clay If we reade the warres sedition tumults bonefires massacres rebellions treasons murders and all manner of hurly burly betweene Pope and pope Cardinall and Cardinall betweene pope and Cardinals Emperors kinges and people betweene citie and citie subiect against their Lords and one nation against another From the first arising of Hildebrands fire which he brought from hell vntill our time which haue beene raised procured maintayned and continued by that wicked generation wee may well say of them as the prophete Esay speaketh of the wicked b Cap. 57.20 The wicked are like the raging sea that cannot rest whose waters cast vp mire and dirt But he that would reade Clemangis Sigebert Aeneas Siluius Sigonius Mathie Parrisius and other such writers which liued in those times shall find a great many more monsters new borne in the church of Rome then in this shorte treatise I am able to set downe yet for the further helpe of the reader I will leade him a worde or twaine from these storie writers to the Counsels If happely wee may finde some of this new broode of poperie by them The c Canon 6. Anno 330. The primacie of Bishops Nice councel summoned by Constantin the great consisting of 318. Bishops out of all the parts of the world ordained according to the custome of the church in those daies that the Patriarch of Alexandria and of Antioch shold haue the like authority in their Bishoprickes as the Bishops of Rome in his This was as Gratian saith the first generall counsell Therefore when the pope is gotten to an higher presumption he is in this respect of a new religion About this time the counsell of Ancyra d Canon 14. eating of flesh condemned those ministers that did account flesh vncleane and abominable And the counsell of e Canon 2. Gangrena a little after calleth them Anathema acursed which condemne a man for eating flesh in faith But this late counsell of Trent and Synagogue of Rome doe commaund abstinence from flesh vpon rewarde or vengeance of God and their practise of seueritie in punishing such for heretickes as eat flesh in daies by them deuised and canonized we well know and remember The same councell of Gangrena f Canon 4. 9 10. single life doth accurse whomsoeuer that put difference between a maried prieste or any other touching the seruice in the ministerie and also such as for virginitie sake iudge mariage abhominable But all men know that the Romish Harlot is of a new learning putting more holinesse in single life and vowes of chastity especially in their priests then in honest and honorable wedlock A counsel at Antioch somwhat after a Canon 2. the sole communion ordained such to bee cast out of the Church which entred the Church and heard the scriptures and did not tarrie to receiue the communion with the rest of the people And the like you may finde to be the order of the church in ancient time b Anno 480. Canon 18. in the counsell of Agatha a citie of Fraunce But now our new sinagogue hath deuised a priuate masse that the priest should blesse the people with the cup make them to worship his idoll and he himselfe eate all alone A councell at Laodicea c An. 368. Canon 16. 59. iudged that the gospels and other scriptures were to bee read on the Sabbaoth daies and that of the vnlearned there ought not to be said in the Church Canonicall scriptures only to be read in the church psalmes made and vulgar which as I iudge were balads neither to reade books which are out of the canon but onely the canonicall bookes of the old and new testament and there they reckon vp the bookes which we hold for canonicall But wee know that the Romish Apostasie hath afterward brought in legends and other Apocrypha writings to iustle out the holy scriptures of God keeping them secret in an vnknowen tongue The 4. counsell of Carthage saith Mulieres baptizare c. Let not women presume to baptize Women bapt But we know by what deuise the sea of Rome haue brought in women to baptise In the sixt counsell of Carthage Anno 430. Appeales to Rome wherein was S. Augustine Bishop of Yppo and Legate of the prouince of Numidia it was tried and found out that it was not as Bonifacius Bishop of Rome would haue vsurped lawful by the councell of Nice to appeale to Rome out of other Bishops prouinces Epist Concil Africk ad lestinum but that they saw most wiselie and iustly that all busines was to bee ended where it was begun neither should the grace of the holie spirit be wanting to any prouince whereby equitie might be wisely seene of Christs priests and constantly holden And after that the Mileintane counsell a Canon 22. forbad all people to appeale ouer the sea out of their prouince but only to the counsel of Africk the primates of their prouinces and who so did otherwise shold not be receiued to the cōmunion in al Africk But we know that since that time the pride of that wicked whore of Rome hath vsurped iurisdiction ouer al lāds that by any means they cold bring vnder their feet receiue appeals from whom soeuer insomuch that we b Polydor hist Ang. li. 20 Rich. 2. read of a Synode in England An. 1391. which because many were vexed for causes which could not be knowen at Rome ordained that the authority of the pope of Rome should stretch no farther then to the Ocean sea that who so appealed to Rome beside excōmunication shold be punished with losse of all their goods perpetual imprisonment In the same counsel of Mileintane Anno 420. c Canon 5.6.7 It was decreed against Pelagius that without the grace of Christ we can do nothing and that euerie man should know he hath sin in him Free will and iurisdiction by workes as saith Saint Iohn Epist 1. cap. 1. and that in many things wee sin all and that we must confesse with the Psalme enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shal no mā liuing be iustified which thing is opened by an d Epist 72. Epistle of Aurelius B. of Carthage vnto the Bishops of the prouince of Bizanzena and Arzignitanta where hauing shewed the error of Pelagius he declareth the faith of the Catholikes to be thus Sixtly to confesse the grace of God and his helpe to be giuen vnto all singuler acts and the same not according to our merits that it may be true grace that is freely giuē by his mercie who said I wil haue mercie on whom I will haue mercie c. And ninthlie to confesse when wee fight against tentations and vnlawfull concupiscences although we haue there euen our owne will yet not by that but by the mercie of God we haue our saluation because otherwise it shall not be true which the Apostle saith
new testament thus h Rom. 3.23.24 There is no difference for all haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God and are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus 25. whom God hath set forth to bee a reconciliation through faith in his bloud c. In the seuenth Article there are three contradictories of the lying erring multitude of Rome vnto the true religion For they i Concil Trident sessi 5. sess 6. canon 18. 25. say that Concupiscence in the regenerate after baptisme is no sinne although they confesse Saint Paule calleth it sinne 2. That there is nothing in him displeasing God but he is pure innocent and immaculate 3. A iustified man can keepe all Gods commaundements If these men had learned and beleeued the true religion they would not dare to speake so directly contrarie to truth seeing God teacheth far otherwise First in the old testament where the church is directed to say k Esai 64.6 Wee haue bin all as an vncleane thing all our righteousnes as filthy clouts And in the new testament l 1. Ioh. 1.8 If we say we haue no sin wee deceiue our selues and truth is not in vs. Which two places being spoken of the people being by the sacrament of initiation or Baptisme entred into the Church do shew plainely that original corruption is a sinfull matter in the flesh of the regenerate by which they are made vnable to doe any one worke perfect much lesse to doe all Gods commandements at all times in thought word and deede a thing which euerie man 's owne conscience doth testifie if he bee not too much besotted with the looking vpon his fruitlesse peacockes taile In the eight Article they make additaments namely that a Concil Trid. sess 6. canon 24. 33. 20. good workes are also causes of the encreasing of iustification and truely deserue eternall life and encrease of glorie and that the obseruing of the commandements of God and the Church are the condition of the promise of eternall life to which the iustified man is bound if he will be saued By which while they robbe Christ of his merits and giue more honour to the corrupt life of man and lesse to the redeemer and lay an other burthen vpon Christians then that which God layeth and such as no man can beare they leade themselues so farre from religion that either by a vaine hope of that which is not they forsake their owne saluation or els by a greeuous desperate downe-fall finding themselues as the truth is vnable to fulfill the condition they lay themselues open to euerlasting perdition But God alloweth no such additamentes where he teacheth vs in the old testament to say vnto him b Psal 16.2 Thou art my Lord my well doing extendeth not to thee And in the new c Luc. 17.10 When ye haue done all those things which are commanded you say wee are vnprofitable seruants c. And the condition of fulfilling the commandements is called d Act. 15.10 a yoke which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare and if it were possible to doe the commandements yet the holie Ghost teâ—â—eth vs that e Gal. 2.21 if righteousnesse bee by the lawe then Christ died without a cause Against the ninth Article the Romists do diuersly oppose themselues shewing themselues to bee of no religion For first they adde the commandement of the church making it equall vnto Gods written worde saying f Gret decreâ— pars 1. dist 20. cap. de libellis They which receiue not indifferently their Canons they profitablie effectually and to purpose holde or beleeue neither the catholike faith nor the foure holy Euangelistes They adde moreouer that g Distinct 19. all the decretals constitutions of that sea yea though it decree things scarce to bee borne yet must they bee borne with a godly deuotion though there bee as h Decret abbreuiat in versibus they say in one booke of decrees aboue 3000. Againe they say that i Concil Trident sess 4. decret 1. pari pietatis affectu reuerentia Traditions pertaine to faith and maners and that they doe receiue and embrace them with equall godly deuotion and reuerence as they doe the holy scriptures Lastly they set the Church before the scriptures as that by k Test Rhem. note vpon Gal. 2. vers 2. 6. D. Smith briefe treatise cap 2. 3. it the scriptures are so farre made knowen to all Christians as they are not bound so to take them vnlesse by the authoritie of the Church they knew them And that the authoritie of holy scripture dependeth and hangeth vpon the iudgement of the vniuersall or catholike church and that there are many vnwritten verities left by Christ and his Apostles to be beleeued and obeyed vnder paine of damnation Here is the mouth of blasphemie if wee may beleeue the vndoubted word of God how hee teacheth vs to esteeme of the holy scriptures and of the Church for in the olde Testament hee saith l Esai 8.20 To the law and to the testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them And in the new a 2. Tim. 3.13 The holy scriptures are able to make thee wise vnto saluation c. Let then euery wise man iudge that if the scriptures bee able to make a man wise vnto saluation and that there is no light that is to say knowledge of truth and godlinesse in them which agree not to the holy scriptures what canons decrees decretals traditions or vnwritten verities can haue any authoritie vnlesse they agree to the written word of God or that they can containe in them any thing not written in the scripture which is of necessitie to saluation or which not to doe or beleeue is damnation Againe how can the scriptures take their authoritie from the church seeing that the church is of no light vnlesse it bee found agreeable to the scriptures and therefore no church except it bee approued by the scriptures and so the scripture is iudge ouer the church and not contrarie And if I say the scriptures can make a man wise vnto saluation it is the greatest follie in the world to clogge the people of God with so many thousand of needles canons decrees decretals traditions and vnwritten falsely called verities and so make the light and easie yoke of Iesus Christ most heauie and burdenous If these diuilish blasphemies were true alas who could be saued For who was euer found that did or could doe all the foresaid Canons and traditions Therefore in them is fulfilled which is said by the Lord of Hypocrites b Math. 23.4 They bind heauie greeuous burthens not to be borne and lay them on mens sholders but they themselues will not moue them with one of their fingers Let vs abandon therefore these painted sepulchers and enemies of all true
in this Article two things The vse and power of this word and the true touchstone how we may know or where we may find this word The first is touching religion that Gods word is the only rule thereof which onely teacheth the doctrine of righteousnesse and saluation And this is verie well to be seene in the storie of Abraham that he had no sauour of religion before God taught him by his word neither can wee find that he added any thing of his owne And this will euidently appeare if you consider how God first preached vnto him a Gal. 3.8 Gen. 12.1.2.3 the gospell and so from b Cap. 15. 17 18. time to time reuealed more and more vnto him and that God acknowleged him to bee a c Gen. 20.7 prophet such an one as would d Cap. 18.19 command his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord. What is all this els but that God by his word taught him the true religion and godlinesse what he should beleeue and doe As for Moses he maketh the word of God so absolute a rule that the Church ought not e Deut. 4.2 to put any thing to it nor take any thing from it and the prophets are also verie confident in this point saying f Prouerb 30.5 Euerie word of God is pure put nothing to his word least hee reproue thee and thou be found a lyer And the reason of this perfection is plaine because it maketh g Cap. 2.1.9 a man to vnderstand righteousnes and iudgement and equitie and euerie good path and to exclude all mens inuentions from ordaining any part of religion God saith by his prophets that h Esai 29.13 The wisedome of the wise shall perish because their feare toward God was taught by the precept of men Which Christ intepreteth to this sence i Mat. 15.9 That they worshipped God in vaine teaching for doctrines mens preceptes If this suffice not then let vs heare this point in expresse wordes of the Prophet k Psal 19.7 The law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule So likewise our Sauiour Christ in the gospell gaue to his Apostles and Church no other thing but the l Ioh. 17.8 worde which God his father gaue him pronouncing that this is m Vers 17. The truth by which they should be sanctified n Cap. 15.3 made cleane o Cap. 8.31.32 and free from sin p Cap. 5.24 and by hearing thereof they might haue euerlasting life Therefore the Apostles finding the absolute sufficiencie thereof doe forsake all wisedome of men for the same calling it the words of eternall life q Cap. 6.68 Hereof it is that Saint Iames saith r Cap. 1.19 Be swift to heare and slow to speake because wee men must not put forth our owne wisedome in matters of faith and religion but submit our selues to learne of God as he after expoundeth saying ſ Vers 21. Receiue with meeknesse the word that is grafted in you which is able to saue your soules And thereupon Saint Paule condemneth all shewes of t Coloss 2.22.23 wisedome in voluntarie religion after the commandement and doctrines of men giuing charge that no man u Vers 8. spoile vs through philosophie and vaine deceite according to the traditions of men according to the rudiments of the world and not after Christ And the ground of this is this that in x Vers 3. Christ are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Now as touching the second point which is the touchstone to trie the word of God where and how to find and know it This is The holy inspired writinges of the olde and new Testament wherein is contained all the word of God touching religion necessarie for the Church and Gods elect to know for their saluation Which although it were not written in the time of Abraham and of the fathers but after by Moses the Prophetes the Apostles and Euangelistes yet is it so absolute a rule and canon that wee ought not to beleeue any thing of faith and religion touching saluation to be or to haue beene the word of God which may not be rightly gathered taught or proued confirmed or allowed by the writings of Moses and the prophets in the old testament and in the new testament by the Euangelistes and Apostles of Iesus Christ And this will appeare verie euidently to the conscience of all faithful and wise hearted Christians if they consider what the spirite of God teacheth in all these times For the first a most glorious writer was the a Deut. 5.22 finger of God writing the ten wordes in two tables Then Moses by his direction wrote all the b Exod. 24.4 words of the Lord and a little before his death he wrote the whole c Deut. 31.9 law and deliuered it to the priestes the sonnes of Leui. So that then and from thenceforth the law written became the canon of the Church and the onely rule to measure religion by as may appeare because it was published in this sort d Deut. 27.26 Cursed bee he that confirmeth not all the wordes of this law to do them e Cap 30.10 which is interpreted to bee the commandementes and ordinaunces of the Lord written in the booke of the law And Ioshuah being of the same times knowing it to bee such an absolute rule chargeth the people a little before his death to f Ioshua 23.6 obserue and do all that is written in the booke of the law of Moses that they turne not there from to the right hand nor to the left By which it appeareth that in his time the writinges of Moses were this touchston to know the word of God as it were the arke of God wherein the tables of the couenant written with the finger of God were kept which will somewhat more be seene if you consider with me that in Moses writings and in and by nothing els we learne all the word of God reuealed and made knowne to the Church not onely touching the creation and olde world but also concerning Abraham Isaack Iacob and whatsoeuer God spake would haue to be knowen to be his word in his time which hee committed to writing for the perpetuall vse of the people of God And after him God added the pen of the prophets for the more perfect manifestation of this word and misterie of Gods will and yet so as nothing in substance did differ from the written law of Moses Therefore the prophetes pronounce the same writinges to be a most perfect Canon not to be added to nor taken from saying after this maner a Esa 8.20 To the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in thē And againe b Malach. 4.4 Remember the law of Moses my seruant which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel the
statutes and iudgements Here you see that the prophets hauing the same spirite of truth to leade them and their pen which Moses had in his writings auouch the perfection of Gods word in Moses bookes so farre as they would be vnderstood to doe or speake nothing that should not agree vnto that worde so written and whosoeuer did otherwise had not the light in him Now because Moses and the prophets agreed in their writinges in declaring and making manifest the same truth and word of God which he would haue to be the knowen canon and rule of religion Our Sauiour Christ reiecteth all c Math. 15.3 new deuises writing traditions and customes of men sendeth vs to the d Luk. 16.29 cap. 24.44 law and the prophets bidding vs to e Ioh. 5.39 search the scriptures Which also to bee a most certaine rule Saint Peter saith We haue a most sure worde of the prophets And Saint Paul a 2. Tim. 3.16 The whole scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach vs that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes What can be a more perfect rule or touchstone then that which is most sure inspired of God profitable euery way in righteousnes by which a man may be absolute perfect vnto all good workes And hereof it commeth that the writinges of the new testament are not a new Canon or additament of rule in religion but onely a more plaine reuelation fulfilling of that which was before taught by Moses and the prophetes and therefore you shal find that Christ and the Apostles euery where do approue their doctrine by the testimonies of the scriptures of the olde testament Wherefore Paul acknowledgeth that b Rom. 16.26 God commanded the preaching of the gospell to bee by the scriptures of the prophets and Peter c Act. 3.22.24 appealeth to Moses and to all the prophets from Samuel and thenceforth that they foretold of those daies that is of the time of the gospell and the things which should bee manifested therein And therefore Paul protested that he d Cap. 26.22 witnessed both to small and great no other things then those which the prophets and Moses did say should come Wherefore the whole scriptures of the olde and new testament is one and the same rule of religion Although peraduēture as is before declared there may be some difference in ceremony and maner of gouernment yet is the first euen in those thinges a witnesse of the last and the last a true and faithfull expounder and fulfiller of the first Hereof it is that Mathew and the other Euangelists do confirme all the doctrine and doings of Christ by seuerall scriptures Yea those thinges which in forme order differ are yet proued that so they ought to be by Moses and the prophetes as the ministerie of a Math. 3.3 Iohn Baptist b Act. 2.16 and of the Apostles c Heb. 7.1.12 the priesthood of Christ and his changing of the lawe d 1. Cor. 9.9.13 prouiding for the ministerie though not by tithes and many such like But as for the most substantiall parts of the doctrine of faith and saluation I hope it shal appeare to the godly Christian by reading this Chapter throughout that there is but one canon and rule of truth Therefore to conclude let the reader obserue that this writing of Gods word is done by the spirit of God to this vse and ende that we might bee sure to know and how to trie and finde out what is the worde of God by examining all things wee heare by the Canon of the scripture As did e Act. 17.11 the noble men of Berea Wherefore Saint f Cap. 1.3.4 Luke affirmeth that the ende of this writing was that wee might acknowledge the certaintie of those thinges whereof wee haue beene instructed And Saint Paule saith that for the Church g Philip. 3.1 it was a sure thing and this sure thing is expounded by the Euangelist who sayth h Ioh. 20.21 These thinges are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the sonne of God and that in beleeuing yee might haue life through his name Therefore as Moyses which first wrote shewed the absolutenesse of this Canon of Gods worde written by i Deut. 4.2 forbidding all adding to and taking from So the last booke of this Canon sealeth vp all the writinges of God with the like admonition saying e Reuelat. 22.18 I protest to euerie one that heareth the wordes of the prophesie of this booke If any man shall adde vnto these thinges God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke Now in both partes of this Article agreeing to all these testimonies of holy scripture is the iudgement and profession of the Church of England For we say b Artic. 20. of the authoritie of the church It is not lawfull for the Church to ordaine any thing that is contrarie to Gods worde written c Articl 6. the doctrine of holy scripture Holy scripture containeth all things necessarie to saluation so that whatsoeuer is not read therein nor may be proued thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be beleeued as an article of the faith or bee thought requisite and necessarie to saluation c. d Apolog. cap. 9. diuis 1. We receiue and embrace all the Canonicall scriptures both of the old and new testament c. they bee the verie sure and infallible rule whereby may be tried Whether the Church do swarue or erre and whereunto all ecclesiasticall doctrine ought to bee called to account and that against these scriptures neyther law nor ordinance nor any custome ought to be heard c. In all which wee doe acknowledge this most absolute canon of Gods word agreeing with Abraham Moses the Prophets Christ and his Apostles The tenth Article of the people who follow the right religion that is the Church of God 10 There is but one Church of God and the same is catholike and spread ouer all the world holding onely the true faith of Christ and it is made visible and knowne by the profession of the same faith which is in the preaching of the pure word of God and right administration of his holy sacraments IN this Article is a double description of Christes Church first in regard of the nature and second in regard of the visible markes The nature is in three things vnitie and vniuersalitie and faith The markes are declared by their profession which is preaching and administring the word sacraments By vnitie wee vnderstand that God hath not diuers Churches of diuers sectes in diuers places or times but howsoeuer times and places may haue some externall and temporal differences yet in all times and places the people whom God alloweth and accepteth to bee his church are but one misticall bodie wherof Christ is the head and as
fallen into an Apostasie And the reason he giueth confirmeth it directly that it should vndoubtedly fall out and so come to passe for hee afterward affirmeth that it commeth of the righteous iudgement of God vpon the reprobate saying God shall sende them stronge delusion that they should beleeue lies that all they might bee damned Vers 12.12 which beleeued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse which thing if it be wel seen into vprightly waied it will cōuince the church of Rome to be of the false religion and antechristian church and their brauerie of profession their antiquitie vniuersalitie and visible succession to be the sitting of the man of sinne in the temple of God that is the plague and running soare of the Church the damnation of many soules and that now within these few yeares the gospel teaching the true Christian religion hath reuealed their Apostasie and that so openly clearly as euerie man may see it if he doe not wilfully blind his owne eyes 3 Now if they say that the Church cannot erre and thereupon build their antiquitie vniuersalitie succession c. Namely that they must needes bee the true Church being so actiuely and vniuersally visible in their continued succession because it belongeth to the Church vnder the gospell as they say to bee as the Moone that neuer is ecclipsed nor couered vnder a cloud but alwaies appeareth glorious and beautifull vnto the world then doe they euidently declare and proue themselues to bee the false sinagogue of Sathan and their religion to bee his delusions and lies Because the worde of God doth so manifestly say there shall bee an Apostasie and falling away in religion and that the enemie of Christ should raigne in the place of Gods temple And least happily wee should bee deceiued in thus iudging euen in this one point of their religion that they hold that the church cannot erre they cōuince themselues to be Antechrist many wayes especially in that they make the authoritie of the Church aboue the scriptures that they might be iudges of it and not of them What do they herein more truely then professe to all the worlde that there sitteth amongst them the aduersarie that exalteth himselfe against all that is called God for what is there in the whole world by which God is knowen or can bee knowen truely and rightly to bee God and by which God is exalted and all his honour truth and word magnified and his will wisedome and goodnesse glorified and worshipped but onely the inspired writinges of the blessed booke of God If they hauing no truth on their side to maintayne themselues to bee the Church of God they will foist in with a brasen face contrarie to euident scripture this vntruth that the church cannot erre and thereupon vsurpe authoritie ouer this booke of God and after it to haue no authoritie but such as they allow and to haue no other meaning or sence but such as they giue and so God and his holy law must looke for no other name credite and dignitie but as it pleaseth them being men to giue And so againe God and his word should not bee builders and describers of the Church but the Church builders and describers of God and his word doth it not then necessarily follow that they are verie Antechrist and the seate of Apostasie Moreouer if Christ say this Apostasie should bee so great that if it were possible a Math. 24.24 the verie elect should bee deceyued Are not they verie Antechrist to make the Church alwaies visible and not able to erre And let the godly Christian reader consider what vse there is of these rules precepts b Math. 7. 1. Ioh. 4.1.2 2. Ioh. vers 9. Beware of false prophets beleeue not euerie spirit c. hereby shall you know the spirit of God that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God whosoeuer transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God c. Againe there is prophesied of a woman whose name is Reuelat. 17. 18. A misterie great Babilon the mother of whordoms abominations of the earth which is a great citie which raigneth ouer the kings of the earth and all nations drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication And God saith to vs Go out of her my people c. If the true vse of these scriptures teach vs two things first that we must trie and iudge the false prophets the spirits and whosoeuer may cal themselues the Church by the doctrine of Christ expressed in the scriptures and that vnder the time of the gospell a citie by false doctrine should poyson all nations and we ought to go out of that citie how can any man iudge the Citie of Rome which calleth her selfe the mother of all Churches and vsurpeth ouer all nations seeing that it hath forsaken the truth and yet claimeth vniuersalitie perpetual succession visible refuseth to be tried by the holy oracles of God these rules and Canons of holy scriptures how I say can any man iudge otherwise but that it is the verie seat of Antechrist And in this that it would bee maintained by saying it cannot erre it erreth most apparantly And therefore that onely is the true Church and house of God whether visible or inuisible a Heb. 3.6 Math. 18.20 which holdeth fast the true faith where two or three are gathered together in Christes name and not that which pretendeth visible succession and saith it cannot erre 4 Howbeit in all this time it was not as the church of Rome would beare vs in hand that our religion which is that auncient religion of Abraham had such an ecclipse that it cannot bee traced in these 1600. yeares after Christ for as before the comming of Christ it lay hidde in comparison of the vniuersalitie of the whole world in the house and posteritie of Abraham and sometime more then other appearing and shining forth when God made his glorious truth to cast the beames of light far and wide at such times as he made his saintes glorious by deliuerance as out of Egipt and Babilon And in subduing the Cananites in prospering Dauid Solomon Iehoshaphat Ezekiah and Ioshiah So in this time of Christianitie among the Gentils there hath beene as it were an ebbing and flowing and as I may say a morning and an euening For the gospell beginning with small degrees and like a grayne of mustard seede was persecuted by the vniuersall world at the first And yet preuailed mightely through all those bitter and intollerable persecutions of the first three hundred yeares in so much as in the first Christian Emperours dayes namely Constantine the great when hee summoned the first generall Councell of Nice for the cause of Arrius there came 318. Bishops and these were from all partes of the worlde West as farre as Spaine and North in a manner at the verie North Pole So that all the worlde stoode amased
worketh together with the grace of God vnto merit and deseruing of saluation S. Paul taught the Romanes that c Rom. 8.8 they which are in the flesh that is the vnregenerate can not please God And again d Cap. 3.12 They haue all gone out of the way they haue beene made altogether vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one And he openeth himselfe els where saying e Eph. 4.17.18 The Gentils walke in the vanitie of their mind hauing their cogitation darkened being straungers from the life of God through the ignoraunce that is in them c. that is to say their ignoraunce is so great that they cannot doe any thing but sinne which he confirmeth by this maxime to the same Romans f Rom. 14.23 Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Therefore his doctrine to them is this that by their exceeding ignoraunce the vnregenerate did nothing but such as was sinne in Gods eye-sight These late Romistes doe g Concil trident Ses 6. canon 7. accurse this doctrine of Saint Paule and all them that say that all the workes of the vnregenerate to bee truely sinne Saint Peter taught the Iewes h Act. 4.12 That there is saluation in none other meaning none other but Christ for that there is giuen none other name vnder heauen whereby we must be saued These degenerate pretenders of Peter place saluation in others as in merites satisfaction and workes of supererogation and say there bee other names by which wee must bee saued as diriges religious orders and vowes pilgrimage pardons relickes and many other names by them deuised Saint Paule taught the auncient Romanes that i Rom. 4.25 8.33.34 Christ dyed for our sinnes and rose to make vs righteous and being hereby iustified of God nothing can bee layed to our charge nor condemne vs. By which it appeareth that the obedience and suffering of Chryst was the perfect working of our saluation These bastarde Romanes doe saye that wee yet neede the sacrifice of the Masse for quicke and deade and that the doing and fulfilling of Gods commaundementes and the Church is the condition on our part S. Peters doctrine saith that all the faithful k 1. Pet. 2.5.9 are an holy priesthood To offer vp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ These counterfet successors of Peter adde a new deuise saying that their priests haue an especial office to offer vp sacrifice namely their Hoste S. Paul taught the old Romanes that l Rom. 8.34 Christ sitteth at the right hand of God to make intercession for vs. These declined Romistes say that the virgin Marie Peter and Paul and the Saints are intercessors for vs. Saint Peter taught the Iewes that he the said a 1. Pet. 5.1.2 Peter was an elder as other elders ministers of Christ and that such elders should not be Lordes ouer Gods heritage but that Christ was the chiefe shepheard These stately prelates make themselues Lords of sea and land disdaining at the low estate of the Apostles and elders of the primitiue church Saint Paule taught the Christian Romanes that b Rom. 3.28 A man is iustified by faith without workes These Antechristian Romanes say that by doing good workes a man is iust and iustified and not by faith alone Saint Paul taught the Christian Romans that c Rom. 7.7 Concupiscence in the regenerate was sinne and though he did will that which was good yet hee could not performe it These Antechristian Romanes do say that concupiscence is not sinne in the regenerate after Baptisme but onely left for the spirituall battell to bee resisted Saint Peters doctrine to the Iewes saith That we must doe good workes d 1. Pet. 2.12.15 to shew forth the vertues of God and to glorifie him and to put to silence the ignoraunce of foolish men The new learning of these men is that we must do good workes that we might winne heauen thereby Saint Peters doctrine to the Iewes saith e 1. Pet. 1.23 2.1 epist 2. cap. 3.1.15 That the Gospell is the word of God by which we are borne again that it is sincere milke and commendeth vnto them his owne and also S. Paules epistles And S. Paule taught the faithfull Romanes f Rom. 1.2 16.26 That God promised the gospell before by his prophetes in the holy scriptures and that God commaunded that it should bee taught all nations by the scriptures of the prophets These Romanes of the new learning do say that the g Reade Martin Peresius Aila de traditionibus scripture can not teach all the gospell but we must learne somewhat touching faith and saluation by tradition canons and the magisteriall power of the Church and equall these with holy scripture to teach that which cannot be found and learned in the written word of God Saint Paul taught the Romans the vniuersalitie of the Church when he said a Rom. 10.12 there is no difference betweene the Iew and the Grecian for hee that is Lord ouer all is right vnto all that call vpon him S. Peters doctrine agreeth thereunto where he saith b Act. 10.34.35 God is no accepter of persons but in euery nation hee that feareth him and worketh righteousnes is accepted with him These late builders place the Church in the citie of Rome and call it the Catholike Church of Rome S. Peters doctrine to the Iewes saith c 1. Pet. 1.3 2 5.17 that he prayed and blessed God and that the Christians should feare God and offer spirituall sacrifices vnto God And S. Paul d Rom. 1. 10 15. 16. taught the beleeuing Romanes by his own ensample in diuers prayers and by a generall example of the Church in these words whosoeuer calleth on the name of the Lord c. that they should worship and pray to God onely These new deuisers giue this honour of God to Saints relickes and images and teach men to serue worship and pray to them S. Paul taught the Romanes of the Primatiue Church that after e Rom. 4.11 iustification by faith the sacraments are signes to seale the righteousnes of faith and S. Peters doctrine to the Iewes saith that f 1. Pet. 3. Baptisme saueth vs but not by the outward washing away of the filth of the flesh but by the spirit working in our hearts a good conscience to God 21. These new forgers of doctrine and sacraments make the sacraments in the worke wrought to containe to conferre grace and to iustifie together with faith and that without baptisme there happeneth no iustification Saint Paul and S. Peter wrote both in the Greeke tongue which was fittest for all nations to learne Gods word and wheresoeuer they gaue instructions a This appeareth Act. 2. all the whole storie following they did it in that language which might best be vnderstood of the people but these new religion makers deliuer instructions teach men
which some call Tritheitae or Triformiani Anno 370. which make the three persons in the trinitie three Gods like as wee account and know Robert Richard and Nicholas to be three men So the Papistes not in wordes but in deedes do the verie same for in their roode crosses and glasse windowes they engraue or paint the likenesse of God like the image of a man and the three persons like two seuerall men an old and a yong and like a doue And when they a Hore in laud. beat virg Mar. giue the virgine Marie power to make men gentle chaste and of a pure life they haue too much resemblance vnto the heretickes called Melchisedechiani who thought that Melchisedeck was the power of God And what odds in substance of matter is there betweene them and the Simonians who hold Simon Magus for a God or as it is in the Actes of the Apostles Act. 8. the great power of God For they b Test Rhem. annot in Luk. cap. 15.10 Math. 22.10 say that our harts and inward repentance be open to the Saintes and that they can heare our prayers and helpe vs be they neere or afarre of Which to doe doubtles is not of any creature but onely of God Now when they make saints patrons of people and countries What doe they els but as the Tetratheitae make many Gods As Mahomet the hereticke ordained that it should be death if any man disputed against his pestilent lawes So the Popes canons forbid any man to iudge or dispute of the decrees of their falsely called Apostolicall sea The Pelagians denie predestination altogether and the papists denie it in regard of the reprobate The heretickes Basilidiani tie predestination to workes foreseene and so do the papistes The Priscilianistes tie mens actions to the gouernment of the starres and the Maniches make two beginnings one good and another bad vnto which two heresies the papists seeme to leane indeed though not in word when they shut out Gods decree from ordaining his prouidence from administring and ordering any thing which he cōmandeth not that God regarded what mans free wil would chuse in such things For either they make mans wil a first cause or chance or the stars or that euil beginning And so by their assertion there will bee some thing of equall power with God as an other beginning first cause of euil things wherin God medleth not Touching free wil original sin Pelagius said that grace is giuen vnto men that they might the more easily fulfill by grace those things which they are cōmāded to do by their free wil so the papistes say that free will is but moued stirred vp by the grace of God worketh together with his grace The Pelagians say that a man without grace may doe all the commandementes of God and the Papistes say that it is a Test Rhem. in Math. 12. vers 11. in margin in mans owne freewill to bee a good tree or a badde The Pelagians say that the grace of God by which wee are deliuered is giuen vnto vs according to our merites so the Papistes say when the sinner doth that which is in him hee deserueth of congruitie to be iustified As touching the recouerie of man out of the damnable estate of sinne all heretickes had their seuerall heresie wherein they put their trust and despised all other and the true way of saluation which is by Christ So the church of Rome as compact of all heresies hath diuers new meanes of recouerie out of damnation and many religions as of friers monkes and Heremites The Turkish Mahomet had his Alcoran and the papistes haue their canons decrees and decretalles of the church vnder paine of damnation There were certaine hereticks called Messaliani Euchetae who attributed all the power of the saluation of their soules vnto praier supplications So haue you with the papistes certaine praiers Auemaries creedes and psalmes to be numbred vp for the soules both of quicke and dead And an other sort of heretickes called Heracleonitae are said to redeeme their fellowes and associates by oyle balme water and prayers So these Romistes haue holy water to fright spirits and as their a Set forth by Pius 5. ordo ad faciend ' aquā benedictam masse booke saith they exorcise or coniure the salt which is put into the water for the saluation of beleeuers and that it should be to all who take it health of soule bodie They haue also extreame vnction where with ointing praier they promise the very like vnto a man that is at the point of death which the Euchatae did The Simonians called Simon Christ the Sethians Seth. The Ophilae and Maniches the serpent Elcesaitae made two Christs and many more are to be found of like heresie So the papistes haue many mediators or Christes The virgine Marie the Apostles and I cannot tell how many Martirs and Saints to whom they flie as vnto mediators There were heretickes called Artotyritae so called of their offering For they offered vp bread and cheese So the papistes haue the host of bread which they cal the forme of bread which they offer vp for a sacrifice The heretickes called Ebionites Cathari Donatists Pelagians diuers others held iustification by workes and not by faith onely and so do the papists most earnestly Heretickes called Hierarchitae said that little children pertaine not to the kingdom of heauen because there is not in them any merite of the combate or striuing by which vices should be ouercome So the papistes hold that concupiscence is left for the combate to striue withall that their actions might bee the more meritorious and they pronounce damnable sentence vpon children vnbaptised The heretickes called Iouianistes as Saint Austen saith in his yonger daies did hold that a man could not sin hauing receiued the lauer of regeneration that is to say Baptisme So the papists say that after Baptisme concupiscence in the regenerate is no sinne and that there is nothing in him displeasing God The donatistes affirme of themselues that they liue a perfect righteous and angelicall life So the papistes say a regenerate man may do all Gods commandements and their religious men liue a seraphicall and angelicall life in their orders Concerning the worde of God a Euseb lib. 5. cap 13. there were heretickes called Appellitae which blamed the holy scriptures with verie painfull and earnest reprehension So doe the papistes call the scriptures a thing without life dumbe Iohn Sleid. coment lib. 23. Literi Clemētis de sinodo Trident. colligend and like a nose of waxe that may bee drawne euery way hauing no certaintie without the iudgement of the church The hereticks called Pepusiani made Christ author of their filthy reuelations So the papists make him author of their vnwritten verities And as the Tacians Maniches Mahomet equall their deuises traditions vnto the holy scriptures so do papists And as papists prefer
risen vp without Gods authoritie by men how where and when since the pure times of the blessed Apostles and founders of Christes church and religion yea and that in most of the particulers Wherin my purpose is not to enter so farre as might be spoken for I cannot make in so short a roome an exact treatise but onely as briefely as I can conueniently so far to shew the christian reader as he may sufficiently see and perceiue that poperie hath his originall from men and not from God that it came vp since and vnder the Christian religion like vnto the Iuie that commeth vp after the oke and taketh holde thereon and by little and little so ouerspreadeth it and couereth it from the sight of men that wee can scarse see or discerne the oke Histories differ in setting downe 〈◊〉 times And here I am to aduertise the reader that historie writers and reporters of antiquitie differ much in these causes about the times so as the cronologie writers finde themselues encombred howe to set downe the certaintie in manie things yet notwithstanding though the authors disagree about the certaine time yet the matter is made vndoubted when they all agree that it is found out to come in after the Apostles times Wherein I make choise to take our testimony from hartie and vnfained papists that the truth of this cause may the more appeare when themselues cannot but yeeld vnto vs sufficient warrant and proofe of their new borne superstition Two deuises to hide the newnes of poperie They haue two great helpes to maintaine the antiquitie of their follie First the authorising of counterfait writinges such as are the decretall Epistles of Clemens Anacletus and others of the primatiue Church which not onely disagreeing in stile and matter from the times they pretende but also telling of those thinges and persons which were many yeres after doo very much argue that when the papists are faine to runne vnder the shadowe of such muddie and vnsetled Wales of forged authoritie their foundation is not so deepe in their owne conscience as they would beare the worlde in hand Their second helpe is that they proine pare and loppe and engraft the writings of auncient fathers and others teaching them by a newe deuise called Index Expurgatorius hatched in the late Counsell of Trent Anno 1571. to speake as they thinke best for there sea of sinne and to holde their peace where they like not of their sayinges If they may thus authorise false witnesses to speake for their purpose as they list and gagge the toonges of the true witnesses they can speake no further but as they giue them leaue then may euerie simple man see in them that an euill conscience findinge themselues to haue no antiquitie of trueth doth cause them to inuent shiftes to colour and cloake their wicked forgeries and newe deuises by which they haue manie yeeres abused Gods people But GGD bee thanked who bringeth the hidden and secreate thinges of the wicked vnto light he hath confounded their wisedom that all this doth not hide their filthie and earthlie generation For the prophesie of Saint Paul concerning such peruerse and cursed speakers which haue a shewe of godlinesse but haue denied the power thereof is now in the eyes and knowledge of all men come to passe For he a 2. Tim. 3.9 saith They shall preuaile no longer for their madnesse shal be euident to all men 3. And this verily is brought to passe by the righteous iudgements of God causing their owne tongs to take them and making the counsell of the wicked to bee foolishnesse Marke therefore and consider how they confound the glorie of their inuentions ad deuises Martinus Peresius Aiala a Bishop and a verie zealous papist seeming to haue taken great paines in reading of antiquities writeth a b Printed at Paris 1549. booke of traditions dedicated to Phillip king of Spain where hee c In his preface nisi attramento mortuo in sacris codicibus expressū calleth the inspired scriptures of the worde of God Dead incke in the holy bookes and affirmeth that if we should follow onely the holy scriptures which he calleth a pestiferous opinion Christian religion and ecclesiasticall pollicie should vtterly be destroied auouching beside the canonical scriptures another kind of doctrine called Tradition the head seed plot as he saith of almost all controuersies betweene vs and if herein wee agreede all discord now in religion would quickly cease And in this booke he maketh d 3. pars assertio 6. fol. 6. Diuina authoritas magisterium apostolicum Episcop maxime Romanorum a Deo concessa authoritas three fountains of traditions First they call diuine authority that is such as Christ in their deuise instituted deliuered which were not laid vp in the scriptures the second fountaine they call the Apostolicall mastership where they haue traditions some in the canons Apostolicall some in holy mens writings the last fountaine is the mastership authoritie of the Bishops most of all of the Roman Bishops which they also cal the e pars 2. assert 5. fol. 44. mastership of the church Wherein is a power as they say to iudge and determine what is canonicall scripture and to make diuers lawes and ecclesiasticall discipline And this last giueth power to all the rest for here as they say wee know which is the true worde of God heere the authoritie of decretalles is made firme and this being a gift and priuiledge that cannot erre is of that autenticall authoritie if we beleeue them that no man must once reason against it Out of these fountaines they drawe their traditions of the rites of Baptisme of confirmation auricular confession and penitentiall satisfaction the tradition of order and his rites the fearefull sacrifice of the alter transubstantiation praier for the dead communion vnder one kind purgatorie extreame vnction worship and intercession of Saints worship of relickes images exorcismes Lent fastes single life vowes of chastitie and such like In handling of which traditions he b Postulat 3. fol. aut quia legi Dei repugnant proximae sunt occasiones peccandi c. giueth vs a rule to discerne humane traditions from diuine saying Traditions which are not good are either contrarie to the law of God and are verie neere occasions to sin or derogate to the glorie of Christ or they are friuolous burdensome and of no profit If it be lawfull for vs to follow these three rules we shal easily proue popery to be no good tradition but a meere humane inuention of their owne For the first rule I hauing before shewed that all their popish religion is contrary to the religion which God taught Abraham Moses and the Prophets taught the Iewes and Christ and his Apostles taught all nations and contrarie to the doctrine which Paule taught the auncient Romanes and which Peter taught the Iewes it must needes follow that these traditions being
wee may beleeue him in this time was found out the gowne of Iesus Christ which fell by lot vnto one of the soldiers when Christ was crucified in a village called Zaphat For wee must suppose that Christ woare durable cloathing which woulde not waste in 600. yeares and that the soldier kept it as some holy relicke and gaue it or sold it to some Christian But I will not trouble the reader with such bables onely let him obserue and marke that here ignoraunce and blind deuotion began to spring and to draw men away from the pure truth of the gospell This Platina tels vs that Theodatus ordained that the sonne of the godfather Godfathers not to marie should not marie the daughter which his father held at the font this is a new kindred Boniface the 5. Sanctuarie for offendors ordained that one shold not be drawen out of the church by force but the church shold bee a place of refuge for offenders Organs musicke in the church The pax Vitalianus ordayned organs in the church and musicall instruments Leo the second founded the Pax to be giuen the people in the masse time A strange chaire This Platina telleth of a new and strange chaire at Rome called Sedes Stercorea wherin the new created Pope sitteth and vnderneath the last deacon trieth him whether he be a man which newly came vp by this occasion that Pope Iohn 8. Anno 855. as he went to the Church of Lateran Masse for the dead was deliuered of a child and therefore the Popes after that going to that Church passe not that way are thus tried Benedict 3. ordained that the priestes deacons and the Pope should bee present at the funerall of a Bishop to giue honor to the corps and to pray for the dead mans soule and commanded all priests to say masse when the Pope died In the time of Formosus which was about Anno 890. Hee saith The Emperors Popes holinesse lost at one time that he could not tell for what cause in one time the truth of the Emperours and of the Popes their holines was lost and abolished Steuen the sixt brought vp this new custome that one Pope did vndo and annihillate the doings and decrees of his predecessors wherein the Christian reader by the way may consider that wee are to beleeue them when they make the Popes decrees equall with the scripture seeing themselues can so easily put downe such authentical doings And here is not to bee omitted how grieuously Platina a In the life of Sargius and of diuers others complaineth in rehearsing the liues of many wicked popes about this time calling them cursed and bastardes from the vertues of the good Popes Of Iohn the 16. he saith that hee conuerted the goods of the Church to the vse of his kindred brothers parentes and carnall friendes and of that sprang a custome which the Popes comming after did obserue and keepe that not for the faith and deuotion of Christianitie but for the treasures of the Church the Popes sought that honour namely to enrich themselues and their friends brothers sisters cosens nephewes c. About which time a Booke 6. Anno 990. Polydor Virgill in his storie of England obserueth that the Monkes degenerated and the priestes into tyranny by meanes of their riches This Platina can tell you that Syluester the second came to his popedom by negromancie and that Benedick the 8. after his death appeared vpon a blacke horse for hiding vp money that was giuen for the poore And Benedick the 9. sold his Popedome and so also after his death appeared like a monster horrible idoll Syluester the third through mony became Pope Anno 1000. also Gregorie the 6. for at this time this new learning was ruled by money and friendes Damasus the second occupied that roome by force without the consent of the people and cleargie so the custome was that the ambitious obtained the papacie This Platina commendeth Gregorie the seuenth although for that he telleth of him hee might rightly bee called Hellbrand for his presumption ouer his Lord the Emperor for his hellish and blasphemous bulles wherein he maketh Peter his God saying O glorious Peter prince of the Apostles incline thine eare heare thy seruant whom thou hast nourished vp from his infancie preserued kept from the hands of his enemies vnto this present time c. And in his statutes a little after he describeth the man that doth as appertayneth to a Christian by this To feare God S. Peter To feare God and S. Peter And in another curse he saith to Peter Paul I haue not chosen you but you haue chosen me laid this most greeuous burden vpon my shoulders c. By these and such like he vttereth wordes of great dishonour to God maketh Peter in vertue power worship equal to God Christ which are new broached errors fearefull in the eares of true Christians And such as Peter would earnestly haue detested if hee were aliue a Act. 10. Cap. 14. who rebuked Cornelius in a lesse matter And Paul would haue rent his cloathes said O men why doe you these things we also are men subiect to the like passions as you are He can tell vs also of Vrban the second that he began the wares against the Sarasines and Turkes And that from thencefoorth the cheefest labours of Popes haue beene in wars for Peters patrimony deposing kinges and Emperours and translating of kingdomes and dignities Out of which goodly roote there sprang vp the bloudie factions of the Guelphes and Gibellins Florentines Venetians Genenois Cecilians c. The b Anno 1260. Romanes refuse to obey Vrban the 4. And these garboiles grew so strong that the Popes were faine to bee nonresidents for seuentie foure yeres beginning at c Anno 1310. Clement the fifth vntill Gregorie the eleuenth Then out of this engendred an other newe thinge d 1380. a scisme of nine and thirtie yeares wherein were someime two sometime three Popes at once till the councell of Constance And so this time in warres canonizing of Saints breeding and enlarging of pardons and many other trumperies continued vntil the time of Luther Here I ouerskip Boniface the 8. with his two swordes and his angels be set in the night to perswade Celestinus to surrender his pope seate and Iohn 23. a deuisor of new thinges he would make and vnmake Bishops of Abbots and Abbots of Bishops new canons dignities in the church and by and by in another fashion And thus haue they handled the religion of Christ Like vnto a potter turning his wheele who maketh the clay now of one fashion and now of an other that no certainty of truth and ancient godlinesse can be found in that sea But as the Prophet Esay saith a Cap. 29.19 Your turning deuises shall it not bee as the potters
all writings of Bishops prouinces and generall counsels as vncertain and vnperfect and such as may be amended but lifteth vp the scriptures and writings of the new and olde testament as the onely sure and sufficient truth b De baptism contra Donat. lib. 2. cap. 3. saying Who knoweth not that the holy scripture as well of the olde as of the new testament is contained within certaine boundes and the same to be preferred before all the letters of the bishops comming after as that there can be no doubt dispute of or about it But the letters of Bishops which haue bin written after the confirming of the Canon or are now written may be reprehended both by the speech perauenture more wise of any man more wise in the same thing and by the grauer authoritie of other Bishops prudencie of learned men and by counsels if perauenture any thing in them do erre frō the truth Also counsels which are holden in seuerall regions or prouinces are to giue place without any staggering to the authoritie of fuller counsels which are holden of all the Christian world and those verie fuller councels often the former may be amended by the latter when as by any experience of things that is made knowne which was hidden Cyrillus in that verie age sheweth himselfe in this matter a verie true protestant c Vpon Ioh. 20. cap. 68. saying All things which the Lord hath done are not written but those things which the writers haue thought sufficient as well for maners as doctrine that shining in a right faith and workes and vertue we may come to the kingdome of heauen through our Lord Iesus Christ And Theophilact one of the later writers of the Greekes condescendeth to this doctrine b Vpon 2. Tim. 3. and saith Nihil est quod nequeat scripturis dissolut There is nothing which cannot bee assoiled by the scriptures Here the Christian reader may see that the auncient Christian religion was the same of protestants holding the scripture for the onely Canon of faith the rule of righteousnesse containing all thinges necessarie to saluation most certaine and sure to discerne all truth and able to assoile all dobts and questions and that wee ought to follow no man because Bishops letters the most generall and fullest councels may be amended and that it is onely the holy scripture whereof there can bee no doubt or dispute so that it followeth that it is a new doctrine to say that the Churches authoritie is aboue the scripture or that the Church iudgeth the scripture and not the scripture the Church or that wee neede and must accept with equall reuerence traditions or vnwritten verities and canons of the church without disputing and such like blasphemies Gratian also the compiler of the decrees who c About Ann. 1160. liued in the chiefest growth of corruption did publish to all the world as an ecclesiasticall decree the soueraigntie of holy scripture For speaking of deuine lawes he sheweth the determination of ancient fathers to set the holy scriptures aboue all other lawes whatsoeuer And first aboue all customes in d Distinct 8. ca. Si solus Christus these wordes If Christ onely bee to bee hearde wee are not to regarde what any man before vs thought meete to bee done but what Christ who is before all hath first done For wee must not follow the custome of men but the truth of God seeing God speaketh by Esai the prophet and saith in vaine doe they worshippe mee teaching the commandements and doctrines of men Secondly that it is proper and peculier to the Canonicall scriptures e For so the glosse interpreteth the Canons of the distinction following of the olde and new Testament onely not to erre f Distinct 9. cap. Ego solit saying I haue learned to giue vnto those writinges onely which now are called Canonicall this reuerence and honour that I beleeue that none of them haue erred And againe g Cap. Noli frater Doe not desire brother to gather out of the writings of Bishoppes cauils against so many so excellent and vndoubted testimonies deuine c. Whether they bee ours or Hillarius or Cyprian and Agrippinus before the part of Donatus was seperated And first this kind of letters is to bee distinguished from the authoritie of the Canons for they are not so reade as though a testimonie were so brought out of them that it is not lawfull to thinke contrarie if in any place they vnderstood otherwise then the truth doeth require And againe Neither ought wee to account the disputations of any men whatsoeuer although Catholicke and reuerende men like vnto the Canonicall Scriptures that it shoulde not bee lawfull for vs sauing the reuerence due vnto these men to improoue some thing in their wrytinges and to reiecte it if happely wee shall finde that they thinke or imagine otherwise then the truth hath In the next age after Gratian I finde Bonauentura a Franciscan a man of great account in h De profect◠religiosorū cap. 6. He liued about Ann. 1280. his time with cleare tearmes to teach the doctrine of protestantes in these wordes Nam quod ratio nostra lippa facta est c. Whereas our reason is become as bleare eied our vnderstanding darkened through sinne that wee cannot finde the truth of our selues God came downe vnto vs least we should bee in error and gaue vs the knowledge of the truth in the scriptures which he would haue vs beleeue where we might find sufficiently and truely all thinges necessarie for vs vnto saluation that in them we should not follow our sence but humblie submit our sence vnto the rule of faith if we will not erre Nicholas Lyra in the a 1315. next age protesteth for the scripture in like maner b Vpon the Prouerb ca. 31. saying Sacra scriptura continet firmam c. The holy scripture containeth the firme and inuiolable truth as in a merchants shippe are caried diuers thinges necessarie for mans life so in scripture are contained all things necessarie to saluation But that I ouercloy not the reader with many testimonies for the authority of holy scriptures I wil now turne to the other side to trace the footsteps of the popish doctrine how it came vp that the scriptures hath lost their first authority and honour Surely by the witnesse of the papistes themselues not in 400. or 600. yeares after Christ For then saith the glosse vpon c Vpon distinct 9. cap. noli me 15. Gratian that about the times of Augustine Augustina scripta aliorū sanctorū patrum non erant autentica c. The writings of Augustine and of other holy fathers were not autenticall but d that is about Anno 1200. now they are commanded to be holdē to the vtmost Iod. And this Gratian e Distinct 15. cap. sancta Romana sendeth vs to Gelasius for the first founder of the authoritie of councels
fathers and decretals epistles so that by the papistes owne account and confession the holy scriptures raigned alone many ages together after Christs ascention as Lady Queene to bee the onely law to rule iudge and know the Church and whatsoeuer necessarie to saluation And the Church presumed not ouer the scriptures but was squared ordered by them This Gratian sheweth vs f Distinct 16. Cap. Canons that the Canons of the Apostles were pronounced by g He liued Anno 530. Isidorus not to haue bene receiued of the Church nor of the holy fathers because they were knowne to be made of heretikes vnder the name of the Apostles After he h Distinct 19. cap. Si Romanor Ann. 865. telleth vs that Pope Nicholas giueth autenticall authoritie to the decretall Epistles of his predecessors And that i Distinct 19. cap. sic omnes Anno. 680. Pope Agatha first breathed out this blasphemie that all sanctions of the Apostolicall sea are to be receiued as confirmed by the deuine voice of Peter And k Distinct 20. cap. de libellis Anno 850. Leo the 4. followed him in the same rebellion of Gods word pronouncing that they who do not receiue al their canons indifferently do not beleeue the Apostolicall faith and the foure Euangelists effectually as they should And here the maker of the glosse is touched in conscience for the East churches that did not receiue these decretalles all this while whether they were not heretikes Much about this time came in the Legenda aurea which is l Bernard de Girard hist Franc. lib. 4. Albert. Krant Saxonia lib. 2. fathered vpon Carolus Magnus And after this others in these things kept on this new deuotion and presumption But the battell was not full and strong till Gratian himselfe m Anno. 1160. came vp and set them in aray by compiling the booke of decrees containing more then halfe a legion the Ciuilians and Canonistes muster themselues to make the first squadrant then Lombardus his brother bringeth forth a second in foure bookes of sentences and in the reare warde march n Anno 1270 Thomas Aquinas and o Ann. 1295. Scotus Duns with many Franciscans and Dominicans and make a strong battell of distinctions questions philosophie Aristotelians and all the forces of reason a Anno 1230. Gregorie the 9. bringeth forth his barbed horsemen of decretall as flanckers to make incursions in fiue troopes or bookes well armed with Apostaticall ordinaunce and Boniface the eight added a sixth Then come in the light horsemen of Clementines and extrauagantes readie for many seruices amongst whome there commeth in a monstrous huge b Seruice in a strange tonge came in after the adoring of Eucharist Anno 1220. read Lyra vpō 1. Cor. 14. beast to make way for the rest called Lingua Latina seu peregrina that is seruice and scriptures in an vnknowen tongue which casteth such a mist into the eyes of Gods people that they are brought vnder the antechristian bondage and from the glorious lawe of libertie which is the gospell of Christ Iesus before they be aware By all these there came vp such great and vniuersall studie of the Canon and Ciuill lawes and such honour of schoole learning amongst all the learned and wise men on the one side and such palpable ignorance in the common people that it was impossible that the worde of God could haue his primatiue dignitie witnesse the councell of Trent c Reade Caesar Baron vpon the Martyrolog Non Martij who often clapped handes and gaue great applause to Thomas Aquinas And that when Luther beganne to preach the gospell his greatest aduersaries fought against him eyther by Canons decrees of some scholasticall conclusion and witnesse the conscience and knowledge of all men that haue looked into the estate of religion Thus is it easie to see what a strong force the deuill had by this meanes to bring the holie scriptures of God into a base and low remembraunce and how in tracte of time hee hath made his owne lawes traditions decrees and counsels not onely equall but far aboue them And as iustly complaineth Anthonius de Rampegolis a man of their owne side who as Tritte then d De scriptoribus ecclesiasticis writeth flourished personally in the counsel of Constance e Figurae bibliae cap. de sacra scriptura Sacram scripturam in honorantes trahunt in obsequium philosophiae faciunt ancillā dominam de domina ancillam many dishonoured the holy scripture and made it obedient to philosophie causing the handmaid to be mistresse and the mistresse to be handmaid and thus was fulfilled that which Hilarius wisely obseruing did f Aduersus Arianos Et facta est fides temporum potius quā Euangeliorum say in his time When the vse of writing innouating of faith beganne to bee in vre after it did rather beginne to make new thinges then keepe that which it had receiued it neither maintained the old nor confirmed the newe and so faith became to bee of the times rather then of the gospels That is to say men leauing that which they receiued and learned by the scriptures and writing themselues opinions and decrees of their owne it came to passe in time that the faith of the Church was not that which the Gospell of Christ teacheth but such as liked men of the seuerall ages and times such as counselles decreed and Bishoppes ordained Which thing Erasmus being a great Scholler did see to be happened vnto the Church of Rome and thereof giueth admonition to a great Bishoppe and amongst other thinges touching humane constitutions g ad Christoph Episcop Basil de interdicto esu carmum c. he saith Haec primum obrepant honesti specie c. These thinges first creepe in by a colour of honestie after they ouerflow more aboundantly then after a while being confirmed by vse they raigne as tyrants c. 5. Of the supremacie Now let vs come to the last foundation of popery and banishing of Christ and his lawes Namely the royal primacie of the Pope clyming into the seat of Christ and aduancing himselfe aboue all that is called God And let vs examine whether it be Euangelicall and of the Christian religion and ancient profession of the primatiue Church First it is manifest and cleare that the first sixe hundred yeare neuer knew him but they were all protestants allowing no vniuersall Bishop but Christ onely and honouring the Emperors and kinges where they liued as Lordes and supreame gouernors ouer all persons ecclesiasticall ciuill euen as they had learned of Saint Paule who did commaund a Rom. 13.1 euerie soule to bee subiect to the higher power and of Saint Peter b 1. Pet. 2.13 who would haue them submit themselues to the king as the superior And herein I will call for the papistes themselues to be my witnesses First Gratian c Distinct 21. cap.
their decrees framed and ordained Beside this all these latter counsels haue not beene made with vniuersall consent but the church hath been deuided into two parts East and West vntill the time of this counsell of Basill and then it was sewed together with rotten threed and presently rent in peeces againe as it were in a moment and there was one counsel at Basill and an other set against it a Florence Now I say seeing these counsels of Constance Basil Trident in which the most part and chiefest of Popery hath been in the most generall maner determined published for the acts and determination of the church were but a verie smale part of the vniuersall church Namely of the Westerne parts I know not howe they can assure vs that in them we haue the churches determination except they could proue these counsels ecumenical and vniuersall of all Christian churches as was the first general counsell of Nice vnder Constantine the great Againe the counsels for sixe hundred yeeres after Christ did not decree as they haue done since and the faith of the church was not the determination of the Church but the sentence of holie scriptures and many points of faith haue been since determined not by but without holie Scriptures what should wee esteeme the auncient primatiue Churches to haue erred in faith or that they knew not or held not the true faith because that in verie many articles they lacked the ecclesiastical determination Lastly seeing that euerie day they bring foorth new deuises and sanctions and the latter many times contrarie to the former who can tell when he is in the truth or out of the truth or when the Church hath made her true and right determination Hee that readeth ouer Gracian and the Tomes of the counsels with the histories of the liues of the Popes or doo but well marke and consider that little which I haue penned out of them in this Chapter shall easilie perceiue that they are euer learning but neuer come to the knowledge of the truth they dote about questions which are endles and strife of woords there is no certaintie in their religion little trueth and vncessant innouation Therefore I may conclude that as this monster is of a later generation and a new continuall conception so no mortall man can tell when hee will come to his full birth and bee a perfect bodie or when he will haue his certaine determination right shape and proportion and finall growth and compleate stature I will leaue him therefore to the high Iudge and Lord of all flesh vntill that great and fearefull day a Reuel 19.20 When the beast shall bee taken and with him the false prophet and they both cast aliue into the lake of fire which burneth with brimstone Come Lord Iesus come quickly CHAP. V. Heere is shewed that all men ought to flie poperie First because of the exceeding daunger it bringeth to them selues to their seede and countrie Secondlie It is of all heresies and Apostasies the most pernitious Thirdlie It is not tollerable or to bee wincked at in any Christian common wealth Fourthly We of England haue great cause to praise God that we haue nothing to do with it NO sooner had my penne concluded the former Chapter but that me thought I hearde the great comaunder of all the worlde calling vnto all Christians concerning the Romish religion and saying a Esai 52.11 Departe depart go out from thence and touch no vncleane thing For seeing that poperie is so directly and manifold differing from the true ancient and catholike religion so agreeing with all filthie heresies and lately sprung vp out of the vncleane brood of humane inuention and diabolicall suggestion bearing downe all puritie of faith and true holy worship of God that hereby the Romish Church is certainly found to approue it selfe to bee that great Babilon which is become the habitations of deuils and the hold of foule spirits and a cage of euerie vncleane and hatefull bird I can no otherwise vnderstand the duetie of all Christians but that they bee obedient to that heauenly voice which els where calleth vs out of that prophane sinagogue of Rome saying b Reuelat. 18.4 Go out of her my people that ye bee not partakers in her sinnes that ye receiue not of her plagues It behoueth therefore euerie soule to consider wisely of this thing because of the daunger that may happen to himselfe to his seed and to his countrie For as it was no pleasant thing to Noe to liue among those proud and cruell people of the first worlde whose destruction hee knew to be most certainly approching and as Lot dwelling at the gate of Sodom vexed his righteous soule in hearing and seeing their vnlawfull deeds his verie life was hazarded in the destruction of the wicked if God had not beene singularly mercifull vnto him So all men that feare God cannot but know that such wicked and filthie heresie as poperie is must needes bee as a canker that fretteth euen vnto destruction of the soule For it not onely draweth vs vnto many noysome and hereticall prauities but also to most abhominable idolatrie and the verie ouerthrow of the couenaunt of grace and true faith by which we stand in the fauour of God and haue the hope of eternall life by Iesus Christ They which speake most fauourablie for papists seeme willing to haue them in some sort of the visible Christian Church doe endeuour the same by making their apostasie to bee no greater then the apostasie of the ten tribes of Israel after their falling away from the house of Dauid vnder the hand of Hieroboam At which time they left the temple at Hierusalem and the pure worship word of God and made them calues in Dan and Bethel and worshipped God as it pleased the kinges of Israel But if men would consider the a 1. King 2. 2. Cron. 18. 19. storie of that good king Iehoshaphat when hee ioyned affinitie with Ahab they might easily see this thing how neere hee was to leese his life for such fellowship what losse hee had of shippes and how God rebuked him saying Wouldest thou helpe the wicked and loue them that hate the Lord therefore for this thing the wrath of the Lord is vppon thee Loe heere the Israelites are counted wicked the haters of God and such as for whose fellowship Gods wrath commeth vppon his children Therefore seeing the papistes are much more worse it must needs bee verie daungerous to haue any fellowshippe with them And if the soule bee farre more precious then the bodie then is the hazarde the greater And doubtlesse no man is able to expresse the greatnesse of the mischiefe which that wicked broode may bring vpon a man for so much as they transgresse the worde of God and follow not the doctrine of Christ and haue chosen their owne waies and their soule delighteth in their owne abhominations For it is written b 2.