christ coÌ„maunded Matth. 18. to tell the Church and if he heare not the Church let him be c. but if the Church be inuisible how shall she be told and how shall they hear her censure Lykewyse if the Church be the body of Christ and Christians members Rom. 12. 1. Cor. 1. 12. Ephes 15 Coll. 1. If the Chutch be inuisible and only mathematicall how hath the Apostle sayd ye are the body of Christ and members of his members It is true the Protestant Church is inuisible and mathematicall but the Catholick Church is a visible Church as a candell on a candelstick and as the sonne and moone in the firmament Luc. 11. ps 19. For if it had been mathematicall and hid S. Paul should not haue had the prayses of all the Churches 2. Cor. 8. Neyther Dauid would not haue sayd Ps 21. with thee my prayse is in the Church of the people and in the chaire of the elder they doe praise him What the moderne heresies do say about the inuisibility of the Church the same haue the former Heresies done lykewyse as S. Augustin is witnes against the Donatists who would haue included the vniuersall Church in that inuisibility and in a hid corner in Africk QVESTIO XIII Of the pretended reformation of the Protestantes WHerefore enuyously name the Papists our reformed Church deformed Seeing we haue reiected all papisticall doctrine and superstitions of Poperie out of it Bucherus Melan. Piscator Sarcer Caluin c. ANSVVER THat shall we declare friendly without enuy seeing that vnder the pretext of a sounde reformation The ProtestaÌ„ts reformation consistes in denying the article of our Faith ye haue introduced a most horrible deformation concerning the doctrine of fayth and in abolishing all ecclesiasticall discipline in reiecting the generall Counselles in condemning the ceremonies of the Church in dispysing the auncient Fathers and in giuing liberty to the flesh For what is more deformed or abominable in religion then to counfound deforme and deny the faith of Christ For what article of our faith is not deformed and denyed of the Protestantes as appeareth by the iudgement and doctrine of their owne Rabbies Against the 1. article of the
deformed the Protestantes profession is concerning the articles of our creed let him read Quirinus Cnoglerus de Symbolo Caluin Luther and he shall fynde a thowsand pointes of misbeliefe and filthy absurd errors and negations in the twelfue articles of our fayth that rightly they conclude their proposition to be true to haue indeed in their reformation reiected all papisticall doctrine God and all true fayth and therefore iustly may be called deformeres and no reformers QVAESTIO XIIII Of the stability of the visible Church WHerefore affirme the Papists the Church of God euer to be visible seing sometymes tho hath perished and hath remayned altogeather inuisible Luth lib. de Abrogand miss Caluin lib. 4. instit cap. 1. § 7. Melanch in loc com loc 12. alij ANSVVER GOod friends I belieue you suppose that Christ hath two churches seing it is oÌ„ly one which according to the prophesies is visible and spreed abroad through the whole world and that her citizins shyne in the midest of a crooked peruerse nation lyke stares in the firmament The Church is visible and doth remayne glorious in euery nation shewing themselues members in professing the doctrine and Sacraments of this visible Church Therfore one it is and not many publict and not hid the kingdome of Christ is visible the tabernacle of God is placed in the sonne Nether shall this seeme marueâ—ll to any if all that appertaine to the Church would take heed to the last end vnto which all doth tende and to the same principales mediates if all I say would coÌ„curre with one mynde to wit in fayth hope and charity for it cannot be that there be two Churches otherwayse there should be two last endes distinct and two kynds of principall mediates to obtayne these endes Therefore it is to be belieued of fayth that the Church of Christ hath euer bene visible as may appeare of her notes and by many places of the holy Scripture of the which two shall suffice for breuities sake first in the ps 18. It is sayd that he had placed his tabernacle in the foune that is to say he had placed the Church in the pure light that it may be visible to all the world For as S. Aug Tract 2. in Epist. Ioh. sayes he hath placed his Church in the sonne not in the night but in the day Agayne he sayeth what more am I to say theÌ„ that he is blind that sieth not so great a mountaine and that he shuttes and closseth his eyes against the candell sette on the candelstick Matth. 5. Againe S. Aug vpon the 18. of Matth. v. 15 our Sauiour admonishes if they brother sinne against thee goe and reproue him betwixt thee him if he hear thâ—â— thow hast wonne thy brother but if he hear thâ—e not yet take owne witnes with thee or two that in the mouth of two or thee â—itnesses euery word may stand but if he hear thee nâ—t â—hen tell the Châ—rch if he hear not the Church let him be to thee as an heathen and publican I hope if reason be with man the reformed will here consider diligently the wordes of Christ be-because these wordes specially tell the Churcâ— is to recure to the Church as iudge the which must be visible for no iudge can be inuisible if he execute the office of a iudge for how shall I finde her that is inuisible how shall I declare to the Church if it be not visible who hath euer institute recourse to an inuisible iudge Lykewyse I ask how long hath your reformed Church bene inuisible what minysters of the diuyne word haue you had with you what Sacraments and how are they minystred in all ages past who of yow hath opposed against Vprysing heresies For somuch as the spouse of Christ hath ben oppugned in euery age Answere for her inuisibility if you can As for the Catholickes and to their purpose many places of the Scriptures serue as the parable of the banquet The Thresking floor and the fishers net the sheepfold c. All which doth proue the Church to be visible In the name of the other Senatours of the world compereth S. Aug. in his Epist 161. ad Hon. Danat making meÌ„tion of the visibility of the Church and belieues it of fayth and as it were with his finger pointing the Church of God euer to be visible For so much as S Paul in all his Epistles putteth the names of these Cities Kingdomes and Nations as Macedonia Achaia IerusaleÌ„ Romanes Hebrues Corinth Colloss Philip Gallat Ephes Lykewyse S. Iohn in his Apocal. wryttes to the seauen Churches in Asia c. Which Churches vndoubtedly were visible as the other Churches rehearsed thorefore the Churche is not inuisible and mathematicall vnknown to the world but only to God Are Christian men so blind as yet not to see thâ—s Church before your doctrine which of necessity must make a visible Church for if the Church he inuisible how are you become visible for Pastores are the representation of a visible Church and not of an inuisible who is so blind to â—ollow your imaginary opinioÌ„s against the mount of God the glorious sonn the burning laÌ„p to make the churche obscured and darkned through your idle opinions obserue this for a true note we are all obliged vnder payne of eternal damnation to coÌ„ioyne our selues to the true Church of God to perseuere in her that is to say to obey her head to coÌ„municate with the rest of the meÌ„bers Lyke as S. Hier. sayes Epist ad Dam. Vnto thy holynes that is to say I ioyne and concord with the chayr of S. Peter I know the Church is builded vpon a rock whosoeuer is without this hous shal not eat of the Lamb and he is prophane And if any man be not within the Ark of Noe. he shall perish induring the deluge Now truely it is impossible to any to eat of this lamb out of the right house or to be out of the ark of Noe who desyres to be saued or to communicat with the true Church if it be inuisible Therefore as the Israelites in the old testameÌ„t had the visible signe of circumsition as a sacrameÌ„t of a visible Church euen so in the new testameÌ„t the holy Ghost descended vpon the Apostles in visible signes as a Sacrament of a visible Church for if in the law of nature there was euer certaine externall Symboles visible for humane society obseruance of deuty euen so in the law of grace Christ hath instituted the Sacraments for vnity and charity of the members of his Church For as S. Aug. lib. 19 cont Faust. cap. 11. sayes in no religion true or false men can be vnited without visible signes and Sacraments Moreouer the visible Church from the tyme it began it neuer fayled neyther may fayl because before the incarnation of Christ the true fayth of God was euer and lykewyse the worship of God was in some men who made vp a Church
consequently the Churche neither was inuisible nor erred at that tyme. OBIECTION SAint Hier. Dial. cont Lucif the whole world sayth he hath sorrowed and maruelled to be an Arian ergo the Church hath erred ANSVVER HE calleth the world a great part not absolutly the whole world lykewise these Catholik bishops were assembled at Arimin to Abolishe that name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which counsell they only materially erred not knowing the true signification of the Greek word neither were these fathers heretiks for furth with knowing the error they amended it with pennance OBIECTION ALl the Apostles in tyme of the passion of Christ lost their faith therefore the whole Church some tyme hath erred The Antecedent is proued Matth. 26. v. 31. all you shal be scandalized in me this night Luc. 24. v. 11. but these words seemed to them as fained neither belieued they him Marc. vlt. And he reproued their incredulites and hardnes of hart because they belieued not these who had seen him risen Ergo the Church in the Apostles hath erred ANSVVER THe Apostles at that tyme sinned becaus they were slow to belieue and were worthy of reprehension yet notwithstanding they were not infidelles howbeit they cōmitted a sinne in ouer much fearing quia timor cadit in virum iustam neither at this tyme had they receaued the holy ghost the doctor of Veritie to preserue them from humane error and feare neither by this argument hath the Church erred QVAESTIO XV. The interdicting of Scriptures WHerfor doth the Papists interdict and forbid the people the reading of the Scriptures which is easy of vnderstanding and cleare in themselues Luth. de lib. Arb. Caluin lib. 1. instit cap. 7. § 2. Beza conf fid Punct 4. art 27. Brent prolog cont à Soto Illiric in Claue Script c. ANSVVER I Deny the holy Scripture to be easy of vnderstanding as ye persuade your selues for it is a book full of mysteries and difficulties the knowledge of which none can attaine without the great help of Gods grace and morall Science so that the vulgar reading of the same without vnderstanding hath giuen occasion to many to interpret them after their own sense and filthily to err as the euidences bear witnes from whence ar heresies Schisme and dissention Are they not builded on the Scriptur because that euery mā wil vnderstand it after his own opinion and not according to the iudgement of the Churche And therefor we see by experience that the Scriptur is not facill of vnderstāding for the disciples thē selues were whole three yeares vnder the instruction of Christ Iesus the maister of veritie who were euer by him and often they heard him preach of his suffrings death and resurrection notwitgstanding they vnderstood not the scriptures perteining to that neither in the law Psalmes nor Prophets vntil Christ opened to them the sense that they might vnderstand the Scriptures Luc. 24. v. 45. that is to say that not only Christ hath expounded the Scriptures to them as a litle before he did to his disciples going to Emaus but also he giues to his Apostles and disciples a certaine diuyne grace of the sense and meaninge for the better vnderstanding of the Scriptures So that it is euident when the Apostles and disciples were thus dull to vnderstand the Scriptures how shall the vulgar people vnderstand them Moreouer S. Peeter 2. Epist. cap. 3. v 15. sayes As our beloued brother Paul according to the wisdome giuen to him hath writtin to yow and as in all his epistles speaking of them in which there are some difficil to vnderstand which the vnlearned instable depraue Therefore it followeth that all the writings of S Paull were not to euery one plaine but many things difficil to vnderstand Moreouer to what end haue the learned laboured in the knowledge of the tongues to seeke and search the vnderstanding of the Scriptur if it be so easy of vnderstanding why did S. Hiero. vex himself aboue twentie yeares in studying the Scriptures a man instructed in all tongues and indued with most singular learning yet we read of him that oft he doubted in expounding the Prophetes and hath beene in extasie of mynd through the profunde obscuritie of the Scriptures In the same laborinth was S August the pillar of diuinitie whilst he explicated the sinne against the holy Ghost lib. 2. de doct Christ cap. 6. in which he himself thinketh not to haue laboured sufficiently because of the difficulties that aryse in the holy Scripture which were aboue his iudgement Therefore S Hier. epist ad Paulin. sayes the law is spirituall and hath need of reuelation that it may be vnderstood as also that we may contemplate the glory of the reuealed face of God The sealed booke in the Apocalyps with seauen sealls is showen which if thou shalt giue it to a mā of vnderstanding to read he will answere thee I cannot for it is sealled How many at this day think thēselues to be of vnderstanding literature and yet hould the sealed book in their hand neyther may they open it except he open it who hath the key of Dauid who opens and no man shuts shuttes and no man opens thus he Morouer the Euangelists Matthew and Luke seeme to vary in the genealogie of Christ in that Luke sayes that Ioseph was the sonne of Heli S. Matthew sayes that Iacob begate Ioseph which disagreemēt Iulian the Apostate obiected to Christians Lykewyse S. Chryst. 1 Matth. sayes that it is to be numbred among hid things how that Elizabeth beyng of the trybe of Leui may be called the Cosin of Mary who was of the trybe of Iuda Moreouer S Marke speaking of the day of Iudgmēt sayes of that day hour no man knoweth it neyther the Angels which are in Heauen neyther the Sonne himself but only the Father In reading this no man seeth the doubt Lykewyse S. Hier. receaued some questions of Algasia and Hedibia about the reading of the Scriptures and the first is why did Iohn in prison sent to Christ demaunded saying art thow he that shall come or shall we looke for an other who before had pointed him saying behold the lābe of God c. How cometh he now to aske dout of him Hedibia ad Hier. Matth. 28. Iohn 20. 4.5 How agreeth this that Matthew sayes that Mary Magdalen fell downe at the feet of Christ after his resurrection and held his feet S. Iohn sayes the cōtrary that he forbad her to touch him Iohn 20. Lykwyse S. Marke sayes Matth. 16. Iohn 20. that the two Maryes in the morning in the first day of the sabaoths they came to the sepulchre when the Sonne was rysē and S. Iohn sayes the contrary that they came whē it was darke Lykwyse in the resurrection Matth. 28. Iohn 20. Marc. 16. there are a great number of apparant contrarieties as the tyme of the resurrection of the appearance of the Angells in the Sepulchre their
the Priestes keepe wisdome and they shall aske the law at his mouth and not of the reading of the Scriptures which rashnes S. Hier. epist. 103. reprehendes that euery one will chalenge Scripture this the chatting old wyfe this the doting aged this the babling sophister this euery one presumes to teach before he learne And lykewyse Tert. de Prasc sayes all are swelled vp all do professe knowledge yea euen very hereticall women how male pert and bould they are to teach and dispute in Scriptures therefore to auoyd these absurdities it is not lawfull to reade the Scriptures OBIECTION CHrist gaue thanks to his Father that he had hid these things from the wyse and prudent and had reuealed them to babes Matth. 11. which doth manifest the greater ostentation of Gods diuine righteousnes mercy and light of the Ghospell therefore the Scripture is no lesse commended to the vnlearned of spirituall vnderstanding then to the iudgement of the prudent and wyse but the Papists doe interdict the people this knowledge in reading the word of God in remitting them to the Doctores of their vniuersities ANSVVER I Admit the antecedent and deny the subsequēt for by litle ones is not vnderstood the vnlearned people but the humble and meke that is not puffed vp with vaine science such were the Apostles and Disciples fishers who altogeather were not vnlearned in that whole three years they were conuersant with Christ the Master of veritie who by his diuine doctrine illuminated their mynds and vnderstanding to haue knowledge of the Scriptures But such little ones were not old-doting-foles prating-old-wyfes Barbers Smythes c. who hauing alwayes false passadges search not the vnderstanding of them but prate bable and read them in their shopps esteeming more of their owne iudgement then all the Doctors and vniuersities in the world OBIECTION THE Scripture is the booke of the faithfull Therefore it is to be read and is plaine to euery mans mynd and vnderstanding ANSVVER I Graunt it is but not to be expounded of all because S. Ambrose calleth it the Priests booke neyther was it without a cause that the bookes of the old Testament were most surely kept in the Temple by the Priestes as relates S. Aug. lib. 16. de cruit cap. 13. And therefore the Priestes bookes are not bookes for the vulgar people OBIECTION THEY shal be all taught of God Ioa. 6. v. 45. Therefore there is no need of any other Doctor for the people then the Scripture ANSVVER I Deny the consequent for it is not there signifyed that all people shall vnderstand all Scriptures without any externall Doctours of God by his inspiration as they dreame but he sayes all shal be taught of God in the last tymes which doctrine is fulfilled by Christ and after him of the holy Ghost in powring in his Pastores of the Church true faith So that this doctrine of Christ and true faith is publickly denounced by the Catholicke Church whereby euery one may be taught in the knowledge of God and not by naked reading of the Scripture For the assumption maketh against themselues To what end are ministers and preichers admitted amongst the Protestantes if all men by reading the Byble may be sufficiently taught in the knowledge of God of God by inward inspiration and of his owne reading aswell as by their preaching OBIECTION THe Scripture is the Key of knowledge but this Key ought to be knowne to all Ergo. and the Scripture ANSVVER ORigine lib. 4. de princ cap. 2. sayes that the inter pretatiō of the church is the key of knowledge drawne from the self same Scriptures but the Scripture it selfe is not the Key of knowledge because the Scripture cannot warrant it self withour the authority of the Church and this authority and spirituall interpretation of the Church is the spirituall Key of knowledge and not the reading of Scripture OBIECTION THe reading of the Scripture bringeth consolation of the spirit to the people therefore it is good and necessary to be read of the vulgar for consolations cause ANSVVER IT is true but not to the purpose for there are many other things which giue consolation to the spirit as the expositions of the Scripture Sermons Meditation receiuing of the Sacraments and not the naked reading of the Bible Otherwise if it be of necessity how shall the poore miscrable and idiots who can not read haue any consolation for the word of God consisteth not only in externall sound but in the true sense and vnderstanding OBIECTION CHrist commanded the Iewes to search the Scriptures Iohn 5. vers 39. And the same lykewyse is commanded to Christians to try the doctrine of fayth according to the rule of scripture and that they may iudge of his interpretation ANSVVER THe word search both in Latin and Greeke may be in the indicatiue and imperatiue moode if it be in the indicatiue as D. Stapeltō saies the sense is you diligently inquyre the Scriptures and yet will not belieue that there you doe fynde of me and these were the bookes of the old Testament for there were none other then writiē If it be in the imperatiue Christ hath not here spoken to the vulgar sorte but to the Scrybes Psiests Leuites and Pharisies with whom was the Key of knowledge who had their dayly conuersation in the Scriptures the which for probability Herod affirmeth whill he assembled the Scrybs Matt. 2. to inquyre of them where Christ should be borne OBIECTION THe Beronenses doe search the Scriptures after the preaching of S. Paul and are commēded that they bestowed thēselues dayly in searching the Scriptures cōcerning those things which were affirmed by Paul and Silas Therefore it is necessary to read the Scriptures ANSVVER THe Beronenses search the Scriptures after the preaching of the Apostles not as doubting of the word but diligently attending least with new doctrines cōtrary to the scriptur they might also be deceaued for as yet the Beronenses had not made professiō of Christ name neyther were they boūd to credit the Apostles except their doctrine had ben proued with myracles or els by testimony of Scripture But farr other wayes the reformed vse to do who will mix their priuate interpretation with the Scripture repugnant to the Scripture Church in raysing new opinions and renewing old damned Heresies OBIECTION LVther de ser Arbit Teaches and constantly affirmes that the Scriptures in thēselues are easy of vnderstanding and need no interpretor yea all men are taught of God and his spirit need not to be taught of any other Therefore as they are facill in vnderstanding so should they be cōmon to all men without interdiction ANSVVER WHere difficulties are it is not plaine neyther facill to all men but the Scripture is full of difficulties for it is the storehouse of Gods Secrets Ergo. Moreouer the disciples hearing Christ disputing about the mysterie of his body And because they were his disciples should haue better digested Christs words thē the people
to theÌ„ iustly with S. Aug. l. 4. de Symb. c. 10. All coÌ„gregations heresies is a concubine and an â—â—hoore who cannot blushe and be ashamed as experience teaches Did not Luther translate the new testament in the German tongue but so wicked pernicious corrupt and erroneous that it ministred sedition mutination and rebellion of the people against the higher powers By this simple women tooke on them the reading of the Scripture and their notes with such feruour of the spirit with contempt of all learned men to preach and exhort publickely contrary to the inhibition of S. Paul who ought to keep silence hold their peace where men are In the same manner did not the sighing-puritane-sisters of Edin brough and other cities in Scotland after this Ghospelling conuersation at four a clock when they were rypest of vnderstanding take vpon theÌ„ to read the Scriptures I hope it falls to them by ignorance and blindnes of mynd so long as they read that bible bable as was prophesyed of Peters-wyfe who will neuer mend but euer grow worse and wòrse For are not their Rabbies in that same conformity with the old Hereticks about the Scripture who were condemned of the ancient Fathers for depraueing the Scriptures denying of sundry books as the Aebionits who denyed S. Paul epistles as witnes S. Iren. l. 1 cap 26. S. Epiph. haeres 3 Lykewyse was not the Manicheans damned for denying the Ghospell of S Mâ—tthew as witnes S. Aug. lib. 33. contra Faust cap. 3 7. Lykewyse the Alogians were condemned for the denying of S Iohns Euangelist and his Apocalyps S. Aug Haer. 30 Lykewyse the Marcionists and Arians for denying the Epistle to the Hebrewes to be S. Pauls as witnes Tertul. de praesc Iten lib. 1. cap. 29. Epiph. Haer. 41. S. Hier. in praef in epist ad Tit. Or the same opinion is the moderne Rabbins with the old Hereticks concerning the Scripture to repudiat reiect the bookes of Moyses here upon is Luthers doctrine Serm. de Moyse saying let not Moyses be thrust on vs we in the new testameÌ„t will neyther regard nor hear him Againe idem Luther calles the old testament no word of God belonging to Christians for Moyses appertayneth nothing to vs. Againe in his booke de decem praec lib. 2. cont Rusticos Thow seditious preacher affirmes sayth he that the old TestameÌ„t is to be obserued preacher I say not to me but to the Iewes preach thy Moyses not a title or Iot of Moyses belongeth to vs yea not the law concernes vs but the Ghospell yea not the ten coÌ„mandements belongs to vs. Lykewyse Luther Serm. de Phar. Publ in proaem noui testam Not vnfitly did I admonish the reader in my prologue of the new testament that they should abolish this opinion to be four Ghospells for I haue sayd that the Ghospell of Sainct Iohn was most acceptable and true Lykewyse he sayes in Assert in prologo the bible buble-bable togeather with the Scripture is nothing but fables Lykewyse Ochinus denyeth the whole new testament Iacob Carion in Chron. an 1556. pag. 151 printed at Basil And lykwyse Ochin lib. 2. dial pag 154. 155. 156. saies that we ought to belieue no more theÌ„ the S â—â— of the old testameÌ„t to him subscrybeth Cal taxing the Euangelists and Apostles lib 4. inst cap. 8 § 4. saying if they be Apostles let theÌ„ not bable what they lift Lykewyse Calu. in Iohn cap. 19. v. 23.24 sayth that the Euangelists wrest allegations and depart from the right meaning of them in cap. 2. Matth. v. 18. in 3. Matth. v. 13 in 5. cap. Matth. v. 17. Caluin accuseth them to speake a bruptly many senteÌ„ces in their wrytings to tearme things improperly and to vse many improper wordes Whereupon Caluin sayd that he could neuer be persuaded that the sixt chapter of S. Iohns Euangelist was euer his To this effect is not these books called Apochrypha in summa the translation of the Byble in the vulgar tongue is the cause of a thowsand errors for sayth not Broughton in his aduertisement to the counsell of the corruptions of the Byble an 1604. That the whole originall text of the new TestameÌ„t was peruerted in aboue 8. hundrith and 8. places and that it was nothing inferior to the Turkish Alcaron Lykewyse in Hampton conference pag. 45 c. The Inglish Bybles are euill translated altogeather And them of Geneua the worst of all they containe partiall vntruthes and are full of seditious notes to much intending to mutiny and rebellion allowing dissobedience to Kings and full of taxing of Kings OBIECTION LOng since of some Fathers some bookes of the Scripture were put in doubt as Iudith Tobie Wisdome and the Epistle to the Hebrews the second of S. Peter Iude Apocalyps c. Therefore with vs also it is lawfull to doubt of them ANSVVER THe sequel is nothing for albeit Thomas did once doubt of the resurrectioÌ„ of Christ it followeth not that he should euer doubt and albeit ther was no book of Scripture which was not walled with the Apostolicall authority and tradition yet-notwithstanding in the beginning of the Church were suspected and doubted whyle by litle and lytle by inspiration of the holy spirit things were made more clear so that these books which before haue ben doubted of haue now of the vniuersall Church abtayned diuyne authority and so consequentely they are no more to be doubted OBIECTION THe Counsell of Laodice omits and leaneth out those books of the old Testament because they were not in the Canon of the Hebrews ergo what the counsell hath not acknowledged neyther we acknowledge for cannon Scripture ANSVVER IDeny the consequence for the Fathers in that Counsell haue not reiected these books as not holy neyther canonicall but they haue not numerated them amongst those books which are read in the Church because of the coÌ„uerted Iews who almost liued Iudaizing of whom Phrygia was full from the tyme of the Apostles and therfore the holy Byshops in that counsell would not atteÌ„pt to read those bookes in the Church which they had not in the Canon of the Hebrwes Secondly if no booke be Canonical but these which are in the Canon of the Hebrewes the new Tastament shal be ieiected for it is not in their Canon OBIECAION GRegorius lib. 19. Mor. cap. 17. as coÌ„cerning these bookes of the Machabees we do not speake vnciuilly if by beside the canonical books which are made for the edification of the Church we shall produce any testimonyes Ergo these books are not canonicall ANSVVER HE denyeth not these books to be holy which are rehearsed in the Canon of the Church seing it could not be hid and vnknown to the holy man of God that 200. yeares before blessed Innocent Pope and the counsell of Carthage had spoken of the Machabees as canonicall Scripture But he speaketh of the Canon of the Hebrwes in which these bookes were not nombred neyther
were they in lyke authority with the Iewes whih after the vniuersall Church did authorize by the holy Ghost for authentical Scripture vpoÌ„ which authority S. Austen feared not to confirme the prayer for the dead as holy Canonicall Scripture with the Church OBIECTION LOng since of many it was doubted of the Epystle to the Hebrewes the second of S Peter the last of Daniel c. Therefore for this doubt they are not to be adiudged Hereticks who now eyther reiect them or put them in doubt ANSVVER THe consequent is denyed because the lyke raeson should follow in the lyke doubt whether they are to be baptized agayne whome Heretickes haue baptized which S. Cyprian with some others haue thought meet to be don And whether the Moysaicall law is to be obserued of Christians yea also who belieued of the Gen tils whereupon the counsell of Ierusalem was moued about these Heresies Lykwyse whether the grace of the Euagely did appertayn to the GeÌ„tils or to the Iewes only as is disputed in the Act. Apost cap. 11 For albeit the Church retayne all tymes the same one fayth yet notwithstanding by progresse of tyme and occasions as the church increaseth in her nomber so things pertinent to fayth may be amplifyed and made more ample then it was in the beginning For the Church at no tyme euer receaued for an opinion of Faith that which before she had once reiected Now those books once censured and approued by the Church it is not lawfull more to doubt of them and are in as great authority and veneration as the others bookes of Scriptures be for example For as a piece of gold in the beginning is suspected to be false and conterfeyt yet if afterwards it be tryed by the touch-stone of the Goldsmyth and found sufficient and approued of the Magistrat is receaued of the whole people goeth currant as other quoyne and is no lesse worth then any other peace of gould which was neuer suspect euen so these books of Scripture c. QVAESTIO XVII Of Traditions WHerefore are the Papists so simple as to belieue some thinges which are not expresly contayned in the Scriptures VVich they call traditions Calu. lib 4. inst cap. 8. § 8. Brent in prolog Kemnit in exam Conc. Trident. ANSVVER IT may be demanded in lyke manner wherfore Caluin lib 4. inst cap. 3. § 19. Alloweth and commendes traditions for in the ordination of the ministers of the Church he commandes as a precept the imposition of handes yet notwithstanding seing there is no commandement extant in the Scripture he himself protestes it to be necessary as his owne wordes recorde Albeit sayth he there is no commandement extant for the imposition of handes yet we doe see it to be in perpètuall vse from the Apostles and therfore that same diligent obseruation of theirs ought to be to vs as a commandement So that Caluin who before denyed traditions doth allowe of them as necessary in the ordination of the ministery whome for entrance we see led with the spirit of coÌ„tradictioÌ„ For I say that not only these things which plainly are conteyned in the Scripture are to be obserued but also many traditions and obseruations which haue flowed and comed from Christ his Apostles which are to be retayned necessary as it were in a manner the written word it selfe Because it is found in the Scriptures Christ and his Apostles to haue delyuered many things which are not written For in the 16 of S. Iohn Christ sayes I haue many things to say to you but you caÌ„not beare them now In which wordes he signifyeth that many things are necessary and needfull to be known to the Apostles which things out of doubt he made knowne when he appeared to them the fourty dayes speaking of the Kingdome of God his Church and of the gouernement of the Kingdome of grace and what the Apostles haue heard out of doubt they haue delyuered to the Church for her cause these were coÌ„municated of our Lord to them which although they be not expressed in the Scriptures yet by tradition are delyuered Of which S. Paul speaking to the Thess epist 2. cap. 2 v. 14. stand and hold fast sayth he the traditions which you haue receaued whether by word or by our Epistle that is to say the doctryne delyuered to you whether by the preaching viua voce or by an epistle written to you Which place these venerable fathers expoundes of traditions as S. Basil lib. de S. S. Chry. Oecom Theoph. and S. Aug. epist 174. to that now sayth he which I haue rehearsed it fal so that Homousion is not found in the writteÌ„ word and yet as an article of fayth the word is defended Lykewyse the Father is called vnbegotten which is not read in the Scriptures The Symbole of the Apostles is by tradition not by the writteÌ„ word Lykewyse the obseruance of Sondy for the Saboath the baptizing of infantes â—he receauing of the SacrameÌ„t fasting And S Luke acknowledgeth that he hath receaued by tradition what he hath written in his Euangely For if you reiect traditioÌ„s why not also the whole wrytten Scripture by what reason is there only four Euangelists and no more And wherefore are they receaued that neuer sawe Christ and these Euangelists reiected who did see heare and were conuersant with him as Nicodem S. Thomas Thaddeus S. Peter Bartholomewe and others who haue wrytren Euangelyes and yet their written Euangelyes are reiected and these other foure are receaued who neuer did see Christ And with vs you belieue theÌ„ which are not expressed by any written word but only belieued to be true Euangelists by tradition What can be more sayd for verification of the truth then the wordes of the Apostle 2. Thes cap. 2. v. 14. Which wordes all tend for the commendation of our belief Of which S Basil l. de S. S. cap. 29. I account it Apostolicall to continue and belieue firmely the vnwriten word To whom all the Fathers are conformable For when the old Heretickes as Gnostes Marcion Cerdone Arius Eunomius Aerius Nestorius c. opposed themselues against traditions disdayning and denying them were with the whole consent of the auncient Fathers condemned as Heretickes as witnes Iraen lib. 3. Tert. de praescript S. Basil lib. de S. S. cap. 27. Epiph. Haer. 53. S. Aug. lib. 5. cont Maxim Now brother Asill what can be denyed against traditions what argument haue you for your defence for you accept no Scripture as canonicall ergo yow must proue Scripture by tradition and the other Scripture which you reiect is named apochrypha and in so doing you must allow tradition and so on euery side tradition conuinceth you and yet ye wil be oppugners and denyers of tradition I demand this if you were to conuince any man of Heresie for denying the Canon of Scripture what argument would you vse to conuince him As for example Luther in the Preface of the new testament decreed to reiect the epistle
Ianuar. So that what is instituted of the whole Church for the publicke vtility of fayth it is nōt to be changed Secondly because of the iudgement of the people who are naturally inclyned to Heresie and nouelties whilst in reading of the Scripture and not vnderstāding it they take occasiō to hold opinions against the doctrine of faith the precepts of manners least they should deryde sinistrously interprete these thinges which are religiously instituted and albeit many things be put in the vulgar tongue as the psalmes and other partes of the Scripture notwithstanding the people cannot attayne to the sense and meaning of them for euen these who are expert in the Latin tongue finde difficultie to vnderstād the Scriptures It is not needfull that the people vnderstand what is songe or said in the church except first they consult with commentaries and holy Fathers of the Church Neyther is it needfull that the vulgar people vnderstand what is songe or is celebrated in the Church more then the people vnderstood what the heygh Priest did in Sancta Sanctorum Hebrue 9. Luke 2. For the Ecclesiasticall songs are not instituted to instruct the people in their vnderstanding with wordes but it is instituted to awake and sturr vp their myndes to the worship of God by swet Harmony Reuerence Maiesty and solemne actions What if perchance it come to passe that eyther we trauaile in a strāge coūtry or that a stranger come where Religion is if Gods seruice be not in a vulgar language as Latin is how shall he vnderstand whether they serue God or mocke him how shall he that is ignorant say a men to thy benediction as the Apostle sayth Therefore publicke priuate prayers in a strange tongue albeit they be not vnderstood of him that prayeth yet are acceptable to God haue vertue to impetrate and obtayne blessings because God his saincts vnderstand all tongues which is probable Praiers in the latin tongue are acceptable to God for that common people with the chyldren cryed Matth. 21. v. 9. Osanna filio Dauid which wordes neyther the peoole nor the chyldren vnderstood and yet Christ commendes and prayseth the children neyther reprehendeth he the cry of the people Whereupon Greg. hom 20. in Iosua speaking of a strange tongue sayth If thow hearest somtyme to be read in thy eares that thow vnderstandest not yet in the meane tyme know thow that thou hast receaued vtility thereby in that the only hearing is to thee as it were a certayne charme to expell the deadly poyson dāmage euill spirits who ly snares and go about beseygning Christian souls Which grounds Caluin contradicteth who sayth in his Catechisme to pray in an vnknown tongue it is to mocke God and peruerse hypocrisie Contrary to this who is of sound iudgement A similitude conuinting Caluin will easily esteeme him no hypocryte and mocker who offereth a supplication in an vnknown tongue to the King who is expert in the tongue through dayly vse yet vnknown to the delyuerer It is to be thought that all nations had a common tongue as Gen. 19. in which God was serued but cōfusion of tōgues being made three speciall tongues are separat institute for the diuine seruice of God whereupō this custome followeth that in the occidentall Churches the vse of the latin tōgue was euer with them which was a naturall tongue to them and althought it was not altogeather common to all nations for diuerse nations and tongues were included in the occidentall Churche and yet for diuine seruice this tongue is most frequently vsed So the Greek church vseth the Greek and chaldaick and yet the Greek and chaldaick is another tongue different from the cōmon tongue which the people vseth in their meettings but the others were vsed only amongst the learned and with the Priests in diuyne seruice For it was neuer a custome through the vniuersall world that the vse of the vulgar country tongue should be admitted in diuyne seruice but that which is most cōmon vniuersally to all nations Vt omnis spiritus laudet Dominum And as concerning the reading praying in a vulgar nationall tongue it is no perfection to do so for then the vse of the better tongue failes as Hebrew Greek and Latin which were sanctified on the crosse of Christ And as Latin is common to all it is vsed much more specially it is cōmon to the seruice of God and seing God requireth the best of euery thing to be offered to him as soueraine Lord and most louing Father who doubteth but a learned holy and commō tongue is more honourable then a barbarous prophane priuate tongue is And moreouer in respect of the whole body of the Church with whom specially we cōmunicat in our seruice in prayers that we may say all one thing the vulgar tongues are counted strange and vnknowne which strange tongues S. Paul doth litle regard I. Cor. 14. and preferreth the common tongues which were delyuered to the first Christiās sanctified of Christ and delyuered by the Apostles in the East and West parts of the world not regarding the multitude of vulgar tongues which were vsed in particular prouinces For vsually the Greek tongue was specially in the East and the Latin in the West Church For Christ being on the Crosse from whome is the paterne of all prayers and oblatiōs who knew right well that the common people of the Iewes could not vnderstand him because the true Hebrue tongue was eyther lost or much decayed in the comon speach and euery day more and more failed after the captiuity of Babilon did recyte the beginnig of the Psal 21. in Hebreu my God my God why hast thou forsaken me And did not eyther then or any other tyme interprete it in a vulgar tongue Therfore out of doubt after his example we may do the lyke in these tōgues in our seruice and prayers which Priests and clerkes vnderstand albeit the common people do not vnderstand the same for this good aryseth to the whole Church by the vse of the latin tongue to wit learning and deuotion wheras the Protestants hauing once had the Latin seruice changing it into their particular vulgar tōgue haue lost both learning and deuotion for Amen Alleluia builded many Churches Hospitalles Bridges c. and augmented the deuotion of the people contrary wise So be it hath pulled downe the Churches c. and banished deuotion So that falling from the Latin to the vulgar they haue fallen from the better to the Worse and from vnity into heresy and so to deuyding the coate of Christ into many partes which thing the barbarous and prophane souldiers were affrayed to do Iohn 19. OBIECTION SAinct Paul I. Cor. 14. sayes let no man speake a strange tongue in the Church which is not vnderstood for sayth he who shall supply the place of the Idiot how shall he say Amen vpon thy benediction because he knoweth not what thow sayest but
obtayning of blessednes which only fayth failles to that end The Doctor neuer dreamed that it should suffice without good workes and farre lesse that fayth can saue any mā without workes QVAESTIO XXIX Of the incertitude of Righteousnes VVHerefore denyeth the Papists that a man of his owne propre righteousnes is vncertaine seing the spirit himself giveth testimony to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God as it is written Rom. 8. v. 16. Luth. art 10.11 Kem. in exam sess 6. Calu. in Antid sess 6. lib. 3. iust cap. 2. § 16 17.39 40. ANSVVER YF yow affirme with your Rabbines that all the faythfull assuredly and infallibly ought to belieue with themselues sinnes no wayes to be imputed Who are assured of the remission of sinnes should not say the Lords prayer because of the righteousnes of Christ to what effect rehearse yow the Lordes prayer and why aske yow remission of sinnes saying forgiue vs our sinnes c. Why is not this prayer reiected aswell as the Puritās in Scotland hath reiected the beliefe For if you hold this opinion infallible and true of the certitude of righteousnes the Lordes prayer is no wayes profitable or necessary as is mentioned already in the second quaestion in discouering only fayth c. Therefore no man howsoeuer iust and holy cannot attribute vnto his owne righteousnes without peculiar reuelation of God that infallibiliter confidence in his owne righteousnes which is proped No man is certaine of grace farelesse of remission of sinnes and grounded vpō common reuelation made in holy Scripture that thereby any shall know himself to be in the grace of God it is vncertaine which proposition if it were true Iob would haue been more bold nor any Protestāt who as it were doubting sayd howbeit I were simple yetnotwithstanding my soule is ignorant of that cap. 9 v. 21. where distinctly by the name of simplicitly he names his owne righteousnes absolutly to be vnknown as thought he would say albeit I am iust notwithstanding I cannot confidt to it assuredly Moreouer this assertion is opposed to reason for whosoeuer is certaine of the remission of sinnes estate of grace it falloweth of necessity to haue the same certitude of their conuersion to God with true pennance and others motiues of fayth as charity patience and perseuerance c. requisite to iustification inteire receauing of the sacramentes but none is that can promise to themselues such certitude for no man is assured of his disposition to be supernaturall or in the receauing of the Sacramentes to haue a perfect intention Therfore no man without speciall reuelation of God is certaine to be in the state of grace And consequently the Rabbies of the reformed Synagogue are lyke vnto the serpent in paradise who whyle he promised to our first parents knowledge spoyled him of knowledge broght him in grosse ignorance euen so whyle they would teach the confidence of rightousnes to iustification send vs away empty of righteousnes but wrapped in grosse ignorance with presumption as at lenght is discussed in the third quaestion vt sup OBIECTION It is sayd by the Apostle Rom. 4. v. 16. That it is by fayth according to grace that the promise may be firme which is to say that we are iustifyed by only fayth and that we may be certaine to be confirmed in grace ergo c. ANSVVER THe Apostle meane an other thing for he teacheth men to be iustifyed by liuely fayth in Christ without the obseruation of the old Law and by that fayth we are made certaine and the promisses of grace is fulfilled and this assumptiō is proued in Abraham who belieued him to be a Father of many nations so that this promise of grace is made to Abraham and his fellowers of fayth whether in the tyme of the Law or after without the workes of the Law OBIECTION Lykewyse the Apostle sayth Rom. 8 v. 38.39 I am certaine that neyther death nor lyfe neyther Angells c. Neyther any creature may separate vs from the loue of God Therefore in this lyfe we haue certitude of grace through the certitude of Gods loue which argument Caluin vehemently vrgeth lib. 3. inst cap 2. § 40. That this certitude is not only for S. Paul but also it is a certitude apperteyning to all the faithfull and a perseuerance of the grace of God ANSVVER THis word I am certaine or as Caluin willeth I am persuaded speaketh not of the certitude of only fayth neyther infallibly of the fayth it self but only of morall confidence trust hope as is probable of the frequent common phrase as Rom. cap. 15 v. 14. where the Apostle speaketh confidently of the Romanes saying and I my self also am persuaded of you What is else this persuation but to confidt well Lykewyse 2. Tom. c. 1. v. 5. The Apostle repeates the same saying When I call to remembrance the vnfayned fayth that is in thee which duelt first in thy grād-mother Lois and in thy mother Ewnice I am certaine it dwelleth in thee also Here is no mention made of the certainty of fayth but only a good confidence and trust of them to haue pietie to saluation not to boost of fayth but to hope to haue it OBIECTION IT is sayd by the Apostle Rom. 8. v. 16. That the spirit himself beires witnes to our spirit that we are the sonnes of God And lykewyse S. Iohn 1. Epist cap. 5. v. 10. sayth who belieue in the sonne of God hath the testimony of God himself But the testimony of the holy spirit bringeth certitude therefore all are certaine in themselues to be the sonnes of God ANSVVER THe Scripture is falsly alledge because the meaning of the Apostle to the Romās is that ye H. Ghost with diuerse miracles distributions of giftes did worke wonderfull things in tyme of the primitiue Church for the confirmation of the fayth and to beare witnes of the same fayth vnto all those who worshiped and imbraced the fayth of Christ and keep it in lyfe to be the sonnes of God In this manner also is vnderstood that saying of the Apostle to the Gal. 4. v. 6. Because yee are sonnes God hath send forth the spirit of his sonne in your hartes which cryeth abba Father this witnessing of the spirit is to the wholl Church to no priuate persone as the Apostle sayes Gal. 3. v. 26. saying for yee are all the sonnes of God by fayth which is in Christ Iesu And lykewyse these places verify the same testimony of the spirit to be promised and giuen to his Chrurch as expoundes all the ancient Fathers 1. cor 2. v. 12. 1. Iohn 3. v. 14 4. v. 13 5. v. 19. and not particularly is to be attributed to only one For albeit in the righteous man this affirmatiue might be attributed notwithstanding not so really but by a certaine moral certitude of his own righteousnes good lyfe with hatred to