reports of railing Papists touching him may be aduertised of the credit thereof when this was set abroad long before his death i Lonicer theatrum p. 246. A horrible miracle such as was neuer heard of before that God who for euer is to be praised in the fowle death of Martin Luther damned in body and soule shewed for the glory of Christ and the amendment and comfort of the godly When Martin Luther fell into his disease he desired the body of our Lord Iesus to be communicated to him which hauing receiued he died soone after And when he saw his end approch he desired that his bodie might be layd on the altar and worshipped with diuine honors But God willing at the length to make an end of horrible errors by a huge miracle warned the people to desist frō the impietie that Luther had brought in For his body being layed in the graue on the sudden such a tumult and terror arose as if the foundation of the earth had bene shaken Whereupon they that were present at the funerall grew amazed with feare and lifting vp their eyes saw the holy hoast hanging in the aire Wherefore with great deuotion they tooke it and layed it in a holy place which being done this hellish noise was heard no more The next night after was heard a noise and cracking about Luthers tombe much louder then before which waked all that were in the citie out of their sleepe trembling and almost dead for feare Wherefore in the morning opening the sepulcher where Luthers detestable body was layed they found neither body nor bones nor clothes but a stinke of brimstone coming out of the graue had welnigh killed all the standers by By the which miracle many being terrified reformed their liues to the honour of the Christian faith and the glory of Iesus Christ This merry conceit being spread ouer Italy at length a copie came to Luthers hands which hauing perused he writ these words vnder I Martin Luther by this my hand writing confesse testifie that vpon the 21. of March I receiued this fiction concerning my death as it was full of malice and madnes and I read it with a glad mind and a chearful countenance but yet detested this blasphemie whereby a stinking lie is fathered on the diuine maiestie of God As concerning the rest I cannot but reioyce and laugh at the diuels malice wherewith he and his rout the Pope and his complices pursue me And God conuert them from this diuellish malice But if this my prayer be for the sinne that is vnto death that it cannot be heard then God graunt they may fill vp the measure of their sinne and with such lying libels as this let them delight themselues one with another to the full Hitherto the libell with Luthers answer whereby it appeareth of how shall credit the Papists reports are touching Luther and what the practise of the Romane Church is against the persons of all that embrace not her errors and the Iesuite is admonished hereby that Luthers life and death reported by his enemies is no indifferent motiue why any man should mislike the Protestants religion the more for it For this report is made the more incredible because it walked abroade afore he was dead and the Reader may the easilier beleeue that I say because within our owne memory the like was done by Caluin and Beza in their life time 9 But what needed the Iesuite labour thus to discredit vs by Luthers manner of death and euill life For supposing he were culpable in some things yet he might be a Saint in comparison of diuers Popes who are of greater regard in the Romish Church then he could be in ours For the world neuer bare such monsters as the Popes haue bin that were a man desirous to represent the most cōplete villanie that could be imagined his next way were to make the picture of a Pope whose transcendent wickednesse is not our report as Luthers life is theirs but the constant narration of his owne subiects the Papists themselues They write of Syluester the second that m Martin Polo an 1007. Platin. in Silu 2. Fasci temp ann 1004. being a Monk he forsooke his monastery and giuing himself to the diuell followed him and did homage to him that all things might prosper according to his mind which thing the diuell promised him And so by bribery he obtained the Archbishopricks of Rhemes and Rauenna and at last the Popedom also by the help of the diuel vpon this condition that after his death he should be his body and soule In the end as he was saying Masse by the noise of diuels about him he vnderstood he should die whereupon confessing his sinne before the people he desired all the members of his body wherewith he had serued the diuell to be cut off and the trunke of his bodie to be layd in a wagon and buried where the horse would draw it And Caesar Baronius that laboureth to excuse him n An 991. nu 7. yet confesseth that he forsooke his monastery and became a courtier and in talking babling slandering detracting flatterie and doublenesse of mind being made to deceiue he outwent all men Touching Boniface the seuenth o Baron anu 985. n. 1. they write that he was a very villaine and a church robber a sauage theefe the cruel murderer of two Popes the inuader of Peters chaire that had not so much as a haire of a Pope but were to be reckoned among the ransackers and spoilers of their countrey such as were Sylla and Catiline which were not comparable to this theefe that murdered two Popes Haue you heard a man thus set forth as the Pope is here by his owne Cardinall yet he is no body to Iohn the twelfth whom p Platin. in Ioā 13. Naucler an 956. the stories call a monster of a man q Platin. in Ioan. 13. one from his youth vp defiled with all vice and turpitude more giuen to hunting then praier when he could tend it for lechery r Sigon reg Ital l. 7. an 963. accused and detected before the Emperour in a Synode of Bishops of murthers adulteries incests periuries and other vices of all sorts ſ Onuph annot Plat. an Ioan 8. Luitpran d. l 6. c. 6. 7. quem refert Baron an 963. His whores that he kept are named Reynera a widow Stephana his fathers concubine and her sister Ioan Anne and diuers others He turned the Pallace of Lateran into a stewes He would forcibly rauish wiues widowes maids that came from other places to Rome on pilgrimage the fame whereof made them afraid to come He would giue them Saint Peters golden challices and crosses for a reward He vsed hunting openly and dicing and drinking At dice he would call vpon the diuell to helpe him drinke healths to the diuell set mens houses on fire reuell it vp and downe the citie in armour He ordained a Deacon in his stable among his
Apostle to belong to them as well as to the Church of Rome whereby we may iudge how vndiscreet a part it is to be caried away with the name of a Church afore we haue enquired whether it keepe the ancient faith or so to be conceited of one Church that we will looke toward no other but it 7 The second point that deceiueth manie is the rumour and opinion that goeth of our aduersaries learning which is as weake a motiue to build on as the former when the greatest heretickes that euer were haue wanted no learning and we may be sure this of our aduersaries is not commended with the least Themselues are vnmeasurable and more then odious in extolling their owne facultie and their people as ridiculous and irkesome in reporting it It is nothing beseeming Christians to leaue the cause and to fall a boasting Let our bookes be viewed and the disputations betweene vs weighed and it will appeare they haue no such vantage no not in Art and learning and but that vnsetled braines are giuen vainly to admire nouelties our Church at home here in England to say nothing of those abroad who haue made our proudest enemies feele the edge of their learning hath brought forth and at this day yeeldeth as learned as our aduersaries euer had anie And that the Reader may haue some triall of this I will giue an example or two wherein he shall see and by that iudge of the rest how learnedly they carrie themselues now and then against vs and how great their skill is to helpe them when they are a little vrged 8 They haue a solemne tradition among them concerning the Assumption of the Virgine Marie the story whereof you may reade in the g Act. 1.14 Rhemish Testament to this effect Now at the time of her death all the Apostles then dispersed into diuerse nations to preach the Gospell were miraculously brought together sauing S. Thomas who came the third day after to Ierusalem to honour her diuine departure and funerall where before her death and after for three dayes not onely the Apostles and other holy men present but the Angels also and powers of heauen did sing most melodiously They buried her bodie in Gethsemanâ— but for S. Thomas sake who desired to see and reuerence it they opened the sepulcher the third day and finding it void of the holy bodie but exceedingly fragrant they returned assuredly deeming that her bodie was assumpted into heauen as the Church holdeth and therefore celebrateth most solemnely the day of her Assumption And h Anton. chron part 1. p. 147. Suar. tom 2. p. 200. some adde that companies of Saints and Angels and Christ himselfe for how else should he haue fulfilled the coÌ„mandement Honor thy father and thy mother met her and with great glory and ioy placed her in her throne This is the Legend and that no man should mistrust they could not defend it i Feâ—ard in Hest pag. 616. Rhem. act 1.14 Bristo mot 32. most bitterly they raile vpon all that denie it perswading men k Baron an 48. nu 17. 24. that it is the iudgement of the vniuersall Church l Cathar opusc dè concept yea a point of faith The ground whereupon they stand is the Testimonie of many authors a certaine writing of Iohn the Euangelist Dionysius Areopagita Melito Athanasius Ierome Austine Damascene Bernard Andreas Cretensis Nicephorus Metaphrastes Glycas c. Who would not thinke but here were a learned defence of that they say But marke the issue First we haue shewed them and it is the truth that whatsoeuer the later writers Damascene Bernard Andreas Metaphrastes Nicephorus Glycas and others of those times haue written touching this matter is borrowed from the former authours Dionysius Melito the writing of S. Iohn Athanasius Ierome and Austin and can haue no more credite then the said authours haue from whom it is borrowed Now these authors we proue to be all forged and our aduersaries in the pursuite of the matter confesse it m D. 15. sancta Romana Sixt. Senens p. 104. The booke going vnder the name of S. Iohn is bored through the eare by the Pope himselfe in a Councell and so is Melito as n An. 48. n. 12. Baronius acknowledgeth who calleth him an idle companion full of dotages and fooleries vnworthie of Christian audience The same censure he giueth o Nu. 13. inde of Sophronius and Ierome to Paul Eustoch and p Nu. 20. inde of Athanasius confessing them to be forged in their names and full of lies and impostures And q Nu. 17. of that which goeth vnder the name of Austine as the Diuines of Louan haue done before him Dionysius is he that when all is done must beare the burden But he also is acknowledged by r Erasm declar ad Censur Parisiens theol p. 180. Caietan Valla annot in Act. 17. right skilfull Papists to be a counterfet And if the Rhemists Å¿ In Act. 1.14 say true that the blessed Virgine liued but 63. yeares then by t She bare Christ at 15. yeares Christ died at 33 then she was 48. whereto if you adde 15. more it maketh them 63 and that yeare falleth into the yeare of Christ 48. computation of times she died in the eight and fortieth yeare after Christs birth what time Dionysius could not as the booke going vnder his name pretendeth be present For the same Rhemists u Table of Sainâ— Paul p. 375. say he was not conuerted till an 51 and Baronius x An. 52. nu 1. not till an 52 which was three or foure yeares after her death Besides Baronius y Nu. 19. is driuen to confesse her sepulcher was not found or knowne in Ieromes time but when at the length not much before the dayes of Iuuenalis the Bishop of Ierusalem it was found and that without the body by occasion hereof the argument of writing concerning the assuming of her body into heauen was exhibited for before that time none had writ so Let this be noted If her sepulcher was not knowne nor her body missed out of it nor no man writ of her assumption till Iuuenalis time how can Dionysius that liued so long afore mention it Againe let the booke be Dionysius his owne and legitimate yet the words thereof conuince not this Assumption He saith no more but thus z De Diuin nomin p. 281. graec When we also as you know and your selfe and many of our holy brethren came together to behold the body which the Prince of life was in and which receiued God where Iames the brother of our Lord also was present and Peter the highest and ancientest top of the Diuines then after we had beheld it pleased all the Bishops as euerie one was able to praise the almightie goodnesse of his infirmitie that was the beginning of life vnto vs Where Ierotheus as you know excelled all the other holy
And Tertullian lib. de praescript And Optatus lib. 2. contra Parmen The Answer 1 The ancient Fathers affirme not one word of all this First they affirme not that the Romane Church was then gouerned by Popes as now it is For they saw not how it is gouerned now and therefore could not affirme it And that it was not in their time thus gouerned I haue shewed Digression 27. and 49. num 6. and 51. num 9. The Bishops of Rome in their time I graunt were called Popes and Occumenicall as a Ep. Arsen apud Athan. apol 2. Basil ep 52. Iustin Nouell 3. 5. in tit Balsam respons in iure Graecorsi Ioan. Aquipont de Antichr p. 107. other Bishops also were but they had no such authoritie as now they vsurpe Their owne b Concord l. 2. c. 12. Cusanus may teach them that he is gotten beyond the ancient obseruations not hauing that power belonging to him which certaine flatterers giue him And Duarenus a Papist likewise yet c De sacris eccles benef l. 1. c. 16. confesseth as much as I say that Phocas made him the vniuersall Bishop which authority his successors haue maruellously increased 2 Next albeit they affirme the Church of Rome to be the lawfull and Apostolike Church yet they affirmed not the present Romane Church which they neuer saw so to be He that affirmed Lais to be a virgine when she was ten yeares old did not say she was so at tweÌ„tie Rome since their death hath plaied the whore and lost that name and reputation which the fathers had of her Which answereth all the places cited out of Irenaeus Austine Ambrose Hierome and Cyprian For calling Rome the Apostolike Church they spake of their owne time and not of ours 3 Thirdly they do not affirme the Romane Church in their dayes to be lawfull and Apostolike for no other reason but because it had a lineall succession from the primitiue Church but as I haue answered d Sect. 53. n. 2. inde before because it had withall the succession of doctrine which the present Papacie hath not Neither did they thinke that therefore it had succession of doctrine because it had succession of Priests as if the former must needs be inseparably ioyned with the later For their words expresse no such thing as I haue shewed They reuoke schismatickes to the succession indeed of the Romane Church as they did likewise of others and obiect it against them but not it alone nor so as they would assume all succession for euer to be ioyned with the true faith though then in the Churches named it was Neither did they beleeue the Priests whom they so called to be sacrificers or Massing Priests They vsed the name but they gaue it not the definition which the Church of Rome now vseth Vpon all which it followeth that the ancient fathers affirmed not the Romane Church at this day to be the true Apostolicke Church though you see into the places cited an hundred times the which are answered Sect. 53. principally for this cause that the reasons whereupon they so commended it then hold not now in our dayes as they did in theirs If our aduersaries will take benefite by that which the fathers say in commendation of the Romane Church in their dayes they must proue their succession as inuiolated and their doctrine as sound as then it was which they can neuer do § 57. Now to make an end considering all this which I haue said and proued to wit that there is but one infallible and entire faith the which is necessarie to saluation to all sorts of men the which faith euerie one must learne by some knowne infallible and vniueâ—sall rule accommodate to the capacitie of euerie one the which rule can be no other but the doctrine and teaching of the true Church which Church is alway to continue visible to the worlds end and is to be knowne by these foure markes aforesaid agreeing onely to the Romane Church whereupon it followeth that it only is the true Church of which euery one must learne that faith which is necessarie to saluation considering I say all this I would demaund of the Protestants who will not admit the authoritie or doctrine of the Church how they can perswade themselues to haue that faith whereby they may be saued or by what right they can chalenge vnto themselues the title of the true Church since as I now haue proued they haue neuer a one of these foure markes which by the common consent of all are the true markes of Christs true Church How can theirs be the true Church which neither is one because it hath no meanes to keepe it in vnitie nor holy because neither was there euer man of it which by miracle or by some other vndoubted testimonie can be proued to be truly holy Neither is their doctrine such as those that most purely obserue it do without faile become holy nor catholike because it teacheth not all true things which haue bin held in former times but denieth many of them Neither is it spread ouer all the Christian world but euery particular sect is contained in some few corners therof neither hath it bene euer since Christ but sprong vp of late the first founder being Martin Luther an apostata Frier a man after his apostasie knowne both by his writings words and deeds and maner of his death to haue bene a notable euill liuer nor Apostolike because the preachers thereof cannot deriue their pedegree lineally without interruption from anie Apostle but are forced to begin their line if they will haue anie from Luther or Caluin or some later How can they then bragge that they only haue the true holy Catholike and Apostolike faith Since this is not found but only in the true holy Catholike Apostolike Church and remaining alwayes as S Augustine said in ventre Ecclesiae in the bellie of the Church It is vnpossible that they which are not of this Church should haue the true faith according to the saying of the same Augustin afore cited Quisquis ab hoc ventre separatus est necesse est vt falsa loquatur whosoeuer is separated from this bellie of the Church he must needs speake false For who can once haue true faith vnlesse he first heare it because fides est ex auditu Rom. 10. Faith cometh of hearing But how can one heare it sine praedicante without one to preach it truly vnto him The Answer 1 That which the Iesuite hath said and proued is granted him to wit that there is indeed but one true faith which is necessarie to saluation to all sorts of men the which as it must so it may be learned by that rule which God hath left infallible vniuersall and accommodate to the capacitie of euery one the which rule is the Scriptures contained in the bookes of the old and new Testament and not that which the Iesuit meaneth by the doctrine and teaching of the
Church though no man deny but that is needfull for the shewing and teaching of the rule to all that shall be saued expounding the said teaching of the ministerie wherby the faithfull are directed in the Church But he hath not proued the Church to be alway visible to the world nor those foure to be the Notes of the Church He hath said it but not proued it as appeareth by my answer 2 All which being considered his demands are soone and shortly answered that the Protestants admit the authority and doctrine of the Church though they thinke not the Papacie to be it nor the authoritie thereof to be aboue the Scripture And the grounds wherupon they perswade themselues to haue the sauing faith are so infallible that all the Papists in the world cannot cōfute them And our title to the true Church is sound when our aduersaries haue smattered and wrangled against it what they can for the doctrine of the Scripture which in all points we professe beleeue proue it And albeit those foure One Holy Catholicke and Apostolicke be not the markes of the Church but certaine qualities therein yet we haue them at least for anie thing the Iesuite hath said to the contrarie all whose discourse against vs pretending the want of these things among vs I haue fully answered in their proper places and retorted vpon himselfe whereby the iudicious reader may be satisfied And therefore when we say ours is the true faith we brag not but maintaine and auouch our lawfull title since as S. Austin saith the same is not to be found but in the bellie of the true Church which we are Whereupon we aduise all Papists whatsoeuer to renounce the Papacie if they will hold the truth and be saued For according to the saying of the same Austin afore-cited whosoeuer is separated from this bellie of the Church must needs speake false because out of the true Church there is neither true preaching nor lawfull sending such as should preach and I haue manifestly shewed that the Papacie is not the true Church but a disease that by the faction of some grew vnto it 3 Thus the whole discourse of this Section is briefly answered But where he saith our religion sprang vp of late the first founder being Martin Luther an apostata Frier a man knowne by his writings words deeds and death to haue bene a notable euill liuer this must be a little more stood vpon because it is the burden of euery song among the Papists And first it is to no purpose to say our religion sprang vp of late in Luther vnlesse our euidence whereby we shew it to agree with the Scripture and to haue bene taught in the Church of Rome it selfe many hundred yeares afore Luther was borne can be disproued Next we graunt Luther was a Frier and obtaining the knowledge of the truth renounced the profession which was no other apostasie or fault in him then it was in S. Paule when he renounced the profession of a Pharisee and became an Apostle both the professions being hypocrisie saue that of the Frier was of a deeper tincture as I haue shewed Digress 45. Then concerning his writings the Iesuite is no competent iudge For woe to him and all his Church if Luthers writings be good And therefore let them be examined by the Scripture the touchstone of all mens writings not by the witles preiudice of idle companions that neuer read them And if they containe some particular things that deserue reproofe yet what disgrace is that to the substance of his writings What fathers writing is so pure but it containeth some error Yea I challenge the Iesuit let him name if he can one writer of his owne side old or new Schooleman or Iesuite but some or other in the Church of Rome will except against something he writ Thomas Caietan Bellarmine and Baronius are controlled yea in the later editions the Councell of Trent hath purged in a manner all writers which maketh it cleare that some errors in Luthers bookes disaduantage vs no more then the errors purged and espied in their owne books disaduantage the Papists And yet the things that are most excepted against are no errors but the ancient truth maintained against Popish innouation And let the words of Erasmus a man able to iudge by a Antididag p. 58. Sur. cōment p. 288. Staplet discours p. 159. the Papists owne confession determine this matter b Epist ad Cardin Mogent He saith It is obserued of a truth that these men the Papists condemne many things in Luthers bookes as hereticall which in Austin and Bernard are read for godly and good Diuinity and he addeth That he seeth this the best men are least offended at his writings The which is most true it being their ordinary practise for the hatred of our persons to raile vpon that which by their owne confession the ancient fathers held before vs. So c Hosiand hist eccl cent 16. p. 837 Andreas Masius in the company of diuers acknowledged there was more Diuinitie in one page of Luther then sometimes in a whole booke of some father Let his writing therefore rest and come to his life and death Digression 54. Containing a briefe narration touching the life and death of Martin Luther with the incredible reports thereof made by his aduersaries And shewing how sundry Popes in the Church of Rome haue liued and died worse then he supposing all reports were true 4 In speaking of this matter that standeth altogether vpon witnesses I must put the reader in mind of a speech of Bellarmines d Not. eecl c. 14. §. Sed respondeamus That it is the part of a foole rather to beleeue Caluin and Illyricus touching ancient histories whereat they were not present then Bernard Bonauenture and Antonine that were present Let this law be kept then that Surius Lindan Pontacus and other railing Papists that were not present at Luthers life and death be not credited against them that liued with him saw him die and if any will beleeue them let him be the Iesuites foole Now touching his life Melancthon that was his companion and liued with him hath written it and commended it to say no more And Erasmus that was familiar with him e L. 11. Ep. 1. ad Card. Eborac in a certain Epistle to Cardinall Wolsey giueth testimony that his life was approued with great consent of all men And this saith he is no small preiudice that the integritie of his manners is so great that his verie enemies can finde nothing which they may calumniate As indeed to this day nothing can be produced against him that is substantiall They clamour of his doctrine because it was against them and produce some vehement speeches which his aduersaries by their iniuries prouoked him vnto as Saint Hierome often times vseth the like vehemency but what is that to his conuersation Let them shew his life to haue bene led otherwise then became