their time He saith likewise vnto the Traditions which are of the Apostles and that by succession of pastors haue bene vsed in the Churche we do persuade prouoke those that speake against Traditions He writes as much more in the thirde Chapter of the saide booke Forasmuch sayth he as it were to tedious to set forth in one booke the Successours of all the Churches and to tell them one by one we doo ouerthrowe those that for vayne glorie doo seeke to gather disciples together teaching them contrary to that that doth apperteyn vnto the Traditions of the Apostles the which we doo shewe to them by the saide Traditions and by the faith that hath bene taught and is come to vs by succession of the Bishops of the great and auncient Church of Rome the which was founded by the two glorious Martyrs and Apostles S. Peter and S. Paule These are his wordes in his thirde booke aduersus haereses the fyfth Chapter And at the beginning of the saide Chapter he saith thus All those that will vnderstand the truth may presently regard the traditions of the Apostles which are manifest throughout the world and we cannot coumpt the number of those that haue bene instituted and ordeyned Bishops in the Churche their Successoures till our dayes which haue neither knowen nor taughte anye thing like vnto the fables and tales that these doo preache vnto vs c. Not without cause wee may nowe a dayes say the like of the Lutherans Caluinistes other sectes of our time After this he doeth set forth all the Popes of Rome from S. Peter vnto Eleutherius which was Pope in his time And he did affirme that that number did suffise to proue that the doctrine of Marcian and Valentinian was false and very hurtfull because that it was vnknowen or at the least not receaued or approued by the Churche being vnder the gouernaunce of any of those Popes Then with greater reason ought prescriptiō to take place against a new doctrine which hath beene vnknowen this 1500. yeres or at the least if any bodie sought to publishe it he was condemned as a false pernitious heretike ¶ The .6 Chapter S. Augustine in his Epistle 365. about the like matter doeth set forth all the Popes by order which haue bene from S. Peters time vntil Anastasius which was pope in his time and by his continuall succession he doeth proue that the doctrine of the Donatists is heretical because that none of those popes which he did recite nor no part of the Churche did receaue it I pray you maye not we saye the like by the Caluinistes and other heretikes The saide S. Augustine in the Epistle that he doth call Epistola fundamenti Cap. 4. doeth write the reasons that did keepe him vnder the obedience of the Catholike Romane Church And amonge other he doeth alleage the common consent of all nations and the continuall succession of Bishops And in his booke which he made against the aduersarie of the olde and newe lawe he doeth name the succession of the bishops as most certain to answer to that that we sayd before of S. Paul I mean that he would not haue vs to be wauering doubtfull in our doctrin but that we should be firm stable the which stablenes is obteined by the knowledge and intelligence of the Scriptures according to the traditions of the Churche and the succession of the Apostles and Bishops The Churche saieth S. Augustine frō the Apostles time hath continued through the certaine succession of the Bishops vntill our dayes ¶ The .7 Chapter YOu doo studie as muche as you canne to reiect our succession and not without cause knowing that this onely doeth suffise to ouerthrowe all the heresies of those new reformed Gospellers Caluin as the moste apparant doth seeke to proue that our reason is of no force because that the Greekes haue had euer succession of Pastours and yet we doo not holde them as Catholikes But if the Reader doo well note that that we haue alreadie sayde he shall finde the aunswere vnto this obiection I meane because that the Greekes haue not had succession and continuaunce of doctrine called vnitie of fayth by the Apostles the which ought euer to be ioyned to the continuaunce of the Pastors to shew the true recognisaunce of the Catholike religion There is none that doo study reade of those matters but that doo know the vnconstant faith of the Greekes as touching the proceeding of the holye ghoste the which errour they had abiured at the last Councell of Florence and yet notwithstanding they did turne to it againe besides diuers other light thinges to speake moderatelye which are not approued by their auncient fathers S. Iohn Chrisostome S. Cirill S. Basil and Athanasius nor yet by our aduersaries at this present time The which errours I haue no neede to set foorth in this booke for my intent is but to speake of that that prickes vs at hande because of ill neighborhood Some doo alleage vnto vs the negligence of our pastors and their ill liues for the which cause they say that the mētioned succession cannot take place But this argument is of no force For althogh that the carelesse liues of some Bisshops and ecclesiasticall persons haue bene so great and so hurtfull vnto the blud of our Sauior Christ I mean to the soules bought with it yet notwithstanding that the Churche hath not lost the succession continuaunce of one doctrine as touching the administration of the Sacramentes by those that were deputed by the Bisshops If one should see a Prelate doing nothing and his lieftenant doing all which of those two woulde you take to be Bishop they haue both deuided their charges the one receueth the profite the other takes all the payne If they be both content what losse doo you feele he that hath anye interest let him valewe the damage And although that the negligence of the Bishop be not excusable before God with the diligence of the deputie nor his conscience cleere yet this ought to suffise that though his faultes be through negligence or through euil liuing yet that ought not to perturbe the assurance of our doctrin the which wee haue taught vs by the word of God interpreted by the true doctours that haue bene before vs agreing in vnitie of faith as I haue alredie said For neither the naughtines of Achas Num. 1. nor of Ioram nor of diuers other great sinners which are inrolled in the booke of the generation of Iesus Christe were not able to withstande the fulfilling of the promise of God made to Abraham that is to sai that he would be borne of this line Euen so the ill liues and conuersatiō of diuers wicked Popes that haue folowed after Saint Peter haue neuer beene able to moue Christe to breake his promise that is to saye that the fayth of his Churche shoulde neuer fayle Math. 16. and that the gates of hell that is to saye of
infidelitie which are the portes of damnation should neuer preuaile against it Esa. 58. Our aduersaries therefore that take suche great paines to set forth in golden legends the liues of the wicked popes that haue beene since S. Peters time thinking thereby to ouerthrowe the succession of the Catholike ecclesiasticall fayth doo no lesse offende God then if they should go about to proue the promise of God made to the Patriarches to be vaine because of the euill liues of their successours Therefore those that doo reproche vnto vs now that the popes of our dayes are not altogether so holy as S. Peter we do cōfesse it But they cannot deny or they wil cōfesse vnto vs that the aboue named euil kings Achaz Ioram Manasses Amon Iechonias and others did leade no suche holy liues as Abraham Isaac Iacob or Dauid and yet notwithstanding those euill kinges haue beene set forth in the generation of our Sauiour as the Fathers of the iust Iesus Christe Let them iudge thē that haue any wit whether this be a great foly or no to see howe these craftie Coggers of the Scriptures should make many simple persons refuse to be the Popes spiritual childrē because they were sinners seeking thereby to ouerthrowe all the auncient customes of the Churche ¶ The .8 Chapter VPon Moyses Chayre there sitteth sayeth oure Sauiour Christe who not the godliest menne of the worlde but the Scribes and Pharises Doo that they saye but not that that they doo But if our newe Gospellers had beene in those dayes they woulde haue tolde Christe that his commaundement was not to be obserued because the liues of Anna and Cayphas were not correspondent vnto those of Moyses and Aaron for the firste came to the vocation of priesthood being called of God but the last attained to it by the vocation of their purses and yet notwithstanding rather then our Sauiour wold breake this harmonie of the misticall body of the Churche he was not onlye content to permit that Caiphas should execute his office although he was vnworthye as one that came to it by Simony but rather he did confirme his Pontificate with the gifte of the spirite of prophecying with the which he was as fullye inspired as euer was Dauid Esay or any of the rest al to teache vs that that I haue alreadie said I meane that the Ecclesiastical order the administration of the Sacramentes doo not consist in the good or euill liues of the Pastors but only of God and of his worde interpreted by them As touching that that appertaineth to our health God hath no regarde to the life of the magistrate temporall or ecclesiastical for he can aswell serue him with an euill person to doo good to the common wealth as of a good as the godlye prophecies of the wicked Balaam doo wel witnes Num. 24. And here is to be noted that when we talke of the succession of Bishops and of the doctrine continuing in the Churche we doo not meane onely to talke of the Popes but of all the Bishops and other hauing Ecclesiasticall charges not onely at Rome but through all other places where the true preaching and right administratiō of the Sacraments be vsed And therefore you doo pretende in vaine to proue that the aboue mentioned succession hath beene interrupted by the dissention of Popes and Antipopes and by the Ciuill warres that haue beene at Rome in times past For althoughe that the Sea of Rome was vacant for a time the Chaires of the Bishops in Fraunce Spaine Englande and ouer all Christendome were not vacant they did not for their debates let to administer the precious body of Iesus Christ and the rest of the Sacramentes to preache and teache the people doing manye other godlye deedes And to be briefe the Ciuil dissention at Rome did not cause the rest of the people throughout Christendome to breake the vnitie of their fayth which they helde before their discordes The ambition of the popes of Rome was in nothing preiudiciall vnto those that helde the integritie of their fayth nor through the reason of their yl gouernāce our sauiour Christ did not lose his rightful inheritaunce ¶ The .9 Chapter NOwe seing that we haue yelded you a full accompt of our vocatiō to the ministery if we may be so bold I thinke it is no great presumption to demaunde the like of yours For euen as Caluin hath heretofore called vpon vs to haue vs proue that wee are the children of God or otherwise he woulde absolutelye affirme that God can not be called the authour of our vocation to the ministery We say likewise that if you doo not shewe the like of yours you shall geue vs leaue although it be against youre willes to saye that yours commeth not from God but from the procurement of his aduersarye Tertulian who as you knowe aboue 1200. yeres agone speaking against suche as you are in his booke de praescript haeret doth write these words Edant origines Ecclesiarum suarum euoluent ordinem Episcoporum suorū per successiones ab initio decurrentem Hoc enim modo Ecclesiae Apostolicae cursus suos deferunt sicut Romanorum Clementem Episcopum à Petro ordinatum id proinde vtique et coeteri exhibeant quos ab Apostolis in Episcopalibus constitutos Apostolico semine radices habeant You see well by these wordes howe that Tertulian doeth continue with the succession of the Pastours the which he doeth affirme to be necessarye saying that you and such as you are ought not to be receiued to the ministerie of the Church nor to teach the people contrary to the ecclesiasticall order except that you shewe the antiquitie of your table And it is necessary saith he that you recken your Pastors and Bishops by order and howe they haue succeeded one after another for this is the waye that the Churches doo maintaine their right The saide Tertulian doth ground his similitude vppon the custome of the Ciuill gouernaunce For when that those yare princes or Lordes doo suruaye their landes the subiectes are bounde to shewe what bandes they holde of them setting it all forth by accompt shewing by what tenure they holde their copie and whether it be demeanes or freeholde comming by inheritance or bought they ought likewise to name him that had it before and by their owne title to ouerthrowe all other persons that maye make claime vnto it According to this paterne and order we haue geuen you accompt of our inheritance although we were not bounde to it setting before your eyes the similitude of Salomon by whom our Sauiour Iesus Christe is represented That same Salomon doeth geue the sheepe that runnes astray counsaile to set his Tabernacle by the Tabernacle of the Sheperdes and to folow their flocke vntil he come to the place where Christe was nailed on the Crosse at noone dayes The whiche counsell as the moste certaine according to Tertulian his opinion we doo folowe thinking it sufficient to keepe vs firmely in
vndoubtedly led with the spirite of god in them both For if the Catholike Churche had the true spirite of God in discerning and iudging the true Scriptures of God from the rest not Scriptures why shoulde not we beleeue that same catholike churche gouerned and led by the same spirite in geuing the true sense meaning and vnderstanding of the scriptures Whē ye shal be able to render a sufficient reason of the one and not of the other I shall then yeelde and recant and not before Fourth Let the protestantes make sufficient proufe by auncient writers of the ecclesiasticall historyes what church it is that all these fyftene hundred yeeres past hath continued thoroughout fyrme and stedfast whiles all other conuenticles and congregations aswell of the Atrians as of the Nestorians Maniches Nouatians Vigilians Iouinians and the rest of heretikes of all sortes haue decayed bene conuinced and ouerthrowen that by any other church then by the common knowen catholike Churche of Christe And I shal then yeeld and recant and not before Fyfte If it may sufficiently be proued that any other Churche then the common knowen catholike churche of Christe hath instituted and ordeyned all goodly ceremonies solemne obseruations in the same dayly practised and vsed as the festiuall dayes of Christmas Candlemas Easter Whitsontide the feasts of thapostles and holy Euangelists of S. Michaell tharchangell and of all halowes blessed Saintes the obseruation of the holye fast of Lent and Imber dayes the faste of thapostles and of all the aforesaide festiual Eues beside the weekely fast of Frydayes Saturdayes the rest yet obserued and allowed on both sydes to the honour and glorye of God Then I will recante and not before Sixth let the protestantes shewe what Church from Christe his time hitherto and for the whole space of these fiftene hundred yeres past hath exercised discipline and due correction vpon offenders in all degrees and for that purpose hath not onely prouided and made but continuallye executed lawes canons and decrees ecclesiasticall by suspension excommunication degradation and such other like Let thē proue this discipline to haue proceeded of the Protestants congregations or to haue continued from time to time in anye other Churche then in the common knowen Catholike Churche of Christe And I will then recant and not before Seuenth let me know of the Protestants what Church hath brought forth for the space of these fyftene hundred yeres past as children begotten of her owne wombe so manye thousandes of blessed Martyrs of stoute and bolde confessors of pure and innocent virgins and of other holye Saintes of al sortes and so acknowledged of eyther partie And if it shall in fine fall out that anye one of them was of the Protestants congregatiō faith or belief whiles they liued here and not of the cōmon knowen faith and religion of the Catholike Church of Christe or that they were approued and canonized for Saintes when they were deade by the protestantes congregation and not only by the catholike churche of Christe I shal then submit and recant and not before Eight Wheras the Apostle Saint Paule testifieth that Christ gaue vnto his Churche some Apostles some Prophetes some Euangelistes some pastors and doctours ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerij and so to continue to the edifying of his body the catholike Churche vntill his comming agayne Nowe if the Protestants shal be able to proue by ecclesiasticall historyes of all ages the continuance and vse of the said functions and degrees in their congregations and that by some orderly succession and playne accompt made from Christ his time hitherto thei haue neuer lacked the sayde appoynted officers or that any other church thē the common knowen catholike church of Christe hath had at all times the continuance of the same I shall then recant and relent and not before Ninth whereas the protestants by the drift of reason and argument are forced of the Catholikes to acknowledge and confesse their churche and congregations to haue lyen hydden vnknowen for the space of one whole thousand yeres together without all the foresayde functions and ministrations of Apostles prophets Euangelists pastors doctors of their gospel fayth and religion at the least wise to be openly perceyued and knowen If therefore they shal be able for the space of that whole time to proue by auncient writers of ecclesiastical historyes any other worde Gospell or doctrine to be vniuersally and openly taught any other Sacramentes to be ministred anye other discipline or correction to be practised anye other Iudgementes Decrees Canons or lawes to be exeuted then those which were dayly practised in the cōmon knowen Catholike Churche of Christe I will then recant and not before Tenth forasmuche as the Protestantes doo affyrme their congregations faith and religion to haue bene practised in the primatiue Churche of Christe some of them for the space of the firste three hundreth yeeres as Iohn Caluine some for the space of foure or fyue hundred yeres as Martine Luther and his complices some for the whole space of the fyrste sixe hundreth yeeres as master Iewell and the authours of the Apologie of the Churche of Ingland and therin not agreeing among them selues as the maner of heretikes is I requyre some better stayed and certayne tale of them where and when this sodeyn change from the Protestants religiō to the Papists should be made as in what yere of our Lorde vnder what Pope and Emperour by what persons of name it was so wrought and brought to passe and vpon what occasion what Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes Pastors and doctours of their congregations did gaynesay or withstande the same And who doth make anye mention of this sodeyne and meruailous change of the Protestantes religion to Papistrie what one eccesiastical writer or auncient father of the whole world And when they shal be able reasonablye to aunswere and to satisfye these my demaundes then I will recant yeelde to them and not before Eleuenth Let the learned Protestant shewe me what order of seruice or common prayer what order of ministration of Sacramentes their Churche had before papistrie as they call it preuayled in the worlde Let im shewe me one booke or copie of any Communion or what els you liste that was in Englishe or in anye vulgare or common tonge beside the Hebrewe Greeke and Latine or that lacked prayer for the soules departed or inuocation to Saintes or sacrifice for the sinnes both of the quicke the deade or that charged a number to receaue with the prieste or that he could not els consecrate or say Masse receauing alone or that the people should take the sacrament for breade and wine and not for the reall bodye and bloud of Christe or that they should geue no honour to it or not reserue the same for the comfort of the sicke and diseased people or that denied extreme vnction with the rest of the Sacramentes to be behoufull or necessary for
them Let the learned protestant bring foorth and shewe suche a Communion booke or anye leafe lyne or worde of any suche doctrine or any churche or congregation that euer had any authenticall seruice or ministration of the Sacraments other then that which is yet daylye openly practised in the cōmon knowen catholike churche of Christe And I shall then recant and not before Twelfth I demaunde of the learned protestant to knowe cause reason why their congregations do admit and receaue all Bishops priests deacons and other officers spirituall ordered by our catholike Churche as men lawfull and sufficient to preache the worde of God to minister the sacramentes and to exercise al spiritual Iurisdiction in no lesse wise but rather more then if they had bene ordered in their owne priuate congregations whereas the catholike churche of Christ doth not acknowledge any man of their ordering calling to be any whit the more fit for any spirituall function in Christ his church then other cōmon lay men When therfore the learned Protestant shal be able to shewe good cause and reason whye our Catholike Churche hauing by their owne consent and approuing lawfull priestes Bishops and spiritual ministers not to be also the lawful true and catholike churche of Christe I will then recant and not before Thirtene I require of the learned protestant to expresse what furniture furtherance or commoditie to the honor and seruice of God did christianitie or any part of Christendome receaue by his Churche or congregations what temple or churche did you build at any time for your assemblies and seruice of god what Bishopriks for the better gouernment of the church did you founde or procure what vniuersities schooles or colleges did you at any time erect for the maintenaunce of christian doctrine fayth and religion When the learned Protestant shal be able to proue by ecclesiasticall histories and olde auncient writers these thinges to be the monumentes of their conuenticles and priuate congregations of their fayth and religion and not of the common knowen fayth religion and catholike Churche of Christe Then I shal in like maner yeelde and recant and not before Fourthtene Let the learned Protestant name anye one felowship or companye of beleeuers in the whole christian worlde that in all Articles of faith and religion be in one vnitie in one meaning and beliefe and contented also to captiue submit their seuerall meaninges to the iudgementes of their prelates and spirituall gouernours and of one chiefe head and pastor among them in all ecclesiasticall thinges and causes Let I saye the learned protestant name any one company thus agreing among them selues and thus humblye affected in Christian fayth and religion sauing onely the holye and blessed felowship of the common knowen catholike churche of Christe And I will then recant and not before Fyftene Againe I doo demaunde of the learned protestant whether the Lutherans Zuinglians Illirians Caluinists Confessionists Swenkfeldians Anabaptists and suche like be al of one church and congregation or no And if he be able to proue these sectes being of such diuersitie in fayth and religion to make one church and that euery one of them may geue saluation to their felowes being so disagreable one with another in high misteryes and poyntes of fayth and religion or that I ought to beleeue all those rather then the one true catholike churche of Christe or yet anye of these more one then another all of them making such a bolde chalenge of the truth of Gods worde and Gospell When the learned protestant shall be able by good reason or drifte of argument to satisfye these my requestes Then I shall yeelde and recant and not before Sixtene when the protestant shall be able to proue that those persons which in their departure made from the catholike churche of Christe haue more desyre to beare the name of Sectaryes as of Lutherans Suinglians Illyrians Caluinists Swenkfeldians and Anabaptistes then the name of Christians or Catholikes are the true members of Christe his Churche and not heretikes and schismatikes nor yet folowers therein of their forefathers the Arrians whiche toke their names of Arrius the Maniches of Manes the Nestorians of Nestorius the Nouatians the Vigilians the Iouinians Pelagians Eutichians and others Then I shall yeeld recant and not before Seuenthtene I demaunde of the learned protestant whether if the whole space of that thousand yeres of blindnes wherein their Churche laye hid and vnknowen suppressed by papistrie superstition and Idolatrye as they terme it whether they whiche were then baptized and openly professed Christ wer saued or not If the Protestant doo aunswere yea consequently it foloweth that they were saued without the Church of Christe liuing in all ignorance superstition Idolatry as they say If he aunswer no and that there was no saluation out of their hid vnknowen Church then all men of all degrees yong and olde for the whole space of the foresayde thousand yeeres by the Protestants iudgement perished without all hope of Gods mercye and were damned When therefore the learned Protestant shall be able to proue by good reason and argument eyther that ther is a way to saluation without the Churche of Christe or that all people professing Christe perished for so many hundreth yeeres together Then I will recant and not before Eightene Let the learned Protestant make prouf vnto me how their hid vnknowen and secrete churche not hauing in it the doctrine of Christ his Gospell openlye taught no ministration of Sacramentes no spirite of prophecying no discipline of rod or correction no ordering of Bisshops priestes and ecclesiasticall ministers nor yet anye other spirituall function executed in the same for the space of one thousand yeres together Let him proue their hid vnknowen Churche with the lacke of all these thinges to be the true spouse and Catholike church of Christe And I will recant and not before Ninthtene Againe on the other side let the learned protestant proue that it is not the true Churche of Christe that hath in the face of the world for the space of fiftene hundred yeres past exercised preaching the cōuersion of nations to the obedience of the Gospell that hath alwayes had the administration of Sacraments the hearing of matters in controuersie the orderlye succession of Bishops the vniformitie of solemne Ceremonies and the vnitie of fayth that hath in her selfe all holye functions of the spirite as working of miracles remission of synnes the true sense and interpretation of Gods word that is beautifyed with diuersitie of states commended by Christe as with martyrs with confessors holye virgins such other Let the protestant proue vnto me that this is not the true churche and that we are not bound to obey beleue this church none other in all controuersies doubtes vprising eyther by the difficultie of scripture or by vain contention pride of heretikes and I wil yeld recant not before Twentie Moreouer let the
much to say as if she meant thus I see many sheperdes in these mountains which haue great aboundance of sheepe I see those of the Romane Church I see Donatistes I see Nouatians or to speake of our time I see one flocke folowe Luther another flocke folowe Zuinglius another folow Caluin another the Anabaptists another the Sacramentaries and so forth diuers others of whom when I demaunde particulerly Whose is this flocke they doo al aunswer me It is of Christ and euery one saieth this is the Catholike Churche euery one doeth saye that he is his felowe that is to saye as touching the guyding of his flock Now it is not possible that they doo all teache the truth considering howe they vary amonge them selues therfore I do desire thee to tell me where thou doest rest thy selfe at noone dayes that is as much to saye teache me which is the true Catholike Churche which doth celebrate the true misterie of the Crosse which is the place where thou wast nayled at noone dayes being nayled both handes and feete Heare nowe the aunswer of Iesus Christe If thou doest not know the place where I rest O moste beautifull among all women folowe thou the pathe that thy flocke hath made before thee setting thy tabernacle or thy lodge hard by the tabernacle of thy Shepherds If we well note and vnderstande this aunswere it will learne vs that that shal suffise to kepe vs frō rūning euer astray The sense is this O thou Christian which art troubled in thy conscience not knowing because of so many heresyes which waye thou shalt goe or howe thou shalt decerne the true religion from other false doctrine take my counsaile the which is to folowe steppe by steppe the flocke that went before thee If that a thousande or two thousand sheepe runne ouer a plaine those that come afterwarde doo not they know well the path that is made before them doo not they discerne the waye that the firste went Yes surely although there be no Sheperd to guide them And if thou doest aunswere that this doth not suffise for I doo see diuers pathes I see the pathe of the Caluinistes the path of the Lutherans and the pathe of those of the Romane Churche but yet doo not I knowe which flocke I should chose To this I answere thus Set thy Tabernacle by the Tabernacle of the Shepherdes and of thy Pastors I mean that I woulde haue thee to leane to that flocke that can leade thee from age to age and from yere to yere vnto the Crosse of Iesus Christ on the which he was nailed at noone dayes and there it is where thou oughtest to quiet thy selfe and thy conscience Then to beginne If thou doest aske the Caluinistes Where is the true fayth the which as they saye doeth consiste in the true preaching of the worde of the Lorde and in the administration of the Sacramentes according to the institution of Iesus Christe they will aunswere It is at Geneua the Lutherans will aunswere At Wittemberge and the Anabaptistes will aunswere at Monasterium The Vbiquitaries they will aunswere At Tubinge and the Trinitaries At Petricone and so consequently of the rest And then pursue and aske farther where it was twentye yeares agone They will say in the saide Cities but if thou come to demaunde of them wher it was a hundred or two hundred yeres agone if they are ashamed anye thing at all to lye they will not aunswere at all for there is none of them that can deny but that Luther who beganne to preache his newe Gospell the yere 1517. was the firste beginner of all these troubles the father of all those that teache this reformed religion Then is it farre frō that place where thy frend was nailed at middaie or where he was crucifyed aboue 1500. yeres agone before the newe Churche was dreampt of And therefore thou maiest easelye perceaue that this flock cannot leade thee to the place that thou doest desire and consequently that is not the flocke that we shoulde folowe Then let vs com vnto the Romane Church demaund where was this flock an hundred yeres agone They wil aunswere thee In Fraunce Spaine Englande Germanie and so ouer all Christendom And if thou aske where it was 500. yeres agone they will say In the saide places And a thousande yeres agone likewise and likewise a thousande and fiue hundred yeres agone This flocke then will not leaue thee by the waye as the others doo but it will leade thee vnto the very time of the death and passion of Christe by continuaunce of one doctrine and by succession of pastors which Salomon doth call the tabernacle of the Shepherdes And therefore this is the place where thou must seeke thy Tabernacle and quiet thy conscience to the ende that thou be not a lost sheepe and that thou be not readie to turne at euery blast of newe doctrine that our newe Coggers of the Scriptures doo set forth to deceaue the simple sheepe ¶ The .5 Chapter THe like vnto this is confirmed by Vincentius Lyrinensis of whom we haue spoken before for he saith in the booke aboue named that that person ought to be estemed a true Catholike that hath nothing in greater commendation then the true religion of the Catholike faith yea although it were the wisest man in the world and the greatest Philosopher the fairest speaker that euer was if he came to speake against the olde doctrine that hath bene taught vs of our forefathers time out of mind we ought saith he to disdaine that learned Clarke with all his philosophie cunning and to hold our selues to the auncient opinion of the Churche the which hath continued vntill this present day And if that nowe one should bring a newe doctrine that was not hearde of before contrary vnto that that hath euer ben taught in the Churche say that it doth not apperteine vnto the state of the Catholike faith that it is no religion but a temptatiō And therfore if we wil be saued we ought to liue and dye in that faith that hath continued by succession of Pastours euen from Christes time vnto these dayes S. Irenaeus a very famous writer in his fourth booke against heresies the. 65. Chapter who was within a fewe yeres of the Apostles Archbishop of Lions writeth the veri like saying that the true faith and the true knowledge of God is the doctrine of the Apostles and the auncient estate of the Church throughout the world according to the succession of those Bishops vnto whom only the Apostles committed the custodye of the Churche throughout the worlde the which sayeth he is come to vs This sayde Irenaeus doeth write in his thyrde booke and seconde Chapiter that he and his felowes did withstande the Valentinians and the Marcionistes which were great heretikes by the traditions of the Apostles that is to saye the doctrine not written but receued from age to age of the Apostles and so continued till
learned protestant proue that the true and catholike churche of Christe may at any time be voyde of Gods spirite which he hath promised to be with his churche for euer saying Et ego rogabo patrē et alium paracletum dabit vobis vt maneat vobiscum in aeternum or falsly to interprete any sentēce of holy scripture or to induce any error among the people or approue vnprofitable and hurtful vsages among the christians or that she suffereth any damnable abuse in her religion without open reprehension thereof Let the learned protestant proue anye of these poyntes And I will then yeelde and recant and not before One twentie If vnitie in faith austeritie of life sharpe discipline great penance muche fasting large almes godly deuotion obedience to higher powers grauitie and true charitie be not more euidentlye exercised and vsed in our common knowen catholike church then in the protestants congregation And contrarywise if discord in religion licentiousnes in liuing contempt of discipline reiecting of penaunce lothsomnes of fasting lacke of zeale and deuotion disobedience to Magistrates Sacrilege Apostacie breaking of vowes vnlawfull lustes wantonnes in all life and maners doo not agree better and more cleere to the protestantes then to the catholikes being the playne signes and fruits of a false churche Then wil I recant and not before Two and twenty Let the learned protestant proue vnto me that their churche congregation might rightlye be called catholike which for the space of a thousande yeres together was so particuler that no man could name any certaine place where their churche was or that it might be called holye which had for so longe time and space neyther the doctrine of Christes Gospell taught in it neyther Baptisme nor anye other Sacrament of Christe vsed to sanctifye them withal or that it could be called one church which assoone as it grew vp and shewed it selfe to the worlde was deuided into so many sundry sects of Lutherans Zuinglians Illiricans Caluinists Swenfeldians Anabaptists and such other or that it might be called Apostolike whiche coulde neuer make an accompt by orderly succession and discent from any one of Christe his Apostles or any other Apostolike man or that their secrete hid and vnknowen congregation was euer of that maiestie or authoriti that it had at any one time or season the true obedience of all christian nations or that it was euer able to assemble and gather vniuersall and generall Councels of all nations christian people or to exercise any discipline or correction vppon offenders throughout all kingdomes and regions professing Christe or that these titles folowing properly applyed by the Scriptures and doctors to the true churche of Christe could euer be chalenged by any right to their hid vnknowen congregation I mean these titles namelye Corpus Christi The body of Christe Sponsa Christi The spouse of Christe Amica Christi The louer of Christ Vnice dilecta Christo Dearely beloued of Christ Columba speciosa The beautifull doue Domus dei The house of God Columna veritatis The piller of truth Ciuitas dei The Citie of God Ciuitas super montem posita A Citie set vppon an hill Fons signatus A spring or fountayne surely signed and sealed Sponsa Agni The spouse of the Lambe Mulier amicta sole A woman clothed with the Sun Habitatio fratrū inuicē a dwelling of brethren all together Mons dei The hill of God Sacra Anchora The holye Anchore Vinea Domini Our Lordes vineyarde Terra viuentium The lande of the liuing Ecclesia magna The great and mightie Churche Archa Noe Noes Arche Vna Sancta Catholica et Apostolica Ecclesia One holye Catholike and Apostolike Churche Domus pacis The house of peace Domus refugij The house of refuge Domus veritatis The house of truth Societas Sanctorum The felowship of holy Saints Nutrix Christianorum The Norishe of the Christians Vxor de latere Christi The Spouse out of Christe his syde sicut Eua de latere Adam like as Eue was out of the syde of Adam Let the learned Protestant make proufe that these moste excellent propertyes and peculier Denominations and Callinges maye possiblye agree to their hid and vnknowen congregations and priuate societies or to any other knowen societie of the whole worlde but onely to the holy societie moste blessed companye and felowship of the common knowen catholike Church of Christ And I will then relent yeelde and recant and not before Last of all when these notes folowing being most certayne and sure signes and tokens of Antichristians false Prophetes heretikes and schismatikes mentioned and manifestlye expressed in diuers partes of the scriptures shall by the learned protestant be proued more aptly and truely to agree vnto vs of the common knowen catholike Church of Christe then vnto the protestants of so many sundrye and diuers sects and congregations I shal submit yeelde and recant and not before First signe and token appropriated to Antichristes false Prophetes heretikes and schismatikes in the scripture is their departure from the cōmon knowen catholike churche of Christe wherein they were baptised and first receaued christian faith and religion of the which sygne and token speaketh Thapostle S. Iohn saying Ex nobis prodierunt sed non erant ex nobis nam si fuissent ex nobis permansissent vtique nobiscum They departed from vs but they were not of vs for if they had bene of vs and of our Churche they woulde sayeth Thapostle S. Iohn haue continued with vs still and not haue departed from vs And here nowe the learned protestant not being able to denye that they haue departed from our cōmon knowen catholike church from our fayth and religion wherein they were fyrste baptised and not we departed from them but still remaining in the profession of the same fayth religion that we fyrste receaued he must needes by the dryfte of argument and reason graunt also that this fyrste signe and token of false prophetes heretikes and schismatiks was before spoken of the Apostle S. Iohn onely of them and not of vs. Second sure marke sygne and token of false prophetes heretikes and schismatikes is that they being thus departed from the Catholike church doo of themselues and of their owne authoritie without warrant beinge not sent set vp a newe Gospell a new fayth and religion by preaching of a newe doctrine to assemble and set vp a newe churche and congregation Of this signe and token and great presumption speaketh thapostle S. Paule Quomodo enim praedicabunt nisi mittantur How shall men preach except they be sent And in his Epistle to the Hebrewes he sayeth Nec quisquam sibi sumit honorem nisi qui vocatur a deo quemadmodum et Aaron Let no man take vnto himselfe honoure except he be called of God like as Aaron was Certayne it is that Aaron was called vnto the office and dignitie of a Bishop ordinarily by Moyses and by externall and
visible vnction Moyses himselfe was extraordinarilye called and sent of God approued by miracle as it appereth in the fourth Chapiter of Exodus And therfore the Apostle S Paule nameth Aaron and not Moises to signifye that all extraordinary vocations by miracles as Moyses was are nowe ceassed and that we must from hencefoorth be ordinarilye called by externall vnction as Aaron was When therfore the learned protestant shal be able to proue their iust and due vocation ordinarily or extraordinarilye to proceede of God and not onely of man I shall then yeelde and recant and not before Thirde signe token of false Prophetes heretikes and Schismatiks is that they being first departed from the catholike churche and secondarily not called doo forthwith al of them selues preache and teach contentiouslye and seditiously against the doctrine before time taught of the common knowen catholike churche of Christe as against the Sacraments of Christe his Churche by a flat denyall of manye of them against the reall presence of Christe his bodye in the holy Eucharist against the blessed sacrifice of the Masse propitiatorye both for the liue the deade against penaunce and worthy fruites therof by fasting watche prayer and all straightnes of life against vowes inuocation of Saintes prayer for soules departed and finally agaynst the churche it selfe flatlye denying that Christe hath here vpon the earth any Spouse or visible churche here to be heard speake perceaued or seene The Apostle S. Paule in admonition geuing vnto vs to beware of this sygne and token sayeth Doctrinis varijs et peregrinis nolite abduci Be not you led and caried awaye with these diuers and straunge doctrines so termed of Thapostle S. Paule because they are not agreing but contrary to the receaued and common knowen doctrine of Christ his catholike churche When therfore the learned Protestant sâ—al be able to proue that they and their congregations are not the raysers vp of these contentions and strifes by their preaching of these straunge doctrines but we that are members of the catholike Churche Then I will submit and recant and not before Fourth signe and token of false prophetes heretikes and schismatikes is Schisma in ecclesiam introducere To bring into the churche of Christe by their doctrine schisme diuision and seperatioÌ„ of one member from another and of the whole misticall body from the true heade Iesus Christe For whereas the health and saluation of Christe his flocke people doth moste chiefely consist in peace concorde and vnitie they therfore which by schisme doo deuide and disperse his flock and of one societie and felowship before do make many and diuers they innot sparing nor preseruing in vnitie the flock of Christe are become raueâ—â—ng wolues Thapostle S. Paule knowing the great daunger and hurt vprising of schisme doth moste humblye beseeche vs with all diligent circumspection to auoyde the same saying Obsecro vos fratres per nomen domini nostri Iesu Christi vt idipsum dicatis omnes et non sint in vobis schismata sitis autem perfecti in eodem sensu et in eadem sententia I beseeche you brethren by the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe that ye all say one thinge and that there be no schismes among you but be perfect in one minde and one meaning Nowe if the learned protestant shal be able to proue that wheras about the time of three score yeres and aboue we were al not onlye here in this Realme but vniuersallye in all other Realmes professing Christe of one Churche of one fayth and religion and of one vnitie therein if he shal be able to proue that this late schisme whereby we are so deuided and dispersed that some are become Lutherans some Zuinglians some Caluinists some Puritans and Anabaptists did proceede from vs and from the common knowen Catholike Church of Christe and not whollye from their priuate Churche and congregations and of the deceptfull and false doctrine by them preached and taught I shall then stay no longer but yeeld and recant and not before Fyfte signe and token of false prophetes heretikes and schismatikes is disobedience Et non obedire sed resistere eis qui praesunt in ecclesia dei And not to obey but resist those which doo beare rule and gouerne in the church of God of the which sort of men the Apostle S. Paule geueth vs warning saying Quemadmodum Iamnes et Mambres restiterunt Moysi ita et hi resistunt veritati homines corrupti meÌ„te reprobi circa fidem Like as Iamnes and Mambres did resist Moises euen so do these resist the truth being men of corrupt mind and reprobates in faith Now when the learned protestant shal be able to proue that this rebellion and disobedience to all Bisshops prelates and ecclesiasticall gouernours is to be found in the catholike churche and not in the priuate churche congregations of the protestantes Then I shall yeelde submit and recant and not before Sixte signe and token of false prophets heretikes and schismatikes is the ficklenes weak slippernes of errors heresies Quòd quaelibet haeresis prae catholicae fidei peepetua firmitate facile transit ac perit For that euerye heresye in comparison of the stabilitie and perpetual continuance and firmnes of the catholike fayth doth soone perish and passe away Thapostle S Peter in speaking of these false prophetes sayeth Magistri mendaces superducent sibi celerem perditionem et perditio eorum non dormitat These lying masters doo bring vppon them selues a quick and speedie ouerthrow and their destruction shall not be slacked nor slowed The truth of this testimonie is to be tryed by all sectaries and sortes of heretikes that euer haue bene as of the Nicolaites Arrians Donatists Maniches Pelagians Iouinists Nestorians Nouatians Sabellians and the rest of heretikes whose errors and heresyes being neuer so stoutly vpholdeÌ„ by Emperors kinges and princes yet by generall councels and censures of Christe his catholike churche they had in fyne their iust condemnation and ouerthrowe What shoulde I here make mention of the Lutherans and protestants of our time When the Lutherans here in this Realme haue taken their iust ouerthrowe already for the great desyre the protestants had to preferre the doctrine of the Oecolampadians Suinglians and Caluinists The Suinglians and Caluinists with the rest sectaryes of all sortes are nowe here in this Realme at the very neere and like poynte they being nowe readye to yeelde vp the ghoste and to tylte vp their heeles for the great desyre the common and baser sorte of the people haue to be Precisians and Puritans And they being winked at of the Magistrats there be no small number of all degrees and sortes of men that doo further and fauour them in this their attempt to the great increase of theÌ„ It cannot therefore be denyed but that all sectaryes and heresyes are on this wise mouing sitting and euer passing from one secte to another without any long time of continuance
in authoritie per quem reges regnant by whom kinges doo reigne who had Peter if he loued him to féede his shéepe who hath also constitute vnder him féeders vpon the earth some spirituall some temporall O I say that they would diligently looke vpon these wordes A good shepherde geueth his life for the sheepe seriouslye ponder in their minde what a charge is hid in this short sentēce how many thinges princeps pastorum the prince of shepherdes as Peter calleth him doth require of them whom he hath made herdsmen vnder him whose duetie is to be good pastours and faythfull féeders like to their master O that they wold call to their mind that they must at length depart hēce come where it shal be said to euery one of thē Redde rationem villicationis tuae Geue accompt of thy bayliwike Come forth and shew how thou hast fed my flock that I cōmitted to thy handes Thou Bishop howe haste thou visited thy diocesse what Parsons what Vicares haste thou admitted Thou Archedeacon howe often haste thou visited séene euery curate to do his duty how hast thou redressed al enormities and slaunders within thy iurisdictiō Thou parson thou vicare thou curate how hast thou fed thy flock with good ensamples of charitie vertuous liuing with kéeping of hospitality to thy power by preching holsome doctrine in reuerently ministring my Sacramentes Thou king howe haste thou ruled thy Realme What lawes lawes haste thou made for the setting forth of my glorye for the extirpation of heresyes for maintenaunce of equitie for punishment of wronge for prouision that thinges may be solde at a competent price that couetous men make no dearth to their condemnation when I geue plentie Thou Lorde howe haste thou gouerned vnder thy prince Thou man of woorship howe haste thou indeuoured to haue quietnes kepte and the princes lawes to be obeyed Thou Iustice how haste thou ministred right indifferently to all persons Thou Maior or head officer in anye Citie or Towne howe haste thou kept thy selfe cléere from periurie howe haste thou séene good order obserued and al ydlenes dissolute maners to be banished Finally thou whatsoeuer officer or Magistrate thou be howe haste thou regarded the common wealth and preferred it afore thy priuate lucre or commoditie O that these thinges were considered for as sure as God liueth these accomptes will he call vpon straytly None shall escape Cui multum datur as S. Gregorie sayeth multum ab eo quaeretur He that hath muche geuen him shall make a great accompt thereof and muche shall be of him required And at that daye percase he shall recken him selfe moste fortunate and happie that had leaste in this worlde and least to doo And he peraduenture moste infortunate that hath moste to doo in this worlde vnlesse he order it well vnlesse he order it righteously iustly and ordinately Nowe good Reader thou haste hearde that Christe sayeth Bonus pastor animam suam dat pro ouibus suis And to put thée out of doubt who is this good shepherde he sayeth Ego sum pastor bonus cognosco oues meas cognoscunt me meae I am the good shepherde which will geue my lyfe for my shéepe by my death to purchase thē lyfe that as I will rise and dye no more so shall they after their bodily death arise at the last day neuer to dye any more but to liue alwayes with my father and me I knowe my shéepe not all onely that they be mine but I so knowe them for mine that I wil be their succour in their tribulations I will strengthen them in their persecutions I will receaue them into my ioye and glorie I knowe them and they knowe me This is then required of the shéepe that they knowe their shepherde Thrée properties must be in euery man or woman that shall haue this worthy name to be called a shéepe of Christe The firste propertie is that our Sauiour sayeth that his shéepe doo know him This knowledge haue Christes shéepe of him that by his godhead he is their father by his manhood he is their brother and by his benefites he is their louing lorde and master They knowe it is he and none other that hath made their peace with God his father Ipse enim est pax nostra for he is our peace Ad Ephesios secundo he hath gotten vs forgeuenes of our sinnes he hath deliuered vs out of the bondage of the deuill he hath purchased heauen for vs he is to vs Turris fortitudinis the Tower of our strength The seconde propertie of Christes shéepe is to heare their shepherdes voyce and to geue no eare to the voyce of any straunger You will aske me peraduenture how you shoulde heare him which although he be verily and bodily héere with vs in the Sacrament of the Aultare yet in his humane forme he is ascended vp into heauen and sitteth on the right hande of his father Wherevnto I aunswere that we must heare his voyce sounding by the mouth of his Churche which is the verye true spouse of Iesus Christe Quam sanctificauit mundans eam lauacro aquae in verbo vitae whom he hath sanctified and purified with the bath of water in the worde of life vt exhiberet ipse sibi gloriosam ecclesiam non habentem maculam aut rugam to make it a glorious Churche to himselfe without spot or wrinkle Ad Ephesios 5. If we heare the church we heare Christe for as the holy Bishop and Martyr Irenaeus writeth in the fortie Chapter of his thirde booke Vbi ecclesia ibi spiritus vbi spiritus dei illic ecclesia omnis gratia spiritus autem veritas where the Churche is there is the spirite of God and where the spirite of God is there is the Churche and all grace and the spirite is truth Wherefore as the same godly father writeth in the forty and thrée Chapiter of his fourth booke we be bounde to be obedient to the Prelates of the Churche his qui successionem habent ab Apostolis to them that haue their successiō from the Apostles Reliquos verò sayth he qui absistunt a principali successi quocunque loco colliguntur suspectos habere quasi haereticos oportet As for all other that go away from the principall succession we ought to suspect them as heretikes These are Ireneus wordes in the place nowe alleaged And Christ sayth him selfe Qui vos audit me audit He that heareth you heareth me Wherfore if we wil heare Christ as his father hath commaunded vs Ipsum audite Heare him Math. 17. then must we heare the Churche The Churche is our moste holy Mother whom we ought to haue in great reuerence and to commit our selues wholly vnto her to heare her and like obedient children to do what she biddeth vs What the Churche holdeth in matters of religion that must we holde what the Churche prescribeth it is our duetie to folowe what the Churche forbiddeth
he praysed among the worldlings for a wise man who will not suffer himselfe to be ouertroden and made a laughing stocke to euery Rascall With such vayne glorious prayses be suche proude Thrasoes extolled and magnifyed of the more parte and no small number are geuen to flatterie and enhausing of Clawbacks that neuer could that saying of Terence be better verifyed then it is nowe Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit To holde vp mennes yea and their naye in holding with the hare and running with the hounde getteth a man frendes but he that will lay flattery aside and tell the playne truth shall get nothing but hatred Thus in these dayes vice is extolled and vertue contemned Ill rule is made of and good rule neglected O heart dissimuled which vnder coloure to be iust and true canst cloke vnto vs hipocrisie for deuotion ambition for gentlenes couetousnes for competencie crueltie for zeale bolde babling without learning for eloquence florishing Rhetorike without fruite or reason follye for grauitie wilines without wit and fleshly wanton libertie for libertie of the Gospell This is nothing els but the deuils drifte alway couering his poyson vnder some taste of sugar Fallit enim vitium specie virtutis vmbra For the summe and ende of all their false doctrine is nothing els but malice with murther to the ouerthrowe of Christes religion and the true ministers thereof This is their shéepes clothing for an vnhappie reformation Nam impia sub dulci melle venena latent Vnder swéete honye is deadly venome hid O blinde ignorance and ignorant blindnes O cruell damnable mischiefe comming frō the bottomles pit of hell O intolerable furiousnes and heresie more detestable then it may any longer be suffered The great displeasure the extreme vengeaunce the cruell plagues of God hange ouer our heades if this horrible heresie be not shortly remoued from mens mindes O good God howe long wilt thou suffer this intolerable abhomination It shameth me it abhorreth me to thinke that these shamelesse beastes are not ashamed to speake of the moste belssed Sacramentes of Christes Churche who is able to expresse eyther by tonge or penne their wicked abhomination whye haue we a pleasure to forsake the true vnderstanding of Gods moste sacred worde and become folowers and bondslaues of the deuils coūterfeite ▪ and deceiptfull expositions and carnall reasons set out by his ministers who in religion are so deuided that nowe they dreame one thing and now another this day they like to morowe they mislike and one is against another of them euen in the highest misterie of Christe his religion And no meruaile for the deuill is their chiefe head whom they serue and he is full of lyes variaunce diuision and discorde and vnder him their Schoolemasters were Hus Luther Zuinglius Oecolampadius Bucer Melancthon and the Archeheretike Caluine whose heresies are confuted in the Discourse hereafter ensuing These with the rest of that rable did neuer agrée one with another in their doinges there is no vnitie no certaintie at all and therfore such masters such scollers come of them And this diuision this vnconstancie of doctrine was a manifest tokē that they were not the children of our true mother the catholike Churche nor ministers of of Christe but the children of the deuill and ministers of Antichriste yea very Antichristes For whosoeuer sayth S. Augustine is gone from the vnitie of the Catholike Churche he is become an Antichriste These Antichristes haue borne a great stroke nowe too longe time in our Realm of England in whō is no constancie no stedfastnes of religion and doctrine These are they that haue damnably deceued you haue with their damnable preachinges intised you from Churche to Churche from an heauenly Churche to a malignant Church from a louing mother to a flattering harlot from the condition of grace to the state of perdition from truth to falshood from faythfull beléeuing to carnall reasoning from sauing Christe to deceauing Antichriste But good Reader beware be not deceaued and be not ashamed to arise that haste so shamefullye fallen be not ashamed to come home to your mother the Churche sith she is not ashamed to receaue you Let not follye lose the thing that grace hath so preciously offered purchased Let not wilfulnes and blindnes put out so great light as is nowe shewed vnto thée but embrace moste humbly the doctrine of our Mother the Catholike Church so shall you sit in the lappe of so tender a mother which will cherish you into life euerlasting Choose the best whiles choyse lyeth in lot A notable discourse plainly and truely discussing who be the right ministers of the Catholique Churche ¶ The firste Chapter CAluin your Patriarch doth laie to our charge a great and an outragious boldnes saying according to his opinion that we haue introduced or taken in hande the ministerie of Iesus Christe without being called to it by him that did institute Aaron in the saide estate And because that he himselfe can better then I expresse his complaint or accusation I thinke it beste to set foorth his owne writinges which according to his disciples opinions are of great force and vertue His wordes as you may reade are these Seing that the Papistes heare S. Paule saye that no person ought to take vpon him or vsurpe the name and the honoure of Priesthoode but he that is called to it as Aaron was And that Iesus Christe tooke it not vpon him selfe but did obeye the vocation of his father either they ought to shewe that God is the Author and institutour of their priesthood or els they must confesse that they are not called of God seing that of their owne boldenes they haue taken it in hande These are Caluins wordes by the which the reader maye gather that Caluin doeth enioyne vs to render him an accoumpt of oure vocation And although that it be so that by the Ciuill lawe one ought to trye the righte of the possession before he come to demaunde it and the spoyle as we are to him and his felowes as touching oure Temples and Reuennues in manye places ought to be restored agayne before the sute proceede Yet releassing this that the lawe doeth alowe vs we are content to aunswere to his demaund adding this request therto that both you that are his disciples and he doo make readie your papers to aunswere vs the like as touching yours But before I proceede in mine aunswere vnder correction of a man that thinkes to haue suche good eyes me seemeth that his argument is but very simple to sai that of we cannot shewe that God is the Authour of our Priesthood that we should be constrained to confesse that it is not of God seeing that without being called we take it vpon vs For what reason is there I praye you in this for although it were so that of our owne priuate power and authoritie without being called wee shoulde take it vppon vs it shoulde not
folowe by that that it is not of god For by that reason one mighte saye that GOD was not the authour of the priesthood of Aaron seing that Dathan Abyron and Ozias tooke it vpon thē of their owne boldenes the which is not true And as touching this that he saieth that our order of priesthood is not of God we will proue that false in some other place but at this time we must treat of our vocation to aunswere him his complices howe and by what vertue we exercise our ministerie We are called to this estate according to the ordinarie way that is to saye by the right succession of Bisshops and Pastors and by the continuance of one Catholique faith deriued from the Apostles to our dayes without the interruption of it vniuersallye for in diuers places of the worlde it hath bene euer cleere and certaine manifestlye shining like the light set on the table to geue light to all those of the house and not vnder the busshell to be shadowed with darknes S. Paule after that he had recited by order the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie I meane of the Apostles Prophetes and Euangelists he doth declare at the last the cause why they were instituted being for the edification of the misticall body of Christe the which is the Catholique Church vntill saith he that in the vnitie of faith we go to meete him He taketh his similitude of many that come frō diuerse wayes and meete all in one waye And thus he meanes that the spirituall edification of the Churche ordeined of Bishops Pastours and Doctours shall endure vntill that the Gospell be preached through all nations By the effecte of the whiche Gospell both Frenche Spanish English Greeke Persian Arabian Latines and Barbares with manye other nations which were to tedious to name haue met together hauing of great antiquitie all one kinde of Catholike faith by the Apostles and their successors for euer As the sonne of God before he suffered did attaine and arriue to the perfection of his age euen so his misticall body of the Churche shall continue in this world vntill it be perfect in his members and that the number of the chosen be accomplished And euē as a materiall building cannot be perfectly atchieued without continuance of workemen and Masons euen so the spirituall building of the Churche cannot be atchieued without the succession of Bishops and Pastors preaching or causing the worde of God to be preached which is the verye spiritual building the which hath bene euer common and visible in the Churche according to the prophecie of Esaye Sap. 61. who meaning to declare the care that God taketh as touching the preseruation of his Churche he did saye as it were representing the state of Hierusalem I haue established and ordeined watchemen vpon the walles the whiche shall neuer holde their peace neither daye nor night These watchemen are those that haue announced to vs our saluation They are the trompettes of Iesus Christe which neuer haue left their sounding in the true Churche of God from the Apostles time vnto this present daye ¶ The .2 Chapter SAint Paule foloweth this discourse in the fourth Chapiter vnto the Ephesians where as he doeth declare vnto vs the fruit that doth procede of this succession of Pastors and of the perseuerance of the reasonable sheepe in one kinde of spirituall doctrine called the vnitie of fayth For he sayeth that God established this order to that ende that we shoulde not be like light childrē caried away with euerye blast of false doctrine through the subtilitie of men their craftie wordes full of deceipte In these wordes you doo see howe the Apostle doeth declare vnto vs the counsaile and the intention of the holye Ghoste I meane that we should be constant in our fayth the which is grounded vpon the worde of God interpreted and declared vnto vs by the Doctours and Pastors that successiuely haue continued in one kinde of faith and Catholike religion from the firste time that it was preached without turning with euery winde but rather that we ought to stande firme and stable Here is to be noted that when the Apostle doth tell how he hath lefte vs pastors and doctors to warne vs of the subtilitie of false teachers he doth vse a certain greeke worde very apte for this purpose the which hath in Englishe the signification of the playing or cogging at dise And euen as he that hath no great skill if he playe with suche a one he will soone loose his money because the other can cast what he wil Euen so if a simple man being vnlearned doo chaunce to talke with such a one as can cog or to speake plainely falsly interprete the Scriptures he may soone be deceaued as we see it dayly happen to many that playe awaye and put in hazarde the rest of al their spirituall inheritaunce I meane the faith which hath beene lefte to them by their fathers from age to age since Christes time Thus haue the Arrians the Nestorians and diuers other heretikes deceiued many a mā as I will shewe more at large hereafter The .3 Chapter THe place that I haue quoted of the Apostle doth shew howe dangerous a thinge it is to fall into the handes of such Coggers of the scriptures and likewise howe certaine a thinge it is to folowe the interpretation of the auncient Doctours standing to that that euer the Catholike Churche hath taught and not to turne at euery blast Vpon this matter one Vincentius Lyrinensis who florished aboue a thousande yeres agone he saith thus If anye man perchaunce demaunde saying Since that the rules of the Scripture are certaine and sufficient of them selues And what neede haue we then of the authoritie of the Churche He aunswereth For that sayeth he that the secretes and misteries of the holye Scriptures are such that euery man doeth not vnderstande them and interprete them after one sorte but that of one place this man and that man shall seeme to mainteyne their opinions being cleane contrary one to another so that looke howe manye men so many interpretations For one way it is interpreted by Nestorius another waye by Arrius another way by Sabellius and so forth according to diuers heresies that haue risen from time to time And therefore it is necessarye for the knowledge of the trueth among so manye errours to drawe the right line of the Propheticall and Apostolicall interpretation according to the rule and true sense of the Catholike Churche This is the learned opinion of this auncient father Vincentius Lyrinensis ¶ The .4 Chapter WHose discourse doeth make me remember the Complaynt that the Soule doeth make vnto her Spouse IESVS CHRISTE being both represented by Salomō and his legitimate spouse I praye thee saith she O my dere frende tell me in what place thou doest lye and rest at noone dayes for I woulde be very glad and desirous to folowe the flockes of thy felowes The which is as
the right and auncient Catholike fayth For we that are the sheepe of Christe doo folow as touching our religiō the steppes that our fathers led before vs and as it were going vp vppon the ladder of Iacob Gen. 28. we mount by degree and degree I meane from yeere to yeere and from age to age vntill that we come to S. Saturim S. Denice S. Marcial and S. Gratian which were those that did firste teache the Catholike faith in Tholose in Paris and to those of Guyenna and Lorayne and so consequently to all the rest of the Saintes that firste did teache the Catholike fayth through all Christendome whom we doo call in iudgement before God to defend that fayth which they haue geuen vs from hande to hande they may call vppon the Apostles which sent them and the Apostles may direct thēselues to Christe who by the mouth of his moste louing Apostle doth commaunde vs to continue in that that was taught vs at the beginning 1. Ioan. 2. And so we shall continue and rest with the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost And if any body doth come to teache vs anye other doctrine then that which hath bene taught vs at the beginning I doo not saye written in booke but printed in our hearts that he be holden as an Anathema or an excommunicate person yea although it were an Angell of heauen The which doeth perswade vs not to receaue your newe doctrine or Gospell but to keepe our selues vnder the gouernaunce of our olde Pastours and Bishops without hauing any respect to their euill or good liues for as touching our faith and saluation that doth unport nothing The good and holye liues of Iesus Christe and his Apostles hath profited nothing neither to the obstinate Iewes nor to the vnbeleuing Gentiles Nor in the like case the depraued life of manye euil Bishops that haue bene at Rome and in other places haue not shut the dores of heauen against those that are true Catholikes and leade perticuler liues the which are two principall poyntes that doo quiet our consciences I meane the one that we beleue that that our Pastours the vniuersall Church haue beleued these thousande and fiue hundred yeres and the other that their euill liues cannot hurt vs For as the Apostle doth saye Euery man shall beare his owne bundell ¶ The .10 Chapter NOwe to turne vnto the taking of your accompts may it please you to shewe vs howe you haue folowed the steppes of the flocke of Christ according to the counsell that we gaue to his reasonable sheepe as we haue sayde before Who hath taught you the way that you doo folowe what doctours were your first tutors who hath taught you that the precious body of our Sauiour is not really in the Sacrament of the Aultare who hath taught the doctrine or if it be not grief vnto you heresy which you wold haue vs to receiue as a Gospel I know before hand that you wil alleage me Iesus Christe and his holy Apostles whose steppes you doo professe to folow preching euery wher that there is no difference betweene your Church or to say truth Sinagog the church of the Apostles But I pray Let me vnderstand by what means you canne ioyne your selues vnto the Churche of the Apostles seing that you condemne and cut off all the Christians that haue beene and are betweene you and them For to verifye this I will alleage no other but your owne workes for Caluin in his Institutions at the Treatise of the Supper of the Lord speaking of the oblation of the body of our Sauiour Christe as it was offered in olde time he doeth write punctually these wordes Caluinus in sua institutione tradita de Coena Domini I finde sayth he that those of olde time haue chaunged this fashion otherwise then the Institution of our Sauiour did require seing that their supper did represent a certaine spectacle of a straunge Inuention or at the least of a newe maner There is nothing more sure vnto the faythfull then for them to holde them selues vnto the pure ordinance of the Lorde by whom it was called a supper to the ende that onely his authoritie may be our rule Yet it is true that when I consider their good meaning and that their intent was neuer to derogate from the onely sacrifice of Christe I dare not condemne them of folye and yet I thinke that one cannot excuse them that they haue not somewhat fayled in the exteriour forme for they haue folowed more the Cerimonies of the Iewes then the order of Iesus Christe did permit And this is the point in which they ought to be resisted for they haue conformed to muche vnto the olde Testament not contenting themselues with the simple institution of Christe they haue to muche inclined themselues vnto the shadowed Ceremonies of the Iewes lawe These are Caluins words The Reader may by them see well howe this noble Reformer of the Gospell doeth correct al ages and Churches be they of Martyrs Confessors Doctours Interpreters Preachers or anye others from the Apostles time vnto our age yet doth he not deny but that hauing some regard of their simple ignorāce he is content to be so good to them as for this time not to condemne their error or impietie because that which they did was with a good intent but yet fearing that the bearing thē to muche fauour woulde trouble his conscience he geueth sentence against them saying that they ought to be resisted because they were not content with the onely institution of Christe but rather that in this case they haue folowed the shadows of the Iewes Nowe for my part I thinke Caluin and his felowes so scrupulous that they would not ioyn themselues vnto persons that are spotted with Iewish Ceremonies And because that all maner of people howe wise soeuer they were frō the Apostles time vntil our dayes haue fallen into this error he doth counsel my masters his deformed folowers according to his sentence to folowe none of them at all but only the pure worde of the Lord preached by Iesus Christe and by his aboue mentioned Apostles ¶ The .11 Chapter YOu doo knowe very well that S. Paule doth compare many times the misticall body of the Churche vnto a natural body seing that Iesus Christ is the head vnto whō the body is ioined by ioints bones sinews If one should then demaund of you howe the feete are ioined to the head you wil answere me by the legs which are next vnto the feete And if I aske you how the legs are ioined to the hed you wil answere by the ioints and by the reins of the back so consequently frō member to member I do beleue that we are al of one accorde that the ende of the world is at hande and so consequentlye that we are the lowermost part of the body so that we are the feete or the legges Then my masters you that haue made so fine an
Anotomie of the Masse at my request make another of the ministerie of your congregation If you should see such another as Apelles that would paint a man and that he had drawen his head and without painting the rest of his bodye he had set his feete vnder his eares what would you say to suche a Table Spectatum admissi risum teneatis amici Would you not thinke that he was a simple painter or els a great Iester Euen so doo you deserue that one should laugh at youre ministerie For you will ioyne youre Churche if it may be so called vnto the Churche of the Apostles without setting forth any members betweene them You take but scant measure when you will cut of al the Bishops Pastors and doctors that haue bene from the Apostles time til our dayes they being the members that folowe the head of the Churche This maye well be called a newe Religion or to say the truth it is a meere presumption to flye without winges or to clymbe without a ladder And I say to you againe that this is not the waye to folowe the Counsell of the great Shepherde that I mentioned before who doth say to vs that if we will not misse the way of the Catholikes we ought to folow the flocke of those shepe that haue gone before vs that is to saye that we should recken by succession the Pastors that haue succeeded in continuance of one kind of doctrine the which as we haue shewed the Catholike Churche doth and hath euer done ¶ The .12 Chapter AS touching the rest you haue accustomed in your ministerie to vse the imposition or laying on of hands and you saye that it is an auncient and honest Ceremonie In this you say the truth For as we reade of great antiquitie this Cerimonie hath beene vsed aswell in the olde lawe as in the lawe of grace And vnto that did redounde the imposition of handes laid vpon the Wether that was brought to the immolation of the Sacrifice of Moyses lawe to declare that those that are ordeined vnto the seruice of God and vnto the ministerie of the Church ought to retaine the like Ceremonie so the Israelites did laye their handes vppon the Leuites and Moyses likewise did laye his handes vpon Iosua whē he was made a captain of the Israelites who did represent the Church of Christ The apostles haue vsed the like as we find wher we read that S. Peter and S. Iohn did lay their handes vpon the Christiā people of Samaria S. Paule vpon the Ephesians and likewise the Apostles vpon the seuen Deacons vpon S. Paule and Barnabas S. Paule doeth admonishe Timothe not to despise the grace that he had receued by the impositiō of handes that he should set forth the gifte of God that he had receiued with the imposition of the handes of S. Paul vpō him He doth likewise cōmaunde him not to vse this impositiō of hāds without discretiō to the end that he do not cōmunicat with the sin of another Caluin according to these authorities in his institutiō booke Ar. 8. ca. 50. of faith doth cōmaund the like to be vsed in his Churche It doth appere saith he that the Apostles haue vsed no other Ceremonie in the vocation to the ministery but this imposition of handes Now I thinke that thei tooke this custom of the Iewes who did present vnto god by the imposition of hands that that they wold blesse cōsecrate After this sort Iacob Gen. 48. whē he would blesse Ephraim and Manasses he laide his handes vpon their heades Our Sauiour did the like vppon the litle children when he did praye Math. 19. And as I thinke it was all to one ende ordeined in the lawe and therefore the Apostles by the imposition of handes did signifye that they did offer vnto God him that they did receaue into the ministerie althoughe they did vse it likewise with those vnto whom they did distribute the visible giftes of the holy Ghost How so euer it be they haue vsed this solemnitie as many times as they did ordeyne any body to the ministerie of the Churche as we see by example aswell touching the Pastours and doctours as the Deacons Now although there be no special commaundement as touching the imposition of handes yet notwithstanding seeing that we reade that the Apostles did vse it continuallye that which they did vse so diligently ought to be vnto vs as a precept And surely it is a profitable thing to set forth to the people the dignitie of the Ministerie by suche a Ceremonie and to make him know that is thus ordeyned minister that he apperteyneth no more to himselfe but that he is dedicated to the Seruice of God and of his Churche c. Thus seing that Caluin doth confesse the imposition of handes to be so necessary for the ministerie of the Churche and that it is approued aswell by the lawe of nature as by the lawe of Moyses or of the Gospell Answere vs then who was he that laide his handes vpon Caluin to safe conduct the charge of his conscience You will aunswere me Zuinglius or Oecolampadius or the others of his time And if by chaunce one would be so curious as to pursue this demaund mounting a litle higher I meane to know of whom these abouenamed haue receued their blessing and imposition of handes I thinke you will not name the Apostles if you will not haue euery man to laughe at your follye for there is none so simple but doeth knowe that they died aboue 1500. yeres agone And seing that your patriarch hath made vs so goodly an oration as touching this imposition of handes affirming it to be necessarye both by the lawe of Nature the lawe of Moyses and the lawe of Grace howe doeth it come to passe that Zuinglius hath not vsed it to confirme his ministerie ¶ The .13 Chapter If that the good doctour S. Ciprian had bene in these our dayes might he not well haue saide against youre Schollers that which he did write against Nouatus there needed no other but in steede of Nouatus to put in Caluinus or Zuinglius et nomine mu tato de vobis fabula narrabitur Seing that the saide S. Ciprian doth holde affirme that Nouatus oughte to be accompted as no Bishop because he succeded no bodie but rather that he did make himselfe a Bishop without anye imposition of handes Then to what purpose I praye you are ye of the opinion that Caluin and Zuinglius are such faithful ministers considering that they are as far from prouing that confirmation of their ministerie as euer was Nouatus You wil answer me that you haue no nede of the impositiō of hāds of the Papists superstitious Idolaters Infidels But this maketh your cause neuer the better for if you are so scrupulous by nature that it goeth against your cōsciences to come to kneele to our Bisshops you shuld I say in times
past haue required your ancient ministers to haue geuē you a warrant for the cōfirmatiō of your estate whē one doth demaund of you since when your religion begon you are not content to claime the beginning from the Apostles but rather stepping hardly forwarde ye are not content to staye at Dauid or Abraham but you must needes fetche it from Abell yea from Adam And if one should spurre you forwarde you would go I knowe not whether Then seing that your Churche is so auncient and that it hath indured till our dayes if we wil beleeue you it is not like to be true that it hath beene destitute altogether of ministers for although it be so that God did greatly afflicte the Israelites with the captiuitie of Babilon yet did he neuer leue them without comfort of good doctours suche as Daniel Ezechias Abdias and many others Euen so you that thinke in your owne heades to be the people of God I cannot thinke if it be so he would so haue geuen you ouer as to want ministers to comfort you in your afflictions and to ordeyne your ministerie by the imposition of handes What stayes you that you doo not go to them seing that you haue nothing to do with oures And if you say that you haue done so doo vs so muche plesure as to let vs heare their names and in what time they did florishe or otherwise you may pardon vs if we geue no credite to your fayned imaginations ¶ The .14 Chapter CAluin doth alleage to vs that the Apostles doo saye that is that no body ought to take vpon him the honour of the high priesthood except he be called to it as Aaron was meaning by that to conclude that of our owne authoritie wee haue vsurped the dignitie of priesthood We haue aunswered him at large of our vocation by the succession of Pastors ioyned with the imposition of handes I doe demaunde of him or of his if they can make any true answer to the like obiection You do lay to our charge the yl liues of our Popes Bishops and the naughtines that you pretend to find in our Preachers but al those inuectiues serue to no other purpose but to shewe howe you keepe a learned schoole of rayling the which preheminence we do yelde to you without any debate or processe for ye may attribute that vnto your selues as your owne by right in steede of the imposition of hands which ye want But in one thing to my iudgement you are greatly ouerseene and that is this Why doe ye not fyll bothe sides of your Booke in the one you sette foorth at large without omitting anye poynte of their yll dooinges all the naughtie lyues of oure Pastours and Byshoppes but the other sydes of the leaues are emptie you shoulde haue written on them the holye lyues of your Ministers succeeding one after an other this thousande and fiue hundred yeeres When the Popes Bonifacius and Gregorius didde gouerne yll their Seates at Rome whiche were the good and holy Ministers that dyd their duety at Geneua When our Doctours dyd preache agaynst god in times paste in what part or vnder what signe were your Ministers lodged that dyd then preache the pure woorde of the Lorde yf they dydde hyde them selues they dydde not followe the pure worde of the Lorde the whiche you say is necessarie too knowe the true and faythfull beleeuers For Christe doth say Matthewe 10. That hee that shall denye him before men him will he denie before his father in heauen And S Paul doth say Rom. 10. That with the heart one doth beleue to Iustice and with the mouth one must confesse to saluation But to say the truth your religion was not then founde out and the Grandfathers great Grandfathers of Caluin had neuer dreampt of the heresyes that now their reformed childe hath set so newly abroche And therefore thinke it not straunge if that those people that are not light headed send you to preache in newe found landes as one that hath here at home geuen manifestly iudgement against himself confessing as we haue alleaged aboue that the Churche of God hath vsed the imposition of handes yours hath not done so therfore it doth folowe that it is not of God and that that doth folow consequently is that it is of the deuill For we knowe that you alowe no Purgatorie I meane no meane betweene them both ¶ The .15 Chapter YOu will saye to me that this argument ought to take place in an ordinarie Commission but yours is extraordinarie as that was of the Prophetes of the olde Testament whom God did sende to correct the Scribes and Pharises and that euē so God hath inspired you and others of your sect to the like effect that is to saye to correct the superstitious liues and doctrine of the Papistes Idolaters and by this as farre as I can see ye are Commissaries of God in his behalfe and ye may say wel with S. Paule although ye haue not bene rauished vnto the third heauen that ye are not sent by man or of man but by the authoritie of oure Sauiour Christe But what woulde you saye if we shoulde speake against it as a number doo and that to reuenge this quarel we should write against your Commission we might well aide our selues with a Sillogisme of our sauiour Christe if we woulde come to pleade the matter which is this He that is of God doth obey the worde of God but you doo not obey the worde of God therefore ye are not of God. I knowe that you wil denye the Minor and therefore it doeth appertaine to vs to proue it Christe doeth saye Giue vnto Coesar that that apperteyneth to Coesar and to God that that apperteyneth to God. That is to saye to speake familiarlye Geue Geneua vnto his Lorde and the Bishopricke vnto his Bishop Nowe you doo not obeye this commaundement and therefore as one that doeth not apperteyne vnto God you haue prouided your selfe a newe master And because we woulde not haue some to thinke that we that are not of the countrey doo beare false witnes against you or that we doo it without hauing anye interest vnto the matter I am sure that all the world doeth knowe that ye haue set all Fraunce in as ill an estate as ye haue done the dukedome of Sauoye In that that appertayneth to the Church is there any Bishoprick or dioces left where ye haue not sought with all youre power to preache youre holye doctrine where haue ye forgotten that that Saint Paule doeth saye whiche is Howe shall they preache if they are not sent What righte haue you to come to reape other mennes corne Doo not you remember that that Tertulian doeth write against youre elders that did persecute the Catholike Churche against whom he sayeth in his booke de praescriptione haereticorum What are ye and from whence doo ye come By what right O Marcian doest thou cut downe my wood why
passe drye foote ouer the redde Sea Whye did ye not require at his hande that it mighte please him to authorize his worde preached by youre ministers with Signes miracles and tokens as he did when he sente youre felowes the Apostles seeinge that you are Prophetes howe commeth it to passe that you haue not foreseene that we would not beleue you for who is he although he were a deuil that could not say as muche But we haue one disauowe which God hath geuen to manye which doo report that they doo come from him whiche doth greatly ouerthrowe the authoritie of your commission He doth say in the .14 of Hieremie The Prophets preache falsely in my name I haue not sent them I haue not commaunded them nor I haue not spoken vnto thē but they prophecie vnto you false visions and naughtie diuinations to deceaue your heartes And likewise in the .27 Chapiter I haue not sent them saith the Lord God and they prophecie in my name falselye to thintent I should forsake you and that aswell you as your prophetes should perishe Item in the .29 Let not your Prophetes seduce you that are amongest you nor your Southsayers and doo not marke the dreames that ye dreame for they doo prophecie falselye vnto you in my name seing that I haue not sent them saith the Lorde etc. So that although it wer true that God hath sent you as it is false we might with a iust cause pretend an excuse of ignorance and to saye with great assuraunce that that Abymilech sayde vnto God where he threatned that he woulde kill him because he kepte Abrahams wife O Lorde God sayde he would you kill a poore simple nation Shall it be sayde that we beleue all those that fayne to come in youre name haue not you commaunded vs by the Apostle That we shoulde not beleue euery spirite and that the Angel of darknes doth transfourme himselfe into an Angell of light Haue not you commaunded to be written that we should beware which way we take that suche a waye doth seeme good the whiche notwithstanding doeth leade vnto damnation and perdition If any saying that he is our princes seruant should come to demaunde a summe of mony in his masters name and that he had neither his hand nor his seale to warrant his demaunde would not we sende him awaye like a false merchant fering that he wold deceaue vs then with greater reason ought we to feare the committing of our faith and the hope of our saluation into their hands whom we know not nor that cannot shewe any miracles to confirme their preaching as the Apostles did Qui confirmabant sermonem sequentibus signis That is which did confyrme their preaching with Signes or miracles folowing why do not they sai as he said whose successors they professe to be the signs of my commission Apostleship haue bene accomplished among you with signes and miracles 2. Cor. 12. ¶ The .18 Chapter YOu do aunswere vs as that Iewes were answered by Christe when they did demaund him to shew some Miracles The generation adulterous and peruerse doeth demaunde signes but no signe shal be geuen them etc. But this comparison can not be applyed vnto vs for we are not so hard of beliefe as the Iewes nor you such faithful messengers of God as Christ was of whom the Iewes did demaunde some signes of obstinate hatred after thei had sene so many lame healed so many blinde receiue their sight so many deafe heare so many dispossest that had spirites but as for you we haue sene your cōmission not to haue extended so far as to restore a flie to life againe or to heale a lame goose although that greater matters are required to confirme so straunge and so new a reformed Gospel These wordes doo make you mad crying out and preching in euery place that your Churche ought not to be called newe but rather that it is olde and Apostolicall and that your doctrine is the verye same that S. Peter and S. Paule did preache And to drawe the simple people to beleue that that you saye you doo declare your faith saying that you doo beleue doo preach that there is one God in Trinitie of persons and the second which is our Sauiour became manne from the wombe of the virgin and that he suffered and did rise againe and to be briefe you shewe that you haue profited in your religion for you haue bene but fortie yeeres which is the time since it began in learning the great Creede the Pater noster the whiche you coulde not learne in a thousande and fyue hundred of ours But in all this you say nothing to the purpose for we doo not demaunde of you whether you can well your Cathechisme the which you hauing learned of vs you teache to others And as Sampson saide Iud. 15. If you had not labored with my Cowe ye would neuer haue hit my Riddle That is to sai That if that our Churche had not nursed or taught you which are her rebellious children you woulde haue knowen nothing for it is of our Churche that you haue learned the principles of your faith She is the Cowe that hath nourished Caluin in a Chanonrie of Noyon Theodore de Bexa in the Priorie of Louinnam harde by Paris and consequentlye all the other ministers which haue learned all that they knowe at the Conuent of S. Fraunces S. Dominick S. Augustine and of S. Bennet where ye were nourished spirituallye as touching your doctrine and temporally as touching the mainteyning of your studie at the charge of that Church against the which ye doo nowe so striue as the Camels whiche sometime rewarde their masters for their good keeping with yerking biting so that coulor it howe you list ye cannot denye but that ye set forth newe deuises For althogh it is so that your heresyes which to please the eares of the vnlearned ye call the refourmed Gospel and pure worde of God haue bene in times past yet they were buried in the very depth of hell and you haue raised them againe cloked with newe coulors But although it were so that your doctrine were not new but very olde yet ought not you to be more priuiledged thē Moyses and the Prophetes whose simple and playne wordes the world would not beleue although they preached no new doctrine no more then you say that you doo Moyses did shewe manye miracles in Egipt and why was the principall cause to deliuer the children of Israell out of the captiuitie of Pharao No surelye for to what purpose I pray you shuld God shewe such great power and might against a simple worme of earth Is it like to be true that he shoulde moue the whole heauens with suche great darkenes to send so many notable plages to bring him to yeld which had confessed his wickednes for the torment that he suffered with the flyes the frogges Grashoppers Surely no he himselfe doth
eyght of Genesis where God doth saye Increase and multiplye and replenishe the earth If you doo saye that this is a foolishe opinion I confesse it to be so but that very Churche which hath condemned this heresye of theirs doeth likewise condemne yours When the deuil determined to fight with Christe he thought he could in no wise ayde him selfe so well as with the holy Scripture perswading him that the best way for him to shewe him selfe to be the sonne of God was to breake his necke castinge himselfe downe from the Pinnacle of the TemTemple And he did alleage this text saying as it is written That the Angels of God shoulde so preserue him that he shoulde not hurt his foote against the stones folowing that Dauid saide And if I should go about to write al the places of Scripture that the heretikes haue alleaged to mainteyne their horrible errours I thinke surely I might make a bigger booke then the Bible ¶ The .24 Chapter YF that the sonne doo hate the father or the father the son or if the wife doo hate the husband or the husband the wife they may take the word of God yll vnderstoode to defende their cause for he doth cōmaunde vs that we shall hate those that are neerest vnto vs as vnder the payne of not entring into Paradise if we doo contrarye But this ought to be vnderstoode that we ought not to preferre the loue of any creature howe neere soeuer they be to vs before the loue of god In like maner he that will saye that we shoulde not eate of the blud of those beasts that ar smothered he may soone alleage the Scripture for it which doeth saye That at the Councell that the Apostles helde at Ierusalem being present the holye Ghoste this ordinance was made as we reade in the .15 Chapter of the Actes And if that one should take in hande to bring all the places of scripture that the heretikes haue alleaged to mainteyne their opinions I dare boldly saye that he shall fynde it an endlesse piece of worke For amonge so great a number of false prophetes there hath bene very fewe or almoste none but they haue sought to mainteyne their opinions by Scripture drawing the places as it were by violence to a depraued and a corrupte sense being this the maner of interpreting of the Scriptures called at this day the pure worde of God by those that haue professed to be as long as they liue enemies to the trueth The learned and auncient Doctour Epiphanius in his fyrst booke against heresyes doeth alleage as touchinge this matter a verye familier example saying that if some good Caruer had made the Image of a king adorned with manye Iewelles and precious stones and that another should come afterward and should take the same Iewels precious stones and make with them the Image of a Foxe or a Dogge and that he should saye Beholde here is the Image of a king woulde not euery body laugh him to scorne and say that he did it in mockerie or els that he were mad Yes surely for although they be the same Iewelles and that very stuffe wherewith was made the Image of the kinge yet because that this other workeman hath taken them awaye and fashioned them after another sorte it ought no more to be called the Image of a king but the picture of a foxe or a dogge Euen thus is it with the holye Scriptures whiche were lefte vs by the Apostles and Prophetes for to paint in riche coulours the Image of the great kinge of glorye but seeinge that you take those precious stones from the Image of this kinge and doo appropriate them vnto the Image of a foxe making them serue to cloake youre heresyes withall it ought no more to be called the worde of God nor the holye Scripture but the woorde of menne and false doctrine And therefore yf you will haue it to beare the fyrste name you must set it in the fyrst estate that is to saye that it ought to be interpreted by him that did firste indite it It is not by the will of man sayth S. Peter epist. 2. Ca. 1. That the prophecie was brought but by the inspiration of the holy Ghoste that holye persons haue spoken c. I knowe well that you attribute the intelligence of the Scripture vnto your Sinagog But howe shall we beleue that the holy Ghoste doth dwell more in you then in all the vniuersall Churche which hath continued from the passion of Christ vntil this time I pray doo so much as aunswere me if you my masters be the lodging of the holye Ghoste where did he make his residence before ye were borne I know already your aunswere the which is In the heartes of the faithfull And where were those faythfull Marye where the holy Ghoste was Answer thus still and ye shal be sure that ye shall not be ouertakē for it is as good as to playe Handie dandie and so ye shall accomplishe the olde Prouerbe the which sayeth It is as farre from Douer to Caleys as from Caleys to Douer But to the ende that all the worlde may see the great hazarde of eternall damnation that those runne into that are so ready to beleue euery body thinking that they are assured of their health forasmuche as those that seduce them say beholde there is the Scripture it is the pure worde of God and the verye Gospell I will set forth some heresyes that haue bene in times past condemned by the Catholike Churche the which notwithstanding haue bene aswell yea and more largelye confyrmed by Scripture then you can confyrme anye of yours ¶ The .25 Chapter THe Catholike Church continually hath faythfully holden and doeth hold that our Sauiour Iesus Christ is true God and man hauing taken naturall fleshe in the wombe of the virgin Marye whollye like vnto ours as touching the corporal essence that is to saye excepted onelye sinne the which bodye he did fourme of the verye fleshe and substaunce of his mother by the operation of the holye Ghoste who hath wrought so notable and excellent a woorke that two contrary or diuers natures are miraculouslye ioyned and vnited in one person without confusion or conuersion of the one substaunce into the other but by coniunction and vnion of them both called by the diuines Hypostatique This doctrine hath euer beene receaued and holden by the Churche in equall degree of trueth and reuerence with the rest of the poyntes of religion which nowe you seeke to abolishe And notwithstanding this diuers Ministers and Preachers deriued from the sacred consistoryes of Valentinus Photinus Manes Theodorus Nestorius Apollinaris Eutichus Macharius Eutiocheus besydes a great number of other famous heretikes that I cannot here name haue sought to teache the contrarye saying that they were sent from him that sent the Apostles to refourme the Churche not by the Traditions of men which you call Papisticall but by the pure worde of god For euen like you
folow the sectes of perdition If all our Shepheardes had bene as carefull to keepe their flockes as they ought to haue bene your Congregation had neuer ben so strongly builded as it is at this day in Fraunce And therefore you offer your Churche if it maye be so called great wronge when you speake against the abuses of ours for our sinnes haue bene and are the principall foundation of your buildinge And euen as the worme is nourished in the Aposteme with the yll humors euen so you feede of our faultes and are nourished with our sinnes youre fyre burnes with our wood and if we woulde amende our liues I knowe howe soone your religion woulde decaye And therefore our Pastors are not wolues but they haue permitted the wolues to deuoure their sheepe and so they shall aunswere for them before the throne of the eternall Iudge who doth aduertise them by the Prophete Ezechiell that they shal aunswere for all the mischiefes that happen vnto their sheepe manye of the which are scabbed and full of diseases and therefore I would haue you to cause some bodye to choose among yours and ours those that are best to the ende that through this diuision and your ayde we maye take the rest I thinke that if anye thing condemne vs it wil be this cause forasmuch as we haue continued in that doctrine which was preached vnto vs at the firste as you your selues can not denye if you will confesse the truth ¶ The .38 Chapter ALl our auncient doctours aswell of the Greeke as of the Latine Churche since the Apostles time and the Christians of all the foure quarters of the world which wer in those dayes haue made their promises and vowes vnto God euen as we doo now at their baptisme they did vse euen those very Ceremonies that we do with the self same exorcismes adiurations and annoyntings that we doo vse in our Catholike Churche which you call Papisticall to proue this true we wil bring the said aunciēt doctours as witnesses if it please you to read the places that we wil quote Tertulian who liued verye neere the Apostles time doeth make mention in his booke that he intituled De resurrectione carnis of the annoynting vsed at the Baptisme and of the renouncing the deuil and all his pompe In his booke De corona militis he doth speake of the thirde dipping vnder the water in the name of the father the sonne and the holye Ghoste S. Ciprian the Martyr who was aboue 1300. yeres agone doth write in the second volume of his Epistles epist. 12. how they did vse in his time to geue the holye Chrisme vnto the children that were baptised Origen in his twelfth Homilie and in diuers other places of his works doth make mention of the renouncing of the deuill at ones baptisme and of the making of the signe of the Crosse vppon childrens faces when they were christened S. Iohn Chrisostome in his 12. Homilie vpon the fyrste Epistle to the Corinthians Cap. 4. And in his fyrste Homilie vppon the fyrste Chapter to the Ephesians he doth make mention of the sayde renunciation made from the deuill and all his workes Reade I pray if it be your pleasure S. Aug. in Psal. 31. Aug. li. 15. contra Iulia. Pelag li. 1. Cap. 2. Item de nuptiis et concupiscentia Lib. 1. Cap. 20. In Ioannē tract 33. In Canonicam Ioannis tract 3. et Tractat. 6. Et de ecclesi dogmat Cap. 31. De Simbolo lib. 1. Cap. 7. et lib. 2. Cap. 11. Et libro de his qui initiantur sacris Cap. 1. Basilius de Spiritu Sancto Cap. 15. et 75. Arnobius in Ps. 27. All these Doctoures which were aboue a thousande yeeres agone if you reade in them the places that heere I haue quoted you shall fynde that they did vse at the Baptisme of their children those verye Cerimonyes that we doo nowe vse and that you doo so mislike And as for Confession before the receauing of the Sacrament our Sauiour Christe doeth teache vs that the Ecclesiasticall Ministers haue authoritie to bynde and forgeue sinnes S. Ciprian in his fyfth Sermon De lapsis Origen vppon the thirtie and seuenth Psalme and in Leuit. Hom. 2. S. Augustine lib. 2. de visitatione infirmorum Cap. 4. S. Ciril libro 12. in Ioannem Cap. 56. S. Hierom in Ecclesi Cap. 10. All these Doctours according to the Scriptures in these places doo confyrme auriculer confession And as for praying vnto the Saintes in Paradise to helpe vs with their prayers reade Origen in his thirde Homilie vpon the Canticles and in his second booke vppon Iob and in his eyght booke in Ecclesi Reade Chrisostome in his eyght Homilie vppon the Epistle to the Ephesians the fourth Chapter and S. Augustine in his twentie booke against Faustinus the one and twentie Chapter and Saint Hierom against Vigilantius All these make mention of the praying vnto the Saintes And for praying for the deade Reade Tertulian in his booke De Monogonia and in his booke De Corona militis and Saint Ciprian ad plebem Furnensem and in the fyrst booke of his Epistles and Origen in Hieremiam Hom. 12. Item in epist. ad Ro. lib. 8. cap. 11. Reade Chrisostome in his third Homilie vpon the Epistle of S. Paule to the Philippians and S. Aug. li. 2. de gen against the Maniches Cap. 20. and in the Incheridion ad Laurent Cap. 110. Item libro de cura pro mortuis agenda All these Doctours whose workes haue continued these 1200. yeeres doo teache vs all these thinges that nowe we doo obserue the which they left in writing by the ordinaunce of God to confute suche heretikes as you are ¶ The .39 Chapter ANd if I did not thinke that it would be to tedious for the Reader I woulde set forth the rest of our Catholike doctrine the confyrmation of it by the testimonie of suche a number of not onely Doctours but therewith al holy Confessors Martyrs which haue suffered for our religion and that haue taught vs both by worde of mouth and by writing all that we doo vse at this daye teaching vs to liue and dye in it and for it I would haue you answere me vnto this Doo you thinke that they be in heauen or in hell I know wel that meere scrupulositie of conscience will make you not expresse plainelye that that your works doo teache and that you will remit this questiō to the iudgement of god But this is not to the purpose for I do not demaund of you any absolute aunswere as if you had bene in heuen or hell to see it but this to vtter in your conscience what you thinke of those that haue holden mainteyned and confessed our fayth whom you call Infidels and superstitious Papistes are they condemned If you say yea Then wherefore was the bloud of Christe shed on the Crosse it had bene better that he had neuer suffred if this were true If you saye that God
the best of the worlde yea whollye without spot or sinne as some of you doo affyrme yet were not they sufficient to moue vs to chaunge our religion nor to forsake that that our forefathers haue taught vs for although it be so that our Sauiour Christe was as iust and as innocent as any can be hath beene or euer shal be yet neyther his holy life nor the Scriptures that he did alleage to proue his comming by the authoritie of the Prophetes nor the testimonie of S. Iohn Baptist all these thinges together wer not sufficient to perswade the Iewes to forsake their old lawes and to receaue the Gospell without the testimonie of the great miracles that he did in their presence He doeth confesse this plainely where he sayth If I had not done in their presence the workes and miracles that neuer any had done they should haue no sin This sentence is moste notable and woorthy to be grauen in the heartes of all Catholikes to assure their consciences which are troubled with such diuersitie of opinions For although it were so that you my masters were the honestest men of the worlde sent from God to teache and preache a true doctrine yet shoulde we be excusable before God for not receauing of your commission euen as the Iewes had bene for not receuing of our Sauiour Christe if he had not done so manye miracles For we knowe no cause why you shoulde be more priuileged then Christe And seing that you haue shewed nothing to verifye it this waye and that the Scriptures make no mention of your vocation nor you shewe no miracles and that your liues are at the least as yll as ours what moues you to be so bolde and so vnshamefaced as to threaten vs with eternall damnation if we receaue not your hereticall doctrine the which is so full of discordes and diuisions that one maye easilye gather by this from whence it came and whither it doeth leade one although yee haue nothing in your mouthes but the Gospell the worde of the Lorde and as S. Augustine sayde vnto your semblables Sola personat apud vos veritatis pollicitatio I say no more at this time but that I beseeche God to drawe you as nere to vs as you are farre from vs and to inspire youre mindes to turne to the flock of Christ the which both to your owne harme and ours you haue forsaken FINIS ¶ An offer made by a Catholike to a learned Protestant wherein shall appere the difference betwixte the open knowen Churche of the Catholikes from the hidde and vnknowen congregation of the Protestants FIrste seeing it cannot be denyed that our Sauiour Christe before his departure and Ascension did commit the charge and gouernment of his Churche the testimonie of his word the truth of his Gospell the ministration of his Sacramentes to his Apostles and Disciples that not only for them selues but to their successors Bishops and priests to none other saying onely vnto them Euntes docete omnes gentes Goe ye and teache all people and nations of the worlde baptising them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghoste teaching them to obserue and keepe all thinges which I haue commaunded you Further Thapostle S Paule being at Miletum in executing of his charge and gouernment gaue this admonition to the bishops and priestes there assembled before him saying Attendite vobis et vniuerso gregi Take hede vnto your selues and vnto the whole flocke of Christe in the which the holy ghoste hath ordeyned you bishops Regere ecclesiam dei to gouerne the church of God. And in the thirtenth Chapiter of his Epistle to the Hebrews he doth commaunde al other sortes of men without exception of Emperours kinges Queenes princes to obey their bisshops and priestes saying Obedite Praepositis vestris et subiacete eis ipsi enim peruigilant quasi rationem pro animabus vestris reddituri Obey your Prelates and doo what they appoynt you for they doo watche as men that shall render accoumptes for your soules Seeing that by the testimonies before alleaged it can not be denyed but that the charge and gouernment of Christe his churche the preaching of his doctrine the administration of his Sacraments was by him committed to his Apostles disciples and to all Bishops and priestes as Successors of them to plant christian fayth and religion in his catholike churche vniuersally throughout all nations coastes and quarters of the worlde Seeing this is by the playnnes of the sayde Testimonyes of suche an vndoubted truth that it cannot be denyed Nowe let the learned Protestant affyrming princes to be the supreme heades of the Church eyther shewe by some suche other like playne testimonyes of the scriptures that our Sauiour Christe did committe the chiefe charge and supreme gouernment of his Churche to Emperours kinges Queenes and princes to plant christian fayth religion in the same or that anye one of Christe his Apostles or disciples did conuert any people lande or countrey from their Idolatry Ethnike kinde of liuing to Christian fayth religion by preaching the doctrine of the Protestantes as of onely fayth to iustifye the contempt of good workes and that they be all vncleane in the sight of God the denyall of free will of the reall presence of Christes bodye in the holy Eucharist of the sacrifice of the moste blessed Masse the abolishing of Christe his Sacramentes of all grace and goodnes by them cōferred vnto vs then I shal yeelde and recant and not before Seconde Christe his Catholike Churche being on this wise planted by Thapostles disciples of Christe by Bishops and priests the successors of them had at all times a special care and regarde not onelye of preaching Gods worde but also of the preseruation of the same worde and Gospel by writing of the sacred Bible and holy Scriptures and did discerne iudge them from all other writinges prophane or authentique of all sortes What Churche hath had from time to time the custody of the sacred scriptures and moste safely hath preserued them for the necessary foode of Gods people and from the corruption of the aduersaries aswel Iewes and Gentiles as schismatikes and heretikes of all sortes but onely the common knowen Catholike Church of Christ When therefore the learned Protestantes shal be able to bring proufe to the contrarye that their priuate conuenticles and congregations were the firste bringers forth of this sacred Bible and the worde of God written the chiefe preseruers and defenders of the same in all times and ages from all Iewes Gentiles heretikes and schismatikes Then I will as I saide before reuolte and recant Thirde shew me good reason why ye protestants doo beleeue our catholike churche enfourming and telling you this to be the word of God written the true Bible and sacred Scriptures and doo refuse to credite her in the true sense and vnderstanding of the same Scripture she being