the Iudge became first an accuser of others Semblably and with no lesse shamelesse impudencie this Laterane not Terentian Phormio accuseth them for Heretiques Apostataes And why so I pray you because they haue reuoulted from Christe at any time denyed or shronke cowardly from faith No not so but because they haue forsaken that sacred Sea of Romishe Churche wherein they were once settled Yea is it so Shall there bee no Church then but that only Churche of Rome Shal they bee all accounted to be without the body of Christe which doe acknowledge Christe for their supreme head What is it of more emportance to be slaues vnto the Pope then to bee souldiers vnto Chrisâ No But they affirme that there is no Churche where the Pope is not head What Church then I pray you was that in Asia and Palestine before Peter euer sawe Rome Yea put the case Peter had neuer seene Rome in all his life shoulde there therefore haue beene no Churche at all Doth the state of Bishops make the Churche of Christe to be a Churche or doth the authoritie of the Churche make Bishops But they say there is no hope of saluation without the church I do heare it and confesse it to be true yet this is no good argument to prooue that there is no Church at al except it be subiect to the Pope I adde moreouer That where they say that there is no hope of saluation without the Church that this saying is to be construed to apperteine to that church only which is the very vndoubted spouse of Christe and which is also married vnto Christe her husbande not because saluation is so necessarily tyed to the Churche as though the Churche bestowed it of her owne meere liberalitie and bountie but for the mutuall immutable coupling together of the head with y e body Whereby it commeth to passe that whosoeuer is made partaker of sauing health in Christ being the head the same can in no wise bee a straunger from the socieâie of the Church And againe neither can such a one be an outcast from the Church vnlesse hee bee first cast off by Christ the heade and prince of the Church Which beeing concluded vpon with what arguments nowe doth this counterfeyte successour of Peter conuince vs for outcasts and Apostataes from partaking with the bodie who through fayth bee engraffed into Christ Who bee not seuered from the true and Catholike fayth of Christ For if nothing else make an vtter separation from Christ but obstinate rebellion from Christian fayth and Christian conuersation what treacherous rebellion eyther in our doctrine or in our maners can these Romanistes espie in vs so blame worthie which may not much more iustly be rebounded vpon their owne backes Forsooth say they bycause wee holde not the Catholike fayth Go to then Sith they standâ so nicely vppon this poynt let vs faythfully discusse what maner of fayth that is which they call Catholike If the same be the Catholike fayth which Athanasius dooth sette out in his Creede or which the Councell of Nyce did determine vppon for inuiolableâ From which article of the Creede can you shewe that they haue reuolted But here againe some iangling Iay of this Sea will vrge that bycause they holde not the Catholike fayth of the Romaine Church therefore they holde not the true Catholike fayth Well sayde Hereby then I do perceyue that it auayleth no whitte to bee accounted Christians and Catholikes vnlesse they be Romanistes also Let vs learne therefore of these Romanistes what it meaneth to be a Romanist Truly I beleeue it is thiâ That the Pope of Rome must of necessitie be accounted for the very and vndoubted vniuersal Bishop of Bishops the Pope of Rome must be esteemed chiefe head generall Lorde of the whole Catholike Churche vnto whom and vnto all whose commaundementes statutes and decrees all people and nations must bee buxam and bonnaire vpon paine of damnation Is it so in deede whosoeuer reteigne not this fayth though he holde fast and firmely mâinâeyne all other thinges agreeable with the holie ordinaunces of God and all the Articles of the Creede and fayth of the Church shall not the same bee adiudged for Catholike No Sir I trowe But if this be true surely neyther the Churches of Alexandria of Antyoche â of âerusalem of Constantinople of Affricke nor yet that auncient Church of little Brytaine shall be reckoned for Catholike To what purpose then spake Basil these woordes where making mention of the Church in his Epistles hee sayeth The Catholike and Apostolical Church abandoneth c. When as yet notwithstanding in that Church of Greece which hee auoweth to bee Catholike and Apostolike the stately loftinesse of Rome had not so highly aduaunced it selfe And therefore wee must needes scrape out of the Kaleâder of Catholikes Basil Athanasius Nazianzen Tertullian Augustine Cyprian Eusebius Theodorete and all ãâã the most famous Bishoppes of the Greeke and Latine Churches all which though doubted nothing but that they were true Catholikes yet did no one of them professe himselfe to bee a Romanist after this rule Neither can the grosse ignorance of manie learned Fathers be any wise excused who first framed the Articles of our Creede vnto vs. For if no Church ought to be reputed for Christian or Catholike but that which is of Rome then were those auncient Fathers much to blame who in setting downe the Articles of the Creede did neglect and so lightly passe ouer this vpstart Article of the Romish Sea that where we bee commaunded to beleeue one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church they did not in like maner commaund vs to beleeue the Romaine Church withal Hereby you perceiue well ynough holie Father into what combersome straightes and absârdities you haue whirled your selfe by your blinde vnaduised rashnesse For firstâ if no certaintie of saluation bee to bee hoped for out of the Church which Church must be without all question that same verie Church of Rome as you frame your arguments and that the Church of Rome be none other but the same which is âtrayned and streighted to the vniuersal commaundes and decrees of the Bishop of Rome now then you do exempt out of the priuiledge of the Church not that one English Nation alone foreclosing them all passable way to saluation but togither with them also you do exclude out of the number of the Catholikes infinit other famous learned Clearkes of the auncient and pure age of the Church Doctours Patriarches and Bishops yea amongest these also all the Bishoppes of Rome as many as were Gregories pâedecessors But what neede manie prooues in a matter of it selfe so manifest and well knowne Undoubtedly sithence Christ woulde vouchsafe to lay the first foundation yea and to builde vp that beautifull and euerlasting buylding of his owne houâe vppon none other groundwoorke than vpon that corâer stone of Christian fayth and Christian confession And if Paul doubted
why may it not be as lawfull for vs to call our selues back into the true way of saâuatioÌ after so many our waÌdrings maskings renouÌcing al by pathes of errors Now therfore beâhink your selues welâ whether it staÌd w t more reason for vs that we should retourne into the right way or raunge at randon still with you Wee do assure our selues that it is not lawefull for vs to doe any other thing nor treade any other path then wee doe now by any meanes for as much as the authoritie of the scripture the truth of Christes Gospell doth binde vs hereto with a necessitie vnauoidable We were once of the same minde that you bee I confesse it stragglers I meane together in the selfe same couples of errours What theÌ If bicause we wandred in errours being yong men shall we not therefore bee refourmed beeing growen to more iudgemeÌt But so was Moses conuersant once in the familie of Pharao AbrahaÌ in Chaldea Loth amongst the Sodomites The children of Israel in Egipt Daniel the Prophets in Babylon Christ amongst the Iewes Paul with the Pharisees Peter amongest fishermen Augustine a Manychean All maner of departures therefore neither the departures of all persones ne yet from all societie of companies ought to bee accompted blameworthy Although wee forsake to be ioyned in the felloweship of some that are named Christians now yet are we not therefore fallen from the visible church But for as much as in the visible church be two sortes of men the one part of theÌ which occupie the functioÌ of teachers preachers the other of them which with the vnlettered multitude be hearers and learners We therefore do reproue certen assertions opinioÌs in some false teachers from whom we sequester our selues of very necessitie yet in such wise as we depart not at al froÌ the visible church in the which we haue our being and resiancie as well as they yea we be many times conuersant as Christians euen with our very aduersaries within one citie many âimes also vnder one roofe And although we dissent froÌ the errors of certen particular persons yet doe we not otherwise but wisâ will the best that may be to the persons them selues and recompt our selues rather forsaken of them then them forsaken of vs and are enforced to deparâ from them rather by violeÌce plaine thrusting out then of any our voluÌtary willingnesse so that to set down the matter in plaine termes it may be saide more properly that we do disagree and dissent from them rather then depart from them In which disagreement notwithstanding we do not so altogether reâde in pieces all the articles of their popes and deuines nor so altogether condemne them as though nothing were sound amongst thâm neither do we contend with al that church so as though there remained no shape of a visible church in all that citie of Rome for they haue baptisme there wherein they make a profession of the name of the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost They haue also the law of God the Gospel yea they reteine the woâshipping of Christ professe the same articles of the Crede that we doe They retaine also after a certen sort the sacraments though they abuse them after a filthy maner All which do carry some prety shewe of Christianitie amongst men not much vnlike as the olde Iewes in times past whilest Christ liued were in possession of the holy citie wherin the most holy name of God was magnified in the which they obserued the worship of God together with the lawes ordinances after a certen outward resemblance wherein also those that sate in Moyses chaire taught many things peradueâture not altogether amisse Whenas neuertheâesse vnder this coÌterfaite visor of religion lurked most abhominable hypocrisie treacherous treason against God him selfe Of whome spake God him selfe by the mouth of his Prophet You be not my people Semblably if eiâher the Romishe church or any other church whatsoeuer do obserue orderly and teache sincerely truely therein doe we not deââ to partake with them But bicause the churche of Rome treading the track of the olde Synagogue hath yelded to be lead awaye blyndefolded into strange vnknowen by-pathes of doctrine into most horrible contagion of errors detestable absurdities idolatrous worshippings blasphemies impieties sectes and heresies from the platfourme of most true and infallible doctrine from the pure and sincere worshipping of God and the vndouted squarier of Christian religion from the principles of their owne profession from the practise meaning of the Aposâles from the examples and steppes of their predâcessourâ and haue chalenged vnto it selfe câief only and most absolute soueraintie ouer all other churches of Chrisâe fully fraught with crueltie bloodsheadings pillages heâein if we do farre awaye seuer our selues from their societie who can be so senslesse or endewed with no conscience at all who seeing so many and so iust causes of departure wil not thinke that wee haue rather departed away too late then without good occasion namely sithence we are not whirled theretoo of any gyddy lightnesse as it wâre with a puffe of winde but enforced of very conscience not of any desire of nouelty but of meere necessitie not so much of any our voluntary affection as warranted to departe from amongst them by special commaundement of Gods owne mouth But some one wil make a question heere demaunde what kind of filthines what coÌtagiouse errors do remain in the popes doctrine Surely if the matter of it self were such as that it were altogither in couert and not openly manifest in the eyes of al men I wold think that I ought to bestow some large discourse for the better demonstration therof Yet somwhat to relieue the ignoraunce âf the vnlettered let vs if we may apply somewhat in that behalâ For I do see very many that being bewitched with a certain blind admiratioÌ of the popes popeholy religioÌ are caried away captiue into his erroures for none other cause but for that they wil not looke into the truth when they may see it Therefore remouing away those disguisings visours let vs prye somewhat narrowely into the things them selues and let vs throughly beholde this whole Romish Troiane horse not what it emporteth outwardly but what it crowdeth couertly and shrowdeth in the very closets thereof I am not ignorant that the name of the churche is a very plausible name that the names of Christe Peter and Paule be honorable that the remembraunce of ancient antiquitie is wonderfully well liked of that the authoritie of the fathers is much esteemed that the vniâie Apostolique and catholique consent is of great valoure and that the keyes of the churche be of no small authoritie in deede if they bee true keyes but if they be not true nothing is more forcible to deceiue Therefore may not the Romish churche thinke it enough to vouche bare and fruitlesse titles it
17. Gregâry in his 4 booke the 38 Epiâtlâ to Luâoâ Peter was neither head of the Church nor vniuersall Apoââlâ Galat. 2. Chrysâst vpon Paules Epâstle to the Romanâs The vniuersall Iurisdiction of the Pope confuted Iohn .6 Luke .14 Iohn .13 Matth. 23. Luke .16 Matth. 5. In what sense Peter was calleâ prince of the Apostles Peter called prince of the Apostles as Cicero was called prince of eloquence in reâpect of eâcellencie not of superâoritie Mat. 4. Luke 5. Iohn 21. Peter made fisher of men not prince of men Actes .8 Pope Alexander the 3. Hâstiensis Extrauagan dâ eâectâ electi poââstate Hadriân Clâmânt 5â Honârius 3. Gregory 9. Vrbanus 4. Innocent 4. Clement 4. All the French in Sicile yong and olde were slaine at the sound of a bell Martin 4â Honorius 4. Nicholâs 4. Boniface 8. Clement .5 Iohn .22 Vrbane .6 Clement Martine .5 Pius .2 Sixtus .4 Iulius .2 Paulus .3 The succession of the Pope discouered and confuted 2. Quest. 7. Omnes Dist. 40. âerome writing to Helyodore The councel of Constance The ordinary succession prefiteth nothing in the sight of God Maâasses Caiaphas The Iâwes Iohn .9 Mat. 3. Luâe 2. Mat. 23. Iames .1 Ephe. 5. No resemblaÌce betwixt Peter and the Pope The state of the chayre of the Romish Monarchyâ Betwixt the Pope and Peter Esay 5. 2. Ezechiel .34 It is not the chayre but the good life that maketh a man Apostolical Neanthus sonnâ of Pittacus The continuance of succeeding Bishops in the Church is no sufficient cloke to coulor error The ordinary succession of popeâ hath bin discontinued broken of The light of doctrine and trueth restoreâ The Popâs Bullâs against the faithfâl sâruants of Christâ The slaunders of the Pope against the Queene of Englandâ The Oration of Queene Elizabeth to the Pope Matth. 5. Lââius The cause of the Popes malice against Elâzabeâh Queene of England How this saying without the Churche is no hope of saluation must be conâtrued The Câtholâkâ fayâh Athanasius Creede The Nycene Creede The Romish fayth Bââââ in his 78. Epiââle The Catholike church amongst the Grecians eâempt from the Church of Rome We read in our Creeâ the holy and Catholike Church but not the Romain Church The onely faiâh and doâtrine of Christ doth vnite Câristiââs to the Câuâchâ Three Tabernacles â Thessal 2. Luke â2â Matâ 20. 2ââ Luke 18. A compaâison betwixt the auncieÌt church of Rome and the Romish prelates nowe The life and conuârsation of the auncient aâd Apostolical âhurche Great differeÌce betwixt the biâhops of the ancâent and the new churche of Rome Bernard in his Epistle to Eâgenius â The life of the Bishoppes of Rome may seeme lesse Apostolike then Apostatique The Popes doctrine conninced in nouelty The nouâlây of the Popes docâryne was in many things vnknown to the auncieÌt fathers In howe many how weighty matters the Apostolicke doctryne varyeth from the popes Tertullianusâ Apocal. 2. Apoca. â3 Cicero in his Tusculanes the 3. booke Apoc. 13. Though the Pope with his crew be part of the church yet be they not the vniuersall church The Popes arguments deducted from the vniuersalitie The Papiââââ obiection Two sortes of men in the visible Church A disagreement not a departure bâtwiât the protestantes and the Papistes Osâc â The errours filthines of the Popes doctryâe A comparison betwixt the Iewes and the Romish catholikes The persecution of Christians by the pope and his papâsts The ceremonies of the Iewes and the Papistes compared together The superstitioÌ of the Romanists in defending their traditions is more than Iewish As the Iewes do looke for a worldly Messiâas so the Papists doe expect a worldly vicar Like Pope like Church The very pattâââe ââage of the Romish Church The Papists do play the Iewes in establishing the doctrine of rightuousnesse by workes âom 9 10â How fayth is esteemed with the Papistes Only faith with out works âoâh accomplish the whole worke of our iusâiâicatioâ Oâorâ agaynst Haddon pagâ 94. Oâor in his Epistle to the Queene of England pag. 27. 32. Tridâââin Conc. Ses. 6. cap. 7. How fayth dotâ beget good workes Faith as oportunitie is offred can neuer cease from doing good working alwayes throââ loue Fayth in iustification is onely and alone but in working is not alone Tridentin Conc. Ses. 6. cap. 16. The infallible doâtrine of the Tridântine Councâll Sâssiâ 6 Cap. 7 Ephesians 2. Iohn .6 Iohn .11 Euerlasting life promised to the beleeuers The diffeâence betwixt the law and the Gospel The vse and duetie of the lawe Wherein the vse of the law consisteth properly The Euangelicall faith The preaching of faith * 2. Cor 3. Who hath made vs able ministârs of tâe new Testament not of the letter but of the spirite The fruite and prayse of good workes Psalm â5 In what respect good workes be auayleable and what they bring to passe Ianuensis is his booke called Cathoâico Psal. 1ââ From whence ariseth the welâspring of eternal life Iustificaâion is proper to faith only Mark .9 Good woorkes do not procure a man to be iustâfiâd but bee fruites and effectes of him that is iustified alâeady August de graâia ãâã Cap. 3. Romans 4â Titus .3 Obiection The answeres of the Apostle Howe faith and good woorkes doe agree and disagree ech with other Tully in his orâtion for Milo The obiectioâ is confuted Eâhe 5. A brief Catalogue of the popish doctrine Osor. in his 7. booke de Iustitia âala 3. A comparison betwixt the preachers of the lawe and the Gospel and betwixt theÌ which plod vpon nothing els then the rightâousnes of the lawe and workes The supremacâ of the Pâpe confuted Luke 22.26 Inuocation of saintes confuted Hebr. 7. Pictures and images of saintes Uowes of vâmaried life Masses and sâârifices Satisfactions âor âiânes 1. Iohn 2â Actes 1â Osor. In his Epistle to the Queene of Englande Rightuousnes by faith Iustification free One only oblation The Papistes suppâr without wyne The holy ghost the vicar of Christ. Tertullian de praescrip aduersus Haereticos Being taken hence into heauen to the right hande of the father hee sent his vicar power of the holy Ghoste which might comfort the faithful Christ the ende of the lawe The ende and mark of romish doctryne Iohn .5 An vnknowne toung doth not edifie Mat. 24. Idolatroâs pilgrimages Peter the Apostle is denied to haue beene bishop of Rome The functions of Apostles and Bishoppes bee diuerse The Pope of Rome is falsely supposed to bee Peteâs successor How much the popes doctryne is swarued froÌ the disciplyne Apostolique 1. Peter .2 Of the sacramentes The abhominable corruptions of the papists in the Lordes supâer * Aug. ad Infantes is cyted by Bedâ 1. Cor. 10. That which you see is bread and wine which also your eyes do declare maniâeââly * Augustâ de trinitate 3. booke cap. â Myracles are properly applyed too declare to our senses some supernatural and heauenly power In the sacrament nothing