downe in holy writ what there is deliuered that they beleeue what there is cōcealed lieth without the circumference of their beliefe Alas poore ignorance What heretike beleeueth not so much certainly few or none so that by this means al damned hereticks which beleeue the scriptures beleeue alike and they beleeue as much as our Protestants and ours no more then they But the Protestant will replie that hee beleeueth the Scripture in a true sense truely expounded and all other heretikes in an erronious sense and falsely interpreted And they will say as much of their Religion and beleefe and hold you◠exposition hereticall and theirs orthodoxall Againe are you not bound to beleeue the canticles or song of Salomon as a part of your faith and where finde you in the scriptures deliuered that such a booke is Gods word and as such an one ought by faith to bee beleeued That Sunday should bee kept holy-daie and Saterdaie the Iewes Saboth prophained in Gods word is not reuealed and yet by Protestants beleeued Moreouer to beleeue whatsoeuer is contained in the scripture is a generall confused folded implicitie faith when wee demaund what a man is bound to beleeue wee aske what hee is obliged to beleeue expresly distinctlie explicitlie To beleeue all the scripture distinctly explicitly cannot bee preformed by all Protestants since it supposeth a perfect and distinct knowledge of all the scripture wherevnto neuer mortall man attained the Apostles perhaps excepted Some will limit their beleefe to their creed saying that nothing ought to be beleeued which is not in the Apostles creed But then I would demaund of them whether that wee ought to beleeue that the scripture is the word of God that baptisme is a sacrament that in the Eucharist is the bodie of Christ by faith to what article should these be reduced seeing they are not contained in the creed or how shall we know infallibly how these be matters of faith since they are not contained in the creed others denie some articles of their creed also for the Protestants denie three articles of our creed and the puritans fiue The first is the Catholike Church Credo ecclesiam sanctam Catholicam I beleeue the holie Catholike Church the which in very Math. 26. Isa 60. deede they doe not beleeue because Catholike is vniuersall and so the Church of Christ which wee are bound to beleeue must bee vniuersall for all time comprehending all ages and vniuersall for place comprehending all nations but that Church which the Protestants beleeue was interrupted all the ages betwixt the Apostles and Luther which was 1400. yeares or in verie deed was neuer seene before Luthers daies therefore that Church they beleeue cannot bee Catholike Neither is it vniuersali in place beeing contained within the narrow bounds of England which is accompted but as a corner of the world for the Lutherans in Germanie the Hugonotes in France and the Gues in Flanders detest their Religion as much as the Catholikes neither will they ioyne issue with them in diuers essentiall points And therefore the Protestants Church which they beleeue can no more be called Catholike or vniuersall then England the vniuersall world or Kent the Kingdome of England or apruned bough a whole tree or a dead singer a man or a rotten tooth the whole head The second article is the communion of Saints the which they many waies deny First by not beleeuing that Christ hath instituted seauen Sacraments wherein the Saints of the Church communicate and especiallie the true and real presence of our Sauiour Christ in the Eucharist by which all the faithfull receiuers participating of 1. Cor. 01. 17. one the self same body are made one bodie as all the partes of a mans bodie are made one liuing thing by participating one soule Secondly they deny the communion of the Church militant Gen. 48. v. 16. Apoca. 1. v. 4. and triumphant by exclaiming against inuocation of Saints by which holy exercise the blessed Saints in heauen and wee in earth communicate we by prayer glorifying them and they by meditation obtaining our request Thirdly they deny the communion of the Church militant and the soules in purgatory bereauing them of that Christian charitie which charitable compassion and merciful pitty requireth and by natural affection the members of one body helpe one another The third article is remission of sinnes for they acknowledge no such effect in the Sacrament of Baptisme but onely count it as an external signe or seale of a prereceiued grace or fauor of God Ad Tit. 3. by his external predestination against the expresse word of God which therefore calleth this Sacrament the lauer of regeneration Ioh. 20. for that in it the soule dead by sinne is newly regenerate by grace Moreouer they allow not the Sacrament of pennance wherein all actuall sinnes committed after Baptisme are cancelled that which exceedeth all in absurditie is to deny that our sinnes are all perfectly forgiuen but onely not imputed and as it were veiled or couered with the passion of Christ all the botches and biles the filth and abhomination of sinne still remaining and as it were exhaling a most pestiferous sent in the sight of God for let them shift themselues as they list and scarfe their sores according to their fancies yet no veile nor mantell can couer their deformitie of sinne from the piercing eyes of Jo◠8. ver 24. Ioh. 16. v. 13. And D. Bu◠ley contendeth to proue it in his answer to this article albeit he vnderstandeth not the reason here alledged for if he did hee were to absurd to deny it Isa 66. ver 24. Gods perfect vnderstanding from which nothing can be concealed Fourthly the Puritanes in effect deny that Christ is the Sonne of God for they peremptorily affirme that Christ is God of himselfe and not God of God So that he receiued not his diuinitie from his father The which position flatly taketh away the nature of a sonne for the nature of a sonne is to receiue his substance of his Father and it implyeth contradiction that the Sonne receiueth his person of his Father and not his substance and essence for the substance of God is essentiall to euery person in trinitie Fiftly finally they deny the descension of Christ into hell and desperately defend that he suffered the Paines of hell vpon the Crosse wherby they blaspheme most horribly that sacred humanitie as if Christ had dispaired of his saluation as if God had hated him and he had hated God Marke 9. 48. Math. 25. 41. as if he had bene afflicted and tormented with anguish of mind for his offences for which he was depriued of the sight of God and eternally to be depriued all which horrible punishments are especially included in the paines of Hell and whosoeuer ascribeth them to Christ blasphemeth more horribly then Arius who denied him to God for lesse absurditie it were to deny him to be God then to make
sola sacrameÌ„ta in EuaÌ„gelio manifestè tradita legimus i We read that these only 2. sacraments are plainely deliuered to vs in the Gospell yet did hee not deny this article of faith Your owne doctor Alexander de Hales flatly affirmeth yâ— neither Christ nor his Apostles did Alexand. de Halis par quest â—4 men 1. institute ordain the Sacrament of Confirmation but yâ— it was afterward ordained in the councel called Meldense yet he denied not this article And therfore you ouershot your self in saying that they which beleeue not yâ— Chtist did institue 7. sacraments deny this article of faith The coÌ„munion of Saints But to proceed with you concerning the true reall presence of Christ in the Eucharist we deny the same not to the faith of the godly worthy receiuer but to the mouth teeth of the carnal eater We beleeue say that Christs body bloud in as much as they were offred vpon the crosse for our redeÌ„ption are the spiritual food of our soules without which wee can neither liue vnto God heare nor liue with God hereafter and that the same is offred to vs partly in the promises of the Gospel partly in the sacrameÌ„ts of Baptisme Christs supper is in both appreheÌ„ded of vs by faith without which neither the word nor Sacraments can profit vs. But here I must put you in mind that you corruptly alleage a place of S. Paul 1. Cor. 10. 17. foisting in this word Body for Bread S. Paules words be thus we that are many are one bread and one body because we are partakers of one bread This shifting of the words of the holy Ghost is too vsual with your companions Bounderius a Louaine Frier alleaging Compend concept titul 21. act the words of Saint Paul in the next chapter verse 27. Quicunque manducauerit panem hunc c. Hee that eateth this bread c. putteth out the word panem and foisteth in the word carnem flesh alleaging it thus Qui manducat carnem bibet calicem Domini indigne c. He that eateth the flesh drinketh the cup of the Lord vnworthily c. D. Harding in his confutation of the Apology intreating Confut. Apolo cap. 16. diuis 1 of Purgatory alleaging the words of S. Paul 2. Cor. 7. 1. to proue satisfaction for sinnes by that fained fire putteth out Sanctification and in place thereof putteth Satisfâ—tation alleaging it thus making perfect satisfaction in the feare of God Cardinall Hosius changeth the words of Saint Paul alleaging them thus Neque ferre possunt vt per verbum Deisigno Consâ— Petri 10 cap. 13. crucis vlla creatura sanctificetur They cannot abide that any creature should bee sanctified by the word of God and signe of the crosse Hee putteth out prayer and putteth in the signe of the Crosse as a more holy thing The foresaid Bunderius doth most shamefully alleage a Ibid titul 3. 0. arti 5. place of the Apostlein this sort Nam si cinis vâ—tâ—lae conspersas populum sanctificauit atque mundauit quantò magis aqua sale conspersa diuinis precibus sacrata poulum sanctificat atque mundat If the ashes of an heifer sprinkled haue sanctified and cleansed the people how much more shall water sprinkled with salt being hallowed with diuine prayers sanctifie and cleanse the people c. The words of the Apostle bee these If the bloud of bulles and goats and Heb. 9. 13. the ashes of an heifer sprinkling them that are vncleane sanctifieth as touching the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the bloud of Christ which through the eternal spirit offered himselfe without fault to God purge your conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God Is not this horrible handling of Gods word and blasphemous attributing that to their salt water which is proper and peculiar to the bloud of Christ I could shew in like manner how they haue clipped the coine of Gods word in leauing out words of purpose which serue not their turne but I will omit them only this I say yâ— if they which counterfet clip the kings coine deserue haÌ„ging what do they deserue yâ— counterfeit clip the word of the eternall God king of all kings but corrupt doctrine caÌ„not be maintained without corruptioÌ„ of Gods word But to returne to S. Pauls place he there disswadeth the Christians of Corinth from going to Idolatours feasts by a reason taken from the supper of our Sauiour Christ shewing that as the faithfull by eating that bread which there is broken and drinking that Cup are made partakers of Christ Iesus so they that did eate those feasts ordained to the honoring of Idols were partakers of Idolatrie there committed or rather of the Diuell that was there serued And as the faithfull by being partakers of that bread haue communion togither and bee made one body to wit the mysticall body of Christ so they that receiue those Idol bankets haue communion together and shew themselues to be of one bodie videl of the Diuil Now as there needed no transubstantiation of the one no more there doth for the other Also this bread which Saint Paul calleth the coÌ„munion of the body of Christ is broken yet I trust they wil not say that Christs body is broken although Pope Nicholas De consecra distinct 2. Eâ—o Berenga caused that excellent man Berengarius so to confesse But of the grosse and absurd doctrine of transubstantiation I will speake no more at this present You say moreouer that wee deny the communion of the Chuch militant and triumphant by exclaming against inuocation of Saintes by which holie exercise those blessed Saints in Heauen and wee in earth communicate wee by praier glorifying them and they by meditation I thinke it should bee mediation obtayning our requests Herevnto I answere first that this inuocation of Saints is vnlawfull and cannot bee prooued by the holie Scriptures And this offer I do make you that if you can bring one plaine place out of all the holy scriptures wherein it was euer commaunded or of any faithfull man or woman vsed I will yeeld vnto you not onely in this but also in matters of Religion You quote in your margent Genes 48. 16. and Apoca. 1. 4. which make asmuch for proouing inuocation of Saintes as Tityre tu patule doth The words of the place of Genesis be these The Angell which hath deliuered mee from all euill blesse the children and let my name bee called or named vpon them and the name of my fathers Abraham Isaac that they may grow as fish into a multitude in the midst of the earth Out of this place the Papists take two arguments to proue praier to Angels and to Saints The first out of these words The Angell which hath deliuered me c. The other out of those let my name be called vpon them c. But yet let the reader note this that of the Papists some doe finde
in our writings auoyding all curious questions and intricate and needlesse distinctions we appeale to the consciences of al that reade and heare vs. As touching your method concerning errours in doctrine and inordinate affections in manners if you can proue that our wits be inueigled with them and our liues stained with these more then wee can prooue euen your holy Fathers the Popes forsooth Peters successors and Christes vicars haue beene you shall winne the victorie You seeme to attribute too much to our very naturall faculties to the iudging and discerning of truth proposed not considering the corruption of our naturall faculties by sinne how both the minde is blinded and the will peruerted Our Sauiour Christ saith The light shineth in darkenesse and the darkenesse Iohn 1. 5. 1. Cor. 2. 14. comprehendeth it not Saitn Paul saith that animalis homo the naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of GOD for they are foolishnes vnto him neither can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned But of this I forbeare to speake any more and also will leaue the other wast words in your letter and doe come vnto your articles of faith The Pamphlet The first article concerning knowledge and faith The Protestants haue no faith nor Religion THe Protestants haue no faith no hope no charitie no repentance no iustification no Church no alter no sacrifice no Priest no Religion no Christ the reason is for if they haue then the world was without them for a thousand yeeres as they themselues must needes confesse videlicet all the time their Church was eclipsed and 1500. as we will prooue by all records of antiquitie as Histories Councels monuments of ancient Fathers Whereby it plainely appeareth that the synagogue of the Iewes was more constant in continuance more ample for place then the Church of Christ For the haue had their sinagogue visible in diuers countries euer since Christs death and passion euen vntill this day which is the very path to lead men into Atheisme as though Christ were not as yet come into the world a Isa 60. 11. whose admirable promises are not accomplished b Math 16 18. whose assistance hath failed in preseruing his Church vnto the worlds end whose presence was absent many hundred yeeres before â— cap 28 20. the finall consumation and consequenetly they open the gap to all Machiuillians who say that our Sauiour was one of the deceiuers of the world promising so much concerning his Church and performing so little Answer LOoking in this first article to haue found a syllogisme which this worthy writer vseth in some articles following but heere for want of a good medium as it may seeme to frame one by hath omitted I found a false assertion and a foolish probation The assertion that we haue no faith Haue we no faith The Deuils haue some faith Saint Iames saith The Deuills beleeue tremble and haue wee no faith wee are much beholden Iaâ— 2 19. vnto you for your charitable opinion of vs. You are by the doctrine of Saint Paule not to thinke so euill but to 1 Cor. 13. 7. hope the best of them that professe Iesus Christ and his holy Gospell But to this your false and slaunderous assertion I will oppose a true affirmation and confession Wee beleeue all that God hath deliuered to vs by Moses the Faith Prophets and Apostles in the old and new Testament yea we beleeue the contents of the Creeds of the Apostles Nicene Athanasius and yet haue we no faith Wee hope Hope to passe hereafter from death vnto life and to bee partakers of that kingdome of glory which God hath promised and Iesus Christ hath purchased for all those that truly beleeue in him We trust that we haue Charitie loue both towards God and man although wee confesse not in such Charitâ—e full and perfect measure as wee ought to haue Wee with Saint Iohn say Hee that loueth not his brother abideth in 1. Iohn 3 14. death Wee acknowledge repentance to bee one of those Repentance chiefe heads wherein the summe of Christianity is comprised Saint Marke setting forth the summe and substance of Christes doctrine comprehendeth it in these two Repent Marke 1 16. Acts 20 21. and beleeue the Gospell so did saint Paule witnes sing both to the Iewes and to the Grecians the repentance towards GGD and faith towards our Lord Iesus Christ We beleeue to be iustified not by our owne works of righteousnes which wee vnprofitable seruants and prodigall Iustification Luke 17. 10. 15. 21. children haue done nor by the merits of any Saints in heauen or in earth but by the mercies of God purchased vnto vs by the blessed and bloudy merits of Iesus Christ and applied vnto our soules by the band of faith by the John 3. 36. Rom. 3. 25. 4. 5. Ephes 2. 8. Ephes 3. 17. Church which Christ doth dwell in our hearts and is made ours We beleeue that wee are true members of that holy Catholike Church which is Christes misticall body and whereof hee is the head which is the spouse and hee the bridegroome which is his flocke and he the shepeard which is the heauenly Hierusalem the Mother of vs all Galath 4. 26 finally which is the number of Gods elect and chosen people that shall rest with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Math. 8. 11 Kingdome of Heauen And wee know that wee haue perticular and visible Churches wherein Gods word is more truly preached the Sacraments seales of the word are more purely ministred and Gods name more faithfully inuocated and called vpon then in any or all the Romish Synagogues Indeed wee haue no Idolatrous Alters to offer either carnall or externall sacrifices vpon as though Altars Christs sweet smelling sacrifice were not yet offered but wee haue Mensam Domini the Lords Table where-vpon we minister the Supper of Christ which is a holy Sacrament 1. Cor. 10. 21. of Christs body and bloud giuen for vs a memoriall of his death and passion and a pledge of our redemption and saluation purchased thereby Wee haue that sweete smelling and sufficient Sacrifice which Iesus Christ by his eternall spirit offered without fault vnto GOD to purge Sacrifice Hebre. 9. 14. our consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing GOD. As for the sacrifice of the Masse as being iniurious to the said sacrifice of Iesus Christ which he once for all and for euer offered vpon the Altar of the Crosse wee deny and defie We haue no shauen nor greased Priests to offer the Priests said false and forged sacrifice of the Masse but wee haue priests pastours or ministers how-so-euer wee terme them according to the ordinance of Christ to preach his holy Gospell and to administer his sacraments to his Church We haue and vse that religion which hath the testimonie of Religion Rom. 3. the law and prophets
vnitate ecclesie Adulterari non potest sponsa Christi incorrupta est puaica vnam domum nouit vnius cubiculi sanctitatem casto pudore custodit Haec nos Deo seruat haec filios regno quos generauit assignat The spouse cannot bee defiled shee is vncorrupt and chast shee knoweth one house and keepeth with chast shamefastnesse the holinesse of one chamber she keepeth vs to God she assigneth the children whome shee hath borne vnto this kingdome Saint Hierome saith Ipsa Hieron in Iob cap. 28. ecclesiae quae est Sanctorum omnium congregatio pro aeterna sibi in Domino stabilitate columna fundamentum dicitur veritatis The Church which is the congregation of all Saints by reason of her eternall stedfastnes in God is called Chrysost in Ps Hom. 114. the pillar and ground of truth Chrysostome saith Ecclesia est tabernaculum à Deo fixum non ab homine ab vno lcco in alium fugit sed non à pietate ad impietatem fugit The Church is the tabernacle which God hath pight and not man shee flieth from one place to another but she neuer flieth from Ambros in Ephes cap. 1 Godlines to impietie and wickednes Ambrose Apostolus omnem ecclesiam dicens summatim totum comprehendit quod in coelo est in terra The Apostle meaning all the Church briefly comprehendeth the whole which is both in heauen Bern. in Cant. serm 78. Clem Alexand. Strom. lib. 7. pag. 35. Bedain Cant. 6. and in earth Ternaâ—d saith Electi Dei sunt ecclesia Dei The elect of God be the Church of GOD. So saith Clemens Alexandrinus Non nunc locum sed electorum congregationem appello ecclesiam I call not now the place the Church but the congregation of the elect So saith Beda vna est columba perfecta mea vna est inquit catholica elâ—ctorum omnium multitudo peromnia et mundi Loca et tempora seculorum deo patri subiecta 1. my perfect doue is one hee saith that there is one Catholike multitude of all the elect by all both places of the world and ages of times subiect to God the father Yea Friar Lyra saith Lyra in Mat. 16. Ex quo patet quod ecclesia non consistat in hominibus ratione potestatis vell dignitatis ecclesiasticae vel secularis quia multi principaes summi pontifices alii inferiores inuenti sunt apostatasse à fide propter quod ecclesia consistit in illis personis in quibus est notitia vera et confessio fidei et veritatis Whereby it appeareth that the Church consisteth not in men in respect of their ecclesiasticall or secular power or dignitie for many Princes and Popes and others of lower Popes Apostates degree haue bene found to haue bene Apostates and to haue fallen away from the faith Wherefore the Church consisteth in those persons in whome is true knowledge and the confession of faith and truth So saith the Fryar Alphonsus de castro Ecclesia ex omnibus fidelibus constat Aduers Hares lib. 1. cap. 5. fol. 11. non solum presentibus verumetiam preteritis et in posterum futuris 1. The Church consisteth of al the faithful not onely them that bee now present but also heretofore haue bene and hereafter shall be This is that holy Catholike Church which wee in the Creed confesse and beleeue euen the whole number of them whom God hath elected and chosen to eternall life whom God hath had in all ages and of all nations Of which Church euery true and faithfull man and woman must beleeue him-selfe to bee a true and liuely member whereof hee may bee assured if hee finde and feele that GOD hath lightened his minde with the knowledge of his truth hath wrought in his heart an vnfained faith to trust in his mercies and to beleeue that his sinnes be forgiuen him for Christes names sake and that God hath sanctified his soule and body to hate sinne and to haue a care and conscience to serue him in true holines righteousnes all the eaies of his life This being our confession and bâ— liefe with what conscience truth can this man say that the Church which the Protestants beleeue hath been interrupted al the ages betwixt the Apostles and Luther and in very deed was neuer seene before Luthers daies or that we imagine the same to bee comprehended within the narrow bounds of England I can say no more but that a false witnes shall Prouerbe 19. 5. not be vnpunished and he that speaketh lyes shall not escape But now lette vs see what this man and his fellowes hold beleeue and call the Catholike Church forsooth the companie of all them that receiue and professe the religion and doctrine of the Church of Rome submit themselues to be ruled and gouerned by the Bishop Pope of Rome They that do not this be Heretikes Schismatikes out of Noahs Arke and out of the Catholike Church And herevpon it followeth that the Christians in Graecia Muscouia Armenia Ethiopia c. where Christianitie hath continued vnto this day and among whom no doubt but some haue been of Gods elect and chosen people yet bee they no Catholikes nor of the Catholike Church nor in the state of saluation and why because they neither haue been nor be subiect to the Pope of Rome For so it is with many words sollemnely defined determined by that holy Pope Bonniface the 8. Subesse Roman opontifici omni humanae creaeturae Extra de maior obedien unaÌ„ sanctam declaramus dicimus definimus pronuntiamus omnino esse de necessitate salutis that is We declare say define and pronounce that it is altogither of necessitie of saluation to be subiect to the Pope of Rome Where the Glosse helpeth out the matter with these wordes Quicquid saluatur est sub Gloss ibidem summo ponitfice Whatsoeuer is saued is vnder the Pope And on the other side All they that professe the religion of Rome and submit them-selues to the Bishop thereof bee Catholikes and of the Catholike Church how prophane wicked or vngodly soeuer they be Pope Iohn the 8. the whore Iohn the 12. or as some reckon him the 13. who was an adulterer and of two Cardinals did cut out the tongue of the one the hand of the other and at dice-play would call vppon the Diuell and made the Pallace of Laterane a stewes of strumpets as Luithprand lib. 6. cap. 7. Luithprandus Ticinensis writeth Syluester the second a coniurer who gaue himselfe to the Diuell to be made Pope Gregorie the 7. a coniurer and monster Bonniface the 7. Platina in Syluest 2. who robbed Saint Peters Church and put out the eyes of Iohn a Cardinal Bonniface the 8. who entred into his Popedome like a foxe raigned like a wolfe and died like a dog Jdem Alexander the sixt Iulius the second and al they whome
of it but wil expect a syllogisme to bee made of it for the proofe of Purgatorie and then I shall further consider what to say vnto it Wee do beleeue that they onely be members of that bodie whereof Christ Iesus Coloss 12. ◠is the head which bee either triumphing with him in heauen or be fighting for him against Sathan sinne and the world here vpon earth Saint Paul saith that Christ came to make peace by the bloud of his crosse and to reconcile the things which are in earth and the things which are in heauen That is to say his whole vniuersall Church whereof part was alreadie in heauen and part remained behinde vpon the earth They therefore that bee in Purgarorie bee no members of his bodie nor are to bee deliuered by him but being the Popes creatures are either by him who can at his pleasure emptie and scoure Purgatorie to bee deliuered or else still in that fained fire to be tormented Neither hath true Christian charitie so much as the cursed couetousnesse of Priests beene the bellowes to blow that forged fire for the heating of their kitchens Now that I haue answered your reasonlesse reasons of our denying this article of Christian faith the communion of Saints I will briefly shew what is our beleefe of it Wee beleeue that all the Saints of God and members of the holie Catholike Church haue communion and fellowshippe with Iesus Christ and are partakers of all his benefits Of this communion Christ speaketh I am the vine yee are the Joh. 15. 5 branches hee that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruite Of this speaketh S. Paul God is faithful 1. Cor. 1. 9. by whom yee are called vnto the fellowship of his sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. This communion or fellowship is wrought by faith by the which Christ dwelleth in the hearts of all Ephes 3. 17. his elect and faithfull people and by which wee be graffed into him to receiue all grace and goodnes from him as the branch doth from the vine or stocke And we beleeue that all the faithfull and Godly bee knit togither in loue as the Coloss 2. 2 Apostle speaketh whereby they are to communicate those graces and gifts which God hath bestowed vpon them to the edifying and helping of others in such sort as GOD hath appointed Yea wee beleeue that all the faithfull haue communion and fellowship together in that they haue all one heauenly father one Iesus Christ their redeemer and mediator one holy Ghost their sanctifier are iustified by one faith common to all the elect dedicated to GOD by one baptisme called by one Gospell to bee partakers of one kingdome of glory This is the summe of our beleefe concerning this article wherein wee would know what fault you can finde But your communion and vnion consisteth in being vnder one Pope of Rome vnder whose obedince whosoeuer is not you thinke he cannot be saued as is before shewed neither will you haue communion with him And therefore whereas Christianity hath continued as I said before in Greece Russia Aethiopia Armenia and other countries amongst whome no doubt but God hath had and now hath his elect and chosen people yet you haue no communion or felloship with them because they be not vnder your one Pope And much lesse haue you communion with the Saints in heauen because you haue not the faith of Gods elect For did the faithfull Patriakes Prophets Apostles and others beleeue to bee deliuered from the fire of hell by the merits of Nicholas Titus 1. 1. or to ascend into heauen by the blood of Thomas Becket Nay Iesus Christ is the onely mercy seate into the which the two Cherubins did looke that is as I take it both the faithfull before his comming in the flesh and they that be after doe looke only vpon Christ in him onely to seeke and finde mercy Now let vs see the third article of our Creed which you say we deny which is Remission of sinnes Here I beseech the Christian reader to consider who they bee that deny this article containing a principall point of Christian religion and saluation whether we or this accuser with his partners Wee beleeue that whereas we be children of wrath vnprofitable seruants and prodigall children that haue sinned against heauen and our heauenly father and are so deepely indebted to God that we be neuer able to make payment for the which he might iustly throw vs into the dungeon of damnation for euer wee I say beleeue that he hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that whosoeuer Job 3. 16. Ephes 17. beleeueth in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life by whome wee haue redemption through his blood euen the Coloss 2. 14. 1. Ioh. 2. 12. forgiuenes of sinnes according to his rich grace and that our sinnes are forgiuen vs for his names sake And we beleeue that God of his great mercy in Iesus Christ doth forgiue vs not onely our sinnes but also the punishment due vnto them and which we haue deserued by them accepting vs for vessels of his mercy and heires of his glory Now this accuser of vs and his companions doe first beleeue that they doe make satisfaction to Gods iustice for their sinnes For whereas our sinnes be called debts and satisfaction is a payment it followeth that if we doe make satisfaction for them then we neither need nor can haue forgiuenesse of them For our satisfaction and Gods forgiuenesse cannot stand together For euen as if I owe a man a hundreth pounds and I pay him he doth not forgiue it and if he forgiue it I do not pay it So if we by satisfaction make paiment to GOD for our sinnes then hee doth not forgiue them if he forgiue them then wee doe not make satisfaction for them Now let vs see what is the doctrine of these men concerning this their satisfaction whereby they make paiment themselues to God for their debts Bishoppe Fisher whome I suppose the Pope hath fainted for standing so John Fisher in Psa 1. poenitent stifly in his cause writeth hereof thus Thirdly some there be which by grace in this life haue so punished them-selues for their offences that they haue made a sufficient recompence for Jbidem them Againe So doth hearty weeping for sinne expell sinne is a sufficient iust recompence for it And againe But wheras In Psa 2. poenitent any creature hath made due satisfaction in this life he neuer after that shall suffer more paine and also is cleane out of debt and nothing after that shall euer bee claimed of him Againe They bee called recti corde that haue made satisfaction so Jbidem plentifully that God can aske no more of them And in his Latine booke against Luther he hath these words Secundo supponimus quod quanquam nemo sit cui non cumulatius praemium in coelis Deus largiatur quà m hic in
yet by the communication of his vertue and demonstration of his diuine workes in those seauen Churches doth so perfectly shew himselfe as though there were so many spirits euery one working in his peculiar Church Ambrose set out by Doctor Tunstall Bishop of Duresme writeth vpon these words thus Hic tota trinit as demonstratur Heere the whole Trinitie is shewed and a little after Per septem autem spiritus spiritus sanctus cò quòd sit septiformis intelligitur By the seauen spirits the holy Ghost is vnderstood because hee worketh seauen manner of wayes And hard it were or rather absurd to pray for grace and peace from Saints and that before Iesus Christ But vpon this I will not stand onely the reader may consider how barren this cause is which hath no plainer proofes and driueth this man to such priuate and false exposition of Gods word Now whereas you say that by prayer you glorifie the Saints in heauen I say that by prayer we doe glorifie God Call vpon mee in Psal 50. 15. the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me But that by prayer we should glorifie Saints I doe not finde in all the holy scriptures If this man can why doth hee not shew it I finde that God will not giue his glorie Isa 42. 8. Psal 115. 1 to any other and that the Saints with Dauid say Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glorie for thy louing mercy and thy truths sake And that the Angell Apoc. 19. 10 2◠8. would not bee worshiped or glorified but said vnto Iohn worship God As touching the Saints mediation when Iesus Christ shall cease to be our mediator and to sit at the right hand of GOD to make intercession for vs then wee wil seeke to your mediation of Saints In the meane time take you heede that in attributing that to the Saints which is proper and peculiar to the sonne of GOD yea which hee hath bought with his bloud you doe not deny the Lord which hath bought vs and that you doe not horribly dishonor those Saints and make Idols of them Furthermore you say that wee deny the communion of the Church militant and the soules in purgatorie c. Wherevnto I answer that when you shal plainely pithily proue this your fained fire of purgatorie which the Greeke Church alwaies hath denied then we will yeeld vnto you and graunt our selues to bee to blame in not helping these seely soules with dirges masses c. out of the paines of this forged fire You quote in your margent for proofe thereof 1. Cor. 3. v. 15. 15. v. 29. Alas poore purgatory that hath no better proofes The words of S. Paul in the first place be these If a mans worke burne he shall lose but he shall be saued himselfe neuerthelesse yet as it were by fire Here is mention of fire and therefore it must needs be the fire of purgatory for such is the great iudgement of these worthy writers that if they read in the scriptures or Fathers this word fire it is none other but the fire of purgatorie if sacrifice it is the sacrifice of the Masse if confessiō it can be nothing but auricular confession to the Priest if tradition it is vnwritten verities or vanities But touching these places of Saint Paul because the author of this Pamphlet doth not aledge them but barely quote them I will but briefely touch thē To the first I say that Saint Paul there speaketh not of all men but only of teachers and preachers which be builders of Gods house and Church which euen Bellarmine confesseth Tom 1. contr 6 de purgat lib. 1 cap. 4. Secondly he speaketh not of all their workes but only of their doctrine whereby they build the Church of God Thirdly hee speaketh not of the purging of workes or persons but of the probation of doctrines Fourthly the works are said to bee prooued and not the persons Lastly if this place should be vnderstood of purgatory then euery man should bee throwne into it for it is said the fire shall try euery mans worke of what sort it is but this is contrarie to the doctrine of the Papists who will not haue all men come into purgatorie These things plainely shew that this place cannot bee vnderstood of purgatorie Saint Augustine in many places doth vnderstand it of the afflictions and troubles sustained in this life and not of the paines of Purgatorie after this life Enchir. ad Laurentium cap. 68. de ciuit Dei lib. 21. cap. 26. de fide operibus cap. 16. in Psal 80. But S. Paul speaketh of triall of doctrine shewing that as the fire trieth mettals so the light of Gods truth trieth doctrines and as gold and siluer abide in the fire and hay and stubble be consumed so true sound and holie doctrines abide the light and trial of Gods word when either vntrue doctrines or vaine speculations perish and be comsumed So doth Saint Ambrose expound it Mala doctrina Ambros in 1. Cor. 3. in igne omnibus apparebit nunc enim quosdam fallit Euill doctrine shall appeare vnto all in the fire for now it deceiueth some Againe Mala enim adultera doctrina idcirco in ligno foeno stipula significata est vt ostenderetur ignis esse esca Euill and counterfeit doctrine is therefore signified by wood hay and stubble that it might be shewed Idem in Psal 118. in haec verba ignitum eloquiū tuum that it is but meate to bee consumed of fire And againe Ignis ergo hic Christi sermo est bonus ignis c. This fire is the word of Christ and it is a good fire which warmeth but burneth not but onely sinnes By this fire that gold of the Apostle laid vpon the good foundation is tried By this fire that siluer of manners or workes is proued By this fire those pretious stones are lightned but the hay stubble is consumed Therefore this fire clenseth the soule and consumeth error Hitherto Saint Ambrose whereby wee may see that neither Saint Augustine nor Saint Ambrose expound this place of Purgatory much lesse the Greeke Fathers who neuer acknowledged it Therfore to expound it of Purgatorie as the Papists do whether it bee not a priuate false exposition let the godly reader vprightly iudge The words of the other place here quoted are these Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all why are they then baptized for dead To picke Purgatorie pickpurse out of this place passeth my skill Here is mention made of baptisme for the dead but neither of Purgatorie nor of praier for the dead I am not ignorant that there bee sundrie expositions of this place yet I doe not remember that euer I read it expounded of Purgatorie or applied vnto it And therefore I will write no more at this present
tom 2 and not able to proceed further in grace and that they neede neither praier nor fast nor bee subiect to law and carnall act no sinne hauing a desire thereto with other such like opinions Concilium viennense yet Martirs Iewell defence Apol. part 1. cap. 7. Diuision 3. speaking of the Albingenses saith of them we haue no skill they are none of ours But Maister Buckley doth say and hold that they were the true Church of God with much more pag. vt supra Therefore what godlines or goodnes maister Buckley hath red of them more then Iewell or Bishop Couper faine would I know vale in Christo I meane of the Albigenses and the rest Also D. Willet in his Trast pag. 113. of the latter editiâ—n calleth them heretikes I meane Begardy and D. Fulke answere to the Remis Rom. cap. 11. Sect. 3. commâ—ndeth the Waldenses c. Hitherto the words of the said paper which I receiued proceeding as it may seeme from some morrow masse-priest of more skill in his Portuise and masse-booke and better studied in Eliots and Coupers Dictonary then in other good authors The drift and scope thereof seemeth to be to shew a difference contradiction betwixt me and those reuerend and learned Bishops D. Couper and â—ewel for that I doe commend the Albigenses for faithfull and Godly men and holy Martiers and they in the opinion of this ignorant papist do seeme to mislike them I will first render â— reason of my good opinion conceiued of them and then I will indeuour to wipe away that fancie of contradiction which this man imagineth to bee be-twixt me and the forenamed reuerend and learned fathers I am mooued to thinke reuerently of that people called Albingenses and to commend them as witnesses of Gods truth First because the Pope of Rome whom wee Rad. Gualt Hom 5. de Antichri Lamb. Danaeus de Anticâ—ri Rob Abbot demonst de Antichristo D. Downam of Antichrist Gabr. Powel de Antichri Aduers haeres lib. 2. de commu here 's 7 Rob. Gaguin Hâ—sto lâ—b 6 Fascicul Temp fol. 77. Lib. 5. p. 458 charge to be the great Artichrist prophecied of by Saint Paule 2. Thess 2. and Saint Iohn in the Apocaplips of which imputation his followers and fauourers the Iebusites neither haue nor can discharge him did so cruellie persecute them and raise such bloudy warre against them Secondly for that it is certaine that these Albingenses so called of the countrie Albingens nere Tholosa where they inhabited as the Spanish frier Alphonsus de Castro writeth of them were the same which otherwise and els where were called Waldenses and Pauperes de Lugduno who were dispersed into sundrie countries as diuers Popish writers do confesse and hold the same doctrines that they did This is also confessed by that reuerend and learned maÌ„ Iacobus Aug. Thuanus praesident of the parliament of Paris in the first part of his excellent history And what their doctrines were none doth more effectually shew then doth Pope Pius the second in his History Aenaeas Siluy Histor Bohem. cap. 35. p. 103. of Bohemia attributing in these words these opinions vnto them That the Bishoppe of Rome is equall to other Bishops and Vide quoque Albert Krantii vandalia lib. 10. cap. 2. that there is no difference among Priests that not dignity but good life maketh a prasbiter or Priest the better that soules as soone as they depart out of the bodies be forthwith either cast into perpetuall paine or obtaine eternall ioy That no purgatory can be found that it is a vaine thing to pray for the dead and an inuention of couetous Priestes That the images of God and Saintes are to bee destroyed That the blessinge of water and palmes is to be derided That the orders of begging Freers were inuented by the diuell that Priests ought to be poore and be content onely with almes That the preaching of the word of God ought freely to be open to all That no capitall on great sinne ought to bee suffered for the auoyding of a greater euill That he which is guilty of deadly sin ought not to enioy either secullar or Ecclesiasticall dignity nor to be obeied That confirmation with oile extreame Vnction are not to be counted amongst the Sacraments of the Church That auricular confession is friuolous and that it is sufficient for men to confesse their sinnes vnto God in their chamber That baptisme is to be vsed in water without mixture of hollowed oile That the vse of Church-yardes was vaine and brought in for couetousnee sake and that it maketh noe matter with what earth mens bodies be couered That the world is the temple of God who is in al places that doe they restraine his maiesty which build Churches Monasteries and oratories as though his diuine goodnes and mercy were to be found sooner in them then in other places That the robes of Priests ornamentes of Altars palles Corporasses Chalices Patens and other vessels are of no valew That a Priest may in any place and at all times consecrat the holy body of Christ and minister it to them that doe require it that it is sufficient for him only to vse the sacrameÌ„tal words That the praiers of Saints raigning with Christ in heauen are in vaine prayed for and cannot helpe vs. That the time is euill spent in singing or saying Canonicall seruice or praiers That men ought to cease from their labours vpon no day but vpon that which is now called the Lords day and that the feastes of Saintes are to be reiected That there is no merit or goodnesse in the fastes which be appointed by the Church These be the doctrines which the Pope imputeth to the Waldenses Now when any of you shall effectually proue by the word of GOD the most and chiefe of these doctrines for some seeme to bee more hardly set downe by this their aduersary then they did meane them to be errours and heresies then I will confesse my selfe to haue beene deceiued and both the Waldenses and Albingenses to haue beene iustly reputed for heretikes And that the Albingenses ioyned with the Waldenses in these doctrines although it bee the harder to shew because it appeareth that the Pope and his followers were very carefull to suppresse their doctrines and to keepe them from the knowledge of the people as Robert Gaguine In Philip August Lib. 6. fol. â—04 the French historiographer sheweth in that no writer before his time which hee did know had committed them to writing for whereas saith he they call them haeretikes and doe declare that for that offence they were destroyed yet they haue lette passe to shew the kinde of their haeresie By this their polliticke concealing of their doctrines it seemeth that they did to neerely touch the Popes triple Crowne and too much did shake the cuppe of his abhominations where-with hee hath made Kinges and nations drunken Notwithstanding by some writers it appeareth what their doctrines