and most excellent seruaunt of God Paul trauaileth very earnestly in this place partly by course of nature partly by reason partly by examples partly by similitudes to proue that coÌ„mon prayers should bee ministred in Churches in the vulgare and knowen language and herein is so plentyfull and so abouÌ„daunt and vseth so many infallible Argumentes that if the whole swarmes of SchooleiaÌ„glers and Friers and couled generation did conspire together they were not able to abyde the force and strength of his disputation And therefore Osorius craftely cloakyng this matter slydeth away from thence to the vices of men And sayth that some of our Preachers are puffed vp with pride of their science many of them be entangled in snares and difficulties and doubtfull questioÌ„s This is true this also is as true that there is a great rable of false ChristiaÌ„s amoÌ„gest whom our Doctour Ierome seémeth chieftaine standard bearer which call light darkenes darkenesse light whiche forbid wedlocke deny lawfull vse of meates obserue serue dayes and monethes yeares minutes of tymes which are turned to the naked and beggerly elementes Enemyes of the Crosse of Christ flow bellyes And yet may not godly men be defrauded of the Gospell bycause such Lurdaines do abuse the holy Scriptures to their lust filthy lucre For our Lord Iesus Christ doth thunder with manifold curses agaynst such Pharisies Maisters of ignoraunce and darkenesse saying Wo be to you Lawyers for you haue taken away the keye of knowledge and haue not entred in your selues and those that would haue entred in you haue forbidden And agayne Woe bee to you Scribes and ` Pharisies hypocrites For you shut fast the kingdome of heauen from men whereunto you enter not your selues nor will suffer others to enter in that would enter You are a Byshop Osorius you haue the keyes of knowledge or ought to haue but you keépe it close and hyde it and will not suffer it to bee opened to your selfe nor to others You are a Shepheard of Christes flocke or you ought to bee you locke fast the Gospell wherein is the kyngdome of God from your sheépe and enter not your selfe nor will suffer others to enter This is daungerous this is damnable you are accursed by the very mouth of our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ yea euen by the testimonie of your owne mouth Osorius For after your long idle and counterfaite deuises imagined vpon the wordes of Paule you conclude at length in this maner Paule doth not forbid to vse straunge language Yet he doth preferre and commende prophecyeng that is to say the expouÌ„dyng of the will of God the maner of edifieng the Church If Paule doe preferre prophecieng more why do you embace it if Paule would haue the congregations to be edified why do you practize to destroy them If Paule of an infinite loue do commaunde all thynges to be expounded in Churches by an interpretour by what tyraÌ„nie do you procure all thynges to be kept in couert in Churches and the people to bee defrauded in all thynges of vnderstandyng by meanes of straunge tounges For it is true in deéde that you say that to speake with touÌ„ges is allowed of Paul if you admit also an interpretour whiche may expresse the meanyng of the tounges But it is false that straunge languages shal be receaued in coÌ„gregations without an interpretour For this speaketh Paul If a man speake with tounges let the same be done by two or at the most by three and so by turnes let one interprete if there be no interpretour let him holde his peace in the congregation or let him speake to him selfe and to God Saint Paule commaundeth straunge laÌ„guages to be silent in the congregation if there be no interpretour Let vs therfore obey him or rather the holy Ghost speakyng in him with all humilitie and banish from vs this chatteryng chough of languages to his Confessours and cowled generation But we can not so driue away this vnportunate fleshfly froÌ„ the godly banguets of soules for he is alwayes bussing about theÌ„ at the last fleéth to this desperate carioÌ„ That this doctrine of Paule was but for a tyme and enioyned to be receaued to the Corinthians and not of vs bycause we are not so apte to be taught therein as they were and are also more incâ—inable to arrogancie Doth this kynde of ExpositioÌ„ please you Osorius and will you be accompted a Deuine and a Byshop in this your Diuinitie to say that the doctrine of the holy Ghost in matters of fayth in thynges eternall in ordinauÌ„ces assured permanent not in any part chauÌ„geable in them selues is but a doctrine for a tyme Our Lord Iesus commauÌ„deth otherwise Searche the Scriptures sayth he the same be they which beare recorde of me How shall we searche that whiche we do not vnderstand or how shall we receaue testimonie in a toung vnknowen vnto vs There is a commaundement of God the Father from heauen This is my beloued sonne heare ye him And how shall we heare him except he speake vnto vs in a knowen touÌ„g The Lord Iesus commaundeth vs to watch and to pray yea to do the same continually for that we know not in what houre he will come what therfore shall we pray in an vnknowen language Truly if it bee so the spirite shall pray but the soule shall receaue no fruite therof by the euident teâ—â—â—monie of Paule WheÌ„ I name the spirite I doe meane thereby the breath that issueth out of the mouth for so doth Paule interprete it in that place Did our Lord Iesus vse a knoweÌ„ or a strauÌ„ge language wheÌ„ he taught the Apostles the forme of prayer Lastly I demauÌ„de of you whether you can finde one sillable in the whole doctrine of the primitiue Churche or whether any remembraunce or vse of this praying in a straunge toung was frequented in the tyme of the Apostles I adde hereunto that after the opinion of S. Augustine prayer is nothing els theÌ„ a communicatioÌ„ betwixt vs almightie God What request then shall we make vnto God the father for our necessities when we vnderstand not what we aske No sober man will seéme so franticke before men much lesse will he trifle so pernitiously with God That foule mouth Osorius that foule mouth therfore would be choaked vp with euerlastyng infamie whiche contrary to the manifest doctrine of the holy Ghost contrary to the receaued custome of the Apostolicke Churches contrary to nature to reason and contrary to all feélyng of common capacitie will auowe that prayers ought to bee made in the congregation in straunge and vnknowen tounges You demaunde further of me Why we haue coÌ„mitted the interpretatioÌ„ of Scriptures to all Carters and Porters I aske of you likewise with what face you could write so vnshamefast a lye in your paper You say that all order is subuerted with vs for that all are Pastours all are Prophetes all
Onely Now chuse you therfore one of these two whiche ye will whether we shall adiudge Chrisostome a Lutheran bycause he trusteth to Fayth Onely or your selfe an execrable Iewe which set your Confidence vpon workes Agayne the same Chrisostome in other place makyng a Commentary vpon the Epistle to the Ephes. vseth the selfe same exclusiue word By Fayth onely sayth hee shall Christ saue the offendours of the law And bycause ye shall know his meanyng perfitely not the offendours of the ceremoniall law but of the same law namely which was endited by the finger of God in the most sacred Tables conteinyng the tenne Commaundementes Adde also hereunto the saying of the same Doctour in his fourth Homely vpon the Epistle to Timothe What thyng is so hard to beleue as that such which are enemies and sinners not Iustified by the law nor the workes of the law obteined forthwith to be placed in the chiefest dignitie of merite through Faith Onely c. We haue recited a litle before the wordes of Basile vpon the Sermon De Humilit so that it neédeth no further rehearsall where in expresse speach excludyng from maÌ„ the glory of his own righteousnes he doth testifie that we are euery of vs Iustified by fayth onely in Christ Iesu. I might cite his owne wordes agayne vpon the 32. Psalme as effectuall as the rest where he describyng a perfect man doth describe him to be not such a one as trusteth to his own good deédes but such a one as reposeth all his whole confidence in the onely mercy of God In like maner also Theophilact Now doth the Apostle sayth he declare euidently that very Fayth Onely is of power to Iustifie And by any by he citeth the Prophet Abacuc as most credible witnesse thereof Briefly what shall we thinke that those auncient Fathers of the purer age and primitiue Churche dyd determine therof Whenas Thomas Aquinas him selfe chief champion of this Sinagogue of Schoolemen being otherwise in many thynges a very wrongfull and false interpretour Yet vanguished herein with the manifest truth was enforced no lenger to dissemble in this questioÌ„ of Fayth Onely For in his thyrd lesson vpon the first Epistle to Timothe the 3. Chap. disputyng of the law and concludyng at length that the wordes of Paule did not apperteine to the ceremoniall law but vnto the Morall law There is not sayth he any hope of IustificatioÌ„ but in Faith Onely and arguyng agaynst Osorius of set purpose as it were he citeth to this effect the testimonie of S. Paule We suppose sayth the Apostle that man is Iustified by Fayth without the workes of the law Rom. 3. I am not yet come to this pointâ— to discusse how true this doctrine of Luther is touchyng Iustification by Fayth Onely But whether this doctrine was erected first by Luther And I trust I haue sufficieÌ„tly proued that it began euen from the first age of the primitiue Church and in the very dawnyng of the Gospell and hath bene so deliuered ouer from the most auncient writers and continued vnshaken euen vntill our age so that no man neédeth hereafter to geue credite to Osorius makyng so shamelesse a lye vpon this doctrine of Fayth Onely Iustifieng And this much hetherto concernyng Luther I come now to that point wherein Osor. did likewise shamefull belye Paule And what doe I heare now Osorius Doth Paule as you say so promise the inheritaunce of the heaueÌ„ly kyngdome to them which worke good deedes and not to them also whiche rest vpon fayth onely That is to say Which haue reposed all their affiaunce in Iesu Christ onely How shall we conceaue this where finde you this and how doe ye enduce vs to beleue this out of the Epistle as I thinke to the VtopeÌ„ses Looke there Reader at thy bestleysure for Osorius was at good leysure to lye but had no tyme at all to confirme his lye But he alledgeth somewhat I suppose out of the Epistle to the Gallat 5. Chapt. That is to say that the Apostle doth threaten vtter banishement from the kyngdome of God to the wicked and haynous sinners which yeld them selues ouer wholy to all filthynesse of sinne This truely is a true saying of the Apostle Who denyeth it But what doth Osorius in the meane space gather hereof Forsooth bycause the horrible wickednesse of men doth exclude those persons from the kyngdome of God which are endued with a false fayth onely or none at all rather hereof doth he conclude his Argument by opposition of contraryes That life euerlastyng is promised to the good and vertuous workes of men O clownishe Coridon But we are taught by the rules of Logicke that if a man will frame a good Argument of coÌ„traries hee must bee first well aduised that those propositions which are appointed for contraries must dissent and disagreé eche from other by equall and proportionable degreés Wherby it is cleare that this is not a good consequent The silthy lyfe of the wicked doth exclude men from the inheritaunce of euerlastyng habitations Ergo the honest and vpright lyfe doth obteine euerlastyng habitations And why is this no good Argument bycause the propositions â—oe not agreé together in proportionable qualitie The offences that are committed by vs are of their own nature of all partes vnperfect euill purchase to them selues most iust daÌ„natioÌ„ But on the contrary part our good and verâ—uous deédes yea beyng most perfectly accoÌ„plished by vs want yet alwayes somethyng to absolute perfection and of their owne nature are such as rather stand in neéde of the mercy of God then may deserue any prayse in the sight of men To the same ende spake Bernarde very fittely Our righteousnesse is nothyng els then the indulgence of God But here commes yet an other place of S. Paule out of the whiche this wylde wiffler may rushe vpon vs with his leaden dagger not altogether so blunte and rustye herhaps The wordes of the Apostle a Gods name in the second to the Romaines Not the hearers of the law onely but they that performe the law in their lyfe and conuersation shal be accompted righteous before the IudgemeÌ„t seat of God c. To auÌ„swere briefly I will gladly allow that which this enemy to Paule doth obiect out of Paule so that hee will not in like maner refuse the the whole discourse of the Apostle and ioyne the first with the last For the whole Argument of the Apostle in those iij. Chap. is concluded in this one Sillogisme All men shal be rewarded with the coÌ„mendatioÌ„ of true righteousnesse God him selfe witnessing the same whosoeuer be able with their owne workes to accomplish the whole law published in the tenne Tables and commaunded by God to be kept absolutely as the law requireth But there is no liuyng creature whether he be a Iewe and is ruled by the law of the tenne Tables or a Gentile and lyueth after the law of nature
the order of Templars or Almaines which tooke their name of the Hospitall of S. Iohn in the yeare .1128 The Order of Premonstratenses were founded by Caliste 2. in the yeare .1124 The order of Gilbertines in the yeare .1152 by Eugenius the 3. The Order of Brother Preachers who tooke their name and begynnyng from Dominicke a murtherer and most cruell persecutour of the Valdenses vnder Innocent 3. in the yeare .1216 Immediatly after ensued the factions of Franciscanes in the yeare .1228 vnder Gregory the 9. To whom within a whiles after were added the orders of Eremytes Austen Friers Reformed Carmelites whom the moūt Carmell did vomite out vnto vs. There followed also an other order of Austen Friers vnder Honorius the 4. in the yeare .1286 Neither did these monstruous vanities of new fangle Religiōs cease at men but the Serpigo crawled further into womens cōsciences also who beyng allured by the exāple of men began after a litle sittyng abrood to hatcht vp such cheékynes to flocke together in coueyes herdes Wherof some were called Sisters Clarites broched by Dominicke first Some Brigittines surnamed of one Brigitte a Scithiā borne their couey peéped abroad at the first in the begynnyng of Vrbane the 5. his Popedome In the Councell of Laterane was a Decreé published by Innocent the 3. with a speciall prouiso for the abandonyng of diuersities of Religions that from thenceforth no Couent of Cloystered company or cowled crew should be erected in the yeare .1215 And yet in despight of the authoritie of this Decreé how many clusters of factious Friers haue bene forged emongest your holy Fathers sith that tyme. Besides the orders of Minorites Austens Brigidines Crossebearers and Scourgers there is peépte abroad within these few yeares good lucke a Gods name to the Pope and his Puppettes the order of Iesuites in the yeare .1540 promising I know not what by the title of their names Sure I am they haue hetherto accomplished nothyng correspondent to so sacred a name But it seémed good to the Lord Iesus peraduenture to fulfill so the Propheticall truth of his Gospell Many shall come in my name c. What followeth let them selues looke to it I haue spoken of Mounckery I haue spoken also of some other orders and ordinaūces of the Romish Church for to rippe vp all were an infinite peéce of worke It remaineth now That Osorius say somewhat for him selfe likewise and make some shew of wares if he haue any in all that his Romish Church wherein he liueth now except a few Articles of the Creede onely wherein we can iustifie as auncient a prescription of possession as they can that be not either new straunge and lately vpstarte or els altogether Poeticall stagelicke and mockeries Wherfore if we measure Antiquitie by the age of Christ his Apostles the nearest yeares next ensuyng the same age wherein also if Osorius will abide by it that nothyng ought to be allowed in the Church that doth not sauour of that primitiue and Apostolicke antiquitie then shall Osorius daughtlesse at this one blow choppe of the Popes head triple Crowne Church and all for as much as he shall neuer be able to vouch any thyng either in the receaued Doctrine Religion Rites or Ceremonies of his Church that euer saw the age of the Apostles or is in any respect correspondent to that first patterne and president of the primitiue Simplicitie There is such a generall Metamorphosis and alteration yea all thynges are turned into so frameshapen a newfanglenesse that it may seéme they haue not onely forgoen the aunciēt ordinaūces of the primitiue Church but also to haue vtterly excluded them selues from all acquaintaūce with that same Church with the Gospell yea with Christ him selfe of whom the Apostles gaue testimony and preached The Apostles did not acknowledge that same one Christ any where but in heauen and him ascendes into heauen they did so apprehend by Faythe that they would neuer seéke him els where then in heauen and so in heauē sittyng in the flesh as that they would no more know him after the flesh as men not dreamyng so much vpon his carnall presence nor ouer greédely affectioned to enioy him after that fleshly maner but were otherwise wholy settled and vnmoueably fixed in mynde in that spirituall presence of his Maiestie But to you sufficeth not to apprehend Christ by Fayth sittyng in heauen and to worshyp in spirite as the Apostles blessed Martyrs did vnlesse after a fleshly and bodyly maner with your fingers you handle the reall corporall substanciall identicall presence of Christ behold the the same with your eyes and choppe him vppe at a morsell Which deuise of yours doth argue that you seéme to be carried with a wondrous senselesse opinion of errour as neither to acknowledge one the selfe same Christ whom the Apostles did nor to worshyp him in heauen onely but to imagine to your selues two Christes of that one Christ namely one Sauiour in heauē and an other in earth and him also to Sacrifice dayly in your Masse In the Apostles tyme the Communion was ministred not once in a yeare onely nor at the Feast of Easter onely nor with Bread consecrated into the body of Christ but in a thankefull remembraunce of the Lordes death the bread and wyne beyng equally deliuered to the people at all tymes whensoeuer any assembly of well disposed did meéte together for that purpose They neuer sayd nor song any priuate Masses nor instituted any Sacrifices for the quicke and the dead being throughly satisfyed with one sacrifice onely which beyng once finished they were assured that the whole action of our Redemption was accomplished For so are we taught by the testimony of the Apostle By his owne bloud he entred in once the euerlasting redemption being accomplished And agayne For this did he once when he offered vppe himselfe And imediately after We are sanctified by the onely offering of the body of Christ Iesu once offered for all Moreouer in an other place writing of one Christ onely One God sayth he one Mediator of God and men the man Christ Iesu c. But how shall there be but one onely Christ or one onely Sacrifice of his body once offered of whose body you doe exact dayly a new fresh sacrifice to be made for the sinnes of the people Or how cā he be sayd to be but one accordyng to the proportion of a body of whom you doe imagine a presence accordyng to the whole nature of his flesh both absent in body in the heauens and in the same body neuertheles at one selfe instaunt on the earth Do ye not seé how absurdly these your patcheries concurre and agreé with the naturall meaning of the Scriptures and how farre they be from all reason And what is this els then to preach vtterly an other Christ then whom the Apostles
souereigne with shauelyngs and infinite skulles of fectes fortified with those Canons Decreés Decretalles and Rescriptes pampered vppe with Pardons exalted with Idolatry sumptuous in superstition entangled with so many snares and Articles embrued in so bloudy a bootchery of Saintes that might easily fill vp a thousand Toonnesfull of Babilonicall horrour and crueltie aduaunced with so many more then Pharisaicall Traditions and peltyng Ceremonies which would easily ouerlade a monstruous Carricke glitteryng in gold precious stones and pearle enriched with large and great possessions patrimonies beautified with purple and scarlet finally so blazing in brauery with the Royalties of S. Peter If S. Peter if Paule the Apostle if the holy Fathers and auÌ„cient Doctours of that pure primitiue Church had seéne these glorious gawdyes which we seé veryly I doe beleéue they would so litle acknowledge this Church for Catholicke that they would euen from the bottome of their hartes vtterly abhorre it and would scarsely acknowledge it by the name of a Christian Church And thus much to your Maior Now I do aunswere to your Minor wherein you haue committed a great eskape in the word which the Logitians do terme aequiuocum or ignoratio Elenchi For this word Romayne Church is in the Maior taken after one sort in the Minor after an other sort In the Maior it noteth such a Church as did retayne the true worshippyng of God and sincerity of Religion as into the which were no poysoned infections of sinister Doctrine no filth of false opinyons crept But in the Minor thys word Church is of a farre contrary condition and quality as the which doth carry no resemblaunce at all of that auntient and primitiue Church besides a bare name onely and a certayne whorysh dissembling counterfayt of outward Succession In all thynges els which do make a true vnspotted and vndefiled Church it beareth so no countenaunce at all as that it seémeth rather vnder the name and Tytle of the Church to be at defiaunce with the Church rather and vnder the name of a ChristiaÌ„ souldior to fight agaynst Christ her captain trayterously to betraye him to Antichryst For if Christ be the verity it selfe surely counterfayt verity as Origen sayth is very Antichrist And therfore if they will iustify theyr consent and Antiquity by good argument Let them yelde vs such a Church of Rome as the auncient Fathers did honourably esteéme of and then shall it not want our agreéable and mutuall assent and allowaunce And let them make vs a playne demonstration of those ornaments which are worthely ascribed to a true Christian Church and we will confesse it to be a true Church Where the Church is sayeth Irene there is the holy Ghost and where the Spirite of God is there is also the Church and all grace But the Spyryte is the verity therefore verity is the life of the Church without the which the Church is blinde and euen dead being aliue and deserueth not so much as the name of a Church no more then the portraiâ—t or counterfayt of a man doth deserue to be called a maÌ„ properly whereupon the Church is with the Apostle very fittely called a sure piâ—ler and a foundation not of mans authority but of Gods verity And by the testimony of Lactantius that Church is called the onely Catholicke Church wherein God is worshipped aright which Church if the ofspring of the auncient Romanistes did now professe as truely and in the same forme as the Catholicke Fathers did extoll prayse it with such great commendation there would be no controuersy at all On the other side if they haue determined with theÌ„selues neither to admit the trueth within theyr Citie themselues nor to tollerate the same to beé preached being brought in by others let them accuse themselues not the Lutherans who had rather patiently endure coÌ„tinuall enmity and hatred of them then to become open aduersaries of the truth Moreouer lette them also cease hereafter to pray in ayd of antiquity number of voyces for defence of their church forasmuch as they can alleadge no true report of the one and the other can helpe them nothing at all For if it may be lawfull for vs renouncing the verity to mayntayne one cause by vouching antiquity and number of nations namely in those thynges which appertayne properly to Christ and his Church then let vs not spare to argue after the same forme of Logick The Religion of Mahumette hath bene of as long a continuaunce of tyme and yeares as the Church of the Pope Ergo Mahumettes Religion is of as great authority as the Popes And agayne The greatest part of Priestes haue long sithence bene ouer gredily couetous Ergo They that doe inueigh agaynst theyr greedy Auarice most be accounted Cosen Germaynes to the valdenses heresy Agayne The greater part of the people did cry out Crucifige and stoaned Stephen to death And the most part of meÌ„ do at this day follow their owne sensuality and lust Ergo Let vs all ioyne together in sensuality and lust If on this wise we shall thinke to measure the truth and sincerity of Religion by the standard of Antiquity and number of yeares what shall we winne by this argument when we doe heare that many are called but few are chosen when as fooles also be in number infinite when as from the highest to the lowest all are become couetous when as euen from the Prophette to the Priestes all worke deceit What shall we win I say by this argument but that the part of Sathan which is more in number shall be of greater force and seéme to tryumph agaynst the Lord But to lette passe the Romysh Church I returne to our own Church In the which Osorius hauing alleadged nothing hetherto nor being by any meanes able to alleadge any matter truely that may seéme either new or straunge in our doctrine or that doth in any respect swarue from the institution and discipline of the Apostles he runneth away from the question that concerneth the sincerity of Religion and doctrine and commeth to this point to catch some occasion of outward life and maners of men whereby he may reproch vs subtlely enough I warrant you imitating herein the old crafty Rhetoricall Foxes who feéling themselues altogether vnable to prosecute the cause which is specially in hand with effect do wring the state of the Question an other way or enforce the whole bent of theyr accusation agaynst theyr aduersary with some contrary cauillation turning Catte in the Panne that so being not otherwise able to compas theyr cause it selfe they may yet at least entangle theyr Aduersary with some perill and daunger Not much vnlike hereunto happeneth now to Osorius in this kinde of controuersy who being not able to mayntayne the cause of his guilty Church with any iustifiable argumentes bendeth himselfe wholly to defame our Churches with falsehoodes and vntruethes And on this wise at length addresseth his
For you apply your senses to the vnderstādyng of Transubstātiatiō wherby you will haue Christ to be felt to be tasted to be swallowed downe into the stomacke But I accordyng to the doctrine approued vse of the true Catholicke Apostolicke Churche doe vtterly renounce senses accidētes substaunces transformatiōs do aduisedly behold and comprehend in my mynde the Sacrament the mysterie and the Spirite You cast away the yoke of Christ and embrace the licentious outrage of the Romishe Bulles I am a poore miserable exile of Christ and his afflicted seruaunt You doe choppe and chaunge the benefites of Christ with the peéuishe trinckettes of your Schoolemen I do search for the true doctrine of Christian fayth in the most approued preachyngs of Christ his Apostles Ye do snarle at my conuersation of lyfe as if it were most wicked Wherin though you doe me a great iniurie yet ye geue your selfe a deéper wounde which in so open and manifest a lye doe put all your credite in hassarde of losse For albeit I am a miserable sinner in the sight of God yet I hope I haue so led my whole lyfe through his onely great mercy that I neéde not to feare Ierome Osorius to be myne accuser I could call to witnesse for my innocencie here in Italy Germanie and England in euery of which Regiōs I haue so behaued my selfe that hauyng testimony of all good commendable personages I may easely despise your slaunderous shameles rayling Wherfore a way with this your friuolous and insolent custome of scolding once at the last for it empaireth not the estimatiō of honest persons whiche though be vnknowen vnto you yet haue commendable report els where abroad but it rather hurteth your profession diminisheth your credite and loseth your estimation You doe prayse the Sacramēt plentifully and with many good wordes beautifie the benefites therof Wherein you doe very well for what thing vnder the heauens can be founde more prayse worthy more comfortable more honorable more precious more heauenly then this sacred Supper of the Lord whiche we not onely call by the names of Synaxim Euchariste as you doe but also bread come downe frō heauen and Angels foode Neither can you deuise to speake so fully and aboundauntly in the displaying of the excellent worthynes of this most singular sacrament but I will gladly consent with you therein You say that Cyprian was accustomed to geue this heauenly foode to Martyrs and that he would lykewise remoue from this heauenly Banquet men that were notorious for any great crime We doe acknowledge this godly vsage of Cyprian and the same do I for myne owne part Imitate as much as I may and I know not whether I haue employed any so great endeuour in any one thyng so much as that the pure and naturall honour of this Sacrament might be established and the same dayly frequented in all Churches Let my bookes bee perused let enquirie bee made of my familiars and such as I haue bene conuersaunt withall let the continuall course of my maners and lyuyng bee examined and I shal be founde of all men to haue bene a most humble and dayly folower and guest of this heauenly Supper Wherfore thē do you so immorderatly exclame agaynst me That I doe mainteyne combate agaynst the ordinaunce of Christ agaynst the doctrine of Paule agaynst the excellencie of so delicate fruites agaynst the knowen experience of that wonderfull commoditie and pleasauntnesse and agaynst the vndefiled fayth of the vniuersall Church Wherfore do you adde hereunto That I haue reprochfully abused the body and bloud of Christ and outragiously peruerted the benefite of Gods mercy Why do you knitte vp your knot at the length and say That I doe sport my selfe in these mischiefes and doe infect many persons with the poyson of this pestilēt errour God cōfounde that vnshamefast and blasphemous mouth with some horrible plague most cursed Semei whose cancred toung can finde no end nor measure in rayling I haue alwayes most reuerētly esteémed of the Euchariste as of a most precious most fruitefull sacramēt of Christes death as a most assured pledge and Seale of our redemption as a most precious treasure and mysterie of our fayth and hereunto haue I bene enduced by the ordinaunce of Christ our Sauiour by the doctrine of Paule by the iudgement of aūcient Fathers and by the discipline and receaued custome of the vniuersall Catholicke and Apostolicke Church Touchyng the doctrine therof I haue oftē tymes spoken before now therfore touchyng the Custome The same is perceaued by the dayly Custome of the Disciples which after Christ was takē vp into heauē did continually perseuere together in the doctrine of the Apostles and in participation and breakyng of bread and prayers as appeareth by these wordes Vpon a day of the Sabbaoth when the Disciples came together to breake bread c. Awake Ierome Awake you do heare the holy Ghost call it Bread and bicause you should not doubt therof you heare it agayne and ägayne yea and brokē also and this much more ye finde that the Disciples of Christ continually remayned in this holy custome And yet it was not bare Bread as you do wickedly diffame my sayinges therein but it was mysticall Bread sacred Bread finally it was the participation of the body of Christ in the same maner as the body of Christ may bee deliuered in a Sacrament by fayth and Spirite Therfore for as much as our Lord Iesus hath so instituted this Sacramēt to the euerlastyng Remēbraunce of his death passiō sithence Paule doth make mention of the sayd institution after the same maner sithence the auncient Fathers haue applied their doctrine to the same sense sithēce the primitiue Apostolicke Churche hath confirmed the same with perpetuall Custome Awake Ierome at the lēgth for shame awake if you can and rid your stomacke of that dronken Schoolesurfet of Trāsubstantiation which neither Christ did ordeine nor Paul acknowledged nor the Fathers euer thought of ne yet the Apostolique Church did euer medle withall It is a new deuised mockerie foūded first by Innocētius proclaymed by Schooleianglers scattered abroad by Sathā to the rootyng out of the true remembraunce of Christ from out our soules to the vtter ouerthrow of the power of that euerlastyng sacrifice of the crosse Lastly to the erecting of a damnable Idoll in our myndes supplying the place of Christ him selfe to be worshipped of vs. For what els meaneth this your Transubstantiated bread so much adorned with all ceremony of Religion so reuerently carried abroad so superstitiously reserued and kept in boxe lastly so blasphemously holden vp to the gaze worshypped did Christ our Sauiour do or teach euer at any tyme any of all these did Paule did the first and primitiue Church did the auncient Fathers Christ gaue Bread to his disciples Paule pronoūceth it by the name of Bread once twise thrise The Apostolicke church brake Bread
what I ought to defend what you meane to oppugne it behoueth vs to cōclude vpon this point For you do so entangle all your discourse with I know not what crooked crabbed conueyaunce and choppyng of matters together knittyng and reknittyng one thyng vpon an other that ye neither agreé with your selfe nor any man els can perfitly determine what your meanyng is You doe accuse Haddon I suppose and our Preachers of Nouelty But we must thē know wherein you define this Noueltie to consiste In the lyfe that we lead or in the doctrine which we do professe If you meane of our lyues but therein wicked may we be new we cā not be For what is more auncient then vyce If the question be of doctrine onely why thē do ye transpose the Disputatiō which is onely instituted vpō doctrine racke the same to the lyues maners of men and then at last to cōmaunde Haddon to deliuer vnto you some example of that auncient Vertue As though if he could not do so he should be forthwith condemned for an heretique I know we lyue not Apostolicke lyues no more then we worke the miracles which the Apostles wrought what then what is this to the purpose Haddon affirmeth as he may iustifie it well enough that our Church here in England doth not vary from the institution Apostolicque in any thyng meanyng doctrine fayth and Religion If this seéme not to be true in your cōceipt it behoued you then to oppugne that which he doth defende For his defence cōcerneth the principles and substaunciall pointes of Christian doctrine wherein he sayth that our Churches do vary nothyng at all from the institution of the Apostles You or the other part ouerpassing the matters apperteinyng to doctrine do writhe and wreste the state of the whole questiō to morall vertues And in your owne conceipt seéme that you haue very notably besturred your selfe agaynst Haddon if you winne this much of him that the Lutheranes haue not attained to that excellencie of Apostolique integritie And hereupon you spende and wast all the smoaky pouder of your miserable Rhetoricke wherein you both bewray the weakenes of your cause to much the subtill steight of your deépe deuise For if it would haue pleased you to deale franckly here and not sticke to discouer the very grief of your minde this lyfe of ours howsoeuer it be was not the matter that made vs heretiques nor that made you and your Catholickes to be so maliciously incensed agaynst vs. For how filthy soeuer we seéme to you and your fraternitie wollowyng weltryng in all abhonimation if besides this licentiousnesse of maners had bene nought els doughtles we should haue found both your fatherhoode and the rest of your profession our good Maisters enough and not onely our good Maisters but most foreward felowes and mates of the same vyces and of all kynde of abhomination besides yea and not fellowes onely but our auncientes and Captaines therein For what filthynesse in all our liues what pride ambition cruelty sauadgenes robberies disreipt violence arrogancy lust despising of Magistrates was euer so monstruous in any of vs wherein you do not vnmeasurably exceéde vs And therfore if dissolute maners and vnbridled course of licentious lyfe haue made you so skittish and forced you to boyle in so beastly rancour agaynst vs surely this trōpet ought so much the rather haue bene founded agaynst your popes of Rome your Cardinalls other your Copesmates of the same crew by how much more greéuous matter may be foūde in them to be quarelled at reproued But this is not the prick that makes you to kicke bycause we breake Gods commaundementes by liuyng wickedly but bycause we yeld not to the Decreés of your traditions bycause we do not humble our selues to your Cannons and Lawes but chiefly aboue all others bycause the light of the Gospell spreading her glorious beames abroad and the whole world at the length hauyng shaken of her wonted drousines euē Coblers and Tyukers begyn to discerne a Frier from a Fursebursh a Moncke from a Marmyan and the Pope frō a Puppet bycause the vgly vysours and counterfaite hypocrisie of Frameshapen Religion is layed open to the view bycause the errours of doctrine blyndnes of Iudgementes and most false pretences of antiquitie be openly discouered to the worlde hereof come all these stormes hereof arise all those Tragicall outcryes and exclamations of Osorius agaynst the poore Lutheranes Syth it is euen so and for asmuch as all this controuersye betwixt vs consisteth not vpon examples of good lyfe but vpon the chiefe principles and foundation of Doctrine and Religion reiecting all vnnecessary circumlocutions come agayne to the matter Osorius and stand fast vpon the speciall poynt of the question The controuersye at this present concerneth matter of Doctrine and Fayth which onely matter must either conuince vs for Heretiques or arquite vs for Catholiques And here writing agaynst Haddon you require vs to cleare our selues from all suspicion of Noueltye There is nothing more easy to be done But sithence you prouoke vs to this challenge my Lord become a man of your word then and let not your discourse runne at randone from the state of the question And let vs conclude if it please you vpon this poynt That whether of vs can iustify his part best by testimony of Fathers and Antiquity of tyme the same to goe away with the garland But who shall be vmpyer you will say yf I vouch the scripture you will forthwith cry out that it is to obscure neither doe I deny but that in certeine propheticall and profound and deéper misteries it is in deéde somewhat obscure but in matters of fayth saluation the holy ghost would not haue it so obscure but that euery indifferent and godly reader might gather thereof matter sufficient for the necessary instruction of fayth and abilitye to discerne And for mine owne part I will require none other witnesse or vmpyer herein then the Reader himselfe whatsoeuer he be so that he will stand vpright and will lay aside all priuate affectiōs and all partialytye of foreiudgement and geue sentence according to the very touchstone of the manifest Scriptures But our Osorius and his companiō Pighius will exclayme agayne and say that none ought be iudge in this cause but the Pope of Rome neither will I forsake him condicionally so that he will faithfully sincerely simply without fraude or guile exclude priuate affection nor will be addicted to one part more thē the other setting aside his authoritye awhiles will promise to become an vpright sounde vmpier of the cause together with scripture being Iudge For otherwise I thinke it not to stand with conuenience of reason that any man shall be in his owne cause both a pleader a witnes and a Iudge Neither doe I thinke that any such one will euer become in indifferent Iudge nor will any
some glymering of dawning day and to refresh the razed Rent of his ruynous Church and to restore a recouery of his auncient recordes of written veritye the Braynesuck beastes of Romyshe rowte ganne fret aud fume and our sweéte shauelinges seéke at the length that we render them a reason of our Noueltye And because veritye Euangelicall oppressed with Tyranny through the Reuell of Sathās raunging abroad these few yeares eyther durst not shewe it selfe into the open world or could not be heard to plead for it selfe through their outragious vilaines being now quickened from aboue beginneth to display her oryent beames she is called to corā before these cloisterers as though Christe and the doctrine Apostolicall were some straunger in the world and commaunded to Iustifie her chalenge of Antiquitye to them which are neither able to render any reason of theyr counterfayt Antiquitie nor Iustify the trueth of their own cause by any recordes or reportes of probable auncienty or by any testimonie or president of the prymatyue Churche whatsoeuer Wherein me seémeth they behaue themselues no more modestly and shamefastly then theéues and murtherers which breakyng in by nyght into an other mans house hauing by violnce and wrong either slayne or thrust the true owner out of dores chalenge vnto themselues a title of possession And so pleadyng in possession by wrongfull disseisin for tearme of certeyne yeares doe plead occupation and prescription of time agaynst the lawfull heire that hath right by lawe to recouer and demaund Iudgement thrusting the true heire out from his true inheritaunce who in ryght equitye demaundeth restitution For what other thing doe they herein who finding their cause to be no way bettered by vouching of Scriptures which make nothing for thē at all fleé ouer forthwith to yt. Fathers Custome continued of olde by long prescription of time crying out agaynst vs with full mouthes that they haue enioyed their possession in the Church more then xv hundreth yeares and commaund vs to tell them where our Church was litle aboue xl yeares sithence And because they aske it I will tell them conditionally that they will distinctly tell me first what they doe meane by this worde Church If they meane the people perhappes we were not all borne then if they vnderstand the Roofes Walls and Tymber of the Churches they stand euen now in the same place where they were wont to stand are enuironed with the same churchyardes where they stood of old But yf they speake of the doctrine verely it was in the word of God and in the Scriptures discernable enough where also it resteth now rested euer heretofore and shall rest hereafter for euer If they demaund of the forme of gouernment It was in the primitiue Church and many yeares after in Asia Greece Affrick Europe dispersed abroad in all Churches at what tyme euery particular Church was gouerned by theyr peculiar Patriarches and not pente vppe and straighted into one hole vnder the commaundement of one man onely when also neither was any Byshoppe called vniuersall Byshoppe no nor my Lord Byshoppe of Rome called as then vniuersall Byshoppe I haue now told where our Church was before these fourtye yeares It remayneth that I be so bold to demaund agayne of them but especially of our Osorius that he vouchsafe to declare vnto vs where this fine Ciceronisme thys braue poolyshed speach where thys exquisited eloquence of writyng and speaking where this gorgeous furniture of fyled toūges this pyked and straunge statelynes of style was fourty yeares agoe where this wonderfull increase of Artes and Mathematicall sciences was will he eyther say that it is newely found out now or restored agayne rather and deliuered long sithence from olde auncient teachers If he will confesse that they be not new nor speciall deuises of our proper wittes but renewed and reuiued rather out of auncient authors let him then so account him selfe satisfied in his question touching the state of the Church not that it is a newe vpstart but reuiued from olde not garnished with new Coapes but returning agayne in her old Fryse gown For we doe not now build a new Church but we bring forth and beautifye the olde Church But now if any man will seéme to maruell what the verye cause reason should be that these artes and disciplines do rather in these dayes now florishe agayne at length after so long scylence and so long continuaunce in exile and banishment and would neédes know the very true naturall cause hereof What better aūswere shall I make him then that it is done by the speciall prouidence of GOD who of his inestimable goodnesse vouchsafed in these latter dayes to discouer abroad into the world the famous Art of Emprinting By meanes wherof aswell the seédes and principles of all liberall sciences as the knowledge of Diuinitye are extant and in dayly exercise not newly begon now but sproughted vppe of the olde Rootes and recouering their olde beauty So that you haue lesse cause to wonder Osorius that our Deuines beyng enlightened thus with so opē a light of the manifest scriptures and furnyshed with so great store of bookes and helpes of learning doe seé much more in matters of Diuinitye than many our Elders haue done Which helpes and furnitures of bookes if had bene so plentifull in those aūcient yeares of Gregory 7. Nicholas 2. and Innocent 3. for the exercise of wittes as we seé them now dayly and hourely handled and frequented beleue me Osorius The Pope of Rome had neuer so long lurcked in his lazye denne nor so long had bewitched the senses of selly ones with his leger demayne and crafty conueyaunce Nor had Osorius euer sturred his stumpes so stoughtly in this quarell agaynst Haddon Nor had Haddon bene forced to this streight to make defence of his Noueltye at this present But here some one of Osorius Impes will say peraduenture For as much as the state condition of the Church is such that wheresoeuer it be it must neédes be visible and apparaunt to be seéne not thrust vnder a bushell but set on hygh vpon an hill that it may shyne clearely vnto all and for as much also as the Churche of Rome was euer euē from the very swathlyng cloutes of Christian Religion of that excellency as to be able to Iustifie her dignitie and renowme by the whole and full agreable consent of all estates times and places euen vnto this day and that none other Church besides this one alone can mainteyne so lōg a continuaunce of yeares and so great a title of authoritie who may dought hereof but that this Seé of Rome is the onely Seé where onely is refiaunt a true face and profession of the true Church And that on the contrary part the Lutheranes Church beyng but of a few yeares continuaunce and neuer heard of before must therfore be accoumpted not worthy of place or name of a Church
For this is almost the whole strength substaunce of their defence And I am not ignoraunt how plausibly this probable shew glittereth in the eyes of vnskilfull and vnlettered people For so do Philosophers define Probabilitie to be such as seémeth probable either to all men or many or at the least to wise personages But in heauenly thyngs ought a farre other maner of cōsideration be had For if we grounde our selues vpon many we are taught by Christ himselfe That many are called but few are chosen And agayne in an other place That his flocke is a very litle flocke And afterwardes he demaundeth If when the Sonne of mā shall come whether he shall finde any Faith vpō the earth Neither are those thyngs alwayes best wt delight many Agayne if we shall depend vpon the Iudgemēt of the wise we heare likewise the same Lord him selfe geuing thākes vnto his Father that he had hiddē those thinges frō the prudent and wise of this world and reuealed them to litle ones And agayne we read in Paul The wisedome of this world is very foolishnes with God And therfore where as they would haue the Church to be placed on high apparaūt to the view of all the world truly they Iudge not amysse herein namely if they meane of the preaching of the word And yet this is no good Argumēt notwithstādyng that euery Citie vaūced on highest hill shall be forthwith esteémed the true church of God or els what shall be sayd to that famous great City mētioned in the Apocalips Which was foreprophecied should be built not vpon the Toppe of on hill onely but vpon seuen hills Or what shall we Iudge of that exceédyng wondering and worshyppyng of so many Nations so reuerētly hūbled to that Beast whose marcke it is sayd that small and great young and old riche and poore freemen and bondmen yea and those in noumber not a fewe but vniuersally all shall be marked withall in their right handes and in their foreheades Uerely if common sence and consent of people do make a Church where was euer a greater consent or more well likyng and greater admiration of fautours and frendes But they say that the cōsent cōmunitie of their Church is vniuersall Catholick which may not erre by any meanes Now let vs seé how they proue it The Apostle say they in his Epistles did greatly cōmēde the fayth of the Romaine Church This is true Peter also did both consecrate the same to be a See and instruct it in the Fayth I am in dought of this But what hereof After the Apostles tyme many of the Apostles Disciples say they learned Doctours and holy Martyrs Ignatius Irenaeus Cyprian Tertulliā Augustine and all that auncient age of graue Fathers did alwayes most gloriously esteeme of this Church Is there any more yet In the tyme of Basile Nazienzene Chrisostome the Church of Rome was not onely had in highest estimation but also was diuers tymes sought vnto for counsell and ayde neither will I deny this to be true couple herewith if you will that whē other Churches were tossed and turmoyled euery where with Schismes and rent in sunder with seditious factions no one Church besides stoode so long in so quiet a calme not assaulted with any such contētious sectes or variable opiniōs which did not a litle aduaunce the estimation of the Church and gate it no small authoritie Go to and what shal be concluded at the last out of all this For sooth The Church of Rome whiles it reteigned the sounde doctrine and simplicitie of the Fayth was commended of the holy Fathers by the name of a Catholicke and an Apostolicke Church Ergo The Church of Rome is the head and Metropolitane Church of all other Churches which hath neuer hetherto swarued from the true tracke of the truth nor shall euer erre vnder the which all other Churches must be subiect of very necessitie the cōmaundement wherof is an haynous obstinacie to disobey From the which to depart is manifest Schisme agaynst the which to resist and stand is playne heresie all the cōmaundements whereof to sweare obedience vnto is the surest way of sauety moreouer also a very necessary Article of eternall Saluation You do seé I suppose the whole force and subtiltie of your Catholicke cutted Enthymeme Whereof if you will seé a right proportion it is this The Church of Rome was allowed of the holy Apostles or the most auncient Fathers and all the most approued Doctours of the Church for Catholicke and Apostolicke But our Church is the Church of Rome Ergo Our Church is approued for Catholicke and Apostolicke by the consent of all the godly First we aunswere to the Maior proposition The auncient primitiue Church of Rome was approued by the famous cōsent of the learned for Catholicke and Apostolicke Peraduenture it was so yet was not this Church of Rome accompted so alone nor yet to this end so accompted bycause it should be the vniuersall Church of all other Churches For this will forthwith be gayne sayd by the Councels of Nice Mileuitane and by Pope Gregory and all the learned Deuines of that age vntill the cōmyng of Boniface 3. Moreouer neither was it for that cause so famously commended with so great consent bycause it was the Church of Rome but bycause it was a Christian Church Neither for any prerogatiue of the place though Peter sate there a thousand tymes For euen this also will an aūcient Pope Gregory deny as appeareth euidently by the Decreés Neither the places nor the dignities do make vs more acceptable to our Creatour but either our good deedes doe couple vs vnto him or our euill deedes do exclude vs frō him Moreouer not bycause it can prescribe an ordinary Succession of Byshops For Ierome also will not admit this They be not children of holy ones forthwith sayth he that occupie the possessiō of the holy ones but they that practize the workes of the holy ones But bycause with the Succession of Byshops they did ioyne agreable profession in true Religion bycause they did apply them selues to imitate the Fayth Religion and order of worshyppyng instituted by the Apostles bycause they did not varry frō well ordered Churches in any part of sounde doctrine For this cause I say namely for their sincere vnstayned Fayth and constaunt vprightenes of Religion not defiled with filthy stenche of erroneous doctrine the Church of Rome obteined of the auncient godly Fathers to haue a place amongest the Catholicke Apostolicke Churches But what is this O ye Apostolicke Princes to this your Romish Church in the state that it is now in the disorderous order whereof as it is at this day reuelyng with Cardinalles riotyng in Court glorified with this title of Uniuersall head garnished with tripple Crowne garded with the double sword magnified with Patriarches and innumerable other titles of dignitie armed with Abbottes mounted with Mounkes saluted
wherewith they haue practized the dissipation ouerthrow vtter spoyle and consumyng of all thynges both publicke and priuate with fire and sword yea the most holy thynges of the Church Be of good cheare now I suppose this whotte flamyng Rhetoricall smoake is come almost to an end Can Osorius amplification adde yet more hereunto surely these be great matters yea very great in deéde but yet you shall heare farre more haynous For whereas emongest other kynde of liuyng creatures which nature hath formed to the destruction of mankynd some do bewitche with their eyes and lookyng on some do infect with touchyng others doe kill with their teeth and some with their tayles These Lutherās do so contriue their matters that they doe not onely poyson the bodyes the soules and the lyues of men with the contagion of their wickednesse but vpon what grounde soeuer they set footyng I doe not say they defile the same with those former small faultes but wheresoeuer they tread with their feete they leaue the same lande contamined and poysoned with many more ye more execrable abhominations And why doth he not adde this also withall that what shyppe soeuer they enter into of purpose to sayle ouer Sea they do also drowne the same shipp into the bottome of the Sea with ouer burdē of their wickednes why then clappe your handes reioyce you Osorians congratulate this yonr notable Rhethoriciā who if you haue not yet learned the arte of lying and flaunderyng haue here a notable Schoolemaister whom ye may follow And so when you haue magnified this your exquisite Maister triumphauntly enough write some Epitaphe for this wretched caytife Haddon worthy his impudencie who notwithstandyng all these horrible abhominations shamed not to stand in the defence of this new doctrine agaynst this great Doctour Osorius Moreouer that the singuler excellency of this your Maister may shyne so much the more notably Behold now not the Rhetoricke but the modesty and humanitie of the man For whereas this might haue sufficed him if at least he might haue woonne this much which we can in no wise deny to witte that our maners are not correspondent to that most exact and exquisite rule of most holy and Apostlicque Religion Which thyng these new Apostles vndērtooke to bryng to passe yet the sweete man contented of his incredible courtesie to acquite vs of this quarell doth now deale with vs after this maner not to compare vs as he might of his Pontificall authoritie doe it well enough with the Apostles nor with auncient Fathers of the primitiue Church but doth referre vs to our owne forefathers and doth require this onely at our handes that we Englishmē should frame our selues to the grauitie vertue Religion and holynes of our aūcestours and by their example become like vnto them in lyke integritie of lyfe But for as much as we can not aspire to the glory and renowme of their vertues which were also by many degrees inferiour to the Apostles how much and how farre discrepant therfore is the Institutiō of our Church in this point that it may carry any resemblaunce at all of that Apostolicke institution and discipline which discipline ought to expresse it selfe not in vayne ostentation and tauntyng but in superexcellent examples of righteousnes chastitie sinceritie Religion and charitie and a life altogether vndefiled vnreproueable conuersation and a most serious desire and endeuour of heauenly vertue You haue heard godly Reader the knittyng vppe of the conclusion of this Peroratiō fetcht out of the very entrailes of all Rhethoricke Now take an Argument of the same somewhat more compendiously knitte vppe not with floorishyng figures of Rhetoricke but framed euen in the very schoole and Arte of Logicke and comprehended in fewe wordes that it may easily appeare how to Iudge of the same more certeinly and to aunswere the matter more fittely The life of the Lutheranes as he calleth them is haynous and farre vnlike the life of the Apostles and their own auncestours Ergo The doctrine that the Lutheranes do professe in their Churches is altogether discrepant from the Doctrine and Institution of the Apostles For as much as this is the whole force and Summary conclusion of your Argument Osorius It remaineth agayne that we aunswere vnto the same And what aunswere may we frame more fitte and agreable to the matter then to deny the Argumēt For I beseéch you where did you learne this Logicke to knitte such fleéyng fruitlesse moates together or where haue you learned this Diuinitie to measure mens doctrine and profession by maners and conuersation of life When Haddon debated with you of Fayth onely and Religion it behoued you to haue aunswered the same accordyngly which if seémed in your conceipt to varry from the Institution Apostolicke in any pointes the same should haue bene layd open by you the Articles shoulde haue bene noted by some speciall marke and conuinced with Scriptures those errours should haue bene refuted with lawfull Testimonies and authorities those heresies should haue bene discouered and confuted But you omittyng that part of the controuersie which belonged to doctrine skyppe away to other matters not such as are of no importaunce but such neuerthelesse as concerne the present matter nothyng at all accordyng to the old Prouerbe which is the way to Canterbury a pocke full of plummes And this much to the Conclusion of your euillfauoured clouted Argument I come now to aunswere that part of your argument wherewith you vrge vs most namely Manners albeit the same hath bene once done already but so I would aunswere you as that I would desire you to aunswere me first simply to a few questions First whereas you Rayle so franckly agaynst the maners of our people do you know this that ye write to be true by any sure argument or knowledge of your owne but how canne you attayne vnto it being so meare a straunger and so farre seuered from vs by distaunce of place Or els haue you conceaued it to be so by some coniecture of your owne head but we take you for no Proyet Or haue you beleued it vpon some vagarant tales or reports of others but talebearers may deceaue you haue deceiued many Or did you dreame of any such happely ouercharged with some wine of Creéte But the men of Creete haue bene alwayes accounted lyers Agayne euery fond dreame is not by and by a prophecy As Basile reporteth Moreouer do you inueigh against all the Lutheranes generally or agaynst some particulerly if you meane all you speake vntruely If you speake of many tell vs when did you number thē if of some perticuler persons it standeth agaynst all reason that the offence of a few dissolute persones should be a cōmon reproch to the whole order of Mynisterie Now agayne lette vs seé what kinde of offences they be wherwith you charge vs what do you meane therfore all kindes and sortes of abhominations Osorius without any exception or those small
publique offences only Euē so and in such wise Releases Pardōs were esteémed not to be in any respect valuable to clense the sinnes of guiltye consciences in the sight of God simply but should be as pledges and witnesses of a full releasing their penaunce enioyned vnto thē by the Church or of mitigating the same with some gentle quallification As appeareth by a Transcript drawen out of the Penitentiall of Rome vp Burchard treating much of those exchaunges of satisfactions namely that in stead of this penaunce where a man was enioyned to fast one whole day with bread and water heé should be released thereof and say fifty psalmes or Lxx. psalmes kneéling relieue some one begger with food If he were a rich man and vnlettered he should redeéme one dayes penaunce by paying iij. pence if he were poore and vnlettered he should paye one peny or feéd threé poore folke The penaūce of a whole weékes fast was redeémed with CCC Psalmes a whole mouethes fast by saying xij hundred Psalmes for one yeares fast he shoulde geue in almes to the poore xxij shillinges c. Many other like exchaunges of penaunces are mentioned in Burchard all which respected none other end but that they might quallify the rigor of the olde Canons touching publique penaunce ministred to this end not as necessary instrumentes to obtayne remission of sinnes and to pacify the wrath of God but instituted for exāples sake that they might be speciall prickes and prouokementes to sturre vpp such as were fallen and allurementes to earnest amendement of life On the contrary part the custome of our time and of our Popes hath so farre degendred from the auncient ordinaunces of the Elders in dispensing with Pardons and Satisfactions that it may seéme to haue ouerwhelmed not onely all discipline of the auncient Church but also almost ouerthrowen the whole force and efficacy of Christian fayth For whereas the Summe and Substaunce of all our Religion consisteth in the cleansing and purging of Sinnes and the same comprehended also in the onely obedience and passion of Christ these new vpstart Popes haue translated all this Release and satisfaction for our sinnes from the merite of Christ to I know not what newfangled absolutions and Pardons And whereas the olde penitentiall Canons were onely mens constitutions wherein men might dyspence with men according to the necessity of the tyme hereupon our Popes taking hart of grasse are become so shamelesse impudent that with theyr Pardons they dare presume to dispense with mens sinnes yea and theyr consciences also and to make their satisfactory merites by merite meritorious as it were worthye and able to encounter the wrath and iudgement of God And now behold how many pumples and fretts lurke vnder this one skabbe of the popish doctrine First they do so ouerlade mens consciences with a commaundement of confession without all authority of scripture and contrary to all the presidents of the primitiue Church they force all persons to render an account of theyr sinnes whether they be contrite or not contrite and this also vpon payne of eternall damnation As for Absolution they leaue cleane naked of all effectualnesse denying it to be auayleable without workes precedent ouer and besides thys also they do clogge them that are confessed with an vnauoydable necessity of doing penaūce they do thrust in Pardō of sinnes graunted by mans authority which they call Satisfaction for sinnes to deserue freé release from that punishment payne which the iustice of God may duely exact Out of which Syncke proceéd many vntimely and vyperous birthes full of lyes sacrilege and blasphemy agaynst God Namely Mounckes vowes The Sacrifice of the Masse for the quick and the dead Pilgrimages to stockes and stoanes Iubiles Pardons and Purgatory and out of that Purgatory sprang forth that momish maxime of Scotus Scottish and crabbed enough to this effect That Sinners after absolution ar either turned ouer to pardones or to Purgatory I do not here complayne or expostulate for those portesales and crafty conueyaunces of Pardōs Let Pardōs be as francke and freé as they would seéme to be for me But this is the thyng that I do demaund by what title by what scripture by what example finally by what I do not say authority but by what honest colour the Pope of Rome may presume so much vpon hys authority as to challenge to himselfe an interest and as it were an inheritable possessiō of those things wh Gods owne mouth and the promises of the whole scripture doe geue franckely and freély vnto all them that repent and beleue euen by theyr fayth in Christ Iesu and how he dare also affirme that such men are not otherwise to be dispēsed withall then by his Bulles of Pardons and his deputary Cōmissaryes Saynt Peter cryeth out with a loud voyce and confirmeth his saying with the authority of all the Prophets that shall receiue forgeuenesse of Synnes as many as do beleue in Christ. So doth also the Apostle Paule proclayme boldly that all thinges are pacified by the bloud of Christ both in heauen and in earth and addeth moreouer And in him sayth he you are made perfect And because no man shall be of opinion here after that there wanteth any thing to the full accomplishment of our saluation read in Iohn The bloud of Christ doth clense vs from all Sinne. And immediatly after He is the propitiation for our sinnes not our sinnes onely but for the sinnes of the whole world And Iohn Baptist poynting to Christ with his finger doth affirme Christ to be the Lambe appoynted by God to take away the sinnes of the world And Paule to the Hebrues By one onely oblation Christ made perfect for euer them that were sanctified And in an other place we are taught that our hartes are purified by fayth To conclude The whole meaning and intent of the scripture being nothing els but a certayn neuer interrupted course of recomfortable refreshyng in Christ it doth so allure vs all vnto hym that it leaueth none other medicine or restoratiue for our ouerladen and encombred consciences but the onely bloud of the Sonne of God And therefore if the onely death of Christ once offred for all be a full Raūsome for our Sinnes and the full price of our Redemption If Christes onely death and Passion be imputed to the faythfull beleuer for righteousnesse What neéde then any other Pardōs If Christ pacified all thinges in heauē in earth why could he not aswell pacifie all thynges in Purgatory When full power was geuen vnto him ouer all thinges in heauen and in earth what shall Christ haue nothyng to doe in Purgatory but that the Pope must be onely Prince of that Region The bloud of Christ say they did Raunsome vs from guilt and euerlasting punishment But there remaineth yet a Temporall punishment to be endured partely in this lyfe partly in Purgatory out of the which
To witt if there be not a Purgatory Osorius doth lye if he be a lyar Ergo he is not sent froÌ„ God but from the Deuill the father of lyes Which counterbuffe is so much the more probably applyable agaynst Osorius then agaynst Luther by how much he persisteth more obstinately in the maintenaunce of that filthy quauemyre of Purgatory For as much as although Luther did erre somewhat in that matter at the first yet afterwardes knowing the trueth did reduce himselfe to a more sound iudgement so that now he neither maketh for the Papistes in affirming Purgatory neither by that his former vntrueth error sinneth agaynst God at all Therefore as touching his forked and double horned argumeÌ„t wherein the first part of Osorius his Position If there be no Purgatory Luther doth lye If Osorius here doe vnderstand of a lye Formaliter Luther doth not lye but Osorius doth lye But if Luther be adiudged according to that which he once thought and taught once why should he be more reproched with a lye in affirming Purgatory then commended in the trueth in denying Purgatory afterwardes Moreouer if a lye be such a kinde of thing as you doe affirme in your other Position wh doth separate vs from God surely he is to be accoumpted a lyar not that reuoketh the error which he maintayned before but he that still persisteth obstinately in his ouerthwart opinion manifestly agaynst the trueth But the Scholemen that in their Schooles dispute somewhat more subtilly of the nature of a lye do ioyne together to the full proportion or making of a lye the will also of him that doth make the lye to speake the schole tearmes with the part of the false surmise In the one whereof they ground the matter or substaunce in the other the forme or qualitye Therefore for asmuch as there is no sinne but that which is voluntary if we will speake after the proprietye of speéch he that in teaching or disputing doth mainteyne a falshoode thinking that he doth maintayne a trueth he is to be sayd that he erreth and is deceaued in opinion but doth not make a lye properly but per accidens as the schoole men speake and materialiter And therfore touching the one horne of your sophisme If there be not a Purgatorye Luther doth lye If you meane it formaliter as I sayd it is vntrue and a deuise of Osorius Now remayneth thother horne whereof we must be well aduised how wee doe aunswere it If he did lye say you Ergo He was not sent from God If this be true that neuer any man was sent from God that did make any kinde of lye at any tyme Lett Osorius looke well to the matter how he may be able to crack me these two nuttes that I will lykewise geue vnto him as euidently in ech respect agaynst him If Sara were not Abraham his sister then did Abraham lye If Abraham did lye then was he not sent from God Yea further also to adde hereunto an intent of deceauing Here is yet an other matter If Iacob were not the first begotten sonne of Isaack by Rebecca his wyfe both Iacob lyed and the Mother also If the Myddwyues did not drowne the young sucklings of the Hebrues then did they make a lye vnto Pharao If king Saul gaue vnto Dauid no commaundement by worde of mouth commiâ—g to Achimelech then did Dauid make a lye 1. Kinges Chap. 21. If all these of whom I haue spoken Iacob Rebecca the Middwiues Dauid did lye Ergo they were not sent from God which if Osor. will not deny to be a most arrogant vntrueth what remaineth but that this cruell Sauadge two horned beast together with Luther goare the holy Patriarches also with his hornes or casting away his hornes acquite Luther and the Patriarches also both together Now I put Osorius to his choyse to take which he will Howbeit I speake not this to acquite Luther cleare from all spott of error NotwithstaÌ„ding it is not all one to hold an error and to maintayne a lye It is one thing to be vnskilfull and ignoraunt and an other thing to reuoke in season assoone as a man doth know his error The first whereof is a speciall poynt of humaine infirmitye thother a singuler benefite of Gods mercy Both which we haue seéne to haue chaunced euen in the most holy ones of all We reade of the most holy messenger and forerunner of the Lord speaking on this wise And I sayth he knew him not Neuerthelesse in an other place we heare the same speaking on this wise Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world And what maruell was it if Luther were ignoraunt in some thinges a whiles which were discouered vnto him afterwardes And where hath euer bene so quicksighted a Spinx that was able to seé all things at once which prerogatiue the Barnardines dare not geue vnto Barnard himselfe But Osorius will not leaue of his handfast And would gladly know as he sayth Whether senteÌ„ce of Luther Haddon will determine vpoÌ„ to be true seing Luther is Author of both Of the first wherein he affirmeth a Purgatory to be or the last wherein he denyeth the same thing agayne That I may passe ouer in the meane space whose Cartloades full of Tauntes Mockes and Mountaynes of lyes which he vomiteth out in the bosome of the good man most brutishly euen to the ridding of his gorge almost I will aunswere to the matter and the reprochfull Taunt it selfe briefly without Tauntes As concerning the very trueth and naturall substaunce of Doctrine howsoeuer mens opinions and Iudgements be carryed hither and thither in wauering vncerteynty yet trueth is neuer vnlyke it selfe but remayneth alwayes one and the same also vnchaungeable which suffreth not it selfe to be toste to and fro after the whirling variablenes of mens imaginations but standeth alwayes sound and vnshaken builded vpon the vnpenetrable Rocke of the Scriptures of God Now if Luthers rule be agreably apporcioned accordyng to the infallible squarier of that holy staÌ„dard whether it be first or whether it be last why should it not be worthely embraced not because it is the last but because it is the truest On the other side if in all his doctrine be any assertion that deserueth to be reprehended as repugnauÌ„t or varying from the true touchestone of Christian profession there be extant the holy Scriptures of God manifest and layd open there be auÌ„cient ordinauÌ„ces of the Primitiue Church There be approued Testimonies of learned men There be groundes and principles of doctrine wherewith ye may lawfully conuince him Yet orderly notwithstanding and courteously that the Readers may finde you to be a learned Deuine or skilfull Logician not a rayling Slaunderer and fryuolous brabbler Now to what purpose serueth so much cursed rayling no lesse vnseasonable then vnreasonable so many Tauntes so many slaunders so many subtiltyes and so many bitter skoffes what neéded
dead how is the safetie of all men and the state of the Churche preserued thereby To make this matter good Iustifiable S. Paule him selfe is forced maugre his beard to become wittnesse agaynst him self beyng charged with his one wordes spoken once or twise in his Epistle written to the Corinthes as when he sayth I do dye dayly through the reioysing that I haue of you in Christ Iesu our Lord. c. And agayne writyng to the Collo Now I do Reioyse sayth he ouer my afflictions for you and I do fill vpp that which wanteth in the afflictions of Christ in my fleshe for his body which is the Church c. Out of these wordes of Paule well spoken not well vnderstanded and wickedly wrested it is a wonder to seé what horrible doctrine and monstruous blasphemies these false Apostles doe inferr and thrust in place For whereas the Apostles meanyng doth note onely the confirmation of doctrine and the afflictiōs and agonyes that he endured for the enlargyng of the Fayth of Christ onely the same doe these praters most horribly mistourne force to the satisfaction for Sinnes yea to the very price of our Redemption not without manifest Sacriledge agaynst the bloud of Christ As though the Death and Passion of the onely Sonne of God Iesu Christ could not otherwise suffice to the absolute accomplishment of the whole action of our Redemption vnlesse meritorious afflictions of Sainctes were annexed besides which beyng mingled together with the bloud of Christ should counterpeise in equall ballaunce the iust and true proportion of the Iudgement of God and with full measure as it were fill vpp that euer flowyng founteyne which doth purge and washe cleane away the Sinnes and filthe of the quicke and the deadd Which mingle mangle they call by the name of the Treasure of the Churche which of all the rest is most vayne foolishe And this Treasure of the Church they dare not committe to the custody of Christ onely nor to euery of the Ministers nor yet to laye men nor to Priestes not to poore Prelates not to Abbottes or Priours not to Prouostes and Wardens of Colledges nor to simple Preachers as they call thē but to Byshoppes onely and amongest them also chiefly to the high and superexcellent Byshoppe the Pope which is of all the rest most absurd And yet least you shall thinke that these be not their own proper Assertions we will heare what holy Saynct Bonauenture and such like doctours of the same Schoole doe speake of theyr owne mouth For on this wise doe those profounde Deuynes frame theyr Argumentes out of the wordes of holye Scripture Because according to the Law say they he that doth marry his Brothers wise to rayse vpp seede to his brother that is dead ought to enioy the possession of his brothers goods that appertayne to the education of the Children Ruth 4. Therefore the dispensation of this treasure of the Church belongeth to the Byshoppes onelye which be the husbandes of the Church haue power to beget sonnes daughters that is to say perfect vnperfect and amōgest all these principally the high Byshopp which is husband gouernour of the whole Church vniuersall Ha Ha gentle Reader haue you not heard a mynyon mariage worthy for a Popes puppett grounded vpō the very vnpenetrable Rocke of the profundity of all Scriptures by which ye may first perceiue that Christ was once the husband of this spowse Now because he departed this lyfe dyed without issue of his body lawfully begottē his next brethrē the Byshops do succeéd him who marrying their Brothers wife may rayse vpp issue to their Brother vpon her and may begett Children perfect and vnperfect And because all this shall not wāt creditt they do proue it by the authority of the scripture to witt in the 4. Chapiter of Ruth and other testimonies of the Law But by the way whereas we find that by the same law it was lawfull for one husband to haue many wiues or concubines I do not yet remember any such liberty geuen by the law that one wife should be married to manye husbandes Wherein truely they doe describe a very hard and miserable estate and condition of the Church if one wife shal be constrayned to be buxonne and bonaire to so many husbandes as there be Byshoppes in Christendome But let vs harken yet what followeth more For he proceédeth on this manner And therefore all Byshoppes sayth be that haue issue may graūt pardones but especially aboue all other our most holy Father the Byshopp of Rome as to whom belongeth the dispensation of the whole spirituall treasory because he hath the charge of all the whole Church and of all her Children whereupon all be his Children and he is the Father of all c. Thus much doth preach vnto vs our holy Saynt Bonauenture Behold here gentle Reader the summe of this most excellent mysticall interpretation of the Schole doctrine where in bethinke aduisedly with your selfe how many fowle horrible errors blasphemies are scatrered abroad by this pestilent dogg and recken them vpon your fingers if you will whiles I sett thē downe in order vnto you First an vtter disability and a worne out Emptymes in the bloud of Christ his most comfortable death is here set downe wherein is manifest blasphemy Then followeth an Eclipse of Christes passion That is to say whatsoeuer wanteth in his passion to the full satisfaction of our Redemption must be supplied and recompenced with the afflictions of Martirs and Sainctes Next vpon this minglemangle of the merytes of Christ and his Martirs they gather together a certayne treasury of most precious and aboundant Satisfactiō which they call the Treasure of the Church Now whereas out of this treasury all Remission and pardō of Sinnes is dawen forth then yet must not all be Stewards and distributers of this great riches nor any other then the Bishoppes and the chiefe Byshopp of all other the Pope of Rome which is of all other a most pestiferous error Moreouer as is most meét out of this Romish Budgett and dispensation of Romish treasure are begotten Bulles and Pardons which is a most horrible fraud and liegerdemayne Lastly out of these Pardons is framed at the lēgth the skalding house of Purgatory by this argument forsooth Because otherwise these pardons and prayers of the Church and merites of Sayntes should not be worth a Rush vnlesse the soules of the faythfull did frye and broyle in this skalding house of Purgatorye for ease of whom these qualificatiōs are proued by the Church I haue reckened vpp orderly and briefly the chiefe of all their errours monstruous horrible enough I thinke which being directly agaynst manifestly repugnaunt and contrary to the true meaning and naturall sense of the scripture will not require any long aunswere in the confutation of them First where as they do affirme that
any such thing at any time no more can you make that iustifiable that you doe now by any approued testimony of the scripture or lawfull example of antiquitye But here will some one vrge agayne what did not Melchizedech offer bread and wine then I doe not deny it was he not a Priest Yes surely and a king also For he was both the king of Salem and the Priest of the most high God But he was not therefore a Priest because he did offer bread wine Nor did he geue bread and wine being a King because he would make a sacrifice thereof No more did he offer his presentes vnto God but vnto Abraham neither yet of any priestly duety but of a kingly magnificence moreouer he did not onely geue giftes which was the poynt of a princely hart but he blessed them also which was part of a priestly function For Priestes are wont to blesse men sometime but they do neuer accustome themselues to offer sacrifice to men The wordes of the History are playne and well knowne Therefore lett vs returne to the very springhead and originall according to the â—ounsell of Cyprian if it may please you After the olde TraÌ„slation the wordes be thus Melchizedech King of Salem bringing forth bread and wine for he was the Priest of the highest did blesse him c. Although here be not so muche as a word of Sacrificing Yet in this translatioÌ„ is no litle difference from the very originall whereas chaunging the copulatiue Hebrue sillable for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it readeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Moyses expresseth thys sentence after an other sort for he doth vse not the word of Sacrificing but hath Hozia which word what it signifyeth according to the verye naturall proprietye I referre me to the iudgement of the learned After the same maner also doth the chaldean expositor interpret the same And Iosephus an especiall witnesse hereof doth expound it after the same sence For Melchizedech sayth he did Banquet the souldiours of Abraham suffering them to lack nothing necessary for their sustenauÌ„ce and withall inuited Abraham to be a Guest of his owne Table Wherein the courtesy of the King is commended that disdained not to make Abraham a Guest of his owne Table Whereupon you seé that it is most false which they do assume in the Minor touching the oblation of Melchizedech who being both a Pryest and a Type of Christ is not called therefore a Pryest neuerthelesse in the history because he brought forth bread and wine as is declared before But agaynst this is there a strong countermure raysed namely the Authority of the Tridentine councell with a very horrible cursse annexed thundring out after this sort Whosoeuer shall say that the Masse is onely a sacrifyce of prayse and thankesgeuing or a bare memoriall of the Sacrifice performed vpon the Crosse and not a propitiatory sacrifice or that it auayleth to the Receiuer onely and ought not to be offered for the quick and the dead for sinnes for punishmentes satisfactions and other necessityes let him be holdeÌ„ accursed If he shall be holden accursed whosoeuer shall so say surelye the very same haue all the auncient Deuines before mentioned spoken and affirmed All the Doctors especially of the primitiue Church haue both sayd so and taught so neither did the whole Greéke Church almost teach otherwise not exempting out of the same beadroll all the Apostles of Christ no nor Christ himselfe vnlesse perhappes the Tridentine Lordinges will esteéme themselues to be of greater creditt and authoritye then Christ and the Apostles that so it may be lawfull for them to coyne a newfaÌ„gled Gospell wherew t Christ his Apostles were neuer acquainted First what the opinion of the doctors is herein hath bene expressely set downe before Surely Christ himselfe and the Apostle Paule do require nothing els in this celebratioÌ„ but onely a memoriall and an expressing and shewing forth of the Lordes death nor doth seéme to determine vpon any other end of this Sacrament then a remembraunce with a thankesgeuing This do ye sayth Christ in remembraunce of me And Paule deliuering to the Corinthians the same which he receiued of the Lord doth commaund them to shew forth the Lordes death whensoeuer they do celebrate this Supper vntill he come agayne Now I beseéch thee geÌ„tle reader doost thou heare any thing els in these wordes of Christ and his Apostle then the shewing forth of the Lordes death onely And what els will the Tridentine councell exact of vs Forsooth that we shall agayne and agayne offer the sonne of God for a sacrifice to God the Father for the remission of sinnes world without end a sacrifice I say not sacramentall onely but very propitiatorye which may helpe and be profitable not for the receiuer onely but may procure saluation for the quicke the dead also and wh thought to be offred of very necessity for the ease of punishmentes of satisfactions and of all other miseries afflictioÌ„s of this present lyfe But by what authority do they proue this where do they finde this of Christ of his Apostles or of any prescript word of Gods gospell No truly I am not of that mind But why do I demauÌ„d this of theÌ„ what warrant they haue by the word of God Lett it suffice me rather to admonish theÌ„ to beware lest through the selfe same Sacrifice wherewith they iudge themselues able to satisfy for their owne and other mens punishmentes and sinnes without all warrant of Gods word yea rather most wickedly requgnaunt to the expresse word of God they procure and heape vpon themselues lust damnation for this their shamelesse and horrible Idolatrye which they shall neuer be able to redeéme with all their massings and Iuggling Sacrifices It might seéme that we had alleadged sufficiently for thys matter and euicted the controuersy throughly if we were not pestered with such brawlers that dyd not delight rather to contend and striue for theyr owne victory then for the glorye of Christ or with such as would be satisfied with any authoritye of scriptures in the discouery of the truth of the question But they being now pressed downe and quyte ouerthrowen with the multitude of testimonies out of the sacred scripture fleé to the testimonies of men As though Diuinity as Tertullian sayth ought to be valued by the deuises of men or that the touchstone should be tryed by the golde and the golde not by the touchstone or that the course of the Sonne should be apportioned after the will of Iohn Clockekeéper and Iohn Clockekeéper not ruled rather by the course of the Sunne And on this wise now our catholicks bend their force with Testimonyes and Consent The Catholicke Churche hath alwayes hitherto from the age of the Apostles ratified those obseruaunces this doctrine of the sacrifice of the Masse whiche it would neuer haue done vnlesse this doctrine had bene agreable with the
not to be marueâ—led that Monckeries were so soone ouerthrowen as that they stode so long Of the holynesse of ceremonies with Osorius Luke Iohn Collos. 2. Galat. 4. Mens traditioÌ„s ceremonies are not altogether sequestred from a Christian mans lyfe How great a perill is in ceremonies Christian RelligioÌ„ almost wholy turned into ceremonies Images Crosses Altars throweÌ„ downe Ezechiah Iosiah Iozaphat Gedeon Epiphanius in an Epistle to Iohn Byshopp of Ierusalem Phillippicus Leo Isaurick CoÌ„stantine Leo 4. Greeke Emperours agaynst Images Images banished by the couÌ„cels of ConstaÌ„tinople Elibertine and francksord Out of the councell of ConstaÌ„tinople Ex Elibertino coâ—cil can 36. Lactant. instit book 2. cap. 19. ChrisostoÌ„e Amphilochius Theodore Byshopp of Ancira Portraictes Eusebius Bysh. of Pamphil. The reasoÌ„s of Bysh. alleadged in the counsell of Constantinople Deut. 20. 2. Cor. 6. A figure called contraposition betwixt the decrees of God and the Popes Math. 10. 1. Iohn 5. Out of the Decrees of the Trydentine counsel 9. Sesio Iere. 10. Abacuâ— 3. The wicked and preposterous iudgements of the Papists in worshipping of Images Osor. pag. 178. Osorius slaunder agaynst Luther touching contrition and good workes condeÌ„ned is confuted Articul 31. How this sentence that the Righteous man doth offend in euery good worke is to be taken Gregory vpon Ioh. 9. August in his 3. booke of confess cap. 7. August to Boniface 3. book ca. 7. The words of Constantine to Acesius Aug. in his 1. booke de perfectione iustitiae Aug. in his booke of the perfection of righteousnes Of the auntient ordinaunces of the Church The ordinaunces of the primitiue church taken away now by our Catholicks The complaynt of abolishing the auntieÌ„t ordinaunces of the Church appliable to none so much as to the Papists By what meanes the Romanistes haue altered al thinges in the Church Osorius pag. 178. Osor. pag. 180. An aunswere in the behalfe of the Lutheranes liues agaynst slauÌ„deryng It is one thyng to iudge of maners an other thing to iudge of doctrine Dogges in the pallace of Rome Osori pag. 180.181 The popes blynd Decrees caÌ„ not away with the light of the Gospell The cauill of Osorius agaynst the lyues of Lutherans Osori rayseth all his slaunders of hearesay The fruites of the Gospell beyng restoared Doctrine ought not to be iudged after the qualities of mens manners Osorius malice agaynst the Lutherans Many are vntruely termed Lutherans that be no Lutherans Mauy counterfets lurke in the Church vnder presence of the Gospell The approued integritye of the-ProtestaÌ„ts The lyfe of Cranmer Archb. of Cant. The marriage of CraÌ„mer defended The name of a Concubine more holy with the Papistes then the name of a wife Nichol. Ridley Byshop of London Ferrar Bish. of Saynt Dauids Iohn Hooper Bish. of Worcest Glocester Famous men martyrred vnder Queene Mary Tho. Bilney Ioh. Bradford The liues of those which were burnt in Queene Maries raigne Erasmus testimony coÌ„cerning Luther See Osorius in his 1. booke 69. Roffensis of the doctrine of Luther Luthers doctrine not other then all other true Christians The Fallax of the consequent An Argument rightly deduced froÌ„ Signes Doctrine not to be applyed to maners but maners to doctrine Osorius pag. 181. 182. Of prescription of Antiquitye Osorius doth accuse the reformed Churches of Noueltye The reformed Churches now a dayes doe not vary froÌ„ the Apostles institution in doctrine Maner of lyfe thought neuer so disorderous maketh not an heretique The cause that enflameth Osor. agaynst the Lutheranes is not the life but the state of their doctrine The foundation of the questioÌ„ is not of maners but of the principles and grouÌ„des of Religion The condition agreed vpoÌ„ concerneth the triall of antiquitie The papists exception agaynst the obscurenes of the scriptures Of an vnpier in Ecclesiasticall causes A Request to the excellent king of Portingall The Antiquity of the Romish Religion couÌ„terfaite The false accusation of Noueltie agaynst the Lutherans The law of PrescriptioÌ„ Distinct. 8. August Gregory Custome Antiquitye PrescriptioÌ„ Cyprian distinc 8. No custome may prescribe agaynst the king much lesse anye Custome may prescribe agaynst god A defence agaynst the accusation of Nouelty falsly charged vpon the reformed Churches by Osorius Of the merites of Christ. Of true coÌ„fidence Tertulian touching prescription agaynst Heretiques Exod. 20. Of inuocation worshipping c. Of Sacraments Out of Iustine Of the freedome of Mariage Heb. 13. 1. Timo. 4. The mother tongue in Churches The Communion vnder both kindes Of Images Of rightâ— and Ceremonies Of the power of free-will Of iustifiyng fayth Rom. 3. Galat. Galat. How fayth onely doth iustifie and whom Luther Caluine MelancthoÌ„ Musculus Bullinger P. Martyr Hul. Zuinglius Occolampadius Iohn Iuell Gualter Rodolfe Theodore Beza The Lutherans acquited from all reprehention of Noueltye An olde quarrell of the Catholicks touching Noueltye Of the supremacy titles of the Pope The titles of the Romaine pope Math. 23. The outragious dignitie of the pope Chrisost. ad Romanos homil 23. Gregory The supremacy was first graunted by Phocas to Boniface The fulnes of power beganne in the tyme of Hildebrand Pope Cardinalls The election of the Pope translated from the Emperour and the people of Rome vnto the Cardinalls Of the Masse and her appurtenaunces The vse of Corpes in the Church Priuate Masses The Communion of the laye people abbridged froÌ„ thrice to once in a yeare by Clement 3 Vnleauened bread One part of the CoÌ„munion taken away from the lay people Corpus Christi day Of Image Of transubstantion of Eleuation of carying abroad of the Sacrament Of marriage of priestes and choyse of meates Of the Popes decrees and decretals Extrauaga de Maiorit obed cap. vnam De maior it obedientia cap. Solitae Of MouÌ„cks Fryers Three vows of MouÌ„kerye Sixe wings of Seraphin Aemilius in his 5. booke Carthusianes Castersianes Templars Premonstratenses Gilbertines Dominicanes Franciscans Eremites Augustines Carmelites Nuns of S. Clares order Out of the Councell of Lateran Innocent 3. Cap. 13. Minorites Augustine anes Crossebeabeares Whippers Iesuites In the Romish Churche are many things new altogether nothing auncient sauoring of thapostolique Antiquitye The carnall presence of Christ no where but in heauen The carnall presence of Christ one of the Popish doctrine How the Papistes dp doe differ from the Apostles in the ministring of the communioÌ„ Priuate Masse Hebr. 9. 8 10. 1. Tim. â— The true doctrine of traÌ„substantion iuuented by the paâ—istes TransubstaÌ„tiation was neuer knowen to the Apostles Many thou sandes of Martyrs lost theyr liues for this TransubstaÌ„tiatioÌ„ The Churche of the Pope a Murtherer The papist caÌ„ reÌ„der no iust cause of spâ—llyng so much Christian bloud It is one thing to reuerence the SacrameÌ„ts an other thyng to turne Christ into a Sacrament The words of Christ. This is my body Christs wordes bespirit and lyfe Christ is called by sondry names in the Scriptures Christ is called bread in the Gospell By what similitude the
first ordeine lawes then assigne his Magistrates the Apostles Lastly that this bonde of mutuall societie might not be broken and so the couenable agreement of this Citie disturbed he did erect a Monarchie and therein inuested Peter with the highest soueraigntie First of all what heauenly commoÌ„ wealth do you dreame of vpon earth when as that heauenly Ierusalem is aboue wherein dwelleth God him selfe and our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ whereas the earth can haue none other Citie then earthly Neither did Iesu Christ take vnto him mans nature to the end hee would coyne new lawes but to accomplishe the old that the glad tydynges might be preached That prisoners might bee loosed that the sicke might be healed lastly that by offring vp his most precious body on the Crosse our sinnes might be clensed As for any superioritie in gouernement the Apostles receaued none nor any other authoritie was committed vnto them but that they should wander through the whole world emptie of all worldly furniture cariyng nothing with them and should sow in all places abroad the comfortable doctrine of the Gospell Nay rather when arose betwixt them a question who should be greatest amongest them our Lord and Sauiour Christ did so vtterly suppresse that ambicious contention that he briefly denounced that he which was left should be greatest amongest them Agayne when Iames Iohn had besought of our Lord and Sauiour that the one of them might sit on his right hand the other on his left hand when he were ascended into heauen vnto the throne of Maiestie he reproued them both so sharpely blamyng their ignoraunce that he told them They knew not what they asked and immediatly callyng the rest of the twelue together he so tempered vnto them lowlynes humilitie and obedience by manifest Arguments that they might easely perceiue how they were forbidden all maner of superioritie Sith these thyngs therfore are true I woÌ„der what came into your mynde to dreame of so dry a Summer that a Monarchie was erected amoÌ„gest the Apostles and that vnto Peter was geuen the preheminence thereof Was Peter so appointed the chief ouer the rest of the Apostles when as Christ him selfe doth so embace them and fearefully terrifle them from all maner of supremacie was Peter so worthy to be a Monarche when as Christ him selfe did hyde him out of the way bycause they would haue made him a kyng must we be so subiect to Peter and his Successours as vnto Princes when our Sauiour Iesu Christ came downe from heauen for this entent purpose to become a seruauÌ„t vnto others requiryng of his Apostles the selfe same duetie of abacement But there is nothyng you say more cleare then these wordes Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke I will builde my Church And what soeuer thou byndest vpon earth shall be bound also in heauen And I haue prayed for thee that thy fayth may not fainte And thou at the last beyng coÌ„uerted confirme thy brethren And many other like Whereby you will coÌ„streine vs to beleue That Peter was preferred before the rest of the Apostles I will treate therfore of euery of these seuerally That it may be euidently knowen what a deépe insight this Reuerend Prelate hath in Diuinitie For if he haue made here a strong and souÌ„de foundation his passage wil be the easier to the rest of his Assertions But if his groundewordes be planted vpon Sande the rest of his buildyng will quickely shiuer in peéces and come to ruine First of all therefore Note this to bee commonly vsed throughout the whole Scripture That when our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ would demaunde any question of all his Apostles Peter would make auÌ„swere in the name of the whole generally and not in his owne name particularely So to that question But whom do you say I am Peter maketh auÌ„swere for them all Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuyng God Agayne when the Lord demaunded Whether they his Disciples would depart away from him with the rest of the Iewes Peter not onely for him selfe but for his whole company denyed saying Lord whether shall we goe Thou hast the wordes of eternall lyfe The life hereof is in Peters Sermon when he exhorted the Iewes to repose their whole affiaunce of saluation in Iesu Christ whom they Crucified and was risen agayne froÌ„ death to life For in the same place it is sayd that Peter alone did not preach to the Iewes but with the other eleuen The wordes were pronounced by Peters mouth onely but the mynde sentence enteÌ„t was agreed vpoÌ„ by all the Apostles Now therfore if those Scriptures do admitte these phrases of speach as appeareth playnly by the wordes of the holy Ghost Then this is a necessary consequent That our Lord Iesu Christ did in lyke maner apply his wonted communication vsed with the Apostles to Peters coÌ„mon aunswere In the like phrase of speach were those wordes Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church For as Peter in the behalfe of all his fellowes affirmed that hee was Christ the sonne of the liuyng God so Christ likewise though he named Peter onely yet acknowledgeth the vniuersall consent and confession of all the rest and in the same doth promise to establish his Church which interpretatioÌ„ if you will not allow without witnesses behold Oâ—otius I haue alledged auncient Fathers mainteinyng myne allegation agaynst you and haue noted their places not obseruyng your disorder herein whiche vse to packe together a Rable of names of Fathers omittyng the matter as though to the resolution of doubtfull matters neéded nothyng but names Next hereunto you place in order the promise of Christ in these wordes What soeuer thou shall bynde vpon earth shall also be bounde in heauen what then ought this promise to bee restrained to Peter onely or was this promise equally coÌ„municated to the other Apostles whose speach is this then Receaue ye the holy Ghost whose soeuer sinnes ye do forgeue shal be forgeueÌ„ them and whose sinnes soeuer you doe reteine the same are reteined Is not this the gift of Christ is not this Christes promise made vnto his twelue Disciples standyng in the middest of them and preachyng vnto them all endyng them all with his heauenly blessing somewhat afore his Ascention Is not this sentence manifest enough the witnesse approued the authoritie not comptrollable vnlesse paraduenture you will contend like a child and stand vpon the nycenes of these sillables byndyng and loosing wherof you made mention before And yet if ye will obstinately persiste herein you shal be vrged with sillables and titles of like wordes Verely verely I say vnto you whatsoeuer you shall bynde on the earth the same shal be bounde in heauen also and whatsoeuer you loose vpon the earth shal be loosed also in heauen Here you this Do you also perceaue it and are ye not ashamed will you attribute that vnto
were at that tyme no nor deéme your selfe more holy theÌ„ Aaron Therfore where you seé so manifest Idolatry in them why make you so proude bragges of the innocencie of your Nation But you will happely say that those dayes are out of memory no such matter sticketh now in your fingers will ye therefore that I bryng you home and euidently disproue the ignorauÌ„ce and vnaduised follie of you your people by the testimonies of your owne fraternitie Truly I am contented so to doe and I will paint out your Idolatry so playnly in the sight of all men that can seé and be willyng to seé that no well disposed persons may doubt thereof hereafter Peraduduenture your eyes will dazell through corruption of dayly custome as it happened to Cerberus the dogge of hell sodenly drawen out of his darcke doungeon into the bright sunne shyne First you will graunt me this as I suppose which all your Papisticall Godmakers will yeld vnto that in that your transubstantiated white Wafers is inclosed a certeine Diuine essence and the onely substaunce of bread flowen quyte away I know not whither but that the accidents of bread remayne as at the first to witte the roundnes white colour and such like Hereof then followeth of necessitie euen by your owne Argument that who soeuer doth worshyp the white colour or any externall thyng therof subiect to the senses spectible view is a manifest Idolatour Aunswere me to this place my Lord I beseéch you if there be any sparckle oftene fayth in you Tell me when your simple vnlettered people cluster in heapes together to your Altares heaue vppe their handes knocke their brestes reuerently behold and humbly worshyp that your white rounde singyng Cake holden betwixt your fingers and lifted ouer your heades as if it were our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesu him selfe when I say this seély rude multitude doth so humble them selues and are moued in affection can they discerne betwixt the accidentes of the bread and the substaunce if they can surely your nation is deépely seéne in Logicke But if they cannot Then we may rightly conclude vpon the suppositions of your owne Deuines that they commit open Idolatry bycause they do worshyp not onely the essence of God farre hidden within wholy remoued from their senses but also the outward signes which they behold and seé with their eyes You are taken here Osorius neither can you escape me for either you must serape out your Decreés and CanoÌ„s which will procure you mortall hatred or els you must neédes coÌ„fesse the dayly Idolatry of your people except ye deny that the outwarde forme of bread is worshypped by them wherein they will witnes agaynst you if neéde shall require And therfore if your fayned God may euidently be founde culpable of euideÌ„t Idolatry Your errour is much more apparant in worshyppyng of Images I did set downe before the wordes of our Sauiour Iesu Christ vsed to the woman of Samaria touchyng the true worshyppyng of God Aboue alledged also the auncient custome of the Primitiue Church when as no grauen or paynted Images were permitted to be worshipped In this most assured testimonies and ordinaunces of our Religion this our great Deuine and Maister is altogether mumme but that hee cauilleth a litle I know not what about the Images of the Crosse to witte That the fame was deepely emprinted in the harts of meÌ„ in that auÌ„cient and florishing age of the primitiue Church but that pictures were needelesse sith that tyme. The same doe we also confesse franckly For there be two notable rules very true prescribed by God as Principles whereby the auncient vse and rule of Christian Religion and dueties of Christian lyfe may be dayly enured preserued The one is that we apply our myndes to read the holy Scriptures The other is that we yeld atteÌ„tiue eare vnto them For all Scripture sayth Paule is geuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teache to admonish to improue to amende and to instruct in righteousnes that the man of God may be perfect and prepared vnto all good workes If we bee made absolute and perfect by the holy Scriptures what neéde we any helpe of your pictures In those holy Scriptures is the liuely Image of God the Father the liuely picture of Iesu Christ our Sauiour the true Crosse true worshippyng true Religion to bee founde But you are fouly fallen away from this auncient veritie you haue wickedly buryed in darkenesse the Testament of Iesu Christ you haue treacherously discredited the authoritie of holy Scriptures and in place of these pure and knowen founteines of our true Religion ye haue in your Churches planted a wonderfull rabble of woâ—meeaten pictures and portraictes of dead bodyes to be worshipped you haue instructed the rude and vnlettered people with mens traditious and haue vtterly drowned the holy Scriptures beyng the most pleasaunt and plentyfull foode of the soule with ouerflowyng puddles of stinckyng Ceremonies This is very true Osorius yea it is to true And you beyng a Byshop and a distributer of the holy misteries of God shall to your intollerable anguish of mynde feéle this to be true which you shal be sommoned before the dreadfull Iudgement seate of the Lord From whence you shal be throwen into euerlasting tormentes if ye amende not in tyme. But there is no droppe of sounde or sober witte in you for amyddes your disputation touchyng the worshyppyng of God you sodenly skippe from the matter and returne to your wonted shiftes and demaunde of vs. If wee haue founde our selues more inclinable to praye sith the abolishyng of Images then before First of all This concerneth not the controuersie anythyng at all Then who hath authorised you beyng a Portingall to be Iudge and Inquisitour ouer vs Englishmen Enquire ye for the demeanours of your owne people of Siluain and let vs alone with our owne Byshops It greéueth you much that the Reliques of Thomas of CauÌ„terbury are defaced whom it pleaseth you to call a most holy man beyng in very déede an exectable Traytour O goodly Doctour of the Church that require vs to worshyp the rotten stinckyng carkase of a pielde trayterous Priest Persuade that els where for in England women children and naturall fooles do detest the stincking Rames crauyne and Idolatrous Shryne of that Rebellious traytour Neither are you pleased bycause I rubbe your Schoolemen on the gall a very sacred societie if we credite you most pure pillers of Christian ReligioÌ„ agréeyng consentyng with the auncient Apostles but if they be tryed by their owne trinckettes they wil be founded a pestilent generation of Uipers full of vnsauory brabbles corrupt doctrine altogether boyde of witte addicted to all superstitioÌ„ And there is no discréet person amongest our aduersaries that hath any smatche of founde learnyng except a very fewe but doe vtterly detest and reiect this filthy puddle of SchoolemeÌ„ And yet you sir Ierome suppose to
his name Christ teacheth farre otherwise of him selfe Behold I stand at the doore and knocke if any maÌ„ heare my voyce and opeÌ„ vnto me the gate I will enter vnto him and will suppe with him and hee with me O sweéte and most comfortable voyce of our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ which if once may be throughly rooted in the inward partes of our soule will easely rase out abolish that priuy blind buzzyng in the eares of those Massemongers and Friers But Osorius sticketh fast to his substitution and mainteineth earnestly that the Apostles were assigned to be Christes Uicares on earth whiche should supply his iurisdiction and should enterlace their owne definitiue sentences with his These are both false God is a ielous God and will not geue his honour to any other Hee hath appointed no Uicare and the holy Scripture doth acknowledge no such word neither was it his will that the Apostles should entermedle in his Iurisdiction Your surmise is false quite contrary to his heauenly prerogatiue For Christ onely hath the keyes of hell and death Christ onely is the slayne Lambe and the Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda the roote of Dauid which openeth the booke and louseth the seuen seales therof neither was there any besides him in heauen in earth or vnder the earth that could open the booke and looke into it Our Lord Iesus beyng raysed from death and appearyng vnto his Apostles spake vnto them in this maner All power is geuen vnto me in heaueÌ„ and in earth Of this power was neuer iote empaired in any respect and neuer shal be What was the Commission of the Apostles then Christ him selfe doth open it in the selfe same place Goe ye therfore and teach all nations Baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost teachyng them to obserue all those sayings which I haue commauÌ„ded you This was the Embassie of the Apostles this was their CommissioÌ„ Iurisdiction or to speake more playnly bluntly this was their function this was their office To this authoritie the keyes of heauen and remission of sinnes and whatsoeuer els of the same kynde must be applyed S. Paule doth comprehend all these briefly in these wordes Let men so esteeme vs as Ministers of Christ and Stewardes of the mysteries of God You be not Uicares theÌ„ Osori you be Ministers ye be not iudges to constitute Lawes as you do wickedly take vpoÌ„ you but ye be Stewardes to dispose the mysteries of God or at the lest you ought to bee But how belongeth this doctrine of Christ and his Apostles to your Massemongers Confessours They haue an other Romishe doctrine whereby they doe receiue the seély rude people runnyng in heapes vnto them rehearsing their sinnes priuily and in some close corner superstitiously when they haue vttered what them listeth they pronounce ouer them of their own power an absolution in a strauÌ„ge language in steade of Satisfaction they do enioyne them some fastyng dayes or some long pilgrimages and to make an ende of the play they pike from them a few peÌ„ce for their labour This is your vsurped power of CoÌ„fessioÌ„s Osorius which you affirme was geuen first to the Apostles afterwardes to you by a certâ—ine title of Succession Tell me now did you euer read that any thyng was whispered into the Apostles eares priuily or that sinnes were seuerally repeated or the people absolued by their owne absolute power or any thyng done in a language not vnderstanded or any penauÌ„ce as you tearme it enioyned or at the last any reward taken What vnshamefastnes is this what impietie is it to defend this close superstitious and mercenarie eare confession vnder pretence of the authoritie of our Sauiour Christ example of his Apostles especially wheÌ„ as none of these was euer instituted by Christ or frequented of his Apostles But your braynes are so be witched and intoxicated with eare confessions that ye shame not to alledge other stuffe yet whiche is most absurde of all the rest You say that it is daungerous for men to bee left in their owne libertie wheÌ„ they should confesse them selues to God For if it were so we would not willingly yeld to that embacing and throwyng down of our selues which Dauid named to bee the most acceptable sacrifice to God You do heare and acknowledge your owne wordes my Lord then the which I neuer heard any thyng vttered more blockish The matter shal be made manifest by the same example of Dauid which your selfe do alledge Dauid beyng a Patriarche a Kyng and a Prophet and a maÌ„ accordyng to Gods hart to vse the wordes of the Scripture was notwithstandyng continunually exercized in this kynde of Confession whiche is betwixt God onely vs in whom there is such store of sorowyng sighyng lamentyng weépyng afflictyng and bewayling as the like hath neuer bene in all your seâ—â—et whisperyngs no not sith the first whelpyng of the same For 〈◊〉 els is there in all that heauenly golden Psalmes of Dauids pâ—ayer then a mournefull and lamentable confession of sinne ioyned with hartie repentaunce sure hope of pardon Be mercyfull to me O Lord sayth hee accordyng to thy manifold mercies wash me throughly froÌ„ my wickednes and clense me froÌ„ my sinnes for I do acknowledgâ— my faultes and my sinne is â—â—er before me Agaynst thee onely haue I sâ—â—ed and done wickedly in thy sight Loe here a true and souÌ„de forme of CoÌ„fession fully described in Dauid whoÌ„ you haue alledged In this coÌ„fession we do exercize our selues In this we remaine in this we do dwell We do also poure out publicke Confessions of sinnes in our Churhes where the godly Minister is harkened vnto which may minister an wholesome plaister to our wounded consciences some sentence 〈◊〉 of the authoritie of the Scriptures These be the keyes wherewith he doth opeÌ„ the kyngdome of God to theÌ„ which do vnfaynedly repent pronounceth vs that are bouÌ„de with the chaines of our sinnes freély loosed and deliuered from them in the name of our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ. These Confessions as well priuate as publicke these keyes this power of byndyng loosing we doe acknowledge appointed by the Scriptures and practized in the tyme of the Apostles Neither was any thyng done with Iohn in a corner touchyng Confession nor yet with the Disciples of Christ. This matter was referred and ended also to and before God wherof we haue a most manifest example in the Gospell which ought not onely enter the eares but also pearce the very hartes of all well disposed persons When the lost and prodigall sonne had riotously consumed and wasted all his substaunce in so much that he was driuen to eate Peascoddes with hogges he begynneth at the last to call him selfe home and earnestly to deuise how he might be reconciled to his father herein he prayeth no ayde of any Leuite nor sittyng in a
reposed in them the Apostles meanyng was to aduertize them that they should ascribe true righteousnes to those outward Ceremonies shadowes and cleansinges What a iest is this as though the Iewes did settle their cōfidence in the Ceremonies onely and did not much more rather glory in their Race in their Parentage in their worshippyng and callyng vpon God in their Prophetes in Gods promises in the deédes and workes of holynes Furthermore whereas this Epistle was not written to the Iewes but to the Romaines what aunswere will Osorius make here Were the Romaines also instructed to the obseruation of those Ceremonies or did they rest so much vpon them that it behooued the Apostle of necessitie to forewarne them in his letters written vnto them But what better weapon shall I vse in this conflict agaynst Osorius then one taken out of his owne armory for thus he speaketh If the Apostle had first praysed the Iewes for their vertues and good deedes and afterwardes had sayd that those vertues and good deedes were of no valew towardes the purchasing of righteousnes and then at last had concluded that they could not haue bene Iustified through the workes of the lawe then the matter had bene cleare that Paule had not excluded the Ceremoniall law onely but the Morall law also frō righteousnes Marke well gentle Reader and note aduizedly what hee speaketh If Paul had first praysed the workes of the Iewes afterwardes had derogated Iustification from these workes c. Uery well and what if out of the same Nation I doe name some men whose singular integritie of lyfe and study of righteousnesse Paule could by no meanes reproue yea whose godly endeuour vpright dealyng procured them no droppe of righteousnes notwithstandyng what will this Sophister say then And first of all let vs behold the workes of that most holy Patriarche Abraham who for his inestimable godlynesse can neuer be condignely enough commended of any of vs. And yet will ye heare Osorius the testimonie of the Apostle touchyng the same Patriarche What shall we say sayth hee that our Father Abraham did finde accordyng to the flesh For if Abraham were Iustified through workes he hath wherein he may glory but not in the sight of God Rom. 4. What then did he not obteine of God to bee called righteous Yes veryly but let vs seé by what meanes not through workes sayth the Apostle but by the commendation of his fayth which onely maketh vs appeare worthy in the sight of God For Abraham beleued God and it was Imputed vnto him for righteousnesse It is manifest therefore that he was accoumpted righteous but by what meanes forsooth not simply nor in respect of his workes but by way of Imputation onely Now what soeuer commeth of Imputation proceédeth from meére mercy of him that Imputeth and is not geuen in reward after the proportion of duetie or of dette For no man Imputeth that to an other that is duely owyng vnto him Now let vs here the testimonies of the Scriptures cōcernyng that whiche was Imputed Not bycause hee did the thynges which he was commaunded albeit he did many thynges wonderfully well but bycause he beleued God this was sayd to be Imputed vnto him for righteousnesse And why was not righteousnesse imputed vnto him aswell in those respectes bycause he did sacrifice vnto God Bycause he forsooke his natiue countrey Bycause hee offred his onely sonne to be slayne Neither doth the Apostle ouerskippe or conceale those causes especially bycause that he which was the Parente of the Posteritie the same also should be the Authour of the doctrine For why this was written sayth Paule videl That it was Imputed vnto him for righteousnesse not for his sake onely but for vs also to whom it shall likewise bee Imputed that beleue in him which raysed our Lord Iesus from death to life c. Rome 4. And thus much concerning Abrahā who though alone may suffice in place of all others so that we neéde none other example yet let vs ioyne to this holy Patriarche as holy a Kyng Dauid with Abraham both beyng deare vnto God both equally endued with like excellent ornamētes of godlynesse and vertue Whereof the one as he had nothyng whereupon to glory before God so the other did so disclayme altogether from righteousnesse that he besought nothyng more carefully of God in his prayers Then that hee would not enter into Iudgement with his seruaunt And rendreth a Reason of his most earnest prayer Bycause all flesh shall not be Iustified in thy sight And what other thyng is meant by this then that which Paule affirmeth in the selfe same wordes almost That no man is Iustified by the workes of the law Goe to then And where are now those wonderfull fruites of workes Where is that glorious shewe of righteousnesse Finally where shall Osorius him selfe appeare with all his cleannes good disposition temperaunce of mynde singular humanitie lenitie patience chastitie vnfayned charitie and with that absolute huge Chaos of bountyfull vertues so vnseparably vnited and linked together as it were chayned fast with yron ropes When as Dauid so great a Kyng and Prophet a most choyse vessell accordyng to Gods owne hart dare not presume to offer him selfe to Iudgement when as Iob a man commended of God for his singlenesse of hart and approued holynesse beyng asked a question of God durst not aunswere one word It will not be Impertinēt to the matter if we speake somewhat here of Paule him selfe Whose conuersation whiche he led vnblameable beyng as yet a Pharisie Tertullus him selfe could not charge with any fault The same beyng afterwardes engraffed into Christ liued in that vprightenesse of conscience that Osorius cā not iustly reprehende him as worthy of crime And yet all those so great and so many ornaments of holynesse did so nothyng auayle him to righteousnesse that hee him selfe accompted them for drosse Wherefore consider here with me Christian Reader a good felowshyp how much difference is betwixt Osorius and Paule where as the same workes whiche Osorius doth with so glorious pompe of eloquēt wordes garnishe so gorgiously Paule in playne termes doth compare thē to durtie drosse and filthy dounge whereby he may be found in Christ not to haue any his owne righteousnesse by the operatiō of the law but that onely righteousnesse grounded vpon fayth which is through the fayth of Christ. c. Cornelius of whom mention is made in the Actes of the Apostles was a holy man and feared God together which his whole houshold dealyng much almes to the poore and makyng continuall intercessions to almighty God This was a great and glorious commendation truely of excellent godlynesse which no sensible mā would say ought to be referred to the Ceremoniall law but to the Morall law rather And yet the selfe same Cornelius beyng neuer so notable for his commendable bertues vnlesse by the aduertizement of the Aungell had sent for Peter
made free for all estates In deéde this may happely chaunce amoÌ„gest some persons for what caÌ„ be so well spoken at any tyme or so circumsplectly handled but that the malice of the wicked will take thereof euill occasion to wrest to their filthy lust So in the tyme of Paules preachyng there wanted not peruerse people which in like maner tooke occasion to slaunder his doctrine with his owne wordes videl Let vs doe euill that good may come thereof There were also some whiche were not ashamed to say that Paule did destroy the law did geue to much scope to libertie Of that kynde of people Peter doth coÌ„playne which with sinister deuises practized to wrest Paules writyngs crookedly to their own confusioÌ„ Shall not good men therfore frequent his Epistles Euen by the same Reason Osorius let not flowers grow in the spryng tyde bycause the Spyder doth aswell sucke poyson out of them as the Beés matter to make theyr honnycombe But if so bee that when good men doe geue vertuous and necessary exhortation of those thynges whiche they do thinke worthy to be embraced accordyng to their duety and profession of their fayth wicked men in the meane space starte vp betwene whiche will abuse the same good thynges to their owne destruction is this the fault of the teacher or rather the fallax of the accident as Logicians do terme it Many persons say you do take occasion of wicked confidence and vnpunishable libertie through that new Gospell of Luther But many on the contrary part do receaue froÌ„ the same very comfortable consolation and finde them selues thereby to be much more pricked foreward to pursue godlynesse with more carefulnesse If Luther teach the truth shall not his doctrine therfore be published bycause wicked men doe abuse it But if you thinke his Assertions to be erronious Why do not you O Thales I pray you vouchsafe to prescribe as becommeth the fulnesse of your wisedome some pretie rules of sounder doctrine whereunto Luther might more safely haue directed his opinions I beleue that he should by your aduise haue associated him selfe with the Schoolemen and Monckes and with that sacred InquisitioÌ„ of Spayne and vsed these kyndes of speaches videl That the kyngdome of heauen is a due reward for our good workes if it were not we should otherwise be vncerteine thereof Bycause that which is of duetie is most assured but that proceédeth from mercy is vncerteine Or els ye will require perhappes that he should teach vs as your Hosius doth preach who doth affirme that euerlastyng Saluation is obteyned by deseruinges proceédyng from the grace of God Or els as our Osorius doth Who calleth faith onely to be onely rashnesse boldly pronounceth that all the meanes and worthynesse of our Saluation consisteth in righteousnesse not that righteousnesse whiche we receaue by imputation from Christ through fayth but that same which euery maÌ„ maketh peculiar to him selfe by his owne purchase through workes Or els as the Schoolemen of your old Gospell do professe who bablyng very much about Iustification haue decreéd at the length that it must be taken two maner of wayes one way which is obteyned before any workes be done through grace geuen freély as they say as in Infantes beyng Regenerated by Baptisme The other in elder yeares through great store and perfectioÌ„ of workes That is to say through the resistyng of the froath enticementes of sinne dayly subduyng therof which they call in their phrase of speach Grace making acceptable or acceptyng Grace And although good workes doe not bryng to passe that first Iustification yet they do geue the second maner of Iustifieng the grace of God workyng together with the same which doth minister strength sufficient as well to worke stoutly as to striue agaynst the very stynges and prickes of the flesh effectually so that it may not onely be possible to lyue cleare froÌ„ deadly sinne but also to atteine to be Iustified peâ— Congruum Condignum You knowe well enough these fayre flowers Osorius if I be not deceaued and glorious speculatioÌ„s of your old Diuinitie Whiche how agreably seéme to accorde with your old Gospell I know not Sure I am that Christ neuer knew this Gospell the Apostles neuer taught it nor the EuaÌ„gelistes no nor the approued auncient Catholicke Fathers had euer any smatche thereof Nay rather Christ Paule the Apostles and EuaÌ„gelistes and auncient Doctours of the Church when soeuer they treated of Saluation and of lyfe euerlastyng do endeuour nothyng more seriously theÌ„ that seueryng our workes from the cause of Iustification altogether they might dispoyle vs wholy of Confidence of our owne sauetie and so referre vs ouer to the onely mercy of God who onely geueth the kyngdome of heauen not for any our deseruynges but for his promise sake onely But we haue sayd enough herein Let vs now proceéde to other cauillatioÌ„s of this troublesome trifler though it be somewhat greéuous and as neare as we may if we caÌ„ not all yet let vs briefly and orderly cut of the toppes of them There is no man that will geue him selfe to any good workes if he haue once heard Luther for his Schoolemaister c. Whereas Luther doth not take vpon him the person of a Schoolemaister nor hath challenged to him selfe the dignitie of high deske nor euer taught any Schooles of new factioÌ„s nor euer lead any trayne of Scholers but amoÌ„gest other Christians followed alwayes Christ the common Schoolemaister And was neuer knowen to haue vttered any other doctrine theÌ„ that whiche he receaued of Christ what should moue this quarellsome Docâ—or to reproch him with this enuious title of maister Many good and vertuous men haue heard Luthers preachyng but no man as I suppose acknowledged him for his Maister For that neéded not for through all Christendome in Uniuersities and common Schooles are whole droues of Maisters scattered abroad as though they dropped out of the Troiane horse Whom we doe heare also wheÌ„ they teach what they teach I will not here stand to discusse nor I make any estimate thereof The Christians did sometymes heare the Scribes and Phariseés teachyng in Moyses chayre neither doth the Apostle forbyd vs But that may take a tast of all doctrines but pet so tast them as we hold fast nothyng but that which is good If Luther teach any doctrine of his owne imaginatioÌ„ him selfe refuseth to be beleued therin but if the teach the doctrine of Christ and those thynges which he hath sucked out of the sweéte iuyce of Christes Gospell I beseeche you Syr doth he therfore professe him selfe a Maister to Scholers or a Scholer rather to his Maister Christ And therfore this scornefull title of schoolemaister wherewith ye reproche him is a scoffe more fitte for a common Rufâ—ian then a Deuine surely altogether vncomely and vnseémely for a Byshop But whereas ye pronounce that Luthers Auditory haue not geuen them selues to
but by the Mediatour the Sonne through whom righteousnesse is Imputed not purchased by workes neither to him that worketh saith hee but to him that beleeueth in Christ that Iustifieth the wicked And yet you seémyng not to bee so much as acquainted with this righteousnes by Imputation as that ye dare not once name this worde Imputation doe notwithstandyng stand so much in your owne conceite as though Christ at his commyng should finde all fayth in Osorius but no fayth at all in Luther If a man might be so bold with you it were no vneasie matter to pike out diuers other sentences out of Scripture whiche would quickly cracke the credite of your fayth As where the Apostle writyng vnto Timothe doth so manifestly Prophecie That it should come come to passe before the end of the world That many should departe from the faith beleeuing lyeng Spirites and doctrines of Deuilles forbidding Marriadge and the eating of meates which the Lord hath prepared to be receaued with thankes geuing These doctrines of Deuils for as much as the lying spirite of Osorius doth so stoutely mainteine bende all his force to vphold in this latter age of the world as besides him no man more obstinately what may be thoughe els but that either he is departed from the fayth or that the Apostle is an open lyar Agayne Where the same Apostle writeth touchyng Antichrist paintyng him out in his colours as it were so liuely expressing him to the apparasit view of the world his Throne his wickednesse his iuggling his lyes his pride his immesurable arrogancie vauntyng him selfe beyond all hautynesse of mans Nature What may a man Iudge of these sentences the meanyng of the whiche can by no meanes possible be applyed to any thyng els thē to the Romish Sée 2. Thess. 2. Agayne in the Reuelatiō of S. Iohn where the same Antichrist is set in open stage hauing the shape and countenaunce of a meeke Lambe whiche vnder the visour of false hornes should resemble the true Lambe and restore the Image of the wounded beast to lyfe and speache Whiche place of Scripture bycause can not be wrested any other wayes then to that Romishe Ierarchie whiche bendyng to ruine at the first was restored by that great Archeprelate of Rome yet in this most apparaunt Text of Scripture if Osorius faith he demaūded whether it may be applyable to the Bishop of Rome we shall finde him as farre dissentyng from the purpose of this Prophecie as if he were demaunded the way to Canterbury he might aunswere a poake full of Plummes We haue hitherto sufficiently enough declared I suppose that Osorius for all his bragges is voyde of all ayde to defende his Fayth And so for this tyme I will commit the cēfure of those gay workes which flowe so plentyfully out of that glorious Fayth to that Iudge which shall display the hidden corners of darkenesse and to the consideration of them who by the view of his bookes haue skill to discerne a Lyon by his pawes or rather an Asse by his lolieeares Now remayneth at length to discouer briefly that which he barketh agaynst Luthers fayth Now let vs see Luthers fayth sayth hee whether it can bryng forth any liuely fruite It cā not by any meanes c. Lye on yet more a Gods name First of all bycause hee teacheth that all workes appeare they neuer so godly are desiled with sinne Nay rather but that you were by nature of so corrupt a Iudgement that ye can not frame your selfe so much as to speake the truth you would neuer haue patched this lye amōgest the ragges of your leasings Luthers disputation cōcerning faith good workes tendeth to nothyng els but that which the Scriptures euery where the sacred spirite of truth and S. Paule inspired with the holy Ghost doe by all meanes and reasons confirme which we all ought of very duetie to embrace For Luther endeuouryng to make euidēt the doctrine of Iustification comparyng our good workes with the lawe of God is enforced to confesse the very truth of the matter that is to say That there is nothing so holy in workes but beyng of it owne nature in some respect vncleane and defiled must néedes be vnsauorie in the sight of God if without Christ it bee racked with exact scrutyne of Gods seuere Iudgement And hereof quarell is pyked forthwith agaynst Luther as though he should affirme that whatsoeuer workes the very regenerated engraffed in Christ them selues did worke were nothyng els but méere sinnes and wickednesse And bycause he doth abbridge good workes in that part onely wherein they be falsely adiudged to be of valew to Iustifie before God Osorius doth argue agaynst him in this wise as though he did vtterly roote out of mans lyfe all Ciuill and Morall vertues and vertuous conuersation Wherein a mā can not easilye determine whether he doth shewe him selfe more iniurious to Luther or bewray rather his owne blockish grosenesse No man euer taught more soundly no man more highly commended good workes then Luther did beyng separated a part from the doctrine of Iustification And whereas he doth extenuate the force of workes in the treatize of Iustification he doth not therein so altogether derogate from workes as rather frendly aduertize them whiche through vayne Confidence of workes doe challenge to them selues righteousnesse in the sight of God and do depende so much vpon the deseruynges of workes as though there were none other foūteine from whence our Saluation might be deriued Luther therfore vsing Argumēt agaynst those persons doth boldly auow that all our workes are defiled yet not simply but in respect of their application beyng considered without the fayth of the Mediatour Whiche beyng most truely spoken by Luther is as sinisterly wrested by Osorius as though he had spoken it simply that there is no good or commendable thyng in workes nothyng in them acceptable to God though neuer so duetyfully or vertuously performed And for this cause hee concludeth at last as with an vnuanquishable Argument That by no meanes possible Luthers fayth could bryng forth any frutefull workes like as that barren figge tree growyng neare vnto the high way whereupon grewe nothyng but leaues But this is Osorius his owne conclusion not Luthers a Sophisticall cauill concludyng falsely If S. Paule doubted nothing at all to esteeme all thinges sinnefull which were done without faith Rom. 4. If it were lawfull for Augustine to write in this wise Thy workes are examined sayth he and are foūde all defiled Why doth he rage so furiously agaynst Luther bycause he doth professe that the déedes which we call good are in none other respect to be daémed for good thē as they bee valued by the fayth of the Mediatour The consideration of this doctrine as is of it selfe most assured so doth it not tende to that end that Osorius imagineth to discourage godly myndes from vertuous endeuour Rather well disposed
Furthermore who be holy vnblameable before God Euen those truly which are voyde of all crime but accordyng to Luthers doctrine you can not bee voyde of crime for hee denyeth that sinne is extinguished and affirmeth that the flames of all abomination do broyle out therof as out of a whotte flamyng Ouē scorching and cōsumyng all things by meanes whereof no man can bee founde vnblameable without spotte The sutteltie of this Sophisticall cauill tendeth at the last to this end God hath chosen vs sayth the Apostle that we should become holy and vnblameable But according to Luthers doctrine no man can be holy and without fault in this lyfe Therfore hereof ensueth an vnauoydeable conclusion Bycause no man liuyng is cleare frō offence therfore neither Haddon nor any of all the Lutheranes can be reckoned amongest Gods Elect. Packe ye hence therefore as banished outlawes all ye vyle Lutheranes packe ye hence with all your torne ragged workes into the helles of Osorius damnable curse For the gate of Election is not opened to any but vnto Popes Osorians Phigianes Hosianes Eckyans and others the like Lordynges in whose most pure and choise behauiour no droppe of filth can be founde worthy of Reproch If Osorius him selfe had not bene so shamelesse beastly as to blaze abroad this trifling Argumēt it would haue loathed me to haue rehearsed the same in this place nor would I vouchsaued any aunswere thereto but that I thought good to geue the Reader a tast of his blockishe ignoraunce that he might smile at it a whiles or at the least learne by this to esteéme of all other his poppet reasons almost in all his booke for scarsely any founder matter is scattered in any part thereof FIrst of all The Apostle both teache that we are elected and chosen that we should become holy This is true Whereby you may perceaue Osorius that whatsoeuer holynes we be endued withall doth neither goe before nor accompany election but that it ought to follow altogether not in order of tyme onely but in respect of the end and effect thereof For the Apostle doth not say GOD hath chosen vs bycause we were holy or should afterwardes proue holy but that we should become holy so that Gods Electiō is now the cause not the effect of our good workes And if good workes do follow Electiō in order of time I seé no cause to the contrary but by the same reason our Iustification should likewise necessaryly follow For as much as the consideration of them both is all one For whom hath chosen the same he hath Iustified and with the same grace that he hath chosen vs hee is sayd also to haue Iustified vs by one selfe same meane and to one selfe same ende For God hath chosen vs if ye aske here the cause of his freé mercy accordyng to the good pleasure of his will if ye seéke the meane In Christ Iesu If ye looke for the ende to worke good deédes not for the good deédes sake not for any our deseruinges but to the prayse of the glory of his grace Truly none otherwise fareth it in the matter of Iustification For whom God of his freé mercy hath chosen the same also he hath freély Iustified not by any other meanes then in Christ Iesu not bycause he foresawe that we would be holy but to that ende that we should walke circumspectly and holyly in his sight But what emporteth this saying that we should become holy and vnblameable paraduenture Osorius bee of the opinion that the Catharres Celestines and Donatifies were imaginyng that herein our full and absolute regeneration of our renewed nature was signified vnto vs and that we should accomplish such a kynde of thyng as the Grecians do call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the which Gods Election and our Iustification could not by any meanes consist Ueryly I could wishe withall my hart that we all could direct the course of our lyfe in such sort accordyng to this Puritanisme of Osorius And that we were all endued with such integritie and Angelicke innocēcie that no part of our life might be defiled with blemish or iust reprehension But what shall we say Such is the condition of mans life such is the weakenesse of the fleshe that euery man hath his infirmitie And we haue not as yet so put of the Nature of man altogether that we should bee forthwith transformed into Angels Goe to then what if it come to passe that in this brickle estate of our frayltie any of vs doe folter and falldowne are we therfore excluded forthwith from our Electiō or haue we by and by lost the benefite of our Iustification I doe not thinke so Osorius For in what sence shall the Electiō of God he sayd to be permanent if it may be cut of and haue an ende or how shall it be called stedfast and assured if it hange vpon the vncerteintie of our frayltie But do not the true elect say you fall at any tyme into deserued rebuke what thē shall euery one that is worthy rebuke be forthwith cast of frō his Electiō A good felowshyp Osorius What if this fall happē before Baptisme You will say that Baptisme doth washe it cleane away What and shall not fayth and Christian Repentaunce clense our offences after Baptisme likewise If there be no forgeuenes of those Trespasses which we Christians doe commit after Baptisme To what ende is that Article in our Christian Creéde wherein we cōfesse remission of Sinnes If no offence be made to what purpose serueth Pardon Surely where nothyng is blame-worthy their Pardon may goe play Let vs seé now will you now dispoyle vs of an Article of our fayth and withall bereue vs of hope of remission that erste bosted so boldly of your strong belief in the wordes of Christ But you say God did chuse vs that we should be vnblameable I do heare you Osorius allow your Obiection if you will likewise accept of myne aunswere Whatsoeuer is forgeuen to the guiltie by Pardon and purged by forgettyng and forgeuyng there is nothyng remaynyng to terrifie that person from Imputatiō or make dismayed for any controllement For that we may so bold to glory as Paule doth What is he that shall accuse the elect of God God is he that doth Iustifie who shall then condemne vs We may lawfully adde hereunto Who shall comptroll vs You seé therfore in what wise Gods elect doe appeare now excusable and righteous not so much through the cleannesse of their deédes as through the bountie of him that Imputeth Not from the begynnyng of vnrighteous nature to speake Augustines own wordes but by conuersion from sinne to righteousnes nothyng blame-worthy but bycause it doth not please the Fatherly clemēcie to exact sharpe and narrow triall of them whom he hath chosen in his Sonne And therefore the Apostle notyng the same thyng sayth Whom he hath chosen in Christ Iesu that they should become holy and
worke Nay rather let them vnderstand if they be the children of God that they are made plyable by Gods Spirite to doe the thynges that ought to be done and when they haue done so to yeld thankes to him by whom they were made to do so For they are made plyable bycause they should do something not bycause they should do nothing c. Which saying doth make euident vnto vs that eche of these two are to be founde in Freewill both that it is made to do when it doth well and agayne that it selfe also doth when it is made to do So that herein is no contrarietie at all but that it may both demeane it selfe by suffering and also by doing and to aunswere for Luther with Luthers owne wordes to witte after diuers and seuerall sortes and after the common phrase of speach in diuers and seuerall respectes For in respect of the worke it selfe whenas will occupyeth the place of an Instrument or toole it both doth is made to do euen as other tooles do in any matter whereunto they are applyed But if you haue relation to the efficient cause or workeman to whose vse it serueth in steéde of a toole in this respect the will of man demeaneth it selfe altogether sufferyngly as the which in respect of procuryng of Gods Grace from whence issueth all motion of good will it worketh nothyng at all but simply obeyeth suffereth For in any good worke what is mans will elles then an instrument of the holy Ghost voluntary in deéde bycause it is moued whether soeuer it is moued of her owne accord yet is it an instrument notwithstandyng bycause of thynges well done it is neither the cause it selfe nor any sparcke of the cause in respect of the worker but a seruaunt rather and a handmayde onely whose seruice the Spirite of God being the worker doth apply to do these things which it pleaseth him to haue to be done in vs for the accomplishyng wherof it ministreth no helpe at all as of her selfe But the Papisticall generation can not disgest this by any meanes to whom sufficeth not that Freewill shal be taken as an instrument or as it were a workeshoppe onely vnlesse it beare as great a stroke or rather with Gods Spirite workyng together with it nor doe they thinke it sufficient that the whole action of our Election and regeneration bee ascribed to the onely freé mercy of God vnlesse we also as felow workemē be coadiutours of this worke together with God For euen the same doe Osorius wordes emporte manifestly which folow in this wise Do ye not therefore perceaue sayth he by Paules owne wordes that Freewill is approued by his authoritie which Luther doth practise to ouerthrowe For to what ende would he haue called vs fellow workers with God if none of vs did further the worke that GOD worketh in vs to what purpose would he haue admonished vs to worke our owne Saluation if to do it were not in our owne power We are together Gods labourers as Paule reporteth 1. Corinth 3. Where I know that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie together labourers But what is this at the length to the purpose doe you not here playnly put the old Prouerbe in practize to witte I aske you for Garlicke and you offer me Oynyones I desire to borrow sickles and you lyke a churlishe neighbour deny that you haue any Mattockes How carefull the Apostles were in plantyng the doctrine of the Gospell we are not ignoraunt nor do deny And it is not to be doubted that Gods prouidence vsed them as most choyse instrumentes to addresse and husband his Uynearde yea and that not without singular profite But we make no enquiry here as now how much mans industry did bryng to passe by the outward preachyng of the word or whom it profited most but the question is here touchyng the fruite of inward cōuersion whether Freewill of her selfe do worke or not worke any furtheraunce towardes the embracyng of fayth towardes repentaūce towardes spirituall righteousnes towards attainement of Saluation and towardes the regeneration of lyfe So that the state of the question be now to witte Whether mās mynde and will beyng of the selfe same nature that it was when we were first borne be endued with any actuall or effectuall power able to worke together with Gods holy Spirite towardes the begynnyng of our conuersion and entryng into our godly consideration of good purposes and actions of inward obedience Wherein many writers doe vary in Iudgement and opinion yea that not a litle But Osorius propositiō alledged here of the Apostles together workers maketh nothyng to the purpose nor auayleth to the maintenaunce of Freewill a rushe For to admit that the Apostles were together workers with God yet that those same together workemē should be hypred to worke in this Uyneard and sent abroad into the Lordes haruest proceéded not of their owne voluntary motion or Freewill but of the freé Election and callyng of God onely Agayne this their Ministery as farre forth as concerneth their own persons euen then when they laboured most earnestly was extended no further then to the outward preachyng dispensation of the word for as touchyng the inward conuersion of the hearers nourishment of their fayth this was the onely worke of the holy Ghost and not of the Apostles Paule did plante Apollo did water But what doth this helpe to Freewill when as neither he that plāteth nor he that watereth are any thing at all but God onely who geueth the encrease And what is the reason then why they are sayd to bee nothyng Is it bycause he that plāteth and he that watereth and he that ploweth doth nothyng at all was Paule nothyng or did he not worke at all who beyng continually trauailyng is reported to haue laboured more then all the rest or shall we say that the rest of the Apostles did nothyng which did employ not their trauaile onely but shedd their bloud also in furtheryng the worke of the Gospell Yeas veryly wonderfull much if you respect the outward Ministery of Preachyng the word and their function But we doe enquyre of the inward operation of conuersion and the renewyng of the myndes which is the onely worke of God not of Freewill nor of mans outward endeuour Godly Preachers in deéde doe pearce into the eares of men with outward voyce set downe before them the wordes of fayth and truth And yet thus to do springeth not of their own Freewill but from the freé callyng of God whereby they are lead to do the same but to beleue the doctrine inwardly to become faithful hearers of the wholesome word is the onely worke of the holy Ghost who by secret inspiration doth dispose the myndes doth renew the hartes doth inspire with fayth finally of unwillyng doth make willyng so that here is no place left now for Freewill to challēge but that he onely possesse
the Apostles doctrine ye may now at the last I warrant you learne of this Portingall Thales the pure and sincere Interpretation of Paules discourse touching the Predestination of the Gentiles and the reiection of the Iewes whereof he debateth in all those his three Chapters 9.10.11 The vnderstanding whereof because neyther Luther himselfe nor any of all the rest of Luthers Schoole were able to conceaue it is good reason that we not onely attentiuely harken vnto but also without controlement beleue this new pyked caruer not of sentences onely but a planer of wordes also whiles he do lay open before our eyes the very naturall meanyng of that place to be sensibly felt euen to the vttermost tittle thereof And for as much as there be two thinges chiefly handled by Paule in these three chapters First wherein he reioyseth with the Gentiles for that their calling and most prosperous knowledge of the light of the Gospell Secōdarily wherein he lamenteth the lamentable fall of the Iewes their most sorowfull blindenes and taking occasiō hereupon doth forth with enter into a discourse of fayth and the infallible certeintye of Gods promises For whereas that blessednes was promised to the posterity of Abraham here might some scrupule haue troubled his minde as there wanted not of the Iewes some that pyked hereout matter to cauill vpon as though God had broken the promise that he once had made as one that hauing obliged hymselfe before with so many couenauntes and promises to this generation did now contrary to his othe cast them of and despise them S. Paule valiauntly impugning the disorderous reproches and cauillations of these with sondry forcible reasons doth fortifie this his defence with iiij Argumētes chiefly First that this promise of the blessing was made in deede to Abraham and Israell and to their posteritie but this promise in as much as is spiritually to be taken did not so restrayne it selfe onely to that externall Family alone after the kinred of the fleshe as that it noted not vnder the same fellowshyppe and kinred of Israell the Gentiles also such especially as were endued with like sincerity of fayth He addeth furthermore that albeit the same promise did concerne those Gentiles chiefly which ioyned themselues to Christ yet the same was not so wholy translated to the Gentiles the Iewes beyng forsakē but that a great portiō of these also remnaunts as it were of that lamētable shipwracke beyng preserued should be partakers of the same promise and blessednes together with the Gentiles In the third place that it came to passe through their own villany vnbelief not of any inconstancie on Gods behalfe that this promise of God did so much fayle them but that they did exclude themselues rather from the benefite of Gods promise Lastly that neyther this reiection shoulde continue so for euer but that it should once come to passe as the Apostle prophecieth that the fulnes of the Gentiles beyng accomplished the whole nation of the Israelites recouering at the length the former grace of their auncient promise shoulde be restored agayne to the benefite of their former blessing Uerily I do confesse that this interpretation of Osorius is not altogether amisse wherein I seé nothing yet false or newly deuised moreouer nothing spoken of here that hath not long sithence bene spoken yea and with a farre more playne lightsomnesse by our expositors for we beyng long agoe sufficienly enstructed in Paules schoole haue vnderstood well inough without Osorius schooling the that promise was peculiar to the seede of Israell beyng the children of promise and not to the Children after the flesh Moreouer neither are we ignorant hereof that that blindenes happened not to all Israell but in part onely not of any inconstancy on Gods behalfe but that they fell themselues from true righteousnes by their owne default as people following the righteousnesse whiche came not by fayth but flattering themselues in obseruing the workes of the lawe Furthermore that whiche Thapostle doth prophecie shall come to passe concerning the restoring agayne of that whole nation at the length as we all hartily wish for so no man I suppose is so blockishe but doth vnderstand sufficiently all whatsoeuer Paule hath spoken of this matter by his owne writing though Osorius did neuer interprete it And agayne touching the examples of Isaac and Iacob set downe by Paule whom Gods election would should be preferred before their brethren though elder in birth in the deuision of the Fathers patrimonye We are neither ignoraunt nor forgetfull thereof whereupon we do nothing disagreé frō Osorius in conceauing the same thing vnder the types and figures of those persons and doe professe in as many wordes that neyther the prerogatiue of kinred nor workes nor yet the lawe but that Gods election calling and grace doth make the true Israelites Forasmuch therefore as our expositours in all these poynts of doctrine haue nothing at all hitherto swarued from the truth of Paules doctrine or your interpretation what corrupt exposition is that at the length of these our Interpretours wherewith you are so much offended forsooth say you because they doe not sufficiently enough conceaue the very ende whereunto Paule did referre those argumentes Goe to then sith you prouoke vs hereunto Let vs first seé what argumentes those be of Paule then to what ende they be applied Because the Iewes did challenge to thēselues a title of righteousnes through the obseruaunce of the law which neuerthelesse they did not obserue in very deéde partely because swelling w e pryde for the Nobilitie of their race they did promise vnto thēselues a certaine peculiar election with God before all other nations Paule entending to treate very sharply agaynst the insolent arrogancie of them doth argue agaynst thē with most forcible argumentes taken out of holy Scriptures namely That the substance of Gods election neither did hang vpon the works of the Law neyther vpon the roialtie of race not yet vpon auncient of parentage but did depend vpon the onely freemercy of Gods compassion and Fayth of the Gospell And to make the same appeare more euidently he putteth foorth vnto them the example of Isaac and Ismaell whereof the one though by byrth were yonger yet obtained through grace to be the first and was thereby aduaunced to the dignity of inheritaunce where as they both were generall issues of one and the same father Abraham though they had not both one mother And to auoyde the daūger of scrupule that might ensue by reason of the two mothers hee doth yet confirme the same with a more notable exāple Namely the example of the two brothers that were twinnes Iacob and Esau who issuing of one Father of one mother and one birth and before they had done any thing good or euill God did translate the honour of birthright and blessing to the yonger to beare rule ouer the elder And whereof came this but from the freé
the people to be taught on this wise rather That God of hys goodnes and mercye would haue all men to be saued And that the cause why all are not saued is for that all will not receaue the grace indifferently offered vnto them And this maner of teaching they do suppose to be sound On the contrary that the other doctrine of predestinatiō doth take cleane away all force vse of wholesome preachinges exhortations and disciplines c. If we onely eyther were alone or were the first that were vrged with these slaunders and cauillationes there were lesse cause to wōder at the wickednes of this our age But I do seé now no new thinge here neuer spoken of before nor any other thinge but such as many notable learned men haue bene sundry tymes combred withall long sithence Emongest whom cōmeth first to hand Augustine whom beyng occupyed in thys cause sometyme the Pelagianes but most of all the Massilianes did molest much with the very same obiectiones as appeareth playnely by the transcript of Prosper and Hillary their letters to Augustine euen the which obiections our deuines are now a dayes pressed withall which if were true then might he seeme to haue vndertaken this quarrell not rashly nor altogether in vayne as our men haue done also But let vs aunswere to their complayntes Such as are appoynted teachers in the congregation of God if they should beate into the grosse eares of the rude multitude this part of doctrine which treateth of the secrett predestination of God so nakedly and barren of it selfe as not doyng ought els nor respecting any other thing ne yet applying wtall any wholesome exhortations and allurementes to vertue shold stirre and prouoke none to vertues endeuour honest carefulnes and godly lyfe these reasons might carry some showe of truth perhapps But this matter ought to haue bene foreseene Osor. how these preachers behaue thēselues what they preach how in what maner and to what end they do lay this doctrine open before the people before you should haue burst out into those cruell accusacions and slaunderous reproches If some yoūglings peraduenture may be found not so modestly and soberly to demeane themselues as may beseeme them allured either through delight of noueltie or caryed thereunto through lightnes of witte or to braue out their knowledge and learning it is not conuenient that the lowse and vncircumspect dealing of some particuler persons should be preiudiciall to the truth of the doctrine Godly and modest wittes surely as they conceaue the true reason of this doctrine so doe they Iudge it no lesse necessary to be applyed to the end they may pluck downe that pernicious opinion of yours treating of merites of confidence in workes and of doughtfulnes of Saluation For the ouerthrow whereof what more necessary doctrine to edifie the congregacion withall may be applyed in the Church of Christians And therfore to conclude briefly For asmuch as all the doctrine of Predestination doth tend to this ende chiefly that men may be forewarned not to trust to much to their owne strength but to repose all their hope and affiaunce in God It is vntrue that you do obiect That the doctrine of predestination doth perswade rather to desperation then to godly lyfe For what is this els as Augustine sayth then as that you should say that men do then dispayre of their owne safety when they beginne to learne to repose their hope and affiaunce in God and not in themselues in any wise c Whosoeuer therefore shall instruct the ignoraunt people in the true doctrine of predestination of the holy ones discretly and modestly and in due season when case so requireth and shall ioyne withall godly and wholesome exhortations the same shall he do profitably enough without anye inconuenience seeing that the preaching of both may be well coupled and agree together according to the testimony of Augustine who affirmeth that neyther the preaching of fayth profiting in godly fruits ought to be hindered by the preaching of predestination that they which are taught may learue how to obey And agayne that the preachīg of Predestinatiō ought not to be hindered by the preaching of fayth profiting in godly fruites that they which obey may know in whom they ought to reioyce not in thoir owne obedience but in him of whom it is written he that doth reioyce let him reioyce in the Lord. Will you vnderstand Osorius how the coupling of these too doctrines is not preiudiciall to the preaching of the one to the other Paule the Apostle of the Gentills did many tymes sette forth the doctrine of predestination to the Rom. Ephe. Timot. The same did Luke in the Actes of the Apostles Christ himself likewise doth make often mencion of the same in hys sermons all which did not cease to preach the word of God neuerthelesse and do notwithstanding withal entermixt diuers good and godly exhortations to liue well Paule when he sayd it is God that doth worke in vs to will and to bring to passe according to hys good pleasure did he therefore abate any thing of hys godly lessons to make vs lesse carefull to will and to worke the thinges that are acceptable vnto God In like maner where he sayth he that hath begonne a good worke in you will bring the same to effect euen vntill the day of Christ Iesu Yet did he not cease to perswade them earnestly in the same Epistle written to the Phillippianes that they should not onelye beginne but perseuere vntill the end Beleue sayth Christ in God and beleue in me yet is thys neuerthelesse true that he speaketh in an other place No man commeth vnto me or beleeueth in me vnlesse it be geuen him from the father Christ sayth also he that hath eares to heare let hym heare Yet doth God speake in the scriptures these wordes also that he will geue them a hart frō aboue that they may vnderstand eyes that they may see and eares that they may heare c. And although it were not vnknowne vnto hym who had eares to heare and who had not that is to say the gifte of obedience Yet doth he exhort all men to heare Although Cipriane did both know and wryte that fayth and obedience were the gift of God and that we ought not reioyce in any thing because we haue nothing of our owne yet this was no hindraunce at all vnto his earnest preaching but that he taught Fayth and obedience neuerthelesse and most constantly perswaded to good life When we heare S. Iames teach vs that euery good and perfect gift commeth downe from the father of lightes yet this preaching of grace nothing withstoode but that he continued to rebuke such as troubled the cōgregation saying If you be bitterly zelous and your hartes be full of contencion doe not reioyce nor lye not against the truth for this is not the Wisedome that came from aboue but earthly beastly and diabollicall
your stoughtnes herein But because I neuer chaunced to see anye such Gospelles I do earnestly desire you O holy father for the loue ye beare to S. Fraunces to S. Bruno Finally for the loue of that fifth and euerlasting Gospell which the Dominick Fryers not long sithence beganne at Paris in the yeare of our Lord 1256. in the tyme of Pope Alexander the iiij That your holines will not be squeimish to acquaynte me what maner of gospells those be of Luther Melanchton Bucer Caluine c. whereof you make mencion If you can shewe none such it remayneth therefore that we hang vppe this accusation also vpon the file of your other staūderous lyes so long vntill in your next false inuectiues you acquite you of this cryme We haue heard touching the Gospelles Let vs now seé the fayth of hys Church Which he vaunteth franckly not to be of many coates but one Vniforme not lately risen vp and ioyned with vayne confidence but deliuered from the Apostles themselues not depraued with any peeuish interpretation or corruption of madde or franrick usage Go to and what if in like phrase of speeche I make euident that Luthers fayth was one and vniforme yea the same that all the Catholicke fathers of the primitiue churche did professe not start vppe yesterday or for a few dayes agoe not grounding vpō any variblenes nor toste to and fro by any vnsteadfast assurance but proclaymed by the Apostles themselues and wholly cleared from all madnesse and outrage What if I shall shewe playnely that all these quallities be in Luthers fayth what shall remayne then but that Osorius shall become a Lutherane whether he will or no if it be one vniforme fayth that he so much esteémeth or if he hold a contrary fayth then must he needes proue an open lyar But Osorius will not credite my wordes which I shall speake touching Luther and why then shall I creditte Osor speaking for his owne fayth namely sithe he voucheth nothing in proofe but bare wordes But if the truth thereof shall be decyded not with wordes but with substanciall matter by howe many euident demonstrations shall I be able to Iustifie that there is nothing in Luthers fayth but is agreable with the truth and the Auncient age of the primitiue Church in euery poynt And that in Osorius fayth be many thinges whiche do not onely vary cleane frō thē both but are also manifestly repugnaunt and contrary to them both But let vs drawe neere to the matter The fayth that you professe is vniforme you say If by this generall word Fayth you meane the Articles of the common Creéde forasmuch as there is no Churche of the Lutheranes but doth professe the same as well as you I seé no cause here why you should challenge a more speciall prerogatiue in vniformitie in this poynt then the Lutheranes And I would to God the Fayth of your Church would stay it self with the Lutheranes vpon those Articles onely where doughtles is matter sufficient enough for our saluation But now how many by hangers do you couple to this vniforme common Creéd how many new straunge stragglers bussardly blynde and vnknowne Raggmalles to the Auncient fathers And so couple them together as thinges most necessary to mans Saluation and for these also keepe a greater coyle then for the very articles of the Creéde Wherof we shall treate more at large in place fitt for it by Gods grace And therefore whereas you say that you obserue one vniformitie of fayth I would first learne what poynts you do ground this vniformitie vpon For although I may not deny but that in certayne Decrees and Decretalles is a certeine consent and agreément of conspiring doctrine such a one as it is yet if a mā will thoroughly sist many of thē wherein Luther doth dissent frō you he shall easily perceaue that Luth. hath not so much swarued from your vniformitie as your fayth is raunged altogether out of the right pathe of the true Christian fayth from the doctrine of both Testamentes from the Apostles and Prophetts yea and from the footsteppes of the Fayth of your owne predecessors of Rome whereby appeareth euidently that this fayth which you so gloriously vaunt is not auncient but new fangled not deliuered from the Apostles but patched together with mens Tradicious not grounded vpon any certaynty but full of vayneglorious braggery finally not vniforme but of many shapes and vtterly a Bastard vnlike the true vniformitie of Fayth Such as procure to themselues so many hyreling aduocates patrones and intercessours in heauen besides the onely Sonne of God Such as do worhip God otherwise then in spirite and truth with alters superalters Images Pictures Signes Formes and Shapes grauen in wood and in marble Such as before God do hunt after true righteousnes by other meanes and merytes then by onely fayth in the Sonne of God or do apply to themselues the effectuall grace of his great liberalitie otherwise then by this only Fayth Such as do promise Remission of Sinnes by any other meanes to themselues or to others but through the onely bloudshed of the Immaculate Lambe Such as with the price of pardons do sel that to others which Christ gaue freely Such as do dayly sacrifice him for the quick and the dead who by one onely oblation once for all did make attonement for all things in heauen and in earth such as make to thēselues a way passable to the kingdome of God life euerlasting by any other meanes and wayes to witte thorough the merites of Saintes through vowes Masses orders and Rules and through straightnes of profession by the merite of holy orders humble confessions mens absolutions and satisfactions through building of Abbyes and such other trumpery barganing as it were with God for merite meritorious and not for the onely death of Christ crucified for vs Such as do thrust into Churches other Sacramentes then Christ dyd euer Institute and commaund to be kept Such as robbe that lay people of one part of the sacrament contrary to the ordinaunce of the church and in the other part leaue nothing but that which can be no where els then in heauen and which if were present naturally ought not to be ministred as meate according to the veritie of the scriptures All these I say and an infinite table more of the same hiewe cleane contrary to the scriptures Such as do retayne in fayth mayntayne in vse clogge consciences withall and proclayme to be obserued in their Temples how dare they be so shamelesse to vaunt an obseruing of one vniforme Fayth agreéing with the Prophettes and Apostles vndefiled and cleare from all spotte of Noueltie or wrinckle of deformytie Wherfore you must either cōuince all these patcheries to be falsly burdened vpon your Church as I haue rehearsed them or els you must needes confesse that your fayth is neyther vniform nor Auncient nor sprong vppe with the Apostles nor yet consonaut to sound
much more stoughtly and couragiously then for the law it selfe and the commaundementes of God And so runnyng lightly ouer those Ceremonies he presseth foreward to the Sacramentes of Confession first and next of the Euchariste But wheÌ„ we fall sayth he First what meaneth this word Falle For if the consideration of all your righteousnesse be settled in an interrupted course of liuyng well in the giftes of holynes and righteousnesse powred into you euen by Christ him selfe as your AssertioÌ„ doth emporte by what reason can these Falles and spottes of filthy life stand together with so great and so many ornamentes of righteousnes receaued of Christ him selfe or in so great righteousnesse what neédeth any confession But for as much as you be men let vs ascribe this to the frayltie of mans natuâ—e that as men you may lumper and trippe Go to then to what Sanctuary do ye afterwardes fleé for reliefe Forsooth to a rotten plancke that may saue a man amyddes the swallowyng gulfe beyng throwen ouer boorde into the Sea To the Iudgement of the Priest say you And why not vnto Christ rather Forsooth bycause in his absence entreaty is made by Proctours and Aduocates But was Christ absent whenas Iohn doth send vs backe agayne vnto him notwithstandyng speakyng on this wise And if we haue sinned we haue an Aduocate with the Father Christ Iesu and he is the propiciatory Sacrifice for our Sinnes Why did he not say we haue a Priest vpon the earth if there were either any first or second Table besides Iesus Christ onely In deéde he worketh by his Embassadours as he sometyme taught by the mouth of his Apostles and by them wrought miracles and euen now also proclaimeth his Gospell by his godly Ministers yet doth he neuerthelesse worke in heauen continually though he worke by his Ministers here on earth Furthermore neither doth he so vse the seruice of those Seruauntes and Ministers in all thynges whose externall Ministery he necessaryly employeth to many thynges as though he could of him selfe doe nothyng without their seruice Lastly all be not his true Embassadours which by forreine badge and cognizaunce doe vaunt them selues to be his Embassadours But let vs proceéde and what doe ye now when ye tumble in heapes together to confesse your selues to the Priest as to an honorable vmpier what doth he geue you at the length Making first a straight Inquisition of the Sinnes he doth by force of his wisedome searche out the wounde which beyng disclosed he applyeth a playster thereunto accordyng to the qualitie of the grief as seemeth most conuenient But what if you happeÌ„ vpon such a Priest as be now a dayes ouer many not much vnlike vnto them whoÌ„ Plautus doth describe in a certeine place Fooles wittlesse naturalles blockisse doltishe asses dronckardes c. But let vs admitte that there is no Priest but such as is most worthy of this function This Priest then accordyng to the capacitie of his wisedome considering the qualitie of the trespasse what plaister doth he apply to the soare a very wholesome one I warrauÌ„t you For accordyng to the dignitie of his person for he representeth the person of Christ he pardoneth absolueth the offendour cleane of all sinne yet so as enioyning certeine penaunce to the new clensed soule so that the trespassour may vnderstaÌ„d that he is bounde to make satisfaction for the trespasse In which doyng I can not maruell enough at your manifest giddynesse of idle brayne beyng so barreine not onely of discretion but voyde also altogether of common sence and feélyng almost The offendour say you is acquited by the absolution of the Priest Undoughtedly to be absolued by a Priest is a very gay Iewell if it be true as it is true in deéde that God doth geue absolution first But to assure vs that you tell truth what do ye alledge out of the Scriptures Forsooth the wordes of the Gospell He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me I do heare you and do acknowledge these wordes to be the wordes of Christ. But we must returne againe to the principall pointe of the questioÌ„ how shall I be assured that this Priest of yours is trnly of that nomber whom Christ doth point vnto vs by this pronowne you You will say that the shauen Crowne ought to be a sufficient warraunt vnto vs. Ueryly neither doe I reiect this outward vocation which is made by men neither ought we to expect the same maner of Embassadours to be sent by Christ now as he fent his Apostles heretofore And yet for as much as the Beast mentioned in the Apocalips hath his proper peculiar marke which Christ doth curse will you shew me no better marke for your Priest then a bald scraped scalpe sithence Christ sendeth vs to the coÌ„sideration of fruites and Spirituall markes of Doctrine and Truth But I will not much striue with you here Let all Crowes be white for me and let the absolution of the marked Priest be an vndoughted Oracle for me also This is the pointe that I stand vpon and demaunde Whenas the Trespassour doth obtaine of your Priest this absolutioÌ„ wherof you spake before From wheÌ„ce doth this absolution receaue the effectuall operation from the priests marke or from the Fayth of the Repentaunt rather If from the priests marke onely then what doth Fayth and Baptisme worke in vs or whereunto serueth the Article of the Creéde I do beleeue Remission of Sinnes Agayne if it depend vpon the onely Fayth of the Repentaunt to what purpose is this Priestly Confession But if you will couple both these together as that in your imagination the one can be of no force without the other how will this kynde of couples agreé with your doctrine who makyng so curious exact a distinction of all the other partes of penaunce will in all that Sacrament leaue no chinker at all for Fayth to peépe through no nor will be acquainted with the name of fayth in any part therof And what if a Iew or a Turke do with a sorrowfull coÌ„trite hart ioyne the Confession of his mouth withall satisfaction of the guilt as you terme it be his Sinnes washed cleane away therfore I do not thinke so what if a ChristiaÌ„ man beyng endued with a pure fayth bewaylyng his offences vnfaynedly and withall his hart lookyng vpon Christ with the eyes of Fayth as vpon the brasen Serpent do craue pardon of him without any hochpotte of priestly ConfessioÌ„ shall he obteine no salue for his soare If you deny this as your Lombardine questioners do Then would I fayne learne where was that priestly Confession before it was first instituted by Innocent 3. and thrust into the Church to be frequeÌ„ted .1215 where was this so vnaduoydeable necessitie then wheÌ„ Christ spake vnto the woman thy faith hath saued thee And in an other place speakyng of an other woman Where he forgaue her many sinnes
whether we should seéke vnto many Aduocates and Mediators for the ease of our miseries Of Inuocation adoration and worshipping this is not a new but an auncient comaundement Thus shalt worshippe the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue And agayne thou shalt make to thy selfe no grauen Image nor the likenes of any thing c. And with what face then do you accuse them of innouation who obserue these thinges according to the prescript rule of the auncient commaundement God did institute in his Church two Sacramentes as appeareth euidently which he commaunded vs to obserue very carefully and deligently If we do not frequent these in that sincerity of Religion as we ought to doe Let vs be condemned But if we doe herein according to duetye and simplicitye of true Religion I pray you what Noueltye is in thys our doinge If we measure the auntient Fathers and Authors of true doctrine by number of yeares we say with Iustine Paule is the Father of Fathers whose authority is of such credite that if an Aungell of heauen would bring any thyng contrary to that which Paule hath taught let him be holden accursed But the same Paule gaue freé liberty to all persons ingenerall to take wyues and did dignify the Mariage bedde by this tytle honourable And called the forbidding of Mariage the doctrine of Deuils And there were amongest the Apostles some which did not only marry wiues but did lead them about with them also according as was lawfull for them to do And how is this contrarye to the auncient custome examples of the Elders If ministers who are appoynted to the ministery in Churches marry wiues for the necessary comfort of theyr liuelyhood We read the scriptures to the vnlettered people in their mother toung we do cōmunicate with them also vnder both kindes both bread and wyne If the Apostles did not vse the same Lett Osorious haue the prise I will further debate thus with this vpright and frendlye Reader desire him that he will vouchsafe to peruse all the parts of our doctrine and view with his eyes euery angle and corner of our Churches Peraduenture he seéth no portrayctes of Images blazed abroad to be worshipped for pence he beholdeth Bare wals and iudgeth them more like vnto Barnes then vnto Churches Yet was the most Auntient Temple of Salomon euen such an other Barne yea such a Barne also was the Tabernacle of God more auncient then the other in the Law carnall may not we wante the gaze of Images in the spirituall Law He seéth no tapers lighted at high noone no palmes no Reliques no belles no oyle no spittle no consecrated fire nor water he seéth not the Sacramentall bread lyfted vppe aloft worshipped he seéth no markette of pardōs no Iubiles no sacrificatory Masses no shauelinges nor beardlesse Priestes no differences of dayes of monethes yeares garemēts meates and colors no stately and pompeous supplications and Processions besides innumerable other Byshapes of frameshapen Ceremonies all which whether ought to be tollerated in Christian Churches I do not at this time discusse Yet this I deale with and enquire of my Reader whether our Churches which doe lacke all these trumperies deserue rather to be condemned of nouelty or do more neérely resemble the liuely and perfect patterne and countenaunce of the most true and most auncient Church But Luther doth teach that freéwill hath no power at all that whatsoeuer a man doth is sinne that whatsoeuer good or euill we do commeth of absolute and vnauoydable necessity c. And what can be spoken so sincerely but by sinister construing may be depraued For how deépely doth not the deadlye sting of Momus wound if it may freély pearce without resistaunce Luther doth embase the power of freéwill in deéde but in that man onely that is not yet regenerate but in thinges appertayning vnto God wherin he weakeneth the effectuall force of freéwill he doth strengthen and establish it with the accesse of Gods grace Of the greatnesse of Sinne and distinction of necessity hath bene spoken so much already that it is neédelesse now to redouble the same agayne All which notwithstanding the indifferent Reader shall finde nothing to be spoken by hym that was not spoken before his time and drawen from the very fountaines and most auntient springes of the Prophettes and Apostles as hath bene declared before both out of the Prophette Esay who recoūteth all our righteousnesse no better worth then a foule menstruous clothe out of Moyses Paule the Prophets who haue taught this doctrine to be most assured That it is God that doth harden the hartes that doth deliuer ouer into reprobate mindes which hath created the wicked man the euill day and that there is no euill in the City that the Lord hath not wrought c. All which if a man should preach in these dayes in the same wordes there is no doubt but Osorius would accuse him of hereticall nouelty Of the iustifyng fayth Luther did discourse very aboundantly and profoundly and with all no lesse faythfuly and truely Whose iudgement we do all embrace gladly and ioyfully And render vnto God most harty thanks for this his inestimable benefite finding nothing in this doctrine that is not throughlye approued most true not onely by the testimony of the Apostles but by the generall consent and agreément of the most auntient Prophettes Paule doth teach that man is iustified in the sight of God by fayth without workes Luther doth teach that we are iustified by fayth onely what difference is there here I pray you Osorius ascribeth rewardes to workes Paule doth openlye take away all rewarde from workes Whose Iudgement is more true or more auntient And what kinde of new doctrine is there here now If Luther agreéing with Paule excludynge workes do establish fayth onely in the doctrine iustification and yet not so altogether excluding workes as that he woulde haue no workes practized but so and in such wise as they may not be sayd to iustify so that now godly and carefull endeuour in faythfull workes should not be sequestred but wicked confidence and vayne superstitious glorying vpon merites vtterlye cutte of rather With which kinde of doctrine if Osorius be offended as with a certayne new fangled Gospell whether is it more reasonable that the euerlasting truth of GOD shall geue place to Osorius persuasiōs or that Osorius should reuoke his errour according to the rule of the trueth In this therefore that Luther teacheth that fayth onely doth iustify in the sighte of God is no new doctrine but the doctrine of Paule But that the minde and meaning of Paule may the better be conceaued it might haue bene added out of S. Iames the best Interpretor of Paule as the which doth more fully expresse the meanyng of Paule what manner of men they be whom onely fayth doth iustify not wicked obstinate Sinners
Agaynst such the Church thundereth out endles excommunicatiōs denoficing the horrible curse of Gods euerlasting wrath and vnappeasable displeasure except they repent And these punishmentes of the primitiue Church in old tyme called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as were neuer ministred but vpon greuous and vrgent causes so was there no hope of release from the same vnlesse playne demonstration were made by open and publique confession of true and vnfayned repentaunce Which kinde of censure the aūcient Fathers deuided into threé degreés 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Excommunication Whereby all maner of offenders aswell spirituall as temporall were as it were cut of from all societye and partaking of the Church and Sacramēts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Depriuation Whereby such as were but newly professed were remoued from their function 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sequestration Whereby all offendours whatsoeuer were excluded from the Sacraments some from partaking of all the Sacramentes and some from the Communion onely whom the Grecians doe note by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remouyng from the Communion table onely And thys was the very order and gouernement of the prymityue and Apostolique Church wherein florished not onelye that sincerity of doctrine whereof I spake before but also Ecclesiasticall discipline touching distrybution of dignityes placing of elders ordering of times reading of lessons frequenting of exercises Inquisition of lyfe Reformation of manners and other profitable ordinaunces established after the best manner was dayly exercised All which the prymytyue and vndefiled antiquity of the auntient Fathers obserued purely and sincerely after the age of the Apostles and in all respects very reuerently and orderly as the decrees and Canons of godly assemblies and Synods together with the Hystoryes and Monumentes of auntient Fathers do playnely and manifestly record Hauing now described and faythfully expressed the verye face and countenaunce of the auncient primitiue Church I referre me to any equall and indiferrent iudgement to discerne whether the Lutheran Church or the Lateran Churche of Rome to resemble that primitiue Church neérest And as for that primitiue Church of Rome hath bene aboundauntly and sufficiently spoken of already Now could I wish that the Romish prelates would vouchsafe to deliuer likewise some painted vysour of theyr Ieratohye if it myght please them or if they refuse so to do we will not disdayne to do so much in their behalfe whereby godly mindes may euydently perceyue the true causes that moued those Lutherans iustly to sequester themselues from that Romysh Reuell In which theyr sequestration notwithstanding from Rome they haue not remoued themselues one ynche so much the more from the Church of Christ. I speak of the Romish Church once agayne I say in that state that it is now The first Institution whereof touching doctrine and Traditions if be sifted and searched by comparing of her first foundation to the true Church of Christ it will euydently appeare that thys Romysh Church being but a late newfāgled vpstart doth expresse no sparke of resemblaunce of that auncient antiquity but patcht and botcht vppe altogether with new opinions erroneous abuses Idolatries traditions deuised by authority of men ioyned with an opinion of necessary worshipping and obseruaunces It is most certayne that the foundations of Christes church were grounded first vpon sure playne infallible and vnmoueable demonstrations proclaymed from aboue in the writinges propheticall and Apostolicall which be builded vpon the true knowledge of the essentiall will of God vpon true inuocation and prayer vpon vnfayned obedience to godward vpon assured acknowledgemēt affiaūce in the Mediator wh is very God and very mā and which doth display abroad the kingdome of Christ to be a spirituall and an euerlasting kingdome not temporall nor instituted or gouerned by mans pollicye or power but begonne by the preaching of the Gospell and enlarged by fayth in them which doe beleue and obay the word of doctryne and life with a pure and sincere affection On the contrary part the foundations of the Romish Ierarchy are builded vpon the decrees of Popes entangled with most intricate and I know not what most crabbed and crooked questions of Scholeianglers Polluted with most manifest errors vtterly dissentyng and cleane contrary to the prescript rule of Gods word which being apparaunt enough in very many matters besides yet is notably discernable in iiij principall pointes chiefly Fyrst Because this doctrine doth abolish quite the doctrine of the law of repentaunce of righteousnes by fayth and commaundeth a mammering doubtfulnesse out of which puddle yssueth an outragious ouerflowing Sea of papisticall errors Secondaryly because it doth transpose merites and worshippings which are proper and peculiar vnto the sonne of God into adoration oblation and application of the consecrated breade for the quicke and the dead by merite meritorious in theyr masking Masse and without theyr masse whereas in very deéd the Gospell doth playnely teach that the benefittes of the sonne of God are not applied to any person but in respect of euery theyr proper and peculiar fayth Thirdly after the manner of Infidels Because it translateth to dead men Inuocation which ought to be yelded to God onely Fourthly because it commaūdeth traditions of men Mounckish vowes Canonicall satisfactions pilgrimages and innumerable such dredge with an opinion of merite worshyppyng and necessary obseruaunce and doth preferre the same before the commaundementes of the law which God hath commaunded to be especially obserued To this Beadroll appertayne more then dottered Bussardly fables of Purgatory Pardons secret and compulsary confesūon pompous Processions and superstitious supplications wherein is carryed abroad to be gazed vpon the consecrated bread profaning of the Lordes Supper making sale thereof as it were in open Fayre or Markette Magicall consecrations of naturall thinges to wytte of water wyne oyle salt and such like What shall I say of that more then whorysh shamelenesse when as the Popes without all proofe or probabilyty of aunciēt antiquity of a certayne insolent arrogancy not by any Dyuyne authoryty but through theyr owne trayterous treachery haue raysed to them selues not a true Catholicke and Apostolycke Church to Christ Iesu but a Seraphycall Ierarchy exceédyng all earthly prymacy superiority and potentaty Wherein reygneth in place of Christ a proud Popysh Peacock For the Apostles cormoraunt Cardinalles For Martyres monstruous Mounckes for professors pestiferous persecutors For fathers Bellygod Byshoppes and Gorbelly Abbottes For Euangelistes cruell Canonistes Copistes Decretaries Summularyes seditious Sententioners For Minysters sheépysh shauelinges And for Pastours Maskyng Massemongers Who hauyng rauenously Raked the ryght of the Church haue turned and chaūged it into a newfangled fashion of an earthly kingdome where it may not suffice to serue Chryst Iesu our pastor and head onely to settle our selues vpon hym whollye to depend vpon hys mercy onely Unlesse we become vassals and bondslaues to thys popysh Byshoppe and honour him as a certayne other Chryst vpon earth who vnder a delycate vysor of
Sommoned as it seémeth by Iohn Damascen who was the first founder of this doing deuise and afterwardes agayne vnder Lanfranck yet was this heresie neuer stablished nor were they taken for heretiques who did celebrate the Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lord vnder naturall bread and naturall wine before that Councell of Laterane before mentioned vnder Pope Innocent in the yeare of our Lord 1215. or vnder Nicholas in the yeare 1062. Neither shall Osorius be euer able to finde it out when he hath throughly perused all the Libraries of his Antiquitye that he can Not long after came the worshipping of the bread lyfted vpp hoisted vpp aloft to the gaze of all the people by that meanes of Honorius 3. next Successor of Innocent aforesayd Which matter was of all other most neédefull For whereas the nature of bread had once banished it selfe cleane away and nothing now remayned vnder the outward formes of bread wyne els but the true naturall substaunce of fleshe which should exhibite it selfe to the mindes and sences of the worshippers corporally It could not possible be but a worshipping must neédes ensue hereupon These erroneous foundations beyng thus layd as one errour doth commonly engender an other there vpstart an other Whelpe of the same litter as notorious a mistery of iniquitie as the other To witte of this Sacrament first TransubstaÌ„tiated then worshipped at the last sprang vppe a Sacrifice of this Sacrament offred And no maruell at all in neéde For after that the simple people were once throughly persuaded to beleue that Christ him selfe was wholy present with all his whole true body and the true Passion of his body they could not now stay here with onely lookyng vpon and worshippyng their Sauiour so lifted vppe and blazed abroad to their viewe but would also craue helpe of him not for them selues onely but for their parentes and frendes also that were dead And hereupon grew this Sacrifice of the Masse so named of the people plausible for the people in deéde and as profitable for the Priestes purses Which subtile deuise of blynd errour though was the most pestilent botche that euer could haue infected the Church and most deuilishly repugnaunt to Gods sacred Testament yet these crafty counterfaites could coyne couÌ„cell coloâ—able enough notwithstandyng to make this peltyug puppet gaynefull for their purses For where no shift could be imagined to frame the Apostles and Euangelistes to be Proctours in this cause they ranne by and by to Doctours and wheresoeuer they could pyke out any mention made of a Sacrifice either of the Altar or of the Priest the same by crooked conueyaunce they would wrest and wryng to be good Testimony for their doctrine Wherein how honestly they behaued them selues shal be seéne hereafter by Gods grace Next coosin germaine to this began to challenge a right in the Church Eare CoÌ„fession Which beyng an egge as it were of the same broode was hatcht vp and fully plumed at the very same Laterane Councell as appeareth sufficiently by the very wordes of the same Councell the true report whereof ensueth Let euery faythfull person of what estate degree or sexe soeuer he be after he commeth once to yeares of discretion confesse all his Sinnes alone faythfully to his owne Curate once in the heare at the least Behold here the very first Institution of priuate and Eare Confession which is in vre at this day or els if it had bene instituted before or decreéd vpon from aboue to what end neéded so carefull a Prouiso to be made by men whereby the people should be forced to a generall necessitie of reckonyng all their Sinnes to the Priest Now therfore if this were an ordinaunce and tradition of the Romish Church where is that bragge of Antiquity whereby the Papistes would proue that this priuate Confession came from the Apostles where is their glorius boastyng of the continuaunce and deliuery therof from thence euen to this present age Surely Chrisostome others do tell vs an other tale for this writeth Chrisostome I constraine thee not to come to the middes of a Stage and to call many witnesses Tell thy sinnes to me alone c. And agayne the same Chrisostome If thou be ashamed sayth he to tell to any man thy Sinnes that thou hast done tell them dayly in thy soule I do not say Confesse them to thy fellow SeruauÌ„t who may reproche thee tell them to God that taketh care for them c. Moreouer the same Chrisostome in an other place I do not say vnto thee come forth into a Stage nor disclose thy Sinnes to others but I will haue thee to obey the Prophet saying Disclose thy Sinnes vnto the Lord In the sight of GOD therfore confesse thy Sinnes before the true Iudge vtter thy sinnes with prayer not with toung but with the testimonie of thine owne conscience and so trust to obteine mercy at the length c. Certes if Nectarius Byshop of Constantinople had euer suspected that this Eare Confession had bene authorized by any expresse word of the Scriptures he would neuer haue abrogated the same for the defilyng of a certaine matrone by a certeine Deacon in the Churche vnder colour of Confession what shall we say to that where Erasmus but of late yeares writyng of Confession durst not ascribe the institution therof to Christ as vnto the authour therof but yeldyng him selfe willyng to learne if any man could make proofe by sufficient Arguments that CoÌ„fession had his begynnyng at the Scripture how happened that amongest such a multitude of Monckes and Deuines not one would steppe forth to withstand this challenge of Eare Confession as then To passe ouer in the meane space that which the same Erasmus in an other place expressing his meanyng playnly It appeareth sayth he that in the tyme of Ierome priuate Confession of Sinnes was not as yet receaued in the Church which afterwardes was profitably instituted by the Church so that the Priestes and lay people vse the same accordingly But herein some scarse skilfull Deuines are not alitle deceaued bycause where the auncient Fathers wrate touching publique and generall Confession all that doe they straine to this secret whispering a quite contrary kinde of Confession c. To passe ouer also many other thynges for breuities sake whereof if there should be generall collection made there is no dought but this vysour of Antiquitie would be easily pluckt of The same be sayd also of the Sacramentes of Orders Annoylynges and Matrimony The vse of which thynges albeit grew by litle and litle euen with the first age of the Church are also reteigned vntill this day amoÌ„gest vs yet do we vtterly deny that they were Registred amongest the noumber of Sacramentes afore a very few yeares sithence And Osorius shall neuer be able to prooue the contrary There hath bene a solemne custome of long tyme in the Church of Rome that such as
and veniall faultes rather No. But euen the most hainous the most wicked not to be named Lust murthers Conspiracies Treasons Tumultes Pride Sauadgenesse Vproares Destructions and Dispensations and what not I maruaile of one thing much that whiles you are exquisite skilfull in numbring and multiplying our faultes as that no horror and filthinesse of life can be found in all yonr Rhetoricke whiche you haue not by all wayes meanes of Amplification stretched out to the hard hedge agaynst the Lutheranes That ye forgot to obbrayd the Lutheranes with one poore abhomination amongest all the rest which my selfe will not name here but will referre you ouer to the gentle remembraunce of Cardinall Casus and to his brethren and to that Catholicke crewe and most holy children of that most holy mother Church S. Maryes But I returne to our owne Catalogue what say you that all those abhominations therfore raunge abroad with vs vnpunished yea in deéd Syr. What with vs English men onely or do ye not cōprehend in the same Cataloge Frēch men also Germaynes Danes Switzers Bohemyās Polans Rettes Scottes all other natiōs Fautors of the Lutherāes doctrine also Yea truely whersoeuer throughout the whole world the doctrine of these men hath bene published wheresoeuer these new Gospellers doe set theyr feete on the ground they doe defyle the heauēs the ayre and the earth with the horror of theyr iniquity Good words good Syr. What be those notorius crimes so common and generall amongest vs alone that the same cannot be found any where among you Catholickes yes but not so much In deéd do you thinke that there is not euen as much and will you geue me leaue then to aunswere hereunto as I thinke Surely I will not speake much neither is it neédefull namely in a matter so apparaunt This one thing will I speake boldly and the same also no lesse truely then as Demetrius on a time was sayd to aūswere Lysimachus A Strūpet doth behaue her selfe more modestly amongest vs Osorius then Penelope doth amongest you By this one bethinke your selfe now Osorius what my opinion is of all the rest And yet do I not in the meane space deny but that we are by many degreés farre vnlyke to the life which the Apostles did lead and which indeéd beseémeeh the true professors of the Apostolicke doctrine Neuerthelesse as we dot glory much of our vertues so neither do we so stroake and flatter our selues in our vyces but we iudge the same worthy of sharpe correction and chastisement But whē you haue reckoned vppe all the spottes of our ill fauoured life and agrauated the filthinesse thereof as much as you may yet are you to aunswere me directly to this namely whether ye think these faultes to be proper to men or to doctrine if vnto mē let your exclamation therefore touch them which haue deserued to be exclaymed agaynst They be Lutheranes say you that be so abhominable There be Lutheranes also that do liue godly And I thinke that all your Catholickes doe not lead theyr liues like Apostles Now if the former faultes be proper to the doctrine But it hath bene long sithence declared that this doctrine is none other then which Christ and his Apostles deliuered Wherefore if these faultes and licentiousnes of life be imputed to the doctrine and professors of the same doctrine then look about you Osorius how farre your slaunderous speéch doth stretche and whom you touch therewith for euen all those whom you doe accuse for Lutheranes do beleue in Christ and not in Luther nor do acknowledge any other Author of theyr faith then all other Christian men doe so that this profession can not iustly be charged with any crime which cleaueth not fast to the Gospell of Christ and is common also to the Apostles themselues But the doctrine of Luther say you hath discouered vnto them this liberty and ministred occasion of this dissolute life If it shall be enough for Osorius to affirme in bare wordes onely that whereof he hath not hetherto made any proofe nor is euer able to iustify We are vtterly ouerthrowen for he imputeth all that huge heape of haynous abhomination to Luthers doctrine And why so Syr Byshoppe how do you proue this to be true Luther did open the fountaynes of the Gospel of grace he did display abroad to the view of the world the freé promises of God which had bene pent vppe in a deépe doungeon of long scilence and almost pyned awaye with long emprisonement he raysed vpp and recomforted with the comfortable confidence in the Medyatour consciences that were vtterly foredone and forelorne yea and this not altogether vnfruitfully he discouered the force and efficacy of fayth learnedly he confuted the vayne talkatiue opinion of vayne confidence in mans righteousnes the part of the Law which consisteth of workes he bounde within her proper lymittes and boundes he enclosed it within her peculiar persons and Tymes and seuered it cleane from the Gospell he called backe the slippery mindes of men from carnall superstition and fryuolous Iewish zeale to the spirituall worshipping of God and true Religion It followeth Forasmuch as Luther Melancthon Bucer Martyr Caluine and others of the same crew haue stuffed their bookes full of these thinges and taught the same also openly in theyr Sermones euery where what haue these new Gospellers brought to passe by theyr new doctrine be therto as yet els then cut in sunder the very Sinowes of seuere discipline scattered abroad ouer the whole world lycentious lust murthers and vproares filled all common weales with abhominations Tumultes pride Bondage vproares vnpunished liberty to sinne outrage and all abhominable infections of mischiefes and vntimely deathes in steed of Concord Cleanesse modesty freedome Religion peace I beseéch you Osor. for the loue you beare to your chastity modesty freédome and Religion what aunswere canne you make hereunto Can it not be lawfull for vs to preach the Gospell of God but that we shall forthwith ouerthrow all vertue may we not comfort and cherish wounded and pyned cōsciences but we must withall open an high way for the wicked to raunge in all outrage vnpunished Is it not possible to distinguish the law from the Gospell◠to make a difference betwixt the workes of the Law and the righteousnesse of fayth to display the force of the heauenly grace but we must be accounted enemies of Gods law and rooters out of honesty Is this the manner of your reasoning and the superaboundance of your eloquence or the barraynenesse of your iudgement or super infirmity of your slippery braynes And yet what wonder is it though Luther be so infamed sithence Paule himselfe being in the same predicament could not by any meanes escape the venemous snatches of like vypers nor could skarse shake them away from his hand For so we read that it was obiected against Paule yea euen of his owne brethren namely That he taught a defection from
doe aunswere and confesse that this Iustice and Clemēcy of God wherof you speake haue their place and time But you haue not yet proued that the time and place of executing this Iustice and Clemency doth belong to any Purgatory vnder the ground neither is it concluded by that your manner of arguing through any necessitye of consequence There is a Fier that shall torment in euerlasting paynes the Persecutors and Enemies of Christ. Ergo There is also a Fyer els where that maye be putt out If this argument should be examined by the exact Rules of Logick the Logicians would surely say that there is no forme at all in your Consequence howebeit in respect of the materiall poyntes both propositions be true For as it is certayne and assured by the authoritie of the Scriptures that the fier of hell shall neuer be extinguished so hath this life also his fier and tēporall paynes wherewith Gods elect are now and then tryed purged both which we do read in the history of the Rich man and Lazarus whereof the one feéling no greéuaunces in this life was throwen into the Tormentes of Hell The other contrarywise after many greéuous stormes and dayly miseries of this life was receiued into the Bosome of euerlasting ioy In which Similitude euery man may behold his owne estate and condition For such as with barbarous cruelty do outragiously rage agaynst the Gospell of Christ and triumph in this world in carelesse security shall tast of bitter wormewood in an other world on the contrary part such as are afflicted with wretchednes and purging calamities in this life their passadge frō hence is not to Purgatory but to glory But the troublous turmoyles and paynefull afflictions wherewith the godly are ouerwhelmed in this life are not sufficient after the opinion of Osorius for besides all these temporall miseries punishmentes and plagues a certayne meane place yet is sought out which they call by the name of Purgatory Where greeuous tormentes doe abide for the clensing the remnaunt and dregges of sinne which doe deserue vengeaunce through a certayne vnauoydable necessity of iustice And how so Forsooth because the iustice of God must needes be satisfied And because this satisfaction once purchased by the merites of Iesu Christ is not so absolute and sound but hath certayne degreés as that it may be made more absolute and perfect therefore are our passions and afflictions required of necessity which if be not superadded and coupled together with the merites of Christ it can not by any other possible meanes be brought to passe that the cryme which is inordinate may be reduced to the order of Iustice. O sacred Fayth O new tradition not procured out of Portingall I trowe but coyned euē in the very forgeshop of Purgatory it self If Caluine or Luther were aliue present whose doctrine you affirme to haue proceéded from the most detestable deuill of hell and did heare this communication of yours how lowdly how extreamely how forcibly how vehemētly would they exclayme and cry out with full mouth agaynst you in this place surely as fiercely as they might agaynst an open enemy of Christ. For what shall we say if this be not a notorious reproche and blasphemy vnto Christ Many hundred yeares agoe did S. Paule teach that we were all made perfect in Christ Iesu and your worship now like a fresh vpstart Gospeller creépyng out of the crooked crowdes and ragged skrappes of the Thomystes dare take vpon you to pyke out certayne degrees I know not what in this most excellent clensing purchased by the great boūty and liberality of Christ which neither Paule nor any one of all the Apostles could euer descry Go to let vs heare then I beseech you from out that Syluane Pulpet what steppes be these of amplifieng this clensing and purifieng Without salt say you no sacrifice was accustomed to be offered in the olde Law Therfore in this salt and in this fier that is to say in the punishement appoynted for purging sinnes all this amplification of purifieng doth consist that so the sacrifice may be more pure and more holy I do heare it and doe aunswere to this most vnsauerye argument of Salte if he will vouchsafe first with all the seasonable Salte of hys wisedome to declare what was signified by these Priestly sacrifices moreouer what the wisedome of God dyd meane to expresse by this Salte Fier for it is not to be doughted but that vnder these carnall shadowes lay hidden some more darcke couert misteries whether will he say that this mistery did represent the body of Christ or our bodyes If he meane the body of Christ that was wasted with the fier of Gods iudgement being seasoned and besprinckled with a certayne heauenly Salte of most sweéte smelling sauour But this payne of fier and Salte can signify none other kinde of Purgatory but that onely Purgatory that was finished and accomplished vpon the Crosse If he meane our bodyes which are filthy by nature but this cann in no wise be true for that the ceremoniall law it selfe would not admitte any vncleane flesh to be sacrificed Furthermore whereas that Frye and Salt also of Gods iudgement did cōsume not the spottes and filth onely of those Sacrifices but the holy substaunce of the Sacrifices also for the clensing of Sinnes It remayneth therefore that either there is no Purgatory after thys life that may encrease the degreés of purifiyng with Fire and Salte or els that the Sacrifices themselues that is to say the Soules of the faythfull must of necessity be swallowed vpp and consumed wholy in this Purgatory For not the Bodies but the Soules be tormented there I suppose Which way will our Portingale wend himselfe now to the example of Dauid in whom although the condemnation of the trespasse committed was forgeuen yet was he not clearely deliuered from punishment notwithstanding It is true but this Punishement good Osorius was exequuted vpon him in this worlde and not reserued for an other worlde How thē can you square vs out a new plattforme of Purgatory myddway betwixt heauen and earth for them that are departed out of this lyfe by this example of Dauid Because a recompence must be made say you for the trespasse committed according to the dew and iust rule of Gods Iustice. But this Iustice of God being prouoked to displeasure by infinite and vnmeasurable wayes and meanes cann not be duely recompenced without endlesse punishment or perhappes it will not be satisfied without his owne vicar the Pope and his propiciatorye Masses Not so but he will exequute his punishment vpon vs for our sinnes nothwithstanding And why so because the sacrifice say you may be more pure more holy and more acceptable vnto God May we be so bold by your patience Osorius to take a taste how this assertion of yours will agreé with the rule of the Apostles Doctrine And first I would
he hath debated somewhat and so debated as himselfe doth confesse not of any gredy desire of flattering as speaking the thing that â—he doth know to be plausible to his Catholickes but hath written the very same doctrine which he doth firmely beleue to be true which I doe yeld vnto that you haue perfourmed accordingly For as much as hitherto you haue alleadged nothing but phantasticall conceiptes of your owne wandring imagination and fryuolous opinions of your owne gyddy deuise Thoroughout all your bookes no sparke of Scripture no sentence at all of auncient writers besides bare names onely is vouched able to geue any creditt to your cause And therefore you haue sayd well in deéde that your writing doth agreé with your meanyng in all pointes but there is nothing more corrupt then that iudgemeÌ„t of yours nor any thing more vayne then your writing And for the thinges themselues whereof you make mention hath bene spoken sufficiently allready to witt of the Popes supremacy of the Popes warres of Purgatory of Sacrifices of Marketts of Pardons of the vncleanesse of Priestes and of their filthy superstition All which disgracementes of Religion from whence they issued out at the first although Haddon affirmed that you were not your selfe ignoraunt albeit you dissembled the contrary yet surely of this you ought not to be vnskilfull except you list to be reputed an open counterfaite that all those Trincketts which you thrust vpon vs vnder the cognizaunce of Religion did sauour nothing of the foundation of Christes Religion of his Apostles or of the Prophetts doctrine but haue bene deuised by other men long sithence the comming of Christ and by couert creéping by litle litle into the Church are growÌ„e to this vnmeasurable Rable Which hath bene displayed abroad aboundantly enough before as I Iudge in these same bookes After all these ensueth a common place of the filthy and wicked lyfe of Priestes which being more notorious then can be couered more filthy then can be excused Osorius is driuen to this streight that he can not deny but many thinges are amisse in the maners of Priestes and many things out of order which require seuere and sharpe correction howbeit he doth so extenuate this cryme as that he shameth not to confesse but that the greater part of these Catholick shauelings doe liue most chastely without all blemish of worthy reproch Of the rest he hath good hope yea and doughteth not thereof vpon the confidence that he hath of the good beginnings of the most holy Father the Pope Pius the fifte whose wonderfull godlynes ioyned with marueilous zeale of true Religion cleare and voyde from all ambition greedynesse and rashe temerytye doth geaue vs especiall comfort that it will shortly come to passe that the disorders and dissolute misdemeanours of Superstition and Priestes will attayne to a better reformation But if happely this hope happen not to good successe and though all thinges doe runne into further outrage yea although also no man minister medicine and remedye to this diseased Church yet is not this forthwith a good consequent that good and godly ordinaunces shall for the retchlesse trechery of some euill disposed persons be vtterly taken away And that humaine actions did neuer staÌ„d in so blessed an estate as to be cleare froÌ„ all matter worthy of reprehension not onely emongest Priestes and MouÌ„ckes but also through all the conuersation of Christian congregatioÌ„s And that it standeth not therefore with Reason for the negligence of a few disordered Mounckes to roote out the whole order of Mounckerye and for the wickednes of some Priestes therefore to subuert the whole dignitye of Priesthood and authoritye of Byshopps None otherwise then as if in the holy state of Matrymony many thinges chaunce sundry tymes not all of the best and vnseemely handled yea and that wantonnes grow euen to brech of wedlock yet is it not reasonable that for this cause the whole bond and vowe of mutuall loue and lawfull vniting should be cutt asunder Semblably ought we to determine of the orders of Priestes and Mounckes Emongest whom though all thinges be not done orderly and decently yet such thinges are not by and by to be discontinued which were instituted for godly purposes nor followeth not forthwith if there be some festered members in the coÌ„mon weale which must of necessitye be cutt of that for this cause the whole state of the coÌ„mon weale shall be tourned vpsidowne but rather that the ouergroweÌ„ weeds be pluckt vpp and such as be scattering brauÌ„ches be applyed to better order and reduced to their first patterne And that there is nothing more perillous in Common Weales then the often innouation of good and commendable established ordinaunces and lawes which doth commonly breed not onely a generall contempt of wholesome statutes but for the more part procure an vtter ouerthrow of the whole state according to the testimony of Aristotel who did sometime openly withstaÌ„d the decree of Hippodamus Milesius made for the aduauncement of such as should deuise good and profitable lawes being of this opinioÌ„ that lawes should be comprised within measurable lymitts and boundes that the well keeping of tollerable lawes emported more safetye then the innouation of new To Aunswere this large discourse briefly Osorius could haue alledged nothing more coÌ„modious in the defence of Luthers cause and nothing more vehemently agaynst these newfangled Romaines For if Aristotel did worthely reproue Hippodamus Milesius Who being not contented with the present state of his owne Countrey did practise an alteration of the state What shall be sayd vnto you who haue so chopt and chaunged all things in the Church that there is not left therein one title so much of Apostolick antiquity or auÌ„cieÌ„t Doctrine Therefore if all matters must be reduced to the first foundations what one thing can preuayle more to further the LutheraÌ„s desire who in all theyr writings and wishinges haue neuer endeuoured any thing more carefully then that a reformation might be had of the Publicke abuses and corruptions of the churche according to the first most godly institutions to the vtter abolishing of all newfangled vpstartes wickedly supported And those first Institutions I doe call the very first foundations of the Apostolyque doctrine most godlye grounded vpon the holye ghost and the Testament of Christ. From the which how much your doctrine and Traditions do varry I haue sufficiently discouered before For whereas Christ is an infallible principle ground of the Apostolicke doctrine and whereas the chiefe pillers of the Euangelicall buildyng do stand principally vpon this poynt to preach vnto vs euerlasting life promised by the freé gift of God through fayth in Iesu Christ euen by this one marke may easily be discerned of what value and estimation the whole state of the Romish religioÌ„ may be accounted which doth not direct vs to Christ but to the Pope not to the onely sonne of God but to the sonnes of
S. Paule in so many his Epistles doth so earnestly enforce That is to say That we should ascribe all the hope of our saluatiō in Iesu Christ onely and in him alone repose all our whole ankerhold of righteousnesse not in our selues but in the sonne of God not in the law of workes but in the law of fayth not in the preceptes of godly lyfe as Augustine witnesseth but in the fayth of Iesu Christ not in the letter but in the spirite not in the merites of good deédes but in the mercy of God Finally after that sorte in his mercy that we should not accoumpt this mercy to be mercy at all accordyng to the saying of Augustine vnlesse it bee altogether freély geuen How now are Christiās now a dayes straighted in such brambles that it may not be lawfull to speake franckely in the congregatiō the selfe same which the Prophetes Apostles Christ him selfe the holy Ghost and the purest Authours of auncient antiquitie haue set downe in writyng but that the partie so doyng shal be forthwith detected as though hee practized to subuert all honestie and vertuous endeuour and shal be constrayned to pleade for him selfe as if he were arrayned a cōmō Barretour and had committed some haynous horrible and execrable fact more detestable then high Treason Neither are these all the crimes yet wherewith this Tertullian rayler doth rage in his raylyng but crawleth foreward by enceasing degreées of amplificatiō For beyng not satisfied to haue accused Luther as an vndermyner of all honestye and vertue to haue cutte in peéces the very sinewes of godly exercise and vertuous endeuour besides this horrible accusatiō he chargeth him also with a crime passing all measure intollerable And what is that Bycause sayth he hee doth wrest the mynde and wisedome of Paule to serue his owne lust And redoublyng the same agayne in other wordes bycause he will not seéme to be an vnskilfull Ciceronian hee addeth further And he doth abuse the testimonies of holy Scriptures to establish his owne vnshamefastnesse c. Where Syr I pray you For sooth in sundry places of the Apostle and especially in the Epistle written to the Romanes Wherein bycause it shall not onely bee conceaued in mynde but also perceaued by the viewe how disorderly Luther the Standard bearer of all heritiques and his Cabbenmate Haddon and all the counterfaites of this new Gospell haue alwayes hetherto in the interpretation of that Epistle gropyngly lyke nightowles lumpred in darkenesse Let vs all and euery of vs open our eyes eares now and lysten to this new starte vp Prophet whiles this our most elegant Tertullus sittyng at high deske may instruct vs all blockyshe Asseheades and as it were an other Archymenides with lyne vpon the sande chalke vs out a way and set vp some speciall markes whereby we may finde out the lyuely naturall sence mynde and meanyng of that Epistle And first of all concernyng the Gentiles bycause he may begyn with them as Paule doth he sayth that it is euident enough that they were enlightened with a singular gift of nature endued with excellent vnderstādyng adorned and beautified with wonderfull ornamentes of Nature Who hath euer denyed this Goe to what followeth hereof Wherefore for asmuch as this so great force of nature excellencie of vnderstandyng knowledge in learnyng yea so great worthynesse of reason and capacitie could auayle nothyng at all with the Gentiles to perfect and righteous liuyng for they did exceede in all iniquitie and outragious lust thereby appeareth playnely that nature was voyde of all ayde and helpe to attayne the righteousnesse of eternall lyfe And this much by the waye touchyng the Gentiles From whom after the Apostle had remoued away all confidence whiche was vsually ascribed to the law of nature he turneth his speach forthwith to the Iewes And bycause the Iewes them selues did in lyke maner place their whole affiaunce in those shadowes and outward ceremonies The Apostle likewise yea more sharpely also inueyeth agaynst them declaryng that all those Ceremonies of the law and Ordinaunces prescribed by Moyses did profite them nothyng at all whereby they might bee any iote more restrained from running headlong into all kynde of wickednesse nothyng lesse enclined to all filthynesse of conuersation neither any myte lesse estraunged from vertuous endeuour then the prophane Gentiles whereby appeareth that the effect of Paules Conclusion tēdeth to this end To make this manifest that neither nature nor the Ceremonies of Moses law that is to say washyngs Sacrifices clensinges Circumcision and such like corporall ordinaunces with the cōfidence wherof that people did swell and were puft vp in pride did take away sinne or did any thyng at all auayle to righteousnes By this discourse of Osorius I doubt not gentle Reader but that thou doest sufficiently vnderstand if thou bee of any capacitie what the meanyng of Paule and the whole sence and disposition of his doctrine in this Epistle to the Romanes doth purporte accordyng to Osorius his Diuinitie That is to say That we may learne how that we may not hope for any ayde towards our Saluatiō frō nature or any ordinaūces of the old law which beyng graūted it remaineth further to learne out of this Oracle of our great Maister from whence we ought at length to seéke for the true way of Saluation and in what poynt it chiefly consisteth forsooth in righteousnes saith he that is to say as Osorius doth define it In Eschewyng sinne and earnestly embracyng all godlynesse vertue and pietie vnto the which righteousnesse onely we ought to referre all surety and ankerhold of our saluation And hereupō is coyned a new Oracle not from Delphos in Boeotia but forged by Osorius in the wildernes of Syluain worthy to be Registred to eternitie of all people and tounges For righteousnesse onely sayth he doth reconcile God to mankynde The man hath spoken This mystery beyng exquisitely piked out of the hiddē mysteries of Diuinitie sithence Osorius requireth so earnestly to be graunted him without contradiction what shall become of that Fayth onely wherewith those Lutheranes and Bucerans do prattle so much them selues to be iustified by Nay rather what shall become of any Fayth at all Osorius if the onely righteousnesse of workes doe accomplish the absolute fulnesse of our Iustification Oingenious head and wonderfull deépe conclusion framed through conference of reasons and apt application of the middle proposition with the first and Clarckely concludyng and shuttyng vp the same into one knotte together Unlesse this our deépe Deuine had cunnyngly culled this Argument out of the closet of the Popes own breast as out of some horsepoole within whose bosome all knowledge of God and man is enclosed or vnlesse this Endymyon had soundly snorted in Aristotles Ethickes as it were in the hill Parnassus can any man doubt whether hee could euer haue bene able so happely to haue pearced into the inward and hidden meanyng of the Apostles
doctrine with so great sharpenesse and force of witte and vnderstandyng or haue euer descried the sence therof so effectually and discouered it so aboundauntly Why doe we not triumphauntly reioyce in this happynesse of learnyng in this blessed estate of the Catholicke people this our age be ioyfull for the good successe of that notable Realme of Portingall especially Which beyng otherwise renowmed for the great treasure of their trade in Marchādizes is yet become most fortunate in respect of this inestimable Iewell of the world which except in this great darkenesse of vnderstandyng had gratified vs with this wonderfull Deuine who might restore vnto lyfe all pietie Religiō suppressed by Luther who could with such singularitie expresse the meanyng of Paule beyng sinisterly corrupted after the sensualitie of naughtie packes and could so exquisitely haue hitte the nayle on the head all men might iustly haue doubted lest Diuinity should haue growē into great perill of vtter vndoing haue bene throwē into an vnrecouerable downfall For what mā in the world would haue interpreted Paules Epistle in this wise if he had not heard this mā before Truely I for my part and others like vnto me beyng not inspired with so profoūde deépe capacity did alwayes heretofore conceaue of the matter after this maner That the Apostles whole endeuour and trauaile in that Epistle tēded to none other end then by makyng men behold the greatnesse of Gods wrath first agaynst sinne hee might the better enduce them to perceaue and feéle how all nations and people aswell Heathenishe as the Iewes also them selues chiefly continuyng in the profession of Gods law were yet concluded vnder sinne and so might dispoyle them all of all matter to glorye vpon and so hauyng humbled and brought them into subiection before God might rayse agayne their comfort in Christ by denouncyng vnto them firme assured hope wherewith who soeuer did as then or would beleue in him afterwardes should obteine euerlastyng lyfe not through the merite of any worke but by the especiall grift of the freé promise not for our worthynesse but for our faythe 's sake simply without workes that the promise might be infallible not through any our merite which is none at all but by the mercy of God not accordyng to the proportion of that singular righteousnesse whiche is of our selues and peculiar to euery of vs but accordyng to that righteousnesse whiche is through the fayth of Christ Iesu whiche is of God euen that onely righteousnesse which is through fayth I haue bene alwayes hetherto persuaded that this was the very naturall meanyng and sence of Paules doctrine and this the right rule of Iustification neither could I euer gesse that when Paule pronounceth vs to bee Iustified by fayth without deédes of the law that part of the law was excluded onely which did treate of Ceremonies and had relation to the body and apperteined not to the soule But I accordyng to my grosse dulnesse rather did conceaue of his saying in this wise and not I alone but many other good men iarryng alwayes vppon the same stryng mistooke the note as I did and were of opinion that Paule by that his exemption did not exclude the Ceremoniall and shadowishe law onely which serued the letter onely but that most absolute and perfect part of the law also indifferently whereof he maketh his whole discourse in that Epistle the whiche also he doth note by name to be spirituall and sayth that it procureth wrath which was common to the Iewes and Gentiles all alyke Euen the same part of the law whiche commaundeth that thou shalt not lust by examination whereof Sinne is discerned Finally the same handwrityng conteyned in the tenne Tables written agaynst vs which was fastened vpon the Crosse of Christ. Bycause all those sayinges could not bee referred to the Ceremoniall law but to that part of the law whiche was conteyned in the preceptes of maners we could neuer otherwise interprete the sense meanyng of the Apostle then by such comparison of his owne wordes together vntill this new Doctour had published to the world this new light of Exposition Cōsideryng therfore the matter is in this plight It remayneth now gentle Reader that I appeale to thy Iudgement and abyde thy verdite herein whether it may seéme to theé that Luther haue wrested the mynde and wordes of the Apostle after his lust or Osorius rather haue peruerted the same to his owne folly But goe to I thinke good now to note the Argumentes wherewith Osorius iudgeth him selfe to be strongly fenced If Paule sayth he had sayd that the Iewes were commēdable for their integritie and innocencie of lyfe and yet that those deedes of godlynes did nothyng auayle them to attayne righteousnesse and so had concluded afterwardes that they were not iustified through the workes of the law the matter would then haue opened it selfe that by the name of workes he did meane the best actions and dueties of vertue Here is a strong foundation enough I suppose of an infallible Sillogisme deliuered vnto you attende now the other proposition of the same But this sayth hee is not founde in that whole discourse of Paule nay rather hee doth condemne them as guiltie of all wickednesse and crueltie This groundworke beyng this layd it remayneth that we rāme fast this buildyng vp with some good morter which in the maner of a conclusion is applyed in this wise Therfore Paule doth rightly conclude that where he affirmeth no man to be iustified through the deedes of the law he meaneth that the Ceremonies shadowes and Cleansinges of the law which consisted in outward obseruation dyd nothyng at all profite to the attaynemēt of Righteousnesse O passing pearcyng witte of Chrysippus O miserable Luther vtterly ouerthrowen with this Argument But goe to let vs ayde Luther somewhat and helpe to vnloose this Gordian knotte if it bee possible And although we may vtterly deny the forme of this Argument at the first choppe bycause it conteineth more in the cōclusion then was spoken of in the premisses yet either pardonyng or wynking at this escape Let vs examine the substaunce of the first proposition If Paule quoth he had perceaued the life of the Iewes to haue bene vndefiled and all the endeuoures and workes of their lyfe sincere and perfect and then had concluded that no man had bene Iustified by the workes of the law c. In deéde good Syr I confesse the same to bee true If the Apostle had perceaued this at the first and then had added that also that you speake it might happely then in some respect haue followed as you haue conclucluded But it could not bee possible Osorius that the Apostle would euer speake after that sorte For it is euident by Gods Scripture that it is impossible but that he which performeth the Commaundementes shall liue by them Wherfore if their conuersation had bene voyde of all blame and with like integritie
no wise of the Morall law Ueryly I would not much sticke with you herein good sir if accordyng to your Logicke it may be lawfull to deriue a conclusion from the part to the whole But what kynde of Argument is this or who instructed you to frame an Argument in this sorte In some places Osorius sporteth bitterly enough vsing his Rhetoricall digressioÌ„s and is sometymes very pleasauntly disposed to play with Haddones Schoolemaister his nose who soeuer hee were that enformed him in the principles of Rhetoricke when hee was young but how much more iust cause might I take here if a man would vse the offered occasioÌ„ to geue the counter scoffe agaynst your own Maister quareller whosoeuer he was whiche nooseled your youth in Logicke and taught you so foolishly and senselesly to make bald ArgumeÌ„ts and to fetche a Conclusion from an vnsufficient numbryng of partes to affirme the whole For this is your disordered order of arguyng in this place Paule once or twise or perhaps speakyng oftentymes of the law hath relation to the Ceremoniall law Ergo wheresoeuer hee maketh any discourse about the law of God there his meanyng tendeth to the same construction eueÌ„ through his whole discourse and in all his Epistles Nay rather if you did vnderstand Paule throughly and would not crookedly wrest his meanyng after your owne grosse sensualitie Ye should easily perceaue that by way of Negatiue hee doth orderly proceéde after the surest maner of arguyng from the whole to the partes and from the vniuersall to the particular For if the vniuersall proposition may iustly be denyed it followeth of necessitie that the particular propositioÌ„s may not be admitted As where he doth say No workes at all of the law do Iustifie ye may duely conclude hereof Ergo neither the Ceremoniall Morall Naturall Politicke Ciuill nor any other law doth worke Iustification And marke here Osorius how much I doe beare with you when as I doe cut of so much of myne owne right vnto you whiche you could neuer bee able by Argument to wynne at my handes For to admit the foundation of your Argument which is otherwise altogether false we will yet for this present tyme graunt it to seéme true as you would your selfe it should bee that when Paule doth reason of the law he doth chiefly meane thereby the Ceremoniall law Yet what a monstruous Argument is this whereby ye trauaile to coÌ„firme the affirmation of one part by the nagation of the other part in this wise Paule doth deny that the Ceremoniall law doth Iustifie the Iewes Ergo the Morall lawe doth Iustifie them Nay rather how much more soundly should you haue reasoned turning your coÌ„clusion backward If the Ceremoniall law which was the principall substauÌ„ce of Moyses law doe not Iustifie Ergo neither any other part of the law doth Iustifie Albeit I will not deny but that in the very swathlyng cloutes of the primitiue Church many doubts arose amongest the Disciples them selues touchyng the reteinyng of Moyses Ceremonies in so much that Peter him selfe durst not be so bold as to receaue Cornelius the Captaine into the felowshyp of the Gospell before he was coÌ„maunded by the heauenly Oracle Neither could the strife about the Ceremoniall law be yet so appeased amongest the brethreÌ„ for the false Apostles and such as were of the Circumcision did stiffely as it were with tooth and nayle defende the obseruaunces of the Ceremoniall law neither would geue their consent that the Gentiles should be receaued into the coÌ„gregation vnlesse they would be Circumcized after Moyses law and endeuoured all that they could to charge the Christians with the yoke of the Ceremoniall law Vntill in a Counsell holden at Ierusalem the holy Ghost did determine that the Gentiles should not be charged with any Iudaicall Traditions except a very fewe onely And it is not to be doubted as Osorius doth say that Paule had much adoe in euery place about this Ceremoniall law yea and dealt ofteÌ„tymes therein not without manifest perill of lyfe Yet all this whiles appeared not so much as one sparckle of dissention or doubtfulnesse nor any one question was raysed amongest the brethren agaynst the Morall law the keépyng whereof was yet adiudged most necessary The controuersie remayned as yet about the Ceremonies customes of Moyses law At the last when this question was decided further enquirie began to be made afterwardes of that part of the law which seémed to challenge chief authoritie and especiall gouernement ouer the consciences of men And euen here through the inestimable benefite of GOD sprang vp vnto vs S. Paule Who first of all did call backe the controuersie of this question from the speciall or particular to the generall or vniuersall disputing not onely of the outward Ceremonies but of the whole doctrine of the Morall law also Whereunto I suppose hee was moued not without great cause For he had an incklyng surely that the very same thyng would ensue thereof which afterwardes came to passe That the Ceremoniall law beyng once made altogether vneffectuall many persons would wrongfully ascribe their freé Iustification purchased with the bloud of Iesus Christ to the workes of the Morall law which thyng as Paule did foreseé in the false Apostles the selfe same wee may easily perceaue now to happen in our Pharisaicall Rabbynes in these our dayes and amongest all other in this our Osorius chiefly at this present wherfore it is not to be doubted but that S. Paule was raysed vp by the speciall prouidence of God euen for this purpose who discoursing throughly vpon the whole law and vpon the effect vse office and end of the law doth fully describe vnto vs how much we ought to attribute to our workes and how much we ought to yelde to the grace of God herein discouereth the very well-sprynges of sounde doctrine finally declareth vnto vs whiche is the false and which is the true righteousnesse in the sight of God and wherein the same doth consist Likewise whereunto it ought not be referred Not to workes sayth he for no man liuyng shal be Iustified by workes Well then if not by workes how then Through Fayth sayth he in Iesu Christ. Yet is not this all that he speaketh But adding thereunto a proofe he yeldeth this reason Bycause if through workes sayth he then is it not now of promise After this maner teacheth Paule both learnedly and playnly But our Osorius practizeth to wype away this negatiue proposition of Paule with a trimme shift as though Paule in all those places where he dischargeth workes from Iustification did meane nothyng els but that no man should repose trust of assured sauetie in the Ceremoniall law onely Uery well then is it reason that he teach vs whereupon we should grounde our Affâ—aunce Veryly in Fayth sayth the Apostle Paule and so in Fayth that if in workes then not in Fayth at all This is truely spoken by the Apostle But
what sayth Osorius in the Ceremonies of the old law no not so for that were altogether Iewish in Fayth therfore neither yet so in any wise for this is the very doctrine of Luther Uouchsafe therfore a good felowshyp Osorius to escry out one safe Hauen for vs wherein we poore forlorne abiectes may cast Anker saue our selues frō shipwracke Forsooth in workes sayth Osorius and in keépyng the prescribed rules of vertuous lyfe That is to say in Innocencie in chastitie in modestie in abstinence in vprightnesse of mynde in holynesse of Religion in feruentnesse of the spirite in aboūdaunce of the loue of God in earnest endeuour of godlynesse in deédes of righteousnesse dueties of pietie in geuyng much almonesse in obedience in keépyng peacible vnitie and such like ornamentes treasures wherof Osorius in many wordes maketh a long rehearsall Of all whiche vertues there is not so much as one croome or sparckle in these Lutherans and Buceranes and these new Gospellers thē which kynde of people nothyng can bee named more wicked nothyng thought vpon more pestiferous nothyng more troublesome in the common wealth nothyng more readyly armed to rayse maliciousnesse to sow contentious quarelles strife enemitie nothyng more pernicious to procure the destruction of Princes none more geuē to bloudsuckyng and Treason who beyng embrued with all wickednesse licentiousnesse libertie lust with all manner shamelessenesse crueltie and madnesse outragiously rushe into all places whereby they may thrust their Gospell in place and defile all thynges with filthy stenche wheresoeuer they make neuer so litle abode they corrupt the land with trecherous villanies finally they doe poyson the ayre they doe abandone chastitie geue full scope to voluptuousnesse roote out all feare of Gods law and mans law and in all this outrage they promise vnpunishable libertie On the contrary parte I meane in the Court of Rome and in all that most sacred Citie florisheth a farre other maner of countenaunce and Maiestie of seuere discipline and vertuous lyfe And first of all in that most royall hygh and chief Prelate and most renowmed Monarche of all Prelates sittyng in Peters owne chayre In those Reuerend estates of the Tridentine Councell in the worshypfull Massemongers of the Romish Church in the great Doctours of that old Gospel in Monasteries and Dorters the very forgeshops of most pure doctrine in the most chast Selles of holy Nunnes finally in all that sacred Senate and Catholicke people no such Presidentes of wickednesse and abhomination may bee seene no spotte so much of corrupt infection raigneth no ambition no lust no insolencie neither any kynde of malice no quarellyng no crueltie no foule or vnseémely thyng sauoryng of any earthly contagion can be discernable amongest this generation But whole heapes yea huge mountaines of godly and heauealy store doth florishe and abounde no vnquietnesse or molestation of Empires and Princely gouernement no seéde plottes of mortall warres no shew so much of bloudy battell no Treason no ouerthrowe of Kynges and publicke authoritie nor any seditious plātes of cōtentious discorde finally no earthly thyng in the secret closettes of the Romishe Court in so much that if Diogenes would in midday with torche in hād prye neuer so narrowly he should no be able to finde in all the Citie of Rome one Harlot or strumpet so much To conclude it is not possible to heare amōgest that most sacred Catholicke conuenticle any sounde of cauillation at all no mutteryng of outragious slaunders no blaste of cunnyngly forged lyes wherof as all others of that sect are cleare so are these bookes of Osorius chiefly most purely purged wherein appeareth no smatche of brabling distempered affections no lyeng slaunder nor iarre of erronious doctrine no significatiō of a mynde troubled and seuered from the Castle of Reason But all thynges are debated and expounded with peaceble gentlenesse quyet tranquillitie of mynde wonderfull lenitie and mildenesse not with rigorous and malicious wordes not with slaunderous carterlike reproches but with inuincible Argumētes as forcible as the dartes of Achilles or Hector discharged I thinke out of the very guttes of the Troian horse nothyng vttered to the vayne ostentatiō of witte or reuengemēt of spightfull hatred as it were in Triumphe of victory fie beware of that gentle Reader but of a very simple earnest desire to aduaunce vertue pietie for this especiall cause forsooth that those sparkes and Embres of honesty and godlynesse which Luther hath raked vp buryed and vtterly quenched out might once agayne be quickened and florishe in that most sacred Seé of Rome These euen these same bee the workes if ye will neédes know them Catholicke Reader and good deédes of those men wherewith they doe prepare an entyre to true righteousnesse and furnish their iourney to heauen and wherewith as it were with ladders they clymbe by steppe to the purchase of eternall inheritaunce And how els this euen this must bee the right way to heauen But in the meane space with how many foggy and thicke cloudes hath S. Paule the seruaunt of God Apostle of Iesus Christ ouerwhelmed the Christiā people And into how deépe and darkened doungeons hath he drowned our senses Who albeit was rapt into the thyrd heauen had not as yet conceaued this incomprehensible wisedome out of the very forgeshops of mysticall Philosophy Belike he could not escry throughout all the heauens this hidden secret that men are not Iustified by workes but are made righteous by the Fayth of the sonne of God so by fayth that in no respect by workes Finally that the especiall meanes and singular substaunce of our Iustification is in this sorte to bee wayed as that it may not be attayned els where then in Christ onely nor by any other meanes then through Fayth onely in Christ. But if S. Paule had not receaued this doctrine from heauen or had not taught vs the doctrine which he receaued from thence or if you for your part Osorius had disputed after this sort as ye teach now in any Paynyme common wealth or before any Ethnicke Philosophers or amongest the Iewes or Turkes it might happely haue come to passe I suppose that this your Aristotlelike Iustice might haue obteined at the least some resemblaunce of truth or perhappes crept into some credite nay rather it is not to bee doubted but if the Iewes them selues or Turkes were now consederate with you in Portingall in the same Argument they could not scarsely alledge any other proofes then you bryng forth vnto vs at this present neither would I thinke expoūde the same in any other phrase of words then your selfe do vse But now for as much as we contend not together in Tullies Tusculane questions nor in his Academycall probabilities nor in Platoes common wealth nor in the Iewishe Thalmude ne yet in the Turkes Alcaron but in the Churche of Iesu Christ surely ye ought to haue regarded the place chiefly where you were when ye wrate this
doctrine And in the meane time to passe ouer that whereat I cannot choose but laugh I meane this addicion not ioyned with any rashe or vayne confidence As though any one thing vnder the heauens can be more arrogant vayne thē that perswasion of yours whereby you are wont to bring poore simple soules in beliefe that such as are buryed in the cowle weéde of a Francifcane Fryer are forthwith defensible enough agaynst all the Deuilles and furies of hell Againe in buing your pardōs who soeuer shall make best stake with you as soone as theyr coyne shall cry chink in your boxes shall haue as many soules as they will deliuered out of purgatory and send them vp presently fleéing rype to heauen To passe ouer in the meane tyme other gamboldes toyes not a few in nūber much more foolish apishe then these being desirous to make an end once not for lack of such good matter more then sufficient Euen as fruiolous and vayne may I say is all the rest that followeth concerning your Church vpon the which when yeé haue bestowed neuer so many delicate colours and besmeaared her with neuer so freshe and oryent oyles berduers yet shall you seeme to doe nothing but bedawbe olde rotten putrified walles with new morter Let no man sinisterly interprete of these wordes as spoken agaynst the true church of Christ. I do knowe and confesse that Christ neuer wanted neyther shall euer want his Church which shall continue one vniforme holy Apostolicke and truely Catholicke which being builded vpon the rock of the Apostles shall enioy generall participation in one body and within one bowells as it were with the whole cōmunion of all the saynetes and godly faythfull throughout all the whole world And I cannot wonder enough truely with what face you dare so hedge vp within the boundes of the Romish particuler Church onely this vniuersall Church which is not restrayned within any limittes of place nor tytles of persōs by the publique authoritie of the christian Fayth but is dispersed abroad generally and without compasse farre and wide vpon the face of the whole earth wheresoeuer the Apostolique Fayth is of any force in so much that to your seéming may beé no Catholique Church now but that Romishe at Rome from which your Church and Synagogue ye banish and expell all such as professe Christ after any other maner then after the Romish Fashion none otherwise then as if they professe no Fayth nor followed any order of any Church at all And hereof aryseth that your crabbed and snappish accusation agaynst Luther Melanchton Zuinglius Caluine Haddon and others not because they are not Christianes but because they are not Romanistes not because they haue swarued an heare breadth from the doctrine of the Apostles and Euangelistes but because they will not become treacherous traytours agaynst the Apostles and the expresse worde of God as your high Bishop is O singuler cause O profound and Catholique accusation But how wisely should you haue done in this if you hadde brought to passe that it might haue bene notified to the Christian people that your Romish Church were and is a sound member of the true Church of Christ rather then that the vniuersalitie of Christes Church should be forced to so narrow a hoale of subiection as Rome is For this sufficeth not Osorius though you cry out a thousād times wider the you do that your church was foūded by Christ established by the Apostles defēded with the army of Martirs amplified beautified with the traditions of godly men and made strong and for euer inuincible agaynst all the battery and countermoyles of Heretiques by power of the holy ghost without the whiche no hope of Saluation may be hoped for c. If besides vayne crakes of smoky speeches ye shewe no demonstration of sounde proofe why these bragges of yours should be true let vs graunt your saying Or els if onely speeches shall be credited and if to babble and prate whatsoeuer a man listeth may like you to allow of for an vndoughted Oracle Why may not I as well with the like lauishnes of tongue gene lill for loll and saye that thys Church of Rome whereupon you bragge so much was neuer erected by Christ but hath degēdered frō Christ vnto Antichrist from the auncient primer paterne of the primitiue Church of Rome to a certayne new fangled kynde of lyfe doctrine not Instituted by the Apostles but frō the Apostles quite fallen away into Apostasye not garded with the army of Martyrs but gorged embrued yea and drucken with the bloud slaughter of infinite Martyrs such so many as neuer any Nero or Maxentius did euer send more to heauē thē this Babilonicall strūpeth hath done Now where you adde beautified with the traditions of holy and godly men and made strong and for euer inuincible against all assaults and battrry of Heretiques and shall so continue permanent by the ayd of the holy Ghost Truely in these very wordes you feéme to resemble those persons which in the Prophett did call darcknes light and light darcknes euill good and good euill First as concerning mens traditions how holy those men were I know not this is most true that your Church is fully fraught with traditions and doctrine of men in deed in so much that who so shall vncloache your Church of those traditions and Implementes of mens patcheries shall leaue her altogether naked without all kynde of furniture to couer her shame except it be a poore ragge of Moyses Iaunitas solitudo Haue we not heard the Romishe church very notably defended by this Camille Camell I had almost sayd now sake an other vnuāquishable argumēt such as all the Heretiques wedges with all their Beatelles and malles can not beate abroad when they haue done all that they can where he knitteth vpp the knott forsooth on this wise Agaynst all the assaultes of Heretiques defensible by the power of the holy ghost shall cōtinue inuinciblefor euer How shall this be knowne forsooth because the Numa of our age Osorius doth Iustifie the same with hys wordes who is no more able to make a lye then the Pope is able to erre what remayneth therefore for vs to do but that beyng vanquished with the truth we become the Popes vassalles and worshippe the foothstoole of hys feete But to aunswere briefly to this Parrotte I will demaund this one thing first not of Osor. but of the whole brotherhood fraternitie of Shauelinges If they beleue themselues to be so garded by the power and force of the holyghost agaynst all the assaultes of heretiques as this reuerend Lord the Lord Bishop of Sylu doth boast why do they vphold their pylfe with such outrage and Tirannye with such boochery and blood with such horrible burninges stiflinges fryer fagotts emprisonmentes Rackinges Constrayntes to recantation Famine and sword Finally with all maner of horrible tortures without
haue taught They acknowledge him to be heauenly you make him earthly Theyr doctrine doth rayse vs from the earth vppe on high where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Your doctrine what doth it whereunto tendeth it whether doth it call the mindes of Christians but from aboue downeward out of heauen into the earth withdrawing the senses from the Spirite to the flesh So that we must seéke for Christ there not where he is but where you imagine him to be present The Apostle Paule when he preacheth vnto vs the liuely feature of this Christ who taking vpon him the shape of a Seruaunt suffered death in the same shape once for our sinnes vnder Pontius Pilate and afterwardes accomplishing the mistery of our redemption rose agayne for our iustification doth teach vs playnly that he ascended into heauen not leauing his body wherein he suffered behinde him here on earth but taking vpp the same body into heauen was with the same receiued into glory whom also he affirmeth he knew no more now according to his fleshlye presence that is to say according to the capacity of his carnall senses And that besides this Christ onely he knew none other Christ nor this Christ otherwise then according to the new creature onely namely visible in spirite with the eyes of fayth and not with fleshlye eies Let vs make now a comparison betwixt this Christ of our Gospell with that your Christ of the Pope in the same manner as you do fashion him and make a gaze of him to the eies and eares of the people after the order of your Gospel which seémeth to me to be after this manner not as hauing taken vpon him the shape of a seruaunt but the forme of bread is in the same forme of bread and vnder the accidents of bread made of wheat set out to the gaze of the people to be tooted vpon and is of Christians worshipped and offered to God the Father and this not once but dayly not vnder Pontius Pilate but vnder the Pope of Rome not a Sacrifice onely for the quicke but for the soules in Purgatory also to the washing away of theyr synnes Which Sacrifice being ended he is buried in deéd but buryed or rather drowned in the paunch of a priest from whence he neither riseth agayne nor ascendeth afterwardes but descendeth rather nor is euer looked for to come agayne from thence And this is that same Christ not the Euangelicall Christ but the Papisticall and poeticall Christ whom thought the Apostles or Euangelistes neuer knew yet must we be enforced will we nyll we to honor and worshippe neuerthelesse as the very Sauiour of the world forsooth Whom may not suffice to lift vppe hartes and mindes on high to him onely which dwelleth in heauen vnlesse we also lift vppe our fleshly eyes to this visible Christ and kneéle and crootche vnto him with great reuerence yea although the eyes themselues do behold nothing but bread and wine yet the eyes must lye and all the sences must be deceiued neither may in any wise be reputed other then verye herityques but in despyght of eyes and senses all we must of infallible persuasion of fayth firmely beleue that it is now no more bread and wine that is seéne But the bread and wine being thrust cleane on t of dores Chryst onely yea whole Christ doth possesse euery part of that place who though be not present in his owne naturall shape nor in the same proportion of body which he tooke of the Uirgine Mary yet in the selfe same nature trueth substaunce Identity notwithstanding vnder other formes forsooth and yet not figuratiuely but truely most absolutely perfectly and fully must in the same whole body and the same naturall blood be contayned felt seene and without all contradition worshipped These be the misteries of your diuinity as I suppose by the which you haue begotten vnto the world a new Christ I knowe not whom altogether an other Christ neuer borne of the Uirgine Mary doubtles whom the Gospell neuer knew nor the Apostles euer taught nor the Euangelystes euer saw I adde also whom neuer any of you hath seéne hetherto yet nor shall euer seé hereafter And yet these so wittelesse so dotish and monstruous deuises of drowsy dreames then which nothing can be spoken or imagyned more false and more monstruous you shame not at all to vaunt to be most auntient and most true as the Gabyonites of olde time did theyr shooes And for the same your Popish Christ made of bread you stick not to aduēture limm life more earnestly then for the true Glory of that Christ whom we do most certaynely know to be in heauen where also we do worshippe him And euen this doth your horrible butchery of an infinite number of our Martyres declare to be true by most plain and euident demonstration With the blood of whom because your holy mother the church seémeth so beastly dronken long sithence this one thing would I fayne learne of you what special cause was it that enforced you to vtter such outrage in the shedding of so much blood of your naturall brethren was it because they defrauded Christ the Sonne of God which was borne for our sakes crucified rose agayne ascended vp into heauē sitting now a Lord in heauē of one dramm so much of his due honor nothing lesse Was it because they abused or defiled the Gospel I thinke not so Was it because they brake the auntient ordinaūces and approued doctrine of the holy Apostles and Prophettes in any one thing or because they went beyond the bondes prescribed by the auntient fathers none of all these But the cause was for that they refused to allow of that newfangled and vpstart Idoll of the Popish Masse and that lately sprōg vppe Breadworshippe contrary to the doctrine of the Apostles yea contrary to Christ himselfe and because they would not in this behalfe be as furiously franticke as the Papistes themselues In the meane time we speake not this as though we were of opiniō that Sacramentes should be defrauded of theyr dewe honor For it is one thing to reuerence the Sacramentes accordyngly and an other thyng to conuert the Sacramente of Christ into Christ him selfe and to worshippe earthly Sygnes for the heauenly Christ in the one whereof is a kynde of Religion in the other manifest Idolatry To the whiche wanteth nothyng now but that they chaunt lustely together with Ieroboam These be thy Gods O Israell But we shall be vrged perhappes with the wordes of Christ in the Gospell This is my body c. As though in the wordes of Christ which be Spirite and life it be so rare vnaccustomed phrase of speaking to vse Tropes and figures now and then seing there is no kinde of doctrine that more vsually delighteth in figures Tropes parables Similitudes metaphors allegoryes mysteryes thē the mystycall speéch of the sacred
the Fathers and Elders which did apperteine to the well ordering and gouernmēt of outward discipline Yet euen in these was such a moderation consonauncy obserued as should nether extinguishe the glory of the Gospell nor entāgle consciences with combersome charge but serue onely for preseruation of necessarye orders For due obseruation of the which was graunted to the Church a certayne authoritye and power to dispose and determine according to the nature of places and necessitye of tymes such thinges as might seéme most agreéable and couenable for their assemblies But this authority hedged in as it were within her certein limits and boundes as was but humaine so forced it not such a necessitye of obseruance as did those other commaunded immediately from God For lyke consideration may not be taken of humaine precepts commaunded by men onely as must be had of thordinaunces of God Hereof commeth it that the breach or not performaunce of that one being done without arrogant cōtēpt or reprochful disdayn is not punishable as mortall deadly sinne In lyke maner the godly ministers of the Church were not without their due honor and authority yet such it was as exceéded not the appointed lymittes and measure For as then function ecclesiasticall was a Ministery and seruice not a Maistry or Lordshippe which consisteth in two thinges chiefly In preaching the worde and ministring the Sacraments and in directing outward discipline and ordering maners and misdemeanours In which kinde of ministery although cōmaundement be geuē to yeald due obediēce vnto the pastors yea though we heare these wordes spoken of Ministers He that heareth you heareth me Yet tend they not to this end that they may after their owne wittes and pleasures make new innouations frame new fashions of doctrine and coyne new Sacraments thrust in new worshippings and new Gods or thereby to erect a kingdome in the Church But their whole power and authoritye is restrayned to the prescript rule of the Gospell not to dispence and dispose thinges after their owne luste but to be the dispensors and disposers of the misteries of God Wherevpon in matters appertayning to Gods Lawe conscience is bound to yealde due obediēce to the pastoures according to this saying He that refuseth you refuseth me In other thinges that concerne the Tradicions of men or that haue no assurance of their creation by any principle of doctrine herein ought speciall regard to be had First to what end they are commaunded then also by what authoritye they are brought into the Church For the ordinaunces which are thrust in vnder such maner and condition as may enfeéble true confidence in the Mediator as may dispoyle cōsciences of their freédome and ouerthrowe the maiestie of gods grace or are linked together with a vayne opinion of righteousnes of worshipping of remission of sinnes of merites of Saluation or of vnauoydable necessitye Such I say ought without all respect to be hauished and abandoned as pestilent batches from the communion and congregation of the Church Consideration also must be had of the difference betwixt these thinges which the Church doth charge mens consciences withall by mans authoritye onely and the thinges which are established and proclaimed by the expresse word and commaundement of God For although the Church may of duety require a certein subiuection to the ecclesiasticall ministers as that we ought to obey the ordinaunces that are instituted for preseruation of ciuill societye and couenable decency Yet must the ministers be well aduised least vnder pretence and colour of ecclesiasticall authoritie they eyther commaund the things that are not expedient or oppresse the simple people with vnmeasurable Burdeines or thinke with them selues that the Church is tyed of neccessity to any Lawes established by men Euen so and the same that hath bene spoken of mēs Constitutions may in effect be applyed to Iudicall Courts Iudgementes For although authoritye be committed to the Church to iudge and determine of doctrines and outward misdemeanours although the resolution of doubtfull cōtrouersies the discouerie and opening of matters obscure the declaring and debatyng of matters confuse the reformation and amendement of matters amysse be left ouer to the Censure and iudgement of the Church many tymes Yet is not this ordinary authoritye so arbitrary and absolute but is also fast tyed to the direct rule of the worde So that in matters of controuersie this Authoritie came conclude commaunde nothing but that which the word of the Gospel must make warrantable Neither hath this authoritye any such prerogatiue to make any alteration of Gods Scriptures or to forge false and vntrue interpretations which may auaile to establishe an authoritye of men or of orders or to make any new articles of fayth or to bring in straunge Inuocations which are directly repugnant to the manifest authoritye of the Scriptures And therfore we creditt the Church as a Mistres and a teacher foreshewing the truth yet after an other maner altogether then as we be bound to obey the word of the Gospell preached in the Church by the mouth of Gods faythfull ministers which authoritye when they put in execution according to the authoritye of Gods word we doe beleue them yet so neuerthelesse beleue them as that our creditt is not grounded now vpon the testimonie of the Church nor vpon men but vpon the worde of God namely because their iudgemēt is agreable and consonant with the rule of the sacred scriptures and with a free confession of the Godly iudging directly accordyng to the voyce and worde of God The Church therfore hath authoritie in decyding controuersies of doctrine Yet so that it selfe must be ouerruled by the authoritie of the word Otherwise the Church hath neither authoritye nor iudgement contrary to the consonancy of the Scriptures In lyke maner in discipline and reformation of maners the Church may determine and iudge But here also consideration must be had of the differēce For the censures ecclesiasticall are of one kinde but Iudgements temporall of an other kinde For in forinsicall and temporall causes when Iudgementés are geuen although they receaue their authoritie from the word of God yet are they in force in respect of the authoritye of the Prince and the Magistrate And therefore they minister correction with punishment corporall according to the qualitye of the trespasse But the iudgements of the Church are farre vnlyke For in those maner of offences which appertayne to the ecclesiasticall Consistorye the Church hath her proper iudgements and peculiar punishments Wherewith it doth not afflict or crucifie mens bodyes notwithstandyng nor pursue vnto death but cutteth of from the congregation onely and common society of men such as doe wilfully and stubburnely sett themselues agaynst the Ministerye and such as doe harden themselues and obstinately perseuer in wickednes agaynst order and conscience and continue in errors and other notorious crimes contrary to the prescript rule of sound doctrine