vnsearcheable will doth sometymes encline the willes of men to committe horrible mischiefes and after a certeine maner willeth Sinne. Ergo God may be iustly accused of vnrighteousnes iniquity Which Argument applyed in the behalfe of mans nature might seéme to be of some validitie perhappes in the opinion of men But to transpose the same from men to God It can not holde And why so bycause there is great difference betwixt thynges wherof God is the Authour and thynges wherof man is the doer For euen Sinnes them selues and wickednesse as they come frō God are scourges yea and that most righteous and whatsoeuer is decreéd either by his couered or discouered will it is in this respect both holy and righteous bycause the will of God ought alwayes to be accompted for the very foundatiō of all righteousness Upon which matter let vs heare what Augustine speaketh in his thyrd booke De Trinitate euen his owne wordes The will of God is the chief and principall cause of all kindes of actions and motions For there is nothyng done whiche proceedeth not frō that vnsearcheable and intelligible wisedome of the most mightie Emperour accordyng to his Iustice vnspeakeable for where doth not the almightie wisedome of the highest worke as it willeth which reacheth from one ende of the world to an other mightely and ordereth all thynges sweetely and doth not these thynges onely which beyng in dayly practise and by reason of common vse are not much marked or marueiled at but thynges also passing all vnderstandyng and capacitie and whiche for the rarenesse of vse and straungenesse of successe seeme marueilous as are Ecclipses of the Sunne and Moone earthquakes mōsters and vgly deformed vnnaturall shapes of creatures such like Of the which no one thyng commeth to passe without the will of God though it seeme to be otherwise in the Iudgement of many persons And therfore it seemed good to the phātasticall Philosophers to ascribe such vnkindely operations to other causes beyng not able to discerne the true cause thereof which in power surmounteth all other causes to witte the will of God wherefore besides the will of God there is none other principall cause of health sickenesse reward punishment of blessinges and recompences This is therfore the onely chief and principall cause from out the which do flow all thyngs whatsoeuer and is it selfe without beginnyng but endureth without endyng Let vs now gather the Argumēts of Augustine into a short abridgement If the will of God be the souereigne and principall cause of all motiōs what remayneth but that Osorius must either deny that Sinnes are motions or yeld vnto this of necessitie that the same motions are not done without the will of God which will neuerthelesse must be adiudged cleare from all reproche Moreouer if the same motions which are on our behalfe Sinnefull be punishementes for Sinne What should lette why that euē the selfe same sinnes should not seéme to proceéde after a certeine maner frō God without any preiudice of his Iustice at all none otherwise truely then when as God is accompted the creatour of monsters Ecclipses of the Sunne Moone vnpassable darkenes vntymely byrthes and yet notwithstandyng no ioate of his maiesty and integritie empayred But we are vrged here with an Obiection out of the Scriptures where it is sayd that God is not a God that willeth iniquitie Aunswere As though Luther did not perceaue this saying of the Prophet well enough or that he were so impudent at any tyme as that he would cōtrary to the Prophet deny that sinnes raunge immoderately agaynst Gods will We rehearsed a litle earst out of Augustine that somewhat may be done agaynst the will of God which neuerthelesse cā not happen without his will In the one part wherof the vnsearcheable wisedome of his Deuine counsell is playnly discernable in the other the thyng that is naturally wicked displeasaūt in Gods eyes So that the thing which is of it selfe in respect of it selfe naturally euill may become good in respect of Gods ordinaūce in respect of the end whereunto it is directed by God The worke of our redēption from sinne and death is a good worke of Gods mercy But man should neuer haue stoode in neéde of this redēptiō vnlesse death sinne had happened Therfore death and sinne could not execute their malice wtout the foreknowledge ordinaunce of God So also no lesse notable is the worke of Gods Iustice in executyng his iust wrath agaynst Sinners which seueritie of Iustice had neuerthelesse neuer expressed his wonderfull brightnesse if sinne had neuer bene committed But here I suppose Osorius will not deny that men rushe headlong into wickednesse and Sinne if not by Gods prouidence yet by his sufferaūce at the least For it may be that many thynges may happen by a mans permission in the which he that did permit them may be blamelesse notwithstandyng I heare you well aunswere to the same that it is not altogether nothyng that Osorius doth alledge in deéde and yet this allegation of his comprehendeth not all For first I demaunde what if Osorius beyng a Bishop do suffer Gods flocke committed to his charge to starue by defraudyng thē the necessary foode of the word whom of duety he ought to cherish with all diligēce and care What if the Shepheard doe willyngly suffer the maggotte to pester the sheépe or what if the Maister should suffer the seruaunt to perish whose perplexitie he might haue releued by puttyng his hand to in tyme may not we iustly accuse Osorius of fraude for not feédyng or can Osorius acquit him selfe by any slipper deuise of negligence in this behalfe If in cōmon cōuersation of lyfe the man that will not repell iniury when he may be adiudged in euery respect as blameworthy as if he offereth the iniury him selfe by what meanes can God whō you say doth permit sinnes to be done either deémed be excusable in respect of this sufferaunce onely or how can you charge vs as accusing him of iniustice bycause we say that he doth not onely permit but also will sinne after a certeine maner Which thyng Augustine doth very well declare If we suffer sayth August such as are vnder our correctiō to doe wickedly in our sight we must needes be adiudged accessaries to their wickednesse But God doth permitte Sinne to raunge without measure euen before his eyes wherein if he where not willyng surely he would not suffer it in any wise and yet is be righteous notwithstandyng c. Wherfore your allegation of bare Sufferaunce doth neither helpe your cause nor disaduantageth ours any thyng at all But go to let vs somewhat yeld to this word of yours Sufferaunce whereupō ye stād so stoughtely yet will ye not deny but that this Sufferaunce of God is either coupled together with his will or altogether sundered frō it If ye confesse the will and Sufferaunce be ioyned together how can God be
with examples of such as haue runne headlong into vtter dispayre which haue gaynesayd or withdrawen them selues from the doctrine of Luther As touchyng Frauncisce Spira who reuolted from the participation of the doctrine whiche he had once receaued by Luthers preachyng bycause the Recorde thereof is somewhat old I will for this present omit what remaineth in history of him I will more willyngly vse fresher examples of our later age and yet not all ingenerall for it neédeth not neither is any one man able so to doe But I will rehearse some of the most notable And first of all a certeine mā called Iacobus Latomus a man sometymes wellbe seéne amongest the Deuines of Louayne I can not tell whether you your selfe knew him Osorius when he liued This mā mainteinyng the same quarell wherein you do now turmoyle your selfe agaynst Luther is reported to departe this life in the selfe same Desperatiō whereof you make mention who at his very last gaspes brayeng out most horrible and feareful roaring noyse vttered none other sounde in the eares of all men that heard him but that he was vtterly damned and forsaken of God and had no hope of Saluation layed vp in store for him bycause hee did wilfully resiste the manifest truth which he knew before to be most true I will couple two others with hym of the same fraternitie Guarlacke Reader of Diuinitie Lecture amōgest the Gertrudianes and Arnolde Bomelye Scholer to Tilman of the first of whō it is sayd that euen in the last panges before his death he spake in this maner that he had liued desperately could not endure the Iudgemēt of God bycause he did acknowledge his sinnes to be greater then that they could obteyne for geuenesse The other hauyng fully gorged him selfe with the doctrine of Desperatiō wherein he was instructed by his Schoolemaister of distrust surprised at lēgth with intollerable gnawyng of conscience practised first to kill him selfe with his owne Dagger at the last beyng wholy swallowed vp of Desperation dyd cut his owne bowelles out of his body with an other mans knife It shall not be amisse to ioyne vnto those Sadolet Cardinall of Rome who after sondry disputations mainteined agaynst Luther gaue vp the ghost not without horrible trembling and torment of conscience I suppose also that you are not ignoraunt of the like that happened to Cardinall Crescentius Legate of the Apostolique Seé and President of the Tridentine Councell beyng astonyed with sodeine horrour and troublesome abashement of mynde in the same Citie 1552. of whom Iohn Sledan hath made relation in his Commentaries What shall I speake of Castellane Archbyshop of Aurelia of Ponchere Archbyshop of Turone who procured to them selues Gods indignation and vengeaunce as appeared by the wonderfull fearefull passiōs wherewith they were oppressed at the tyme of their death not bicause they did heare Luther and read his bookes but bycause they did cruelly persecute his doctrine In the same Beadroll may be reckoned the remēbraūce of Iohn Eckius whose whole course of lyfe as was nothyng els but a continuall mortall combate agaynst Luther so his yeldyng to nature was so altogether voyde of spirituall consolation that euen in the last gaspes hee vttered no other wordes but of money and certeine thousand of crownes And what neéde I here rehearse out of the Recordes of aūcient Chronicles Minerius Cassianus Renestenses Martinus that miserable Mōcke called Romanus Prattes Lysettes Rusius Morines who beyng horribly plagued by the seuere Iustice of God may be sufficiēt Presidentes to teach you what it is insolently to kicke agaynst the pricke of Gods vnsearcheable prouidence The History of the French kyng Henry the second is yet but freshe in memory and deépely emprinted not in the myndes onely but in the eyes also of all men who extremely boylyng with inward hatred agaynst the same doctrine receaued his deathes wounde in the selfe same eyes wherewith he was determined to view the execution of others and was forced him selfe to become a manifest spectacle of Gods Iustice to all the world before he could bathe his eyes in the bloud of the innocēt And not long after the sayd Henry followed also the kyng of Nauarre who procured vnto him selfe most iust cause not onely of Desperation but of death also through none other occasion but by persecutyng this doctrine which you doe slaunderously reproche to be the doctrine of Desperation I could here make a Register of an infinite nōber not in Englād onely but of other Regions also which after they had receaued wonderfull cōfort out of the sweéte iuyce of this doctrine which you call Lutherane fell headlong into miserable anguishe and gnawyng of conscience by reuoltyng from this doctrine who could neuer attayne one sparckle of quyet mynde before they had reclaymed them selues from their first Apostasie Last of all how many thousandes of men wemen and children young and old can this our age truely recorde who haue shewed them selues more willyng to yeld their carcasses to fier fagottes sword rackyngs and all maner of horrible Torture rather then they would recante and renounce that comfortable doctrine where with they were enstructed which I suppose they would neuer haue done if they had suspected neuer so small embres of Desperation to haue lurked therein But I perceaue what Osorius doth meane by this word Desperation If he could either expresse his mynde aptly and distinctly or were willyng to deale simply and playnly To the ende therefore I may frame myne aūswere hauing regarde to the meanyng of the man rather then to his speach I will examine the maner of his disputyng somewhat more aduisedly Luther doth teach sayth he that no mā ought to place affiaunce of his righteousnes in merites and good workes Goe to and what is concluded hereof Therfore Luther doth teach the doctrine of Desperation A very new founde and straūge maner of Argument framed perhappes after the rule which concludeth from the staffe to the corner I suppose men of Syluane vse this kynde of arguyng in their wooddy forrests But I make this aunswere to the Argument If God had determined that our Saluation should haue bene purchased through godly actions and vertuous endeuour of mans life it were not altogether without reason that Osorius doth speake But for as much as our hope and confidence is limited within the boundes of the fayth of Christ and the foundation thereof builded vpon this Rocke onely I suppose surely that the person which doth allure vs home vnto Christ from confidence of workes and teacheth vs to repose our whole trust in him as in the onely Sanctuary and shoteanker of our Saluation doth declare rather the true way to assured hope then abolishe the same Neither doth he by and by rende in sunder the sinewes of mans endeuour who doth but embace and disable that part from mās power which doth properly apperteine to the sonne of God I thinke that he discouereth rather the well
had harckened to Ioas the kyng of Israell now what shall we alleadge to be the cause why he did not harken to the good counsell of Ioas Here will Osorius runne backe againe after his wounted maner to Freewill or to Sathan the mouyng cause And this is true in deéde in respect of the second and instrumentall causes But Gods sacred Oracles beyng accustomed to searche out the souereigne and principall cause of thyngs do rayse them selues higher and do aunswere that this was wrought by God him selfe who dyd not onely suffer hym but of his determinate counsell directed him also thereunto bycause hee would auenge him selfe of the kyng for his abhominable Idolatry When Dauid caused the people to be nombred I know that Sathan is sayd to prouoke hym thereunto as we read in the Chronicles But let vs marke what the Scripture speaketh els where And the wrath of the Lord being kindeled agaynst Israell he stirred vp Dauid to nomber his people 2. Sam. 24. And nothyng withstandeth truely but that both may bee true Neither is it agaynst cōueniēcie of reason as Augustine truly witnesseth that one selfe wickednesse may be a punishement scourge of sinne vpō the wicked by the malicious practize of the Deuill by Gods iust Iudgemēt also seyng it skilleth not whether God bryng it to passe by his own power or by the seruice of Sathan Esay the Prophet cryeth out in his Prophecie O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardened our hartes from thy feare And in Ezechiell GOD speaketh by the mouth of his Prophet And if the Prophet bee deceaued I the Lord haue deceaued him Let vs consider Iob hym selfe the most singular paterne of perfect patiēce whom beyng turmoyled with infinite engynes of Sathans Temptatiōs all men will confesse to be plagued by the horrible malice of Sathan True it is will you say and with Gods sufferaūce withall Be it so But I demaunde further who made the first motiō of Iob whē God sayd on this wise Hast thou considered my seruaunt Iob And wherefore did God make this motion first But that it may appeare that the Enemy is not permitted onely but made a Minister also to make triall of mans patience Furthermore after that he was robbed spoyled of all his goodes and Cattels and throwen into extreme pouertie I would fayne learne who stale those goodes from hym That dyd the Caldeans Sabees will Osorius say I am sure which is true in deéde Yet Iob doth not so acknowledge it But liftyng hym selfe vp higher and entryng into a more deépe consideration of that souereigne prouidēce which ordereth and disposeth the seruice of all the workes of his creation at his owne pleasure professeth earnestly that none els dispoyled him of his goodes but he that gaue them The Lord gaue sayth he and the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. c. But that wōderfull force and vnmeasurable power of Gods wisedome and prouidence disposing all thynges accordyng to his euerlastyng purpose with outstretched cōpasse spreadyng it selfe farre wyde abroad throughout all degreées successes of thynges is not discouered vnto vs by any one thyng more notably discernable thē in the death of his sonne Iesus Christ in that most innocent Passion of all other the most innocent death I say of our Sauiour Iesu Christ In the whiche as there were many causes goyng before and the same also not a litle differyng eche from other yet amongest them all was there none but was not onely ioyned with Gods sufferaunce but was long before also foreordeyned by his will decreéd by his wisedome yea ordered almost by his owne hand For otherwise in what sense is he called The Lambe slayne frō the beginning of the world whenas they were not yet created that should kill him and when as yet were no sinnes committed by mankynde whiche might procure Gods wrath If God from the furthest end of eternitie in his euerlastyng foreappointed wisedome and determination had decreéd vpō nothyng that should cause those thyngs to come to passe afterwardes through vnauoydeable Necessitie Out of those matters heretofore debated and argued two thyngs may you note Osorius wherof the one concerneth Luthers doctrine and is true the other toucheth your suggestions and is false For as to the first wherein Luther doth discourse vpon Necessitie agaynst the mainteynours of chaūce and fortune cā no more be denyed by you then Gods prouidence in gouernement of the present tyme and foreknowledge of thynges to come can be any wayes deceaueable On the other side where as you do with so gorgeous colours glorious titles blaze forth the beautie of mans Freewill ioynyng in league herein with the old Philosophers auncient Maisters of ignoraunce and especially Cicero bendyng your whole force to ouerthrowe the doctrine of necessitie what els doth your whole practize herein thē the same which August did long sithence worthely reprehēd in Cicero To witte Whiles you striue so much to make vs free you practize nothyng els but to make vs horrible blasphemours and withall endeuour to vndermyne the vnpenetrable Castell of Gods foreknowledge For who is able to foretell thynges to come which he neuer knew or preuente the assured certeintie of successes of thyngs without the vtter subuersion of the infallible prouidence of Gods foreknowledge Wherfore I would wishe you to be well aduised Osorius least whiles you thinke to molest Luther with your outragious barkyng for affirmyng an infallible Necessitie flowyng from aboue from out the founteine of Deuine operation in direction of thyngs ye fall your selfe headlong at the last in this cōbersome gulfe to be adiudged not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but playnly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and beyng not able to endure the doctrine of Necessitie ye entangle your selfe vnto such an inextricable maze of impietie as that ye shal be thought to practise the abādonyng of the vndeceueable certeintie of Gods most Sacred Scriptures out of heauen after the example of that your fine Cicero whiles ye affect Cicero to much in the nymblenesse of your stile For what els can be gathered out of that detestable discourse of Cicero as August calleth it or out of this execrable opiniō of Osor if he will be the man he seémes for How can those things be auoyded which God doth know shall come to passe most assuredly but that Necessitie must be graunted by the doctrine of prouidence or Necessitie beyng excluded Gods prouidence also be rent asunder withall For after this maner doth Cicero dispute in his bookes De natura Deorum If thynges to come saith he be foreknowen then it must neédes followe that euery thyng must proceéde in his due order but for as much as nothyng is done without some cause therfore must a due order and knittyng together of causes be graunted of Necessitie Whereupō must neédes ensue that all thynges that are done are performed
roast 11. yeares and Clement sate 13. In this Schisme also Princes were deuided Some fauored the confederates of Clement some the faction of Vrbane Germany Italy and England gaue ayde to Vrbane Spayne Fraunce and Chatelone stoode with Clement they that tooke part with neither of them were called Newtralles Those two Popes did thunder eche agaynst the other wonderfull chappes of curses and excommunications wherewith they tare one an other in peéces they did curse they did excoÌ„municate they called one the other by the names of Antichristes Heretiques Tyrauntes Theeues Traytours Vsurpers Sowers of Darnell and Sonnes of Beliall Which two lusty Rufflers beyng both dead at the last the same quarell continued betwixt the Successours vntill the yeare 1409. To passe ouer in the meane tyme the cruell horrible storme more then Schismaticall begon vnder this Pope Vrbanus betwixt the Schoolemen of Paris and the Dominicke Friers about the Originall Sinne of the most holy and pure Uirgine and mother of Christ Mary In the yeare 1389. Boniface 9. was appointed to succeéde Vrbanus And after two yeares Benedict 13. was appointed to succeéde Clement This Boniface as witnesseth Crantzius gouerned as a Byshop but reigned as a cruell Tyraunt procured many of the Citizens of Rome whom he suspected to be false to his person to be apprehended and executed by the Ministers of the Law He oppressed the Church with a new contributioÌ„ which he called by a new name Annates first fruites and thus it was that whosoeuer should be aduaunced to a Byshoppricke or Benefice should pay one whole yeares reuenew therof in money By meanes of which law the Histories make mention that he became as it were Lord of the whole world Blond Platina In the yeare 1405. Boniface 9. beyng dead was enstalled Innocentius 7. a Pope of two yeares continuaunce I know not what a sturre he kept with his owne neighbours at Rome wherof 11. beyng throwen out of high windowes by the handes of Ludowicke his nephew by the procuremeÌ„t of the Pope brake their neckes After him not long after succeéded Gregory 12. A Pope of threé yeares All this whiles yet liued Benedict 13. But when commaundement was geuen by the Councell of Pyse to both these Popes to departe from the Seé and neither of them willyng to yeld nor come to any reason beyng both condemned for heretiques Alexander the 5. was chosen and Gregory and Benedict banished both This Alexander did most wickedly dishinherite Ladislaus the most mighty Kyng of Naples and Apâ—lia and deposed him from his fathers kingdome And gaue the same to Ludowicke Duke of Angew He sate 8. monethes In the yeare 1411. This Alexander beyng dead start vp Iohn 24. who partly by corrupting the Cardinalles with money partly with power of Souldiours did by terrour and violence enforce the Election to him selfe By this Popes meanes Sigismunde the Emperour called a Councell at Constance the 4. yeare of his Popedome in the which Councell threé Popes beyng deposed to witte Benedict 13. Gregory 12. and Iohn 24. Martine 5. was enstalled Pope in the yeare 1417. In which Councell wherein this Martine was enstalled Pope we read that it was decreéd That the Authoritie of a Councell lawfully Sommoned and gathered together was aboue the Authoritie of the Pope which decreé by what law or right might be established I can not seé if it be true that our Osorius pleasauntly fableth namely That the Popes Authoritie is instituted and gouerned not by humaine Decrees but by the most manifest ordinaunce of Christ yea euen by the heauenly Authoritie absolutely But loe here how fittly the old Prouerbe may be applyed Like will to lyke Such cookes such platters For it mattereth not very much whether part haue the preéminence the Councell or the Pope For they both conspired agaynst the direct Decreés of Gods word and by generall consentyng treachery condemned Iohn Husse and Ierome of Prague two holy Martyrs of Christ to be burnt to ashes And not long after the same Martine not shewyng him selfe the Minister of Christ but a warlike chaÌ„pion an impe of bloudy Bellona did sharpen and set on edge the Germaine swordes agaynst the Bohemians And whenas the Emperour Sigismuâ—de at the same Councell did vse much treaty with the pope for a reformation to be had as well of the inordinate maners and presumptuous pride of the Clergy as of the rebellious conâ—iâ—macie and licentiousnes of the laytie It pleased this most holy Father after much debatyng of the matter to haue this Article of reformation of maners to be differred vntill an other tyme and forthwith brake vp the Councell whether the Emperour would or no and made quicke dispatch to Rome 1418. as Volaterane recordeth In the yeare 1431. After this Martine Eugenius bare the stroke in whose entrey to the Popedome began no small broyle to arise betwixt him and the Cardinalles Columnensâ— by whose procurement was a strong battell fought wherein many were slayne and many taken prisoners The pope escaped by takyng his heéles afterwardes a peace was proclaymed Platin. About the same tyme in the yeare 1435. was a CouÌ„cell called at Basile But Eugenius despising this Councell raysed vp a contrary Councell first at Bonnony then at Ferrara and anone at Florence where amongest other thynges that Decreé of Constance which determined that the Councell was of more Authoritie then the Pope was reuoked and made frustrate And therefore Eugenius refusing to come to the Councell of Basile is deposed And in his place is adopted Amadeus Foelix 5. in the yeare 1442. whereupoÌ„ spraÌ„g vp a new schisme some enclinyng to Foelix and some holding fast with Eugenius the Germaines were called Newtralles At this councell of Basile before mentioned Sigismunde being dead whoÌ„ the wrath of the Lord did afflict with wonderfull Calamities after the death of Iohn Husse Fredericke the 3. was chosen crowned Emperour by whose authoritie the councell of Basile was confirmed allowed agayne coÌ„trary to the decreé of Eugenius At the very same season the HuÌ„garians coÌ„trary to their othe and fidelitie raysed an armye agaynst Amurathes the Turkishe Emperour and were ouerthrowne by him in battell and much Christian bloud spilt The King of Hungary was sâ—ayne with him also Iuliane a Cardinall And Huniades himselfe was ouercome to the great decay of Christendome and reproche of Christian name From thence the Turk enuadeth Peloponesus subdued it brought it vnder his subiection Egnaâ— By meanes of which one bloudshed and Turkish victory chiefly the power of the Christianes was much more weakened then euer before and all through the treachery of this pope especially The same Eugenius teazed Lewes the Dolphine of Fraunce to wage battaile agaynst the Heluetians and the Basileanes where was a mighty and cruell battell fought whiles Eugenius kept this sturre the Councell of Basile proceéded neuerthelesse In the which the Cannon of Pragma was
Nazianzene or any other writer of the auncient primitiue Church No they are altogether new deuises of this later age or playne forgeries rather as hath bene declared sufficiently enough before But take an argument now stronger then Hercules clubbe wherewith at one chopp he will cutt of the heads of all those Image breakers ingenerall so strōgly compact and clowted together with so singuler a dexterity that if all the Deuines in the world els hold theyr peace Images are made so desensible with this one argument as shal be able to endure all the force and counterbuffes of heretiques For vpon this kinde of Similitude he frameth his argument If the dumme Pictures of the Crosse and of Sainctes which did put men in mind of the things wherof they were representations were so highly reuerenced of the auntient Christians it was much more conuenient that the liuely Images of Christ should be worshipped But holy men are by the workemanshippe of the holye Ghost fashioned to the lyuely and expresse Images of Christ. Ergo It remayneth that we geue reuerence and worship vnto Pictures as to the liuely Images of Christ. I doe heare your Argument Osorius and I doe aunswere thereunto And first euen to this whether any dumme Images and portraictes at all were euer erected in the auncient Christian Temples may be with more reason doughted of vs then Iustified by you And yet to admitt you this much that such Signes were not altogether vnknowen to the auncient Fathers yet for as much as the portraicts beyng not in Tēples did serue onely to feéde the eyes and minister occasion of some remembraunce and callyng to mynde the doynges of the Martyrs will your Logicke therfore argue an adoryng vpon this memoriall and establish a worshyppyng of dead stockes which ought onely to be geuen to God alone As for example Admitte that some Apelles would in Tables describe vnto you the Passion of Christ after a most exquisite and liuely maner What would you prostrate your selfe on the grounde and with cappe and kneé worship the Table would you bequeath your prayer vnto it and honour it as reuerently as you would Christ To what purpose then serueth that which you sing in your Church All honour and glory be geuen to God alone if you can be contēted to turne that forthwith into a God whatsoeuer is obiect to the view for a memoriall onely and to transferre the honour and worshyppe that is due onely vnto God to paynted puppetts and balde blockes But now as concernyng the liuely Images of Christ as we doe not deny that a certeine liuely resemblaunce of Christ doth after a sort shyne in them whom the spirite of Christ hath truly sanctified so do we neither defraude them of their due commendation and prayse for that were a pointe of singuler impietie either to conceaue slenderly and lightly or to speake reprochefully of the notable actes of them whom God the Father doth honour and sanctifie namely sith the very Scriptures are aboundauntly stored with plentyfull examples whereby we be admonished of our duety that we owe to Gods holy ones But it is one thyng to reuerēce and esteéme well of Gods Sainctes and an other thyng to make Inuocation to the dead to part stakes of honour betwixt God and his Sainctes Sainctes are called Sainctes and the Temples of the holy Ghost in S. Paule not onely such as did shedd their bloud for Christes sake but all others also that in this life lyue here vnto Christ sanctified thorough Fayth Such a Temple of the holy Ghost was Paule him selfe and the rest of the Apostles with him who beyng after a sort fashioned to the likenesse of Christ by the workemanshyp of the holy Ghost did beare about them a certein proportionable resemblaunce of his Image And yet the same Paule and Barnabas were sayd both to rende their garmentes least they should seeme to admitte them selues to be honored as Goddes Actes 14. We heare the same both spokē and performed by the Aungell of Christ in the Reuelation Worship God sayth he I am thy felow Seruaunt Goe to now and are you of this opiniō that honour and worshyp is to be geuen to the dead bodyes of them who beyng aliue would not suffer them selues to be worshypped But of Sainctes and their Images enough at this present namely sith before is spoken plentyfully enough and so much as will suffice though not Osorius yet any other indifferent Reader I trust ¶ Popish Purgatory GOod lucke a Gods name to our holy Father the Pope and Osorius their kitchynes we are come at the length vnto Purgatory that is to say to the kyngdome of the Pope and the Region of darkenesse of this world A goodly Territory forsooth meéte surely for such an Emperour accordyng to the old Prouerbe a Scabbed Iade good enough for a scalde Squier About which dānable deuise beyng the most foolishe Bable that euer was heard of the most fybblefable that euer could be imagined this raungyng Rhetorician besturreth his slumpes so earnestly and stretcheth out his throate so feruently as if the matter were of wonderfull emportaunce A man would take him to be some notorious Hercules fightyng as it were for lyfe and death in defence of his Countrey he so chaufeth and moyleth in sturryng the coales in princkyng vpp the glory of this whotthouse And no maruell For the mā as he is not altogether blynd nor vnprouided of forecast doth very deépely and wisely consider of the matter as it is That all the kytchynes of the Catholickes are kept in a good lyking with the coales of this Purgatory fier and that vpon this foundation is builded the whole Maiestie of the Romishe Monarchy and withall that this is the head corner stone and chief coyne of their doctrine For vpon this groundeworke stand all the pillers and buildynges of their Churche to witte Merites Satisfactions Councels Perfections and absolute Righteousnes in the sight of God Finally all the Ceremonies in their Churches Watchynges Soule Masses Trentalles Offringes for the dead Pilgrimages Pardons Workes of Supererogation Brotherhoodes Memorialles Diriges Processions Holy water Consecratyng of Churcheyardes and such like gaynfull markettes all which do come altogether to vtter ruine if Purgatory decay once but if Purgatory hold fast then are they all of good footing And hereof proceédeth that stiffe stought stādyng with such an vnappeasable contention and brawlyng about the mainteynaunce of Purgatory that they will seéme rather to let slipp heauen out of their hartes then let Purgatory depart frō their kytchines But there was neuer man behaued him selfe more Apishly about this peéuish and peltyng Purgatory then this our doltishe and most senselesse coūterfaite of all the rest who in this his discourse of Purgatory is so whott in wordes sweateth so lustely that a man would sweare he were but newly runne out of the very scaldyng house of Purgatory it selfe Agayne in Argumēts and Reasons so cold
the death of Christ is not of sufficient efficacy and power to accomplish the misterye and pryce of our redemptiō vnlesse a supply of Sayntes afflictions be annexed to make vpp the full measure herein they do eyther moustruously lye or els it is false that Saynt Paule doth affirme that we are all made absolutely perfect and complete in Christ Iesu for asmuch as it is vndoughted true that the thing that is most perfect and fully absolute can want nothing to fyll vpp the measure of perfect perfection And so also is the saying of Saynt Paule to the Hebrues in ech respect as false where it is sayd that Christ did by one onely oblation consummate or make perfect them that be sanctified Surely if one onely oblation doe fully accomplish all the partes of our satisfaction then all other oblatiōs whatsoeuer be not onely not profitable but wicked also and execrable Moreouer whereas that Typicall Lambe in the olde law did represent vnto vs the perfect patterne and Image of the true and immaculate Lambe which was slayne from the beginning of the world what shoulde be the cause that the redemption which is of the bloud of the sonne of God should in any respect not be as fully perfect vnto vs as was that deliueraunce of the people full and absolute that went before but in a Type or representation And whereas they dare be so shamelesly Impudent as to make a mingle māgle of the merites and afflictiōs of Sayncts with the passion and bloud of Iesu Christ I do wonder that they are not ashamed hereof howbeit I can not deny but that the death of his Saynctes is precious in the sight of the Lord yet is not this to be taken so as though the price of theyr death were of as great value as that it ought or can be able to counteruayle the wrath of God by any meanes Neither are they therfore sayncts because they do dye and suffer persequution but because they that do suffer persequution be holy therefore is theyr death called precious in the sight of the Lord. And the cause why they are Sainctes and be called Sainctes commeth not of any vertue of theyr death but of the onely power efficacye of the death of the sonne of God in whō they do beleue which dignity they do receiue by theyr owne fayth onely not for any their afflictions sake so that now to be Sainctes is not of any merite of their own but of the merite of the onely sonne Iesu Christ who is onelye righteous and doth make others righteous as Augustine doth both wisely and learnedly testify Christ sayth he was that one onelye man which could both haue the fleshe of man and could also not haue any Sinne. Euen that onely he and alone which is himselfe iust and doth instifie others the man Iesus Christ. And therefore sayth he we can not be compared with Christ although we suffer Martyrdome for his sake euen to the sheading of our bloud And immediatly after making a comparison betwixt the afflictions of Christ and the afflictions of the godly Martyrs Christ sayth he had no need of any our helpe to worke our saluation but we cann do nothing at all without him he gaue himselfe vnto vs his braunches a liuely vine and we without him can not haue so much as any breath to preserue life withall Finally although brethren do suffer death for brethren yet is not the bloud of any Martyr shedd for the remission of his brothers offences which thing Christ did in his owne person for vs. Neither did he by this exāple as by any speciall patterne direct vs to immitate him but onelye that for this example we should become thankefull and reioyce in him c. 3. So that by this testimony of S. Augustine now I doe suppose no man doth dought how he ought to determine of the other threé namely the Treasory of the Church Pardons and Purgatory For if it be true that the same Augustine doth say that the most holy ones of all others are not able to cure the woundes of their brethren being themselues daylye and incessaunt beggers in theyr dayly prayers for remission of theyr owne Sinnes What shall become then I pray you of the merites of Sayntes 4. But if the merites of all holy Martyrs and Apostles be nothing auayleable with what reason then can this gaye treasory of the Church be mayntayned of whose Iewelles they brag so gloriously or what shall become of that office of Stewardship and dispensation of Pardons 5 Moreouer if those ragged skrappes of pelting Pardōs be throwen out to the dounghill I neéde not drawe forth any long discourse to tell theé gentle Reader what shall become of that rydiculous Relique and bable of Purgatory For as much as the matter it selfe being so easely discernable will quickly enduce theé to perceaue that this fable which these catholick Fathers haue forged of Purgatory doth no more emporte any trueth or lykelyhood of trueth then this lye and peéuish pracing of Pardons doth differr from manifest falshood foxlye fraude then which toye neuer crept into the Church any one trinckett more ridiculous or worthy lesse credit All which notwithstanding our Portingall Rhetorician must yet proceéde forward and shoulder out his puppett Purgatory with all the strength that he can and demaundeth a question Whether there may be any tyme for Christians to abstayne lawfully from Carity whose chiefe and principall poynte of Religion doth consist in Caryty If you speake of Dearth Osorius It is true that you speake that the principall groundworke of all your Religion is Dearth For she maketh most on your side And hereof commeth it that all ecclesiasticall matters are sould so dearely with you yea the Churches themselues Byshopprickes Prouostshippes Priestehoodes Myters Palles Consecrations Immunityes Priuiledges Dispensations Indulgences Monasteryes Temples Altars Colledges Emongest all which the highest degreé of Papacy it selfe what a price it beareth and what a Dearth hath growenouer all these thinges is skarse credible to be beleued or able to be expressed with pen or tongue But you meane Charitie a word deryued from out the grace loue and mercy of God I doe aunswere you that in all your Religion is either so no Charity at all or surely so litle as that all thinges with you are full of skarsitye and dearth But our Osorius Tullianisme doth not distinguish Caritatem Dearth from Charitatem Loue by any speciall difference And therefore lett vs heare the questiō that he propoundeth himselfe of this his Caritas dearth What can there be any exercise of caritas imagined greter then this wherein we do pray with most earnest prayers vnto God for the saluation of our Brethren No surely I thinke And therefore for the great affection and loue that I doe beare vnto you I doe pray most humbly and hartely vnto God for your sauety that pardoning this your lewdnes of wryting he may
the world nor haue forged more shamelesse lyes tourning now his Typpett about doth beginne to doe as many men wont to doe which through malice haue wounded any one greuously on the headd will thinke to salue the iniury agayne with puttyng the cappe on the headd and telling him a mery tale of Robin Hoodde Semblably Osorius hauing well whett his owne humor vpō reproches and slaunders being otherwise vnsatiable with any cursed speaking outragiously raging in all manner of filthynesse agaynst them whom he doth not know hauyng discharged his stomake of the very gall of his Melancholy doth now endeuor to perswade thereunto pledgeth his faith with solēne protestation that all his wordes and deédes before were not procured of any prouocation of hatred or malice but proceaded frō very pure loue of godly affection and from most hartye desire of our safetye Well thē Sithence you will haue it so Osorius because you make so solemne a protestation we doe beleéue your oath that you did write this vnfaynedly with all your hart not of any malice at all but simply of a very Catholicke zeale and charitie But yet we can not but maruell much what kinde of Charity this may be that rageth so cruelly gnaweth skrapeth and roumbleth so pestiferously howbeit we doe not deny but that charitye is sometyme moued with choler and hath her proper chydings and chastisements according to the misticall Sonett of the Prophett The Righteous man shall smite me frēdly and reproue me but the precious balmes of the vngodly shall not breake my headd But to forge manyfest lyes agaynst them that you know not to beare false wittnes agaynst your neyghbors to rayle with most reprochefull blasphemies agaynst the Testamēt of the lyuing God to teach Princes to rage agaynst their Subiectes is this a poynt of Charitye or an euident badge of that horrible hellhounde which is a lyer and a manqueller frō the beginning But there is no neéde now to rippe vpp a freshe rehearsall of those vnmeasurable and incredible lyes slaunders and blasphemies wherewith this your volume is fully fraught and stuft euery where But this in the meane space doth seéme to carry a wonderfull shew of marueilous Charity Whereas he affirmeth that he will willingly lose his life for our sauety To contemne death boldely in wordes is a very common practise in many mē and to make stought bragges of vndaunted courage especially when no perill is in place So seémed Peter chearefully willing to dye for his Lord and Maister whiles all thinges were calme no Ieoperdy thought vpon which foreward stomake neuerthelesse immediately vpō the sight of present perill vanished away into flatt deniall of his Master But thanked be God there is no cause why you should offer any such hassard of life in our behalfes good Syr. For as concerning the safety of our soules we are well assured is firmely grounded vpon an vnpenetrable rocke not vpon your death which can auayle vs nothing at all but vpon the death of the sonne of the liuing Lord. Therefore if the care that you take for our saluation you will employe diligently for your owne preseruation you shall in my iudgement so much the better prouide for your selfe by how much you be now more farther of and more daungerously distaunt from the right rule and course of the truth For if according to your Rhethorick the way for vs to saluation to the hope of eternall felicity be none otherwise open then being atchiued by godly actions and excellent integrity of lyfe And if thys be the onely righteousnesse as you say wherewith the fauour of God is procured to mankynde Pag. 142. Then what doth this your doctrine emport els thē to forclose you vs both frō all passable way to heauēly inheritaunce for where shall we finde that excellency of integritye where shall we finde that absolute righteousnesse whereof you bragge so much which in equall ballaunce is able to counteruayle the iudgement of God Surely not in England you will say nor in any common weale of the Lutherans who do set theyr foote on no ground but that they do infect the same with all stench and abhominable contagion Emongest the Portingalls therfore hope I where a man may be bolde to say be no hedgcreépers men but Golden Aungelles flying abroad Truly that is well And how commeth it to passe then that emongest those Aungelles so many of all sortes men and weomen be daylye seéne in your publique assemblies to scourge and teare their naked carkasses with greéuous whipps and bloody lashes I would fayne learne of you whether they doe it for any theyr good deédes or els for their offences and sinnes What meaneth Osorius himselfe in this that he so holy a Father doth so often roonne to reitterate confessions lett him aunswere at his best leisure whether he confesse his good deédes or his wicked Wherefore if neither this reuerend Byshopp so curious a carper of other mens faultes is able to behaue himselfe so precisely but that he must fleé dayly with vs to the mercy seate and compassion of God where be then these glorious crakes of integrity or whyther will your integrity absolute perfection addresse vs to seéke out this superexcellent excellency that you boast vpon so much Peraduenture to Platoes common weale or to Moores Vtopia or els to the goodly fieldes in hell whereof the Poets make mention for without question it can not possibly be found any where in this common course of vniuersall imbecillity of nature But euen as it is reported that Xenophon the wise Philosopher of Athenes did in the describing of the famous vertues of Cyrus imagine him to be not such a one as he was in deéde but such a one as he ought to haue bene and to haue expressed his wished and harty desire rather then any true description of the Prince according to the very nature of a description historicall So do I suppose that Osorius hath a will to teach vs not so much what we be but what we ought to be and so purposed in his mind to make a proofe of the force of his eloquence what it were able to doe in the extolling the prayse and commendation of vertue And hereof who can either be ignoraunt or doubtfull that all our actions and course of life ought to excell in such a perfection that there neéded no supply to be required to absolute and Angelicke integrity the which neither the Prophane Philosophers before the birth of Christ neither the Pharises had any feéling of without Christ no more did they expresse the same in the dutifull affayres of their life who being altogether estraunged from the knowledge of Christian Religion were neuerthelesse not ignoraunt hereof that all mans felicity consisted wholy in vertue onely and ciuill direction of life and that it was vertue onely which alone could make a passable way for godly minds to attayne euerlasting felicity the likelihood