whoredome and bawdry which is amongst the most parte of Priests And moreouer the Canons denounce those persons to be Idolaters which heare the Masse of any Priest or Deacon that is a Fornicator For thus saith a Canon taken out of S. Gregory If any Priest Deacon or Subdeacon be stayned with the sinne of fornication we in the name of the father almighty by the authoritie of S. Peter doe vtterly forbid bim to come into the Church vntill he haue done penance and made amendes And if they continue in their sinne let no mā presume to heare their diuine seruice for their blessings shall be turned into cursings their prayer into sinne And this doth the Lord himselfe witnesse where he saith by his Prophet I will curse your blessings And as many as disobay this holesome commaundement shall fall into the sinne of Idolatry Were this Canon wel vnderstood of the infinite number of pore ignorant soules that hold of the Romish Religion and doe ordinarily hear the Masses and other Church seruices of lecherous priestes I beleeue they would rather forbeare it vtterly than defile themselues so wretchedly with Idolatrie And as saith this Canon receiue the curse of God in receiuing the blessing of such a priest But ignorance accompanied with error which hath been long bred and rooted in the Romain Church doe cause the poore people to be content to heare the masses of these Fornicators But if a maryed Priest should sing them a Mas they would stone him to death and not allow his masse to be good Behold what power long forgrowen error hath ouer poore ignorant people and how strangely the tirany therof causeth their wretched consciences to goe astray For by the auncient Canons it is a cursed thing to shun the offering of a maryed priest or to beleeue that the same is to be despised because he is marryed These be the very words of a Canon taken out of the councell of Gangra If any man make difference of a marryed Priest in forbearing to come to his offering as though he might not doe it because he is marryed Cursed be he And there is yet another Canon which saith that no Priest hath power to consecrate singingcakes except he be a man of good life Which thing should make the Romish Catholicks to thinke that they put them selues in great danger of Idolatry when they worship the singing cake although it were admitted that their doctrine of Transubstantiation were true which thing the Protestants doe still deny For questionles by this Canon all be Idolaters which worship the singing bread that is consecrated by priests of euill life as the most part of them be These be the very wordes of the Canon The priestes which minister the body and bloud of the Lord vnto the people doe wickedly in beleeuing that by the law of Christ it is the wordes which the priest speaketh and not his good life which make the consecration of the Sacrament And that to doe the same there nedeth but only the solemne pronouncing of the prayer without any merit of the priest for it is written that the Prieste which hath any blemish in him may not approch to the Lord to offer any Sacrifice vnto him So then by this Canon it may be well said that in these dayes there are very few Priestes which haue power to consecrate Moreouer in these dayes they obserue no parte of the Ceremonies appointed by the Canons in the saying of their Masse For they ought to sing the Masse in single linnen cloth and not in silks of colors These are the expresse words of the Canon By the opinion of vs all we ordain that no man presume to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Altar in cloth of silke nor in any other cloth of color but in linnen cloth only consecrated by the Bishop That is to say made and wouen of flax which groweth vpon the earth Euen in such like sorte as the bodye of our Lord Iesus Christ was buried and wrapped in a simple white sheete made of flax Neither ought they to sing or say Masse without two assistantes least they should offend in the congruity of Grammer in hauing but one when they said Dominus vobiscum and Orate pro me fratres speaking in the plurall number But yet this notwithstanding the most part of Masses are said nowadayes but with one Clarke to accompany the priest yea and often times the Priest is constrayned to answere himselfe as it is sayd by a common prouerbe of a priest named Martin These be the very wordes of the Canō It is also ordayned that no priest shal presume to say masse except he haue two assistants so as he himselfe may be the third For when he saith in the plurall number the Lord be with you these words of the Memento Brethren pray for me it is very conuenient that other folks should answere of themselues to his salutation So as if all these Canons be well considered euery man may well perceiue that the Romish Catholicks haue no great reason to make so great account of their Mas or to thinke the Protestants to be in error in that they will neither come at it nor allow of it Of Maryage The ix Chapter AS cōcering marriage the doctrine of the Protestauntes differeth not much from the doctrine of the romish catholickes In deed the Catholickes do terme it a sacrament and the protestantes say it is a holy institution of God but not a sacrament because that in euery sacramēt there must be an outward signe to bee discerned with the eie and an inward thing signified which is inuisible as I haue sayed of Baptisme heretofore shewing that in that sacrament the water is the outward signe and the washing of the soule is the inward inuisible thing signified And in the supper of our lord the bread and the wine are the outward signes and the body and the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ bee the things signified which our soules do receiue inwardly and spiritually But it cannot be sayd that in marriage ther is an outward visible signe and an inward inuisible thing signified And therfore it is not a Sacrament Agayne the Protestants affirm that marriage is honorable amongst all sorts of people be they lay men or men of the church noble or vnnoble rich or poore because God hath instituted it and hath permitted the vse thereof to all persons of what quality soeuer they be and to celebrate the same at all seasons And that to make gloses and limitations or restrayntes of the which God hath set at liberty is to goe about to be wiser than God which in deede is starke foolishnesse beastly presumption and heddy trayterousnesse Contrarywise the romish Catholickes holde opinion that it is not lawfull for men of the church to be married at all nor to celebrate any marriage in Lent in Aduent and in the foure ember weeks And the reason whereupon they haue
reason vpon euery point and hauing alleadged the very text of the holy Scripture to confirme our doctrine and to disprooue theirs I geue them yet this aduantage further that I come into the listes against them with their own weapons which they take to be most for their own defence and most hurtfull to vs that is to wit the Canons made or authorised by the very Popes themselues Wherein I thinke I haue done so much by the grace of God that either they must condemne the Pope and his Canons or els confesse that our Religion is voyd of all error True it is that many learned men of our time haue sufficiently already set forth the purenes of our Religion by the holy Scripture yea and that much better than I could skill to doe Insomuch that in that respect many may thinke that I doe but make repetitions Howbeit forasmuch as I haue taken in hand as you would say to leuell or bend the Canons in defence of ourselues against such persons as beate vs with them and vnduely doe attribute asmuch or more authoritie to them than to the holy Scripture it selfe I haue considered that it were no reason for me to commit the same faulte which they doe And therfore my intent is to alleadge the very text of the scripture vpon euery poynt for the true and sure grounding of our doctrine and not to bestow the Canons otherwise than in beating downe the contrary doctrine I know well that the time is now so miserable and sorrowfull in Fraunce that most men take all good things in ill part and that euen those which best know the way how to heale our sores are so ill minded that they will not vse it And in good hower be it spoken we may well say as Liuie sayd speaking of the time of the Ciuill warres in Rome which began vnder Silla and Marius and contynued vnder Pompey and Cesar and so held on in quarrelling and parttaking stil vnder their successors a time in all points like to this sorrowfull time of ours that this Realme of Fraunce is brought to so extreme corruption as it may no longer indure either her owne vices or the remedy of them And in good sooth euery man may well perceiue the vices of dissention rancor ciuill warre and corruption both of manners and doctrine which are sowed at this day and already to deepe rooted in our French nation And likewise all men of any vnderstanding doe well see that the very remedy to rid away these mischiefes were to admit some good reformation aswell in doctrine as in discipline and in outward behauiour But France is in the same taking that a poore sick man is when the extremity of his fitte is vpon him who can neither suffer his disease patiently nor willingly receiue the medicine that should doe him good For all of vs doe well inough perceiue our disease and we know well it is great and dangerous and we would faine be healed of it but the most parte of vs doe finde that the medicine of reformation is to irkesome wherein surely men doe greatly ouershoote themselues for there is not so much payne nor displeasure in leading of a sober modest life as ther is in leading of a lose life Besides that the sober wel staid wel reformed life in good māners doctrine is accompanied with great quietnes of cōscience as sayth Cicero doth commonly lead the body to a healthfull and honorable old age But although we had no other cause to desire reformation than for the ceasing of our vntollerable troubles were not that cause inough sith it is not to be douted but that they will neuer be throughly brought a sleepe vntill the cause of them that is to wit the error corruption and loosenes that is among vs be first quenched and done away by a sound reformation aswel inwardly as outwardly For naturally all causes bring forth effects like themselues And againe it is certayne that God being righteous is wont to continue in striking with his reuenging roddes vpon such as harden themselues in their sinnes and stand kicking against the spurre If we considered the monstruous wasting and spoyling of things which Ciuill warres are wont to breede whereof we haue seene but too many by experience the heare of our heads would stand vp at it Cornelius Tacitus rehearsing the mischiefes that befell to the Empire of Rome by the Ciuill warres that were in the time of the Emperors Galba Vitellus and Otho sayth that in those fiery broyles the goodliest Prouinces of the Empire staggered inclyning to a change of state and to an ouerthrow of the Monarchicall gouernment where-through they had felt so many oppressions by meanes of the quarrels and parttakinges of great men who shot at no other marke but to destroy one another Insomuch that in those times there was euery where greate murthering of men burning of townes defiling of holy thinges excessiue cruelty euen in the Citie of Rome it selfe deflouring of the noblest Ladies and banishing of the honestest and honorablest men The vertuousest folkes went soonest to wrecke Notable valiancy and great riches dignitie and authoritie executed or left vnexecuted for feare were taken for crimes The seruant was wrought either by terror or by treachery to be against his master and the bondman was set at liberty against his lord Such as had no enemies were ouerthrowen by the suttle packing of their frends Truth was oppressed partly through the ignorance of the Gouerner partly through the crafty iugling of flatterers and partly through the spyting of such as held the helme It was not lawfull for a man to thinke what he listed nor to speak what he knew The wickednes of the flatterers who had wonne the eares of the Prince and the great rewards which they obtained for their flattering as Consulships gouernments of Prouinces preferments to Priesthods spoilings of Countreis and excheting of mens goods were hated and abhorred alike of all people The small Countreis which sometimes were intangled in those Ciuill broyles were full of cruell deedes The seas were couered with folke that had been banished and driuen out of their own houses the rocks of the sea were pestered about with the carkases of folke murthered and the good Cities were quite cleane soked from all their substance These are the fruites in effect which the great and pollitick wise man Tacitus affirmeth to come and grow ordinarily of parttakings and Ciuill discords Whereof we haue felt so good store by the space of seuenteene yeares alredy or there abouts that we ought now long ere this to haue desired and sought the remedye that might haue cured our so strange misfortunes and barbarous calamities Yea and euen they which are the most sworne enemies of the reformed Religion ought to become assured by the proof of time past that for all that euer they can doe or deuise they shall neuer so deface the truth and vertue but that they shall stand
them euidently that it is not so when we come to the scanning of euery poynt particularly that is in question And for proofe and demonstration of our sayinges we will take for our grounde three Maximes or generall rules which are very certayne and true whereby euery man shall easely be able to iudge whether the same religion is to be reckned wicked new and hereticall or no. The three Maximes are these The first is that that doctrine of Religion whereby God is most honored is the best The second is that that Doctrine which is best builded vpon the worde of God is the moste auncient and true The third is that the Romish Catholickes cannot well accuse that doctrine of heresie which is approued by their own Canones Which three rules or maximes be so cleere euident of them selues that in mine opinion the day or the Sun is not clearer For seeing that Religiō is no other thing than the duty which we owe vnto god It doth folow that that doctrine which teacheth vs to yeld vnto him all dutye and honour and to rob him of no part thereof is a good and true doctrine and that there can be no better Likewise it is certayn that the doctrine which is builded vpon the only word of God ought not to be called new but that we may rather say that it is as olde as the world it selfe In so much that they which doe call it new may not nor cannot so call it in respect of it selfe but onely in respect of their own ignorance for to the ignorāt euery thing that they vnderstand not is new Neither is it to be douted but that it is most true because that God who is the author therof is the truth it selfe and the fountayn of light and wisdome In like maner I thinke that al mē will easily graunt that euen the earnestest Catholickes of Rome can not dispence so much with them selues as to accuse that Religiō of heresie which is approued by their own Canones because the Canones be authorysed by the Popes themselues For the decrees of Gracian from whence I intend to draw the most partes of the Canōs which shal be alleaged were ratifyed authorised by Pope Euginie the third who commaunded that they should be red in the Vniuersytyes and vsed in iudgemēt as they haue bene euer since So that to reiect and condemn the Canons were as much in effect as to deny the Pope and all the Romane Religion But full well I know that hereafter when I shall alleadge the Canons those passionate Catholickes will rise vp and say that there be other canons contrary to these and truly I will not deny but that the bookes of the Canon law are ful of cōtraryeties Yet dare I boldly say and assuredly auow that those Canons which I will alleadge in this booke are of the best and most auncient of al the Canon law which haue proceeded from the best springs fountaynes and from such authors as were most principall in skill and holynes as may easely bee iudged by those that will compare them with their bookes Hauing thus set downe these three Maximes the truth whereof is easelie to be perceaued by euery man of common capacitie yea euen of the grossest sort I am now to apply them orderlye to euery particular poynt And first of all we will treate of Prayer ⧠OF PRAYER The second Chapter THe doctrine of the professors of the Gospell touching prayer is verye playne Their opinion is in effect that we ought to offer our prayers vnto God our maker who is able inough to geue vs whatsoeuer we aske gratious in harckening gentlye to our requestes Who also hath manifested his great goodnes in giuing his euerlasting Sonne to the end that by him our manhoode might haue accesse to his Godhead And therefore they say that in praying to God our creator wee muste alwayes vse the credite and intercession of his Sonne our mediator who may boldly goe to the Father because he is God as he is in the selfsame Godhead and being and disdayneth not also to apply himselfe to men and to be an intercessor for them because he is man as they be Nether is this manner of praying vnto God altogether disalowed of the Romain Catholicks but they wil needes adde thereunto that we must haue also other Mediators and Intercessors to God the Father and to Iesus Christ himself That is to wit the hesaints and the shesaintes which are many in number in their times haue done many a faire miracle For say they if a man would be a suiter to a king in any cause or to his eldest sonne he would not at the first dash preace to their presence but goe to some of their seruants or Lordes of their court And so it seemeth a thing very reasonable and meete that when a man is minded to pray to god for any thing he go first to some of the Celestial court to purchase acces to god to Iesus Christ his Sonne by their meanes and that to doe otherwise were a kinde of dispising of the saints who haue the charge from God to pray continually for the Millitante Church and euery particular person of the same Truely it is not to be denied but that these reasons haue some colour and shew of truth if we shall iudge of God as of man. But hereunto the Protestants reply that we may not iudge of God as of a king or as of another mortall mā for there is great difference God is altogether good and inclyned to doe good But men be they kinges or other are naturally euill and disposed to doe euill both against God their neighbors God vnderstandeth our Prayers assoone as they be conceiued in our harts and before our mouthes doe vtter them But to cause a king to vnderstande our suites we must put them in wryting or tell them by word of mouth and therfore we haue neede of Aduocates to lay forth our cases of Maisters of requestes to preferre our petitions to the Prince or to his councell and of the fauor of great Lordes and councellours to get vs audience and dispatch All which thinges haue no place with god So that to compare the maner of praying vnto God with the preferring of suits vnto Princes is a token that we slenderly consider the greatnes of god And here wee haue to note a proper saying of S. Ambrose which he vttereth in these expresse wordes Those which in steede of resorting vnto God repayre vnto creatures are wont to colour their contempt of God with this miserable excuse That by the menes of those to whō they haue recourse they may attayne to the presence of God as men attayne to the presence of a king by meanes of his officers But I pray you is there any man so mad or so careles of his owne life that he dareth yeald the honor to any of the kings seruantes or officers which belongeth
to the king himselfe specially seeing we finde that such as dare but speake of the like matters are by the law gilty of high tresō No. And yet these that yeld to the Creature the honor that is due to the name of god which letting god alone do worship their fellow seruaunts think not themselues blame worthy at all as who should say they could reserue any greater honor vnto God. Now the reason why men make their suites to Princes by the meane and fauor of Noble men Captaines and Officers is because the king is borne a man and knoweth not in whom to repose his trust and confidence for the ordering of his publick affaires But as for GOD from whom nothing is hidden for he knoweth euery mans desertes vnto him we haue no need of an Aduocate but of a deuout hart For wheresoeuer such a harte speaketh vnto him he wil answere him By which sayings this good doctor S. Ambrose by good and apparant reasons confoūdeth the doctrine of the Romish Catholicks touching the intercession of Saints So as to vse any other mediator to Godward than our Lord Iesus Christ is a distrusting of his fauor and of the goodwill he beareth vs as though he were like vnto some rough and vncurteous prince that wold take displeasure if a mā preaced to his presence not being presented by some officer of his court For say the Protestants are not we certayn and well assured of the clemency goodnes of our Sauior that doth inuite vs to come directly vnto him Is not he our good Shepheard our Redeemer our attonementmaker our reconciler and our brother Wherfore hath he taken vpon him our flesh borne our iniquities fulfilled the law wherby we were condemned shed his most precious bloud and suffered death and passion vpon the crosse Is it not for vs that he hath done all these thinges to purchase our saluation and reconciliation with God his Father For neither for himselfe nor to increase his own glory needed he to humble and imbase himselfe so much And therefore it is not to be douted but that he doth discharge his office of Mediatorship much better than all the saintes can doe specially seeing that he is the only meanes that they be saints and without him they could not so be Now as it is not to be douted but he hath great good will to do the office of a Mediator for vs so must we beleeue that he will not consent that any other should take vpon him to doe it but is and will be the onely obtayner of our saluation and of the heauenly blessinges which God shall geue vs. These be the reasons which the Protestants do alleadge for the maintenaunce of their doctrine touching prayer Whereby it doth plainly appeare that their doctrine is the best according to our first maxime because that the honor which belongeth to Iesus Christ our Lord is therby better and more soundly and wholly without diminishing rendered vnto him then by the doctrine of the Romish catholicks who would haue so great a number of Mediators as they seem to leaue to Iesus Christ nothing els but onely the name of mediator doe attribute to the saints both the name and the effect Secondlye this doctrine of the Protestants is perfectly groūded vpon the word of God as all men may know by considering as well the precepts as the examples which are in the bible concerning prayer For first of all the holy Scripture teacheth vs to put all our trust in the goodnes of God and to pray onely vnto him assuring vs that he will geue care vnto our prayers saying If you being euill can skill to geue good thinges to your children how much rather will your Father which is in heauē geue good things to those that aske of him And agayne it exhorteth vs to vse the credit of Iesus Christ our Mediator to God the Father saying If any man haue sinned we haue an aduocate with God the Father euen Iesus Christ the righteous And to the end we should not doubt of the power and good will of our Mediator towards vs it doth assure vs of two thinges The one that he sitteth in his Maiestye and might on the right hand of the throne of his Father And the other that he doth pray and make intercessiō for vs. He is saith S. Paul vpon the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs. And for that we should not abuse our selues in seking many mediators vnto god the holy scripture doth also teach vs that as we haue but one God to whom we ought to pray No more haue we but onely one Mediator saiing For there is but one God and one Mediator betwixt God and man the mā Iesus Christ And because we should not doubt that God is our Father and that we may vse him as a Father we are taught that those which beleeue in the Mediator are made the children of god by the same faith belief saying to all those that haue receued him he hath geuen priuiledge to become the Children of God that is to say To those which beleue in his name So as Iesus Christ himself teaching vs how we should pray to God hath willed vs to call him our Father Moreouer in the Psalmes of Dauid and in the other bookes of the Bible there are infinite numbers of examples which proue that all holy mē haue alwaies made their prayers vnto God and neuer vnto dead mē nor called vpon them to be their meanes and Intercessors vnto God. Wherupon it followeth apparantly that the doctrine of the Protestāts touching prayer is the most auncient and true according to our seconde Maxime Finally the sayd Romish Catholicks ought not to charge the Religion of the Protestants with heresie by the which they say there ought to be no praying to the Saintes which are out of this world for there is no man of so simple iudgement but he will confesse it to be meere madnes to pray to them which cannot heare him as questionles those which be dead cannot vnderstand the prayers which we make vnto thē in this world because as witnesseth the Canon they know nothing of the things which are done in this world except sayth the same Canon that those which die doe cary them newes of the things which they haue seene and vnderstoode before their death These are the very words of the Canon We must needes confes according to the trueth that those which are dead doe know nothing of that which is done here vpon earth but they may well be aduertysed of them by such as die and goe vnto them and yet not of all thinges but onely of such thinges as are lawfull for those that be heare to beare in memory and expediēt for the others to know Thus by this Canon it is most euident that we ought not to pray vnto Saintes seeing they be dead and cā neither heare nor see nor know
in authoritie vnder them that we may leade a quyet and a peaceable life in all godlines and honesty For that is acceptable before God our Sauiour And it is not for any man not only to exempt himselfe from obaying the prince but also to deny to pay him tribute seeing that our lord Iesus Christ did pay it and hath commaunded to pay it S. Paule doth also witnes the same thing saying that the duty of conscience commaundeth vs to pay tribute to princes because they be the ministers of God and serue thereunto Therfore geue vnto euery mā sayth he that which is due vnto hym Tribute to whome tribute belongeth custome to whō custome pertaineth duty to whom duety belongeth and honor to whom honor is due To be short next after God wee owe to the Prince all obedience honour and feare neither ought wee to thinke it straunge that God shoulde haue the cheefe preheminence seeing that the prince is but his minister and seruant and that the Liefetenant ought not to goe before him which putteth him in office nor the seruant before the master And that was the cause why Daniell said so boldly vnto the king Darius that he had made no fault in disobaying his commaundement which he could not haue obayed without offending both God and his own conscience Also it was for the selfesame cause that the obedience which the people of Israell did yeald vnto their king Ieroboham which caused Calues of golde to be made and commanded the people to honor them is condemned by the word of god For in matters of Religion we ought to hold the generall rule which S. Peter teacheth saying We must rather obay God than man. The reason hereof is the same that is alleadged by S. Paule namely That we be redeemed or bought with the precious bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ which is a thing of so great and excellent price that we ought not to turne away from the saluation which he hath purchased vs for any thing in all the world We haue heretofore alledged some of the decretall Epistles of the Popes Gelasyus Innocēt the third and Bomface the eight by that which they haue done their indeuour to thrust down emperours kinges and other Princes far vnderneath them but the auncient Canons speake farre otherwise for by them euen the Pope himselfe whensoeuer he cōmitteth any fault ought to be corrected and punished by the Emperour as Pope Leo the fourth auoweth and confesseth in his epistle written to the Emperor Lewes which epistle is made canonicall If we haue done sayth he any thing which wee ought not or haue not performed the equity of the law towards your subiects we are ready to amend our fault by the iudgement of your selfe or of your commissioners for if we which should correct the faultes of other men do worsse then they we be not the children of the trueth but which thing I speake with great grief we be masters of error more thā others Wherfore we most hūbly besech your maiesties clemency to vouchsafe to send hither some commissioners of yours such as feare God to informe you of our behauiour and to make as diligent inquisition thereof as if your imperiall maiestie were here present in proper person and to search out the trueth by peecemeale not onely of the thinges afore mentioned but also of all other matters which may haue bene reported vnto you So as by that meanes al things may be determined by lawfull examinatian of the case and nothing remayne to be discussed and decided hereafter By which Canon it appeareth playnely that the Emperour of Rome hath power and authoritye to inquire of the misbehauiour and misdealings of the pope and that he may by lawful iudgement condemne and punish him when he doth amisse We do also read in S. Gregory who is esteemed for one of the best Popes that in his epistle which he wrote to the kings of fran̄ce of Englād and of the westerngothes he did alwaies call them his children But when the wrate to the Emperor which raygned in his tyme whose name was Mawrice hee called him his Lord and spake very humbly vnto him as vnto hym that was his soueraygne declaring that he did and would obay the sayd Emperors most mylde commaundementes for those be his termes that he vseth There are other Canons also by the which all power of Soueraintye is attributed vnto princes as well ouer the lay people as ouer the clergye and ouer the goodes both of the one and of the other These be the very wordes of the Canon S. Peter in fishing found tribute in the mouth of a fish because that the church ought to pay tribute of such outward good as are sene to al mē And the case so standeth that for his tribute he was commaunded to pay not all the whole fish which he had caught in fishing but onely the peece of siluer which he had founde in the mouth of the fish which he had caught because the church it selfe or the preheminence of the place ought not to be geuen to Emperours and Kinges nor to be put in subiection to their power But surely as I sayd before that which was found in the mouth of the fish is commaunded to be geuen for the tribute of Peter and of the Lord because wee ought to pay tribute vnto princes of the outwarde goods of the church according to the auncient custome to the end they may mayntayne defend vs in good peace and quietnes By which canon it appereth that princes may as well rayse tribute vpon men of the Church as vpon the lay people although they may not take authority in deuine matters further than to cause obedience to be geuen to the commaundements of God as it is sayd in an other Cannon in expresse wordes When Emperors make wicked lawes to maintayne falshood agaynst the trueth it serueth to trye the true beleuers who are crowned with martirdom for perseuering in the truth But when they make good lawes and edictes to mayntayne the truth agaynste the falshood the persecutors are strickē in fear by it and such as vnderstand the truth do amend themselues Whosoeuer therefore doth refuse to obay the edictes of the Emperoures and princes that mayntayne the true doctrine doe procure themselues great punishment but as many as refuse to obay the edicts made agaynst the will of God winne to themselues great reward Eor euer since the tyme of the prophets all kinges are blamed which haue not prohibited and rooted out from amongst Gods people all such thinges as haue bene set vppe agaynst his commaundements And these which haue prohibited thē and rooted them out are highly praysed aboue al others Nabuchodonosor being an Idolater did make a trecherous proclamation that all men should worship his Image But those which refused to obay the vngodly law dealt faythfully and holyly With this Canon agreeth an other canon taken out of S.
Augustine who in expounding the texte of S. Paule where it is said that he which resisteth the Prince resisteth the ordinance of God speaketh in these termes He that resisteth the higher power doth resist the ordinance of god Yea but what if he commaund vnlawfull thinges truly in that case thou must not obay him Consider the degrees euen of mens lawes If the ordinary iudge commaund a thing he ough to be obayed but not if the gouernour command the contrary And in this case thou despisest not the inferior maiestrate but of the two thou chosest rather to obay the superior wher in the inferior maiestrate ought not too find himselfe greued for that his superior is preferred before him Moreouer If the gouernour commaunde one thing and the Prince an other or rather if the Prince commaund one thing and God commaund the contrary what will you say to that God is the highest power O my soueraine Lord I beseech you to pardon me you may cause me to bee put in prison but god hath power to put me in hell fire In this case thou must arme thy selfe with the buckler of fayth whereby thou shalt be able to beat back all the firy dartes of the deuill Now then these Canons maynetaine the doctrine of the Protestants which affirme that next vnder God we ought to yeeld all obedience to the Prince yea although he were an Infidell or a Runeagate as Iulian the Apostata was of whom the canō speaketh thus Albeit that Iulian the Emperour was an Apostota or backslider yet had he christen souldiers that serued vnder him whom whensoeuer he commāded to march forward in battaile for the defence of the common weale they obayed him But when he commaunded them to marche agaynst the Christians thē they acknowledged the Emperour of heauen And in good soothe so little is the Pope in abled by the auncient Canons to bereaue kinges and princes of their Realmes and principalities that he cannot so much as geue away a Bishopricke in any Realme without the consent of the pruste vnder whose dominion the same is as it appeareth by an Epistle of Pope Leo the fourth sent to the Emperours Lotharius and Lewes by the which he doth intreat thē to consent to bestow the Bishopricke of Rets vpon one named Colon. These be the very wordes of the Canon Seing the church of Rets hath bene so lōg tyme without a Shepheard it is requisite that it should bee ayded by your maiesties authority and maintained by the power of your gouernement Wherfore after our most hūble salutatiō vnto you we beseech your clemency to vouchsafe to graunt the gouernement of the sayed church vnto Colon your humble deacon that by your maiesties licence we may with Gods helpe consecrate him Byshop of the same And if it stād not with your liking that he should be Bishop of that church then we beseech your highnesse that he may haue the Churche of Tusculan which is now vacant so that being by vs consecrated Byshop he may geue thankes to almighty God and to your jmperiall maiesty And it is not to be doubted but the both in the time of the same Pope Leo and before his tyme also it was the ordinary custome not to receiue any Byshop without the consent of the prince vnder whose dominion the bishoprick was According whereunto it is sayd thus in an other canon speaking of the same matter in these termes Forasmuch as we know that the church of God cannot be maintained without Shepheardes we beseech your maiestye as we are bound to do to vouchsafe of your imperiall wisedome according to the custome in all auncient time obserued to geue vs licēce by your maiesties letters patentes to prouide one and we will therein obay your will and by Gods helpe consecrate him that shal be chosen To be short not onely these foresayd canons but also many others do witnes vnto vs that nother any Byshoprick nor yet the Papacy it selfe may be geuen to any without consent of the Prince so farre off is the Pope frō hauing authority aboue the Prince And whosoeuer will read S. Gregory especially in the Epistle which hee wrote to Mawrice the Emperoure shall finde that he doth often tymes geue the Emperoure thanks for prouiding such such a church of a good and meete shepheard and how he declareth in diuers places that hee is and will be obedient to the lawes and cōmaundementes of the Emperoure as we haue towched here before ⧠Of the authoritie of the Pope and of the succession and discipline in the order of the cleargy The xi Chapter THe Romish Catholickes hold opinion that the Pope is the supreme head chiefe Shepheard and vniuersall gouernor of all the churches of Chistendome as vicar generall of our Lord Iesus Christ And this doctrine they build vpon a likelihood of great conueniency that Iesus Christ which is in heauen should haue a liuetenant here below vpon earth to pardon the sinnes of the repentant to prouide Curats and Shepheardes for the perticuler churches when they happen to be vacant and to make lawes and Canons to rule all christēdome in matters of religion ecclesiastical pollicy They say also that this authority ouer all the churches of the world was geuē to S. Peter the first pope of Rome and so consequently to to his successors for because our Lord Iesus Christ sayd vnto him Thou art Peeter and vpon this rocke will I build my church and the gates of hell shall haue no power agaynst it And I will geue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whom soeuer thou bindest vpon earth he shall bee bound in heauen and whomsoeuer thou losest vpon earth shabbe losed in heauen But contrarywise the Protestants affirme that Iesus Christ alone is the supreme head chiefe shepheard and vniuersall gouernor of the vniuersall Church whiche is disparsed throughout the world and that when he went vp into heauē he did not appoint any vickar or liuetennant to keepe his place nother in deede was it needefull For he that is absēt himselfe hath need of a liuetenant but as for him he is neuer absent from his church but is and alwayes will be with it by his spirite deuine power vnto the end of the world So as to say that Christ hath neede of a liuetēnaunt vpō yearth as though he could not execute his office vpon yearth for all his being in heauen is as much as to bereue him of his Godhead which of it owne nature hath no lesse power and abilitie on earth and in hell then in heauen where his manhode is resident Wherof it inseweth according to our first maxime that the doctrine of the Protestantes in this poynte is better thē the doctrine of the Romish Catholicke because the honor that belongeth to Iesus Christ is better yelded vnto him by that then by the other Lykewise the doctrine of the protestantes is much better grounded vpon the
among the number of the Gods the Emperor Dioclesian who dyed at that time and had resigned vp the Empire about a ten yeres before Now then seeing that the Senate was at that time in so great authority as to canonise Dioclesian the greatest enemie and persecuter of the Christians that euer was in despite of Constantine being then Emperor Consul and a Christian I leaue it to your discretions to cōsider how they wold haue suffered the thing which this pretended donation speaketh of namely that Siluester should haue been set vp as soueraigne Lord ouer the Senators themselues and ouer all the West Empire and that the rest of the Clergie should haue been made fellow like and equall with the Senators Consuls States of the Empire Surely they would no more haue suffered it than the Presidents and Councellars of our Parliament would nowadaies abide to haue a minister of the Gospell set ouer thē to controll them Or the ouerseear of a Consistory to be made fellow with them And yet furthermore the history doth witnes vnto vs that this Constātine the great did leaue vnto his sōne Constantine for his part the Realmes such ordinances doe burthen mennes consciences and they that obay them doe seeme rather to play the Iewes than to vse the liberty of Christians These be the very words of a Canon taken out of S. Augustine Vndoutedly I am of opinion that the traditions of the Church ought to be cut of as soone as oportunity may fitly serue thereunto For although it appeare not that they are contrary to the faith yet notwithstanding the slauish burthen of them doth oppresse Religion which God of his mercy hath apointed to be free with the celebration of few Sacramentes and those very cleare In so much that the state of the Iewes is more tollerable thā the obseruation of so many traditions For though they know not the time of their libertie yet doe they not submitte themselues to any Sacramentes at the presumptious and fantasticall appointment of man. Which Cnnon doth well declare how much they be wedded to their own affection which in these dayes doe kindle coales in all places and condemne all those of heresie which doe leaue the traditions of men to betake themselues to the word of God. For with what coūtenance dare they call it heresie not to beleeue in the inuentions of Popes seeing that euen their own Canons doe wil vs to forsake the traditions of men If this be heresie then ought they to burne their Canon Law. Moreouer it is very easie to be proued by their own Canons that al the decrees and ordinaunces of the Popes are either superfluous or wicked For if they agree accord with that word of god they are superfluous because it ought to suffise vs to obserue the ordināces of god which haue no need to be ratified and authorised new againe by men And if they be contrary or repugnant to the ordinances of God then ought they to be reiected as wicked as the auncient Canones themselues doe witnes These be the very words of an auncient Canon attributed to Pope Vrbane Ye must vnderstand that the Pope of Rome may wel make new ordinances in such things as the Euangelistes and Prophetes haue not spoaken of But in the matters that are openly resolued by the Lord himself or by his Apostles or by the auncient Fathers that followed next vnto them the Pope of Rome cannot make any law at all but ought rather to maintain that which is already ordayned yea euē with spending of his bloud and his life For if he should take vpon him which God forbid to destroy that which the Apostles and Prophets haue taught in so doing he should shew himselfe to doe amisse not to geue sound iudgement Vpon this Cannon it is worthy to be noted that the Popes authority extēdeth not so farre as to deale with any thing which the Doctors aunciēt fathers of the Church haue taught as it is farther auouched and proued by the Cannon following attributed to Pope Zosimus whiche sayth thus As touching the statutes of the fathers the authoritie of the Seate may neyther ordaine any thing contrary to them nor chaunge any thing in them for antiquitie ought to be inuiolably rooted amōg vs as beyng honorable by the decrees of the fathers By which Cannons of Pope Vrban and Pope Zosimus it doth playnely appeere that the auncient Cannons such as those be whiche we haue alleaged in this book to confute the errors of the Romish church ought to be of greater authoritie than the decrees and ordinaunces of the latter Popes of our dayes of their councels which haue no power to disanul or altar any thing in the statutes and doctrine of the auncient fathers And as touching the authority which the Pope attributeth vnto hym selfe concerning power to dampne soules and to send them into hell by great troopes without beyng lawfull for any man to say vnto him why doest thou so and to excommunicate outlawe and accurse whome he listeth a man may beat down all these hornes of hys with this vnanswerable argument taken out of his owne Canons that such as are true members of Christ and of hys Church cannot be condempned nor put out of the Church by any kinde of excomunication enterditing or accursing that if any faythful Christian happen to be wrongfully excōmunicated or accurssed by the Pope or by any other priest yet notwithstanding hee is neuer the more out of the Church but remayneth alwaies a member of the same These be the very wordes of a canon touching that poynt When any man departeth from the truth from the feare of God from the fayth and from Charitie truely truely thē goeth he out of the compas of the Church But contrariwise if any man be excommunicated and thrust out of the Church by vniust Iudgement it is certayne that if hee were not gone out afore that is to say if he haue not done any thing that deserued it he is not hurt by such excōmunication for often times he which is driuē out remayneth still within he that seemeth to be within is neuerthelesse without This Cannon teacheth vs a very good and holy doctrine which is to hould and retayne the pure doctrine of the truth the feare of God fayth charitie then not to feare the excommunications or thunderbolts of the Popes or Bishoppes the which in these dayes they do rather vse against such as will not allow their errors than against wicked liuers and such as giue occasion of offence because no man is able to put vs out of Gods Church if we cast not out our selues through our vices Now if vices and errors be the thinges which driue a man out of the Church of God are there in these dayes any people in the whole world which are more out of the Church than those which think to driue out others There remaine yet two pointes to treate