iudge of the controuersies of faith These are now holden as things determined and yet they were neuer discussed This made Gentiletus exclaime Innocent Gentileti exam concilij Trid. in these words Ecquis fando vnquā audiuit vt quaestio in disputationē non reuocata non examinata non tractata fuerit tamen decisa conclusa rata approbata tanta astutia hic tractata est quaestio de Rom. Pontificis authoritate supra Concilium that is Did euer any man heare of the like that there should bee a question which though it were neuer brought to disputation neuer examined neuer handled should notwithstanding be decided concluded confirmed approoued By such cunning was the question handled heere concerning the Popes authoritie ouer a Council by this let the world iudge of this Councill whether it was like other Councils Is this a thing to bee tolerated in the Church that a companie of Italians men without Religion without the feare of God shuld in the pride of their wits put a trick vpon all the Churches in Christendom Let the simple soules that are seduced lift vp their eyes and see the snares that are prouided to catch them let them vnderstand that the Priests and Iesuites who now are imployed about their subuersion are instruments to driue and allure them into these nettes which these Inginers haue deuised by subtilty and fraud These trappes are laide with great subtiltie to inthrall their soules let them at the least looke vp and open their eyes and behold the danger that is before them If they will wilfully fall into these snares then may they blame themselues for their owne destruction Thus haue wee found out that the rule of Faith was changed in the Councill of Trent That in the same Councill the Iudge of Controuersies of faith was likewise changed that all things were then changed whereby the Church is knowen to bee a Church For before that the Church was knowen to bee a Church by the Vnitie which it helde with the Catholike Church This was the Vnitie of the Bodie the Vnitie of the Head the Vnitie of the Spirit and the Vnitie of Faith These were in some measure all held vntill the Councill of Trent changed all Now all these things being changed and forsaken by the present Church of Rome it remaineth to conclude that the present Church of Rome is no Church of Christ but an assembly I say not of Heretikes but of farre worse and more dangerous then any Heretikes heeretofore haue bene For the former Heretikes that haue openly forsaken the Church could neuer doe so much harme as Antichrist with his creatures who hauing secretly forsaken the Church yet make open claime to the Church and to all the rights thereof Seeing now that the now Church of Rome is not the true Church where then shall we finde it The Reformed Churches as now they are called being the generation of them that haue liued of long time before in the Communion of the old Church of Rome might haue continued in that course if the Church of Rome had not bin notoriously changed from a Church to no Church For in olde times we find a distinction obserued betweene the Church of Rome and the Court of Rome The Church we may call all these Westerne Churches that helde Communion with the Church of Rome then and maintained the Popes Supremacie in things spirituall as then the Supremacie was vnderstood but not as now they vnderstand it Now because they helde in this poynt with the Pope they were therefore vnderstood as belonging to the Church of Rome thus farre The Court of Rome were they that flattered the Pope and sought his greatnesse without respect to trueth or reason Such were Friers and Canonists which in the ende preuailed against the Church and now call themselues the Church of Rome These with their adherents for some Bishops and Priests did leaue the Church and adhere vnto these preuailed in the Councill of Trent by fraudulent sleights and forsaking the rule of faith changing the Iudge of Controuersies extolling the Popes Supremacie aboue all that were before them gaue a iust occasion vnto the Reformed Churches which after this reuolted from them to seeke the Church wheresoeuer they could finde it because they saw euidently now that in the Popes communion it was no longer to be found If any man obiect vnto mee that Martin Luther beganne to preach before the Councill of Trent for hee began first to preach against Indulgences in the yeere of Christ 1517. and the first Session of the Council of Trent was held in the yeere 1545. the last Session of that Councill was held in the yere 1563. Luther then hauing begun to preach against the Pope before the Councill of Trent it may bee thought that the Council of Trent gaue not occasion to the reuolt which followed seeing that Martin Luther had in some sort begun it before To this I answer that when Martin Luther begā first to preach against Indulgēces hee thought of no reuolting from the Pope For he preached the doctrines that he was sure the Church had held before him and which were agreeable to the rule of faith which stood at that time vnchanged in the Church And that Luther had no meaning to reuolt from the Church himselfe doeth plainely confesse and it is euident by the whole course of the Storie of these times Luther for a long time after his preaching against Indulgences sought peace with the Pope and therfore he appealed vnto Pope Leo nothing doubting but that the Pope would fauour the truth which he had so clearly proued from the Scriptures When he saw that the Pope went directly from the trueth then he appealed from the Pope to a generall Councill For Luther neuer doubted but that there was and alwayes would bee a Church that would fauour the trueth against the Pope and his flatterers So Luther fell away from the Pope but still hee helde himselfe sure in the Church teaching nothing but such things as hee offered to be examined according to the rule of faith which alwayes ruled the doctrines of the Church And thus he continued vntill his death He died after the Councill of Trent was begun In appealing frō the Pope to a generall Councill he followed the common practise of many that were oppressed by the Pope or that feared the Popes oppression in the Church of Rome who appealed from the Pope and Court of Rome to the Church of Rome or to a generall Councill Such Appeales were made sometimes by Emperours and Kings which were wronged by the Pope as namely by Lodouike Bauare Emperour and by Philip the faire the French King Sometimes by learned men of inferiour degree as by Michael Caesina with whom did then adhere William Occham and others The same distinction betweene the Church of Rome and Court of Rome was very apparant by the actions and processe helde by those two Councils collected of these Westerne Churches the Councill of
Constance and of Basill which Councils wee finde to be a body representatiue of a Church which was opposite to the Pope and Court of Rome So that assuredly there was a Church which helde the rule of faith against the Pope and his flatterers In that Church was Luther in that Church were the learned men of these two Councils who proceeded roundly against the Popes authoritie they prooued that the Popes might erre that in many things they did erre they maintained the rule of faith which stood inuiolated in the Church till their dayes they maintained the ancient Iudge of controuersies of faith which before had alwayes beene acknowledged they protested that to giue that authoritie to the Pope which now since that time is giuen and since the Councill of Trent is confirmed to the Pope by these flatterers this say they is to giue an open entrance for Antichrist into the Church to subuert Christian Religion Then at that time the trueth was helde vp in some measure there was then acknowledged an authoritie in the Church aboue the Pope there was a Iudge of generall Councils the same which the Church before receiued and which wee acknowledge there was then no alteratioÌ„ no change made of the rule of faith but since this time all these things are changed in the Councill of Trent This Councill of Trent to giue you some taste of it was neither generall nor free nor lawfull Not generall for these Westerne parts because diuers Kings and Nations protested against it namely the King of England and the French King and would not send their Bishops and Ambassadours to it Many Nations helde it for a priuate conuenticle of a few gathered together against the Church For all England Scotland Ireland all France all Germanie that helde against that Councill will make a farre greater part then all the rest that consented to that Councill It was not free for none were admitted to haue voyce therein but such as should bee bound by an oath of bondage and slauery to the Pope It was not a lawfull Assembly forsomuch as it was neither called by a lawfull authoritie for against the first calling of it the Emperour himselfe dissented and protested against it by his Ambassadour Vergas the Kings also who had interst in these Westerne parts protested against it Neither was the manner of proceeding in that Councill lawfull Gentiletus a French Lawyer prooueth the nullities of that Council For by the Imperiall Constitution it is ordeined that the Decrees which are made against Lawes are not onely vnprofitable but void and to be taken for things not done Cap. Imperiali 25. q. 2. l. non dubium Hee proposeth therefore and prooueth a great number of the nullities of that Councill which make the whole to be void and of no validitie as being done against the Lawes This is that Councill that hath changed the faith of the Church that was held from the Apostles to that time vnchanged they haue brought into the Church the Popes word to match the word of God this was neuer done in the Church before And therefore the reformed Churches holding the ancient rule of faith which the Church had held froÌ„ the Apostles till the Councill of Trent must needes prooue themselues 〈◊〉 stand in the true succession of the Church For the true Church must continue to the end of the world And seeing it cannot coÌ„tinue in them that haue forsaken the Vnitie of the Catholique Church and the rule of faith it must needs be granted that it is coÌ„tinued in them that holde the vnitie with the Catholike Church and the rule of faith Thus then from the Vnitie of the Church we haue prooued that the Church of Rome that now is is not the true Church of Christ because it is not one with the true Church of Christ It holdeth not the Vnitie of that Bodie nor the Vnitie of the Head nor the Vnitie of the Spirit nor the Vnitie of Faith And holding not Vnitie with the Catholique Church it cannot be a church at all The Reformed Churches hold this Vnitie and are thereby prooued to bee one with the Catholike Church froÌ„ this which I haue said diuers trueths do apparantly insue which I will briefly open The consent of the Church which is but one in the fathers and their children is prooued to stand in the fundamentall points of doctrine before the Councill of Trent I say in the fundamentall poynts For diuers errours were crept into the Church before but these errours were such as did not raze the foundation for a Church may stand and bee a true Church though some errours creepe into it But if these errours change the foundation as the errours doe which change the rule of faith which is the foundation of the Church then without doubt it ceaseth to bee a Church The errours which before this time did creepe into the Church did not change the foundation because all men in the Church held the same olde and true foundation in the rule of faith till then The Popes Supremacie as men then vnderstand it was generally embraced But surely this was not a fundamentall errour For we doubt not but many good and godly men were among them and saued though they did acknowledge the Popes Supremacie in such a measure as Saint Bernard and the Councill of Constance and of Basill did acknowledge the same It appeareth hereby also 2 that the true Church of Christ as before I haue declared did stand vp in some â—ort vntill this time of the Councill of Trent For the â—rue Church may be prooued â—y the vnitie with the Catholicke Church and by the â—ule of faith which till then was helde in the Church It appeareth likewise that 3 the reformed Churches are in the succession and continuation of that true ancient and onely Church which stood before the Councill of Trent and shall endure to the end of the world For before that time there were as wee may say two faces of a Church the one of the court of Rome the other of the Church But in the Councill of Trent the Court oâ— Rome preuailed therefore the Church fell off and made a separation from the Court of Rome But the Church though falling away from the Court of Rome continued still the same Church because it helde still the same rule of faith and forsaked not the communion which before it had with the Catholicke Church But the Court of Rome which now calleth it selfe the Church and the onely Catholike Church altered the rule of faith and fell away from the communion of the Catholike Church It appeareth also that our 4 fathers which before vs liued and died in the Church of Rome had all necessarie meanes of saluation because the rule of faith was held then inuiolable And albeit the Friars the Canonists and flatterers of the Pope had corrupted many things in the Church yet the doctrines of the trueth were permitted to be preached according to the
Scriptures they that call you to yeeld your allegeance to your Prince or they that withdraw your hearts and allegeance from your soueraignes they that were neuer found in rebellions and conspiracies or they that stirre vp rebellions against Kings they that hold the same rule of faith which the Church hath alwaies held before them or they that haue changed the rule of Faith Iudge whom you haue best reason to trust and trie the spirits All spirits are tried by the rule of Faith the rule must be one to all Iudge you whether they be not afraid to come to this triall who haue changed the rule whereby they should be tried Cardinall Bellarmine is forced Libr. de ver Dei cap. 2. to say thus much That the rule of Faith must be both certaine and well knowen for if it bee not well knowen it is no rule to vs if it bee not certaine it is no rule at all And he addeth thus much further Nothing is more certaine nothing better knowen then the Scriptures contained in the Propheticall and Apostolical writings Take the confession of their Cardinall and tell them that deceiue you by suggesting another rule that there is but one rule that whatsoeuer they bring besides this it is both vncertaine and vnknowen to you and therefore by their owne confession it cannot bee a rule to you Consider therefore on both sides what is said Against them wee say They haue no Church We prooue it because they hold not Vnitie with the Catholike Church I doe not wrangle by producing sayings out of some of their writers which they may answere that they are not warranted by their Church but I deale with their Church it selfe and their Trent Councill and haue brought their long and tedious discourses to this short issue Whether they haue not changed the rule of Faith in their Trent Councill which before that time was euer held the rule of Faith in the Church of God This is the thing which I earnestly entreat you to search out By this you may vnderstand where the trueth is where the Church is Then much haue wee against them But what bring they against vs Against our Church they haue nothing to say wee holde the rule of Faith which the church of Rome euer held before the Trent Councill We hold Ordination and Succession euen from the Apostles albeit our succession be not from the Church of Rome nor by that Church yet we hold it sure and that not without the testimony of that Church In these things the learned make no doubt onely there bee some ignorant men and corrupted with malice that haue deuised a strange tale to slander our Ordination suggesting among the simple people that we haue not a true Ministery wherein whether ignorance or malice haue exceeded iudge you I will relate the tale as they haue deuised it Some of our owne seduced and seducing countreymen haue written that Sandes Scorie Horne Grindall Iewel and others in the beginning of the reigne of Queene Elizabeth met at the Nagge 's head in Cheape side where they looked for the Bishop of Landaffe who should come to ordeine them there But Bonner then being prisoner in the Towre vnderstanding this sent his Chaplaine to the Bishop of Landaffe denouncing and charging him vpon paine of excommunication not to ordeine those that then and there expected him The Bishop of Landaffe being terrified with that denunciation refused to come and ordeine them Whereupon they concluded that his Ordination was needlesse and so Scorie beeing but a Monke ordained the rest and some of the other being ordeined by Scorie laid handes vpon Scorie This is the tale a tale so odious would haue bene made somewhat probable All that is brought to confirme it is that Mr. Neall the Hebrewe Reader at Oxford should confesse this to his Confessours who tolde it to these men and they tell it to you and you beleeue it By this you may perceiue how shamelesse they are that seduce you with such absurd tales But all their hope is in your facilitie and credulitie for answere to this tale and all other of this kinde against our Ordination M â— FRANCIS MASON hath dealt learnedly and faithfully declaring the Consecration of all our Bishoppes that haue beene in the late Queenes time and some yeeres before out of the publike Records which are kept that all men may see them that will I will brieflly relate the summe of his answere that the shame may returne vpon those shamelesse deuisers of such strange vntrueths Iohn Scorie was consecrated Bishop of Hereford anno 1551. in King Edwards time August 30. by Thomas Canterburie Nicholas Lond. Iohn Bedford recorded in the Register of Archbishop Cranmer fol. 334. The deuiser of this strange vntrueth was but a sillie shifter to set the Consecration of this man with them that were consecrated in the time of Queene ELIZABETH hee hath made the lie improbable and impossible Edmund Grindall was consecrated Bishop of London anno 1559. Decemb. 21. by Matth. Canterburie William Cicester Iohn Hereford Iohn Bedford out of the Register kept in Archbishop Parkers time cap. 1. fol. 18. Edwine Sandes was consecrated anno 1559. December 21. by Matth. Canter William Cicester Iohn Hereford Iohn Bedford out of the Register kept in Archbishop Parkers time fol. 39. These were consecrated in the Chappell at Lambeth the Sabboth day before noone after morning prayer with imposition of handes and with such forme of wordes and prayers as are vsed in the Church where there was a Sermon preached by Master Nowell then the Archbishop his Chaplaine vpon this text Take heed to your Act. 20. 28. selues and to all the flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers And a Communion reuerently administred by the Archbishop Iohn Iewel was consecrated Bishop of Salisbury Anno 1559. Ianuary 21. by Matthew Canterb. Edmond London Rich. Elie Iohn Bedford taken out of the Register in Archb. Parkers time fol. 46. in the Chappell at Lambeth vpon the Sabboth in the forenoone with Common prayers and Communion and a Sermon preached by Mr. Andrew Peirson the Archbish his Chaplaine Matth. 5. 16. vpon this Text Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen Robert Horne was consecrated anno 1560. February 16. by Matthew Canterbury Thomas Menen Edmond London Thomas Couentrie and Lichfield ex Registro Parker chap. 1. fol. 88. in the Chappell at Lambeth the Sabboth day the forenoone the manner whereof in all respects was as the former By this you may vnderstand what manner of men they are who seduce you Is there any thing so shamelesse which these men doe not venture vpon who dare venture to tell you such a tale that by publike euidences may so easily so vnanswereably be conuinced These are your guides and leaders is it likely that these men should leade you into the way of trueth Once free your selues