wracke And as their cause was not good so neither were the meanes that they vsed for they brought S. George and S. Denys into the field against the Turkes and left Christ at home If the Israelites could not be deliuered from the Philistims by the presence of the Arke but thirtie thousand fell before them and all because of their sinnes let not men thinke that popish Saints can defend them while their liues remaine vnreformed at home 2. That the heathen are not to be prouoked to warre but vpon iust cause that is when they prouoke vs it appeareth by the example of the Israelites who as they came from Aegypt sent vnto the King of Edom and Moab that they might haue leaue to walke through their land but they not granting so much yet the people of God offered them no violence but went a longer iourney about Iudg. 11.17 Augustine sayth Sapiens gesturus est iusta bella sed multo magis dolebit iustorum necessitatem extitisse bellorum A wise man will take iust warre in hand but it more grieueth him that he hath iust cause to warre And what he meaneth by iust warre he further sheweth Iniquitas partis aduersae iusta bella ingerit gerenda sapienti The iniquitie or iniuries of the aduerse part doth giue vnto a wise man occasion of iust warre Iust warre therefore ariseth when men are prouoked by iniuries THE EIGHT QVESTION CONCERNING holy and festiuall dayes THis question hath diuers parts First of holy dayes in generall Secondly of the Lords day Thirdly of the Festiuall dayes of Christ and the holy Ghost Fourthly of Saints holy dayes Fiftly of the time of Lent THE FIRST PART OF HOLY DAIES in generall The Papists error 58 FIrst they hold that holy and festiual daies are in themselues and properly and truely more sacred and holy then other daies are Bellarm. cap. 10. proposit 2. Apocalyps 1.10 I was in the spirit saith the Apostle on the Lords day God reuealeth such great things to Prophets rather vpon holy daies then prophane daies Ergo some daies holier then other Rhemist Apocal. 1. sect 6. The Protestants Ans. FIrst God giueth not his graces in respect of times but according to his owne pleasure Times of praier he chooseth often and of other godly exercises not for the worthines or holines of the times but for the better disposition of his seruants in such exercises to receiue them yet this was not perpetually obserued for God appeared to Moses keeping of sheepe Exod. 3. to Amos following his herd Amos 7. Secondly wee grant that the Lords day being commanded of God and so discerned from other daies may be said to be holier then the rest in respect of the present vse but not in the nature of the day for then could it not haue been changed from the last day in the weeke to the first as water in Baptisme is holier then other waters because of the sacred vse not in it selfe as by a qualitie of holines inherent And as for other festiuall daies which haue not the like institution they are appoynted onely of the Church for Christian policie orders sake for the exercise of religion But this now popish before time Iewish distinction of daies as being by their nature hoâ—â—er then other is flatly against the Apostles rule Rom. 14.5 One putteth difference betweene day and day and Galath 4.10 You obserue daies and moneths times and yeeres Augustine saith Nos dominicum diem pascha celebramus sed quia intelligimus quo pertineant non tempora obseruamus sed quae illis significantur temporibus Cont. Adimant cap. 16. We keepe the Lords day and the feast of Easter not obseruing the times but remembring what is signified by those times that is for what cause they were ordained Ergo obseruers of times are reproued The Papists 2. THey affirme the keeping and sanctification of holy dayes to be necessary errour 59 Rhemist annot Galath 4. sect 5. and that we are bound in conscience to keepe the holy dayes appointed of the Church although no offence or scandale might follow and ensue vpon the neglecting of them Esther 9. Mardocheus and Esther appoint a new festiuall day not instituted of God and bind euery one to the obseruing therof that none should faile to obserue it ver 27. Ergo men bound in conscience to keep festiuall daies Bellarm. ca. 10. The Protestants Ans. FIrst though we refuse not some other festiuall daies yet we acknowledge none necessary more then are of the holy Ghosts appointing in the Scripture Secondly we deny that the constitutions of the Church for holy dayes do bind Christians in respect of the dayes them selues in conscience to keepe them otherwise then they may giue offence by their contempt and disobedience to the holesome decrees of the Church for it selfe in it owne nature is indifferent neither can the Church make a thing necessary in nature which God hath left indifferent nothing bindeth absolutely in conscience but that which is necessary by nature wherefore keeping of holy dayes being not enioyned but left indifferent in the word bindeth no otherwise then we haue said Thirdly the example of Esther sheweth that the Church hath authoritie to appoint for ciuill vses dayes of reioycing that festiuall day then begun did not binde the obseruers in conscience no otherwise then they were bound in all lawfull things to obey their gouernours for their consent was required and they promised both for themselues their seede to keepe that day Esther 9.27 Whereby it appeareth that they were not bound absolutely in conscience to obserue it Augustine speaking of the Sabboth saith thus haec est dies quam fecit Dominus exultemus laetemur in ea This is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce and be glad therein Psal. 118.24 This onely holy day he saith is of the Lords making and therefore of all other necessary to be kept THE SECOND PART OF THE Lords day The Papists THe seuerall pointes wherein our aduersaries and we doe differ about the errour 60 Christian Sabboth are these First the principall exercise of the Sabboth say they is for the people to come to the Church and heare Masse which their abominable and idolatrous sacrifice they make the proper worke of the Sabboth Catechism Roman pag. 649. The Protestants THe Sabboth was ordayned for the people to assemble together to heare the word read Act. 15.21 preached and to receiue the Sacramets Act. 20.7 and to offer vp their praiers these were the proper exercises of the Sabboth as for the popish sacrifice of the Masse we finde no mention at all thereof in Scripture The Papists error 61 2. WE dissent about the rest of the Sabboth they allow such workes to be done vpon the Sabboth as shal be permitted by the Prelates and Ordinaries and such as by long custome haue bene vsed Bellarm. cap. 10. The Protestants WE holde that as the Lords day was instituted of
God so the manner of celebrating and keeping it holy is to be learned out of the word and neither custome nor authority ought to giue liberty for such workes vpon the Lords day as are not warranted by the word First we graunt that we are not so necessarily tied to the rest of the Sabboth as the Iewes were for those things are abolished which appertained to the Iewish Sabboth First the prescript of the day Secondly the ceremonious exercises of the Sabboth in the sacrifices and other rites of the Law Thirdly the typicall shadowes and significations of their Sabboth as first it betokened their rest in Canaan then the rest and peace of the Church by Christ Hebre. 4.3 5. Fourthly the strickt and precise rest wherein Christians haue more liberty then the Iewes had and againe they obserued their rest as being properly and simply and in it selfe a sabboth daies duty but we doe consider it as being referred to a more principall end as making of vs more fit for spirituall exercises Secondly we allow these workes to be done First opera religiosa or pietatis the religious workes and conferring to piety as the Priestes did slaye the sacrifices vpon the Sabboth and yet brake not the rest of the Sabboth Math. 12.5 so the people may walke to their parish Church though somewhat farre off the Pastor Minister may goe forth to preach yea and preaching is of it selfe a labour of the body to study also and meditate of his Sermon to ring the bels to call the people to the Church all these are lawfull as being helpes for the exercises of religion Secondly opera charitatis the workes of mercy are permitted as to visite the sicke the Phisitian to resorte to his patient yea to shew compassion to brute beastes as to helpe the sheepe out of a pit Math. 12.11 Thirdly opera necessitatis the workes of necessitie as the dressing of meat and such like Math. 12.1.3 Our Sauiour excuseth his Apostles for plucking the eares of Corne when they were hungry As for opera voluntaria workes of pleasure and recreation we haue no other permission to vse them then as they shal be no le ts or impediments vnto spirituall exercises as the hearing of the word and meditating therein and such other Otherwise they are not to be vsed Augustine saith speaking of the Iewes who did greatly prophane their Sabboth in sporting and dalliance Melius toto die foderent quà m toto die saltarēt It were better for them to digge all day then to daunce all day euen so verily it were better for many poore ignorant people that vpon the Sabboth giue themselues to drinking and quaffing gaming if they should goe to plough or cart all the day But as for other seruile workes as to keepe Faires and Markets vpon the Lords day to trauell themselues their seruants and beastes vpon the Sabboth it is flat contrary to the commaundement of God and the practise of the Church Nehemiah 13.16 where there is no extream and vrgent necessitie so that it is not to be doubted but that as the keeping of the Lords day is a moral commaundement so also the manner of the obseruing thereof in sanctifying it and resting therein is morall the ceremonies of the rest being abolished that is the Iewish strictnes thereof and the opinion which they had of their rest as being simply a part of the sanctifying of the Sabboth But we doe consider it as referred vnto more principall duties and obserue it not as of it selfe pleasing God but as making vs more fit for spirituall exercises Contrary to these rules we acknowledge neither power in Ordinaries nor priuiledge in custome to dispence with the sanctification of the Sabboth The Papists THey affirme that the Apostles altered the sabboth day from the seaueth day to the eight counting from the creation and they did it without scripture error 62 or any commaundement of Christ such power say they hath God left to his Church This then they holde that the sabboth was changed by the ordinarie power and authoritie of the Church not by any especiall direction from Christ thereupon it followeth that the Church which they say cannot erre may also change the sabboth to any other day in the weeke Rhemist Apoca. 1. sect 6. The Protestants 1. THe Apostles did not abrogate the Iewish sabboth but Christ himselfe by his death as he did also other ceremonies of the Law and this the Apostles knew both by the scriptures the word of Christ his holy spirite 2. They did not appoint a new sabboth of their owne authoritie for first they knew by the scripture that one day of seauen was to be obserued for euer for the seruice of God and exercise of religion although the prescript day according to the Law were abrogate for the Lord before the morall law was written euen immediatly after the creation sanctified the seauenth day shewing thereby that one of the seauen must be obserued so long as the world endured Secōdly they knew there was the same reason of sanctifiyng the day of Christs resurrection and the restitution of the worlde thereby as of sanctifiyng the day of the Lords rest after the creation of the world Thirdly they did it by the direction of the spirite of God whereby they were so directed and gouerned that although they were fraile men by nature and subiect to error yet they could not decline in their writings and ordinances of the Church from the truth which assurance of Gods spirite in the like measure the Church hath not but so farre forth is promised to be led into all truth as she followeth the rule of truth expressed in the Scriptures Wherefore the Church hath no authority to change the Lords day and to keepe it vpon Munday or Tuesday or any other day seeing it is not a matter of indifferency but a necessary prescription of Christ himselfe deliuered by the Apostles for the Lords day began in the Apostles time and no doubt by their Apostolike authority directed by the spirite of Christ was instituted Act. 20.7 Apocal. 1. ver 10. Neither can there come so long as the world continueth so great a cause of changing the Sabboth as the Apostles had by the resurrection of Christ. Wherfore the law of the Sabboth as it is now kept and obserued is perpetuall The Papists errour 63 4. THey affirme that the keeping of the Lords day in stead of the Iewish Sabboth is a tradition of the Apostles and not warranted by Scripture Rhemist Math. 15. sect 3. The Protestants THe obseruation of the Lords day is not deliuered by blinde tradition but hath testimony of holy Scriptures 1. Corinth 16.2 Act. 20.7 Apocal. 1.10 and the obseruation thereof is according to Gods commaundement not after the doctrine of men Fulk ibid. The Papists errour 64 5. THey teach that the Lords day is commaunded and likewise kept for some mysticall signification not onely for the remembraunce of benefites already
accomplished as of the resurrection of Christ and the Aduent or comming downe of the holy spirite but also to betoken vnto vs things to come as our rest and glory in the kingdome of God Bellarm. de cultu sanctor li. 3. ca. 11. The Protestants 1. WE graunt that the Sabboth may be so applied both to call to remembraunce things already as vpon that day done as the resurrection of Christ and the descending of the holy Ghost Some think also that Christ vpon that day was baptized vpon that day turned water into wine fed fiue thousand with a few loaues came vnto his Apostles after his resurrection the dores being shut and that as vpon this daye he shall appeare to iudgement but vpon what ground I know not Certaine it is that vpon this daye Christ rose againe and that the holy Ghost came downe then vpon his Apostles We denye not but that the keeping of the Lords day holy may fitly bring vnto our remembrance these things yea and that it may be a type and symbole vnto vs in some sort both of things spirituall as to betoken our ceasing and resting from the workes of sinne Hebr. 4.10 and 1. Pet. 4.1 as also of things to come as the kingdome of heauen is called a Sabboth Isai. 66.23 But we dare not neither will affirme that the Sabboth was ordained constituted for any such end for the commandement of the Sabboth now to vs is onely moral not typical or ceremonial as the Iewish Sabboth was but looke wherein the Sabboth was moral to the Iewes so it is kept still As in these two poynts it was morall to them first to be a signe betweene them and the Lord and to distinguish them from other people Exod. 31.17 And so also the right keeping of the Lords day is a notable outward marke of difference betweene the Church of God all others Secondly that vpon the Sabboth they should resort together and heare the lawe read and preached Act. 15.21 And for this cause namely the exercise of religion are Christians chiefly bound to the Sabboth It may I say fitly be drawne to resemble heauenly and spirituall things but that is not any end of the institution The Iewes had two kind of types typos factos and typos destinatos types made and applied and types appoynted and ordained of God to shadowe forth some notable thing as the Paschall Lambe was typus destinatus of our Sauiour Christ as they were not to breake a bone of the Lambe so was it accordingly performed in Christ. They had also many types beside that were not destined to signifie any certaine thing of such S. Paul speaketh 1. Corinth 10 6 11. So wee say of the Sabboth that it is not typus destinatus it is not instituted for any shadowe or signification though it may be fitly applied to such an vse The Papists 6. THey say that we are not bound vpon the Sabboth by any peculiar commandement to abstaine from sinne more then vpon any other day neither error 65 that the internall act of religion appertaineth to the keeping of the Sabboth but the external that any sinne committed vpon the Sabboth is not therby the greater neither that we are more bound vpon the Sabboth to seeke for internall grace then vpon any other day Bellarm. lib. 3. cap. 10. propos 4. The Protestants Ans. FIrst we grant that all sinne as of theft adulterie and the like are in their owne nature alike at what time soeuer they are committed yet they may be made more hainous by the circumstances as of the place as sacriledge is greater then common theft so why not of the time Secondly if that which is no sinne vpon the worke-day be a sinne vpon the Sabboth as to digge to plough to cart then that which is a sinne of it selfe as to steale to coÌ„mit adulterie must needs be greater more hainous being done vpon the Sabboth for beside the sinne he also prophaneth the Sabboth which is the breach of another commandement Thirdly the internall act of religion is properly commanded in the sanctifying of the Sabboth for it cannot be sanctified by the externall act of going to Church and hearing the word vnlesse a man be inwardly in the deuotion of his heart prepared for those holy exercises So inward grace is more sought for vpon the Sabboth not in respect of that inward desire which we haue vnto them which ought alwaies to be alike feruent in vs if it were possible but because of those outward meanes of hearing the word publique prayer receiuing the Sacraments which are vpon the Sabboth for the which we ought more especially to prepare examine our selues Ecclesiast 4.17 1. Corinth 11.28 Augustine sayth speaking of the Iewish women Quanto meliùs foeminae eâ—ruÌ„ lanam facerent quà m illo die in neomenijs saltarent spiritualiter obseruat Sabbatum Christianus abstinens se ab opere seruili id est à peccato Tractat. 3. in Iohan. Their women might be better occupied in spinning at home then in dauncing vpon this day for a Christian doth spiritually keepe the Sabboth in abstaining from al seruile worke that is from sinne They then that do obserue the Sabboth onely in externall acts doe but carnally keepe it The Papists error 66 7. THey hold it a thing vnlawfull for Christians to fast vpon the Lords day Bellarm. lib. 3. de cultu sanctor cap. 11. The Protestants Ans. FIrst we grant that this opinion is very ancient that in Tertullians time it was receiued in many Churches and they thought it as vnlawfull to bow the knee vpoÌ„ the Lords day Tertul. lib. de coron Militis Die dominico ieiunare nefas ducimus de geniculis adorare We count it vnlawfull to fast vpon the Lords day and to pray kneeling But the Papists obserue not the one why then should they binde themselues to the other Ignatius maketh fasting vpon the Sabboth as great an offence as the killing of Christ himselfe Epistol ad Philipp But I trust they will not say so Secondly the reasons why fasting is not to be vsed vpon the Lords day because the Iesuite setteth downe none I will supplie out of Augustine first Sentio saith he ad significandam requiem sempiternam vbi est verum Sabbatum relaxationem quà m constrictionem ieiunij aptius conuenire I thinke that to signifie the eternall rest which is the true Sabboth libertie rather then the vrging of fasting doth most fitly agree But to this we answere that this signification of eternall rest is no essentiall part of sanctifying the Sabboth nor no end of the institution as we haue shewed afore though it may haue such an application and therefore this reason proueth not such a necessitie of not fasting vpon the Sabboth Secondly Die dominico ieiunare magnum est scandalum It is a great offence to fast on the Lords day because the Manichees made choise of that day to fast in Per quod factum
est vt ieiunium Sabbati horribilius haberetur By the which sayth he it came to passe that the fast of the Sabboth was more abhorred Augustin ibid. But this reason now bindeth not vs because the name and heresie of the Manichees is now worne out and therefore there is no feare of any scandale to arise that way Thirdly we grant that the Lords day is not the fittest time for publique fasts first because it is a day of reioycing so we reade that the people in Nehemiah his time were forbidden to mourne and weepe after the lawe was read vnto them by Ezra because it was a day of ioy and mirth Nehem. 8.11 Secondly the day of solemne and publique fasting ought to be set a part from other dayes and to be proclaimed solemnely and to be spent wholly in spirituall exercises euen as the Sabboth with vacation and rest from other bodily labours as we may reade 2. Chronicl 20.3 Nehem. 9.1 And therefore any day is more fit then the Sabboth because that is a holy day alreadie vnto the Lord but when we will humble our selues before the Lord by fasting and prayer some day would onely for that purpose bee consecrate vnto GOD that may be as a voluntarie sacrifice whereas wee are bound of necessitie to keepe the Lords day But concerning priuate and particular fasts when men by themselues haue occasion to giue themselues to prayer whereof S. Paul speaketh 1. Corinth 7.5 Such priuate exercises may be better performed vpon the Sabboth because of the ordinarie exercises of the word which are notable meanes to kindle and stirre vp true deuotion in him which at that time will humble himselfe yea and publike fasts though not ordinarily yet wheÌ„ there is iust occasion may be kept vpon the Sabboth as we reade Act. 20.7 how that Paul continued his preaching till midnight whereof Augustine writeth thus Necessarius sermo resiciendi corporis causa interrumpendus esse non visus est profecturo Apostolo The necessary preaching of the Apostle he thought not good for the refreshing of their bodies to breake off being readie to depart We conclude therefore that it is lawfull to fast vpon the Lords day though it be not alwaies expedient And Augustine very well determineth this matter Ego in Euangelicis Apostolicis literis video praeceptum esse ieiunium quibus autem diebuâ—â—non oporteat ieiunare quibus oporteat praecepto domini vel Apostolorum non inuenâ—o de finitum I finde both in the Euangelicall and Apostolicall writings that fasting is commanded but vpon what dayes we ought to fast vpon what we ought not I doe not finde it defined Epistol 86. Wherefore to fast or not to fast vpon the Lords day or vpon any other being not determined in scripture is left as a thing indifferent to the Church of God The Papists error 67 8. THe name Sunday is an heathenish calling as al other weeke-daies in our language some imposed after the names of Planets as in the Romanes time some by the name of certaine Idols which the Saxons did worship which names the Church vseth not but hath appoynted to call the first day the Dominike after the Apostle Apocal. 1.10 the other by the name Feries vntill the last of the weeke which she calleth by the old name Sabboth because that was of God not by imposition of the heathen Rhemist annot Apocal. 1. sect 6. The Protestants Ans. FIrst as the name of Sunday and the rest is of the heathenish beginning and therefore were better to be otherwise termed as the first second or third from the Lords day as the Iewes called their daies from the Sabboth so your terme of feries is no lesse heathenish deriued from the word feria or feriae which were so called a feriendis victimis of striking the heathenish sacrifices as Sextus Pompeius sayth Fulk ibid. 2. We haue other names also that might bee reformed as of our moneths as March is so called of Mars Iune of Iuno Ianuary of Ianus which were heathen goddes Iuly and August doe beare the names of men yea and if wee might bee inuentors of newe names the termes of Christmas Michaelmas Candlemas should not stand in force nor any more be vsed which are as offensiue as the rest for as for the names of heathen Idols the most part are ignorant of them but the vulgar terme of Masse is to too well known too much loued of many of our countrey men Now for the name Sunday which is so great a mote in your eye if there were no more but that Augustine sheweth how it might be fauourably expounded Dies magni solis celebramus illius solis de quo dicit scriptura orietur vobis sol iustitiae We doe keepe Sunday holy namely of that great Sunne whereof the scripture speaketh the Sunne of righteousnesse shall arise 3. We wish that all these termes might be layd downe as Augustine sayth Nolumus vt dicant vtinam corrigantur vt non dicant We would not haue men so to speake and I wish they were reformed But seeing by continuall custome mens tongues are inured to such termes let them knowe that they are vsed onely as ciuill names to call things by not for any religion or mysterie in them contained or signified THE THIRD PART OF THE FESTIVAL daies of Christ and the holy Ghost The Papists THE feasts of Easter and Whitsontide and other solemnities of Christ were error 68 prescribed they say by the Apostles Rhemist Matth. 15. sect 2. to be kept vpon certaine dayes and that Peter did appoint that Easter should not be kept the 14. day of the first Moone as the Iewes obserued it but the Lordes day after And of the feast of Pentecost mention is made 1. Corinth 16.8 Ergo these feasts were instituted of the Apostles Bellarm. cap. 12.13 The Protestants Ans. FIrst wee graunt that it is expedient for the Church to keepe the memoriall of the Natiuitie Passion Resurrection Ascension of Christ and of the comming of the holy Ghost and the dayes instituted for the remembrance thereof no doubt ought to be had in greater account then any other holy dayes instituted by the Church Secondly it cannot be proued that they were prescribed by the Apostles or if they were but as indifferent ceremonies which are subiect to alteration and in the which the religion or worship of God dooth not consist Certaine it is that before the time of Constantine the great there were not many festiuall dayes kept in so much that the feasts of the Natiuitie of Christ Easter Pentecost were not vniformally obserued for many yeares after as appeareth by diuerse Councels And before Constantines time there was great contention betweene the Bishop of Rome and the Bishops of the East about the celebration of Easter they alleadging the constitution of Saint Iohn the other of Saint Peter wherefore it is like that the Apostles appointed no such certaine dayes for then the Church would
not haue broken them Thirdly Pentecost whereof Saint Paul speaketh was the feast of the Iewes which with other solemnities of theirs the Apostles obserued not as a portion of Christian religion but taking occasion of the meeting of the Iewes in those festiuall dayes and so doe we obserue those holy dayes for order and edification of Gods people that vse to assemble at such times Fulk Matth. 15. sec. 3. Fourthly what cause is there why Easter and Whitsontide should be tied to the Lords daye and the Natiuitie of Christ which Bellarmine confesseth was vpon the Lords day should indifferently bee kept vpon any day but that hereby wee vnderstand that it is an indifferent matter whether they should bee kept vpon the Lords day or any other and whether vpon any certaine daye or to bee left to the discretion of the gouernors of the Church to be obserued as any other occasion shall be offered Fulk annot Apocalyps 1. sect 6. Lastly we shewed Augustines opinion in the first part of this question how hee vnderstandeth that saying Psalme 118. This is the day which the Lord hath made onely of the Sabboth thereby insinuating that other holy dayes either were not instituted of God at all or else not with the like necessitie THE FOVRTH PART OF THE solemnities of Saintes The Papists error 69 1. THey hold that holy dayes may be dedicated vnto Saints for their honor and worship as Christ promised that the charitable act of Marie Magdalene wrought vpon him should be recorded and remembred Matth. 26. vers 13. Hereby we learne that the good workes of Saintes may be recorded to the honor of Saints in the Church whereof arise their commemorations and holy dayes Rhemist annot Matth. 25. sect 1. The Protestants 1. THe good works of Saints may be remembred to the honor of God without their holy dayes and commemorations Christ instituted no holy day of Mary Magdalene nor commanded an image of her fact to be made but a memorie of her in preaching the Gospel Fulk ibid. Secondly we graunt that Christian solemnities may be kept as things indifferent which the Church may retaine or abrogate as it shall seeme best for edification not obserued of necessitie as a part of the worship of God nor consecrate to the honor of Saints seeing al diuine worship is wholly to be reserued to God not to be giuen to any other For times and seasons the scripture saith the Lord hath put onely in his owne power therefore he is onely to haue the honor of them Act. 1.7 Thirdly what honor is due vnto Saints Augustine sheweth Colimus martyres eo cultu dilectionis societatis quo in hac vita coluntur sancti homines Dei Wee doe honor Martyrs with the seruice of loue and fellowship as holy men are honored in this life But it is not lawful to consecrate times and dayes to holy men liuing therefore neither to Saints departed for one and the same kind of honor is due to them both The Papists error 70 2. THey maintaine that there may bee holy dayes and commemorations of all Saints as Christ promiseth there should bee of Mary Magdalene Rhemist Matth. 25. sect 1. The Protestants THis is another principal fault which we finde complaine of in their holy dayes that they haue pestred the Church with such a number of Saints and Saints dayes First as we haue partly shewed before they appointed a seuerall Saint almost for euery purpose as here we haue set it downe Saint Leonard for captiues Saint Rochus for the pestilence Saint George for warre Saint Anna giueth riches Saint Nicholas and Christopher for the sea Saint Apollonia for the toothake Saint Otilia for the eyes Saint Margaret for women in trauell Saint Laurence keepeth from the fire Saint Catherine giueth wit learning Saint Iohn against poyson Saint Quirine for the fistula Saint Protasius and Geruasius helpe to bewray theft And thus is it true of them as Ieremie complained of the Idolatrous Israelites that their gods were after the number of their cities Ierem. 2.28 In like manner also haue they multiplied their Saints dayes for beside the festiuals of Christ the holy Ghost and of the Apostles they haue added these besides Saint George his day Corpus Christi Assumption of Mary Natiuitie of Mary Conception of Mary The birth dayes of the Apostles Magdalenes Laurence The Dedication feast Martin their holy dayes Nicholas their holy dayes Catherine their holy dayes Anne their holy dayes Beside in the Dioces of Salisburge fifteene festiuals of Saint Rubert with many more whereof some of them are blasphemous as to keepe the Conception of Mary in remembrance that shee was conceiued without sinne some of them fabulous and forged as the Assumption of Mary in memorie of her Assumption in body to heauen which is a meere fable But all the rest are idolatrous and superstitious ordained for the honor and worship of creatures And thus haue they cumbred the people of God with their infinite obseruations So that the Lorde saith to them concerning their feastes as vnto the Israelites They are a burden vnto mee I am wearie to beare them Isai. 1.14 In Augustines time or who else it was that made those Sermons when there were nothing so many festiuals as now among Papists yet more then needed he writeth thus in a sermon vpon a festiuall Laetus sum hodierno die propter tantam festiuitatem sed aliquantulum tristis quia non video tantum populum congregatum quantus congregari debuit I am glad to daye because of this festiuall day and somewhat grieued withall that the people resorte not in such frequencie as they should We may see by this that euen then the people began to wax wearie of their many holy dayes The Papists THey enioyne sanctification and necessarie keeping of all their festiuities and holy dayes and so make no difference betweene the obseruation of error 71 holy dayes appointed of GOD and others ordained of men requiring the like strictnes in keeping of them all Rhemist Annot. Galat. 4. sect 5. The Protestants THere are no dayes necessarie to be kept but those that are of the Lords appointment the rest being voyde of superstition may be celebrated as indifferent and therefore not to be commaunded with the like strictnes as is the Lords daye There is greater libertie vpon holy dayes for bodilie labour then vppon the Sabboth for bodilie rest vppon the seauenth day is commaunded of GOD bodily labour vppon all other dayes permitted and may without offence of conscience bee vsed when it is not by the lawfull authoritie of the gouernors of the Church vppon iust occasion restrained as during the time of publike praiers and fastes hearing of the word and such like The rest of the Sabboth so far as it helpeth our preparation and fitnes to spirituall exercises and is a part of sanctifying the Lords day bindeth simplie in conscience because it is the commaundement of GOD but the rest vpon holy dayes doth not in it selfe binde vs no otherwise then by reason of offence that may arise by our contempt of the constitutions of the Church We
as a poore labourer fit but to carry rubbish stones and to serue other builders haue forced my selfe to do somewhat towards the building of Gods house I haue therfore may it please your Maiestie in this worke set downe the bodie and summe of all Popish opinions whatsoeuer wherein we dissent from them and they from the truth and haue endeuoured to lay open their nakednes that euery man may see their great brags and small abilitie words but no matter great promises yet little performed and why as Augustine saith Ostēdere hoc non possunt non quia ingenium deest sed quia bona causa This labour of mine was thought to be very expedient for these times and not before enterprised by any that men not learned might in one volume finde all the controuersies of religion which their leisure would not suffer them to collect them selues Many of our learned countrimen haue in some choise principal controuersies as the Lords valiant champions maintained the truth strongly against the common aduersarie but this small labour as it pleased the Lord was left for me they haue borne the heate of the day the coole euenings worke is cast vpon me They haue built with hewen stones the brick-worke is my lot they haue squared the tall cedar trees the wilde figge trees must be hewen out by my hand This simple worke I haue presumed to present to your Maiestie as a token of my dutie and seruice a poore scholers gift as a signe of my thankfulnes to God and your Maiestie by whom we haue both leisure and maintenance to follow our studies for as the Poet saith Deus nobis haecotia fecit God through you hath wrought vs this peace And I was emboldened the rather to offer this simple labor to your Highnesse remembring your Princely gracious disposition which hath bene wont to accept with great fauour and regard the meanest gifts of your subiects yea hath not refused to receiue posies and nosegaies at their hands With the same Princely countenance I beseech your grace to receiue this posie of mine Non florum sed foliorum A princely minde your Highnesse knoweth is as well seene in accepting of small giftes as giuing of great as Alexander said to a souldier vpon whom he bestowed a citie Si tu non es dignus tanta recipere ego tamen dignus tanta donare so the speech somewhat altered me thinketh I heare your Maiestie thus saying to me Licet non tu dignus tantula donare ego tamen digna tantula accipere though it be not fit for thee to offer so small a gift yet it standeth with my Princely nature to receiue it And now O noble Queene our dread Soueraigne the mother of Israel a nurse to the people of God be strong and feare not the Lord fighteth for you it is the truth the ancient Catholike Apostolike faith which we vnder your leading and protection do professe As for your enemies they shal be as the dust before the wind and as the clay in the streetes but your crowne shal flourish your horne shal be exalted In you is that saying verified as it was somtime in Dauid The stone which the builders refused is become the headstone of the corner You were somtime black with sorow and the sunne of affliction hath looked vpon you but now the Lord hath made you comely beautifull as the morning faire as the moone giuing his Church vnder on abundance of blessings so that we may now all say This is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce and be glad in it yea we will not cease still to pray with the Church of God O Lord saue now send vs now prosperitie That the Lord would in mercy yet lengthen out these good daies and so replenish your roiall hart with his grace that you may still bring forth fruit in your age that what worke the Lord hath yet to bring to passe in his Church it may be finished by your hand that both this your Realme of England may still be strōgly fenced and hedged about with all temporall blessings as also the watch-tower and watchmen of the Church may thriue and prosper in their spirituall businesse And as the Temple of God is now built set vp aloft so the riuer of God may flow and the streames therof make glad the people of God that all the land may be filled with knowledge as the waters couer the sea and as Aarons siluer bels in the Temple so the voice of the Gospell may be heard ouer the whole land And thus shall the Lord graunt you your harts desire your sacrifice shall not only be bound to the hornes of the altar but euen turned to ashes that is the Lord will not onely encline his eare to your praier but graunt your request to the full That at length your Maiestie shall not doubt to say with the kingly Prophet Dauid Mine eye shall see my desire against mine enemies and mine eare shall heare my wish against the wicked that rise vp against me And let all the people of God say Amen euen so be it O Lord Amen Your Maiesties most humble subiect ANDREW WILLET The Preface to the Reader GOod Christian Reader thinke not the time long nor the labour lost if I shall in a few words open my mind further vnto thee and as leading thee by the hand shew thee the way entrance into this treatise following We are not ignorant how this famous Church of England the mother of vs all hath been these many yeeres molested and troubled with hollow hearted brethren sowers of corrupt doctrine deuisers of mischiefe enemies to our peace and in one word Romish Catholikes and Papists They haue been from time to time as prickes to our sides and thornes in our eyes as the Cananites were to Israel they are the Foxes that destroy the Lords vineyard the progenie of the Pharisees a generation of vipers whose propertie is to gnaw out the sides of their damme when they are brought forth euen so haue these vipers sought the destruction of their countrey They are the serpent by the way that byteth the horse heeles causeth the rider to fall backward that is subtilly do vndermine and hinder the prosperous successe of religion Of such prophecied Ezechiel They do eate the good pasture and tread downe the rest with their feete they haue drunke of the deepe waters troubled the residue with their feet They are not cōtent themselues to eate the fat drinke the sweet of the land but some of them haue laboured practised to disturbe our peace and to trouble the quiet state of the land But let not vs good brethren be offended at these things First let vs not be astonished as though some strange thing had befallen vs for S. Paul hath said That heresies must be among vs that they which are approued may be
the Prophets and Apostles to write S. Paule saith that what soeuer is writtē is written for our learning that through patience and cōsolation of the scriptures we might haue hope Rom. 15.4 The Lord saw in wisedome that his people could not be without the Scriptures which are necessarie for their learning for their comfort and to strengthen their hope how then dare our aduersaries say that the scriptures are not necessarie seeing these things wrought in vs by the scriptures knowledge consolation hope are most necessarie 4 Let Augustine now put in his verdict Illud credo quod etiā hinc diuinorū eloquiorum clarissima authoritas esset si homo illud sine dispendio salutis ignorare non posset de peccator merit remiss lib. 2.36 I thinke saith he that euen concerning this matter speaking of the originall or beginning of the soule the Scriptures would not haue bene silent if we might not safelie be ignoraunt of this matter without daunger of saluation Ergo whatsoeuer is necessarie to saluatiō is onely to be found in scripture for other matters there not expressed there in no daunger in not knowing them therfore the Scriptures by this Fathers iudgement are most necessary THE SECOND PART OF THE SEVENTH question of the sufficiencie of Scripture The Papistes THey do straungely affirme that the Scriptures conteine not all things necessarie error 12 to be knowen cōcerning faith and manners and that they are not sufficient without traditions Bellarm. cap. 3.4 Lindanus a Papist saith that the scriptures conteine not all things necessarie to saluation Andradius that their approued traditions are of equall authoritie with the Scripture Ex Tilman de verbo error 2. 1 First the Iesuite thus reasoneth against the sufficiencie of Scripture There are diuerse bookes of canonicall Scripture lost and perished Ergo that part of canonical scripture which remaineth is not sufficiēt that much is lost he thus proueth 1. Chron. cap. vlt. mention is made of the bookes of Nathan Gad. 2. Chron. 9. of the bookes of Ahiiah Ieedo in the new Testamēt Col. 4. of the Epistle of S. Paule to the Laodiceans all those bookes are lost We aunswere First we denie not but that some bookes are now wanting which were part of canonicall scripture yet that which remaineth is sufficiēt as some of Solomōs bookes are perished which he wrote of herbes plāts and many of his Prouerbes the Lord saw that they were not so greatly necessarie for vs to saluation Secondly there is not so much wanting as the Iesuite would beare vs in hād for the books of the Prophets which he nameth are the same with the bookes of the Chronicles of the Kings which no doubt were writtē by those Prophetes And as for the Epistle of S. Paule to the Laodiceās there was neuer any such the text is written from the Laodiceans it was the Epistle rather of the Laodiceans to S. Paule vnto the which he partly maketh aunswere in the Epistle to the Colossians and therefore he would haue it read also in their Church 2 If the Apostles had any such meaning to contriue in the scriptures the summe of faith and all necessarie knowledge it is very like Christ would haue geuen them some expresse commaundement so to do but we read not of any such strict commaundement Ergo they had no such purpose Bellarmine We aunswere First they them selues dare not denie but that the Apostles wrote by the instinct of the spirite what is that els but the commaundement of God Actes 16.6 Paule was forbidden of the holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia and ver 10. when he had seene a vision of a man of Macedonia appearing vnto him the Apostle concludeth that they were called of God wherefore what they did by the secret mouing of the spirite was done at the cōmaundement of God Secondly Apocal. 11.1.14.13 Iohn is biddē to write that which he saw no doubt the other Apostles had the like cōmaundement 3 There are many points which we ought in no wise to be ignoraunt of which the scriptures speake either obscurelie of or not at all First these things are obscurely and doubtfully set downe in Scripture the equalitie of the persons in Trinitie the proceeding of the holy Ghost from the Father and the Sonne the doctrine of originall sinne We aunswere First if these things be found at all in the Scriptures it is sufficient concerning the question we haue in hand Secondly the Scripture doth manifestly declare the truth in all those points the equalitie of the persons is directly proued 1. Iohn 5.7 the procession of the spirite Iohn 15.26 the spirit is there said to be sent frō the Father the Sonne And Ioh. 14.26 Original sinne is described plainly by the Apostle Rom. 5.12 though the name be not found in Scripture Secondly there are diuerse things necessarie to be knowen not at all declared in Scripture First as that Marie continued a perpetuall Virgine We answere the Scripture saith euery where she was a Virgine neither maketh mention of any children she had and therefore out of the Scripture we gather that she continued Secondly Basile saith that it is sufficient to know she was a Virgine before the birth of Christ. Secondly to know that the Pasch or Easter must be kept vpon the Lordes day is necessarie Aunswere there is no such necessiitie in it to saluation neither needed the Church so much to haue contended about it in times past these are the mightie weapons which our aduersaries vse The Protestantes WE do not affirme as our aduersaries charge vs that all things necessarie to saluation are expressely conteined in scripture that is in so many words but this we hold that all things which are necessarily to be knowen of vs are either expresly declared in Scripture or necessarily concluded out of Scripture and so conteined in them We also graunt that it was not Gospell onely which was written but all that Christ and his Apostles taught by liuely voyce the whole summe whereof and substaunce is conteined in the written word and so we conclude that nothing necessarie to saluation either concerning faith or manners is els where to be found but in the holy Scriptures 1 S. Paule saith if we or an Aungell preach vnto you otherwise then that which we haue preached let him be accursed Ergo the Scripture conteineth all things necessarie First the Iesuite aunswereth that S. Paule speaketh not onely of his writings but also of his preachings which were not written We aunswere that the summe of all S. Paules preachings is conteined in his Epistles and other holy writings for S. Paule confirmed his doctrine out of the scriptures as Act. 17.10 the Berrheans examined his doctrine by the scriptures and found it to be consonant and to agree in all things Secondly he condēneth those which preach any thing not besides or otherwise but contrarie and therefore not any other doctrine besides Scripture is forbidden but that
the Pope or any else bee the head the Church is his bodie which Bellarmine is a shamed to graunt yet Pope Athanasius doubted not to call populos mundi partes corporis sui the people of the Worlde the partes of his bodie Againe if he be the head hee must doe the duetie of an head which is to knit and ioyne the parts together and to giue effectuall power to euery part Ephes. 4.16 Where the Apostle alludeth to the gouernement of mans bodie in the which the parts receiue a double benefite from the head the knitting and ioyning together by sinewes which come from the head and sense and motion also giuen to euery part from the head but it were blasphemie to thinke this of the Pope that he giueth any influence to the Church If they answer he is but a ministeriall head Christ is the principall We say againe that although these things are principallie wrought by the principall head yet they must bee done instrumentally or Ministerially by the Ministeriall head or else it is but a rotten head such an one as the Wolfe found in a caruers shop as you knowe the fable is a goodly head saith hee but without wit or braine If Christ performe all the duetie of the head himselfe then is there no other head if the Pope doe somewhat that belongeth to the head tell vs what is it If hee will bee an head and doe nothing surely hee must needes bee a brainelesse and witlesse head 2 It is a daungerous and impossible thing to haue the charge of all Churches committed to one man GOD alone is sufficient to beare that burthen Saint Paule saith who is sufficient for these things No pastor or minister that is but set ouer one flocke or parish is sufficient to preach the worde much lesse is any one man sufficient to gouerne the whole Church Bellarmine answereth first Saint Paul saith of himselfe that hee had the care of all Churches 2. Corinth 11.28 We replie againe first then belike Saint Paul was vniuersall pastor and not Peter Secondly wee must consider that the Apostles were sent to all the world their calling was not limited when they had planted the Gospell in one place they did take care also for other places but now there is no such Apostolicall calling Thirdly Paul did not beare this burthen alone but the Apostles and Euangelists were his coadiutors and fellow-helpers Secondly sayth he why may not the care of the whole Church bee committed to one man as well as the gouernment almost of the whole world was appointed by God to Nabuchadnezzar Cyrus Augustus seeing the gouernement of the Church is easier then the ciuill and politike regiment We replie First wee neuer reade of any that had dominion ouer the whole world as the Pope chalengeth to haue ouer the whole Church which is dispersed throughout the world Secondly these great and large Monarches are saide to haue been giuen of God Dan. 2.37 Not that this large dominion and vsurpation ouer other countries so much pleased God for the people of God the Israelites in their most flourishing estate neuer had such soueraigntie ouer other countries but by voluntarie subiection as in Solomons dayes 1. King 4.21 the Kings round about brought presents vnto him But because the Lord turned and vsed this their large and mightie dominion to the good of his Church for Cyrus was a defender of the Church against all that bare euill will thereat and the large Empire of the Romans serued very commodiously for the propagation of the Gospell Thirdly the Iesuite sheweth his skill when he saith that the regiment of the Church is easier then the gouernement of the common-wealth Whereas there is no greater and waightier burthen vpon earth then is the charge of soules It seemeth the Pope taketh his ease finding the care of the Church to be so easie and pleasant a thing in deede as he vseth it it is no great matter for hee preacheth not but giueth himselfe to ease and idlenes and all princely pleasures But England hath found by experience and so did that worthie and famous Prince King Henry the eight that there was neuer matter so hardlie compassed as was the reformation of the Church and the suppression of idolatrie and superstition in this lande Augustine saith Nemo nostrum se episcopum episcoporum constituit aut quasi tyrannico terrore ad obsequēdi necessitatem collegas suos adigit de Baptis 2.2 None of vs doth count himselfe a Bishop ouer other Bishops or taketh vpon him after a commaunding manner as tyrants vse to enforce his fellowes to obey Ergo by his iudgement all Bishops are of like and equall authoritie THE SECOND QVESTION WHETHER PETER were the chiefe and Prince of the Apostles and assigned by Christ to bee head of the Church The Papists THis our aduersaries doe stiffelie maintaine that he was not only head of the error 37 Church but of the Apostles also Bellarmi lib. 1. de pontif cap. 11. And the Rhemists doubt not to call him the chiefe and Prince of the Apostles 1. Corinth 9. ver 5. 1 Wee will omitte manie of their waightie arguments as out of these and such like places I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy faith should not fayle cast forth thy net into the deepe I will make thee a Fisher of men Peter payed toll for Christ and himselfe Peter drew the net to the land full of great fish Peter onely drew out his sword in the defence of Christ. Ergo Peter was the Prince of the Apostles and head of the Church ex concil Basilien Fox pag. 673. Such other goodlie arguments our Rhemists doe make Peter did excommunicate Ananias and Sapphira he healed the sicke by his shadow Ergo he was the head of the Church Annot. 5. Acts se. 5.8 Againe Peters person was garded with foure quaternions of Souldiours Act. 12.4 the Church prayed for him Ibid. sect 4. Paul nameth Cephas 1. Cor. 9.5 Ergo hee was chiefe of the Apostles Are not here goodlie arguments thinke you To these reasons I neede make no other answere then that which our learned countrie man dooth in his Annotations You must saith he bring better arguments or else children will laugh you to scorne Fulk Annot. Act. 5. sect 5. Let vs see therefore if they haue any better arguments 2 They take that to be a maine inuincible place for them Matth. 16.18 Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I builde my Church Ergo the Church is built vpon Peter To make this argument the more strong they set vnder it diuerse props First why did Christ giue Peter this name more then to any other of the Apostles to call him Peter of Petra a Rocke but to shew that hee was appointed to be the foundation of the Church Bellarmine cap. 17. Wee answer Christ hereby signified that Peter should bee a principall piller of his Church as the rest of the Apostles Ephes. 2. He chaunged also the
not to enter into that holy place and thus according to the places they deuided the congregation as though one part were more holy then the other The people also were made to beleeue that to be buried in the Chauncell but especially vnder the Altar was more auailable for the dead then to be buried in the Church But where learne they that our Churches ought to haue a sanctuary as the Iewish Temple had that was an euident type and is now accomplished in our Sauiour Christ who is now entred into the heauens as the high Priest then entred into the holy place to make atonement for the people Heb. 9.24 This therefore is very grosse to reuiue and renew again Iewish types and figures And if herein they wil imitate the building of Salomons Temple to haue a Sanctuary why doe they not also build toward the West as the Temple was why bring they not their Altar downe into the body of the Church for in their holy place there was no Altar And indeed Altar we acknowledge none as afterward shal be proued But we see no reason why the communion Table may not be set in the body of the Church as well as in the Chauncell if the place be more conuenient and fit to receiue the Communicants But I pray you why is your Altar rather set in your Sanctuary then the Fonte or Baptistery they are both Sacraments as well Baptisme as the Lords Supper why should one be preferred as holier then the other Secondly all things in the Church ought to be done vnto edifiyng and therefore we allow no such partitions as doe hinder the edifiyng of the people and exclude them from hearing as in popish Churches the Priest is pued or mued vp by himselfe a great way off that his voice can hardly be perceiued of the people The Minister is so to stand and turne himselfe as he may be best heard and vnderstood of the people as Ezra had a pulpit of wood to stand in when he read the Law Nehemiah 8. 4. Augustine thus writeth Cum Episcopus solus intus est populus orat eum illo et quasi subscribens ad eius verba respondet Amen While the Bishop or Pastor praieth within the people both praieth together with him and subscribing to his words answereth Amen By this it appeareth that though in Augustines time the Minister had a place for him selfe as it is meete he should yet he so disposed himselfe that his praier was heard of all the people for otherwise how could they pray with him and subscribe or giue assent to his wordes THE SECOND PART OF THE END and vse of Churches THis part hath 3. seuerall pointes First whether the Churches of Christians are built to offer sacrifice in Secondly whether they be in themselues places more holy then others Thirdly whether they may be dedicate to Saintes THE FIRST POYNT OR ARTICLE whether our Churches are for sacrifice The Papists THe principall end of Churches is for the sacrifice of Christians and in that error 49 respect they are truely called Temples they are not onely for prayer the preaching of the word and administration of the Sacraments but chiefely for the externall sacrifice of the Masse Bellarm. cap. 4. Argu. 1. The Churches of Christians haue altars therefore sacrifices that they haue altars he thus proueth First 1. Corinth 10.21 You can not be partakers of the Lords table and the table of Deuils by the table here is meant the altar for the table of the heathen was their altar wherein they sacrificed to their Idols Ans. 1. A table is one thing an altar an other and very vnproperlye is an altar called a table this place in any wise mans iudgement maketh more against them then with them Secondly S. Paule speaketh not here of the sacrifices of the heathen nor of their altars but of the feastes which they made in their idolatrous temples which was done vpon tables of such sacrifices as had bene offered to idoles vnto the which feastes S. Paul forbiddeth Christians to come as it appeareth in the rest of the Chapter and more plainely cap. 8.10 Argu. 2. Heb. 13.10 Wee haue an altar of which they haue no power to eate that serue at the Tabernacle that is the altar whereon Christs body is offred Bellarm. Rhemist in hunc locum Ans. The Apostle speaketh expressely of participation of the sacrifice of Christs death as it is manifest in the 2. verses next following which is by a Christian faith and not in the Sacrament onely whereof none can be partakers that remayne in the ceremonial obseruations of the Leuitical sacrifices For the Apostle speaketh manifestly verse 12. of the suffering of Christ without the gate Christ therefore is the altar yea our Priest and sacrifice too You abuse this place to proue your materiall popish altars which are many but the Apostle saith we haue an altar speaking of one The Protestants THe Churches of Christians are the houses of praier made to that end that they should come together to heare the word of God read and preached receiue the sacraments and offer vp their spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiuing other externall sacrifices or altars we acknowledge none Argu. 1. The temple of the Iewes was called an house of praier that is principally for praier Marke â—1 17 Moses was read and preached in their synagogues Act. 15.21 Much more are the Churches of Christians appointed for preaching and praier Act. 20.7 The first day of the weeke which is the Lords day they came together to breake bread and Paul preached vnto them Ergo the administration of the word and sacrameÌ„ts with praier is the chiefe and only cause of the holy assemblies of Christians Argu. 2. Altars we haue none in our Churches S. Paul calleth it the Lords table 1. Corinth 10.21 where wee receiue the sacrament of the bodye and bloud of Christ. And he calleth it bread which is broken 1. Corinthians 11.20 But bread is set vpon Tables not sacrificed vpon Altars Augustine also calleth it Mensam Domini the Lords table Epist. 59. epist. 50. He sheweth howe cruelly the Donatistes handled Maximian a catholik Bishop beating him with Clubbes euen in the church lignis altaris effractis immaniter ceciderunt and wounded him with the wood of the Altar which they had broken downe Where though he improperly call it an Altar yet was it a communion table framed of wood and made to bee remoued not fastened to the wall as their popish Altars were THE SECOND ARTICLE WHETHER Churches are more holy places in them selues The Papists GOd they say rather dwelleth and is present in Churches then els where error 50 and therefore it is more auailable for a man euen to make his priuate prayer in the Church Argum. 1. The Temple of Salomon was ordained euen for the prayers of priuate men and Salomon prayeth vnto God that they might be heard 1. King 8.38 So Anna prayed in the Tabernacle 1. Sam. 1.
bodie to abstayne from hurtfull meates as likewise to keepe a temperate and sober dyet and to take heede of surfetting and drunkennesse These kindes of abstinence in making difference of meates wee mislike not but for pietie or religions sake to distinguish them it is to too great superstition The Papists FOurthly their religious kinde of fasting they holde not to bee a generall error 77 abstinence from all meates and drinkes but onely from some certaine kindes as from flesh and wine as Timothie refrayned from drinking of wine and in steade thereof vsed water 1. Timothie 5. verse 23. Rhemist The Protestants Ans. FIrst for chastising of the bodie it is lawfull to abstayne either wholly for a time or in respect of the quantitie or qualitie of the meates which may more prouoke carnall lusts not in the prohibition of the whole kind as the Papists doe of all flesh bee it neuer so grosse or small in quantitie Likewise it is lawfull for chastising of a mans body to abstaine from any kinde as of wine fruites spices flesh so that the vse of them be not forbidden as though in the very abstinence there were religion Fulk ibid. 2 But the true and properly religious fast of Christians is a generall abstinence from all meats and drinkes during the time of such fasting Esther 4.16 Nehemiah 9.4 Where the manner of their fast is described howe the lawe was read vnto them foure times in the day and as oft did they worship the Lord and confesse their sinnes It was the custome of the Church also in Augustines time in the dayes of fast not to abstaine onely from flesh or some certayne kinde of meate as the Papists vse but altogether to continue fasting till the eeuen Rogo vos fratres sayth he vt in isto sacratissimo tempore exceptis dieb dominicis nullus prandere praesumat I pray you brethren that in this holy time none of you presume to dine at all except it be vpon the Lords daies Ergo they that wil keepe a true religious fast if they are able ought for the time wholly to absteyne The Papists error 78 FIftly they erre in affirming fasting to be a meritorious worke Rhemist 1. Corinth 15. vers 32. Anna Tobie Iudith Esther serued and pleased God by fasting Annot. Math. 15. sect 3. The Protestants Ans. FIrst we doubt not but that fasting is a worke acceptable to God being referred to the right end as to chastise and humble the bodie 1. Corinthians 9.27 and to make our prayers more feruent 1. Corinthians 7.5 But otherwise there is no holinesse or vertue in fasting of it selfe neither is it by the worke wrought of any merite or worthines For our prayers which are a more principall worke then fasting is yet of themselues by any worthynes in them are not regarded of God for Salomon sayth When thou hearest haue mercie 1. King 8.30 It is of the Lords mercy that our prayers are heard not of any worthynes in them Augustine sayth very well Si volumus bene ieiunare à cibis ante omnia ieiunemus à vitijs Quid prodest pallidum esse ieiunijs si odio inuidia liuescas What doth it helpe to fast from meate if wee fast not from sinne What auayleth it to be pale and wan with fasting if thou frettest with hatred and enuie Ergo the externall or outward acte of fasting of it selfe is litle or nothing worth The Papists error 79 SIxtly and lastly they grieuously offend in their fastings in laying so straight and hard a yoke vppon mens shoulders as charging them vnder payne of damnation to keepe their fasting dayes making it deadly sinne yea heresie to transgresse them as one Laurence Staple was troubled and persecuted anno 1531. because in Lent hauing no fish hee did eate egges butter and cheese nay they were so cruell that hardly they suffered women in child-bed to haue flesh in their houses As anno 1532. two young Gyrles were constrayned to abiure because they were found vppon Saint Peters eeuen eating broth made of mutton their mother lying in childe-bed Howe was poore Frebarne tossed too and fro and brought into great daunger because a pigge was found in his house in Lent time for the which his wife longed The Protestants Ans. FIrst no positiue law not grounded vppon scripture can so binde any person that in the breaking of such hee shall sinne deadlie And of this sorte is the fast of Lent and other dayes for religion which were ordayned without authoritie of scripture Lambert ad articul 17. And seeing the rest of the Sabboth being the commaundement of GOD might yet vpon necessarie cause be broken as wee haue shewed how much greater libertie ought the people to haue had in the obseruation of those dayes which were onely inioyned by men for who seeth not that the rest in the Lords day being Gods owne appoyntment ought more surely to binde then fasting vpon forbidden dayes enforced by men yet was it counted an heynous sinne to eate flesh vpon a day interdict and a small offence or none to violate the rest of the Sabboth 2 Saint Paul could see no such necessitie of fasting and abstinence when hee willeth Timothie to drinke wine and no longer water for his infirmities sake 1. Timoth. 5.23 But if there were religion in fasting and abstinence it ought not to be intermitted for the bodily health for the lesse principall is to giue place to the greater In Augustines time also there was no such necessitie Qui ieiunare non praeualet in domo sua praeparet quod accipiat He that is not able to fast let him prepare in his house for his owne eating And agayne Si possibilitas non fuerit ieiunandi sufficit eleemosyna sine ieiunio If a man haue not possibilitie to fast in stead of fasting let him giue almes What is become now of your Lent and Imber fastes which you prescribe as necessary to be kept of all THE NINTH QVESTION CONcerning the Virgine Marie THis question standeth of many parts 1. Whether the B. Virgin Marie were conceiued without sin Secondly whether she vowed Virginitie before the Angel was sent vnto her Thirdly of the assumption of her body into heauen Fourthly of the dignitie and preeminence that shee hath as they affirme aboue all other Saints yea and the Angels to Fiftly of the merites of the virgin Marie and of the Aue Maria. THE FIRST PART WHETHER THE Virgin Marie were voyde of original and actuall sinne The Papists error 80 1 AL men are borne in sinne Christ onely excepted and his mother for his honor Rhemist Rom. 5. sect 9. Answ. it is no more dishonour for Christ to be borne of a sinner then to haue taken his flesh and lineally descended according to his humanity of Thamar that committed incest with Iuda and Rahab which was an harlot Math. 1.3.5 Secondly it maketh more for the honor of God that Christ was borne without sinne
SYNOPSIS PAPISMI THAT IS A GENERALL VIEWE OF PAPISTRY wherein the whole mysterie of iniquitie and summe of Antichristian doctrine is set downe which is maintained this day by the Synagogue of Rome against the Church of Christ together with An Antithesis of the true Christian faith and an Antidotum or counterpoyson out of the Scriptures against the whore of Babylons filthy cuppe of abominations Deuided into three bookes or Centuries that is so many hundreds of Popish heresies and errors 1. COR. 11.9 There must be heresies that they which are approued amongst you might be known TITVS 3.10 A man that is an heretike after the first and second admonition auoyde AVG. DE VERA RELIG CAP. 6. Ecclesia Catholica vtitur gentibus ad materiam operationis suae haereticis ad probationem doctrinae suae schismaticis ad documentum stabilitatis suae alios inuitat alios excludit alios relinquit omnibus tamen gratiae Dei participandae dat potestatem siue illi informandi adhuc siue reformandi siue recolligendi sunt The true Catholike Church doth vse the Gentiles as matter to worke vpon heretikes for the trial of their doctrine schismatikes to proue their constancie the first she inuiteth the second she excludeth the third she leaueth yet to them all she offereth the grace of God in instructing the Gentiles reforming of heretikes and bringing home againe schismatikes Collected by Andrew Willet Bachelor of Diuinity AT LONDON â—â—â—nted by Thomas Orwin for Thomas Man dwelling in Pater noster row at the signe of the Talbot 1592. TO THE RIGHT VERTVOVS MOST EXCELLENT AND NOBLE PRINCESSE QVEENE ELIZABETH OVR DREAD LADY BY THE GRACE OF GOD Queene of England France and Ireland defender of the faith c. WHen we call to minde most gracious and dread Soueraigne the manifold blessings which the Lord by your Highnes hand hath reached forth to this Realme Church of England the long flourishing peace which the land vnder your prosperous gouernmeÌ„t hath these many yeares enioyed the like whereof neither our forefathers haue seene nor other countries knowne The notable reformatioÌ„ also of the church purging of the house of God which daies the holy Martyrs and seruants of God long sighed for and desired to see but saw them not When we doe consider these things we nothing doubt to say that the prophecie of Esay is fulfilled in these our daies who saith concerning the Church Kings shall be thy nursing fathers and Queenes thy nursing mothers as it is also prophecied in the Psalmes In stead of thy fathers thou shalt haue children whom thou mayest make Princes in all lands For now who seeeth not that many Christian Princes in the worlde are become the children of the Church Your Maiesties renowmed father king Henry the eight and your Highnesse brother of blessed memory king Edward the sixt did but begin the foundation of the Temple and lay the plot and with Dauid prepared gold siluer brasse iron and all thinges needfull for the building but it was his good pleasure that you with peaceable Salomon should finish the building and with Zorobabel should prosper with the stone of tinne in your hand The Lord hath made you a wall and a hedge to his vineyard to keepe out the wilde boare a goodly tree to giue shade to the beasts of the field succour to the â—oules of the aire a nurse to the people of God to carry them in your bosome as the nurse beareth the sucking child The Lord Christ would once againe hang vpon the breasts of a Virgin God hath raised you vp a Deborah to iudge Israel an Esther to deliuer the Church the Lord hath made you as that vertuous matrone that doth cloath her family with double rayment your Realme flourisheth with true religion and abundance of peace this is our double apparell Now seuen women shal no more take hold of one man saying Come let vs be called by thy name but thousands of men make sute to one woman as all Israel went vp to be iudged of Deborah What though the Papists fret and storme and cut your Maiestie very short saying that the Prince ought neither to giue voice in couÌ„sell for matters of religion nor make Ecclesiastical lawes and would as Zedechiah his eyes were put out Adonibesech his fingers cut off so both take away the eye of your iudgement and your right hand of power in Ecclesiasticall matters What though another foule mouthed Iesuite doth most impudently slaunder your Maiestie saying in great contempt I am reipsa Caluinistis in Anglia mulier quaedam summus Pontifex est As for them let them wander and run vp and down in the Citie barking and snarling like hungrie dogges seeking meat and shall not be satisfied as the Psalme saith yet shal the building prosper vnder your hand the people of God doe cry out with shoutings Grace grace vnto it the whole Church of God from all partes of the world saluteth you saying We haue blessed you out of the house of God do encourage you to go forward gird thy sword to thy thigh prosper thou with thine honor ride on because of the word of truth God hath giuen into your hand a two edged sword with one edge iâ— defendeth the Church from false religion with the other the coÌ„mon wealth from oppression as an ancieÌ„t father saith Tunc iustitia dicituâ— gladius ex vtraque parte acutus quia hominis defendit corpus ab exterioribus iniurijs animaÌ„ à spiritualibus molestijs To Kings Princes it is especially said Thou shalt walke vpon the Lyon and Aspe the young Lyon and Dragon thou shalt tread vnder thy feete The Lyon is the open enemy the Aspe dragon is the close hypocrite that peruerteth religion The good lawes of Princes are as the pitch of Noahs arke it was pitched within and without so good Princes are to prouide both for the safetie of the land from forraine enemies abroad and to preserue the soundnes of religion from corruption of heresie at home How lawfull your Maiesties gouernement is and how well pleasing before God the sequele and effect doth abundantly shew Salomon asked wisedome and he receiued both riches and honor withall none of all these hath God denyed to you the Lord loueth you his left hand is vnder your head his right hand doth embrace you as the wiseman saith At his right hand is length of daies at his left riches honor all these hath the Lord graunted vnto you and thus the Lord honoreth those that honor him And as your Maiestie doth proceede and continue in aduauncing the Lords honour so he is able yet to do greater things for you Now then seeing your Highnes is our Zorobabel the chiefe builder of Gods house and the rest of your faithfull subiects are the helpers and workemen some as labourers vnder you I your humble and meanest subiect
through beginning at the first and so prosecuting euery particular questioÌ„ till we are come to the last My purpose is not to set down all the heresies which impugne the Christian faith but onely those which are maintained by the Church of Rome this day who are the chief troublers disquieters of the peace of our Church I say therefore with Augustine Omnis Christianus Catholicus ista noÌ„ debes credere sed noÌ„ omnis qui ista noÌ„ credit coÌ„sequenter se debet Christianum Catholicum â—utare vel dicere Euery true Catholike Christian is bound not to beleeue any of these errors set down in this book but it foloweth not that whosoeuer beleeueth not these is a true Catholike for there are other heresies in the world which destroy the faith as the heresies of the Anabaptistes Familie of Loue Libertines and such like But our speciall purpose and drift is to weed out the Popish cockle and darnell that troubleth our field Neither haue I set forth at large the controuersies betweene vs for that laborious worke other of our learned countrymen haue taken in hand as D. Whitakers in Cambridge D. Reynoldes in Oxford and besides it farre exceedeth my strength and habilitie I haue onely brieflie set downe the grounds of Poperie as I haue collected them out of Bellarmine the stoutest champion of their side our English Rhemistes Eckius Canisius and other Papistes as also out of the late Chapter of Trent for it deserueth not the name of a CouÌ„cell And with all as an Antidotum or counterpoyson I haue opposed and set against them the coÌ„fession of the Protestants and Church of God with reasons and Arguments of both sides and places of Scripture annexed adding also throughout the iudgement of Augustine who of all the fathers is most plentifull in these matters which fall in question in our dayes The benefite which the Christian Reader shall reape in some measure I trust by this simple labour of mine is threefold First the knowledge of all Popish errours which much auayleth Multum adiuuat cor fidele nosce quid credendum non sit etiamsi disputandi facultate id refutare non possit It much helpeth a Christian toward beleefe to know what is not to be beleeued though he can not refell it by Argument Secondlie he shall vnderstand both their principall Obiections which they do entangle simple men withall as also he shall learne how to defend and maintayne the truth Thirdly the chief places of Scripture which make for them or against them are briefly euery where expounded and opened This whole worke I haue deuided into three partes or bookes the first conteineth the coÌ„trouersies of the Scriptures and the Militant Church the second the controuersies of the Triumphant Church and of the Sacraments the third the questions concerning the benefites of our redemption and as touching the person of Christ Which bookes I haue thus deuided not so much in respect of the matter which they conteine for then the controuersies of the Militant and TriuÌ„phant Church ought not to haue bene sundred but that there might be some equalitie indifferent proportion in the Volumes euery one of them comprehending a Centurie that is an hundred of Popish errours either vnder or ouer But the rather I haue so done because I had proceeded no further then to the end of the controuersies of the Militant Church when this first booke went out of my haÌ„ds the which I was moued vpon some occasion to publish before the rest were finished which shall not stay long after God assisting me Wherein I doe also folow the counsell and example of Augustine who writing of the like argument of heresies doth thus conclude his booke Hunc librum antequam totum hoc opus perfeci vobis credidi esse mittendum vt cum quicunque legentis ad id quod restat implendum quod tam magnum esse cernitis orationib adiuuetis This booke I thought good saith he to send abroad before the rest be finished that whosoeuer readeth it might helpe me with their prayers to the better performing of that which remaineth Which I beseech thee also good Christian Reader to afoord me that being mutuallie assisted one with the prayers of an other we may walke on with strength and chearefulnesse in our Christian race till we haue by Iesus Christ obtayned the price of euerlasting life Amen THE FIRST BOOKE OR CENTVRIE CONTEINING THE CONTROVERSIES OF RELIGION WHICH ARISE IN QVEstion betweene the Church of God and the Papistes about the word of God conteined in the Scriptures and the Church Militant here vpon earth with the partes and members thereof THE FIRST GENERALL CONTROVERsie of the holie Scriptures ACcording to the methode which we wil God assisting vs by his spirite obserue throughout this whole Treatise of the controuersies in the first place we are to entreat of such matters as coÌ„cerne the Propheticall office of Christ. He is our Prophet our heauenly teacher and Doctor Math. 23. vers 8. from him proceedeth all holy knowledge we haue not seen God nor the high things of God but the onely begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him Iohn 1.18 Wherefore all the true sheepe of Christ will heare his voyce Iohn 10.3 His voyce is not els where heard but onely in the Scriptures We must heare Moses and the Prophetes Luke 16.29 First of all therefore this great and most famous controuersie betweene vs and our aduersaries concerning the Scriptures must be handled which is distributed into seuen seuerall questions 1 Concerning the Canonicall Scripture what bookes are to be receiued into the sacred Canon what books to be reiected and counted apocryphall 2 Concerning the authenticall Edition of the holy Scriptures whether the Hebrue Greeke or Latine translation is cheifly to be folowed 3 Whether the Scriptures ought to be translated into the vulgar and English toung and whether publique prayers and diuine seruice ought to be vsed in the same toung 4 Whether the scriptures are authorized by the Church and not rather so knowne to be of them selues 5 Concerning the perspicuitie and playnnes of the Scripture whether it be so hard that the common people may not safely be admitted to the reading thereof 6 Concerning the interpretation of Scripture which question is deuided into three parts first whether the Scripture admit diuerse senses and expositions secondly who hath the cheife authoritie to expound Scripture thirdly what meanes ought to be vsed in expounding of it 7 Concerning the perfection of the Scripture three parts of the questioÌ„ First whether the Scriptures be necessarie secondly whether they be sufficient to saluation thirdly whether there be any traditions beside necessarie to saluation THE FIRST QVESTION CONCERNING the Canonicall Scripture Of the state of the first Question WE haue not any thing in this place to deale with those heretikes which denie either the whole Scripture or any part thereof but onely with our
Church Actes 15. when they came to Ierusalem they were receiued of the Church Philip. 3.6 Paule persecuted the Church how could the church be persecuted how could it receiue the Apostles if it were not visible Bellarmin cap. 12. We answere what goodly reasons here be a particular church such as was at Ierusalem may be seene Ergo the catholike and vniuersall Secondly a particular church may be sometime visible Ergo alwayes Thirdly the church is visible vnto the faithfull as in time of persecution for to Paule it was not knowen when he persecuted it but onely to the brethren Ergo it is visible to the world For these three points they must proue that the catholike church not a particular is visible that the Church is not sometime but alway visible yea and to the world or else they say nothing for shame masters make better arguments 3 He hath set his tabernacle in the sunne Psal. 19. The Church is as a Citie vpon an hill Math. 5. Ergo it is alwayes visible Bellarmin ibid. Rhemist Math. 5. Sect. 3. We answere First the Apostles them selues euen at this time when Christ spake these wordes vnto them were not so in sole or in monte in the sunne or vpon the hill that they were seene of the world nay they were not seene nor acknowledged of the Scribes and Pharisies in Iewrie the Church is seene of the faithfull it is visible to them that search for her out of the Scriptures they that caÌ„ see the mountaine shal see the Citie the mountaine is Christ the Citie is the Church No marueile if the Church be not alwayes visible to the world for they see not neither do they know Christ. Secondly the church is said to be on a hill because the truth seeketh no corners heretikes and false tâ—achers flye into the desert and into secret places Math. 24. ver 26. But the truth is not ashamed the Apostles confessed Christ eueÌ„ before Kings and Princes Marke 13.19 so Augustine expoundeth it Cont. Faustum lib. 13. cap. 13. The Protestantes COncerning the catholike church we hold that because it is an article of our faith it is alwayes vnto the world inuisible and not to be espyed but by the eyes of faith Fulk Math. 5. Sect. 5. Concerning particular churches if by visible they vnderstand that which may be seene so we graunt they are alwayes visible Fulk Act. 11. v. 24. If for that which is actually visible we say it is not so alwayes visible to the world nay it may sometimes be so hid and secret that the members know not one another Fulk in Math. 5. Sect. 3. 1 To the Hebrues it is thus written cap. 13. v. 18.23.24 you are not come to the mouÌ„taine which might be touched but to the Citie of the liuing God the celestiall Ierusalem c. Ergo the church is inuisible and here opposed to the visible hill of Sinay Bellarmine answereth that this is vnderstood of the triumphant church in heauen not of the militant vpon earth To this we make answere the Apostle vnderstandeth the whole vniuersall church in heauen and earth which both make but one familie Ephe. 3.15 for here he nameth not onely the spirites of iust men which are in heauen but the faithfull vpon earth whose names are written in heauen the congregatioÌ„ saith he of the first borne the wordes are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gathering together collection or coÌ„gregation which must needes be vnderstood of men vpon earth Againe saith he ye are come not ye shall come they had now left the smoking mountaine Sinay and were come to Sion the church vnder the Gospell Wherefore this is a most firme and inuincible argument the catholike church is the vniuersall number of Gods chosen in heauen and in earth Ergo inuisible 2 We will giue an instance In the dayes of Elias the church was not visible for he camplaineth and saith that he was onely left alone 1. King 19.10 Ergo the church is not alway visible The Rhemistes answere First at that time the church was visible in Iudaea the souldiers were numbred to 1000. thousand 2. Chron. 17. We aunswere againe First belike they haue taken a more exact account of them then the Lord him selfe for he saith he had reserued 7000 1. King 19.18 that had not bowed their knees to Baall they say there were ten huÌ„dred thousand Againe Elias if he had knowen such a number could not haue bene left so comfortlesse as in grief of hart to desire to dye But be it graunted that the church was visible in Iudaea at this time though it were not so to Elias yet where was that visible church in the dayes of Achaz and Manasseh when Iudaea fell also to Idolatrie Thirdly to beleeue that there is an holy catholike church is an article of our faith Ergo it is inuisible Bellarmin answereth First the holinesse of the church is inuisible We reply so the church is partly visible partly inuisible by his confession First why theÌ„ do ye define the catholike church to be a visible coÌ„gregatioÌ„ if it be not wholly altogether visible they know that difinitio must coÌ„uenire definito the definitioÌ„ must agree wholly to that which is defined but now it is not for they say the catholike holy church is partly visible as it is a church partly inuisible as it is holy Secondly do we not say in the Creede Credo Catholicam as well as Credo Sanctam I beleeue a catholike church as well as I beleeue the holy church then it is also inuisible as it is catholike because this also is part of the article see I pray you what shifting is here Secondly he answereth that some thing is seene in the church some thing beleeued for we see that visible companie of men which make the church but whether that companie be the true church we do not see it but beleeue it We reply againe First the Iesuite hath not yet proued that some thing is seene in the church some thing beleeued but one thing is seene namely the congregation as they are men another thing is beleeued that they are the church the sight and beliefe now by his owne confession are not both in the church Secondly we denie that the vniuersall coÌ„panie of the catholike church which is the number of the predestinate can be seene therefore all is beleeued and nothing seene Thirdly he saith that by faith we know which is the true church Ergo by faith we know which are the members of the church Ergo by faith the meÌ„bers do know them selues to be of the Church therefore faith is requisite in the true members of the church theÌ„ vnfaithfull men can not be true members of the church which point the Iesuite strongly before maintained against vs. Mendacem oportet esse memorem a lyar had need haue a good memorie lest he tell contrarie tales and so hath the Iesuite here for before he denied
resurrection of Christ. Bellarmine aunswereth first that the Pharisies were priuiledged not to erre onely till the cōming of Christ. We replie againe First after Christ was come they sate in Moses chaire and Christ biddeth they should be heard Math. 23.2 if they erred not afore neither could they now for they were not displaced out of Moses chaire but the truth is they neuer had any such priuiledge not to erre Secondly if the Pharisies were now prone to error then by our aduersaries owne confession they ceased to be the church Ergo the church was not now visible for in them it was not and the Apostles fled from Christ and shifted for them selues how could then the church be visible to the world Secondly the Iesuite aunswereth concerning the Apostles First the Apostles were not yet entred into their office and Bishoprike but onely appointed to it and therefore they might erre We replie againe First they were not onely appointed Apostles but partly already they had exercised their Apostleship for they were sent forth to preach the Gospell and had power and commission to worke miracles and heale diseases Math. 10 how then is not the Iesuite ashamed to say that they were not yet Pastors nor Apostles Secondly if the Pharisies erred and the Apostles erred then all the world was in error Ergo by their saying at this instant there was no church vpon the earth which is a great absurditie for the church erreth not they say Secondly saith the Iesuite the Apostles erred not in faith they were reproued for not beleeuing the resurrection which beliefe because they had not yet receiued they could not loose it We reply First though they had not erred in any materiall point yet if there were any error at all in them it is sufficient for our purpose that they erred it is manifest for they fled away from Christ. Secondly he excuseth them for their infidelitie concerning the resurrection because this faith they had not yet receiued But had not Christ I pray you often instructed them of this matter and if this were no such error in them then Christ was to sharpe in reprouing them for their infidelitie Thirdly it appeareth that they wholly were deceiued concerning the Messiah Luke 24.21 the two Disciples say they trusted that it had bene he that should haue deliuered Israell see then what weake aunswers these are did these felowes thinke that their gloses should not be examined or that their dreames should be taken for oracles 2 The church of the Iewes erred before our Sauiour Christes comming Ergo the true church may erre The proposition is proued In the time of the raigne of good kings they did offer sacrifice vpon hill altars but onely to the Lord which was an error 2. Kings 12.3.14.4 The feast of the Passeouer was not kept so precisely according to Gods word at any time before no not in the raigne of the best kings as it was in the 18. yeare of Iosias raigne 2. King 23.22 The feast of Tabernacles had not bene so solemnly and truly kept from the dayes of Iosua as it was in Nehemiahs time Nehem. 8.18 Ergo all this while the church of the Iewes erred somewhat in the externall worship of God Fulk Ephes. cap. 5. Sect. 4. 3 Augustine saith Quomodo erit Ecclesia in isto tempore perfecta sine macula ruga cuius mēbra non mendaciter confitentur se habere peccata How can the church be perfect in this life without spot or wrincle whose members do truly confesse that they are not without sinne Ergo the church sinneth and is imperfect and why not subiect to error But in the Councell of Basill it was denied as ye heard that the church could sinne THE SECOND PART WHETHER THE visible Church may fayle vpon the earth The Papistes error 17 THey hold that it is impossible that the visible church should vtterly fayle vpon the earth and fall from God but that there shall alwayes be a visible and knowen church vpon the earth hauing a perpetuall succession of Pastors and Doctors where the true worship of God shal be preserued and kept Bellarmin lib. 3. de Eccles. cap. 13. 1 These and such places of Scripture they stand vpon Math. 16. the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Math. 28. I wil be with you to the end of the world Psal. 88. his throne shal be as the Sunne and endure as the Moone Ergo the visible church shall not fayle vpon earth Bellarmin We aunswere that these places must be vnderstood of the catholike and vniuersall church whereof we denie not but euery true particular church is a part This church is the spouse of Christ this church shall not perish this is the kingdome of Christ with this church will he alway be present to the end of the world we denie not but that the inuisible church shall continue vpon the earth so long as the world endureth Secondly those places are vnproperly vnderstood of the visible church for therein are both good and bad how thē can that be the spouse of Christ where there are many infidels and wicked ones which haue not espoused themselues vnto him how can it be called his kingdome whereas it is not of all acknowledged But in the true catholike church all and euery one are espoused to Christ all and euery one haue the kingdome of God within them as it is Luke 17. ver 21. 2 They do abuse that place of S. Paule Ephe. 4.11 he gaue some to be Apostles some Euangelistes some pastors and teachers for the gathering together of the Saints Ergo the church shall alwayes be visible till all the Saintes are gathered together Bellarmin cap. 13. Rhemistes Ephes. 4. Sect. 5. We aunswere this place proueth that the church hath neuer wanted pastors and teachers for the continuance of the truth neither shall euer be without them as the Lord said by the Prophet Isay. 59. ver 21. My spirite which is vpō thee my words which I haue put into thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor the mouth of thy seede for euer We therfore denie not but that in all ages yea in the most ignoraunt times of Poperie God raised vp faithfull teachers vnto his church although they were not mitred and croziard Bishops neither could shew any outward pompe or boast of any glorious successiō Such were Gulielmus de S. Amore Arnoldus de noua villa an 1240. Berengarius Ioachim Abbas in the time of Innocentius 3. Wikclef Bruto Swinderby Badby and others about anno 1400. with many which were not knowen to the world for the truth neuer in any age wanted witnesses By the continuance of the truth and right faith we gather that there haue bene alwayes faithfull teachers though not notorious to the world and shal be but who they were and where they liued what pompe what authoritie they were of it is not materiall to know wherefore an outward visible succession
of Bishops and Pastors is not necessarie for the continuance of the truth neither can it be concluded out of this place 3 Thus they reason there haue bene alwayes some faithfull men which haue outwardly professed their faith for if they dissembled or cloaked their profession then were they not faithfull Ergo the church hath bene alwayes visible as in the time of persecution Bellarmine We aunswere First the Iesuite doth cleane peruert and chaunge the state of the question for he defineth a visible church to be multitudo congregata in qua sint praelati subditi a multitude or companie gathered together where there are both Prelates and Bishops and people obediēt vnto them And now he geueth an instance of persecution wherein some faithfull Christians may geue an outward profession of their faith where is now that multitude congregate together where is that iurisdiction of Prelates where is that visible and glorious succession We denie not but that in time of persecution the faithfull may be knowen to them selues and yet some time they are not for in Israell there were seuen thousand faithfull beside Elias yet he knew none of them But it foloweth not that therefore the church is then visible to the world and notoriously knowen to men for so the Rhemistes say in Math. 5. Sect. 3. Act. 11. Sect. 3. Thus they flye manifestly from the question The Protestantes WE denie not but that the catholike vniuersall church as it hath hitherto continued since the beginning of the world so shall it endure to the end the Lord shall neuer want vpon earth a companie of faithfull men which shall truly serue him though it be not necessarie neither hath alwayes bene seene that they should be in any one place A visible church we define to be a congregation of men amongest whom the word is truly preached and the Sacraments administred such a Church hath not alwayes bene neither can we be assured that it shall alway be found vpon the earth wherein the worship of God publikely and visibly is practised 1 In the raigne of Ahaz king of Iuda there was no visible church where the pure worship of God was practised for both Israell vnder Pekah and Iuda vnder Ahaz fell to Idolatrie and folowed the custome of the Gētiles 2. Kings 16.3 yea Vriah the high Priest consented with the king to set vp Idolatrie Likewise in the dayes of Manasseh who did euill after the abhomination of the heathen 2. Kings 21.2 there was no place where God was publikely worshipped for Iudah was corrupted Israell was carried away captiue Ergo there was a time when there was no visible Church 2 In the Passion of our Sauiour there was no visible church such a church we still meane as where there are Prelati subditi pastores oues Prelates and people pastors and sheepe We proue it thus The visible Church was not amongest the Pharisies and Priests for they shamefully and wickedly erred Bellarmin 17. It was not among the Apostles for they also erred therfore after the Papists opiniō they were not the Church for the Church say they erreth not Secondly he saith they were yet but materiall partes not formall that is not Bishops or Pastors how then could there be a visible Church which was without the formal and principall parts that is Pastors and Bishops Ergo there was then no visible Church 3 When the abhominatiō of desolation shall stand in the temple there shal be a generall defection and apostasie from the faith then shall the visible church fayle vpon earth But the first is true Math. 24.15 2. Thess. 2.3 Ergo. To the first place the Iesuite aunswereth that it must be vnderstood of the destruction of the temple cap. 16. But the Rhemistes more liberall then so affirme that it shal be especially accomplished in Antichristes time when as the sacrifice of the Masse shall vtterly be abolished annot in Math. 24. ver 15. To the next place cōcerning that defectiō apostasie which S. Paul speaketh of first he saith that it shal be a defection from the Romane Empire but the Rhemistes say it shal be a defection frō most points of Christian Religion Secondly the Iesuite aunswereth that though it be a defection from the Romane faith yet it shall not be generall but particular but the Rhemistes better aduised graunt it shal be a reuolt of kingdomes peoples prouinces the publike entercourse of the faithfull with the church of Rome shall cease they shall onely communicate with it in hart annot in 2. Thess. 2. Sect. 6. Now out of their owne wordes we conclude there shal be a time whē as the publike seruice of God shall cease there shal be desolation in the Churches and temples of Christians there shal be then no publike entercourse with the Church but a priuat communicating in hart Ergo there shal be a time when there shal be no outward visible Church notoriously and famously knowen Ergo our aduersaries are in an error are condemned by their owne mouth THE THIRD QVESTION OF THE notes and markes whereby the true Church may be discerned and knowen FIRST OF THE FALSE AND ERROneous notes of the Church OVr aduersaries do deuise many notes whereby their Church is discryed as Bellarmine reckoneth vp 15. in order to many certaine to be found in a good Church but there are six principall which they doe most stand vpon antiquitie vniuersalitie succession vnitie the power of miracles the gift of prophesie We must first touch these in order and then come to the true and infallible notes of the Church Of antiquitie Note 1. THe Papists make great bragges of the long continuance of their Church yea that they can shew the discent of their Church from Adam Rhemistes error 18 annot in Act. 28. Sect. 5. But alacke sillie men they must come short of our Sauiuiour Christs and the Apostles time by fiue or six hundred yeares for the most of the opinions which they now hold Let vs examine their reasons In any great chaunge of Religion say they the authors of the Sect the time when it began the persons that oppugned it may be knowen but no such thing can be shewed of our Church say they as we can shew of yours we can tell them the yeare the places and ringleaders of their reuolt say our English Rhemistes annot in 1. Iohan. 2. Sect. 9. Bellarmin lib. 4. de Eccles. cap. 5. We aunswere First no meruaile if Papistrie herein do much differ from other heresies they as the heresies of the Arrians Pelagians Donatistes because they were not long to continue sodainly brake out and sodainly againe were extinguished But Papistrie being the prop and pillar of Antichrists kingdome by whom the world must be deluded many yeares was at the beginning to worke closely and secretly not breaking out at once into open impietie and blasphemie but vnder pretense of holynesse to set a broach her deadly poyson therefore S. Paule calleth it a
mysterie of antiquitie which began euen to worke in his dayes 2. Thess. 2.7 Secondly we also aunswere that all these things the authors of their sectes the time the persons that withstood them may manifestly be detected first concerning the time we haue a manifest Prophesie Apocal. 20. that Sathan should be bound a thousand yeares and afterward let loose when no doubt Antichrist should begin to shew him selfe to the world Cōcerning this space of a thousand yeares there are two probable opinions some thinke they are to begin immediatly after our Sauiour Christes time and so counting a thousand yeares all which time Sathan must be bound then Antichrist should begin to appeare Thus Iohn Wicliffe expoundeth it Others say the thousand yeares ought to begin after the three hundred yeares expired of persecution for all that while it is most like Sathan was let loose when he raged with opē mouth like a Lion against the Church and Saints of God of this opinion was Walter Brute somewhat after Wicliffes time who by this meanes maketh the Prophesie of Daniell of 1290. dayes and that in the Apocalipse 12. of 1260. dayes to agree with the thousand yeares of Sathans binding for taking euery day for a yeare we shall come to .1290 yeares after Christ when the thousand yeares must be expired beginning from the three hundred yeares of persecution If we count the thousand yeares from Christ we shall come to the time of Hildebrand the seuenth who was Pope of Rome a thousand yeares after Christ and vpward by whom the mariage of Ministers is thought first to haue bene forbidden if we begin after the ceasing of persecution which continued three hundred yeares we shall fall into the yeare .1300 about the time of Iohn Wicliffe whē the great rabble of Monkes and Friers began to swarme and superstition to encrease But we will take a litle payne briefly to touch the authors of many superstitions in Poperie and of their erronious and hereticall opinions Anno. 420. Zosimus Bishop of Rome did chalenge a prerogatiue aboue other Churches that it might be lawfull to make appeales frō other Churches to that sea and to set the better colour vpon it he falsely alledged a decree of the Nicene Coūcell but there was no such thing found there wherefore it was decreed in the Councell of Carthage at that time that none should appeale ouer the seas to Rome Bonifice the third purchased of the wicked Emperour Phocas the title of vniuersall Bishop Transubstantiation was first concluded against Berengarius anno 1062. vnder Leo the ninth but not publikely enacted before anno 1216. vnder Innocentius the third The Dominicke Friers brought in the same time and their Sect established by Innocentius the third Auricular confession also was brought in anno 1215. vnder the same Pope Mariage first prohibited by Nicholas the secōd Alexander the second Gregorie the seuenth about the yeare 1070. The Communion in one kinde forged and inuented and decreed in the Councell of Constance not aboue two hūdred yeares ago By these few examples it may appeare that it is false which the Iesuite saith that the authors of their sectes and heresies cā not be shewed Now we will briefly declare what oppugners and gainsayers they haue had in all ages since their grossest opinions began to be receiued Such were Bertramus and Berēgarius about pope Hildebrands time that mightily impugned the grosse opinion of Trāsubstantiatiō Robertus Gallus 1291. Robert Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne who was called malleus Romanorū the mallet or hammar of the Romanes anno 1250. Franciscus Petrarcha 1350. Iohannes de rupe Scissa who Prophesied against the Pope 1340. with many other which ceased not to crye out against the abhominable vices and erronious opinions of the Church of Rome Wherefore it is a great vntruth which the Iesuite doth so stifly auouch that we can not set down the pedegree discent of their church and faith and how it hath continually bene resisted 3 Now whereas they say that they can name the ringleaders of our sect we haue none other maisters and authors of our faith then our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles by whose holy writings we refuse not to be tryed But you flye from the light you disgrace the Scriptures making them imperfect and insufficient this the true Disciples of Christ would not do you are the Disciples of Christ as the Pharisies bragged that they were the Disciples of Moses And as then the true church was not in those that sat in Moses chaire though they could alledge great antiquitie but in Christ and his Apostles so is not now the true Church to be discerned by custome or number of yeares but by that truth which was taught and preached by our blessed Sauiour and his Apostles Of Vniuersalitie Note 2. OVr Church is vniuersall say they both in respect of time person place error 19 it hath alwayes bene in the world in all countrys and nations it hath florished Ergo it is the true Church That it is vniuersall they first proue by the name of Catholike which is say they by Gods prouidence appropriat to them which name they affirme without ground to haue bene imposed by the Apostles vpon true beleeuers Rhem. in Act. cap. 11. Sect. 4. We aunswere First the name of Christians is a more honorable title then the name of Catholikes for it is manifest Act. 11.26 that this name was vsed in the Apostles time and by the Apostles them selues allowed but it is not certaine that the name Catholike came from the Apostles Againe many heretikes chalenged this name to be called Catholikes who did not so easily obtaine to be called Christians which ancient and honorable name the Papistes do despise for in Italie and at Rome it is vsed as a name of reproch to signifie a dolt or a foole Fulk in Acts. 11.26 2 We say that you doe vsurpe this name as the Donatistes in Augustines time would be called Catholikes for what is the name of Catholike without the Catholike doctrine They are the true Catholikes that professe the auncient and Apostolike faith to vs therefore be it knowen to you this name of better right appertaineth then to you ô ye Papists yet we haue better argumentes to proue our Church by then by sillables and titles Quasi nos saith Augustine huius nominis testimonio nitamur ad demonstrandam Ecclesiam non promissis Dei As though we saith he do leane vpon this name to proue our Church by and not rather vpon the promises of God Secondly they proue their vniuersalitie by the multitude of people that haue receiued the Romish faith and their Church say they hath replenished the greatest part of the world They would proue this by the propagation of the Church in the Apostles time in Tertulian Irenaeus Hierome Augustine yea and afterward in Gregories dayes yea and now also besides many great countryes in Europe they haue of their church in
Basile The fift Note of the power of working miracles THis they affirme both to be necessarie in the Church to haue power to work error 22 miracles for the confirmation of the faith when there is any extraordinarie chaunge or innouation of religion and that it is a sufficient note to describe the Church for it cannot bee say they but that wheresoeuer this power is found there should be the true Church And hereupon they take occasion to extoll the miracles of their Church beginning at the Apostles time and so in euerie age they take vpon them to shew that their Church neuer wanted those that were endued with this power Bellar. cap. 14. We answere First the gift of miracles doth no more prooue that to bee the true Church where they are wrought then they to be holie men and elected of God that doe them The Magicians wrought many straunge things in Aegypt cōtending a great while with Moses Antichrist shal come working with signes and wonders 2. Thessal 2. Therefore this proueth not a Church But heere they haue a double euasion these were false miracles wrought by the diuell as those of the Magicians or els but forged and onely to the eye and in outward appearance as Antichrist is sayd to come with lying wonders We replye First they are called lying wonders not that they are done in shewe onely and haue no such thing indeede but because they are wrought to confirme lyes and discredite the trueth Secondly your miracles are very like to be such both wrought by the power of the diuell and some of them but iugling feates of cousoners Thirdly yet a wicked man may haue power to worke miracles not in shewe but verily and indeed as to cast out diuels and to doe it in the name and power of Christ and yet be none of Christs disciples Matth. 7.22 2 Concerning your miracles wee answere that they are either fables and old wiues tales and no credite to bee giuen vnto them or els they are one of those two sorts whereof Augustine speaketh Remoueantur ista vel mendacia fallacium hominum vel portenta mēdacium spirituum Away with those miracles which are either cousoning trickes of deceitfull men or wonders of lying spirits First Monkish fables are not a whit daintie with our Romish Catholikes their Legendes are full of them As that of Berinus how being in the middest of the sea sayling into France hauing forgotten somewhat at home went back walking vpon the sea and came to them againe hauing not one thred of his garment wet Many like tales are reported of Aldelmus Abbot of Malmesburie as how he caused an infant at Rome of nine daies olde to speake to cleare Sergius the Pope who was thought to be his father how he drew along a great piece of timber that went to the making of the Church at Malmesburie Such good stuffe also they haue of Iohn of Beuerley of Egwine Abbot of Euesham who when he had locked his feete in fetters and cast the key into the sea afterward a fish brought the key againe into the ship where he was sayling Reade M. Foxe pag. 125. All these and a thousand more are but Monkish fables and dreames whatsoeuer the Iesuite maketh of them Secondly it is out of doubt that some of them were well practised with the diuell and through his helpe could doe much We will begin with Dunstane who caused a Roode to speake which was more strange then that of Balaams asse for the asse had life though she had no reason but this image had neither Polidore Virgil thinketh little better of Dunstane for this deede doing but that he was a sorcerer Fox pag. 158. It is famous in histories how Siluester the 2. was aduaunced to the Papacie by the diuell and gaue himselfe vnto him and how hauing some remorse before his death he confessed the fact before the people and willed that his bodie should be drawne of wilde horse when he was dead and there be buried where the horse left it of their owne accord How much such diabolicall practises are fauoured by the sea of Rome may appeare by this one example which we will now touch In Pope Adrians dayes not many yeares agoe there was a most abhominable thing practised in Rome euen vnder the Popes nose and by his permission and sufferance The citie of Rome being at that time grieuouslie scourged and punished of God with the pestilence there was one Demetrius a Grecian who with the good liking of the whole citie to appease the wrath of their gods tooke a wild Bull whom with magicall enchantments he made so tame that he led him with a twine thred and so sacrificed him And this being done the sicknes somewhat slaked Call ye this the Church of God that suffreth such heathenish and abhominable superstitions to be done in it Or shall I take these men for Christians that doe allow the idolatrous and diuellish sacrifices of the heathen Thirdly let vs see what pretie fine iugling casts haue been wrought by the Papists to deceiue the people In King Henries dayes there was a monstrous Idoll called the Rood of grace which was made so with wiers and ingins that one standing within could make euery part of the Idoll to moue the hands the eyes the mouth if a man brought but a small piece of siluer it would hang downe the lippe if it were a good piece then should his iawes goe merilie This abhominable Idoll by the Lord Cromwels meanes was broken downe and the engines and parts thereof shewed at Paules Crosse. Such a like thing was the bloud of Hales which they made the people beleeue was some of Christs bloud but in the ende it was found to be but the bloud of a drake and shewed likewise at Paules Crosse. Fox pag. 1188. At Calis in the Sepulchre it was said there were three hostes besprinkled with bloud as it was put in writing vnder Bull and Pardon but the place being searched at King Henries commaundement they found three white counters sodred in the stone with the top-bone of a sheepes tayle pag. 1223. A thousand such forged deuises the Papists had which they are not ashamed to maintaine for straunge and holy miracles By this that hath been shewed it is euident I hope to the indifferent reader what small cause our aduersaries haue to boast of their miracles 3 Now to adde somewhat concerning the miracles of our Church First we truely say that our doctrine is not newe nor straunge and therefore they are not to call for miracles at our hands The miracles of Christ and his Apostles are also our miracles seeing we professe the same doctrine which was confirmed by those miracles Secondly yet the Lord be thanked we are not destitute of miracles as Augustine saith Modò caro caeci non aperit oculos miraculo domini at cor caecum aperit oculos sermone domini Now saith he the blind doth not receiue his bodily sight
thereof as how he should be crowned with thornes that they should giue him vineger to drinke how the vaile of the temple should be rent darknes should couer the earth for three houres he himself should rise the third day yea she setteth down the very name of the Messiah Iesus Christ. These prophecies came not of the diuell for these mysteries without all doubt were not known to the euill spirits for they were not fully reuealed to the Angels theÌ„selues before the coÌ„ming of Christ. Eph. 3.10 Wherfore we conclude thus that as the gift of prophecying is no sure signe that they are meÌ„bers of the Church elected of God which are endued with it as Christ saith Math 7.22 that many which had prophecied in his name in the day of iudgemeÌ„t should be refused Balaam is set forth as an example of a false Prophet wicked maÌ„ Ep. Iude. 11 so neither is this gift an infallible mark of the Church of God whersoeuer it is fouÌ„d To the second part concerning this miraculous gift which our aduersaries pretend to haue we answere 1. They are but fables which they bring for if al that is reported of Saint Bernard in his life of his miracles and prophecies were true neither S. Paul nor any of the Apostles were to be compared vnto him for number of miracles such casting out of diuels out of men women and children healing of strange diseases foretelling of thinges to come the Gospell almost hath not stranger things of our Sauiour Christ. As for Saint Francis you may gesse by this what spirit he was of that prescribing to his followers a certaine strict order of liuing as to wear no girdle to goe barefoote and such like he called it regulam euangelicam the rule of the Gospell belike making himselfe an other Christ and so bringing in another Gospel for to all Christs Disciples Christs Gospelâ— is sufficient 2. But if they haue any prophecies of credit which they can shew they are such as are reported of Pope Siluester the 2. who had warrant from the diuel that he should not die before he sung Masse in Ierusalem and so it came to passe for hauing sung Masse in a chappell so called he immediately dyed Not much vnlike to this was that of king Henry the 4. who ended his life in a chamber at Westminster called Ierusalem as he had an olde prophecie Edward the 4. also was tolde that his successours name should begin with G. which was the cause of George the Duke of Clarence death his owne brother but the diuelish prophecie notwithstanding tooke place for Richard Duke of Glocester was king after him In like manner Valence the Emperour had a blind prophecie that one should raigne after him whose name began with Theod. which made Theodorus to rebell against him but so it came to passe in deede that Theodosius was Emperour after him Such blinde prophecies we denie not but the popish Church hath had many which as you see doo cause murder sedition and bloodshed but other good prophecies comming of GOD wee knowe them not to haue any 3. Wee denie not but that there haue liued some amongst them in their Church which in those dayes were counted Prophets and Prophetisses as Hildegardis anno 1146. likewise Briget Catherine Seuensis whom Bellarmine reckoneth vp amongst others that wrought miracles cap. 14. but concerning these we wil answere as the Iesuite doth for Sibilla a Prophetisse amongst the heatheÌ„ that she prophecied as touching such matters as should fall out to the Church for a testimonie of the faith of the Christians And so to bee counted herein a Prophetisse of the Church rather than of the heathen cap. 15. so wee say that if those three abouenamed were Prophetisses they were of our Church and not theirs for they prophesied of the decay of their Church and raising vp of ours Hildegardis first prophecied of the beginning of Friers and of their destruction saying that in the end when their gifts and rewards ceased they should goe about their houses like hungrie and madde dogges drawing in their neckes like doues Briget prophesied of the Church of Rome that it should be as a body condemned of a iudge to haue the skinne flayne off and the flesh to bee cut in peeces Catherine de Senis speaketh of a reformation of the Church such a renouation of Pastors that the onely remembrance thereof sayth she mâ—keth my spirite to reioyce in the Lord. All these things we see nowe accomplished the sects of Friers in many places put downe the Popish iurisdiction cast out a notable reformation to be wrought in the Church Our aduersaries I thinke haue not to reioyce in these prophecies neither haue any great cause to chalenge them for their Prophets But I will help them a little and bring to their remembrance a notable Prophetisse of theirs in king Henry the 8. dayes which was one Elizabeth Barton a Nun commonly called the holy mayd of Kent who beeing instructed by the Friers fayned as though she had many reuelations she prophecied that if the king proceeded in his diuorce then in question betweene him and Q. Catherine that hee should not be king one yeare no not one moneth But GOD bee thanked hee liued almoste twenty yeares after that by whom many worthy things were wrought for the good of Christs Church This prophetisse was afterward iustly met withall and worthily suffered for her demerites with all her accomplices amongst the which Fisher B. of Rochester was one who thereupon was imprisoned and forfayted his goods to the King If they will bragge of their Prophets let not the holy mayd of Kent be forgotten in any wise 4. Now lastly because they shall not outface vs with a vaine brag of Prophets I will shew what prophesies the Gospell hath beene adorned withall Was not Iohn Husse a Prophet who thus sayd at his death centum reuolutis annis deo respondebitis after an hundred years you shall giue account of this your doing vnto God Likewise Hierome of Prage post centum annos vos omnes cito I cite you all to make answere after an hundred yeares Which prophesie of theirs tooke effect accordingly for both these holy men suffered martyrdome about anno 1416. and iust an hundred yeares after anno 1516. the Lord raysed vp Luther who indeede called the Pope and his doctrine to account Was not Sauonarola a Prophet that sayd one should passe ouer the Alpes like Cyrus who should destroy all Italie and is it not so come to passe for neither Cyrus nor whosoeuer els could haue more layde wast the popish Italian Church then the word of God hath done and the liuely preaching of the Gospell Walter Brute prophecied that the temporalities should be taken from the Clergie for the multitude of their sinnes this Walter liued in king Richards dayes the second Bilney that constant martyr and faythful seruant of God prophecied that many Preachers should
bee much desired and conueniently expected that is such a Councell where euery man franke free may vtter his minde without feare an holy Councel where euery mā may goe about to set vp godlines not to oppresse the trueth Such a Councell King Henrie the eight of worthie memorie in his protestation for the Church of England for not comming to the Councell of the Pope truely affirmeth that he desired and craued nothing so oft of God but because there is no hope of any such Councel seeing the Pope would be the chiefe doer in it and it is too vnreasonable that the same man should be both a partie and a iudge we doubt not but that it is lawfull by the word of God for euery Prince Duke Lord within his owne seignorie without any further delay or expectation by the aduice and Counsaile of the learned and godlie of the land according to Gods Lawe to reforme their Church First because all delay in matters of the Church are dangerous and inconueniences are at the first hand to be met withall as we see Act. 6. and Act. 15. immediatlie when any question did arise the Apostles assembled together In the Councel of Basile where it was decreed that the Pope was subiect to the Councels Panormitane a stiffe champion on the Popes side would haue the decree stayed till the returne of the Princes Embassadors But Arelatensis that worthy Cardinall stepped vp and shewed what danger there might be in a small delay by the example of Hannibal who deferring his going but one day to Rome was driuen cleane out of Italy hauing been very like to haue taken the citie if he had vsed the opportunitie But without all controuersie matters of faith ought not to be delayed which could not be auoyded if a generall Councel should alwaies be waited for Secondly a Prince hath the like authoritie in his dominion as the housholder hath in his house But euery man ought to reforme his house without any further delay aduisement or consultation as Iosua sayth I and my house will serue the Lord 24. vers 15. Wherefore the Prince may and ought to performe the like in his countrie Lastly we finde by experience that the Lord hath blessed such reformations which haue been made by Princes in their owne territories as that in Zuricke anno 1523. at Berne 1528. and the most happie reformation of our Church of England begun by King Henrie the 8. encreased by that most vertuous Prince King Edward the 6. and prosperouslie continued and established by our gracious Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth I will adde the testimonie of Augustine who answering to the Pelagians which obiected that they were condemned by certaine single Bishops in their owne Diocesse without a Synode he sayth thus Ac si congregatione synodi opus erat vt aperta pernicies damnaretur quasi nulla haeresis aliquando nisi synodi congregatione damnata sit c. cont 2. Epistol Pelag. lib. 4. cap. 12. As though saith he a Synode or Councel were alwayes necessarie to condemne a knowne heresie Nay wee finde that more heresies without comparison haue been in the same places condemned where they first sprang without any such necessitie more so then otherwise THE SECOND QVESTION BY WHOSE AVthoritie Councels ought to be called The Papists THey doe generally hold that generall Councels ought onely to be called and appoynted by the Popes authoritie or his assignment their goodly reasons error 30 are these 1 Councels ought to bee congregate in the name of Christ that is by him that hath authoritie from Christ so to congregate them see here is a goodly exposition to assemble in the name of Christ is to assemble by the authoritie of the Pope so belike where Christ saith wheresoeuer two or three are gathered together in my name c. Christ will not bee present with them vnlesse we send vp to Rome for license that two or three may come together 2 Generall Councels should be appoynted by them that haue generall authoritie to commaund men to come to the Councell but this authoritie ouer the whole Church neuer any Emperour had in such ample manner as the Pope hath Ergo. Answere first it is a great vntruth that the Popes spirituall iurisdiction which he falsely challengeth was at any time greater then the Emperours dominion for Constantine ruled ouer both the West and East Churches but the Churches of Greece were neuer nor are not to this day subiect to the sea of Rome For Pope Eugenius would haue dissolued the Councell of Basile vnder this pretence because the Greekes which should come vnto the Councell for the vniting of their Church would not passe the Alpes but this vniting neuer went forward Anno. 1431. Agayne if the commaundement of one Emperour or Potentate bee not large enough to appoynt a generall Councell as in these dayes it is not it may bee done by the consent and agreement of Princes The Protestants WE hold it as a fond and ridiculous assertion that generall Councels should be ruled at the Popes becke but that this authoritie is due and hath been of olde vnto Christian Princes and Magistrates and the Pope in so doing doth but vsurpe vpon their right 1 That the Pope hath not absolute authoritie to call remoue dissolue or establish Councels it is proued out of scripture for Act. 6.2 the twelue Apostles and not Peter onely whose successor the Pope doth falsely chalenge to be called the multitude together about the election of Deacons 2 The Councels in times past were sommoned by the Emperours which our aduersaries themselues cannot denie as the Nicene first by Constantine the great Constantinopolitane 1. by Theodosius the elder Ephesin 1. by Theodosius the younger Chalcedonens by Martianus But say our aduersaries these Councels were not appoynted without the consent of the Bishops of Rome I meruaile they are not ashamed so to say for when Theodosius called the Councell of Chalcedon Leo then Bishop of Rome neither liked the time for hee would haue had it deferred nor the place being desirous to haue it in Italy yet he was content to obey the Emperours commaundement and sent his Agents to the Councel there to appeare for him Epist. 41.47.48 ad Martianum This was alleadged by Tonstal and Stokeslie two archpapists in their Epistle to Cardinall Poole 3 It is a good reason which was alleadged in the Councell of Basile that if Popes onely should call Councels there should be no meanes left to withstand a wicked and vicious Pope Who would thinke say they that the Bishop of Rome would congregate a Councel for his owne correction or deposition 4 The Pope hath no more authoritie nor by their leaue nothing like as Peter had but he challenged not this dignitie amongst the Apostles to summon Councels We reade of foure onely Councels of the Apostles say the fathers of Basile for this also is their argument the first was for the choosing of Matthias Act. 1. congregate at the
would keepe the common and knowne name of the place that it might be out of doubt what Church he ment as for the name of Babylon to be ascribed to Rome though it were so mysticallie yet was it not so called for why might not Paule as well haue written his Epistle to the Romanes vnder that name the Church of Babylon as Peter wrote from thence 2 Agayne they alleadge that storie how Peter ouercame Simon Magus at Rome when he would haue taken his flight into the ayre hauing made himselfe wings and by the prayer of Peter was brought downe agayne and brake his legges and so dyed whereupon Nero being offended with Peter would haue apprehended him who being counsailed by the Church would haue fled from Rome but meeting Christ at one of the gates and saying vnto him whether goest thou Lord And he answered I come agayne to be crucified Peter vpon those words returned backe agayne and was crucified for the testimonie of Iesus Bellarm. cap. 2.3 We answere First we denye not that Peter was at Rome but shewe only the insufficiencie of their arguments and agayne we moue such doubts as by them are yet vnanswered as afterward shall be shewed Secondly concerning this storie of the victorie ouer Simon Magus they that doubt of Peters being at Rome may also doubt of this neither of them being necessarie to be beleeued as articles of faith but probable and coniecturall as matters of storie For some part of the storie is denyed by Augustine as how Peter fasted vpon the Saturday the combat betweene him and Simon Magus following vpon the Lords day after and thereupon rose the custome of the Saturday fast among the Romanes Est quidem saith he haec opinio plurimorum quamuis eam perhibeant esse falsam plerique Romani This is saith he a probable opinion of many concerning Peters fast yet the Romanes themselues thinke it to be false 3 That concerning Christs apparition to Peter seemeth to bee most vnlike of all and sauoureth somewhat of the Popish Legends Like vnto this are the tales of S. Christopher how he caried Christ and how S. Gregorie had him for one of his ghests at his table of hospitalitie such visions and apparitions of Christ are contrarie to the scriptures which say that the heauens must conteyne him till his comming agayne Bellarmine answereth first by this meanes wee doe compedes Christo inijcere wee fetter Christ in heauen We answere belike then heauen is a prison with the Iesuite God send all that are his such a prison at the length Agayne Christ is no otherwise concluded and shut vp in heauen then as it pleaseth himselfe and as he hath appoynted so to be 2 He obiecteth that Christ appeared neere vnto the earth to Paule We answere First there is no such thing proued out of the text but rather the contrarie that the voyce was heard from heauen not neere the earth but aboue Act. 22.6 Secondly Paule heard a voyce onely he sawe no man neither he nor the companie with him Act. 9.7 8. But onely a great light they sawe shining from heauen Act. 22.6 9. Therefore out of this place they cannot prooue any such real apparition of Christ. 3 Peter dyed at Rome his sepulchre is to be seene there to this day Ergo he was at Rome Bellarm. cap. 3. We answere First it followeth not if Peter were buried at Rome that therefore he dyed there for the translation of the bones and bodies of Martyrs is no vnusuall thing in your Church As it followeth not because Iohn Baptists head as you say is to be seene at S. Siluesters at Rome that therefore he dyed there so neither doth it followe of S. Peter 2 Agayne how shall wee beleeue you that it is S. Peters Sepulchre which is shewed at Rome seeing you haue made so many mockeries alreadie making the world beleeue that Peters bodie is sometime in one place sometime in an other Half his bodie you say is at S. Peters in Rome halfe at S. Paules his head at S. Iohn Laterane his neather iawe with the beard at Poicters in France many of his bones at Trieirs at Geneua part of his brayne You see that we may as well doubt whether Peters bodie bee at Rome as in any of these places And such as you see are our aduersaries arguments for Peters being at Rome The Protestants COncerning Peters being at Rome First wee doe not vtterly denye it but onely affirme that he could not come thither so soone as in the second yeare of Claudius and sit there so long namely fiue and twentie yeares as they hold Secondly it may bee graunted that he was there as a matter of storie not an article of faith Thirdly wee haue certayne doubts and arguments about some circumstances of his being there which our aduersaries are not able to answere 1 There is great disagreeing amongst the writers concerning the time of Peters comming to Rome Orosius sayth hee came thither in the beginning of Claudius raigne Hierome saith the 2. yeare of his raigne other say the fourth yeare other the thirteenth yeare Damasus would haue him come thither in Nero his raigne This dissention of writers sheweth that the matter may be iustly doubted of Fulk in Rom. 16. sect 4. Bellarmine and the Iesuites answere No more doe all agree concerning the time when the world was created nor for the storie of Christs life in what time euery thing was done when he suffered and such like yet it followeth not that those things were not true because there is some diuersitie about the time Rhemist 1. Pet. 5.13 Wee replie First most of these things concerning the chronologie of scripture though it be not necessarie to saluation yet by diligent search may be found in scripture Secondly if they can shewe any scripture for Peters being at Rome as we haue for the other stories we will beleeue it though the time perfectly be not knowne but seeing the scripture maketh no mention at all of his being there and the time is vncertayne we may worthilie doubt of it much lesse are bound necessarilie to beleeue it 2 The storie of Peters comming to Rome in the second yeare of Claudius his abiding at Rome fiue twentie yeres his death and martyrdome in the 14. yere of Nero and the 37. yeare after Christs ascension we proue out of the scriptures to bee false For Peter was at Ierusalem and in those quarters round about till 18. yeares after Christ for Paul sawe him there 3. yeares after his calling and agayne 14. yeares after that Galath 2. there is 17. yeares and one yeare was past before Pauls conuersion in all 18. yeares adde vnto these the 25. yeares of Peters being at Rome that maketh 43. yeares and so Peter should suffer in Vespasianus raigne and not in the time of Nero. Bellarmine and the Iesuites answere that Peter was at Rome seauen yeares before the Councel held at Ierusalem Act. 15. which was in the 18.
sometime Iames sate and Iohn now sitteth In those words Augustine ascribeth as much to the succession of other Apostolicall Churches as he doth to the succession of the Bishops of Rome And therefore Canisius craftely leaueth out the one half of the sentence cōcerning the Church of Ierusalem Neither is it true which our aduersaries say that Peters Sea remaineth still at Rome when all other Apostolicall Sees are gone for euen to this day the See of Antioch standeth and hath a Patriark likewise the See of Alexandria The See of Constantinople neuer wanted successors to this day nor the Church of Ephesus In India and Aethiopia there hath been alwaies a succession in those Churches planted by the Apostles and is at this day Fulk 2. Thess. 2. sect 7. Wherefore they haue no cause to bragge of their succession which is found in other places as well as at Rome THE FIFT QVESTION CONCERNING THE primacie of the See of Rome THis question hath diuers partes which must be handled in their order First whether the Bishop of Rome haue authority ouer other Bishops Secondly whether appeales ought to be made to Rome from other countries Thirdly whether the Pope be subiect to the iudgemēt of any Fourthly whether he may be deposed Fiftly what primacie he hath ouer other Churches how it began Sixtly of the titles and names giuen to the Bishops of Rome THE FIRST PART WHETHER THE BISHOP of Rome hath authoritie ouer other Bishops The Papists error 41 THey doubt not to say that the Bishop of Rome hath authoritie and ought so to haue to ordaine and constitute Bishops to depriue and depose them to restore them likewise to their former dignities and this power hee exerciseth ouer the vniuersall Church The Iesuites principall only argument is drawen from certain examples how the Bishops of Rome haue in times past constituted deposed and restored some Bishops in the Greeke Church as in the patriarchal Seas of Constantinople Alexandria Antioch Ergo hee hath power ouer all Bishops We answere First It was not done by the absolute authority of the Roman Bishops any such constitution or deposition though perhappes their consent and allowance were required as Leo writeth thus to Martianus the Emperour about the ordayning of Anatolius Bishop of Constantinople Satis sit quod vestrae pietatis auxilio mei fauoris assensu episcopatum tantae vrbis obtinuit It is sufficient that by your godly helpe and my fauourable assent he hath obtained so famous a Bishoprick Whether was greater now the help and furtherance of the Emperor or the base assent of Leo Secondly wee denie not but that the Pope sometimes what by sufferance of others what by his owne intrusion hath vsurped this power ouer other Bishops by this ought not to make a law that which is once or twise done by a false title cannot prooue the iustnes of the title Thirdly that the Bishop of Rome hath no such authoritie it appeareth by this that he doth not neither of many yeares hath constituted or ordayned the patriarks of the Greeke Church they came not vp to Rome nor yet sent thither for their palls as other Archbishops here in the West parts haue done paied full dearely for them being made slaues to the beast of Rome The Protestants THat the Pope neither hath nor yet ought to haue any such authority ouer other Bishops but that euery one in his owne precinct and iurisdiction hath the chiefe charge It is thus proued 1. Peter was not chiefe neither did exercise iurisdiction ouer the twelue Ergo neither the Pope ought to doe ouer other Bishops The antecedent or first part is thus confirmed The heauenly Hierusalem which is the Church of God is described Apocal. 21. not with one foundation onely of Peter but with 12. foundations after the number of the Apostles argument Tunstalli To this purpose also hee alleadgeth in saying out of Hierome contra Iouinian All the Apostles receiued the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and vpon them all indifferently and equally is the strength of the Church grounded and established Fox p. 1066. 2. Till the yeare of the Lord 340. there was no respect had to the Church of Rome but euery Church was ruled by their owne gouernment afterward followed the Councel of Nice wherein was decreed that the whole Church should be deuided into foure circuites or precincts ouer the which there were foure Metropolitanes or patriarkes set first the Bishop of Rome next the Bishop of Alexandria the third was the Bishop of Antioch the fourth the Bishop of Ierusalem and not long after came in the Bishop of Constantinople in the roume of the B. of Antioch All these had equall authoritie in their prouinces and one was not to deale within anothers charge Ergo the Bishop of Rome had not then the iurisdiction ouer the whole Church argument Nili plura Fox p. 9. 3. We will adioyne the testimonie of the fathers of Basile which were all of the Popish sect what haue the Bishops been in our daies say they but only shadowes might they not haue been called shepheards without sheepe what had they more then their Miters and their staffe when they could determine nothing ouer their subiects Verily in the primitiue Church the Bishops had the greatest power and authoritie but now it was come to that poynt that they exceeded the common sort of priests onely in their habite and reuenewes What plainer testimonie can we haue then from the papists themselues Augustine also agreeth to their sentence habet omnis episcopus saith he pro licētia libertatis potestatis suae arbitrium propriū tanquam iudicari ab alio nō possit quomodo nec ipse potest alium iudicare sed expectemus vniuersi iudiciū domini nostri Iesu Christi Euery Bishop is priuiledged by his own authoritie to follow his owne iudgement neither is subiect to the iudgement of other Bishops as he is not to iudge them but they all must be referred to the iudgement of Christ See then in this place Augustine setteth Bishops in the highest roume in the Church and sayth they haue no iudge aboue them but Christ. THE SECOND PART CONCERNING APpeales to bee made to Rome The Papists SVch say they is the preeminēt authority of the Bishop of Rome that appeals error 42 may be made vnto him from all Churches in the world and that all ought to stand to his sentence and determination For the proofe hereof they bring no scripture nor any sound argumēt but stand chiefly vpon certain odde examples of some that haue appealed to Rome which we denie not to haue been done but our answere more at large is this 1. One cause of these appeales was both for that they which were iustly cōdemned of other Churches found greater liberty and fauour at Rome as Apiarius did who being condemned in the 6. Aphricane Councel for his detestable conditions found fauour with Zosimus Bishop of Rome who
wrote for him to the Councel to be receiued agayne No maruayle then if licentious fellowes hoping to finde more fauour at Rome did appeale thither As also the ambition of the Bishops of Rome did somewhat helpe forward this matter who were as ready to receiue such appeales as others were to make them 2. Bishop Tunstal doth answere very fully to this poynt that although appeales were made to Rome yet was it not for any iurisdiction that the See had but this was the cause partly for that there were many deuisions and parts taking in the Oriental Churches as also because many were infected with heresies from the which the West Occidētal Churches were more free they were content to referre the cause many times to the Bishop of Rome as being a more indifferent iudge and not like to be partial being no partie in the cause Neither was their 〈◊〉 to the Bishop of Rome singularly but to the whole congregation of the Bishops of Italie and France or of the whole West as it appeareth by the epistles of Basile Tunstal apud Fox 1067. The Protestants That appeales ought not to be made to Rome but that all matters and controuersies may best be ended and determined at home where they doe arise It is thus confirmed 1. This matter was notably handled anno 420. in the sixt Councel of Carthage where Augustine was present with Prosper and Orosius To this Councel Pope Zozimus sent his Legate with certaine requests of the which this was one that it might be lawful for Bishops and priests to appeale from the sentence of their Metropolitanes and also of the Councel to Rome alleadging for him self a decree of the Nicene Councel The Councel of Carthage sent forthwith to the patriarkes of Cōstantinople Antioch Alexandria for a copie of the Coūcel of Nice wherein no such Canon was found that appeales should bee made to Rome but the contrary for in the sixt Canon of that Councel it was founde how all matters and all persons ecclesiasticall both Bishops and others were committed to their Metropolitanes vpon this decree the Councel of Carthage drew out certain reasons why appeales should not be made to Rome First it is not otherwise to be thought but that the grace of God is as ready at hande in one prouince as in another Secondly there is no neede to seeke any outlandish help for the partie grieued may appeale to a prouinciall or generall Councel Thirdly it were not equall nor right to appeale from the Councel to the Bishop of Rome for it is not like that God will inspire his truth vnto the Bishop and denie it to a multitude congregated in his name Fourthly no forraine or outlandish iudgement can be so vpright or iust because the witnesses cannot be present being hindered by infirmitie of sex age sicknes by whom the truth should be discussed Vpon these reasons the Councel concluded that neither any appeales should be made to Rome neither that Legates should be sent from Rome for deciding of matters And this answere they made to Zozimus first to Bonifacius and Celestinus that in short time one succeeded another And for all the B. of Rome his absolution Apiarius was againe called coram and brought to confesse his fault Fox p. 10. col 2. Now out of the Acts of this Councel and their reasons alleadged wee conclude that it is not fit conuenient nor reasonable that appeals should be made to Rome The Iesuite answereth that appeales were forbidden to be made by priests to Rome not by Bishops This is but a vaine shift for the reasons of the Councel are general against all appeales And Apiarius that appealed to Rome was a priest and no Bishop 2. We can bring the decrees of a latter Councell then this of Carthage for in the Councell of Basile it was decreed that no actions or controuersies should be brought from other countries to be pleaded at Rome which were more then foure daies iourney distant from the said court of Rome a few principall matters onely excepted apud Fox p. 697. 3. This also is flatly contrary to the rule of the Apostle that appellations should be made out of the Church a far off Is it so sayth hee that there is not a wise man amongst you no not one that can iudge amongst his brethren 1. Cor. 6.5 Ergo euery Church hath wise men sufficient in it whereby their controuersies may be ended 4. Augustine also thus writeth concerning this matter Miltiades Episcopus Romanus non sibi vsurpauit iudicium de causa Ceciliani sed rogatus imperator iudices misit Episcopos qui cum eo sederent epist. 162. Miltiades Bishop of Rome did not vsurpe or take vpon himselfe to iudge the cause of Cecilian but the Emperour being requested sent other bishops that should sit and determine the cause together with him Out of these words first we note that it had beene vsurpation and presumption for the Bishop of Rome to haue taken vpon him the iudgement of this matter not belonging vnto him vnlesse the Emperor had committed it Secondly that Miltiades did not suffer other Bishops to sitte with him as Bellarmine imagineth but he could not otherwise choyse for they were ioyned in commission by the Emperour to be iudges as well as he Thus we see what small shew or colour of title the Pope hath to heare or receiue appeales from other countries THE THIRD PART WHETHER THE Pope be subiect to the iudgement of anye The Papists error 43 THe Pope neither can nor ought to bee iudged either of the Emperour or anie other Seculare or ecclesiasticall Magistrate no not of any generall Councel Bellarmin cap. 26. Nay hee should doe iniurie vnto GOD to submit himselfe to the iudgement of any Iacobat ex Tilhemann de pontif rom err 34. Beside certayne blinde canons and constitutions and a fewe examples grounded vpon the insolent practises of Popes they haue no other arguments either out of scripture or drawen from reason to confirme this their hideous and monstrous opinion withal Bellarmine reasoneth thus the Prince is not to bee iudged by the commonwealth but is greater then his kingdome the Pope is the prince of the Church Ergo We answere First concerning the Princes high and Soueraigne authority we will not now dispute we make it not infinite the word of God must bee a rule and square both of ciuill and ecclesiasticall iudgement Secondly It is sufficient for vs here to answere that the Iesuite hath sayd nothing for this which he assumeth for a reason is the greatest matter in question between vs and so great an vntruth he hath vttered that he is constrained to leaue scripture and seeke helpe else-where But he shall neuer by any good reason or sufficient authority prooue that the Pope hath any such Princedome in the Church as he would beare vs in hand The Protestants THat the Pope as well as other ecclesiasticall persons ought to be and is by right subiect to the
Angels for they dare set downe the very day of Christs comming which shall be as Bellarmine presumptuously imagineth iust 45. dayes after the destruction of Antichrist And to this purpose he abuseth that place of Dan. 12.11 where mention is made of 1290. dayes that is as he fondly interpreteth three yeeres and an halfe the iust time of Antichrists raigne But blessed is he that commeth sayth the Prophet to 1335. dayes that is sayth Bellarmine to 45. dayes after the destruction of Antichrist and then Christ commeth cap. 9. What intolerable boldnes and presumption is this contrarie to the saying of Christ to attempt to declare the very houre of his comming Agayne the prophecie of Daniel had no such meaning for he onely speaketh of the afflictions of the Church before the comming of Christ as Iohn prophecieth of the troubles that came after Daniel therfore in that place receiueth instructions concerning the cruell persecution of the Iewes vnder Antiochus Epiphanes the beginning and the end thereof There are three times reuealed vnto him The first is of a time two times and halfe a time or rather the deuiding of time or as Tremellius more agreeable to the Hebrew a part or parcel of times so long should the temple be defiled and the abomination set vp in the temple that is three yeeres and certayne dayes And so it came to passe for this desolation began in the temple the 145. yeere of the raigne of the Greekes the fifteene day of the moneth Casleu 1. Macchab. 1.57 when Antiochus caused the daylie sacrifice to cease and incense to bee burnt to Idols And iust three yeeres and ten dayes after which is to bee reckoned for the odde parcell of times Ann. 148. the 25. day of Casleu they began to offer sacrifice in the temple according to the lawe 1. Macchab. 4.52 The second time reuealed is of a 1290. dayes Dan. 12.11 which maketh three yeeres seuen moneths and odde dayes which is the time counting from the desolation when as the sacrifices should be restored and confirmed by the Kings graunt and Letters Patents which accordingly came to passe ann 148. the fifteenth of the moneth Xanthicus which was the last moneth but one as it is recorded 2. Macchab. 11.33 The third time is described by dayes 1335. Dan. 12.12 Blessed is hee that should liue to see that time namely when the Church of the Iewes should fullie bee deliuered by the death of Antiochus which was in the beginning of the next yeere which was 149. 1. Macchab. 6.16 Thus wee see these times were fully accomplished vnder the tyrannie of Antiochus wherefore these prophecies being once fulfilled they cannot bee drawne to signifie any other time but by way of similitude and comparison Neither is that any thing worth which the Iesuite obiecteth out of S. Paul 2. Thess. 2.8 Then shall the wicked man bee reuealed whom Christ shall consume with the spirit of his mouth As though presently after the reuelation of Antichrist Christ should come And therefore Antichrist must not be expected or looked for before the end of the world for the whole time from the first comming of Christ to his second is in the scripture called nouissima hora the last times 1. Ioh. 2.18 And therefore Antichrist at what time soeuer he is reuealed after the ascension of Christ he commeth in the last times whose vtter ruine and destruction shall be reserued for the glorious appearing of Christ as the Apostle there speaketh 3 Whereas the scripture sayth that Sathan must bee bound for a thousand yeeres and after let loose agayne Apocal. 20.2 And it is playne that the thousand yeeres since Christ are expired more then fiue hundred yeeres agoe It followeth hereupon that Antichrist is alreadie come for he must bee reuealed with the loosing of Sathan Our aduersaries haue nothing to answere but this that by this 1000. yeeres a certayne time is not ment but the whole space during the time of the newe Testament till the comming of Antichrist Rhemist Reuel 20. sect 1. To whom wee answere that by the same reason neither shall their 42. moneths shewe any certayne time but the whole space so long as Antichrist shall raigne and this number of moneths as of dayes weekes houres the scripture euery where taketh mystically in prophecies but when thousands or hundred yeeres are mentioned they are alwaies taken literally as Isay. 7.8 it is prophecied that Ephraim that is Israel should vtterly cease to bee a people within 65. yeeres which euen so came to passe counting from the fourth yeere of the raigne of Ahaz King of Iuda to the 25. yeere of Manasses when the remnant of Israel was carried away THE THIRD PART CONCERNING THE NAME character and signe of Antichrist The Papists THey stoutly affirme that Antichrist shall be one particular man consequently error 58 they also hold that he shall haue a certayne name as Christ is called Iesus so Antichrist must also haue a proper name but what that name shall be no man can tell vntill hee come but it shall consist of certayne letters that in number make sixe hundred sixtie sixe Bellarm. cap. 10. Rhemist annot Apocal. 13. sect 10. 1 Apocal. 13.18 Count the number of the beast for it is the number of a man and his number is 666. Hereupon they conclude that Antichrist shall haue a certayne name which conteyneth that number Bellarm. ibid. Answere First it is the number of the beast and yet of a man Ergo it cannot bee the name of any one man for by the beast the Iesuites themselues vnderstand a companie or multitude Rhemist Apocal. 13. sect 1. Wherefore it must be such a name as agreeth to a companie or succession of men and such is the name Latinus as afterward we will shewe Secondly it must bee a name by number shewing the time not an idle number signifying nothing the time of his comming is set downe to be 666 But the name of their Antichrist cannot shew any such time seeing there are yeeres more then twise 666. gone alreadie and yet they say their Antichrist is not yet come 2 Antichrist shall haue a name as Christ had but it is not necessarie to bee knowne otherwise then Christ his name was which was described by Sibil by the number of 888. as Antichrists is by 666. yet was not his name Iesus perfectly knowne before his comming neither is it necessarie that Antichrists should before that time Iesus in Greeke letters thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 maketh as you see 888. Bellarm. cap. 10. Answere First you must proue Antichrist to be one singular man as Christ was and then striue for his name Secondly you doe euill to match Sibils prophecie and Iohns reuelation together as though her coniecture of the name of Christ by the number 888. were of like authoritie with Iohns prophecie of 666. Thirdly it is false that the name Iesus was onely by Sibil signified by these numbers for Augustine alleadgeth certayne verses of
I pray you whether our merchants be admitted to traffick safely in Spaine if their religion be knowen The seruants of God amongst you can neither enioy houses lands libertie or life which yoke also was layd a long time vpon this land till it pleased God to haue mercie on vs for the which his name be blessed 3. Againe many yeares agoe euen in Augustines and Ambrose his time all Churches were ioyned to Rome before Antichrist was yet reuealed Ergo. This is not the Character of Antichrist Bellarmin ibid. Answere First they were ioyned then in common consent of religion not as subiects by compulsion but voluntarie because at that time Rome in the chiefest poynts of Religion was in the right fayth 2. But of late dayes in the Councel of Constance not yet 2. hundred yeares agoe it was made an article of faith to beleeue that the Pope was the head of the Vniuersal Church yea about the yeare 600. the title of Vniuersal Bishop first began to be appropriate to Rome whereby was insinuated that all Churches in the world should be vnder the obedience thereof Lastly we haue the testimonie of one of their Popes themselues who saith plainly that hee is the forerunner of Antichrist which would bee called Vniuersall Bishop lib. 4. epistol 32. See then by his testimony the title of Vniuersality and exacting of obedience of other Churches is the character marke of Antichrist THE FOVRTH PART CONCERNING the generation and original of Antichrist The Papists error 60 THey doe reiect those olde fancies concerning Antichrist as that hee should be borne of a Virgin by helpe of the diuel that hee should haue the diuell to his father that he should be a diuell incarnate or that hee should bee Nero raysed from the dead Refusing these fables they haue found out one as foolish Our Rhemists holde that Antichrist shal be borne of the tribe of Dan. Bellarm. dare not say so but he thinketh that he shall come of the Iewes stock and be circumcised and be taken of the Iewes for their Messiah cap. 12. 1. That he shall come of the tribe of Dan thus they would prooue it Genes 49.17 Dan shal be a serpent by the way biting the horse heeles Ierem. 8.16 The neying of his horses is heard from Dan. And Apocal. 7. where 12. thousand of euery tribe are reckoned onely Dan is left out because belike Antichrist should come of that tribe Rhemist 2. Thess. 2. sect 8. Answere Bellarmine confuteth all these reasons the first hee saith with Hierome to be vnderstood of Sampson who came of the tribe of Dan the second place is of Nabuchadnezzers comming to destroy Ierusalem as Hierome also expoundeth it to the third he sayth that Ephraim is left out as well as Dan yea and so is Manassâ—h too because the tribe of Ioseph is named for his two sonnes but Dan is left out because Leui is reckoned in his place Wee may see now how well they agree when one Iesuite confuteth another Bellarmin cap. 12. 2. Bellarmine standeth much vpon that place Iohn 5.43 If an other come in his name him will ye receiue But sayth he the Iewes will receiue none but of their owne kinred and whom they looke for to be their Messiah Ergo. Antichrist must come of the Iewes ibd Answere This place we haue shewed before part 1. of this question to be vnderstood of false prophets amongst the Iewes such as mention is made of Act. 5. as Theudas and Iudas and not of any one false prophet so Iohn 10. where Christ compareth himselfe which is the true shepheard with the hireling he vnderstandeth all hirelings though he speake in the singular number The Protestantes THat it is a very fable and cousoning deuice of heretikes to make men beleeue that Antichrist shall come of the tribe of Dan or of the stock of the Iewes thus we shew it 1. It is out of doubt that the nation of the Iewes shall bee conuerted vnto God and mercy shal be shewed againe to the remnant of Israel Rom. 11.25 confessed also by the papists But if one come which shall reedifie the temple and restore the sacrifices and circumcision such an one as the Iewes shall take for their Messiah who seeth not that by this meanes the Iewes will bee more hardned hauing now their owne hearts desire their temple Messiah circumcision and their conuersion would be greatly hindred nay quite and clean ouerthrowen 2. If Antichrist should come of the Iewes it is like that his seate should bee at Ierusalem and that the temple shall be built agayne by him but that cannot be for the temple as Daniel prophesieth shall lie desolate euen vnto the ende Dani. 9.27 Ergo. he shall not come of the Iewes More of this in the next parte THE FIFT PART CONCERNING THE seate and place of Antichrist The Papists BEllarmine holdeth opinion that Antichrist shall haue his imperiall seate at Ierusalem and reedifie and build againe the temple yea for a while commaund error 61 circumcision to be vsed and obserued Bellarm. cap. 13. lib. 3. de pontif Rhemist 2. Thessa. 2. sect 11. 1. Apocal. 11.8 the Citie of Antichrist is called the great Citie where our Lord was crucified But Christ was crucified at Ierusalem Ergo. Answere First it cannot be so vnderstood for ver 2. Ierusalem is called the holy Citie ver 8. This great Citie is called Sodome and Aegypt how can the same Citie be capable of such contrary names How can that be called an holy Citie where the abomination of desolation shall be and the seate of Antichrist Secondly Augustine in Apocal. homil 8. vnderstandeth by the great Citie and the streetes thereof the middest of the Church And by the great citie verie fitly is vnderstood the large iurisdiction of the Pope who sayth hee is head of the great citie and Catholike Church Whose seate we see is at Rome by authoritie of which citie Christ was put to death and by Antichrist the Pope Christ also is persecuted in his members Fulk annotat Apocalyps 11. sect 2. 2. Apocalips 17.16 the tenne hornes that is tenne kings amongst whom the Romane Empire shall bee deuided shall hate the scarlet whore that is Rome and burne it with fire how then shall it bee the seate of Antichrist Bellarm. Answere The text is plaine that the same kingdomes that before had giuen their power to the beast and were subiect to the whore of Babilon shall after make her desolate and eate her flesh which thing we see in part to be accomplished already that many princes haue redeemed their necks from Antichrist his yoke Fulk Apocal. 17. sect 3. It is not necessary therefore to bee done all at one time but one after another 3. 2. Thessal 2. he shall sit in the temple of God but at that time the Iewes onely had a temple the Christians yet had none and the Apostle speaking of the Church of God did of purpose refrayne this name lest the Church of Christians
should be thought like the Iewes Synagogue Bellarm. Answere First the Iewish temple shall not be built againe as Daniel prophesieth 9.27 and how can it be built in so short a space seeing Antichrist as they say must raigne but three yeeres and an halfe and to what purpose seeing he will abolish all sacrifices Secondly though it should be built againe nay if it were standing now for the exercise of Iewish sacrifices it could not be called the temple of God Thirdly by the temple therefore is meant the visible Church that which sometime was a true visible one as the Church of Rome and after should be so taken reputed and challenged as it is at this day by the papists Neyther haue the papists hereby any aduantage as though the Pope sate in the very true Church for it is not the true Church indeede but so reputed and taken by them Fourthly though there were no materiall temples of the Christians in Pauls time what of that hee speaketh not here of any such materiall temple but of the Church of God neither doth Saint Paul in this sense refuse to vse the name of temple as 1. Corinthian 3. vers 16. and 6. vers 19. and in other places The Protestants THat Rome is the seate and place of Antichrist beside that the Rhemists confesse so much that Antichrist shall raigne there annot Apocal. 17. sect 4. We prooue it thus 1. Antichrist is called the great whore of Babilon Apocal. 17.5 But Babilon is Rome Ergo Rome is the seat of Antichrist Obiect It was Babilon while it was gouerned and ruled by heathen Emperors but the Church was not then called Babilon Bellarm. Answere First Ergo by your owne confession Rome shall be the seat of Antichrist seeing by Saint Iohn it was called Babilon Secondly it was not onely called Babilon in the time of the heathen but euen of Christian Emperors Augustine saith it is Occidentalis Babïlon the Babilon in the west partes prioris filia Babilonis and daughter to the first Babilon Thirdly Saint Iohn doth not onely prophesie of the crueltie of the terrene state but of the false prophet Antichrist you should also vsurpe an ecclesiasticall gouernment there Obiect Secondly they obiect that by the damnation of the great whore is vnderstoode the finall destruction of all the company of the reprobate Rhemist Apocal. 17.1 Answere the damnation vniuersally of the wicked is described cap. 20. and therefore this place must be vnderstoode of Antichrist and his adherents And very fitly doth the name of whore agree to that See for once a whore indeede was Pope there called Iohn the eighth Which so wringeth the Papists that they haue no other shifte but impudently to denie it 2. Wee haue another argument out of the same chapter vers 9. the seuen heades are seuen mountaines on which the woman sitteth But there is no citie in the world notoriously knowen to stand vpon seuen hils but Rome Ergo it is the seate of Antichrist Obiect The text is they are also seuen kings so the seuen heades or seuen hils signifie seuen kings for there shall bee so many chiefe Empires which shall persecute the Church there are fiue part Aegypt Canaan Babilon the Persians Grecians the sixt the Romanes which in parte standeth yet the seuenth shall be Antichrist Rhemist Apocalip 17. sect 7. Answere First the seuen heads are expounded to be both seuen hils and seuen kings the scripture vseth not to expound one harde and obscure thing by an harder and more obscure as to say seuen heads are seuen mountains that is seuen kinges for wee were neerer the sense before and the terme of heads doth more fitly resemble kinges then mountaines Secondly the seuen kinges are more fitly taken for seuen principall gouernours of the Romanes as Kings Tribunes Consuls Decemviri Dictators Emperours Popes for by these seuen orders hath the common wealth beene gouerned first and last Fulk ibid. Obiect Rome is not now built vpon seuen hilles it standeth in the playne in Campo Martio Sander ibid. Answere First you haue then no right to Peters Chayre for when hee sate at Rome the Citie stoode vppon seuen hils Secondly though the Pope nowe hath remooued his pallace to the Vaticane on the other side of the riuer yet he did sit for many yeares in Laterane vntill the time of Pope Nicholas the second who was almost 1100. yeeres after Christ. Thirdly though the Pope hath remooued his pallace vpon pleasure beyond the riuer yet his See is not remoued for vpon euery one of those hils there are Monasteries and chapples and such like monuments to be seene to this day In mount Caelius there is the Monasterie of Gregorie the first the Cathedral Church of Laterane In mount Auentine the Monasteries of Sabiâ—e and Boniface In the mount Exquilinus the Minster of S. Maria maior the ruines of Saint Cyriacus Church which is yet a title of a Cardinal The mount Viminalis hath the Church of Saint Laurence The mount Capitoline hath an house of friers called Ara coeli The mount Palatine the Church of Saint Nicholas The mount Quirinalis hath S. Maria de populo Wherefore though the Popes person be remooued a little aside yet the popish religion is exercised and reliques of superstition are to be found in euery one of those hils Wherefore we nothing doubt to conclude but that Rome is that Citie vpon 7. hils and so the principal seate of Antichrist THE SIXT PART CONCERNING THE doctrine of Antichrist The Papists error 62 THeir opinion is that Antichrist shal be an open and manifest aduersarie to Christ and that he shall abolish all worship of God and all religion Rhemist annot 2. Thess. 2. sect 10. Bellarmine draweth all the doctrine of Antichrist to these foure heads First he shall denie Iesus to be Christ and abolish the sacraments instituted by Christ. Secondly he shal make himselfe Christ. Thirdly he shall make himselfe God and be adored as God Fourthly he shall abolish al other worship both true and false yea the worship of Idols Wherefore sayth he the Pope cannot be Antichrist that doth none of these things cap. 14. of these now in their order 1. Antichrist shall vtterly denie Christ. 1. Iohn 2.22 4.3 Euerie spirite that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God this is the spirite of Antichrist Ergo Antichrist shall altogether denie Christ. Answere First the Rhemists say that this is not a marke for all times to know an heretike by but it was onely for those times to confesse Christ to bee come in the flesh this is a surer note now say they that whoso confesseth not Christ to be really present and to be sacrificed in the masse is not of God Rhemist annot 1. Iohn 4. sect 2. Where I will not stand to note the presumption of these papists that will correct and amend the Apostles rule to know heretikes by which serueth for all times and so
shrines and the like yea aboue his owne breaden God so doth the Pope for he rideth vpon mens shoulders when his breaden God is caried vpon an hackney he exalteth his throne aboue the altar the Crosse is caried on the right hand of Emperours swordes and scepters but is layd vnder his feete In the yeare of Iubile he beateth vpon the gates of Paradise with a golden hammer Fulk annot 2. Thesse 2.10 so then howsoeuer like an hypocrite he seeme to adore his breaden God yet indeede dooth hee magnifie himselfe aboue it Bellarmine hath no other shiftes to foyst off our arguments but these hee sayth this Mauzzim is like enough to be the diuell himselfe whom Antichrist shall worship but he careth neither for siluer or golde or else it is himselfe And how I pray you can a man worship himselfe or else saith hee it is some strong castle where he shall lay his siluer and golde or else you know not what Bellarmin 14. 2 That Antichrist shall not abolish Idoles of siluer and golde but rather commaund the people to worship them as the Pope now doth it is playne Apocalyps 9.20 The Rhemists obiect that hee speaketh here agaynst the heathen Idols which is here called the worship of diuels Answere First in this place Iohn speaketh of the ende of the worlde in the opening of the seuenth seale and the Idols of the heatheÌ„ were abolished long agoe Neither is there any knowen nation in the worlde that hath worshipped Idols of golde siluer brasse stone or wood but the papists for these many yeares Secondly all worshippers of Images doe worship diuels for Idolatrie is a seruice inuented by the diuell Fulk annot Apoc. 9. sect 4. The Protestants THat Antichrist shall not in outward shew be an open enemie to Christ but secretly and closely and vnder pretence of religion take away all religion thus we make it playne 1 These places alleadged before doe prooue it Iohn 1.2.18 the Antichrist and the Antichristes shall bee enimies all alike but the Antichrstes in Saint Iohns time were couert enemies Ergo so shall the great Antichrist 2. Saint Paul calleth it the mystery of iniquitie 2. Thess. 2.7 and he shal come in all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse vers 10. and God shall send them strong delusion to beleeue lies vers 11. All this prooueth that Antichrist shal worke closely cunningly mystically by deceiuing by delusion not by open enimitie and prophanenes or by violence and tyrannie onely as the papists imagine 3 Antichrist shall be the greatest enemie to Christ and his kingdome that euer was in the worlde But hee is a greater enemie that pretendeth friendship and yet is a foe that vnder the name of Christ persecuteth the Christian fayth then he that openly destroyeth it making no shewe of Religion as Dauid complayneth Psalm 41.9 Yea my familiar friend whom I trusted which did eate of my bread hath lift vp his heele against me This was accomplished in Iudas who betrayed Christ with a kisse who was the greatest enemie of Christ sinning against his owne knowledge and conscience Euen so they now a dayes are the greatest enemies that Christ and the Church hath that betray Christ with a kisse which name themselues the Church of God and yet make hauock of the Church 4. Lastly Augustine sayth as much that Antichrist shall come with deceiueable doctrine and shew of righteousnes Quid expaâ—escimus in Antichristo nisi quia nomen suum honoraturus est Domini contempturus Quid aliud facit qui dicit ego iustifico Quid aliud est dei ignorare iustitiam suam velle constituere quam dicere ego iustifico ego sanctifico What other thing doe wee feare in Antichrist but that hee shall honour his owne name and contemne Christs What else doth he which sayth I doe iustifie I make holie What is this but to destroy the righteousnesse of God and to bring in his owne Marke nowe I pray you if all this bee not true of the Pope of Rome for hee taketh vpon him to iustifie to sanctifie to dispense with mens sins for an hundred yea a thousand yeeres to ridde soules out of Purgatorie nay to commaund Angels to carrie their soules to heauen that die in their Pilgrimage to Rome as Pope Clement the sixt did what is this else but to saie Ego iustifico sanctifico I iustifie I sanctifie and who I pray you doth so if Augustine may be iudge but Antichrist but thus the Pope doth Ergo he is Antichrist THE SEVENTH PART CONCERNING the miracles of Antichrist The Papists ANtichrist they say shall be a Magitian and worke straunge signes and error 63 wonders by the power of the diuell and these three miracles by name shall bee wrought by him Hee shall cause fire to come from heauen and make the Image of the beast to speake and thirdly hee shall faine himselfe dead and rise agayne Bellarm. cap. 15. 1. He shall by the helpe of the diuell cause fire to come downe from heauen as it is Apocal. 13.13 Answere First it is a great question whether the diuell haue any such power to bring downe fire from heauen for the Iesuite himselfe remembreth the storie 1. King 18. How Baal his priests would haue fetched down fire from heauen but they could not onely Elias did it and he that will doe the like must haue Elias his spirite as Christ sayth Luke 9.55 2. It is very grosse to vnderstand this literally for the whole chapter is mysticall of the Beast with seuen heads of another beast with two hornes and all the rest But three waies Antichrist may fitly bee sayde to bring fire from heauen First by fire the holy Ghost may be vnderstoode as Matth. 3. and Act. 2. The spirite appeared in fierie tongues so Antichrist and his ministers make men beleeue that they doe conferre the holy Ghost as in consecration in absolution of sinners and such like Secondly the Popes thunderbolts of excommunication are resembled to fier whereby he hath made the whole world afrayde in times past as though he could cause the heauens to fall vpon men yea to make the matter more likely the Pope vseth burning Tapers in excommunicating men which with violence are throwen downe as though GOD himselfe did rayne fire from heauen vpon them And this is the terrible manner of their excommunication there are three candles burning set vp and then they begin to accurse them whom they excommunicate bodie and soule to the diuell and let vs say they quench their soules in hell fire if they be dead as this candle is put out and with that they put out one of the candles If they be aliue let vs pray that their eyes may be put out as this candle is and so the second candle goeth out and that all their sences may fayle them as this candle looseth his light and so the third candle goeth out Beholde here is the fire which the Pope and his popelings doe bring
will say perchance that this Pope was chosen in a schisme for they holde the Councel of Basile to be schismaticall yet they can not neither doe deny but that Pope Martin the 5. who was chosen at Constance was rightfully Pope 3 In Augustines time the rest of the Bishops of Italie neere vnto Rome should seeme to haue had some interest in the election of the Bishop Romanae ecclesiae Episcopum non ordinat Episcopus aliquis metropolitanus sed de proximo Ostiensis Episcopus The B. of Rome is not ordained by any Metropolitane but by the Bishop of Ostia that is neere at hand Breuicul collation lib. 2. cap. 5. THE THIRD QVESTION CONCERNING THE degrees and orders of ecclesiasticall ministers THis question hath 3. parts first of the 7. degrees of popish priesthood Secondly of the difference and distinction of Bishops other Ministers Thirdly of the institution of Cardinals a new degree of the popish Clergie THE FIRST PART OF THE SEVEN degrees or orders Ecclesiasticall The Papists THough they haue diuers degrees of dignitie in the Church as Popes Cardinals Patriarkes Primates and such like yet they make but seuen error 69 Ecclesiasticall orders which are conferred solemnlie by certayne rites and ceremonies by their Bishops And they are these Ostiarij doore-keepers Exorcistae Exorcists Lectores Readers Acolythi Attenders Subdiaconi Subdeacons Diaconi Deacons and the highest degree Sacerdotes Priests vnto the which all the other are but rises and steppes All these they maintaine to be Ecclesiasticall orders and to be retayned in the Church Bellarm. cap. 11. Rhemist 1. Tim. 3. sect 7. They haue no proofe nor warrant out of scripture for these friuolous orders but onely a shew of antiquitie as they alleadge certaine Canons out of the 4. Councel of Carthage where such offices are reckoned vp Rhemist ibid. Answere First to let passe this that the Councel may be suspected for the credite thereof seeming wholly to be patched out of the Popes decrees Secondly we denie not but they had such offices as Readers to reade the text of the scriptures exorcists to cast out diuels which was an extraordinary gift for that time Acoluthists young men appoynted to attend vpon the Bishop for their better instruction Doore-keepers that kept the entrie of the Church that no heathen person or excommunicate should enter But these were both diuers offices then are now appoynted for them in the popish Church for they make them now all or the most ministers and seruitors for the idolatrous seruice of the Masse which in those dayes was not heard of neither though there were such offices and seruices in the Church were they made orders and degrees of the ministerie 3 They had other offices beside which now are not in vse no not amongst the papists for they had also singers labourers confessors diggers or Sextons so that if you will make all those offices vsed in time past in the Church so many orders of the ministery you must make ten or eleuen more then you doe acknowledge or vse in your Church Fulk annot 1. Tim. 3. sect 7. The Protestantes THe question is not betweene vs and our aduersaries in this place concerning the titles and dignities annexed to the ministerie as of Bishops Archdeacons Deanes Prouosts but of the seuerall orders of the Ministery For Bishops and other ministers doe not differ in order but in office of gouernment They holde that there are seuen seuerall such orders which haue their seuerall rites of consecration and peculiar offices in the Church allotted them But we content ourselues with those orders onely and degrees as necessary which the holy scripture hath commended Fulk ibid. 1 As for the names and offices of Subdeacons Readers Exorcists Acolythi doore-keepers we haue no such warrant out of the scripture to make them orders of the Church and therefore we condemne them All necessary orders for the edifying building of the Church the scripture hath prescribed vs Eph. 4.11 there are al offices set down needful for the doctrine instruction edifying of the Church Fulk Ephes. 4. sect 4. Wherefore away with these popish orders inuented by men But as for vnable offices and seruices which shall be thought meete for the affayres and busines of the Church they may bee retayned and kept but not as new orders of the ministerie 2 These offices are first Idolatrous as they are nowe vsed among the papists for the Deacons Subdeacons Acolythi were to attend vpon the Priest at Masse Secondly some of their offices were ridiculous as to sweepe the Church to driue out dogs and to holde a fly-flap of Peacoks feathers to keep the flies from falling into the coÌ„munion cup. Thirdly they were distinguished by ridiculous ornaments attire which were proper to euery one of them as it shall appeare now in their description From the Priest when he was disgraded they tooke the Chalice patine and host that he should haue no power any more to offer sacrifice they scraped his nayles with a peece of glasse and so tooke away his annoynting and lastly they tooke away his priestly ornameÌ„ts the Cheâ—ile which signified charitie the Stole that represented the signe of our Lord. FroÌ„ the Deacons in their disgradation they tooke first the booke of the Gospels and so all power to read the Gospels Then they tooke away his Dalmatike a signe of his Leuiticall office and the white Stole behinde his backe that signified innocencie From the Subdeacon they tooke the book of the Epistles that he should haue no more power to reade them also the emptie Chalice and Subdeacons vesture his office was to serue and minister to the Deacons at the Altar The Acolythi did light the candles in the Church and brought wine and water to the altar in pitchers and bottels and in his degradation there was taken from him an emptie flaggon or bottle and a candlestick with a waxe candle put out The order of exorcisme was taken away by depriuing him from power to reade in the booke of exorcismes From the Reader they tooke the booke of Church lectures or lessons Last of all from the doore-keeper was taken the keyes of the Church And so was hee depriued of all power to open or shut the Church doores and to ring the bels Ex Fox pag. 2134. Thus we see how much these offices are degenerate from the ancient vse First they are all but Ministers and attendants for the abominable sacrifice of the masse which in those dayes was not knowen for the Acoluthus or waiter waiteth vpon the Subdeacon the Subdeacon vpon the Deacon and all of them vpon the Priest at Masse Secondly whereas then the Exorcists had a peculiar grace of God to cast out diuels their Exorcists do but reade certaine exorcismes in bookes their Readers onely read the text of scripture now they reade the legends of popish saints Then in time of persecution when Christians assembled in the night the wayters had the charge to light the candles
yet is it not best for euery man to be rich God seeth it good that some men should be poore So single life is the best for those that haue the gift of chastitie that can with a quiet conscience liue single otherwise matrimonie were much better for Saint Paul that wisheth that euery one would liue single as hee did yet afterward sayth It is better to marrie then to burne So that by the Apostles iudgement to marrie is best for him that hath not the gift of continencie Iewel pag. 232. defens Apolog. The Protestants THat it is not onely lawfull but conuenient that all men both Ministers and others that haue not receiued a proper gift of continencie should marrie and that it is agreeable and consonant to the word of God thus wee shew it 1 The scriptures are most playne for the mariage of Ministers 1. Timoth. 3.2 Saynt Paul sayth a Bishop and generally euery Minister may be the husband of one wife and verse 11. their wiues are described howe they ought to behaue themselues Let their wiues be honest Ergo it is lawfull for them to bee maried Bellarmine answereth that Saynt Paul speaketh of the wiues which they had before their calling and ordayning not those which they should marry after But there appeareth no such thing out of the text Nay Saint Paul say wee had libertie as well as others to leade about a sister a wife euen after hee was an Apostle 1. Corinth 9. Wherefore it is as lawfull afterward as afore Bellarmine answereth We must thus read a Sister a woman and it is like they were women that did minister vnto the Apostles and followed them We replie First the word Sister doth implie a woman and therefore it had been an improper and needlesse speech to say a sister a woman therefore we must rather read a sister a wife Secondly if they were other women which ministred of their substance what neede the Apostles to be mayntained of the Churches if they ministred but in their seruice and attendance who were more fit to doe it and to follow them from place to place then their wiues Thirdly the phrase of leading about a sister importeth a superioritie and authority such as the husband hath ouer his wife Another place we haue Hebr. 13.3 Mariage is honourable among all men Ergo amongst Ministers Bellarmin If it were meant of all mariages then to marrie within the degrees of consanguinitie were also honourable Answere This is a very childish cauill First hee might haue read further And the bedde vndefiled Saint Paul therefore speaketh of lawfull mariage and indeede the other ioyning and coupling of men and women together contrarie to GODS lawe is not to bee counted Matrimonie or Wedlocke but Incest rather and Fornication as the brother to marrie his brothers wife and such like Secondly Saint Paul sayth not all mariages are honourable but mariage is honourable for all men the generalitie is not of the thing but the persons Wherefore we doe fittly conclude out of this place that marriage is lawful and commendable euen among ministers argum Caluin Further Saint Paul saith For auoyding of fornication let euery man haue his owne wife 1. Corinth 7.2 Here is no restraint for Ministers Bellarm. this is to be vnderstoode of those that haue not made a vow of continency Answer First our Sauiour Christ commaundeth no such vowes it is a cruell Antichristian yoke laide vpon Ministers to binde them when they receiue orders to vowe single life therefore your Antichristian decree ought not to abridge the generall libertie granted by the Apostle Secondly the end of marriage is generall to auoyde fornication and therefore the remedie also is generall for euerie man hauing not a proper gift of continencie may be in danger of that inconuenience if he be denyed the ordinarie helpe Melancthon Againe 1. Timoth. 4. to forbid marriage is called a doctrine of diuels but the Popish Church forbiddeth marriage Bellarm. Wee doe not forbid marriage to any but we require single life of all that are entred into orders which it is at their owne choyce to receiue or to refuse Ans. First it is necessarie that some should receiue orders and be consecrate to the Church ministerie wherefore requiring this condition of all such to liue single though particularly you prohibite not this man or that to marrie yet generally you prohibite the whole calling which is worse Secondly if you say you doe not forbid marriage simplie to all no more did the Manichees for they suffered their scholars and auditors to marrie And Saint Augustines words are generall Ille prohibet matrimonium qui illud malum esse dicit he forbiddeth marriage that thinketh it is euil you therefore forbidding marriage must needs hold opinion that is wicked and euill 2 This restraint of the marriage of Ministers hath not been of ancient time in the Church but imposed vpon the Church of late 1000. yeere after Christ Polycrates Bishop of Ephesus anno 180. had seuen of his progenitors before him Bishops of the same See In the Nicene Councel Paphnutius stoode vp and stayed the decree that should haue past for restraining of the marriage of Ministers and it is saide Synodus landauit sententiam Paphnutij The Synod commended Paphnutius sentence Sozomen lib. 1. cap. 11. Gregorie the father of Gregorie was Bishop of Nazianzum The Greeke Church neuer yet receiued this popish decree of single life and their Bishops are married at this day Bellarmine saith that the Church of Rome hath dispenced with them cap. 18. Ergo if the Pope would dispence with the Latine Church it might be lawfull enough then for Ministers to marrie wherefore it is but a humane constitution Againe it is false that they haue dispenced with the Greeke Church they care not for their dispensations but vse their owne Christian libertie neither was the Greeke Church euer subiect to the Bishop of Rome Thus we see that in times past marriage was lawfull for all men vntill Pope Nicholas the second Alexander the second and Gregorie the seuenth that notable sorcerer and adulterer for these three comming together one not long after another began by publike decree to restraine Priests marriage not long after them Anselme began to play the Rex here in England anno 1104. who stoutely proceeded in his vngodly purpose and enacted that married Priests should either leaue their wiues or their benefices At which time 200. Priests at once came barefoote to the Kings palace to make complaint And for all Anselmes Popelike and outragious proceedings against married Priests yet they continued married well nie two hundred yeeres after Anselmes time doe what he could and thus it is manifest that the restraint of Ministers marriage is no ancient thing but then began most to be vrged when Antichrist fullie was reuealed to the world when as the orders of Friers came in and were confirmed and priuiledged vnder Boniface 8. about anno 1300. 3 What
finde that Simon Islip Archbishop of Canturburie directed his letters patents to all Parsons and Vicars wherein he straightly charged them and their parishioners vnder paine of excommunication not to absteine frō bodily labor vpon certaine Saints dayes which before were wont to be halowed and consecrated to vnthrifty idlenes Fox pag. 393. Ergo by their owne iudgement all the festiuities of their Church are not to be kept alike Augustine maketh three degrees of festiual dayes in the first and highest degree he placeth the Lordes day Quomodo Maria virgo mater domini principatum tenet inter omnes mulieres ita inter caeteros dies haec omnium dierum mater est As amongst women the Virgine Marie the mother of our Lord is the chiefe so this day is the mother and chiefe of al other dayes speaking of the Sabboth of Christians de tempore serm 36. In the next place or degree he putteth the festiuals of Christ and the holy Ghost as the commemorations of his Natiuitie Passion Resurrection Ascension as in his sermon vpon the Ascension day hee thus saith Conditoris basilica huius S. Leontij hodiè depositio est sed dignetur obscurari stella à sole To day wee haue the commemoration of the deposition or sepulture of Saint Leontius the founder of this Church But let not the starre thinke much to bee obscured of the Sunne So in the third ranke he counteth the commemorations of holy men which vnto the festiuities of Christ were but as the Starre to the Sunne Wee will adde a fourth place or degree distinguishing betweene the commemorations of the holy Apostles and other superstitious and popish Saintes dayes which our Church hath worthily thrust out at the dores AN APPENDIX TO THIS parte of the vigiles and night watches annexed to festiuall dayes The Papists 1. THey were wont vpon Saintes eeues to giue themselues to fasting and watching But their night vigiles or watches they doe not now so error 72 strictly obserue because of the great abuses which did growe thereupon Bellarm. cap. 17. Yet they haue not altogether left them for they haue their Nocturnes or midnight mattens and their prime houres in the morning Rhemist annot Act. 10. sect 6. The Protestants THe Christians in time of persecution had their antelucanos hymnos their early and timely songs and hymnes they met together to worship God before the Sunne rise because they could not safely neither were suffered to assemble in the daye time But that is no reason why now the Church should vse vigiles or nocturnes seeing we now haue free exercise of religion in the day time no more then Paules example is to bee vrged that prayed by the riuers side with the people and there preached vnto them because in Idolatrous cities they could haue no places of meeting That therefore wee now ought to doe the like hauing Churches and Oratories to assemble in Augustine if the sermon be his thus witnesseth Iubente Ambrosio cessabant vigiliae Mediolani quia cum vigilabant per noctem ad ecclesiam ludendo chorizando conueniebant At Millaine by Ambroses commaundement the vigiles ceased because the people when they watched did come by night daunsing and sporting and playing to the Church The Papists 2. THey haue also another superstitious custome to set vp wax candles and error 73 taper light before Images and vpon the altar to carrie them about in procession and euen at middaye and high noone And Bellarmine would authorise this custome by the continuall burning of the lampes daye and night as he saith in the tabernacle amongst the Iewes The Protestants Ans. FIrst wee say of this as we did of the vigiles of the Church before that Christians in those dayes in their night assemblies vsed candle light but it followeth not that the vigiles being now left we should burne candles at noone daye and that this was their custome to burne their lampes onely in the night Augustine sheweth where hee speaketh of those that did vowe ceram ad luminaria noctis waxe candles for the lights of the Church in the night Secondly it is vtterly vntrue that the lampes in the Tabernacle burned all day the contrarie is proued that they were lighted in the euening and so burned all night for those that kept the watch in the Temple 2. Chron. 13.11 and that in the morning againe they were put out 1. Sam. cap. 3. vers 3. The Priest shall set the lampes on fire inter duas vesperas betweene the two twilights that is the euening and morning Exod. 30.8 And hee shall dresse them to burne from the euening to the morning Leuitic 24.3 That therefore which the Iesuite made for an argument for himselfe wee will vrge against him that seeing the lampes amongst the Iewes who abounded in types and ceremonies were burnt onely in the night and not vpon the day it is shame for those that would bee counted Christians in superstitious customes to exceede and goe beyond them THE FIFT PART OF LENT and Imber dayes The Papists 1. THey holde that the holy time of Lent as they doe fondly call it as error 74 though any time in their sense were more holy then another is an Apostolike tradition warranted by the example of Moses Elias and our Sauiour Christ that fasted 40. dayes Rhemist Matth. 4 sect 2. The Protestants Ans. FIrst that fasting of our Sauiour Christ and the holy Prophets was miraculous and no more to bee imitated then Christs walking vpon the Sea or raising of the dead as Augustine saith Non tibi dicit Non eris discipulus meus hee saith not Thou shalt not bee my Disciple vnlesse thou walke vpon the sea or raise the dead but learne of mee because I am humble and meeke Yet if any of them can fast so many dayes as they did without eating any thing at all wee giue them good leaue Secondly that it was not an Apostolike tradition it appeareth because it was not vniformally kept of the Church a long time after them For as Irenaeus witnesseth some fasted one day some two dayes some fourtie houres day and night But if it had been necessarily enioyned and prescribed by the Apostles such varietie of custome could not haue sprung vp at the least not haue been suffered in the Church Thirdly Epiphanius saith that the Wednesdaies fast was an Apostolike tradition and to obserue the feast of the sixe dayes of Easter with bread salt and water which obseruations are not kept amongst the Papists themselues yet haue they as good testimonie of antiquitie to bee Apostolike traditions as the Lent fast Fourthly in Augustines time there was no necessarie enforcement for euery man to keepe Lent Si aliquis saith hee ieiunare non potest eleemosyna sine ieiunio bona est If
any man be not able to fast almes without fasting is good and profitable Wherefore seeing the Lent fast was then voluntarie it is euident that it was not an Apostolike prescription which should haue bound all men necessarily The Papists 2. A Second abuse in their fasting is to appoint prescript times necessarilie error 75 to fast in as in Lent on Fryday Saturday vpon Imber dayes which are prescribed for the foure solemne times of giuing orders And this also they say is an Apostolike tradition Acts. 13.3 They fasted prayed and laid their hands vpon them Rhemist ibid. The Protestants Ans. 1. FOr prayer and fasting to bee vsed at such times as Ministers are ordained we doubt not but it is an Apostolik tradition because we find it written in the Actes of the Apostles But it was fasting from all meat and drinke which the Apostles vsed not abstinence from flesh onely as vpon your Imber dayes Neither do you obserue those dayes of fast for any such purpose For your Imber dayes are kept amongst you though there bee no orders giuen in the whole dioces 2. Prescript and set times of ciuill abstinence from some meates for the benefite of the common wealth as your Lent and Imber daies are still retained in England and no otherwise we condemne not But to appoint ordinary tymes of necessary and Religious fasting without special cause was of the auncient Church accounted heresie in Montanus This also was the practise of the Church of God in the olde Testament vpon speciall occasion not at set and ordinary times to enioyne publike fasting as the prophet sayeth Blowe the Trumpet in Sion sanctifie a fast call a solemne assemblie Ioel 2.15 which sheweth that their publike fastes were not vsuall ordinary but especially sanctified and solemnly proclaimed As for the fixed and set fasting dayes in the weeke in Augustines time onely the Churches of Rome kept the Saturdayes Fast all the East Churches and many of the West obserued it not And whereas some alleadged that Peter fasted vpon Saturday beeing the next day which was the Lordes day to encounter with Simon Magus Augustine saith it was opinio plurimorum the opinion of many quam tamen falsam esse perhibent plerique Romani yet many of the Romanes holde it but for a fable And so he generally concludeth concerning prescript dayes of fasting Quibus diebus non oporteat ieiunare quibus oporteat praecepto Domini vel Apostolorum nō inuenio definitum Vpon what dayes we ought to fast vpon what dayes not I finde it not defined by any precept giuen by our Lord or any of the Apostles Epistol 86. The Papists error 76 3. A Third abuse in popish fasting is the difference that they make betweene meates and drinkes as the forbidding of flesh-eating vpon fasting dayes for more holines and the eating of egges butter cheese in Lent as it was decreed at Lucerna in Heluetia Anno. 1524. Abstinence also from some meates vpon certaine dayes for religion is warranted by the Rhemist as God prohibited Adam the eating of some fruites in Paradise for obedience and in the lawe for signification annot 1. Timoth. 4. sect 6. The Protestants Ans. FIrst now Antichrist sheweth himselfe in his colours making it as lawfull for him to forbid the vse of some meates for religion now vnder the Gospel when God hath made them all lawful and free as God himselfe might forbid the vse of some for obedience in Paradise or signification in the Lawe Secondly S. Paul calleth it the doctrine of diuels to command to absteine from meates 1. Timoth. 4.3 Againe let no man condemne you in meate and drinke Colos. 2.16 The Rhemist answere that the Apostle speaketh in the first place against those heretikes that condemned meates as euill by creation such were the Manichees and in the second against the Iudaicall obseruation of meates But they onely prohibite the vse of some meates for the chastising of the bodie Ans. First not onely the Manichees and other heretikes preferred some meats before other as more holy but euen the Papists also in the prescript times of their fasts doe command to absteine from meates for pietie and religion And therefore they are counted most holy amongst them that neuer eate flesh And Durand testifieth that fish in interdict dayes is rather vsed then flesh because flesh and not fish was accursed in the dayes of Noah Yea they command abstinence from meates vnder paine of damnation what is this else but with the old heretikes to condemne the creatures of God themselues Secondly the popish prohibition of meates is more superstitious then was the Iewes For they prohibited such meates as by the lawe were counted vncleane as to eate beastes that died alone or were torne with beasts or strangled or touched any vncleane beast as likewise they inioyned pennance to them that did eate or drinke where a dogge or cat had lapped or a mouse had been drowned and such like Fulk annot 1. Timoth. 4 sect 6. I pray you how farre are they now from the superstition of the Iewes Nay they goe beyond them for the legall difference of meates for signification was instituted of God for those times But this superstitious distinction of meates vnder the Gospel which giueth vs the free vse of all the creatures of God which are sanctified by the worde and prayer 1. Timoth. 4.5 is brought in by Antichrist who is an enemie vnto God 3 Neither doe they abstayne from flesh and other meates for chastising of the flesh for they permit the vse of all other meates vpon their fasting dayes that may prouoke lust flesh onely excepted as the eating of spices and other dayntie and delicate confections the drinking of wine and all kind of fish Euen like as Augustine reporteth of the Manichees that would drinke no wine nor eate flesh but in stead of wine they had Pomorum nonnullorum expressos succus vini speciem satis imitantes atque id etiam suauitate vincentes the sweete liquor of pleasant fruites like to wine in colour but excelling it in sweetnes and for flesh they had their straunge exquisite fruites with great varietie of dishes seasoned and strawed with pepper This was the Manichees fast and this is the popish custome in their fastings at this day Agayne if they forbare some meates for chastisement of the body why might it not bee as lawfull to eate butter and egges in the time of Lent as vpon other fasting dayes but that they make difference of the times as one being holyer then an other and so also a difference of meates some being more agreeable to holy times then other Wherefore to conclude this poynt Ciuill abstinence from flesh as for policies sake and the better mayntenance of the common wealth that there should bee a vent for fish as well as for flesh and that euerie man might liue of his trade and calling as also for the health of the
enim est aliud nisi oratio super hominem The imposition of hands is not as Baptisme neuer to be iterated agayne for what is it else but prayer ouer a man De baptism contr Donat. lib. 3. cap. 16. Confirmation in his opinion may be iterated and therefore imprinteth no such character THE FOVRTH PART OF THE necessitie of the sacraments THey willingly graunt that no sacraments are absolutely necessary in their nature but in respect of the institution and commmandement of God for he is as able to work without sacraments as with them In this poynt wee are agreed the poynts of difference are these The Papists 1 THese 3. sacraments are absolutely and simply necessary as they are instituted error 95 of God Baptisme vnto all Penance to those that fall after Baptisme Orders simply necessary to the whole Church And thus they vnderstand necessary that without the which a man cannot bee saued without the rest of the sacraments men may be saued so there bee no negligence or contempt Bellarm. lib. 1. de sacram cap. 22. The Protestants THough the sacraments being appoynted for our comfort are necessary and profitable as holesome meanes to be vsed for the increase of our fayth and much to be desired and sought for yet God hath not layd such a necessitie vpon any of them as that the want of them should cause hazard of saluation The thiefe vpon the Crosse was saued both without Baptisme and Penance I pray you what penance did Peter after his thrise deniall of Christ but that he wept bitterly and earnestly repented him of his fall Such repentance we holde to be necessary but a sacrament of penance we acknowledge none So the ordaining of ministers to preach is the ordinarie meanes to beget men vnto the fayth yet many haue beene called without such preaching as Paul was conuerted by the voyce of Christ from heauen Nabuchadnezzar was called by the great myracle of the preseruation of the three children in the fierie ouen So Augustine sayth Vndique vocat nos Deus ad poenitentiam vocat per lectorem vocat per tractatorem vocat per intimam cogitationem vocat per flagellum correptionis vocat per misericordiam consolationis God calleth vs euery way to repentance he calleth by the reader by the preacher by the inward thought by the scourge of correction by the mercy of consolation in Psal. 102. God therefore may call and instruct vs by more wayes then one he is not tied to any The Papists 2 THe sacraments of the new law are necessary to saluation that is it is impossible to obtayne the grace of iustification by fayth alone without the celebrating of the sacraments sine sacramentis aut eorum voto or at least hauing a will purpose and desire to celebrate and vse them Concil Trident. sess 7. can 4. The Protestants A Necessitie of the sacraments we grant as also of other profitable meanes as of preaching the word of prayer and the like but no simple or absolute necessitie as wee haue sayde neyther are the sacraments necessarie at all being ordayned for no such vse to bee meanes to apply the grace of iustification vnto vs but our iustification is onely applyed and apprehended by fayth as Saynt Paul concludeth Rom. 3.28 that a man is iustified by fayth onely without workes of the law yea all workes whatsoeuer are excluded as destroying grace Rom. 11. ver 6. The sacraments are profitable instruments to stirre vp the gift of fayth and other graces in vs but not by their proper work to iustifie vs. Augustine sayth Primò fides catholica Christiano necessaria est per ipsam renascimur in baptismate salutem aeternam impetramus First of al the catholike fayth is necessarie for a Christian by the which in Baptisme wee are borne agayne and obtayne eternall saluation He sayth not that Baptisme but that fayth is necessarie and that it is fayth which giueth life to the sacrament it worketh not by it owne proper act THE THIRD QVESTION OF THE number and order of the sacraments THE FIRST PART OF the number The Papists THeir generall sentence and opinion is this that there are seuen sacraments error 96 neither more or lesse Baptisme the Eucharist Confirmation Penance Matrimonie Orders extreame Vnction If any man say that any of these are not truely and properly sacraments or that they are not all of Christs institution let him be anathema or accursed Concil Trid. sess 7. can 1. Argum. The number of seuen is mysticall prophetical perfect the Prophet commaunded Naaman to wash himselfe seuen times 2. King 4. The Altar must be cleansed seuen daies Exod. 29.37 Iob offered seuen bullocks seuen rammes for his friends Iob 42. So in the Apocalyps 7. Churches 7. Angels 7. starres 7. Candlesticks 7. thunders and the like And why not also seuen sacraments Bellarm. lib. 2. cap. 26. Rhemist annot Apocal. 1. sect 3. Answ. First the number of seuen is sometime applyed to describe mysteries of wickednesse as well as of godlinesse As the beast with seuen heades Apoc. 17.8 is called a mysterie or as your vulgar Latine hath it a sacrament And with greater reason may we conclude that this beast with seuen heads is Antichrist with his seuen Popish sacraments then you out of Naamans seuen times washing can picke out seuen sacraments But if you will needs make a mysterie of seuen it may as well be a mysterie of iniquitie as of godlines euen the mysterie of the beast with seuen heads as wee haue sayd Secondly what though the number of seuen and of some other numbers be sometime mysticall and significatiue when it pleaseth the Lorde in his word so to applie and appoynt them doth it therefore follow that men vpon their owne heads may superstitiously apply numbers to sacraments prayers fastings times as though there were any religion in numbers or that the Lord had the rather respect vnto such things because of the number The Protestants THis worde or name Sacrament may be taken two wayes first generally for any mysticall signe or symbole which may represent an holy thing and so we will graunt that there may bee not onely seuen Sacraments but seuen and seuen which are more properly symboles and signes then sacraments As the couering of the head in the woman is a symbole of subiection 1. Cor. 11.10 the Sabboth day a symbole or sacrament of the heauenly rest Heb. 4. In this sense Augustine calleth the mysterie of the Trinitie a sacrament yea hee sayth the sacrament of fire because therein in some sorte by the vndeuided and inseparable properties thereof the heate light and shyning brightnesse the Trinitie sayth he is shadowed foorth Wherefore euery signe or symbole of a holy thing that hath a spiritual signification either found in scripture or deuised by men is not by and by a sacrament Secondly if we will take a sacrament in the strict and proper sense there are especially three things required thereunto
nomine armamini sed contra Ecclesiam dâ—micatis You are armed with the name of the Church and yet you fight against the Church This difficult matter being thus by me enterprised I haue exposed my selfe to the obloquie and euill speech of two sortes of men against whom in the defence of this work I must craue your Honors aid and protection The first sort is of our hollow harted Countrimen that haue English faces but Romish harts who will forge cauillations I know against these labours of mine and not cease to accuse me of lying and falshood as not hauing truly and indifferently set down the opinions of the popish Church To meete then with those slanderous accusations let such men know that I haue beene most carefull and circumspect in this behalf throughout this whole work not to charge them with any opinions which I haue not gathered out of their owne writings and alleadged their owne Authors for them so that with a good conscience I can protest before God that one day shall open the secrets of our harts that to my knowledge I haue not any where vsed any forgerie cauilling or deceit in setting downe their assertions and I would to God their writers were as free from this fault and as indifferent in alleadging the sentence of our Church as we doe deale plainely with them But as for them it is a shame to see how without all feare the Rhemists in their annotations vpon the new testament doe bely and slander our Church I will for example sake note a fewe places They charge vs to say that God is the author of sinne annot Math. 13. sect 2. which blasphemie is further off from vs then it is from them though we graunt that nothing is done in the world beside the will of God not by his permission onely That we affirme all things to be easie in Scripture annot Luk. 6. sect 1. whereas we say onely that the doctrine of faith is plainly declared in Scripture and deny not but that many things are therein hard to be vnderstood That we should say that the preaching of the Law and the iudgement to come maketh men hypocrites Act. 24. sect 2. whereas we holde the preaching of the Law to be necessary to bring men to repentance but iustification by keeping the Law which they teach we vtterly condemne That we condemne good workes as sinfull Pharisaicall hypocriticall annot Rom. 2. sect 3. whereas we acknowledge them to be the good gifts of God the fruits of iustification the way wherein all Christians must walke to saluation we onely exclude them from being any cause of our iustification before God That we allow no fasting but morall temperance and spiritual fasting from sinne Act. 13. sect 5. whereas we doe acknowledge a Christian vse of fasting and abstinence from all meates and drinkes for the taming of the flesh and making vs more fit to pray not an abstinence from flesh onely as they do superstitiously practise That we should say man hath no more free will then a peece of clay Rom. 9. sect 7. whereas we onely say that our free will hath no power or strength at all to will or doe the thing that good is without the grace of God That Caluine holdeth Christians children to be so holy that they neede no baptisme annot 1. Cor. 7. sect 11. Whereas Caluine clean contrary reasoneth thus against the Anabaptists That children ought therefore to be baptized because they are holy as S. Paul saith And such slanderous accusations they haue published against vs which would require a seuerall treatise to be set forth at large Let indifferent men now iudge comparing their writings with ours which of vs hath dealt most vntruly and vnfaithfully each with other and whether we haue not more iust occasion to complaine of them then they of vs. But to let accusations goe I would desire them rather to listen to the words of exhortation that they would but indifferently weigh with an equal balance of Christian iudgemeÌ„t what is set downe on both partes in this booke I trust if they be not wilfull and obstinate in their opinions that they may in time conceiue some better liking of the truth Augustine in a certaine place maketh mention of drunken Polio who one a time came from his pots and riotous company to Xenocrates schoole to laugh the graue Philosopher to scorne but it fell out to his good farre otherwise Ad extremum totum se illi ad quem deridendum venerat discipulum tradidit But Polemo being cleane changed by Xenocrates speech became his Scholler whom he went to scorne and whereas he came drunke he returned sober So I wish that our English recusants would but take vp this and such other bookes into their hands if it were but to scorne them God may so worke with them that their scorning shal be turned into a loue and lyking of the truth And I further say vnto them as Augustine to the Pelagians Quod dicimus orent vt aliquando intelligant non litigent vt nunquam intelligant quod dicimus intendant non contendant illuminentur non calumnientur An other sort of men there is beside these Right honorable against whom I must arme my selfe they are such as are giuen to extenuate disgrace and discommend the labours of others Me thinkes I heare them thus to giue out of me He hath taken a matter in hand aboue his strength some of his writings are extant already we know what he can doe he is like to perform no great matter and what doth he he doth but abridge other mens writings he bringeth nothing of his owne To these accusations I thus answere First I confesse my streÌ„gth to be small of it selfe yet God by weake meanes may worke great things Some Pamphlets of mine I coÌ„fesse are abroad vnworthy this learned age though perhaps befitting the person that wrote them his time age and the occasion considered But I say rather with August I count my self in the number of those qui scribendo proficiunt et proficiendo scribunt which profit in writing and by profiting write Secondly coÌ„cerning my labour paines taken in this work I boast not he that thinketh it light let him trie first himselfe before he giue his iudgement the waight of this burthen he onely knoweth that felt it and God that gaue strength to beare it but as for my part I hunt not for the praise of men I desire onely to profit the church of God I had rather men should holde their peace then flatter It is very well said of him Si inter quos viuis te recte viuentem non laudauerint illi in errore sint si autem laudauerint tu in periculo es I had rather other meÌ„ should be in a small error then I in great danger Epictetus wise saying is much commended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sustine abstine sustaine and abstain I would we might part it betweene
sed ad arbitrium Dei orationes sanctorum Sinnes are not loosed or retained at the pleasure of men but according to the will of God and praiers of his Church The Papists error 24 2. THe satisfactorie and meritorious workes of the Saints which doe abound being communicable and applicable to the faithfull that want are the very ground of the indulgences and pardons of the Church and the very treasure thereof and to be dispensed according to euery mans neede by the pastors of the Church 2. Corinth 2. sec. 5. Coloss. 1. sect 4. The Protestants HEre are many blasphemies and vntruthes couched together 1 That a mans penalties may exceede and bee greater then his sinnes and so his abounding may supplie another mans want for thus the Rhemists say which cannot stand with the iustice of God to punish a man more then he hath deserued And it is contrarie to the Scriptures Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant for in thy sight shall none that liueth be iustified Psalm 143.2 And Iob saith If the Lord should call him to account he should not answere one to a thousand 9.3 2 How can the Church gouernours dispense the merites of one to another Who made them stewards of another mans good Yee say also the contrarie your selues That the abounding passioÌ„s of the Saints are applicable to others by the sufferers intention Rhem. 1. Colo. 2.2 Then not by the Churches dispensation 3 It is a great blasphemie that one may bee holpen by another mans merites and it doth derogate from the death of Christ whose onely merites are the treasure and storehouse of the Church The most righteous man that euer was can but saue his owne soule Ezech. 14.14 And that onely by Christ. Augustine saith Vnusquisque pro se rationem reddet nec alieno testimonio quisquam adiuuatur apud Deum vix sibi quisque sufficit c. Euery man shall giue account for himselfe before God no man is holpen by the testimonie of another the testimonie of his owne conscience doth hardly suffice for himselfe The Papists 3. THe dispensing of pardons and indulgences is onely committed they say error 25 to the chiefe magistrates the Popes and Bishops and as the Bishops in their Diocese haue especiall cases reserued to themselues wherein inferiour Priests are not to deale so the Pope hath also his proper reseruations wherein other Prelates are not to meddle Concil Trident. sess 14. cap. 7. The cases reserued to the Pope are 51. in number Fox pag. 785. The Bishop of Paris ann 1515 reserued these cases to himselfe to dispense in murder witchcraft sacrilege heresie simonie adulterie ex Tileman Heshus loc 9. de poeniten err 63. Likewise the yeares of their pardons are limited Bishops may not exceede 40. dayes pardon the Pope may be lauish in his hundreds and thousands yea and this reseruation of cases standeth not onely with the externall policie of the Church but is of force euen before God Concil Trident. sess 14. cap. 7. The Protestants WE will not much contend with them about reseruation of cases for wee acknowledge no such power to giue pardons or indulgences either in superior or inferior Priests yet wee will shew how this deuise of theirs standeth not with their owne doctrine Argum. 1. It is a greater power to remit the sinne then to release the punishment but euery Priest hath the greater power as they say to remit sinnes yea as fullie as hath the Pope himselfe Allen in his booke of pardons cap. 2. Ergo why haue they not the lesse power which is by indulgence to dispense with the punishment And that of these two the remission of sinnes is the greater it is confessed by the Rhemist 2. Corinth 2. sect 6. Argum. 2. In the point of death the reseruation of cases hath no place but at that time euery Priest may absolue from all manner sinnes and punishment Concil Trident. sess 14 cap. 7. But euery houre is with some and ought to be with all the point of death because we are vncertaine when it commeth and therefore ought alwaies to be in a readines Therefore euen by their owne rule euery Priest hath at all times authoritie to absolue in all cases Againe if those words of Christ be spoken to all ministers and preachers of the Gospell Iohn 20.22 Whose sinnes ye reteine c. which cannot bee denied to them all then is committed equally that power of binding and loosing which is exercised by the preaching of the word THE NINTH QVESTION OF THE ceremonies and circumstances of penance The Papists error 26 1. THey enioyne their penitent Clients to poll their heads and their women to weare a vaile to goe in black to put on sackcloth to looke sowrely and such like presumptions they haue concerning the habite of those that doe penance Bellarm. lib. 1. de poenitent cap. 22. The Protestants OVr Sauiour cleane contrarie biddeth his Disciples not to looke sowrely nor to disfigure themselues when they fast and repent or to shew any other outward token of their sorrow but to doe it secretly betweene themselues and God to wash their face to annoynt themselues with oyle that it appeare not to men that they fast Matth. 6.16.17 Augustine also answering a certaine obiection that young men newly married might make How can I shaue my head or change my habite saith thus Vera conuersio sufficit tibi sine vestimentorum commutatione The true conuersion of the heart may suffice thee without changing of thy vesture The Papists error 27 2. THey enioyned them to fast bread water certaine dayes in the weeke to lie hard to absteine from marriage or to doe some great almes deedes to satisfie for their sinne Bellarm. ibid. to goe a pilgrimage and such like workes of penance were prescribed them The Protestants TRue repentance consisteth not in such outward exercise of the bodie but is a conuersion rather of the heart It was the manner of hypocrites idolatâ—rs and superstitious men to seeke to appease their Gods with afflicting of their flesh as the Gentiles did cut their hayre Deut. 14.1 Baals Priests did launch their flesh 1. King 18.28 Argum. What is to be thought of such punishing of the carkasse Saint Paul sheweth Coloss. 2.23 He calleth it voluntarie religion or superstition in not sparing the bodie when men doe not vse such outward exercises of fasting and abstinence for the chastisement of the flesh to subdue it to the spirit but with an opinion of meriting thereby preferring them before the faith and conuersion of the heart as the papists doe Augustine saith Non sit satis quòd doleat sed ex fide doleat non semper doluisse doleat Let it not suffice to bee sorrowfull but let his sorrowe proceede of faith and let it grieue him that hee is not alwaies grieued for his sinne So then true repentance is especially an inward worke of fayth rather then an exercise of the body and it ought alwayes
to continue Wherefore it consisteth not in such laborious workes which if a man should long endure he should end his life sooner then repentance The Papists 3 THey measure their penance by number of yeares and dayes They haue error 28 their quadragenas fortie dayes penance septenas seuen yeares penance Ex Tileman Heshus loc 9. de poenitent Err. 83. And they lengthen or cut short the time of penance at their pleasure to continue three seuen or tenne yeares yea sometime more Bellarmin lib. 1. de poenitent 22. The Protestants THat true repentance is not to bee measured by the time but by the right sorrow and contrition of the offender Saynt Paul teacheth vs who writeth for the young man to be released because of his great and sufficient heauines for his fault 2. Corinth 2.7 Augustine also sayth Poenitentia vera non annorum numero sed amaritudine animicensetur poenitentia quamuis sit exigui temporis c. True repentance is not measured by number of yeares but by the bitternes of the soule though it be but for a short time yet it is not despised before that iudge which regardeth the heart THE FIFTEENTH GENERALL CONTROVERSIE OF MATRIMONIE THe seuerall questions belonging to this Controuersie are these First whether Matrimonie bee a sacrament properly so called 2 Of the causes of diuorce and whether it bee lawfull to marry after diuorce 3 Of the degrees in mariage First the maner of supputation or accounting of degrees Secondly whether the degrees forbidden Leuit. 18. may bee dispensed with Thirdly whether any other degrees may bee by humane law prohibited 4 Of the impediments of mariage of two sortes First of those that may hinder the contract of mariage onely Secondly of such impediments as may both dissolue the contract and the mariage also consummate 5 The comparison of mariage and virginitie whether either bee preferred before the other before God Of these now in their order 6 Of the times of mariage prohibited 7 Of the ceremonies and rites of mariage THE FIRST QVESTION WHETHER Matrimonie be a sacrament The Papists error 28 THat it is properly and rightly a sacrament instituted of God and not deuised of men Concil Trid. sess 24. can 1. Argum. 1. Ephes. 5.32 This is a great sacrament Matrimonie is here a signe of an holy thing representing the coniunction of Christ and his Church Ergo a sacrament Answ. 1. The wordes are thus to be read rather This is a great mystery Or if we reade sacrament they haue no great aduantage seeing they are not ignorant that the originall word Mysterie which they translate sacrament is attributed to other things then sacraments as 1. Timoth. 3.16 Mysterie of godlinesse Apocal. 17.5 A mysterie great Babylon Neither doe they themselues much vrge this argument 2. The Apostle sayth not that Matrimonie is a mysterie but I speake of Christ and his Church vers 32.3 Matrimonie we confesse to be instituted of God and to be a signe of a holie thing yet no sacrament for so was the Sabboth ordayned of GOD and signified the rest in Christ Hebr. 4.8 yet was it no sacrament Wherfore al significatiue and mysticall signes are not sacraments Argum. 2. Matrimonie giueth grace of sanctification to the parties maried They shal be saued in bearing of children if they continue in faith and loue 1. Timoth. 2.15 These are the graces giuen by matrimonie Ergo a sacrament Answ. 1. We denie that any sacraments giue or conferre grace they are instruments only of grace 2. We also grant that by matrimonie God giueth to the faithfull this speciall grace to liue in holines purenes from the filthy pollution of the flesh but the sacraments are seales of spirituall graces and serue for the increase of fayth it is not sufficient to bee a meanes of any common gift but of the spirituall and iustifiyng grace to make a sacrament 3. Wherefore if by fayth and loue here they vnderstand only the fidelity and duety of wedlocke they are not those spirituall graces whereof sacraments are seales if wee take them for the true faith and loue which are the common graces of the faythfull as the very meaning is they are as well to be had out of wedlock as in it The Protestants THat matrimonie is no sacrament of the Gospell speaking now properly and vnderstanding a sacrament for the seale of the grace of God in the remission of our sinnes by Christ it is thus proued Argum. 1. Matrimony was instituted by GOD before sinne in Paradise therefore it can be no sacrament of the Gospell Argum. 2. Our aduersaries are contrary to themselues for they call matrimonie a prophanation of Orders Martin sect 15. cap. 11. And they say it is more tolerable for a Priest to keepe many concubines then to marrie Pighius ex Tileman Hesbus loc 21. Err. 2. Doe these fellowes meane in good sooth that matrimonie is a sacrament which they make so vile polluted and vncleane a thing 3 In euery sacrament there ought to be an external sensible element as the matter and a sanctifiyng word as the forme But in matrimony there is neither Ergo it is no sacrament Bellarm. The forme are the wordes pronounced by the parties themselues when they contract matrimonie I doe take thee c. They also themselues are the matter yea and the Ministers of the sacrament too For the Iesuite holdeth that it is a sacrament in the very contract and giuing of mutuall consent before it be solemnized in the Church De matrim cap. 6. Ans. 1. The sacrament is one thing and the receiuers another therefore the maried parties cannot be the sacramental matter being the receiuers 2. It is not euery word that sanctifieth but the word of God 1. Tim. 4.5 but these words I take thee are no parte of the word Ergo they want also the forme of a sacrament 3. The ministers of Christ preachers of the word are only the dispēsers of the mysteries and sacraments of the Church 1. Cor. 4.1 Wherefore the parties themselues could not be ministers of matrimonie if it were a sacrament Augustine thus writeth Ne quis istam magnitudinem sacramenti in singulis quibusque hominib vxores habētib intelligeret ego autē dico inquit c. Lest any man should think when the Apostle had said This is a great sacrament that this great Sacrament is to be vnderstood of all maried persons the Apostle addeth but I speake of Christ and his Church But if so be matrimony were a sacrament why is it not to be found in al maried folke THE SECOND QVESTION OF THE CAVSES of diuorse in mariage and whether it be lawfull to marrie after diuorse THE FIRST PART WHETHER THERE MAY BE more causes of diuorse then fornication onely The Papists DIuorse as Bellarm. defineth it is either from the dueties of mariage as from error 29 bed and boord as we say which is properly called diuortium or it is a dissoluing of the knot and
is necessarie alwaies before the receiuing of the Sacrament though sometimes we denie not but it is conuenient for it was not alwaies required no not of the priests in the lawe when they were to offer incense or sacrifice For whereas the high priest which was alwaies but one was bound morning and euening to offer incense vnto the Lord Exod. 30.8 He could not obserue this rule vnlesse he had been inioyned perpetuall abstinence which we see by the law was not imposed vpon thē This doubt somewhat troubled Augustine for first he sayth That it must needes followe seeing the high priest was married and did sometime goe in vnto his wife that the offering of incense should some dayes be intermitted but in his retractations he misliketh his former solution and thus determineth That the high priest first offered the morning incense and afterward went in to his wife and so was vncleane vsque ad vesperam but vntill the euening not after the euentide and then he offered the euening incense To take this answer for this time though it be insufficient for the Hebrew word which is translated the euen or euentide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the twilight when the Sunne is set when light and darknes are mixed together but the incense was renewed before the Sunne set yet I say admitting Augustines solution the high priest did not abstaine one whole day before he offered much lesse many dayes much lesse many weekes much lesse some moneths as the popish Church prescribeth by interdicting so many daies The Protestants THat not onely the publique solemnitie of marriage at some times may haue intermission but all matrimoniall actes ought to cease as when men either priuately doe giue themselues to fasting and praier 1. Corin. 7.5 or when publique or generall fastes are by the spirituall gouernours thought meet by the Christian Magistrate proclaimed we doe not denie but in our iudgement allow it and by our practise approue it but that matrimonie at such set times as an vnholy and vncleane thing is to be forbidden and restrained we take it to be popish superstition and an Antichristian yoke Argum. 1. It disgraceth the holy institution of marriage which the Apostle calleth honourable Heb. 13.4 and S. Paul counteth the fruits of marriage which are the children of the faithfull holy 1. Corin. 7.14 How is it then that there can be any time so holy the which holy matrimony is not beseeming Againe in thus doing they make difference of daies esteeming some in themselues more holy then others contrary to the Apostles rule Galath 4.10 Colossians 2.16 Argu. 2. The Tridentine Chapter maketh but two holy times in the yeere the Natiuitie and Ester during which times they would not haue matrimonie solemnized and I pray you why is Pentecost left out is it not as festiual a time as the other Could there be a more holy place then Paradise or a more holy time then while man was in his innocency yet euen then and there Matrimonie was instituted Lastly Is not the Sabboth or Lords day an holy festiuall time and as holy as any is what if I said more holie for this onely immediately was instituted of God but marriage may notwithstanding be fitly solemnized vpon that day the abuses and disorders which commonly fall out in such assemblies being cut off for Augustine is of opinion that the marriage in Cana of Galile was die Dominico vpon the Lords day And it is most fit that matrimony should be solemnized in the face of the congregation which is vsually assembled vpon that day Ergo it may as fitly and conueniently at any time be kept and solemnized excepting the respects aforesaid THE SEVENTH QVESTION OF THE ceremonies and rites of Matrimonie The Papists THe Iesuite reckoneth vp seuen First they which are to be ioyned in matrimony error 42 are blessed of the Priest Secondly oblation is made for them in the sacrifice of the Masse Thirdly they are couered with a vaile Fourthly they are coupled together vitta purpurea cādida with a scarfe or riband partly white partly purple Fiftly the bride giueth to the bridegroome a ring first hallowed and blessed of the Priest Sixtly he commendeth them to God in his praiers Seuenthly he exhorteth and admonisheth them of their mutuall dutie Bellarm. cap. 33. de Matrimon The Protestants SOme of those rites we altogether allow and vse them our selues as the 6. and 7. for both praiers are made vnto God for them and they are by the Minister put in minde of their duety and all is done with vs in the vulgare tōgue much more to the edifying of the people and comfort of the parties themselues wheras their idolatrous Priest chattereth all in an vnknowen tongue A goodly exhortation sure when the parties exhorted vnderstand not one word thereof Some other of these rites we vtterly reiect as the 2.3.4 for oblation or sacrifice in their meaning we acknowledge none for the married parties to receiue the Communion if there be a sufficient number we neither hold it necessary as being of the essence of marriage nor yet think it vnmeete But as for that coloured and painted attire of blew and white we take it fitter for a May-game then to be shewed in a solemne assemblie of Christians The rest we in part allow as the ring so it be vsed onely as a ciuill ornament and token of mutuall loue but that popish blessing either of the ring or of the married couple with the fingers acrosse and muttering of some fewe enchanting words as though by the very acte of popish blessing there were a secret vertue and qualitie of holines infused into the things so blessed or enchanted we condemne it as a superstitious toy So we conclude all such rites in matrimonie as haue a comely and profitable vse tending to edifying we refuse not the rest we reiect and send them backe to Rome from whence they came THE SIXTEENTH CONTROVERSIE OF CONFIRMATION ORDERS EXTREME VNCTION THE FIRST QVESTION OF Confirmation THe partes of this question are these First whether it be a Sacrament Secondly of the partes thereof Thirdly of the effect of this ceremonie Fourthly of the rites and whole order thereof THE FIRST PART WHETHER it be a Sacrament The Papists THat Confirmation is properly and truely a Sacrament it was decreed in the Tridentine Councell sess 7. can 1. and it is their generall opinion error 43 Argum. Act. 8.17 They did lay their hands vpon them and they receiued the holy Ghost This imposition of hands together with the praiers here specified was no doubt the Sacrament of cōfirmation for here is an outward signe and a spirituall grace Ergo a Sacrament Rhemist ibid. Bellarm. de Confirmat lib. 2. cap. 2. Ans. 1. These were miraculous gifts of the holy Ghost as the gifts of tongues of prophecying healing which were bestowed vpon the Disciples whereof the imposition of hands was a signe at that time but it is impossible to
of the world The Papists error 108 THe most grieuous persecution say they that euer was shall be vnder Antichrist who is not yet come but shall bee reuealed toward the end of the world and shall raigne vpon the earth three yeares and an halfe making great hauock of the Church of God Bellarmine de Roman pontifi lib. 3. cap. 7. Argum. Matth. 24.21 There shall bee then such great tribulation in the world as was not since the beginning of the world neither shall bee Ergo the greatest persecution toward the end of the world Ans. 1. It is plaine by the text that this great tribulation is prophesied to come vpon the Iewes for in the next verse before he saith pray that your flight be not in the winter And then it followeth there shall bee then or as Marke saith In those dayes there shall be such tribulation 13.19 and in the 17. verse Woe shall be to them that giue suck in those dayes Which must needes bee vnderstoode of the destruction of Ierusalem for at the comming of Christ there shall be one and the same case of all whether of those that giue suck or of those that giue none Secondly it cannot be meant of the last tribulation in the world because the words are that as there was none such since the beginning of the world so there shall be none such after Ergo there shall be tribulation after though none such The Protestants OVr hope and trust is that the greatest persecution of the Church of God is ouerpast because the kingdome or rather tyrannie of Antichrist beginneth to decay and wee trust shall more and more bee shaken till it come to vtter ruine Argum. 1. The Scripture telleth vs that hard vpon the end of the worlde there shall bee great securitie men shall say Peace peace vnto themselues 1. Thesal 5.4 They shall eate and drinke marrie and bee married as it was in the dayes of Noah Matth. 24.38 And therefore Luke saith 21.34 Take heede you be not ouercome of surfeiting and drunkennes least this day come vpon you vnawares For as a snare shall it come c. All this proueth that there shall be rather generall securitie as in the dayes of Noah then generall tribulation And there is greater danger of surfeiting wantonnes in time of prosperitie and abundance then in the dayes of persecution Also the text is plaine speaking of warres troubles and persecutions but the end shall not be yet Mark 13.7 Wherefore it appeareth that the troubles and persecutions of the Church shall be well slaked toward the end of the world Argum. 2. Antichrist though he shall not vtterly bee extinguished before the comming of Christ yet shall be deadly wounded and hee shall begin to be iudged euen in this world Apocal. 16.6 God shal giue them blood to drink Apocal. 17.16 The ten hornes that is the kinges of the earth shall hate the whore and eate her flesh The Church of God shall reward her as she hath rewarded vs and giue her double according to her workes Apocal. 18.6 By these places it is gathered that Antichrist shal haue a great ouerthrow before the comming of Christ who shall vtterly abolish him with the brightnes of his comming 2. Thes. 2.8 Antichrist is alreadie come and hath raged a long time against the Church The persecutions of the heathen did neither continue so long neither were in exquisite crueltie and bitternes to be compared to the outragious practises of the Antichrist of Rome and his adherents against the Church of God which would fill a whole volume by themselues nay not one but many and infinite volumes to be declared at large Augustine saith Prima persecutio violenâ—◠〈…〉 tormentis â—lterafraudulenta est per haereticos tertia superest per Antichristum 〈◊〉 quâ— nihil est â—ericulosius quia violenta fraudulenta erit The first persecution of the Church was violent with torments the second was by fraudulent heretikes the third shal be vnder Antichrist the worst of all it shal be both violent and fraudulent This persecution vnder the Popes of Rome the Church of God endured a great while who both dealt fraudulentlie in poysoning them with corrupt doctrine and cruellie also in punishing with sword and fire the innocent members of Christ wherefore seeing it is a plaine case that Antichrist is and hath been many a day reuealed to the world and that the Church of God beginneth to haue some respit and libertie from his thraldome wee doubt not but that the greatest stormes of persecution are ouerpast if by our sinnes wee bring not back againe the thick and mistie cloude vpon vs. THE SECOND PART OF THIS CONtrouersie about the manner of Christs comming to iudgement The Papists error 109 1. THe faithful shal iudge and giue sentence with Christ say they at the latter day Rhemist 1. Corinth 6. vers 2. They shall sit in thrones with Christ Matth. 19. vers 28. Ergo iudge together with him Rhemist ibid. The Protestants Ans. 1. TRue it is that the Saints shal iudge the world 1. Corinth 6.2 But only Christ shall giue sentence Matth. 25. and is properly and onelie the iudge of the world for the father hath committed al iudgemeÌ„t to the Sonne Iohn 5.22 If all then there is no part left for any other The Apostles therefore and Saints are said to iudge as Christ saith of his word that hee will not iudge the vnbeleeuers but his word shall iudge them in the last day Iohn 12.48 That is shall bee a witnesse against them accuse them lay in matter of iudgement against them So the word preached by the Saints vpon earth and practised in their liues shall bee the condemnation of the worlde And not onely so but they shall bee aduanced to greater honor They shall sit in thrones and seates that is they shall not stand amongst the wicked to receiue sentence but shall meete Christ in the ayre and bee caught vp in the cloudes 1. Thess. 4.17 Yea they shall in the sight and beholding of the vngodly enter into the kingdome of God Luk. 13.28 But in any other sence they cannot be iudges of the world for shall we thinke that Christ in that day shall neede vnder officers and iudges as Moses did Exod. â—8 Augustine saith Sancti sedebunt cum domino attendere qui fecerunt misericordiaâ—â— The Saints shall â—it with the Lord not to iudge but to marke and attend and to witnesse who haue followed the workes of mâ—â—cie The Papists 2 THey are so bold as to appoint the place where Christ shall appeare namely error 110 in the East for his comming shall bee as the lightening that shineth from East to West Matth. 24.27 Bellarm. de cultu sanctor lib. 3. cap. 3. The Protestants Ans. FIrst by that similitude Christ onely sheweth the suddennes of his comming therefore it must be prest no further then to that purpose for the which it serueth Secondly our Sauiour saith plainely that the
kingdome of God commeth not with obseruation Luk. 17.20 either of time or place And therfore when men say vnto vs Behold here or beholde there we ought not to beleeue them vers 23. As though they would point out Christs comming with the finger either in the East or West Whereas Mathew therefore nameth the East and West in the similitude of the lightening Luke leaueth them out saying As the lightening shineth from one part of the Heauen to the other 17.24 Least we should thinke any great matter to be in nomination of those partes Augustine saith notably Non ab Oriente veniet nec Occidente quare quia Deus iudex est si in aliquo loco esset non esset Deus quia vero Deus iudex est non homo noli illum expectare de locis He will not come either from the East or from the West why so Because God is iudge if he were tied to any place hee were not God but because God is iudge and not a meere man wee must not looke for him from any place The Papists 3. THe Sonne of man shall appeare in the day of iudgement with the signe error 111 of the Crosse borne before him Then shall the signe of the Sonne of man appeare in Heauen Matth. 24.3 that is say they the signe of the Crosse Bellarm. de sanct lib. 2. cap. 28. Rhemist in hunc locum The Protestants Ans. 1. THe signe of the Sonne of man in the Heauens is nothing else but his conspicuous and glorious appearing who shall come in great glorie as a signe in the heauens to bee seene of all the worlde It cannot signifie any such visible signe as they imagine for Mark. 13.26 Luke 21.27 wee reade thus Then shall they see the Sonne of man So then the signe of the Sonne of man is the Sonne himselfe in his glorious appearing Secondly it is great presumption therefore so boldly to affirme that it shall be the signe of the Crosse hauing no Scripture for it Other signes wee finde that Christ hath appeared with as the signe of the rayne-bowe Apocal. 10.1 with a two edged sworde Apocal. 1.16 with a booke in his hand Apocal. 10.2 We haue better reason that Christ may appeare with those signes by the which he hath sometime shewed himselfe then they haue for the signe of the Crosse. 3 It is more like that Christ at his comming should shew the markes and prints of the nailes and speare in his bodie then the signe of the Crosse for those were felt and seene in his bodie after his resurrection so was not the other But it is a loose coniecture and a vaine surmise without any ground of Scripture that the woundes are either now in heauen to be seene in the glorious bodie of Christ or that they shall bee beheld and looked vpon in the daie of iudgement The wicked in deed shall behold him whom they pearced but it followeth not thereupon that he should appeare as pearced How is it possible that either the bodie of Christ being perfectly glorified should still retaine any spots or blemishes or that they could be espyed in so glorious a bodie which with the brightnes thereof shall obscure the Sunne Augustine giueth this iudgement Sic voluit resurgere Christus sic voluit quibusdam dubitantibus exhibere in illa carne cicatrices vulneris vt sanaret vulnus incredulitatis So it pleased Christ to arise and to shew in his flesh vnto some that doubted the skarres of his woundes to heale and take awaie the wound of their incredulitie or vnbeleefe This then being the onelie cause why Christ would at that time haue the printes and markes in his flesh to bee seene namelie to confirme the faith of them which doubted the cause being now ceased for is it to bee thought that there are any doubtfull persons in heauen which may be confirmed by beholding Christs woundes or shall vnbeleeuers finde any reliefe in the day of iudgement The cause being remoued wee haue no warrant to thinke that there are any such skarres either now to bee seene in the glorious bodie of Christ or which shall appeare in the day of iudgement And seeing there is no ground for this opinion the shewing forth also of the signe of the crosse in that day is also but a wandring and a foolish conceite The Papists error 112 4. SVch is their boldnes that they dare assigne the very yeare moneth and day of Christs comming to iudgement for they say that Antichrist shall raigne three yeares and an halfe and one moneth 1290. dayes and counting 45. dayes after that they shal see Christ comming in the cloudes Blessed is hee saith Daniel that waiteth and commeth to the 1335. dayes Dan. 12.12 Bellar. de pontif Rom. lib. 3. cap. 8. The Protestants Ans. 1. THe prophesie of Daniel we haue alreadie shewed Controuersie 4. Quaest. 9. to haue been fulfilled before the first comming of Christ in Antiochus that cruell tyrant and persecutor of the people of God how hee should cause the daily sacrifice to cease 1290. dayes that is three yeares and seuen moneths 2. Macchab. 11.33 And that 45. dayes after Antiochus being dead the Church should finde ease 1. Macch. 6.16 Wherefore seeing this prophesie hath once alreadie had his effect it is not necessarie to looke for any other as Augustine saith of another prophesie of Daniel Quae prophetia si tempore primi aduentus impleta est non cogit intelligi quod etiam de fine seculi implebitur Which prophesie if it hath been fulfilled in or before the first comming of Christ it need not be vnderstoode of the latter 2 This presumption of theirs is flat opposite and contrarie to Scripture which saith That the houre and day of Christs comming is not knowne to the Angels nor to the Sonne of man but to the Father onely Mark 13.33 How then dare they presume beyond the knowledge of Angels Augustine saith Vtiliter latere voluit Deus illum diem vt semper sit paratum cor ad expectandum quòd esse venturum scit quando venturum sit nescit The Lorde to great purpose would haue that day kept secret that our heart should bee in continuall expectation of that which it is sure shall come but knoweth not when it shall come Thus haue I through the Lords gracious assistance now at the length finished and brought to an end this long and tedious worke which I trust shall not be so yrkesome to the Christian Reader as it was wearisome and painefull to the flesh in the collecting and compiling thereof and yet not so painefull but that God hath made me able and willing to endure this and greater paines and that with comfort for the good of his Church I excuse not whatsoeuer hath fallen out of my pen in this worke if I haue failed any where in the manner of handling But as for the matter handled therein I trust I haue throughout maintained the truth in
liuing single if he haue the gift he ought to doe it for hauing not the gift and yet presuming he burneth in lust and so is set further backe in the course of godlines Caluin argument 2 We are bound to loue God with all our heart with all our soule with all our strength Therefore whatsoeuer thing there is whereby wee may expresse the loue of God we are bound by commandement to doe it it is not left to our owne will for not to loue God more then thou doest if it be in thy power it is a grieuous sinne Martyris argument Bellarmine answereth thus Qui deum diligit super omnia etiamsi eum non tam ardenter amet quà m forte posset vel non faciat pro eo omnia quae posset ille habet deum pro summo bono cap. 13. He that loueth God aboue all things although he loue him not so entirely as perhaps he may neither doth all things for his sake that lie in his power yet for al this he esteemeth of God as his chief good I pray you see what contradictorie speeches these be The Iesuit sayth a man may loue God perfectly and aboue all and yet not loue him so much as he is able that is imperfectly so a man by his Monkish diuinitie may loue God aboue all and yet not loue him aboue all for if he did he would refuse to do nothing for Gods loue that is in his power 3 Luk. 17.10 When you haue done all those things which are commanded you say we are vnprofitable seruants and did nothing but that which was our duetie to doe Ergo we are bound to doe all things that are to be done and we cannot doe that which we ought much lesse more then wee ought to doe Martyris argument Bellarmine answereth First Christ sayth when you haue done all which I commanded you not which I counselled you Ans. As though the argument followeth not strongly you cannot doe the lesse that is keepe my commandements therefore you cannot doe the more that is speaking now as the Iesuite doth the Counsels of perfection which are more then the precepts It is a precept of necessitie to dispense our goods to the vse of the poore it is a counsell of perfection as they say to giue all away to the poore But if a man cannot performe the first that is keeping his goods to vse them aright much lesse is hee able with a resolute minde to giue them all away Secondly he answereth Christ biddeth them to say so as shewing their humilitie not that they were indeede vprofitable seruants A poore shift as though Christ enuied the good of his seruants or would obscure their wel-doing and doth not rather aduance it to the vttermost and make the most of the seruiceable workes of his children as wee see Matth. 25.34 And Christ being a faithfull Prophet would not surely deceiue his Disciples and tell theme one thing and himselfe knowe and thinke another But these Frierlike mists and smoake of Locusts is not able to dimme the cleere light of this scripture which sheweth that when we haue done all wee can doe wee come farre short of our duetie 4 Augustine though sometime he seeme to make some difference betweene a precept and a Counsel Praeceptum est saith he cui non obedire peccatum est Consilium quo si vti nolueris minus boni adipisceris non mali aliquid perpetrabis De virginit cap. 15. A precept is that which not to obey is sinne A Counsel is that which if thou wilt not followe thou doest not commit any euill yet thou hast the lesse good Though he seeme in words I say to make difference yet his meaning is this That a precept is of things necessarie as to followe vertue to eschue vice A Counsel is of things indifferent as to vse or not to vse as to eate or not to eate flesh But yet the occasion may so serue that euen this counsel is necessarie for we ought not to eate flesh to offend our brother Multa facienda sunt non iubente lege sed libera charitate Many things are to be done sayth he not by force of any lawe but by the rule of charitie that is we haue no particular law but the generall rule of charitie A Counsel then is seene in things indifferent which are alwaies lawfull but not alway expedient and it is nothing els but a particular application of the generall rule of charitie Charitie wisheth that nothing should be done to offend our brethen 1. Cor. 10.32 The scripture likewise giueth libertie to eate flesh there is no generall precept or prohibitione yet the Apostle giueth counsel that is according to the rule of charitie sayth that although all things are cleane Malum tamen est homini qui per offensionem manducat yet it is euill to the man that eateth with offence Roman 14.20 Here we see the transgression of an Apostolicall Counsel is sinne And though we be not bound by any particular precept at this time or that to abstaine from flesh yet qua facienda sunt libera charitate the things that are to be done in the dutie of loue doe as well binde vs as if we had a direct commandement for loue is the fulfilling of the commandements yea it is one of the great commandements to loue one another Yet the counsel or libertie concerning indifferent things remaineth in it owne nature free still as the Apostle counselleth to eate not asking any question in such a case it is neither euill not to eate nor good to eate but if any man be present that may take offence by our eating then is it euill to eate So Augustine cōcludeth Multa mihi videntur licere non expedire quae per iustitiā quae coram deo est permittuntur sed propter offensionē hominū vitanda sunt Many things are lawful but not expedient lawful before God but not expedient because of the offence of our brethen De adulter coniug lib. 1. cap. 14.17 Thus we see Augustine doth nothing fauour the popish distinction of precepts and counsels for by his sentence euen Counsels that is the libertie and freedome of things indifferent are restrained and made necessarie in the externall vse by the rule of charitie THE THIRD QVESTION CONCERNING vowes in generall THis question hath three parts first whether it bee lawfull for Christians to make vowes Secondly in what things lawfull vowes consist Thirdly whether voluntarie vowes be any part of the worship and seruice of God THE FIRST PART WHETHER VOWES PERtayned onely to the old law and are not now permitted vnto Christians The Papists THey hold it as lawfull and as free a thing for Christians to bind themselues by vowes vnto God as it was vsed and practised of the Iewes in the time of the error 85 lawe 1 Isay 19.21 They shall knowe the Lord in that day and doe sacrifice and oblation and vow vowes vnto God and performe them This
prophecie is concerning Christians which should in the time of the Gospell make vowes vnto God Bellarm. cap. 17. Ans. The Prophet doth by the externall seruice of God vsed in the Church at that time set foorth the spirituall worship of God in the Church of Christ for Iewish vowes shall be no more then in force then their sacrifices and oblations Also vers 19. the Prophet sayth that an Altar shall bee set vp in Aegypt and vers 18. They shall speake the language of Canaan But these things were not literally but mystically performed neither is it necessarie the other should 2 Psal. 76.11 Vow vnto God and performe Ergo vowes now are lawfull Bellarm. ibid. Ans. It appeareth by the text that it was a commandement vnto the Iewes and for that time for it followeth Al ye that are round about him that is the Leuites and Priests that dwelt round about the temple And bring presents to him that ought to be feared but now Christians bring no such externall presents and gifts therefore it cannot be properly vnderstood of them The Protestants WE do not condemne al vowes neither denye but that a Christian in some cases may vow as presently it followeth to be shewed But Iewish vowes are vtterly vnlawfull such as the vowes of the Nazarites were Numb 6. as to abstaine from wine and strong drinke not to shaue their haire and such like if we place religion in such vowes 1 Their vowes were ceremonious and consisted in externall rites which were shadowes and significations of spirituall things as not to cut their haire not to touch any dead thing to abstaine from wine and strong drinke But all shadowes are now gone and abolished and such externall vsages are vnprofitable as were those precepts of the false Apostles Touch not tast not handle not which all perish with the vsing and are the commandements of men as S. Paul sayth Coloss. 2.21.22 Such precepts notwithstanding Monkes Friers at this day doe binde themselues vnto for it is not lawfull for them to touch siluer nor to tast flesh according to the strict and superstitious rules of their Patrones 2 The Nazarites were by their vowes separated vnto God Numb 6.2 that is were counted as more holy during their vowes and better accepted of before God But now God is not pleased by any such externall rites or bodily seruices In Christ Iesu neither circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but faith that worketh by loue Galath 5.6 3 S. Paul sayth He that is circumcised is bound to keepe the whole law Galath 5.3 He that keepeth any one ceremonie of the lawe doth make himselfe a seruant to the whole lawe for if after the profession of the Nazarites they will vow not to drinke wine not to shaue their heads hereby the better to please God why are they not also purified and bring an offering according to the law as Paul did who because of the infirmitie of the Iewes was agreed with foure other men which had a vow to bee purified according to the law But this S. Paul did being amongst the Iewes who cryed out against him as a breaker of the lawe lest he should be scandalous vnto them Augustine thus notably writeth concerning this matter Sicut defuncta corpora necessariorum officijs deducenda erant quodammodo ad sepulchrum non deserenda continuò vel sicut canibus proijcienda The ceremonies of the lawe sayth he were not presently to be cast off but as dead bodies must bee brought to the graue with some seemely pompe of their friends and not to be cast vnto dogs Thus he sayth that in the Apostles time all Iewish ceremonies were not in act abolished though they were alreadie as dead carkasses that is by right depriued of life yet they required some space to bee honourably layd downe and as it were buried But whosoeuer would now goe about to renew the Iewish ceremonies againe sayth he Tanquam sopitos cineres eruens non erit pius deductor vel baiulus corporis sed impius sepulturae violator He should as it were rake in dead mens ashes and not be a seemely bringer of the bodie to the ground but a wicked violator of Christian buriall Euen so Augustine maketh it as wicked a part to bring in vse any Iewish rites as to pull one honestly buried out of his graue THE SECOND PART WHAT THINGS MAY lawfully be vowed by Christians The Papists THey hold that the proper vowes of Christians are voluntarie not of such error 85 things which Christians are bound in duetie to doe but of such as they may leaue vndone if they will such as are their popish vowes of continencie and voluntarie or rather wilfull pouertie 1 Deuteron 23. When thou shalt vow a vow vnto God thou shalt not bee slack to pay it it should be sinne vnto thee but when thou abstainest from vowing it shall be no sinne vnto thee By this the Iesuite proueth that the vowes of Christians are voluntarie and not of necessarie dueties for it were sinne to leaue any thing vndone that we are in duetie bound vnto cap. 19. Ans. First We denie not but that the Iewes had voluntarie vowes and might binde themselues by vow to performe many things which being not vowed it was no sinne to leaue vndone As the Nazarites vowes concerning abstinence from wine and strong drinke which things other might lawfully vse without sinne if they were not professed Nazarites But these ceremoniall lawes doe nothing appertaine to Christians Secondly it may also be vnderstood of necessarie vowes which we are bound vnto of duetie and then the sense is this If you abstaine from vowing ye sinne not that is not so hainously as after the vowe made as Pagans and Infidels doe sinne in transgressing Gods law but a Christian sinneth more after publike profession and promise made of obedience vnto Gods commandements The Protestants WE hold that to vow is not a thing simply forbidden Christians but our vowes are limited and restrained for they are either such as directly or immediatly are referred to the worship of God whereby wee binde our selues more straightly to serue him and such vowes are onely of such things as are commanded and necessarily to be done and in this sense there is but one common vow of all Christians and that is our solemne promise made in baptisme which the Papists denie properly to be a vow Bellarmin cap 19. There is another kind of vowes that directly concerneth not the worship of God which may be of things not commanded of the which we will entreate in the next section Now wee are to proue that Baptisme is the onely proper vow of Christians which directly toucheth the seruice and worship of God 1 Circumcision was a generall vow of the Iewes for thereby they bound themselues to keepe the whole law Galath 5.3 Ergo Baptisme is the vowe of Christians which commeth in the place of circumcision And againe it appeareth by this that because Christians transgressing doe
fidei testimonium This Christian duetie bestowed in burying the dead bodies which shall notwithstanding rise againe is a liuely testimonie in vs of the same faith That is we doe carefully commit the bodies of Christians to the ground knowing that they are not lost but shall rise againe but as for the dead themselues they receiue no benefite at all Curatio funeris pompae exequiarum viuorum sunt solatia magis quà m subsidia mortuorum This great prouision for funerals this great pompe of burials they are comforts for the liuing not helpes to the dead Impleant ergo homines ista erga suos postremi muneris officia sui leuamenta moeroris Let men therefore performe this last duetie to their friends which is also a great lightening of their griefe Ergo funerals profite not the dead but comfort the liuing yea it is called the last duetie which is performed at burials If it be the last then there is no duetie afterward to be done therefore prayers also are superfluous for if it were needfull to pray for the dead then the last duetie should not be in the buriall another comming afterward And thus much also concerning the manner and order of funerals THE SECOND PART OF THIS CONTROuersie of the Saints departed that are in ioye and blisse THis controuersie standeth of these seuerall questions 1. Of the blessed estate of the Saints in heauen and of the Canonizing of them vpon earth 2. Of the adoration of Saints First whether they be to be adored or not and whether it be lawfull to sweare by them Secondly of the diuers kinds of worship Thirdly of the worship of Saints vpon earth 3. Of the inuocation of Saints whether they pray for vs and vnderstand our praiers 4. Of the adoration translation keeping of reliques and of the miracles wrought by them 5. Of Images and the signe of the Crosse other matters thereto belonging more particularly handled 6 Of Churches the forme vse ornaments dedication of them and such like 7 Of Pilgrimages and Processions 8 Of holy and festiuall daies the Lords day Saints daies and of Lent 9 Of the Virgin Mary her conception vowes assumption worship merites Of these now in order THE FIRST QVESTION CONCERNING THE blessed and happie estate of the Saints departed THis question hath two parts First of their blessednes which they haue before God in heauen Secondly of the publishing or making knowne their blessednes before men which they call the canonizing of Saints THE FIRST PART OF THE BLESSED estate of the Saints before God in heauen The Papists BEllarmine taketh great paynes Lib. 1. De Sanctis in sixe long chapters together to proue that the Saints departed doe presently enioy the sight of God and doe enter into blisse and that their soules forthwith are receiued into heauen and are not kept in any secret by-places till the day of iudgement But all this while he sighteth with his owne shadowe for we grant as much as he proueth that the righteous are with Christ so soone as they are loosed from their bodies as Christ sayd to the theefe vpon the Crosse This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise Luk. 23.42 See also to this purpose Philipp 1.23 2. Corinth 5.1 Heb. 12.22 All these places doe euidently proue that presently after their departure the soules of the faithfull doe enioy the presence of Christ and the celestiall companie of the Angels in heauen Yet our aduersaries stay not heere neither are contented with this that the Saints are blessed but proceede further and giue them a full possession of blessednesse making no difference betweene error 22 them and the Angels in glorie but affirme that they are as highly exalted as the Angels are Rhemist annot Luk. 15. sect 2. And Bellarmine therefore taketh vp Caluine because he saith the Saints are yet in hope and expectation of the perfect fruition of glorie Cap. 1. lib. 1. De Sanctis The Protestants WE confesse that the Saints in heauen are alreadie blessed yet they looke for the full accomplishment and perfection of their glorie when as their bodies shall be glorified in the resurrection Then it is sayd they shall be like the Angels and yet not in all things much lesse are their soules now equall to the Angels in glorie Fulk ibid. annot Luk. 15. sect 2. Argum. 1. The Saints shall be as the Angels but not before the resurrection Math. 22.30 Neither can it be proued out of that text that they shall then be equall to the Angels in all things for it is not all one to say they shall be as the Angels because they shall then neede no marriage as to say they shall be equal to the Angels in all things Apocalyps 6.10 The soules vnder the altar doe crie Lord how long Ergo they are in expectation of greater glorie And reason also giueth as much that the bodie and the soule being ioyned together in the kingdome of God shall make a fuller weight and measure of ioye Argum. 2. The wicked spirits and damned soules haue not yet their full and perfect torment Ergo neither the Saints their perfect ioye The diuels are now tormented and kept in chaines of darknesse 2. Pet. 2.4 Iud. 6. But their full damnation is reserued for the day of the Lord Math. 25.41 They are not yet tormented in such measure as they shall be and themselues make account for Math. 8.29 Luk. 8.31 Lastly if now the Saints are equall to the Angels in ioye their soules onely being in heauen it then followeth that in the resurrection when their bodies shall be restored to their soules their happines shall farre exceede the Angels which no where the scripture teacheth vs vnles they will thus reason Christ tooke not the Angels but the seede of Abraham Hebr. 2.16 Ergo wee are better then the Angels But to this Augustine answereth very well Some perhaps will say that wee are better then the Angels because Christ dyed for vs and not for the Angels Quale est sayth he ideo se velle aegrotum laudari quia vitio suo tam detestabiliter aegrotauit vt non posset aliter quam medic◠morte sanari As if a sicke man deserued commendation because by his owne fault he was so dangerously sicke that he could not be healed but by the death of the Phisition Quid hoc aliud est quà m de impietate gloriari Christus enim pro impijs mortuus est What is this els but for man to boast of his wickednes Christ dyed not for angels but for men because they were wicked THE SECOND PART OF THE Canonizing of Saints The Papists error 23 THe Canonizing of Saints is nothing els but the publike determination and sentence of the Church whereby men that are dead are iudged to be Saints and worthie of honour and worship as to be prayed vnto temples and altars to be set vp in their names holy daies to be appoynted for them and their reliques to
be adored And thus it is lawfull profitable and expedient for the Church to Canonize Saints Bellarm. cap. 7. Argum. 1. The Patriarkes and Prophets were Canonized for Saints in the old law Heb. 11. So Act. 7. Stephen other were Canonized therfore it is credible that the Lord would haue the same order still continued in his Church Bellarm. cap. 7. Ans. First neither in the old nor the new lawe were any set vp to be Saints with intent to be worshipped called vpon temples to be consecrated in their names but onely the scripture giueth testimonie of them as of holy and faithfull men and so may we also honour the blessed Martyrs whom the cruell Emperours of Rome and since them the Popes of Rome haue sent through fire and other torments to heauen Secondly when they haue as good testimonie for their Saints as we haue for the holy Patriarkes and Prophets they may be bold to pronounce them to be holy blessed Thirdly your argument followeth not vnles you will say that the Church may doe all things now which the Prophets and Apostles did then They may as well make scripture and more Canonicall bookes by the same reason as make and Canonize new Saints The Protestants THat none of the Saints are to be adored or worshipped their images or reliques or praiers to be made vnto them or any such honor to be giuen them it shall afterward appeare more at large And therefore they ought not to be Canonized to any such end or purpose We also grant that the number of Gods Saints and elect is encreased daylie and we are sure in generall as the scripture testifieth that the death of his Saints is precious in the sight of God Psal. 116.15 And that all are blessed that dye in the Lord But particularly we are not able certainly to determine of any the matter is to be left wholly vnto God and we in the meane time to hope the best Argum. 1 If the Church hath authoritie to Canonize Saints determine of the election or saluation of men then may we as well iudge of the condemnation of those that are lost for if it be knowen to the Church who are Saints in heauen they also may as wel define who are damned in hell But this none can doe nay it were great rashnes and want of charity for any so to take vpon them S. Paul saith Why condemnest thou another mans seruant hee standeth or falleth to his owne master Rom. 14.4 No man can iudge whether the seruant stand or fall but his Master Ergo if the Church presume to determine of the election or damnation of those that are departed she is nowe a Mistres and Lady rather of the Saintes then they Lords or patrones to her as the Papistes holde they are Argum. 2 Iudge not saith S. Paul 1. Corinth 4.5 before the time vntill the Lord come The iudgement then of men who are saued and who are condemned is reserued for the comming of Christ Therefore it is great presumption for men to preuent the time and to take vpon them to bee Iudges in Gods place Againe our Sauiour Christ saith that To sit at his right hand or left in his kingdome was not his to giue meaning as he was man but it shal be giuen to them for whome it is prepared of my Father Math. 20.23 How then is it in the power of any sinfull man to giue vnto any a seat either at the right hand or left hand of Christ in the kingdome of God Argument Gualter Bruti Fox page 487. Augustine also consenteth Non separatio iam cuique tuta est illius erit separatio qui non nouit errare Nos in hac vita difficile est vt nos ipsos nouerimus quantò minùs debemus de quoquā praeproperam ferre sententiam It is not safe for men now to make separation of the good and bad it belongeth to him that can not erre We in this life do hardly know our selues howe much lesse ought we to iudge rashly of others exposit in Psalm 139. Here are two reasons giuen why it is not lawfull for men to iudge of the election or reprobation of men first their iudgement is subiect to error and therefore the matter must be referred to God who erreth not Secondly we can not iudge our selues much lesse can we iudge of others Ergo no man liuing ought or is able to define either who are Saints in heauen or who are damned in Hell AN APPENDIX OR THIRD PART of other circumstances which belong to the Canonizing of Saints The Papists THey say that it doth appertaine onely to the Pope to Canonize a Saint for error 24 the whole Church and that none ought to be acknowledged for Saints but they that are so Canonized by him And that herein the Pope is of so infallible a iudgement that he can not erre in Canonizing of Saints because that ordinarily none are Canonized by the Pope for saintes which haue not beene knowne to worke miracles Bellarm. lib. 1. cap. 8.9 10. The Protestants FIrst if saintes were to be registred and Canonized as they say yet it should not belong to the Pope but to the whole Church Argum. 1 The Pope hath no authoritie ouer the whole Church no nor yet in any other Bishoppes dioces no more then they haue in his Let him be content with his owne dioces and it were to be wished that he could rule that well the whole world is too large a prouince for him 2 The whole Church hath power to excommunicate and deliuer vp to sathan 1. Corinth 5. 4. and to cut off the prophane and wicked from the Church of God as heathen and publicanes Math. 18.17 Ergo to iudge who are members of the Church and saintes of God is a matter which appertaineth to the whole Church 3 Before Anno. 800. in the time of Carolus magnus there was no saint publiquely Canonized by the pope as Bellarm. confesseth but the truth is this custome of Canonizing saints beganne not till more then 1000. yeare after Christ til Alexander the 3. his time and Gregorie the 7. I pray you then were there no saints before if there were who canonized them Secondly So much as is to be knowne of saints and holy men euery Christian is to acknowledge without any publike decree or determination of the Pope or any other for the word of God giueth rules whereby we may discern the righteous from the vnrighteous Christ speaking of false prophets sayeth By their fruites ye shall know them Math. 7.16 And againe he fayth thus to his Apostles By this shal men know that you are my disciples if you loue one another Iohn 13.35 By these rules it is easie for euery Christian to iudge who for the present time are the true disciples of Christ who otherwise Thirdly it is a most impudent and shameles saying that the Pope can not erre in canonizing of Saintes 1 Miracles are no sufficient proofe of a saint for