be caried away with false doctrine But if the pastors all haue erred as you would haue vs to beleeue then in vaine did God giue pastors to his Church to preserue vs in the trueth For they that should haue taught the trueth did euen themselues swarue from the trueth and so they became vnfit instrumentes to doe the will of God The answere I say first that albeit Gods wil be one as himselfe is one willing by his owne essence and by one eternall and immutable act whatsoeuer he willeth yet is his will said to be manifold aswel of the holy fathers as of the schooledoctors And this is done for two special considerations The former is for the varietie of the thinges which God willeth The latter is for the varietie of the maner by which God seemeth to will thinges Hereupon arise many diuisions of Gods will assigned by learned writers for explication sake Some deuide Gods will into antecedent and consequent Some others diuide it into the will of signe and will of good pleasure Others into the will reuealed and will not reuealed Others into the will absolute anâ— will conditionate and the like I say secondly that though Gods will consequent and will of good pleasure bee euer accomplished vndoubtedly yet is his will antecedent and will of signe oftentimes neglected and left vndone Of the former wil the prophet speaketh in these words whatsoeuer pleased y e Lord that did he in heauen and in earth and in the Sea and in all the depthes And the Apostle saith for who hath resisted his will Of the latter we haue many examples in the holie Scriptures First God commanded Pharao by Moses to let his people go but Pharao would not obey Secondly God would haue gathered the Iewes togither euen as the hen gathereth her chickens vnder her wings but they would not haue it so Thirdly God would haue all men to be saued as Paul beareth witnesse and yet we know by the holy gospel that the greater part shalbe damned I say thirdly that Gods will mentioned in S. Paule and now obiected against my resolution is only voluntas signi his will of signe and not voluntas beneplaciti his will of good pleasure and therefore it can neuer be effectually concluded out of this text which hitherto hath euer been reputed the strong bulwarke of poperie and either dissembled or lightly passed ouer by the grauest writers that the pastors of the visible church alwaies teach the trueth and neuer swarue from the same Thus more plainly for the simple and ignorant sort When the apostle saith that God placed pastors and doctors in the church that the people be not carried away with false doctrine he neither meaneth that the pastors shall alwaies infallibly teach the trueth nor that the people shall alwaies constantly embrace the truth I proue it because the apostle speaketh indefinitely and indifferently of all teachers and of al hearers of al shepheardes and of all sheepe neither excepting one nor other and yet both ye know and we know that many preachers preach false doctrine and that many hearers embrace the same Whereupon it followeth necessarily that if the Apostle meant as ye woulde haue him to meane then Christes intent and purpose shoulde be frustrate indeede which yet is it that your selues impugne The apostle therfore meaneth only this to declare voluntate signi what he would haue his shepheards and sheepe to doe albeit voluntate beneplaciti the same be not euer accomplished This my explication of S. Paules meaning is confirmed not only by the holy Scripture but also by the expresse testimonies of renowmed popish writers Touching the holy Scripture First it is euident that God would haue al men saued for so saith the apostle Deus vult omnes homines saluos fieri Gods wil is that all men shalbe saued and come to the acknowledging of the trueth Whereby we see that Gods wil and intent is to saue all and yet doe we know assuredly that al shal not be saued For the gospel saith plainly Multi vocati pauci verò electi Manie are called but few are chosen Secondly it is cleere that God appointed good workes to this end that men should walke in them for so saith holy writ Ipsius enim sumuâ— factura creati in Christo Iesu in bonis operibus quae praeparauit deus vt in illis ambulemus For wee are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them And yet we see by daily experience that it is farre otherwise Thirdly God gaue vs his holie lawe to the intent that wee shoulde accomplish it for so the scripture telleth vs and no papist doth or can denie the same and yet haue we infallible knowledge out of the same scripture that none liuing can keep fulfil the law in al points For if we could haue kept the lawe in al pointes wee shoulde haue been iustified by the obseruation thereof and so Chrâ—stes passion and his satisfaction had been needlesse In all these places therefore and the like Voluntas signi must be vnderstood but not voluntas beneplaciti Touching the popish Doctors the Iesuite Bellarmine hath these words At fine dubio singuli episcopi errare possunt aliquando errant inter se quandoque dissentiunt vt nesciamus quisnam eorum sequendus sit But without doubt all bishops may erre seuerally and doe erre sometime and sometime dissent one from another insomuch that we cannot tel whom we should follow Out of which wordes I note first that God who caused Balaams asse to speake hath enforced our Iesuite to confesse the trueth I note secondly that there is no Bishop in the worlde but hee both may erre and sometime doth erre and consequently that the pope of Rome is either no bishop at all by his owne Iesuites graunt or els that he both may erre and doth erre indeed Which point I haue prooued copiously in my booke of Motiues I note thirdly that by our Iesuites confession euery bishop hath so many errours that the people cannot tel whom to follow and consequently that S. Paul meant nothing lesse then that the pastors and doctors of the churche shoulde alwaies teach the trueth I note fourthly that since euery auncient father both may erre and doth erre and that by popish graunt there is no reason why the papistes should vrge vs as they doe to stand to the censure of the fathers in euery thing Their owne Cardinall Panormitanus hath these wordes Nam in concernentibus fidem etiam dictum vnius priuati esset praeferendum dicto papae si ille moueretur melâ—oribus rationibus noui veteris testamenti quam papa Nec obstat si dicatur quod concilium non potest errare quia Christus orauit pro ecclesia sua vt non deficeret quia dico quod licet concilium generale
repraesentet totam ecclesiam vniuersalem tamen in veritate ibi non est vera ecclesia vniuersalis sed repraesentatiue quia vniuersalis ecclesia coÌ„stituitur ex collectione omnium fidelium Vnde omnes fideles orbis constituunt istam ecclesiam vniuersalem cuius caput sponsus est ipse Christus Papa auteÌ„ est vicarius Christi non verè caput ecclesiae vt notat glossa in Clem. Ne Romani de elect quae notabiliter dicit quòd mortuo papâ ecclesia non est sine capite ista est illa ecclesia quae errare non potest Vnde possibile est quòd vera fides Christi remaneret in vno solo ita quod verum est dicere quod fides non deficit in ecclesia Sequitur Christus ante passionem orauerat pro Perro vt noÌ„ deficeret fides sua ergo non dicitur deficere nec etiam errare si remanet vera fides in vno solo For concerning matters of faith euen the iudgement of one that is a meere lay man ought to be preferred before the sentence of the pope if that lay person could bring better reasons out of the old and new testament then did the pope And it skilleth not if one say that a councel cannot erre because Christ praied for his church that it should not faile For I say that although a general councel represent the whole vniuersall church yet in trueth there is not truely the vniuersall Church but representatiuely For the vniuersall church consisteth of the collection of all the faithful Whereupon all the faithfull in the world make this church vniuersall wherof Christ himself is the head The pope is the vicar of Christ but not truely the head of the church as noteth the glosse vpon the Clementines which saith notably that when the pope is dead the Church wanteth not an head and this is that Church which cannot erre Whereupon it is possible that the true faith of Christ might remaine in one alone and so it may truely be said y t the faith faileth not in the church Christ before his passion praied for Peter that his faith should not faile therefore the church is not said to faile neither to erre so long as the true faith abideth in one onely Out of these wordes I note first that by the opinion of the great Papist Panormitan a meere lay mans iudgement euen in matters of faith ought to be accepted and receiued before the popes constitution if the lay man bring better reasons out of the scriptures then the pope doth Which saying doubtlesse is the foundation of the doctrine this day established in the church of England in all other reformed churches throughout the world Neither doe we craue more of the papistes then their owne doctors will affoord vs. I note secondly that a generall councell may erre because it is not the catholike or vniuersall church indeed I note thirdly that that church which cannot erre is not the visible companie of pastors and doctors but the inuisible societie of all the faithfull in the worlde Where by inuisible I meane not that any of the elect is inuisible in his corporal consistence but that the vniuersall congregation of the faithfull as vniuersall is inuisible that is to say that no one mortall man seeth or knoweth all true beleeuers in the church In which sense is truely verified the saying of Elias when hee cried out that he only was left alone For albeit it be true that there was a visible church in Iudea vnder the good kinges Asa and Iosaphat euen when Elias made his complaint that he was left alone and although also that Abdias had told Elias that hee had hid an C. prophets by L. in a caue so as Elias could not be ignoraunt of a visible church in the worlde yet is it most true with all this that the vniuersall church as vniuersall was inuisible to Elias and that there were many thousandes of true beleeuers euen then in Samaria whom â—lias neither saw nor knew And therefore did God answere him saying I haue reserued to my selfe seuen thousand men which haue not bowed the knee to Baall I note fourthly that howsoeuer the visible bishops and pastors erre yet doth not the vniuersal church erre so long as the faith remaineth in any one whosoeuer I note fiftly that as in the time of Elias there were seuen thousand faithfull persons whom he knew not euen so were there in those daies when Martin Luther began his reformation many thousandes among the papists that sincerely beleeued the gospel whom hee neither saw nor knew The 6 replie The scripture telleth vs that the church cannot erre For as the Apostle saith it is the house of the liuing God the pillar and ground of trueth Therefore either Gods apostle teacheth false doctrine or els doubtlesse the trueth must euer be in the church The answere I answere that the true church of God which is the mysticall body of Christ doth neuer erre wholly and generally in the fundamentall pointes of religion and such as are necessary for our saluation I say first the true church of God because the societie of the visible pastors are not euer the mysticall members of Christ. I say secondly wholly and generally because albeit the trueth may faile for a time in the pastors of the church yet shall it neuer perish in the elect and true members thereof For though particular churches may erre in particular pointes yet shall the whole church neuer erre in the articles of necessary doctrine Though the elect may erre in part and at sometime yet shal they neuer erre either all generally or any one finally For whom and in respect of whom the church is rightly called the pillar of trueth This my exposition is made good by the testimonie of S. Austen whose words be these SecundaÌ„ ergo Sabbathi non debemus intelligere nisi ecclesiaÌ„ Christi sed ecclesiaÌ„ Christi in sanctis ecclesiam Christi in his qui scripti sunt in coelo ecclesiaÌ„ Christi in â—is qui mundi huius tentationibus non cedunt Ipsi enim digni sunt nomine firmameÌ„ti ergo ecclesia Christi in his qui firmi sunt appellata est firmamentum quae est in quit ecclesia dei viui columna firmamentum veritatis Therefore we may not vnderstand the second of the sabboth to bee any other then the church of Christ yet the church of Christ in the saints the church of Christ in those which are not ouercome with the tentations of this wicked world for they are worthy the name of firmament therefore the church of Christ is called the firmament in those that are firme which is saith hee the church of the liuing God the piller and firmament of truth The like saying hath S. Augustine in many other places but especially where he writeth against the Donatists Saint Chrysostome expoundeth this place of the veritie it selfe
seculi consummationem futura est quis non intelligaâ— sicut eis iliud ait quod ad eos omnino non pertinet tamen sic dictum est tanquam ad solos etiam pertineret cum videritis haec omnia scitote quia propé est in ianuâ—â— ad quos enim hoc pertinet nisi ad eos qui in carne tunc erunt eum omnia complebuntur It is not therefore so said to the Apostles ye shalbe my witnesses in Hierusalem and in al Iurie and in Samaria euen to the vtmost parts of the world as if they onely to whom he then spoke should haue accomplished so great a matter but as he seemeth to haue said onely to them that which hee said in these words behold I am with you to the worlds end Which thing neuerthelesse euery one perceiueth that he spoke it to the vniuersal church which by the death of some and by the birth of other some shall continue to the worlds end euen as hee saith that to them which doth nothing at all pertaine to them and yet is it so spoken as if it onely pertained to them to wit when yâ—â— shall see these things come to passe knowe that it is neare 〈◊〉 the doores For to whome doth this pertaine but to those who shall then bee liuing when all thinges shall bee accomplished In these words Saint Austen proueth plainly that this obiection wherin the papists glory so greatly make th◠〈◊〉 for them for saith hee these words alreadie recited one spoken to the whole congregation of the faithfull which are or shall be to the worlds end and this Saint Austen sheweth by two reasons First because not onely the Apostles but others together with them should be his witnesses in Hierusalem and Samaria albeit Christ spoke that of them touching the bearing witnesse of him as he spoke this to them concerning his spiritual presence And therefore as hee spoke the other to all the faithful so did he also this that is promised his inuisible presence not onely to the Apostles or pastors of the church but euen to all the faithful in the world Secondly because Christ spoke that to his Apostles as pertaining onely to them which for al that did nothing at al concerne them as if he had saide it is not a good reason to denie Christs presence to the whole church because hee vttered the words onely to the Apostles For since hee spoke that to the Apostles which pertained nothing to them but onely to others much more might he speake that to them which belonged to them with others The eight replie Christ himselfe saith that the holy ghost shal teach the Apostles al trueth euen many things whereof they were not capable then and therefore did he be serue those things till the comming of the holy ghost The answere I answere that the holy ghost after Christs ascension taught the Apostles al truth euen such things as Christ had reserued and that by reason of their â—uditie and imperfection in conceiâ—â—â—g heauenly doctrine yet those things so reserued and the truth so taught was nothing else but a manifest explication of the selfe same veritie which they in briefe before had heard For the holy ghost did coyne no new doctrine nor reueale anie new articles of faith but onely taught the Apostles the true sâ—nse of Christs words which before for their dulnesse they were not able to perceiue which sense they being directed by the instinct of the holy ghost deliuered to the whole world first by word and afterward by writing Al this I proue by two euident demonstrations first because Christ himself doth so expouÌ„d himself in these words folowing He shal teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance which I haue told you which saying must bee wel noted because the latter words are a plaine declaration of the former as if Christ had said all things which the holy ghost shall teach the apostles after my departure are no newe doctrine but the very same things which they heard before of me and they differ onely in this that the Apostles doe more plainely vnderstand them by the assistance of the holy ghost Secondly because the best learned popish doctors do holde the same opinion For Melchior Canus hath these words Nec vllas in fide nouas reuelationes ecclesia habet for the church hath no new reuelations in matters of faith Thus saith Christ himselfe and thus teacheth their owne doctour and yet would the papists enforce vs daily to admit new doctrines from the church of Rome The ninth replie Peter is the rocke of the church against which hell-gates shall neuer preuaile therfore Saint Peters successors can neuer erre The answere I answere that not Saint Peter but the confession which he made is that rocke of the church against which hell gates shal not preuaile And this is not my opinion onely but Saint Beda Saint Austen Saint Chrysostome Saint Hylarie and sundrie verie learned papists doe teach the same doctrine constantly These are Saint Austens wordes Tu es Petrus super hanc petram quam confessus es super hanc petram quam cognouisti dicens tu es Christus filius Dei viui aedificabo ecclesiam meam Id est super meipsum filium Dei viui aedificabo ecclesiam meam super me edificabo te non me super te thou art Peter saith Christ and vppon this rocke which thou hast confessed vpon this rocke which thou hast acknowledged saying thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God will I build my church that is vpon my selfe the sonne of the liuing God will I build my church vppon my selfe will I build thee not my selfe vpon thee Saint Chrysostome writeth thus Columnae quidem quoniam virtute sua ecclesiae robur sunt fundamentum quòd in confessione insorum fundata est ecclesia dicente domino Tu es Petrus super hanc petram fundabo ecclesiam meam The Apostles are the pillers because by their vertue they are the strength of the Church they are the foundation because the Church is built in their confession when the Lorde saieth thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my church Loe this text vpon which the Papists build their popish primacie is vnderstood of all the Apostles not of Peter alone neither is the church built vpon any of their persons but vpon the ioynt confession of them all for Peter made the confession in the name of them all as Saint Chrysostome truely saith which confoundeth the Papists vtterly S. Hylarie hath these words Haec fides ecclesiae fundamentum est per hanc fidem infirmae aduersus eam sunt portae inferorum haec fides regni caelestis habet claues this faith is the foundation of the church by this faith hell gates shall not preuaile against it this faith hath the keyes of heauen The receiued popish glosse vpon this text doth
humanitate foeliciter sancti quiescunt in quam nimirum desiderant etiam sancti angeli prospicere donec veniat tempus quando iam non sub altare collocentur sed exaltentur super altare In the meane season the saints rest happily vnder Christs humanitie which doubtlesse the holy angels desire to behold vntil the time come wheÌ„ they shalbe no longer hid vnder the altar but exalted aboue the altar So then not only the ancient fathers but holy and deuout Bernard with others of late yeres were and continued in this grosse error to wit that y e souls of the faithful dying in the Lord shal not be admitted to the vision and fruition of God to the sight of his diuine essence clearely to behold his deity vntil the general resurrection of our bodies Further theÌ„ this which is a scourge to the papists Pope Iohn the 22. of that name professed this heretical doctrine and commanded al the diuines in Paris to teach the same His wordes with all the due circumstances thereof are cited at large in my booke of Motiues These two Canons well marked will serue for many good purposes and especially at this time to prooue that the opinion of the fathers are of no more force for the inuocation of saints theÌ„ for these other important matters already in these Canons named For as we ouerrule them in these pointes by Gods sacred word so must we still ouerrule them by the same word if at any time they swarue from it either for the inuocation of saints or for praying for the dead or for marriage of priestes or for whatsoeuer els And so to ouerrule them is consonant to their owne doctrine as is already prooued The third Canon The primitiue church for the space of two hundreth thirty yeares after Christ liued vtterly destitute and vnacquainted with the merites suffrages intercession and inuocation of the saintes in heauen after which time this cacozeale by degrees proceeded till it became perfect and consummate idolatry as this day is seene in the church of Rome For before this time the papistes cannot alledge any one authenticall writer for the inuocation of saintes in heauen The first obiection Irenaeus who liued within one hundreth and nintie yeares after Christ affirmeth expressely that the virgin Mary was the aduocate of the virgin Eue. The answere I answere that S. Irenaeus had a farre other meaning then such popish friuolous collection would enforce vpon him which I prooue first indirectly because the virgin Mary was not born or conceiued much lesse a saint in heauen for the space almost of foure thousand yeares after the virginitie of Eue and so doubtlesse Eue neither did nor possibly could inuocate the holy virgin Mary Neither will it helpe to say that though Eue could not then inuocate the holy virgin Mary yet did the holie virgin pray for her and so became her aduocate For besides that the virgin Marie is there said to be Eues aduocate when she was a virgin at which time Marie the virgin was not born the same Eue was either a Saint in heauen as soone as the virgin Mary or a damned soule in hell Againe I prooue it directly because Irenaeus compareth the virgin Mary with the virgin Eue to insinuate vnto vs that we receiue no lesse good by the virgin Mary in that she bare Christ then euill by the virgin Eue in that she transgressed Gods holy lawes For thus doth Irenaeus interpret himselfe in another place in these words Sicut Eua inobaudiens facta et sibi vniuerso generi humano causa facta est mortis sic Maria habens praedestinatum virum tameÌ„ virgo obaudiens sibi vniuerso generi humano causa facta est salutis As Eue being disobedient was the cause of deathed her selfe and to all mankinde so Mary hauing a predestinate husband and withal an obedient virgin was the cause of saluation both to her selfe and to all mankinde in that shee bare Christ the true and only sauiour of the world The second obiection S. Iames in his Masse which the sixt general councel holden at Constantinople admitteth teacheth vs to inuocate the virgin Mary and all Saintes and to hope for mercie by their praiers and intercessions The answere I say first that that councell of Constantinople saith indeed that S. Iames did deâ—iuer a certain form of the masse in which hee shewed the custome of mingling water with the wine but of praying to Peter or to Paule it hath not one worde at all I say secondly that pope Gregorie who liued well neere an hundred yeares before that councell either knewe no such masse deliuered by S. Iames or at least reputed it for a counterfait and forged thing For the same Gregory auoucheth as shalbe prooued when I come to speake of the Masse that the Apostles did celebrate the holy communion onely with the Lordes praier and their owne deere frier Carranza witnesseth the same while he confesseth that there is no such tradition extant as that whereof the councell speaketh Whereby it well appeareth with what intolerable burdens and counterfaite bookes the papistes doe this day oppresse and seduce the simple people For this disholy Masse is currant euery where and my selfe haue one of the bookes The fourth Canon In the daies of Origen who liued about the yeare of our Lord 233. the first seede of the inuocation of Saintes began to be sowen Which seed so sowen by Origen was but a step or degree to popish inuocation For besides that Origen onely taught this that saintes in heauen doe pray for vs and not that we on earth should pray to them this his doctrine was not definitiue and resolute but doubtfull opinatiue and disputable This Canon Origen himselfe hath deliuered to vs whose expresse words are these Sed requiris qui sunt isti qui pugnant quae est illa pugna quam illi gerunt Ego sic arbitror quod omnes illi qui dormierunt ante nos patres pugnent nobiscum adiuuent nos orationibus suis. Ita namque etiam quendam de senioribus magistris audiui dicentem But thou requirest who they are that fight and what that battaile is which they fight I am of this opinion that all the fathers which are before vs and are dead doe fight with vs and doe helpe vs with their praiers for so I heard one of our old maisters say Againe in another place thus Sed omnes sancti qui de hac vita decesserunt habentes adhuc charitatem erga eos qui in hoc mundo sunt si dicantur curaÌ„ gerere salutis eorum iuuare eos precibus suis atque interuentu suo apud deum non erit inconueniens But also all saints which are departed hence and haue still charitie towards them which are in this world if wee say they haue care of their saluation and help them with their praiers and
that a riche man may dine when he list a poore man when he can get meate The religious fast is abstinence with a penitent heart and true faith not onely from all meates and drinkes but euen from all thinges whatsoeuer that may any way nourishe or delite the bodie The forme of which fast is abstinence the matter is meate drinke and whatsoeuer bringeth corporall oblectation the efficient cause is faith and repentance for our sinnes the end is to appease Gods wrath and either to procure deliuerance from our miseries or some mitigation thereof For which cause fasting in the Scriptures is continually ioyned with praier and being vsed as is said God doth accept it for the merites of Christ Iesus not for anie worthinesse in it selfe The third proposition To fast rightly and christianly is to absteine from al meates all drinkes and from all corporall pleasures vntill the end of the fast and to bestowe the whole time in praying in lamenting our sinnes and in hearing the worde of God especially godly sermons For the externall affliction of our bodies by abstaining from meates and drinkes hath no other end effect or vse but to dispose prepare vs as is already said This proposition is prooued by the vsuall practise of holy people in all ages recorded in holy writ for our instruction holy king Dauid so soone as he vnderstood that his childe shoulde die for his sinnes gaue himselfe to fasting and praier and neuer ate while the childe was aliue 2. Sam. 12.5.17 The Niniuites vnderstanding Gods commynations and wrath for their sinnes sate in ashes put on sackcloth gaue themselues to earnest praier and absteined from all meates and drinkes vntill God shewed mercy towardes them Ion. 3.5.7 Holy queene Hester when she ioyned fasting with praier neither ate nor dranke at all vntil the end of her fast Ester 4. verse 16. Neither can it euer bee prooued by the authoritie of holy writ or by the practise of the primitiue Church or by the testimonie of the auncient fathers that Gods people did in any age at any time in any place or countrey vse either to eate or to drinke before the end of their fast whereby appeareth the absurditie of all popishe fasting which thing is most euident by the story of S. Spiridion handled in the next proposition The fourth proposition Popish choice of meates in their late inuented fastes is wicked and intollerable I say first popish choice because to put merite or religion in abstaining from one meate more then another is the peculiar badge of papistes or at least common to them with the Eucratites with the Tatians with the Catherans with the Manichies or like heretiques I prooue it because the Apostle saith plainly that all thinges are pure to the pure but the papistes and other olde heretiques tell vs that certaine meates at certaine times as in Lent in the imber dayes and Fridaies are vnpure and polluted yea so vnpure that they pollute all the eaters thereof and make them guiltie of eternal death Yet the Apostle auoucheth boldly and expresly that euery creature of God is good and that nothing ought to be refused if it bee receiued with thankesgiuing In the first verse of the same chapter he telleth vs that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and giue heede to the doctrine of diuels In the third verse he sheweth what doctrine of deuils he meaneth To wit prohibition to abstaine from meates which God hath created to bee receiued with giuing of thankes Out of which wordes I note first that no creature of God is impure at anie time which is appointed for the nourishment of man I note secondly that no meate ought to bee refused in Lent or at other times if it be receiued with thankesgiuing I note thirdly that prohibition from certaine meates was not in the apostles time but inuented by heretiques of latter daies I note fourthly that such prohibition is of the diuell I say secondly late inuented fastes because Spiridion who was not only a bishop but also a man so holy that he wrought myracles and was in his life time reputed a Saint did not refuse to eate flesh in the time of Lent and that in his owne house yea he did not only eate fleshe himselfe but withall he intreated a stranger that lodged with him to doe the same And when the straunger refused to eate fleshe with him saying that hee was a christian and so prohibited to eate flesh at that time S. Spiridion replied vpon him and said that the rather he ought to eat flesh because he was a christian for all thinges were pure to the pure Thus did the blessed bishop and man of God renowmed for his rare gift of working miracles Whom the pope would burne for an hereticke with fire and fagot if he were this day liuing in Rome and woulde not retract his opinion For first hee eate fleshe himselfe contrary to popish doctrine Secondly he vrged the stranger to do the same Thirdly he auouched his fact to be the part of a christian Fourthly he signified y t to make conscience in choice of meates was the badge of an infidell Which fourth obseruation I gather out of the word rather Fiftly the fact of Spiridion prooueth that to make choice of meates was deemed superstitious not onely in the Apostles time but many hundred yeares after their departure hence I say thirdly wicked and intollerable first because popishe choise of meates taketh away christian libertie and maketh christian slaues to mans traditions For to the pure all thinges are pure by the libertie of Christes gospel I am perswaded saith the Apostle that no meate is vncleane And he addeth the reason because the kingdome of God is neither meat nor drinke Wherefore we ought not to destroy the worke of God for meates sake In another place he saith that if he should please men he were not the seruant of Christ. To please men is good and godly so long as their pleasure is measured with the holy will of God but when men would spoile vs of our christian libertie then must we fight against their wicked pleasures So S. Paul expoundeth himselfe in these wordes The false brethren creâ—t in priuily to spy out our liberty which we haue in Christ Iesus y t they might bring vs into bondage And why ye are bought with a price be not the seruauntes of men Christ himself forewarned vs to beware of the hypocriticall doctrine of the Pharisies because they corrupted the pure word of God with the mixture of their owne foolish traditions Secondly because the apostle teacheth vs that nothing ought to be refused if it be receiued with giuing of thankes Thirdly because no power on earth can alter the word of God Which worde telleth vs that all meates are alike lawfull Fourthly because to commaund the choice of meates for religion sake is to appoint a newe God For
deliuer man from the curse of the lawe The 13. day after Christs natiuitie certaine wise men came a long iourney out of the East to adore the Sauiour of the world And albeit Epiphanius affirmeth constantly that this comming was the second yere after Christs birth yet S. Hierome S. Augustine and other learned writers receiue the former opinion as most authenticall and they haue great reason so to do because the scripture seemeth to say no lesse For first the wisemen or astronomers are said to come when Christ was borne Which phrase can not be fitly verified but of a thing present or lately done Againe the wisemen found the babe in Bethlehem and consequently they came before the day of the purification for after that time Christ is not knowne to haue bin in Bethlehem And though the papists hold by a vain tradition that these wise men were three kings of Cullen Gaspar Melchiâ—r and Baltasar yet is it neither certaine that they were kings neither yet that they were no more but three And their owne reason thereof is very friuolous because their bodies are chalenged to be as well at Millaine as at Colen But here I must answer to some obiections which seeme to fortifie Epiphanius his opinion The first doubt The parents of Christ were so poore at the day of purification that they were not able to offer a lambe according to the law for rich men but were enforced to offer a paire of Turtle doues or two yong pigeons and therfore doubtlesse they had not receiued the rich treasures which the wise men brought to Christ. I answer that the blessed and humble virgin as shee was free from all pride and ostentation so was she not willing to change her poore state and condition which she knew well pleased her sonne the sonne of God The second doubt King Herod slew all the male children in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof from 2. yeeres old and vnder according to the time which he had diligently learned of the wisemen Among the rest he slew his owne sonne as writeth Macrobius who therefore wished rather to be Herodes hog then his child which certes he would neuer haue done if there had bene but 13. daies betweene the apparition of the starre and the comming of the wisemen I answer which is the opinion of saint Austen and saint Chrysostome that the starre appeared so long before the natiuitie of Christ as was sufficient for the wise men to dispatch their iourney and to adore Christ shortelie after he was borne Neither is it of force to obiect as some do that the wise men could not come so farre in so short a space for first whether these wise men were of the posteritie of Balaam and so came from Mesopotamia as saint Chrysostome saint Ierome and saint Ambrose thinke or they came out of Arabia which is the constant position of Iustinus or they were Persians or Chaldeans which the very name seemeth to prognosticate yet might they haue dispatched their iourney in lesse then tenne dayes For Hierusalem is distant from Aram from whence Balak brought Balaam but 72. miles from Vr of the Chaldees 212. miles Againe the starre appeared long before Christs birth so that they might be there in time conuenient Thirdly in those countries they haue plentie of dromedaries one of which wil carie a man as writeth Philostratur 1000. furlongs in one day that is 125. English miles CHAP. III. Of the perfect age of Christ. IEsus Christ when he was 30. yeeres of age left Galilee and came to the floud Iordan where he was baptized of saint Iohn his precursor By which act he sanctified our baptisme in himselfe the outward signe whereof putteth vs in minde that we must change our liues and become better assuring vs as by a seale that we are ingraffed into Christ whereby our old man dieth and the new man riseth vp againe So soone as Christ was baptized a voice came downe from heauen saying This is my beloued sonne in whom I am wel pleased This done he was teÌ„pted in the wildernes of y e deuill Christ hauing fasted 40. daies and being tempted of the deuil returned by the power of God into Galile after that a great fame was spread abroad of him in all the region hee came to Nazareth where he had beene brought vp and as his custome was went into the synagogue on the sabbaoth day to expound the scriptures Christ the third day after he came to Cana a towne in Galile was present at a marriage where he made water wine the first myracle that euer he wrought After Christ was baptised he began to preach the Gospell being 30. yeares of age as is already saide Which holy exercise hee practised almost three yeares before his passion his preaching was in the yeare of Iubilee because he preached the glad tidings of the gospell the remission of sinnes the saluation of his people CHAP. IIII. Of Christs death and passion CHrist called twelue vnto him whom hee named Apostles and sent them into the whole world to preach the gospel to al nations that so they might be witnesses of his doctrine confirmed with many myrracles Which doctrine being accomplished hee offered vp himselfe an vnspotted sacrifice vpon the altar of the crosse for the expiation of the sinnes of the worlde And this he did the 18. yeare of Tiberius Cesar in the eight Calends of Aprill if wee follow Tertullians supputation against the Iewes Christs passion began not onely in his taking and deliuerie vnto death but euen from the verie instant of his conception and continued vntill hee yeelded vp the ghost For as Ludolphus writes learnedly when Christ as God foresaw in his diuine wisedome the cruell and bitter torments which hee was to suffer infallibly hee coulde not but naturally sorrow for the same as which were throughout all his body throughout all the members of his body and throughout all the inferior powers of his soule He suffered in all his time in all his body in all his works In time of his infancie basenesse of his mothers womb pouertie asperitie vilitie in the manger persecution of y e aduersarie flight into Egypt In time of his adolescencie frequent disputations painful peregrinations lothsome precipitations In his iuuenile age most bitter cruell death for in his whole body he sustained paines intollerable in his eies the effusion of teÌ„der teares in his delicate eares the hearing of contumelies and execrable blasphemies in his eie-lids the pangs of buffetting in his nostrils the stinch of vglie spitting in his sweete mouth the bitternesse of vineger and gall in his hands the prints of the nailes whipping and oft scourging throughout his blessed bodie What he sustained in his works cannot easily be expressed by the tongue of man For they reuiled his diuine preaching his most sacred conuersation his miraculous operation He was led as a lambe to
and the people was of no force at all in those dayes vnlesse the Emperours or their lieutenants had confirmed the same This was done 637. yeares after Christs incarnation Concerning the creation of Benedicte Platina hath these words Ad hunc Constantinus imperator sanctionem misit vt deinceps quem clerus populus exercitús que Romanus in pontificem delegisset eundem statim verum Christi vicarium esse omnes crederent nulla aut Constantinopolitani principis aut Italiae exarchi expectata auctoritate vt anteà fieri consueuerat id enim ratum erat in creando pontifice quod princeps confirmasset vel qui eius vices in Italia gerebat The emperour Constantine sent a decree to this Pope that whomsoeuer the clergy people and Romane souldiers should hencefoorth chuse for their bishop all people should by and by beleeue him to be the vicar of Christ scilicet if they would Bartholomeus Carranza a dominican Frier hath the verie same assertion ad verbum Anastasius and Onuphrius haue these expresse words pontifices qui deinde fuerant creati consecrati sunt sine Constantinopolitani imperatoris iussione The Popes that liued afterwards were made and consecrated without the Emperour of Constantinople his commaundement as if they had saide in the olde time and in the auncient Churche no Bishoppe of Rome coulde haue beene admitted at anie time vnlesse hee hadde brought letters patents from the Emperour though now the practise bee farre otherwise Out of which doctrine I gather these three euident and most necessarie corollaries First that the vulgar and common sort of people are grossely deceiued when they terme papistrie the olde religion and repute them for the Catholikes For wee indeede are the true and auncient Catholikes and the Papistes are nothing else but flatte Heretikes For this Benedict coulde not bee made Bishoppe of Rome without the Emperours Letters Patents This primacie of the Emperour ouer the Bishoppe of Rome was sixe hundred foure score and foure yeeres after the incarnation of Christ. For at that time was this Benedict made the Pope So then the Bishop of Rome for the space almost of seuen hundred yeres after the incarnation of Christ Iesus acknowledged the Emperour for his superiour and Lorde as wythout whose Letters Patentes hee coulde haue no Iurisdiction For as in ciuill causes many are debarred from their lawfull inheritance and that by the violent dealing of mightie men euen so we catholikes haue beene many yeares excluded from our own churches our ancient and lawfull possessions and that by the force violence and tyrannie of the bloudy Romish antichrists And as temporall men are in time restored vnto their auncient right by iust and godly magistrates euen so were we and are we by the goodnes of God and most christian princes king Henry the eight and king Edward the sixt of famous memory our most gratious soueraigne Elizabeth restored to the old christian catholike and apostolike religion and placed againe in our owne churches the spirituall birthright of vs and our ancestours I gather secondly that our Bishops in England are made and consecrated according to the ancient christian catholike and Romaine manner that is by the Letters patents of the Prince I gather thirdly that Christian Emperours vppon a certaine zeale not grounded vppon knowledge yeelding vppe their soueraigne rights to the Bishops of Rome opened the window to all antichristian tyrannie For in short time after the Romish Bishops became so arrogant and lordly that they tooke vpon them to depose the Emperours to translate their Empires and to dispose at their pleasures of their royall scepters and regalities The third replie The church of God cannot bee without Bishoppes and priests as you haue already granâ—ed and as I haue proued out of Saint Paul but so it is that when yee first reformed the church as you tearme it yee neither had any Byshoppes nor any priests of your owne neither coulde you find any but with vs and in our church when Martin Luther went out from vs. Our church therefore and none but ours is the true church of god This reason is so strong as it can neuer be truly answered The answere I saie first that this reason seemeth to carrie a maiestie with it and a verie plausible shewe of truth and therefore did it a long time fascinate and seduce my selfe yet I trust by Gods holy assistance so to solue it as no papist shall haue cause any longer to glorie therein I say secondly that if our bishops or our lay-brethren had gone at any time to the greeke and East churches they shoulde haue found as good a materiall succession at the least as that of yours at Rome but there was no neede to take so long and so painefull a iourney in hand I say thirdly that our bishops and priests of late yeares were indeede consecrated by such as were sometimes in your church But thereupon will it not follow I assure you that the true church of God was with you and not with vs for no more can be inferred vpon your reason but that there remained a certaine externall face of the visible church still with you that is to say a mingled materiall succession of place and persons without the formall Euangelicall succession of trueth and doctrine The fourth replie How can the pastors of the church be without the doctrine of the church for the church cannot bee without the pastors as I haue proued and you also admitted this is it that I desire to learne The answere The reason hereof is this because God promised to giue alwaies pastors to his visible church but he neuer promised this to put the truth alwaies in their mouthes For this cause saith Saint Paule that God hath giuen pastors and teachers to his church vntil the end but he neuer said that he gaue them his holy spirit alwaies to preach and teach the truth no no he neuer promised any such thing You brag of your succession you say you are the church representatiue that your pope cannot erre but whatsoeuer he defineth iudicially that must be as true as the holy gospel Euen so did the wicked Iewes boast when the Prophet of God reproued them come said they let vs imagine some deuice against Ieremy for the law shall not perish from the priest nor counsell from the wise nor the worde from the prophet Thus did the Iewes boast then and thus doe the papistes boast now But what saith God by his Prophet to these your arrogant and Pharisaical conceites doubtlesse cleane contrary to wit but the law shall perish from the priest and counsell from the elder as if hee had said notwithstanding your great bragges of your priuiledges yet shall ye be infatuated and spoiled of all counsel trueth and doctrine The fift replie The Apostle saith that God gaue pastors and teachers to his church for this end that they shuld not
impotencie of nature nor by the gift of continencie but the pope chargeth them that are eunuches no way to abstaine from marriage solemnely therefore the popes commaundement is against Gods holy ordinance Theodoretus confirmeth this point in these words Rectè autem posuit illud prohibentium contrahere matrimonium Neque enim celibatum ac continentiam vituperat sed eos accusat qui lege lata ea sequi coÌ„pellunt He put that rightly forbidding to marry he blameth not single life continencie but accuseth them that by positiue lawes compel to put such things in execution This lawe therefore of the pope is intollerable For which cause saint Clemens auoucheth them to do iniury to nature that will not vse wedlocke for procreation of children The latter parte of this proposition the apostle setteth downe so plainely as it is needelesse to say any more in that behalfe These are Saint Paules owne wordes But the spirit speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and shall giue heede vnto spirites of errour and doctrines of deuilles which speake lies through hypocrisie and haue their consciences burned with an hote yron forbidding to marry and commanding to abstaine from meats In these wordes it is very cleere that saint Paul termeth the prohibition of marriage and of meates the flat doctrine of the deuill For after hee had declared wherein the mysterie of true religion consisteth which is taught in the true church of Christ hee foorthwith giueth euident markes of the mysterie of iniquitie which is maintained in the false church of Antichrist in whose synagogue the highest points of religion are the prohibition of marriage and of meates And who seeth not this day this to bee the state of the church of Rome as in which church they are specially and in a manner onely reputed religious who obey the prohibition of marriage and also of meates And it will not helpe the Papistes to say as their woonted manner is that they neither prohibite marriage generally nor as an vnlawfull thing For first saint Paul speaketh not generally of marriage but of the precise marriage of Bishoppes Priests and Deacons This doe I prooue because so soone as hee had declared the duetie of Bishoppes Priestes and Deacons with their wiues and children by and by in the beginning of the next chapter hee addeth that in the latter dayes marriage shall bee prohibited by the doctrine of the deuill Where the worde But doeth effectually insinuate that he speaketh precisely of the marriage of ecclesiasticall persons by him aboue named Againe the words Forbidding and Commanding argue authoritie in them that restraine marriage and so it partaineth not onely to the old heretikes the Manichees the Tatians the Eucratites the Marcionists the Patritians and the Apostolickes but much more to the late Popes of Rome who strictly commaunde the whole world to abstaine from that whereof God himselfe hath granted the lawfull vse For what is to bee extolled aboue God if not to alter and chang his holie words Bishops Priests and Deacons haue alwaies beene married in the East church euen from our Sauiour Christ vntill these our dayes This I proue by the testimonie of the sixt generall councell of Constantinople where 289. Bishoppes were assembled in the yeare of our Lorde 677. In the thirteenth canon of this famous councill three speciall things are decreed First that Priests Deacons and subdeacons may haue the lawfull vse of wedlocke at such times as they do not execute the ministerie Secondly this councell excommunicateth all those Priests and Deacons that after their orders put away their former wiues vnder pretence of religion Thirdly it excommunicateth all such as labour to separate Priests and Deacons from the vse and companie of their wiues And after all this this great synode addeth this worthie and memorable obseruation to witte that they haue thus decreed albeit the lawes of Rome be otherwise Where I note by the way that so many learned bishoppes contemned the vsurped primacie of the church of Rome I proue it secondly by the verdict of their owne canon law which is the flatte opinion of Pope Vrban as their owne Gratian telleth vs his expresse words are these Cum ergo ex sacerdotibus nati in summos pontifices supra legantur esse proâ—oti non sunt intelligendi de fornicatione sed de legitimis coniugiis nati quae sacerdotibus ante prohibitionem vbique licita erant in orientali ecclesia vsque hodie eis licere probantur When therefore wee reade that the sonnes of Priests are made Popes wee must not vnderstand bastardes but sonnes borne in honest marriage which marriage was euery where lawfull for Priests before the late prohibition and is also lawfull this day in the East Church for which cause the late councell of Florence left the marriage of Priests to the free election of the Greekes Yea their owne deare Fryer and graue archbishoppe Antoninus confirmeth the same in these words Quia Graci etiam in sacerdotio coniugio vtuntur For the Greekes ioyne the vse of matrimonie euen with the priesthood Bishops Priests and Deacons were likewise married in the West and Latin church for the space almost of foure hundred yeares without any prohibition at all And afterward in some places for many hundreth yeeres This is the probation After that Christ hadde granted marriage for all men appointing such to vse it for an wholsome medicine as wanted the gift of continencie after that Saint Paul had pronounced freely marriage to bee honourable in all sorts of men after that the Apostles had decreed that neither Bishops Priests nor deacons shoulde leaue the companie of their wiues vnder pretence of religion after that many holy Bishops priests and deacons had liued laudably in the Church and had vsed the honest helâ— of holy wedlocke aboue three hundreth eightie and fiue yeares al which I haue alreadie proued then one Syricius aduaunced to the popedome in the yeare of Christ 385. seduced by Satan published wicked doctrine and prohibited marriage as an vnlawfull thing Which matter because it is verie imporâ—ant and the wordes of our holy father the pope so blasphemous as hardly anie will beleeue him to haue so written but hee that readeth the same I will alleage his wordes at large Thus therefore doth hee write in expresse tearmes Quod dignum pudicum honestum est suademus vt sacerdotes Leuitae cum suis vxoribus non coeant quia in ministerio diuino quotidianis necessitatibus occupantur ad Corinthios namque sic Paulus scribit Abstinete vos vt vacetis orationi si ergo Laicis abstinentia imperatur vt possint deprecantes audiri quanto magis sacerdos vtisque omni momento paratus esse debet munditiae puritate securus ne aut sacrificium offerat aut baptizare cogatur quisi contaminatus est carnali concupiscentia quid faciet excusabitur qua
rash impious and most execrable in Gods sight The perioch of the chapter Priestes were married in the olde lawe and in time of the new testament in the East church and in the West Many popes of Rome were the sonnes of priests neither were they bastardes but legitimate children Many holy and learned bishops were married men S. Gregory S. Spiridion S. Cheremon S. Philogonius S. Eupsichius S. Paphnutius defended the marriage of priestes publickly in the councell of Nice and auouched in the spirite of God that the vse of holy wedlocke was honourable in them euen in time of their priesthood S. Cheremon and his wife fled togither from persecution euen at that time when he was Bishop of Nicopolis Eupsichius was the bishop of Cesarea and forthwith after his marriage martyred for Christ Iesus The apostles themselues were married begate children and carried their wiues about with them while they preached the gospel abroad in the countrey Clergie men vsed the benefite of marriage aswell as secular persons vntill the vntimely birth of wicked pope Syritius Bishops priests and all religious persons so termed may most lawfully marry by the lawes of God and are onely debarred thereof by the odible lawes of man or rather to vse the apostles wordes by the detestable doctrine of Satan All this I haue proued effectually in this present chapter Yea the marriage of priestes was vsed without restraint in Germanie for the space of a thousand seuentie and foure yeares after Christes sacred incarnation That is vntill the daies of the vngratious pope Hildebrand who termed himselfe Gregorie the seuenth who crept into the popedome by naughty meanes in the yeare of Christ 1074. And because I wil charge the Papistes with nothing but that which they shall neuer be able to denie their own deare moonk Lambertus Schafnaburgensis a man whom their trusty friend Ar. Pontacus Burdegalensis affirmeth to haue handled the histories of his time very exactly shalbe my witnesse against the pope and popishly prohibited marriages This writer so authenticall as ye heare writeth in this maner Hildebrandus papa cum episcopis Italiae conueniens iam frequentibus synodis decreuerat vt secundum instituta antiquorum canonum presbyteri vxores non habeant habentes aut dimittant aut deponantur nec quispam omnino ad sacerdotium admittatur qui non in perpetuum continentiam vitamque caelibemprofiteatur Sequitur aduersus hoc decretum protinus vehementer infremuit tota factio clericorum hominem plane haereticum vesani dogmatis esse clamitans qui oblitus sermonis domini quo ait non omnes capiunt verbum hoc qui potest capere capiat Apostolus qui se non continet nubat melius est enim nubere quam vri violenta exactione homines viuere cogeret ritu angelorum dum consuetum cursum naturae negaret fornicationi immunditiei fraena laxaret Pope Hildebrand togither with the Bishoppes of Italie decreed in frequent Synodes that after the ordinaunces of olde canons priestes shoulde not haue wiues and that suche as had wiues shoulde either put them awaie or bee depriued of their liuinges and that none shoulde be admitted to the order of priesthoode but hee that woulde professe the perpetual vow of single life Against this decree the whole faction of the clergy stormed wonderfully exclaming that Hildebrand was mad a flat heretike as who had forgotten the words of the Lord who saith that all cannot liue continent and the Apostle saith hee that cannot abstaine let him marrie for it is better to marrie then to be burnt and would violently compel men to liue like angels and while hee denied the accustomed course of nature gaue libertie to fornication and vncleannesse Out of which wordes I note first that this Lambertus was a Monke and a great patron of poperie which I proue by two reasons first for that hee tearmed it a faction to withstand Pope Hildebrands wicked decree Again because he affirmeth the late prohibition of priests marriage to bee according to the old canons which canons for al that were not before the daies of the late Pope Syricius as I haue proued I note secondly that since this Lambert was a great and zealous papist all must needs be of good credit that he saith against the papists and popish doctrine I note thirdly that priests were married in Germanie aboue one thousand seuentie yeeres after Christ that is till the time of this wicked Hildebrand I note fourthly that it was so strange a thing in those dayes to speake against the mariage of priests in Germanie that they reputed Pope Hildebrand a madde man and an heretique for withstanding the same And yet such is the fondnesse and madnesse of the common sorte this daye that they deeme them mad men and heretikes who speake in defence thereof I note fiftly that all the learned in Germanie proued the Pope an heretike by the flatte testimonie of Christ and his Apostle I note sixtly that by the verdict of all the learned in Germanie that great and goodly country Pope Hildebrand did not only enforce them violently against their auncient custome but withall did open the window to al filthie liuing Priests were also married in our owne countrey of England till the late dayes of the saide Pope Hildebrand if wee will beleeue our owne English Chronicles Polidorus another deare friend of the papists shall tell them what he thinks of the Popes proceeding touching the marriage of priests thus doth he write Illud tamen dixerim tantum abfuisse vt ista coacta castitas illam coniugalem vicerit vt etiam nullius delicti crimen maius ordini dedecus plus malireligioni plus doloris omnib bonis impresserit inusserit attulerit quam sacerdotum libidinis labes proinde forsitan tam è republica christiana quam ex ordinis vsu esset vt tandem aliquando ius publici matrimoni◠sacerdotibus restitueretur quod illi sine infamia sanctè potius colerent quam se spurcissimè eiuscemodi naturae vitio turpificarent Yet this I wil say that this compelled chastitie of priests was so far frō excelling chastity in wedlock as no crime whatsoeuer hath brought greater shame to priesthood more harme to religion more griefe to all good men then the vnchast life of priests Therefore perhaps it were no lesse necessarie for the publike weale of christendome then for the order of priesthood that once againe priests might marrie publikely that so they might liue honestly without shame not pollute themselues so filthily This is the iudgemēt of their own popish Polidore who being an Italian knewe best the Romish fashion He confesseth plainly as you see that priests were maried in old time wishing for great causes that it were so againe Their great Cardinall Panormitanus giueth so worthie a testimony of this controuersie as which being well marked will confoūd al papists in the world these be his words Continentia nō est
of works lest any man should boast himselfe And therfore the apostle meaneth nothing lesse then that we shoulde purchase and merite heauen by our good workes I say secondly with deuout Bernard that the ready way to attaine saluation is to beleeue the contrarie doctrine These are his expresse wordes Necesse est primò omnium credere quòd remissionem peccatorum habere non possis nisi per indulgentiam Dei deinde quòd nihil prorsus habere queas operis boni nisi hoc dederit ipse postremò quòd aeternam vitam nullis potes operibus promereri nisi gratis detur illa First of all thou must beleeue of necessitie that thou canst not haue remission of thy sinnes vnlesse God will giue thee a pardon for the same Againe thou must beleeue that thou canst not haue any good works at all vnlesse thou receiue it at Gods hand Last of all thou must beleeue that thou canst not merite eternall life by any works vnlesse it be freely giuen of mercie I say thirdly that the apostle meaneth nothing else but that as god hath called vs and offered saluation to vs and withal giuen vs power to will and to do well so we ought by faith to embrace his gratious gifts and to shew our selues thankfull by the obedience of his holy lawes For to this ende hath God chosen vs called vs and iustified vs not that we should liue idly and dissolutely but that we should exercise our selues in faith and good works and in obedience be answerable to his holy vocation For this respect doth the same apostle say in another place For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good works which God hath ordained that we should walke in them The eight obiection Redeeme thy sinnes with righteousnes saith the prophet and thine iniquities with mercie towards the poore Therefore with good workes we may satisfie for our sinnes and procure Gods fauour towards vs. The answere I say first with the apostle that no man is able to make satisfaction for his sinnes And I adde Bernards glosse vnto the same who writeth thus Iam verò de aeterna vita scimus quia non sunt condignae passiones huius temporis ad futuram gloriam nec si vnus omnes sustineat Neque enim talia sunt hominum merita vt propter ea vita aeterna debeatur ex iure aut Deus iniuriam aliquam faceret nisi eam donaret Nam vt taceaÌ„ quòd merita omnia Dei dona sunt ita homo magis propter ipsa Deo debitor est quà m Deus homini quid sunt merita omnia ad tantam gloriam denique quis melior est prophetâ cui dominus ipse tam insigne testimonium perhibet dicens virum inueni secundum cor meum veruntamen ipse necesse habuit dicere deo non intres in iudicium cum seruo tuo Domine Nowe touching eternall life wee knowe that the sufferings of this time are not worthy of y e glorie to come no not if one man abide al. For the merits of men are not such that for them eternal life is due by right or that god shuld do som iniury if he gaue it not For to let passe that all merits are the gifts of God and so man is rather debter to God for them then God to man what are al merits to so great glorie In fine who is better then the prophet to whom our Lorde giueth so worthie testimonie saying I haue found a man according to my heart for al that he had need to say to god Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord. In which words the papists are vtterly condemned by their owne approued doctour For first S. Bernard saith that nothing which man can doe or suffer in this life is worthy of the ioyes of heauen Secondly he saith that heauen is not due to anie man for his own deserts Thirdly he saith that god should doe no man wrong if hee should debarre him of heauen Fourthly he saith that man is more in debt to God then God to man and he yeeldeth this reason because it is the free gift of God what good soeuer be in man Fifitly hee alleageth holy scripture for the grounde of his assertion I say secondly that the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie to breake or dissolue in which signification the prophet seemeth to vse it here although it also signifie to saue or deliuer as if the prophet had said O king thou hast liued wickedly and dealt cruelly with Gods people nowe therefore make an end of sinne and begin a new course of life change thy cruelty into clemencie and thy tyrannie into mercie and conpassion toward the poore Thus doth Theodoretus expound this text I say thirdly that albeit we cannot redeeme our sins in Gods sight or make satisfaction for the same in the court of his iustice as is proued exactly out of holy Bernard yet may wee redeeme them before men while we reconcile our selues to those whome we haue offended and make restitution where we haue done wrong And of this kind of redemption may the Prophet not vnfitly be vnderstoode The replie Not only S. Bernard in the words by you alleaged but the other fathers vsually and generally do acknowledge the merit of good works which you and your solifidians cannot abide The answere I say first that though the fathers doe often vse the worde Merit when they speake of good works yet do they neuer take it in your popish maner nor expect heauen for the worthinesse of their works Which I wish the reader to obserue diligeÌ„tly because the papists euer wrest the word Merite to the wrong sense This is cleare by the words of Bernard alreadie cited to which for better confirmatioÌ„ I adde these his words in another place Deest gratiae quicquid meritis deputas Nolo merituÌ„ quod gratiaÌ„ excludat horreâ— quicquid de meâ— est vt â—im meus nisi quòd illud magis forsitan meum est quod me meum facit Gratia reddit me mihi iustificatuÌ„ gratis sic liberatum à seruitute peccati It derogateth from grace whatsoeuer thou ascribest to merite I will no merite that excludeth grace I abhorre whatsoeuer is of mine owne that I may be mine owne vnlesse perchance that is more mine owne which maketh me mine owne Grace iustifieth me to my self freely and so deliuereth me from the bondage of sinne I say secondly that the fathers tearme workes meritorious not for the worthinèsse thereof but for Gods acceptation and promise sake That is to say they tearme good works meritorious because God hath promised to accept the works of the faithfull as worthie for the worthines of his sonne and for his merits to reward them with heauen as if they had merited the same For which respect either euer or almost euer they ioyne merite and grace together This veritie wil be
neuer cease to impeach accuse slaunder and condemne vs in this behalfe yet do we defend nothing heerein but that which their owne best Doctors and printed bookes doe teach vs yea euen such bookes as are dedicate to the Popes holinesse himselfe The conceites which this Bishop alledgeth to make good his intended purpose are childish and too too friuolous For first where hee sayth that the Fathers speake of good workes onely in respect of their naturall valure as hee tearmeth it I aâ—nswere that that glosse and exposition is onely inuented by him and his fellowes to salue their beggerly doctrine if it wold be For besides y t no father saith so they repute al works before grace meere sin as I haue prooued out of Austen And our Bishop vnwittingly confuteth himselfe of such force is the trueth when he graunteth that good works done in grace are vnworthy of heauen if Gods promise be set apart For if they merite ex condigno as he auoucheth then doubtlesse promise couenant and mercie is altogither needlesse Secondly where the bishop fleeth to distributiue iustice so to establishe the merite of workes I answere that both the fathers and his fellowes are against him yea euen Aquinas himselfe For they vnderstand iustice commutatiue and require arithmetical equalitie And if Geometricall proportion were to be admitted yet should greater equalitie be required then can be found between our workes and eternall life The 9 obiection Ye brag that the merite of good workes cannot be found in all the Scripture But therein you belie both vs and the holy scripture For in the booke of Ecclesiasticus I finde these expresse wordes Omnis misericordia faciet locum vnicuique secundum meritum operum suorum All mercie shall make place to euerie one according to the merite of his workes Loe here is made expresse mention of the merite of his good workes The answere I say first that the booke of Ecclesiasticus is not canonicall Scripture as which was not found written in the holy tongue I say secondly that it is not for nothing that your late councel of Trent hath so magnified your Latine vulgata editio For such stuffe as this it doth affoord you in time of neede I say thirdly that in the originall and Greeke text your worde merite may long seeke for lodging before it finde any For these are the expresse wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Make place to all almes for euerie one shall find according to his workes The 10. obiection One Scripture saith that if we giue almes all things are pure vnto vs. Another scripture saith that charitie couereth the multitude of sinnes And it is frequent with the holy fathers that good workes deliuer vs from hell The answere I say first that S. Luke reprooueth y e extortions of the Pharisies exhorteth them to works of charitie As if he had said not vnwashed handes make you eate vncleanly but your wicked extortions Vse therefore charitie and giue almes to the poore and then your soules shalbe cleane though the platter be vnwashed This sense is gathered out of the verses aforegoing I say secondly that almesdeedes and other good works proceeding of faith do neither merite nor iustifie as is prooued but yet they are testimonies before men that wee be iustified by faith through the merites of Christ Iesus For which respect iustification is often ascribed vnto them as to the effects therof I say thirdly that the fathers in many places doe speake of temporal remission which often is graunted for almes deeds and the like The replie If good workes can neither iustifie nor merite then is it but a vaine thing to exercise our selues therein The answere I say first that thus to say and thinke is a probable signe of the reprobate who hath no feeling of Gods holy spirite but is become senselesse in all spirituall contemplation I say secondly that albeit good workes doe neither iustifie nor merite in proper kinde of speech yet be there many good and necessary causes why we should doe good workes First because God is glorified therein Therefore saith Christ let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your father which is in heauen Secondly because by good workes we shew our gratitude loue towards God Therfore saith Christ If ye loue me keep my coÌ„mandements Thirdly because it is the end for which we were created Therfore saith the apostle For we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good works which God hath ordained that we should walke in them Fourthly because they are necessary effectes of our predestination and consequently yeeld and euident morall certitude both to our selues to our neighbours that we are y e childreÌ„ of God Therfore saith the apostle There is no coÌ„demnation to theÌ„ y t are in Christ Iesus which walk not after y e flesh but after the spirite as if hee had said Who soeuer are the childreÌ„ of God cannot but liue after Gods holy lawes Which is the selfe same doctrine that Christ himselfe taught vs saying If ye shall keepe my commaundementes yee shall abide in my loue as I haue kept my fathers commandement and abide in his loue And S. Iohn confirmeth the same in these wordes In this wee know that we loue the children of God when we loue God and keepe his commandementes For this is the loue of God that we keep his commandementes So then if we keep Gods commandementes it is an euident signe that we loue God and that by faith wee are of his free mercie made his children for the merites and righteousnesse of Christ Iesus See more hereof in the eleuenth preamble in my first booke of Motiues The 8 conclusion Although good workes doe neither merite grace in this life nor glorie in the life to come as which are imperfect polluted with sinne and in rigour of iustice worthy of condemnation as is alreadie prooued yet because God hath decreed in his eternal counsel to bring vs to heauen by them as by ordinary meanes and right fruites of a sound christian faith they may in a godly sense be termed The secundary instrumentall cause of eternall life but in no sense the cause of mans iustification Explico I say of mans iustification because the latter can neuer be the cause of the former and consequently good workes following our iustification as the immediate fruites thereof can by no meanes possible be the cause of the same In regard whereof S. Austen as in many other thinges so in this point saide very learnedly Quòd opera non praecedunt iustificandum sed sequuÌ„tur iustificatum That workes doe not go before iustification but followe him that is iustified I say of eternall life because when there be many gradual effectes of one and the same cause then the former may fitly be termed the materiall cause of the latter that is as the schooles terme it Causa sine qua non
chance that may tend to the iniurie of so worthie a misterie which might chance especially in the receiuing of the bloud which if it were vnwarily receiued might easily be shed And because the multitude of christian people is increased wherin are conteined old men yong men and litle ones whereof some are not of so great discretion to vse due warines about the vse of this sacrament therefore there is a good prouiso made in some churches that the lay people shall not receiue the bloud but onely the priest Out of these words of Aquinas I note first that he liued a thousand two hundred seuentie and fiue yeers after Christ. I note secondly that the perfection of the sacrament consisteth in both kinds and consequently that the communion of the lay people is this day vnperfect in the church of Rome I note thirdly that both kinds were vsually giuen to the lay people in Aquinas his time that the contrarie was practised onely in some few odde churches apart I note fourthly that in his time yong childreÌ„ receiued the holy communion To this I adde fiftly that the papists can neuer shew any other alteration betweene the dayes of Aquinas and their late synode of Constance The second obiection Christ ministred the holy Eucharist in one onely kinde to his two disciples in Emaus for saint Luke maketh mention of bread onely and not of wine The answere I say first that your own Iansenius granteth that this place is not meant of the eucharist but was onely a figure thereof he proueth his opinion out of saint Austen S. Bede Theophilacte I say secondly that it is the vsuall phrase of the hebrew tongue to tearme all kinde of meate by the name of bread and so howsoeuer the place be vnderstood drinke can no way be excluded I say thirdly that if this place be vnderstood of the holy communion yet wil it not confirme the popish practise by any meanes For a singular act of Christ who was aboue his law and not bound thereunto cannot discharge vs from his holy institution which he commanded vs to obserue The third obiection S. Luke saith that the faithful continued in the apostles doctrine and felowship and breaking of bread and prayers where by the breaking of bread must needes be vnderstood the blessed eucharist and yet is there no mention made of wine The answere I say first that as it is true that these Textes are to bee vnderstoode of the holy sacrament of Christes body and bloud so is it true also that both kindes were ministred therein I prooue it because otherwise the Apostles shoulde haue ministred the sacrament in one onely kinde which yet no learned paipst will auouch I say secondly that the whole sacrament is figuratiuely signified by the breaking of bread by the figure Synecdoche which is frequent in the holy scripture wheÌ„ a part is named for the whole Whosoeuer reiects this glosse must charge the apostle with flat sacriledge Yea it is common with the fathers to vnderstand both the kinds whensoeuer they speake of the holy eucharist although they make but expresse mention of the one Therefore Saint Iustine after hee had made expresse mention of both the kinds addeth these words Alimentum hoc apud nos appellatur eucharistia This foode or nourishmeÌ„t we cal the eucharist S. Irenaeus hath these words Quando mixtus calix fractus panis percipit verbum Dei fit eucharistia corporis sanguinis Christi When the cuppe mingled and the bread broken receiueth the worde of God it is made the eucharist of the body and bloud of Christ. So S. Cyprian naming the cup onely calleth it the eucharist Which cup being giueÌ„ to an infant proueth euidently that in the primitiue church both kinds were thought most necessarie The fourth obiection It was the vse in the primitiue church to beare the eucharist in one kind to the sicke because there was great danger in carrying the consecrated wine A sufficient testimonie hereof is the storie of Serapion The answere I say first that most ancient approued antiquity beareth witnesse of both kindes sent and carried to the sicke and to such as were absent S. Iustine the martyr hath these words Diaconi distribuunt vnicuique praesentium vt participet eum in quo gratiae actae sunt panem vinum aquam ad absentes perferunt The deacons distribute to euerie one that is present a portion of the consecrated bread wine and water and they also carrie thereof to those that be absent Againe he writeth thus Distributio communicatióque fit eorum in quibus gratiae actae sunt cuique praesenti absentibus autem per diaconos mittitur A distribution and communication is made of those things that are blessed to euerie one that is present and the same is carried by the deacons to those that be absent Saint Hierome greatly commendeth saint Exuperius for his singular zeale in this behalfe these are his words Sanctus Exuperius Tolosae episcopus viduae Sarepâ—ensis imitator esuriens pascit alios ore pallente â—eiunijs fame torquetur alienâ omnémque substantiaÌ„ Christi visceribus erogauit Nihil illo ditius qui corpus domini canistro viminâ—o sanguinem portat in vitro Saint Exuperius the bishoppe of Tolose imitating the widow of Sarepta feedeth others euen when himselfe is hungrie his own mouth is pale with fasting yet it grieueth him to behold others famine al his substaÌ„ce he bestoweth on Christs members None more rich then he he carrieth our Lords body in a wicker basket and his blood in a glasse I say secondly that Serapion receiued both kinds though in some thing different from Christs institution For the bread was first infused into the consecrated wine and so receiued which manner of receiuing was a little corruption though farre different from the popish practise which altogether abandoneth the perfection of the holy sacrament This their owne Durand telleth them and if they will not heare mee yet must I request them to hearken to his words Thus doth he write Etsi in hostiâ consecratâ Christi sanguis sit non tamen est ibi sacramentaliter eò quòd panis corpus non sanguinem vinum sanguinem significat non corpus Quia ergo sub alterá taÌ„tum specie non est completum sacramentum quâ— ad sacramentum vel signum debet hoc sacramentum compleri prius quâm presbiter eo vtatur Although in the consecrate host there bee the blood of Christ yet is it not there sacramentally because the bread doth signifie the bodie not the blood and the wine doth signifie the blood not the body Therfore because the sacrament is not complete vnder one only kind in respect of the sacrament or signe this sacrament must bee first complete before the priest vse it Thus saith our popish Durand Out of whose wordes I note to the
great comfort of good christians that the aduersaries vnwittingly are beaten with their owne swords For though their doctour Durand onely intend to make good the priests receiuing yet is his reason generall forcible christian insoluble vtterly ouerthroweth al communicating vnder one kind Which hee proueth vnwittingly and vnwillingly such is the force of truth by three reasons first because the bloud is not in the consecrate host sacramentally secondly because the bread caÌ„not signifie the blood thirdly because the sacrament is not perfit vnder one kind Now that to vse dipped bread in stead of the blessed wine is a corruption I haue already proued by pope Iulius who telleth vs that none receiued dipped bread but only Iudas the traitor The fift obiection In the primitiue church the faithfull vsed to carie the bread home with them that they might receiue it when they thought good which is an euident signe that then they receiued it in one kind at home The answere I say first that the custome the obiection speaketh of was as well of the wine as of the bread For S. Gregorie Nazianzene writeth of his sister Gorgonia that shee reserued for deuotion sake some part of the signes of the bodie bloud of our Lord which she brought home from the church Tertullian writing to his wife of this vse maketh mention of the wine as well as the bread And Saint Exuperius as yee haue heard alreadie carried both the kinds about with him to releeue the sicke and absent which he would neuer haue done if the laie people had not receiued in both kinds I say secondly that this custome was not generall but onely vsed in some places of some persons rather of zeale then discretion and therfore iustly abrogated by sundrie holy councils Toletain and Cesaraugustain These are the expresse words of these holy councels Si quis acceptam à sacerdote eucharistiam noÌ„ consumpserit velut sacrilegus propellatur anathema sit If any shall not eate vp all the eucharist which hee receiueth of the priest let him be excoÌ„municated let him be accursed Out of which words I gather that the lay people receiued both kinds in the church but of a certaine zeale reserued some part thereof which they carried home to eate in time conuenient as they thought Which vse these graue synodes vtterly disliking condemned as sacrilegious The sixt obiection Many councels make mention of the laicall communion by which the lay people were distinguished from the clerkes Which distinction coulde neuer haue bene if both had receiued vnder both kindes The answere I answere briefely that both sorts receiued the holy eucharist in both kinds but the difference was this the priest receued before the altar the clerks in the chauncell the lay people without so that the meaning of the councels is this and no other to 〈◊〉 that when the laicall communion was inioyned to the clergie for penance then they were to receiue in both kinds as before but after the other clergie and in a lower place with the vulgar and lay people This my solution is grounded in these words of the Toletain councel Sacerdotes Leuitae ante altare communicent in choro clericus extra chorum populus Let the priests and the deacons communicate before the altar the clerkes in the chancell the people without the chancell In which words is insinuated the distinction of communions by the locall distinction where the communion was receiued The second conclusion The priuate communicating in the popish masse where the priest deuoureth vp all alone is wicked prophane and execrable as which is repugnant to Christs sacred institution controlled by apostolicall tradition and vnknowen to the ancient church following I prooue it briefely First because Christ instituted both kinds commanded al to receiue both kinds and withall because all present accomplished his precept For as Saint Marke saith they all dranke thereof Secondly because S. Paul deliuered to al the Corinthians as wel the lay sort as the clergie not only the forme of bread but of wine also protesting that he had so receiued the same froÌ„ the Lord and consequently that they ought in like maner to frequent that holy sacrament And that all without exception vsed thus to do is most euident by the course of holy scripture For Luke writeth The faithful continued in the apostles doctrine fellowship breaking of bread praiers yea it is so euideÌ„t in the very canoÌ„s of the apostles so highly magnified of the papists that priuat masse was reputed an execrable thing in their time as none liuing perusing their canoÌ„s seriously caÌ„ without the note of impudencie denie the same These are the expresse words of the tenth canon Omnes fideles qui conueniunt in solennibus sacris ad ecclesiam scripturas apostolorum euangelium audiant Qui auteÌ„ non perseuerauerint in oratione vsque dum missa peragitur nec sanctam communionem percipiuÌ„t velut inquietudines ecclesiae moueÌ„tes conuenit communione priuari Let all the faithfull that come to the church in time of the holy mysteries heare the scriptures of the apostles and the gospel And if any shal not continue in prayer til y e masse be done or shal not receiue the holy communion let them be excommunicate as those that disquiet the congregation Thus did the apostles decree In whose constitution we see plainly that the apostles are so farre from approuing the priuat masse of the papists as they would not permit any to be in the church but such as did communicate with the priest This is confirmed euen by the popes canon law Thirdly because all the fathers of approued antiquitie doe teach vs the same doctrine S. Chrysostome hath these words Ista videlicet nunc ad omnes nos dicit qui impudenter hic improbè adstamus Quisquis enim mysteriorum consors non est impudens imprâ—bus adstat These things verily he now saith to vs all which stand by impudently and wickedly For whosoeuer standeth by and doth not communicate he is impudent wicked Oh what would this holy father say if he were this day in Rome and should see many hundreds standing by gazing and the priest onely deuouring al he would doubtlesse terme them most impudent and vngratious people Saint Clement whose Epistles the papistes haue in great reuerence writeth in these words Certè tanta in altario holocausta offerantur quanta populo sufficere debeant Quòdsi remanserint in crastinum non reseruentur Let so many breades be offered at the altar as may suffice the people not only the ministers And if any thing shall remaine let it not bee reserued till the morrow S. Ambrose is consonant and confirmeth Saint Clements assertion in these wordes Munus enim oblatum totius populi fit quia in vno pane omnes significantur Per id enim quod vnum sumus de vno pane
end Againe because they represent y ◠things done which by the olde were but prefigured to be done Thirdly because they are more manifest and so doe excite our faith the more Fourthly because they pertaine to all nations whereas the other belonged to the people of the Iewes onely I say secondly that the Papists falsely accuse vs when they say that we make the holy eucharist a bare signe of Christs body and bloud For we grant and teach that together with the sacramentall bread and wine wee receiue Christs reall body and blood in a spirituall manner that is to say when wee receiue these sacraments by faith then Christs spirit dwelleth in vs and we are vnited to his body as members to the head and branches to the vine from which head wee continually draw nourishment spirit and life For then as the Apostle writeth Christ doth dwell in our hearts by faith which effect can neuer be had by popish doctrine because by it their accidents void of subiects are no sooner deuoured but Christs body forthwith departeth out of their mouths And if thou aske whither they answer they cannot tell The seauenth obiection Hee that eateth Christs body vnworthily saith S. Paul is made guiltie of Christs body which punishment doubtlesse should neuer be imposed for eating a peece of bakers bread The answere I say first that it far surmounteth bakers bread as is more then once concluded sufficiently I say secondly that it is no absurdity to grant a man to be guilty of that euē by eating wherof he eateth not at all at least wereof he eateth not in such maner as hee is gultie by his eating For first Adam was guiltie of disobeying Gods diuine maiestie and that by reason of eating Neuerthelesse hee ate not Gods maiestie but an apple Secondly euery glutton is guilty of irreuerence against God and that by reason of his eating and for all that he eateth not Gods substance but his creatures The like may be saide of euerie drunkard and many other malefactors I say thirdly that the wicked eate Christs body sacramentally which is as sufficient a cause of condemnation as the eating of an apple The replie Adam was condemned not simply for eating but for eating with disobedience Ergo the case is not like The answere I answer that euen so are not the wicked condemned for eating the sacrament simply but for eating it with disobedience For the apostle commandeth euery one to examine him self before he eate and in another place he commandeth vs to referre all our acts to Gods glorie The seauenth obiection It is not impossible for two bodyes to be in one place at once Ergo neither is it impossible for Christs bodie to bee in many places at once I proue it because there is the same difficulty in both The answere I grant that one body may as well bee in many places at once as diuers bodyes in the same place at once But withall I affirme them both to be impossible The first replie The holy Scripture telleth vs that all things are possible to God it also hath discouered the possibilitie of this particular case by many fold examples For first Christs owne glorified bodie was at once in the same place with the doores Secondly Christs body and the stone of the sepulcher were both in the same place at one time Thirdly God can bring a camel through a needles eie euen continuing in his naturall figure quantitie stil. For as Christ himselfe saith God can do both this and al other things Fourthly Christ came out of his mothers wombe the clausure being whole and not stirred for so saith Saint Austen The answere I say first that god can do much more then mans reason can conceiue because the dulnesse of mans vnderstanding is not able to penetrate the bottomelesse deepenesse of his heauenly wisedome power diuine I say secondly that it is one thing to speake of things which God can do another thing to speake of those things that he wil do For we are assured by his reuealed will that as God can do al things which he wil so are there many things which he cānot do or rather which he wil not do because they cannot indeed be done And these things are of 2. sorts the one sort containeth imperfection the other implieth cōtradiction In respect of y e former he cannot do these things First he cannot make another God secondly he cannot make himself corruptible thirdly he cannot sin In respect of the latter he cānot do these things First god cānot make time past not to be past secōdly God cannot make a blind mā remaining blind to haue his sight thirdly God can not make a dead man remaining dead to haue his life Neuerthelesse most true it is that the want of doing these and the like things doth not argue any defect in god who is omnipotent but imperfection or contradiction in the things that should be done I say thirdly that Christs body was not in the same place with the wood which thing is proued at large in the chaper of Christs resurrection peruse mine answere there and all obscuritie will surcease I say fourthly that the stone gaue place to Christs body and that done returned againe to the former place like as Peters chaines fel off from his hands as the red sea gaue place to the Israelites and as the iron gate opened by it owne accord I say fiftly that touching the passage of the Camel many things may be said First that by the word Camel is vnderstoode a cable rope and not a beast because the Greeke word is indifferent to them both Secondly that it is but a prouerbe or phrase of speech signifing how hardly rich men enter into heauen Thirdly that God can dilate the eie of a needle so as a Camel may passe through the same and that without preiudice to the naturall quantitie of his body See the third Paragraph in the end I say sixtly that Christs body came not out of his mothers wombe the clausure being whole not stirred For first Christ was presented to the Lorde according to the lawe as the holy gospel doth record yet the law required such presentation only of them which opened their mothers wombe Secondly Tertull. testifieth this opening of the blessed virgins wombe These are his wordes Haec vulua est propter quam de alijs scriptum est Omne masculinum adaperiens vuluam sanctū vocabitur domino Quis vere sanctus quam Dei filius Quis proprie vuluam adaperuit quam quiclausam patefecit Caeterū omnibus nuptiae patefaciunt Itaque magis patefacta est quia magis erat clausa Sequitur cum apostolus non ex virgine sed ex muliere editum filium Dei pronuntiauit agnouit adapertae vuluae nuptialem passionem Thi◠is the wombe for which it is written of others euery manchild that openeth
13. Rom. 6. vers 3 4. Math. 3. vers 17. Math. 4. vers 1. Math. 4. ver 2 14 15 16. Iohn 2. vers 1 9. Tertull. aduersu Iudaeos p. 134. Heb. 13. vers 12 Mat. 27. vers 50 Mark 15 vers 25. Ioh. 19. ver 14. Iohn 19. vers 14 Mar. 15. vers 25. Partition of the day and night Mat. 20. verse 1 c. Mar. 15. ver 33. Math. 27. vers 51 â—ohn 20. ve 10 11. liâ— 24 verse 10 13 15 17. Iohn 20. ver 1â— Iohn 10. v. 26 27 Math. 28. v. 16 17 Iohn 21. ver 1.9 Iohn 21. vers 14. non sunt verba Christi sed euangelist Ioh. 20. vers 26. August ad Dardanum Epist. 57. Exod. 14. ver 21. Psal. 136. ver 13. and 14. Act. 12. v. 7.10 Hier. ad Pammach to 5. p. 80 Math. 21. v. 1.6 A flat demonstration against poperie Act. 1. ver 1.2 3 4 5 6 7 de inceps Act. 1. v. 13.14 Act. 3. v. 21. A. D. 44 Anno dom 45 Iudaeus erat Galileus A. D. 44 Act. 12. ver 23 A. D. 104 A. D. 45 A. D. 41 Anno Dom. 63. Anno Dom. 44. Anno Dom. 107. Anno Dom. 43. Anno. Dom. 342. Anno Dom 365 An. Dom. 274 August de heres ad q.v. deum 46. D. Epiphan haer 66. lib. 2. to pa. 205. Epiphan vbi sup Epiphan in catal dogmatum Manich. Anno. Dom. 413 Anno Dom. 323 Niceph. li. â— c. 1â— Euleb de vita Constant. lib. 3. cap. 5.6 Socrat. li. 2. ca. 2â— Nicephor libr. 8. histor cap. 51. Anno Dom. 433 Note this poinâ— well Anno. Domâ— 383. Anno Doâ— 456. An. Dom. 623 Genes 16.4 Genes 17.20 Anno Dom 1203 Anno Dom 1517 Anno Dom 1300 Victor de pot pap relect 4. pag. 151. Carr. in Epit. conc pag. 369. August libr. ad Bonefaccium c. 4 â—o 7. Victor de potest· Eccl. relec â— sect 6. P. 39. Polyâ—â— Virg libr. 4. cap. â— Anno Dom 590. Gregor libâ— 7 Epist. cap. 194. Anno Dom 607. Nicephor Sigebâ—â—â— Loe whoredome and murder were the preparitiues to Romish primacie Marianus Scotus in Chron. Sigebert in in Chron. Palmer in Chro. Note this point well Eusebius hist. lib. 5. cap. 24. Cyprian Epist. 74. ad Pomp. Act. 4. ver 17. Epist conc Affr. ad Celest. tom 1. conc Conc. Nic. can â— dist 35. cap. Mos. antiquus in gloss The first reason Clemens ep 1. Irenaeus lib. 3. cap 3. Epiphan Haer. 27. Euseb. hist. lib. 3. ca. 13 14 15 The second reason Onuphr in chron Carranz in epit p. 370. p 373. The third reason 1. Tim. 2. v. 11 12. 1. Cor. 14. ver 39 Seuen popish approued writers agree to this storie of Pope Iohn· Palmerius Sigebertus in chro Bernard ad Gaufrid epist. 1 25 Aug. coâ—â—r ep Manich. cap. 4. Irene libr. 4. c. 43 Ephes. 4. v. 11. Ephes. 4. v. 11. Lyranus in 16 cap. Matth. Rom. 10.14 Epiphan lib. 3. pag. 355. Hier. contr Lucifer 2. Tim. 1.6 1. Tim. 4.14 Actes 13 ver 3. Act. 1. ve 21. Aug. in Epist. 11. 〈◊〉 2. â—pud D. Cypria b. 1. epist. 4. Iacod Pamelius in annot Anno Dom. 590 Ob. 1. Pamelii Ob. 2. Pameliâ— Virtuall election remaineth yet in the people The Pope must be confirmed by the letters patents of the Prince Platina in vita Pelagii secundi Platina in vita Seuerini Anno Dom 637 Platina in vita Bened. secundi Carranza in epit p. 301. Anastas apud Onuphr in châ—â—ico The first corollarie Anno Dom 684 The popes tyranny debarred vs â—rom our anâ—ient right The second corollarie The third corolâ—â—rie â—phes 4. vers 11. Ephes. 4. vers 13. Ier. 18. v. 18. Ezech. 7. ver 26 Ephes. 4. v. 14 Let this solution be wel obserued and neuer forgotten Esay 46. verse 10 Psal. 135. ver 6. Rom. 9. ver 19 Exod. 4. ver 22 Math. 23. ver 37 1. Tim. 2. v. 4 Mat. 20. ver 16 Voluntas signi non beneplaciti Ephes. 4. v. 14. Marke this well for Christes sake 1. Tim. 2.4 Mat. 20. ver 17 Ephes. 2. ver 10 Exod. 18.20 Deut. 6.5 Luc. 10.28 Math. 22.37 Mar. 12.29 Rom. 7. per totum Bellar. lib. 2. de conc c. 2. Numb 22.28 Euery bishop may erre Panorm de elecâ— cap. significati pâ—ope finem A lay mans iudgment is to be preferred before the popes Loe the papistes acknowledge our doctrine 3. Reg 19.10 3 Reg. 15 18. 22. 3. Paral. c. 16. c. 17. Rom. 11. v. 3. The church inuisible among the papistes 1. Tim. 3 15. Note how the Church cannot erre August in Psal. 47. in praef Vide Augusti lib. 7. de bapt c. 51. tom 6. Chrys. homil 11. in 1. Tim. 3. Ansel. super hunc locum Syluest de eccl §. 4. Panormit apud Sylues de fide §. 9 Vide ipsum Panormiâ— de electione cap. significasti can 14. quaest â— can a recta in glossa Mat. 28.20 Chrys. in cap. 5â— Mat. hom 15. tom 2. Agu. in Epist. 80. propâ— finem tom 2. pag. 238. 〈◊〉 16. â—3 The holyghost â—aught no new â—octrine but onely reuealed â—he true sense of such things â—s the Apostles did not vnderâ—â—and Iohn 14 vers 26. It is the selfe same doctrine but more plainly declared Canus de locis lib. 3. c. 4. Mat. 16. vers 18. Aug. de verb. Dom. ser. 13. These are most plaine words Chrys. serm de pâ—nt tom 3. Saint Bede holdeth the same opinion Hilaâ— de Trinit lib. 6. P. 103. Gloss. in mat 16. See Panormitan de electione cap. significasti Luke 22. ver 32. Three grants of the papists do vterly ouerthrow the popes supposed priuiledge Ioh. 27. vers 9 Ioh. 17. vers 20. Matt. 18.19 20. The second reason Aug. in quaest mixtis q 75. to 4 Orig. homil â— in Matth An argument insoluble The third reason Panorm apud Syluest de fide §. 9. de conc §. 3 The place is worthie to be noted Alphons lib. 1. de haeres c. 4. Ioh 21. vers 16 August de agon Christ c. 30. to 3. Let the seely vulgar papists note well this proposition Ierem. 1.1 1. Sam. 1. vers 3. Exod. 18.1 2. Luc. 1. vers 8 9 13 14 18 19. 1. Tim. 3. vers 2. A shameful wresting of the holy scripture The true meaning of S. Paul Chrysost. in 1. Tim. c. 3. hom 10. Behold how the fathers and scriptures agree with priests marriage Hier. in cap. 1. ad Tit. Chrysost. in 2. c ad Titum hom 2 Note well what is here said The probation conuinceth Answere O Seminarie priestes or els recant your doctrine Theoph. in hunc locâ—m 1. Cor. 9. v. 5. The popish exposition of this place is ridiculous Euseb. hist. lib. 3. secundum Ruffi Euseb. lib. 3 hist. cap. 24. secundum Christophor Phil. cap. 4. v. 3 1. Tim. 5. v. 9.14 Greg. Nazianz. Orat. de funer Pat. orat 28.27 Eusebius hist. lib. 6. ca. 31. Chrysost. in oratione de Philog Socrates hist. lib. 1.