Epist â— ad Mâ—r ellinuÌ„ such souldiours such subiectes as our Religion requireth and Princes shall raigne securely and their kingdomes shall flouriâ—h more happilie then Platoes common vvelth And bicause ReligioÌ„ good or badde beareth a great svvay in the rule of mans life the Professours of the nevve Religion must needes be more prone to disobedience and rebellion then vvee bicause Religion vvhich serueth for a bridle to vs is a Spurre to them Vvherfore by Catholikes all your Predecessours haue been serued vvith great fidelitie both in vvarre and peace and your glorious Mother if she vvere liuing in Earth as she is better liuiÌ„g in Heauen vvould not lette to vvitness vvhat affectioÌ„ she hath found amongest the English Catholiques and vvould vvarraunt your Grace that they vvill neuer bee false to the Sonne vvho haue been so true to the Mother But if your Highnes doubte of our fidelitie vve vvill bynde our selues by corporall oathe to obey your lavves in all temporal causes and to defend your Roial Person your Deare Spouse our Gracious Queene and your tovvardlie Children our Noble Lordes vvith the laste droppe of our bloud and this our oathe vve shall be contented to diuulge to all the Princes of Europe yea all the Christian vvorlde And as your Grace may accounte of vs as of your surest so not of your fevvest nor vveakest subiectes for notvvithstanding this longe persequution vvee are so many Apalog c. 37. that as Tertulian sayed to the Paganes of the Christianes of his tyme vve fill your Courtes your Vniuersities your Cities your Tovvnes your Villages yea your prisons not for theftes or murders but for Religion only vvee haue lefte the Churches to the Ministers bicause in them is practised and preached a Religion vvhich our consciences can not brooke Yea a greater parte are vvee then any particuler secte in your Maiesties Realme and vvee are linked in Religion to all Catholique Princes and countries about you vvho vvill bee more louing neighbours if they see that vvee their bretherne synde this desired fauour at your Graces handes and the noblest and mightiest of them vvilbe more desirous to ioyne in mariadge vvith your Royall posteritie vvherby hovve your Kingdome shal be strengthned and your Dominions enlarged your Princely vvisdome easilie perceueth and you haue an example in the noble Hovvse of Austria Your Noble Brother of Fraunce that novv raigneth may be a president in this matter vvho though he vvas once an enemie to the Catholique Religion yet findeth more faythfull correspondence in his Catholique subiectes then in all the rest and by permitting bothe is serued of bothe and serueth him selfe of bothe Thirdly moste Gracious Soueraigne to admit the Catholique Religion or at least to permit it is your greatest safetie for your conscience For as you are a Prince so are you a Christian Prince and therefore a champion cap. 4.9 and as the Prophet Esaie sayeth a Foster-father of the Church and as the Kinges of Fraunce euen from Clodoueus the first Christian Kinge of that Realme haue beene called Christianissimi for their good offices tovvardes the Catholique Church Genebrar l s. Chron. Baron to 9. Annal. and the kinges of Spaine From Ferdinande yea from Alphonsus yea as some thinke from Recaredus for extirpating Arianisme and propagating the Christian faythe Geneb l. 4. Chron. Sleid l 3. Georg. Lilius in Chr. Angl. are surnamed Catholike so the Kinges of England froÌ„ King Henrie the Eight your Graces great vncle for his Catholike lerned booke writteÌ„ agaiÌ„st Luther other his most honourable seruices vvhich he perfourmed for the Catholike Church are called Defendours of the Faithe that is the Catholike faith Wherfore your Maiestie first bicause you are a Christian King Secondly bicause youâ— are a Defendour of the faithe are to see that the right vvorship of God and the true Christiane religion be practised in your Realme This the honour of God vnder vvhom you raigne this the good of his Church vvhose Champion you are this the saluation of your people vvhose King you are this the spiritual health of the body of your Realme vvhose head you are requireth For if in any couÌ„trie it be true that the inconstaunte people changeth vvithe the King in England it is moste true as vve haue seene by diuerse changes of religion in this Vnhappie age and so in your Maiestie it lyeth to saue or not to saue your people vvhich so admireth your authoritie and Princely vertues that your vvill is their lavve and your lavv their rule of religion And vvhere can your Grace finde a securer hauen for the Saluation of your selfe and your subiectes then the Catholike Church In vvhich soe many Martyrs haue dyed so many Doctours haue taught and preached so many virgins haue liued in flesh like Angells and so many sainctes haue vvrought so straunge and vvonderfull miracles by vvhich so many heresies haue been condemned so many Councels called so many Ecclesiasticall lavves enacted and such goodly order and discipline established For vv ch so many monasteries Churches Colledges Vniuersities and hospitalles haue beene builded fouÌ„ded In vv ch so many Emperours Kinges and Princes haue liued raigned dyed and as it is to bee hoped also haue beene saued and against vvhich so many cruel persequutours in vaine haue raysed forces and vsed tormeÌ„tes and so many heretikes haue raged and railed vvhich is descended froÌ„ the Apostles can proue a continuall succession of her pastours and religion from them vnto this daye Vvheras the nevv Church began but yesterdaye and her Preachers vvith her vvho also can not proue their mission nor distinguish them selues from false Prophets vvhose doctrine hath all the markes of heresie and is rather Antichristian then ChristiaÌ„ plucking at Christes Diuinitie spoiling him of many Honourable Titles to vvit Redeemer Spiritual Phifitian Lavv-giuer Aeternall Preest Iudge of the quicke and dead equalizing euery Christian vvith him making him an ignoraunt desperate and damned man vvhich hath nether Preest nor sacrifice nor in effect any sacrameÌ„t no prayer not so much as our Lords prayer no nor a sermon according to their doctrine nor any of the essential partes of Religion vvhich is blasphemous in many pointes against God iniurious to State and Authoritie fauourable to vice and bending to Atheisme all vvhich pointeâ— I haue proued in this booke But if youâ— Maiesties pleasure or leisure be not such as by perusing this booke to informe your selfe vvhich is moste likely to be the true Christian religion if it shall please your Highnes to commaund a conference or disputation vvhich hathe euer beeâ— the vsual meanes to determine coÌ„troueâ—sies as appeareth by the disputation oâ— Helias vvith Baals Prophetes â— Reg 18.10 8. Act. 7.9 17. 18 19. 20. Aug ep 47. Ruf. l. hist of Christ vvith the Ievves of Sainct Paule vvith levves and Gentils and of the ancieâ— doctours in Councels and out of Councels vvith Ethinkes and heretiques youâ— Maiestie shall finde diuers of your
liued I vvas thy plague and dying Pope I le be thy death But yet Popes liue and maie treade vppoÌ„ Luthers graue still Popes raigne thoughe they be excluded from InglaÌ„de Germanie Scotlande and some fevv other places yet doe they exercise their authoritie still and as muche as euer in Italie Spayne France and other countryes and haue by the Benedictins Dominicanes Iesuites Lopes l. r. c. a. Gen. l. 4. â—ron â—nno Christi 1492 GoÌ„zal 2. p hist de la Chine c. 24. l. 3. hist gen c. 28. â— careâ— Regem Angl. Augustines and Franciscanes meanes and industrious laboures extended their iurisdiction to the Indies and other nevve-founde landes countreys Likevvise the same Luther in his railing booke againste kinge Henry the eight thus againe prophecieth Dogmata mea stabunt Papa cadet viderit Deus vter prÃmo fessus defecerit Papa an Lutherus My opinions saieth he shall stande and the Pope shall falle lette God looke to it vvhether the Pope vvearied out or Luther shall first fayle And yet vve see that Popes liue and raigne Luther is deade descended to hell and his doctrine decaieth more and more and manie are novve vvearie of it and see more and more into his absurdities On a tyme also this man of God this greate patriarchâ— and fifte Euangeliste this secoÌ„de Elias and eight vvise man to gette him self a name Stephilus â—pol 2. Genebr chroÌ„â— 4. ann Christi 166. assaied vvhat he coulde doe in dispossessing of a deuill but it vvoulde not be the reason I thinke vvas bicause one deuill vvill not or caÌ„ not cast out an other yea the deuill so scarred Luther for attemptinge so greate a matter that the dores beinge shutte by the deuil the man of God vvas fayne to breake the vvindovves least thedeuill should teare him in peeces But peraduenture he vvill bragge of his natiuitie in deed that vvas straunge for althoughe he vvas not borne by miracle as saint Ihon Baptiste vvas yet some are of opinion that he is descended either by father or mother from the deuill him self vvho vvas incubus to his mother Fout in tract sacr de statâ— rel or succubus to his ffather Ihon Caluine also an other patriarche of the nevve Church made the like attemptes but they had the like successe Bolsec â— 13. He aggreed on a tyme for a peece of money vvith a man to fayne him self first sicke after deade and he coniured his vvife to vveepe and lament the deathe of her husbande that by her teares and lamentations the iest might seeme more probable The sicke man vvas commended at euerie preache to be praied for after vvarde the man fayned him selfe to be dead his vvife crieth out Caluine goeth a vvalkinge vvhich a great troupe and passinge by the sicke mans house demaunded as one altogeather ignorante of the matter vvhat vvas the cause of those cryes and lamentations and ansvverre beinge made that one vvas deade he entreth in falleth dovvne on his knees praieth to God to shevve his povver in raising the deade to life and their in to glorifie his seruaunte Caluine that the vvorld might knovve that he vvas the maÌ„ vvhom God had culled out to be the only man vvhoe should reforme repaire the Churche of Christe And haiunge ended his praier he takes the man by the hande commaundes him in God his name to a rise But the man after muche callinge not a risinge his vvife calleth on him also rubbes him on the side to signifie that novve vvas the tyme to rise but he neither could ansvvere nor moue but by God his inste indgment vvho neither vvill nor can vvorke a miracle to maintaine a falshoode vvas stone-deade and as colde as claye so the ieste vvas tourned into good earnest and the comedie into a tragedie vvhich his vvife perceauinge cried out on Caluine and called him a cooseninge knaue and murderer of her husbande but Caluine departeth vvith a flea in his eare saying that ouer much greef had operessed the vvife depriued her of her vvittes Vvherfore since that the nouellers can vvorke noe miracles rayse noe deade men dispossesse noe deuills foretell noe future thinges heale noe diseased not so much as a lame dogge to proue their authoritie vvhat reason haue vve to harken vnto them And if vve giue eare vnto them vvhoe maie not chalenge audience at our handes For suppose some branisicke Brovvniste some brother of the ffamilie of loue or some other if it maie be more phantasticall should preache the dreames of his drovvsic head vayne conceiptes of his idle brayne calling them nevve points of religion and reformations of the olde might he not alleage some scripture for euery fancie of his thoughe neuer so vayne and make a shevve also of proofe if he expounde it as he please might he not discannon bookes of scripture vvhich seeme to stande in his vvaie being demaunded by vvhat authoritie he taketh all this vppon him might he not saie that he is sent from Christe immediatlie And being further requested to shevve some miracles as extraordinarie signes to proue an extraordinary mission might he not easilie ansvvere and that out of scripture also that miracles are for insidells and that Luther Caluine are accepted of vvho neuer coulde so much as heale a haltinge dogge and therfore that he his preachinge cannot be refused if they theirs be admitted And so vve see that if vve accept of the reformers of this tyme as the true Apostles ministers messengers of God not vvith standinge that they can nether shevve succession for their ordinary nor miracles for their extraordinary mission vve open the gappe to all false-false-apostles and heretikes vvhatsoeuer the dore is open for them they maie enter in thicke threefolde into the ministerie and can not be excluded if these nevve reformers be receiued vvithout playne and palpable partialitie And so thon seest geÌ„tle reader that in Inglande and other places vvhere this nevv doctrine hath taken roote that they haue noe probable assurance of their religion by the authority of their preachers bicause they can saie noe more for proofe of their authoritie then can the false Apostles Sithence therfore thou art vvarranted that the Churche and succession of her pastours shall neuer fall nor fayle and arte forevvarned also that false prophetes shall come and saie they are sent vvhen God neuer sent them at all hovve canste thou hange thy saluation on these nevve ministers vvhome thou canst not distinguishe from false prophetes bicause they can shevve noe more probabilitie of their ordinarie or extraordinarie mission then they did and to vvhoÌ„ thou canst not giue care but thou must harken also by the same reason vnto all false propheter vvhoe canne saie as muche for them selues as thy preachers can do therfore can not be reiected if these be receiued vvith out playne partialitie The second Chapter shevveth hovv the Reformers grounding their Religion on bare scripture
an heretike by Vvherfore Ireneus sayeth that by succession vve confound all heretikes Supra Sainct Austine sayeth that it is the thing Lib. cont ep fund c. 4 l. dâ— vtilit cred c. 17. vvhich holdeth him in the Catholike Church bicause sayeth he that Church in vvhich is this successioÌ„ is the rock against vvhich the gates of hell can not preuail If therfore our nevv Christianes vvill discharge them selues of this marke of an heretike vvhich is vvante of succession let them shevv vs as Tertulian demaunded of the heretikes of his tyme the catalogue of their Bishops and the origen of their Churche that if in the same vve finde them to be descended from the Apostles vve may acknovvledg them as true Christians if vve finde that they are not descended from so noble a race vve may hisse them out of the Church for heretikes But I ame sure they caÌ„ shevv noâ— succession bicause they are the first them selues and can as soone name their predecessours as they can finde out Lutheranes before Luther caluinistes before caluin I vvill not deny but that they can deriue some pointes of their doctrine froÌ„ Simon Magus and other ancient heretikes but this succession proueth them also to be heretikes as is before demonstrated but a succession from that Church vvhichvvas commonly counted Christian they can not shevv yea they can not shevv vs a succession of their doctrine from any ancient heretikes but are them selues the first of their familie succeeding to none but sent and ordayned by them selues See the first booke first chap. borne prodigiously of theÌ„ selues ChildreÌ„ vvith out fathers and schollers vvith out masters for although they borovv their heresies of other heretikes yet they iumpe vvith no heretikes in all points but ether adde or detracte so succeed in all poincts to none Vverfore though sometymes they vaunte that they succeed the Apostles and the primatiue Church yet some tymes the truthe breaketh from theÌ„ against their vvills as it doth from the deuil vvhen by coniuration he is compelled to tell the truth and then they confess them selues to be the first of their familie but this confession hangeth them Oecolampadius they call the first bishop of Basil and Caluin the first of Geneua Latimer the first Apostle of Ingland and knokes of Scotland And Martin Luther the most ancient of them all is not afrayed to saye that he vvas the first man that manifested the ghospell and the truthe vnto the vvorld In prafaâ— disp Lypsiâ— Audemus dicere sayeth hee à nobis primo diuulgatum esse Christum Vve dare saye that Christ vvas first by vs made knovvn vnto the vvorld He hathe piggs in his belly therfore he speakes in the plurall nuÌ„ber but he hath noe braynes in his head nor blood in his face to blush vvith all and therfore he dares be bold to say that he is the first man that promulgated the christian lavve Art thou the first thou vaunting compagnion modestie vvould yeeld at least to the Apostles So he vvill peraduenture but at least sayeth he I ame the first after them O monstrouse and Luciferian pride and novv not Luther but Lucifer Art thou the first after the Apostles Vvhere then vvas the Churche all this vvhile Vvhere vver ethe Pastours and Doctours of the same Vvhere vvere the Austines Ambroses Gregories Hieromes Vvas ther none all this vvhile to haue been imployed but God must needs expecte till an Apostata fryar leaped out of a Cloister and maryed vvith a Nonne notvvithstanding that bothe had promised chastitie before god and man by a solemne vovve But they haue a shifte or tvvoe by vvhich they thinke to auoyd this argument of succession The first is this our doctrine say they is Apostolicall and vve are the Apostles successours bicause vve preach conformable to that doctrine vvhich they haue left in the ghospells epistles by them vvritten But this shifte vvill not serue See the second chap. bicause this is to make bare scripture Iudge of their doctrine as all heretikes haue euer doon vv ch not notvvithstanding as is in the first booke demonstrated is noe certain rule to square fayth religion by Vvherfore they haue yet another ansvveare in store vv ch is this They graunte that the Apostles once plaÌ„ted a true church true religioÌ„ and established true pastours but soone after this Churche fayled degenerated froÌ„ that it vvas into the Synagogue of the deuil vv ch they call the Papisticall Churche and possessed the vvorld for many hundred yeares till at length Luther the man of god builded this Church agayne renevved the religion and appointed nevv pastours so say they vve succeed to that Church vvhich the Apostles founded not by a continuall succession but by an interruption of many hundred yeares But aske them vvhat yeare of our lord vnder vvhat Emperour or Pope vppon vvhat occasion this Church fayled then they can not giue you a resolute ansvver Luther in the Assembly at Wormatia publikely auouched that the Church fell in the tyme of the Councel of ConstaÌ„ce in vvhich Vvicleph vvas condeÌ„ned Tom. 9. l cont Papatum The same Martin not allvvayes myndfull of euery vvord vvhich he hath spoken in his book vvhich he vvrote against Papacie sayeth that this Church fayled a thousand yeares after Christe and his reason is biccause the Apocalips sayeth that Satan for a thousand yeares shal be tyed and so for six hundred years he hath been loose l. de Capt. Babyl In another place he sayeth that saint Gregorie vvas the last good pope and that since that tyme the Church and pastours are degenerated Yet the same man perceiuing hovv litle aggreemeÌ„t is betvvixte his religion and that vvhich vvas practised euen in the first age and tyme of the Apostles hovv vnlike his ministers are to those ancient preestes and fathers Act 15. he sayeth that the Apostles them selues erred in their Councel holdeÌ„ at Hierusalem or else sayeth he vve all sinne novv in eating blood-puddings vvhich they forbad not knovving absurde companion as he vvas or not acknovv-ledging that the precept vvas but for a tyme to coÌ„tent the Ievves As for the Councell of Nice vvhich vvas vvith in 300 yeares after Christe he auoucheth that the canons and articles of the same are but Stravv and Stubble â—â—prâ— vvhich epithetons he giues also vnto saint Iames his epistle Ep. â—d Sadol Caluin sayeth that Bonifacius the Pope vvas the first that vvas made suprem head of the Churche by Phocas the Emperour and so he thinketh that then the Churche first degenerated yet the same man in his preface to the king of Fraunce Prafat Inst. ad Regem Galliâ— in locis postreâ—â—â—â—ditu sayeth that the Church fell not till the tyme of the Councel of Basil Melancthon sayeth that Pope Zozimus vvas the first Anti-christ and that since ther vvas neuer any true Bishop of Rome But first this disagreement of the tyme
the Church of God and the first of them in our countrie and in euery countrie proued theyr authoritie by miracles â— 31. and their successours proued the same by succession but as yet the nevv preachers could neuer proue their authoritie and mission to bee ether extraordinarie by miracles or ordinarie by succession as is allready demonstrated in the first chapter So that for learning vertue antiquitie number dignitie by vv ch authoritie is gotten vve and our religion doe carye the bell avvaye Vvhat reason then haue men to forsake Catholikes and their pastours and preachers to harken vnto these nevv prophets vvho nether in learning nor vertue nor antiquitie not number nor dignitie can make any iuste comparison vvith them Suppose some one should be vvauering and doubtfull 〈◊〉 religion and deliberating vvith him â—olfe vvhether to follovve the olde fathers 〈◊〉 nevv preachers should make this discourse vvith him selfe I haue been baptiaed and brought vp in the Catholike religion and so vvere my fore fathers ty me out of mynd but of late yeares some haue been so bold as to auouch that they vvere all deceiued and damned also vnless ignoâ—unce excuse them vvherfor seing that vvithout true fayth noe man can bee saâ—â—ed it is good that I looke into bothe the old and nevv religioÌ„ to see vvhich by all reason I ought to imbrace But before I giue eare vnto these Reformers vvhich say that they come to correct old errours let me see vvhat probabilitie they bring for their pure and reformed religion First I see they aggree not and yet euery one sayeth that he teachethe the true fayth and reformed religion and seing that one bringeth noe more authoritie then another that is scripture interpreted by his ovvn spirit I see no reason vvhy I should giue credit more to one then to another and therfor bicause I can not giue credit to all I see no reason vvhy I should credit any of them all Hier. â—â— Secondly I ame forvvarned that false propheres shall come vnsent and yet auouche also that they are sent from God and therfor vnlesse these men can say more for them selues then they caÌ„ I see noe reason vvhich can bynde me to giue eare vnto them They saye they are sent from God So vvill false prophets say And I examining vvhat is their mission finde therin a great defect for ether it is an ordinarie mission and then they must shevv a succession of pastours vvhose roomes they supply vvhich I see they can not do bicause noe historie makes mention ether of their pastours or their seruice or practise of their religion or it is an extraordinarie by vvhich they are sent immediatly from Christ and then they must proue it by miracles else I must by the same reason harken vnto euery false prophete Nether doth it suffice to say that they preach no other doctrine then the Apostles did and therfore need no other miracles then those vvhich vvere vvrought by them for so euery archeretique may saye and you can not controle him vnless you put him to his miracles But they alleage scripture for their doctrine so haue all heretiques doone as is shevved in the second chapter But heretiques expounded scriptures amiss these men haue hitten vppon the right meaning Hovv shall I knovv that they say they haue the true spirit in interpreting of scripture And hovv shall I or hovv caÌ„ they â—ell that seing that nothing is so secret as is this spirit as is proued in the third chapter And did not Arius say that he interpreted scriptures by the true spirit vvhen he alleaged them to proue that the sonne vvas a creature netherequall nor coequall nor consubstantiall to his father Yea do not all heretiques say so doe not all the Reformers say so euen vvhen they hold contrary opinions I see noe reason therfore not so much as probable vvhy I should harken vnto these reformers vnless I vvill harken allso vnto all the heretikes that euer vvere or shall bee Much lesse can I see any reason vvhy to forsake my ancient pastours vvho made me and my for fathers Christians and to preferre these preteÌ„ded reformers before them For as for learning they surpassed these reformers and for vertu they excelled and so vvere more likely men to see into the sense of scripture and veritie of religion and vvere fitter instruments for God to vse and vesselles more capable of God his spirit and reuelations In antiquitie they are before theÌ„ by many hundred yeares in number they are an hundred at least for one for authoritie they vvere honourable Prelats and Bishops of the Church vvho proued their mission commission and authoritie by succession yea and by miracles also nether of vvhich proofes the reformers can alleag for their mission and authoritie Shall I then leaue such learned men for such young clat kes so vertuouse men for so vicious so ancient Pastours for so nevv so late vpstartes so many for so fevv and men of such pastorall dignitie for them that can not proue their commission no more then a false prophet can doe Surely I see no reason vvhy I should and seing that God vvil not bynde me to giue credit to them that can bring no probabilitie for their ovvn or their Doctours authoritie I see not hovv vvith any shevv of iustice God can at the latter day condemne me for not harkening vnto them for I might ansvver vvith reason that I savv noe reason vvhy I should harken to them rather theÌ„ to euery false prophet much less vvhy I should forsake myne ancient religion for a nevv and myne old graue fathers for a fevv yonge ministers vvho vvere borne but yesterday By this gentle reader thou mayest see hovv litle reason men of vnderstanding haue to giue credit vnto the nevve religioÌ„ But least I may seem to partiall or thou gentle reader mayst be to timorous in pronouncing the sentence let the matter bee brought before an indifferent iudge vvho is net her of the old nor the nevv Religion l. 1â— Aâ—â— In Iose phus his historie I finde an example in the like case of controuersie The Ievves sayeth he and the Samaritanes contended once about the place vvher God should be vvorshipped The Ievves sayed HierusaleÌ„ vvas the place Deus 19.4 Reg. 17.10.4 The Samaritanes vvould haue it to be the mount Garizim The matter vvas brought before a Pagan king yet a discreet and indifferent Iudge Proloquutours vvere appointed on bother sides to plead the cause Sabeus and Theodosius for the Samaritanes Andronicus for the Ievves Andronicus had leaue graunted to speake first vvho recounteth a succession of the high precstes froÌ„ Aaron vnto his tyme all vvhich tyme the Ievves vvere counted the true vvorshippers of God he declareth the Antiquitie of the Temple of Hierusalem and of the sacrifices there offered hee telleth hovv that place vvas euer taken for the true place of vvorship and that therfore it vvas adorned and enriched not only by the guifts
vvas sovved rooted come to some height and ripenes before euer the false Apostles scattered the nettleseed and hempseed of their heresies Yea not only by the Apostles generally in the vvorld but also by their successours particulerly in euery particuler country fay the grevv and florished before heresie vvas sovved â—i â— for as Bozius in his fourth booke of the signes of the Churche learnedly proueth the first conuersion of euery country froÌ„ paganisme vnto Christianitie vvas not to heresie but to the true fayth Romain religion and vvhen that vvas receiued then heresie being but a corruption of true fayth as vineger is of vvine begane to take place then the cockle spronge vp after the good corne And therfore Sainct Paule giues vs this marke to knovv an heretike and for heresie that they arise after the true religioÌ„ Act. 80 I knovve saieth he that rauening vvolues that is heretikes after my departure shall enter amongest you not sparinge the flocke So that after sainct Paule had preached and persuaded true fayth the false prophetes entered to ruine the spirituall building vv ch he had framed In like maÌ„ner the ancient fathers haue euer noted heretikes their heresies of later standing and noueltie l. praesc c 2â— In all things sayeth Tertulian the veritie goeth before the image and last of all cometh the similitude Yea sayeth he it is a folly to thinke that heresie in doctrine is the first especially seing that the true religion fortelleth heresies And in another place ll 4. aduersus Marcionens thus hee concludeth Insumma si constatid verius quod prius id prius quod est ab initio ab initio quod ab Apostolis pariter vtique constabit idesse ab Apostolis traditum quod apud Ecclesias Apostolicas fuerit sacro-sanctum In breef if it be manifest that that is truest vvhich is first that first vvhich is from the begining that froÌ„ ye. begining vv ch is from the Apostles it shall likevvise be manifest that that is deliuered by the Apostles vv ch hath been inuiolably holdeÌ„ in the apostolicall Churches And in his booke against Praxeas he sayeth that it is adiudged against all heresies that that is true vv ch is first that is couÌ„terfet vv ch is later And this he shevveth by a similitude for sayeth he as the vvilde oliue springeth out often tymes out of the svveet oliue nutte l. praesc c 36. and the vvilde figtree out of the good figge so heresies haue grovvne out of our ground vvhich yet are not ours degenerating from the true graine of fayth Ireneus also subscribeth to Tertulians opinion in these vvords l 5. circa mâ—dium Omnes illi valde posteriores sunt quam Episcopi quibus Apostoli tradiderunt Ecclesias All they he meaneth heretikes are of much later standing then the Bishops to vvhome the Apostles deliuered and comitted the Churches And as heretikes are noted of later standing so is their doctrine counted to sauour of noueltie Vvherfore Zozomenus sayeth l. 1. c. 1â— that Arrius vvas not a frayed to affirme that vvhich neuer any durst auouch to vvit that God the sonne vvas created of nothing And Vincentius Lyrinensis vvriting a booke against heresies intitleth it against prophane nouelties and vvisely obserueth that the Catholike Churche Keepeth the olde and deuiseth noe nevv doctrine to vvhich sense he explicateth those vvordes of saint Paule O Timothee depositum custodi c. 2. ô Timothee keep that vvhich vvas deposed vvith thee and committed to thy custodie Depositum custodi sayeth he non quod à te inuentum sed quod tibi creditum est quod accepisti non quod excogitasti rem non ingenij sed doctrinae non vsurpationis priuatae sed piâ—blicae traditionis in qua non author esse debes sed custos non institutor sed sectator aurum accepisti aurum redde nolo mihi pro alijs alia subijcias Keep that vvhich is deposed not vvhich is inuented by thee but vvhich is committed to thee vvhich thou hast receiued not vvhich tho hast deuised a thing not of vvit but of doctrine not of priuate vsurpation but of publique tradition in vvhich thou oughtest not to bee an autour but a keeper not an institut our but a follovver thou receiuedst gould restore gould I will not haue thee put in one thiÌ„g for another Vvherin he putteth a playn difference bettvvixt Catholikes and heretikes that they sticke to the olde these are euer deuising nevve doctrine For although the Churche by nevv councells and definitions addeth greater explication of her religion and although by the labours and endeuours of the Doctours of the Church vvhich in no age are vvanting many points of our fayth are more illustrated and dilated yet in substaunce our fayth is still one and the same And therfore diuines saye that fayth neuer from the beginning hathe increased in substaunce but only in explication and that the Churche since the tyme of the Apostles neuer had nevv reuelations in the articles of beleef and that in general Councells she defineth noe nevv things but rather those things vvhich before vvere extaunte in scriptures fathers or tradition shee by her definition declareth more certainly and proposeth more plainly to the vevve of the vvorld So that as Vincentius Lyrinensis sayeth 〈◊〉 29.30 euen as mans body increaseth by nutrition and augmentation yet gayneth no nevv limmes and members but only getteth more quantitie and strength in the former so christian fayth by noe increase did euer yet gaine nevv articles but only hath gotten greater and clearer explication of the former Vvherfore the same doctour counsayleth euery preacher and teacher so to explicate thinges after a nevv manner that he preach not nevv doctrine Eadem quae accepisti say eth hee ita doce c. 〈◊〉 vt cùm dicas nouè noÌ„ dicas noua The same things vvhich thou hast receiued so doe thou teach that vvhen thou speakest after a nevv maÌ„ner thou speake noe nevv things And the reason vvhy faythe admitteth no noueltie is this bicause God speaketh once and neuer recalls or ameÌ„ds his vvorde Iob 33. Psal 6â— and in him that prouerb takes no place Secunda consilia meliora second counsayls are the best For God is as vvise and circumspect at the first as at the last therfore he hauing once reuealed and planted fayth that must stand for good and he that seeks to chaunge declares him selfe a corrupter not a correctour and in that he coÌ„meth after vvith his diuising vvit to adde ordetract froÌ„ the olde receiued faith he bevvrayes him selfe to be of later standing so an heretike and his doctrine to sauour of noueltie so an heresie Vvherfore to coÌ„clude sithe that it is certain that Catholikes vvhom they call papists are of noelate staÌ„ding nor noe vpstarts for I demaund vvhen they beganne and after vvhom they arose they caÌ„ be noe heretikes seing that it is noe lesse certain that the reformers of this
corners till at the length Luther vvhom God and his Church all that vvhile expected brought it to light again And all this vvhile bicause Ecclesiasticall histories conuince them they confess that ther vvas a Church commonly called Christian in vvhich Popes ruled and Kings and Princes vvere baptized but that say they vvas not the Church of Christ but the conuenticle of Papists and chappell of the deuill Io. â— and thus these euildoers fly the light This shifte serues them for tvvo purposes for first thus they vvill free them selues from all iudgemeÌ„t-seats for if you conuent them before Ecclesiasticall Iudges or the vvholle Church they vvill say that they are not lavvfull Iudges and that it is not the true Church vvhich summoneth them to appear and therfore they are not bound to stand to their sentence vvho haue all authoritie on their ovvn side And if you aske them from vvhome they had authoritie they vvill say that they had their predecessours to vvhom they succeed and their Church vvhose fayth they preach and that from them they haue authoritie if you then bid theÌ„ shevv some historie or ancieÌ„t monument of their Church they vvill ansvvere that it vvas inuisible and soe vvill say vvhat they liste and by noe Church paste or present shall you be able to controlle them for they haue a Gygas ring to goe inuisible by Secondly if the Church vvas inuisible you can not vrge them to shevv any continuall succession of it from the Apostles For they vvill say that their Church succeeded the Apostles and is the same vvhich they planted but after the Apostles tyme vvas neuer seen till Luther pulled avvay the bushell vvhich couered this light And truly I vvill easilie graunt that their Church before Luther vvas inuisible For that vvhich vvas not could not be seen but that the true Churche vvas at any tyme inuisible is altogegether improbable For vvhen hapned this darkeness I pray you Mat. 30 Psal â—â— The Church vvas once a citie vppon an hill and a tabernacle placed in the sonne hovv then could it on a sodain come to bee inuisible and noe man in the vvorld to note it Historiographers vvrite of earth-quakes and darknesses and all the vvorld noted the darkness vvhich hapned at Christes death and vvas ther no man to note this darkeness vvhich couered the vvholle face of the earth and hapned after so conspicuous a light Aristotle sayeth that the same sense iudgeth of the obiect and priuation as for example the eye vvhich beholdeth colours and light perceiueth also or at least giues occasion to the invvard sence called sensus communis to perceiue darkeness vvhen the light is gone vvhy then could not they vvhich had seen the Churche florish and shine conspicuously perceiue also vvhen first she lost her light And if they perceiued it hovve chaunceth it that none euer vvrote of so straung an accident But vvhat should I aske so many questioÌ„s vvhere I ame sure to finde noe reasonable ansvveres I vvill novv vvith one argument make all this darkeness of this erronious doctrine giue place to the light of the truth to vvit that the true Church can not be inuisible For Christ bidds vs vvhen our brother vvill not harken vnto our admonitions Mat. 18. to coÌ„playn on him to the Church Suppose theÌ„ that some heretike should preach false doctrine and being admonished to correct his errour vvould yet remain obstinate ther is no other remedie but to coÌ„playn on him to the Church and hovve shall this complaint be made if the Churche can not be found out as it can not if it bee inuisible Suppose again some Christian or infidell should beginne to doubt of his fayth and vvould fayne be instructed noe doubt his only remedie is to repayr vnto the Church for a resolution vvhere only truthe is taught and saluation is found but if the Churche be inuisible or decayed hovv shall he haue access to this Churche vvhich ether is not as they saye or at least is inuisible Truly if the Churche ether decayed or vvas inuisible then vvas the vvorld vvithout meanes of saluation for many hundred yeares But let me demaund of them hovv their Churche vvas inuisible vvhich consisteth of men and is gouerned by men and mainteined by visible gouerment visible Sacraments and audible preaching They liued not allvvayes in holes some tymes they came abroad and comming abroad and carying the name of Christians they vvere by Papists allvvayes enforced to frequent Masse and sacramentes and to professe their religion else had they been excommunicated and deliuered to seculare povver vvhence it must needs follovv that ether Luthers and Caluines Churche vvas neuer before them selues beganne to preach or that their Churche dissembled against conscience for fifteen hundred yeares But vvhat do I fight against shadovves and that vvhich neuer vvas or neuer vvas seen Let mee conclude novv that vv ch I intended The ghospellers can not deny but that the true Churche vvas once plaÌ„ted and that therfore novve that is the true Church vvhich can by succession be deriued from it for to say that the Church fayled or vvas inuisible is but a vayne imagination and seing that Catholikes can by all Histories and monuments shevv that their Church is descended from that vvhich vvas in the tyme of the Apostles theirs is the Church and they are the true Christians and seing that the reformers can not thus deriue their Church from the Apostles bicause before Luthers preaching it vvas neuer seen hard nor felt it follovveth that their Church is not Apostolicall but rather apostaticall and hereticall and they noe true Christianes but heretikes The sixt chapter handleth the sixt marke of an heretike vvhich is dissension in doctrine in vvhich chapter is proued that peace is a marke of the true Church and that the dissentious ghosppellers are heretikes if euer any vvere CIcero that famous oratour and Merchaunt of vvords Philippica 13. speaking of peace giues it this vvorthy commendation Pacis nomen dulce est res vero ipsa cum iucunda tum salutaris The name of peace is svveet but the thing it selfe is bothe pleasaunt and soueraine To vvhich opinion of his all men vvill easilie subscribe if they enter into consideratioÌ„ of the nature of peace For vvhat is more pleasaunt then that vvhich all things desire and vvhat more healthfull and souerayne then that vvhich preserueth all things So pleasaunt is peace that euen senseles creaturs seem vvholly to desire it The heauens moue all from the east to the vvest caryed vvith the svvay of the first heauen called primum mobile and yet by their proper motions at the same tyme they moue also from the vvest to the East some svviftly some slovvly yet vvith such vniformitie aggrement as though they desired nothing more then peace and feared nothing more then iarring and disagreeing in their motions The ElemeÌ„tes vvhen they are out of their naturall places do moue speedily and make great hast to get
moment of tyme vvhose propertie is to passe beyond the spaces of this life and to extend farther to immortalitie to come So that according to Caluin beleeue you the Trinitie Incarnation Passion deathe and ResurrectioÌ„ of Christe neuer so firmely yet if you beleeue not vndoubtedly that you are iuste and shall remaine iuste to the end that God not only for the present tyme fauoureth you but also vvill fauour you to the end you can not be saued and if you beleeue only that you are iuste and shall remayne iuste at lengthe shal be also vndoubtedly saued Caluins soule for yours you can not be damned And hovv can Caluin assure him selfe or vs that vvee are iuste and shal be iuste hathe hee had any speciall reuelation noe but sayth hee I ame vvarranted out of Scripture that Christes iustice is ours and so if I vvill beleeue vndoubtedly that it is myne vvilbe myne â— â—r then ame I sure that I ame iuste and shal bee iuste and can not fall so longe as I kepe this standing Against this phantasticall faith of theirs I might bring many argumentes but that as in other matters so in this I couet to bee shorte First if this faith of theirs be so necessarie hovv commeth it to passe that Christe neuer exacted it of them vvhom he cured For it is an opinion of some fathers and diuines that vvhom soeuer Christ cured in body he healed also and iustified in soule Vvhen heâ— cured the blind men that came vnto him Mat. 9. hee exacted faithe of them and asked them vvhether they beleeued vvhat not vvhether they beleeued that they vvere iuste or elect but vvhether they beleeued that hee could restore theÌ„ to sight If this stedfest faithe and assuredness of our ovvne saluation be so necessarie hovve came the publicane to be a iuste man vvho vvas so farre from assuring him selfe of Gods fauour Luâ— 1â— and his ovvn iustice that he durst not looke vp to heauen And yet he retourned home iuste and the pharisee vvho gloried like a Thrasonicall Caluinist in his ovvne iustice assured him selfe that he vvas not a sinner as the Publicane and other men are vvas condemned and reiected If this vndoubted faith of our ovvne saluation be so necessarie to saluation surely the Apostles vvere much ouer seen vvho inculcated so often the faithe of the Incarnation Resurrection Act. 1.2.3 â— 8.10.13.17 and such other mysteries vvhich is but an image and shadovve as Caluin sayeth of the true faithe and make no mention of that vvhich is the only iustifying faith and all in all neuer exacting of their auditours to beleeue that they are iuste and electe but only to beleeue that Christe is God man that hee dyed that hee rose again suche like Truly ether this faithe is not necessarie or they vvere very negligent incircumspecte vvho neuer mentioned the same yet so often inculcate the faithe of the mysteries of our faithe vvhich is but a shadovve of the true faithe and is not sufficieÌ„t to saluation vvithout Caluins assured faithe Like vvise vvhen they made a Creed as a breefe abridgement of all vvhich vvas necessarie to bee beleeued vvhere vvas their mynde and memorie vvhoe omitted Caluins article of assuredness of our saluation and election vvhich is so necessarie to bee beleeued that the faithe of other articles is but a shadovve in comparison of this If Caluin saye that this his article is included in the article of remission of sinnes hee is much deceiued bicause in that article vvee only beleeue that in the Churche is remissioÌ„ of sinnes but that Caluins sinnes or any of our sinnes in particuler are forgiueÌ„ is not there expressed Novv if scriptures and the Apostles had only omitted this assured faithe vvhich Caluin sayeth is so necessarie it vvere sufficient to make vs not so assured of Caluins doctrine for if it vvere necessarie it is not like that the Apostles vvhose preachings trauelles life and death vvere ordained to the saluation of others vvould haue omitted that vvhich only saueth and vvithout vvhich noe other faithe or vvorkes can possibly saue vs. But scripture not only omitteth assured faith of our ovvne iustice and saluation but also condemneth it and exhortes vs to feare of our ovvne state and saluation therfore assureth vs as much that this faithe of Caluin is false as Caluin assureth it to bee necessarie Caluin sayth that by faith vve are assured of Gods good vvill tovvardsvs Scripture faithe that a man can not tell vvhether hee be vvorthy hatred or loue Caluin sayetht hat a iuste man is sure that hee is iuste Iob â— Iob sayeth although I be simple that is iuste yet this my soule shall not knovve S. Paule sayeth that although his coÌ„science accuse him not of any sinne yet in that he is not iustified to vvit before his ovvne eyes Psal 1â— bicause hee knevve he might haue secret sinnes from vvhich Dauid desired to be clensed Caluin sayeth that a man may besure and consequently secure of the forgiuenes of his sinnes Eccl. â— and yet Scripture bidds vs not to be vvithout feare of our sinnes forgiuen or as the Greeke text hathe of the forgiuenes or propitiation of our sinnes Caluin saith that a man may bee assured not only of present but also of future fauour iustice Eccl. â— and yet scripture sayeth that a man knovves not vvhat vvilbe his end bicause all are reserued as vncertain for the tyme to come Caluin sayth that a faithfull man must not feare to fall but rather assure him selfe that he shall keep his ground and standing Rom. 11. and yet saint Paule speaking to a faithfull man sayeth thou standest by faithe thinke not highly but feare Philipp 2. and thou that standest sayeth hee take heed least thou fall And againe hee bidds vs vvorke our saluation vvith feare and trembling So that ether vvee must leaue Caluin or renounce scripture bicause they are coÌ„trarie and staÌ„de in plain termes one against another Nether is this doctrine opposite only to scripture but also to reason For first there are many corners in a mans conscience vvhich vve seeldom or neuer looke into For as Hieremie sayeth C. 17. the harte of man is vnsearchable and lyeth open only to God hovve then can Caluin by faith be assured that his sinnes are forgiuen that hee is iuste and elect or if hee knovv god only is not the searcher of harts And if ther be many corners in mans harte to vvhich the harte it selfe is not priuie peraduenture after all our seeking some sinne may lurke in a corner vv ch vve knovv not of Secondly by Caluins ovvn confession vve must beleeue nothing but vvhat vvee finde in scripture and vvhere fyndes he that Caluin is iuste or that his sinnes are forgiuen If hee finde it not hee rashly beleeueth it If hee sayeth that Christe is our redemption and propitiation I ansvvere that so hee is the redemption and
did vve not appreheÌ„d in them Good that is pleasure or profit So that the baÌ„gers of our vvill proceed only from mistaking of badd for good and the errours of our vnderstanding proceed not from any prones vvhich vvee haue to vntruthes but from mistaking of apparaunte for true verities And this is the cause moste gentle Reader vvhy I haue made so exacte a Suruey of the nevv Religion bicause I knovv thy vnderstanding to be so naturally inclined to truth and so auerted from all vntruthes and errours that to lay open vnto thy vevve the manifold and grosse absurdities vvhich it implyeth is to refute them and to make them knovvne vnto thee is to dissuade thee from theÌ„ For truly I finde many pointes of this religion so opposit to light of reason that I dare anouch that noe man can be ether Lutherane or Caluiniste vnless he vvante vvitte or hauiÌ„g vvit enter not into coÌ„sideration or be caryed avvay vvith passion or partiall affection I vvill not deny but that many a good vvitte may be found amongest the Professours of this Religion but yet I saye that these good vvittes if they layed a side passioÌ„ and partialitie vvould vouchsafe also to enter into due consideratoon could be nether Lutheranes nor Caluinistes bicause to euident vntruthes the vnderstaÌ„ding can giue no assent nor approbation And vvhat more euident vntruthe then Lutheranisme or Caluinisme First of all their preachers can say no more for proofe of their authoritie or doctrine then Simon Magus Ebion Cerinthus Basilides Nestorius Eutiches Arius Vvicleph or any other heretike could haue sayed and enerie false prophet hereafter may saye preach he neuer so absurdely as I haue demoÌ„strated in my first booke moste euidently For nether can they proue their mission to be ordinarie by succession nor extraordinary by miracle and so if you giue eare to them you must bynde your selfe to harken to all false prophets vvhâ— vvill say and svveare that they are sent froÌ„ Christe and if you put them to the proofe of their mission they vvill say you are partial vvho reiecte them and yet receiue Luther and Calum vvhâ— can not proue their missioÌ„ But no man can vvith any shovve of reason admitte all false Prophetes bicause some of them teach contraries ergo he can not haue reason to receue Luther and Caluin as the true Messengers and ministers of Christe and consequently he can not in harte receue them bicause the vnderstanding can not approue a thing for vvhich she hath no probable reason Secondly their doctrine if it bee vvell considered is as euidently false as that vertue is vice or blacke is vvhite but the vnderstanding as is allready proued can not approue manifest false-hood and euident untruthes ergo noe man of vnderstanding and consideration can admitte Luthers and Caluins doctrine Novv that their doctrine is euidently false I can not only euidently but also easilie proue For to a Christian it is euident supposing the veritie of Scripture that heresie is errour and falsehood but in my second booke I haue demonstrated that all the markes of heresie aggree as fitly to this nevv doctrine as to Arianismen any olde heresies ergô to a Christian it is euideÌ„t that this nevv doctrine is errour and consequeÌ„tby it can not bee approued by a Christian of Iudgement and consideration bicause the vnderstanding can not giue asseni to an open vntruth It is euident also to a Christian that Antichristian doctrine vvhich is dishonourable and repugnaunt to Christe can not be true but Lutheranisme and Caluinisme is altogether opposit to Christe bicause it pulleth at his diuinitie and makes him nether Redeemer nor spirituall Phisitian nor lavv maker nor eternall Preest according to Melchisedechs order nor Iudge of the quicke and the dead but rather aequali Zeth euerie Christian to him in grace and sanctitie and maketh him ignoraunt fayneth him also to haue despayred at length bringeth him to hell and damnation and hateth all â—inges vvhich haue beene beloued of him or belonging to him all vvhich the third booke conuinceth ergô a Christian of vvitte and consideration can not in harte brooke such a religion In like manner to a Christian yea to euery man that beleeues that ther is a God and religion it is euident that Religion can not stande vvithout Preestes sacrifice sacrameÌ„tes prayer but it is euident also that in the nevve religion none of these essential partes of religion can be found especially according to the doctrine of the same Religion as my fourth booke maketh manifest ergô a Christian of vvit and devve consideration can not aepproue it for true Religion Likevvise it is euident to reason that all lavvful authoritie is of God that Princes lavves bynde that their tribunals are iuste and lavvfull and that correspondeÌ„ce betvvixte the Prince and subiectes and betvvixte one subiect and another is necessarie to vphold societie to vvhich God and nature encline vs all vvhich is proued in the fifth booke but the reformed doctrine despoileth Princes of authoritie bringeth their lavves and tribunals in contempte and ruineth all Societie at is euidently also proued in the same booke ergo a man of common sense and iudgement vvho entereth also into a devve consideratioÌ„ can not vvith harte admit of this religion Lastelie as euident it is that this nevve religion is absurd as that God is not the autour of sinne and the only sinner that he is not vnreasonable cruel or Tyrannicall but according to the reformed doctrine all these blasphemies are verified of God as my sixte booke teacheth ergo the reformed doctrine is euidently absurde Vice also and Atheisme by light of reason are euidently Knovvne to be repugnaunt to reason vvherfore seing that this nevve Religion leadethe to all vice and Atheisme and that by many pointes and principles of the doctrine of the same as is in my seuenth and eight booke demonstrated it is an euident absurditie euidently repugnaunt to reason and consequently can not be approued by a man of reason and consideration bicause the understanding can no more assente vnto â—n euident vntruth then can the vvill affecte and like of euil as euil as I haue allready proued Vvherfore most gentle Reader if thou bee a Catholike and vouchsaffe to peruse my booke I hope thou shalt bee more confirmed if thou bee a follovver and professour of the late and nevv religion vvhen thou seest the fovvle absurditie of thy ovvne religion and the plausible veritie of the Catholike I hope thou vvilte reiecte the one imbrace the other bicause my booke vvill make manifest vnto thee bothe the one and th' other At least as this I intended so this I haue endeuoured And if my intended purpose be vvell brought to passe God vvas the Principal Agent I only his vnvveldy instrument and so he only is to be praysed if ill myne is the faulte yet such as I hope shal be excused bicause it vvas not voluntarie If thou reape commoditie by my labours I counte
ruine of his Churche ordinarie pastours and had fore vvarned vs of nevve Apostles pastours to be sent to make a reformatioÌ„ Hiâ—r e. 1â— yet seing that God hath also vvarned vs of false prophetes vvhoe vvill falselie prophecie in his name vvheras he sent them not vvhoe shall deuine foretell lyes vanities saying that the lorde sayed so and seinge that the Apostle coÌ„maundeth vs vearie straitlie to take heed of false prophetes vvhich come in sheepes fleeses yea in coates of true pastours Gal. 2. bearing the name of pastours alleaging scriptures for a cloke to their heresies as true pastours doe for their true doctrine yea sithence that Christe him selfe biddeth vs to bevvare of false prophetes vvhoe come in the garmentes of innocent sheepe but in vvardlie are raueninge vvolues Mat. 70 that is as Vincentius Lyrinensis expoundeth vvhoe inuest them selues in the goodlie garmentes of the prophetes apostles testimonies but in vvardlie l cont prophâ—â— nas haresuâ—â— nouitates c. 37. if you vnmaske them by expounding the testimonies vvhich they alleage yon shall espie raueninge vvolues vnder sheepes sheepcherdes coates ad bytiÌ„ge yea deuouringe heresies couered verie coninglie vvith the sayinges of the Prophetes Apostles seing that I saie vvee haue such vvarninge of false prophetes vve haue good reason to suspecte these reformers for such kinde of cattle and vve haue noe reason to harken vnto them as vnto true prophetes vnlesse they can proue their extraordinarie mission by extraordinarie signes and tokens of prophecies or miracles so can giue vs a note to distinguishe them from the false prophetes vvhose cominge is so often so plainlie foretolde Other vvise if it be sufficient that they can saie they are sent extraordinarilie then doe vvee open the gappe to false prophetes vvhoe vvhen they come vvill not lett to say yea to svveare as much and so they can not be excluded if these men be admitted Yea vve make God most vnreasonable to thinke that he vvill sende extraordinarie messengers yet giue them noe letters of credite noe extraordinarie signes or tokens of their imbassie For in so doinge he should either cause them to ronne on a sleeules arrande or else he should bynde vs to giue eare vnto them vvhoe can proue their commission noe better then false prophetes can Exod 4. of vvhom not vvith staÌ„dinge he commaundeth vs to bevvare This Moyses vvell perceiuinge vvould not take vppon him that great imbassie vntill that God had promised him the guifte of vvorking miracles by vvhich he might proue his mission Non credent mihi saieth he neque audient vocem meam sed dicent non apparuit tibi dominus They vvill not beleue me nor giue eare vnto my voice but vvill saie God did not appeare vnto thee As if he had saied thou saiest o lorde that thou meanest to sende me into Aegipte vnto the Tyrant Pharao to deliuer thy people from his tyraÌ„nie but hovve shall I make it knovvne either vnto him or vnto thy people that thou in deed doest sende me my bare vvord vvill not be takeÌ„ bicause they vvil saie I am a stranger vnto them for any thinge vvhich they knovve maye come as vvell in myne ovvne name yea in thedeuills name as god his name Exod. â— This seemed to God so reasonable an excuse that he gaue him by by the guifte of vvorkinge miracles by vvhich he might proue his extraordinarie missioÌ„ For he saied vnto Moyses Vvhat is that vvhich thou hast in thy hande Moyses ansvvered a rodde and God saied cast it on the grounde He cast it and it vvas tourned into a serpent And this saieth God I doe that they maie beleeue that I appeared vnto thee vvherfore vvhen after his cominge into Aegipte he had vvrought so straunge miracles and admirable vvorkes the Israelites beleeued that he vvas sent to deliuer them Lue. 1. accordinglie they follovved him thoughe Pharaoes harte vvas so obdured that all those miracles could neither breake nor mollifie it he by his free vvill resistinge gods graces forccible callinges In like manner saint Ihon Baptistes mission vvas proued not only by the prophecie of Malachie but also by his miraculous natiuitie and the testimonie of an Angell although he came not to preache any nevve doctrine but only to exhorte the people to penaunce vvhich before by other prophetes had been inculcated and to poynte out the Messias vvith his finger vvho me all the prophetes had fortolde so plainlie that vvhen Christe appeared it vvas almost euident that he vvas the man on vvhom had ronne so longe a bead rolle of prophecies and predictions The Messias also him self Christe Iesus bicause he succeeded to none but came vvith extaordinarie autoritie sent immediatlie from his ffather proued his mission by so manifest vvorkes miracles that se saied his vvorkes did testifie from vvhome he vvas sent and the people also confessed that he coulde not haue vvrought such vvonders if he had not been of God And altough Christe had sufficientlie by miracles and prophecies vvhich ranne of him proued that he vvas the Messias Yet he thought not that sufficient for the proofe of the mission of his Apostles but bicause they vvere sent immediatly from him and vvere successours to none for to Christe they vvere only vicegerentes he gaue them also povver to vvorke miracles by vvhich they might proue their mission and confirme their doctrine vvith signes that follovved Meth. â—â— Novve then if our ghospell spillers be sent by an extraordinarie mission immediatly from God let them hevve vs some miracles for proofe of their extraordinarie commission or else vvere vve more then madde to credit them being forevvarned that false prophetes shall come from vvhom these men can not distinguishe them selues vnlesse they can shevve vs some manifest prophecies or vvorke some vvounders amoÌ„gest vs. Let Luther then the first man of this nevve familie vvhoe as he his saie So Cocleus vvrites is sent by God extraordinarilie to reforme the christiane vvorlde to make vs nevv-noe christianes let him I saie shevve his miracles if he vvill haue any audieÌ„ce for else vve may iustly fear least he be one of those false ê“phets of vvhoÌ„ before hande God hath vvarned vs. In deed I graunte that he on a tyme to shevve him selfe a true prophet auouched veric boldy after tvvoe yeares preachinge that he vvould be the death of all Popes vvould banishe Cardinalls MoÌ„kes Nunnes masses bells out of the christiane vvorlde But Luther is gone longe since and yet Popes raigne Cardinalls flourishe Monkes and Nunnes possesse their olde monasteries sauing in InglaÌ„de some fevve other corners masses also are not only saied but sounge solemnlie and bells doe ringe still and the vvorlde doth ringe of bells He caused also to be engrauen vppoÌ„ his tombe this verse in Latine Pestis eram viuens moriens ero mors tuae Papa Suriâ—u anno domini 15â—â— Vvilest here I
as diuersly interpret scripture as you may moralize those fables Others calle scripture a nose of vvaxe bicause it may be vvrested and vvried euery vvaye vvhich comparisons although they bee odious and litle beseeming the maiestie of scripture yet are they true if by scripture you vnderstand the bare letter of scripture vvithout an assured interpretour as the Reformers doe For the baâ—e letter of scripture is so ambiguous may haue so many senses and meanings that it may be applyed to vvhat you vvill may be already hath been vsed for the proofe of the moste absurde heresies that euer vvere But vvhilest they alleage the bare letter of scripture for coÌ„firmation of their doctrine vvel may they so delude the vnlerned but men of learning and intelligence are vvel assured that the bare letter is no more scripture then the body of a man is a man For as the soule is the life of the body that vvhich maketh a man so the sense is the life of the vvorde and that vvhich giueth scripture life esseÌ„ce being Com. ad Gal. Vvherfore sainct Hierome sayeth that The ghlospel is not in the vvorde but in the sence not in the barke but in the sappe not in the leaues of the vvords but in the roote of the meaning Let not therfore out Reformers vaunte in their pulpits that they trye their doctrine by the touchstone of scripture nether let them insulte ouer Catholikes as though they relyed only on mens decrees and Popes Bulles for if they giue vs the letter of scripture vvith the true meaning vvhich is the formal cause and life of the vvord vve vvill reuerence it as the vvord of God and preferre it before all the decrees and vvritinges of Pope and Church but take the true sense from it and it is no more scripture then is a man vvithout a soule bicause as the same body may be the liuing body of a man and a dead carcas also so the same letter vvith the true meaning is the vvord of God vvith a false meaning it is the vvord of the deuil As for example those vvords of our Sauiour The father is greater then I Io. 1â— taken in the right sence that is according to Christes humain nature are the true vvord of God but taken in the meaning of the Arrians vvho imagined Christe a creature inferiour euen in person to his father they are noe vvord of God but of the deuil vnlesse you vvill graunte heresie to be the vvord of God The reason of this is bicause vvords are vvordes in that they are signes of the myndes meaning and do explicate her invvard conceipt and consequently that is Gods vvord vvhich explicateth his meaning and diuine conceipt but if it explicate the mynd of the deuil or of his ministers such as all heretikes are then is it not the vvord of God but rather of the deuil Vverfore vvhen the letter of the scripture is ioyned vvith the right meaning then do vve graunt though men vvrote it that is is the vvord of God bicause it explicateh his meaning vvho spake vnto the holy vvriters in that meaning and directed their hartes and handes in the vvriting of the same Isa 1. In so much that God sayeth to Isaie Heb. 1. Behold I haue put my vvords in thy mouthe And saint Paul saieth that God diuersly and by diuers meanes spake in tymes paste vnto our forfathers in the Prophets that is in the mouche of the prophets puttiÌ„g in their mouthes that vvhich they vvere to speake and directing their hands to vvrite it For as the vital spirit of man frameth his vvordes in his mouthe and giueth them their meaning so the vvords of the prophets and other holy vvriters vvere framed in their mouthes by the spirit of God Vvhich is the very cause vvhy diuines saye that God vvas the principal speaker and vvriter of scripture and that the Prophet Apostle or Euangeliste vvas his instrument and as it vvere the pen mouthe and tongue of God Psal 44. Praefat. in Mat. 1. Li. 7. conf â— vlt l â—â— Ciuit. c. 38. Hom 10. in â—exam in that he vvas guided directed by him and his holy spirit Vvherfore Dauid vvho vvas one of these vvriters sayeth that his tongue is the penne or quill of him that vvriteth svviftly and saint Gregorie and saint Austine affirme scripture to bee the venerable stile of the holy ghost and saint Basil sayeth that not only the sense of scripture but also every vvord and tittle is inspired by the holy ghost Vvherin a difference is put betvvixte scripture and definitions of the Church Pope or Councels Bicause these are assisted by the holy ghost only that they may define the truth and so the sense of a Councells definition confirmed by the Pope is of the holy ghost but it is not necessarie that euery vvord or reason in a Councell proceed from the holy spirit of God and therfore diuines say that in a Councell that thing only is necessarilie to be beleeued vvhich the Councell of set purpose intended to define But as for other thinges vvhich are spoken incidently and as for reasons vvhich the Councel alleageth they are not of that credit although vvithout cuident cause they are not to be reiected And this is the cause vvhy the ancient fathers do vvay and ponder euery vvorde and tittle vvhich interpretours of the Councels canons or definitions do not Vverâ—ore as I sayed let them not charge vs vvith contempt of scripture for our opinion and estimation of scripture is most venerable if it be in deed scripture yea vve auouch that in it selfe it is of farre greater authoritie then is the Church or her definitions bicause though God assiste both yet after a more noble manner he assisteth holy vvriters in vvriting of scripture bicause he assisteth them infaillibly not only for the sense and veritie but also for euery vvord vvhich they vvrite and euery reason and vvhatsoeuer is in scripture vvheras he assisteth the Pope and Councell infallibly only for the sence and veritie of that vvhich they inteÌ„de to define but nether for euery vvord nor for euery reason nor for euerie thing vvhich is incidently spoken as is already declared And yet vvee say also that although scripture of it self be greater then the Church and indepeÌ„dent of her bicause not from her but from God it hathe authoritie and veritie yet the Church is better knovvn to vs then scripture and therfore though she make not scripture yet of her vve are to learne vvhich is scripture and vvhat is the meaning therof vvhich is noe more disgrace to scripture then that faint Ihon and the Apostles should giue testimonie of Christe bicause they vvere better knovvn then he though his authoritie in it selfe vvas greater theÌ„ theirs not depeÌ„ding of them yea the reformers euery one in particuler be he a Cobler is according to their doctrine to iudge by his priuate spirit vvhich is scripture and vvhat is the
and heresies PArricide and murder of parents in old tyme vvas deemed so hainous an offence so vnvvorthy a facte as being not only contrarie to reason but also repugnaunt vnto nature that Solon the famouse lavv-maker decreed no lavve against it not for that he thought it not vvorthy punishment but bicause â—ee counted it more barbarouse and inhumain then could be by man comitted And in deed mans nature so much abhorred this vn naturall fact that vntill six hundred yeares after Rome vvas built no man euer is read of so vnkiÌ„de as vvho could finde in his hart to imbrevv his haÌ„des in his pareÌ„tes bloud Cic. pro Roscio Lucius Ostius as some do think vvas the first vvho laying aside all humanitie against natures propension and naturall affection layed violent hands vppon his father depriued him of being of vvhom he had receiued being Vvhich facte vvas no sooner committed but nature abhorred it the Romaines then the most ciuill people to represent the enormitie of the offence diuised a punishmeÌ„t vvhich should not only be a iust payne but also an embleme of the fault Cic supra Iuuen Saâ—yr â— Plut. in vi â—a Ostij They decreed first of all that the murderer should be sevved vp in a lether sack SecoÌ„dly that sacked he should be cast into the vvater thirdly vvith him vvere included a cock a viper an ape and a dogge to acompanie him at his death vvhose natures he had imitated in his life he vvas inclosed in a sack and so cast into the riuer that so at one tyme he should lose the light of the sonne vvhich he could not see of the fyer vv ch he could not feele of the aire in vv ch he vvas not permitted to breath of the vvater in vv ch he svvimming vvas not refreshed of the earth vv ch he touched not and so he vvas depriued at one tyme of the benefit of the sonne and the fovvre elemeÌ„tes of vvhich all vvere produced bicause he had been vnkind and vnnaturall to him of vvhom he vvas begotten His companions at his death vvere a Cocke bicause as this byrd fighteth vvith his fire and treadeth the heÌ„ne vvhich hatched him so he hath been iniuriouse to him that begotte him A viper bicause as this beast eateth him selfe out of his damnes belly so he ruineth him vvho gaue him being an ape bicause as he imitateth man in his actions and some vvhat resembles him in forme of body yet is in deed no man but a beast so this vnnaturall murderer caryeth the shape of a man but in conditions is noe man bicause he hath cast of all humanitie And lastly a dogg that this creaturs faythfull seruice to his master vvho only feeds him may confound this monster and coÌ„demne his treacherie vvho hath been so false to his pareÌ„t vvho hath not only fedd him but begotten him This kinde of death in myne opinion vvere a punishment not vnfitly to be layed on heretikes especially the most mallicious for vvith theÌ„ vvho erre not of mallice I vvishe more geÌ„tle dealiÌ„g vvho are so vnnaturall children to Christ their father as shall appear in the third booke vvho so reuile miscall the ancieÌ„t fathers of vvhom they receiued fayth and religion and are so vnkind vnto the Catholique Church their mother vvhich by the Sacrament of Baptisme regenerated them and gaue them their spiritual being For they deserue to be depriued at one tyme of the heauens and elemeÌ„tes of vvhich all thiÌ„gs are in some sorte produced vvho coÌ„temne the Churche the councells the fathers and cheef pastours of vvhom and by vvhome they receiued their supernaturall being by vvhich they are Christianes They deserue a cock at their death bicause as the cocke fighteth often tymes vvith his sire and abuseth the henne that hatched him so they contend vvith ancient fathers and as much as in them lyeth deflovver their mother the Churche vv ch bare them spiritually a viper also ought to dye vvith them bicause like vipers by schismes and heresies they eare them selues out of the vvombe of the Church an ape must also suffer vvith them bicause as he resembleth man but is in deede a beast so they like apes imitate true Christians bearing the name of Christe as they do admitting certayne scriptures and Sacramentes as they do deuising superintendeÌ„tes for the bishops of the Church ministers for preestes tables for aultars a prophane Cene and supper for the sacred Eucharist and yet in deed are no true christianes but monstrouse infidells and vvorse then Ievves and Paganes Th. â— 2 q. 〈◊〉 ar 6. a dogge also to make vp the number they vvorthily deserue to put them in mynd that dogges may teach them fidelitie for dogges though they receiue some tymes blovves and neuer any greater benefit then crustes and bones yet are so faythfull to their masters that they vvill not leaue theÌ„ todeath vvheras the heretike is so vngratefull and vnfaythfull to Christe and his spouse the Churche that for no other cause then an itching humour of pride and self love hee vvill ronne after euery sectmaster that can only dropp a fevv textes of scripture interpreted by his ovvne spirit leauing the Churche ancieÌ„t fathers and consequently Christ him selfe bicause they ever vvent together and vvho heareth one heareth the other But least I condemne them to the punishmeÌ„t of parricides for conteÌ„pt of ancieÌ„t fathers before I proue them to bee guiltie of the fault I vvill sett dovvne vvord by voord their ovvne sayings and assertions by vvhich shall appear vvhat respect they beare and vvhat kindnes they shevv tovvards their ancient forfathers Ex Epiph. her Basilides an infamous heretike vaunted that he and his only knevve the truth and that all his forfathers vvere sues canes hogges and dogges not vvorthy of the margarites of his doctrine Lib. s.c. â—0 The Valentinians sayeth Ireneus if you vrge them vvith scriptures vvhich they can not ansvver vvill denye them if you prouoke them to be tryed by tradition deliuered vnto vs by a succession of preestes and fathers aduersantur traditioni dicentes se non solum presbyteris sed etiam apostolis existentes sapientiores sinceram inuenisse veritatem they oppose against tradition saying that they being vviser then the preests and apostles 〈◊〉 3. haue found out the sincere veritie Arius as before I haue rehearsed thought none of the fathers comparable vnto him Nestorius disdained to read their vvorks and our reformers of this age shevv by their vnreuerent and rayling speeches against the fathers that they are descended of the same race of parricides and reuilers of their ancient fathers To beginne therfore vvith the first patriarch of this nevv religion Martin Luther that man of God although by his ovvne confession he vvas so familiar vvith the deuill that he hathe eateÌ„ a bushell of salte vvith him in his book against the king of England hauing called him blokhead l. â— cont Reg. Axgl. fol. 348 beetlehead grossehead
rather the religion of the heretiques vvhich is aggreeable to noe common but only to a priuat spirit especially seing that vvee haue such vvarraunt for the common consent of fathers but non at all for the priuate spirit of euery priuate man Novve let vs see in a vvord hovv by reiecting this infallible authoritie of fathers they leaue noe certain rule for exposition of scripture and so open the gapp to all heretiques and heresies For lay avvay fathers vvhich vvere in all ages counted the only pastours of the Church the authoritie of Councells is nothing vvorth for they consisted of fathers the authoritie of the Church is of as litle esteeme bicause she all vvayes beleeued as her pastours did yea she could not tell vvhat to beleeue but by their instruction scripture therfor is only lefte and the priuate spirit seing those tvvoe bare authorities as before is proued open the gappe to all heresies the denyall of the fathers authoritie must needs do the same For suppose a nevv heretique yea a deuill from hell in the likeness of a man should preach a nevve heresie contrarie to all the heresies that euer vvhere might he not alleage scripture for it expounding it as he pleaseth And if you demaund of him hovv he knovveth that he expoundeth it aright might he not say that his spirit telles him so And if you alleage that all that euer taught before him vvere of another opinion and gaue another exposition of scripture might hee not say as casilie as Luther and Caluin do that they vvere men erred all the packe of them And so if authoritie of fathers be reiected he or any other might say vvhat he vvould and noe man could controle him Vvherfore to conclude if vve giue eare vnto the ghospellers of this tyme vvho haue reiected the authoritie of fathers vvill consequently iudge all by scripture sensed by the priuate spirit vve must harken to all heretiques and open the gappe yea the dore to all false apostles vvhoe can not vvithout manifest partialitie bee excluded and repelled if these men bee admitted The fifte Chapter shevveth that they haue noe probable meanes to induce a reasonable man vnto their religion and that therfore if vve giue credit vnto them vve must giue credit to all heretikes preach they neuer so absurd phantasticall paradoxes IT is a common opinion amongest the ancient fathers and diuines that our fay the being supernaturall can not be demonstrated by reason as opinions of Philosophers may bee bicause it aymeth at thinges a boue reason Philosophie soares no higher then reason giues her leaue and so in Christian religion vve ought more to rely on fayth and authoritie then reason and vve can not shevv our selues more reasonable then to leaue of reasoning in thinges aboue reason But all though it be so that vve can not proue our religion by reason yet vve may set it forth vvith such testimonie of miracles antiquitie common coÌ„sent and such like motiues as shall conuince a man of reason that this religion inuolueth noe euident absurditie against reason but rather is very probable and most credibly to be belceued 2.2 〈…〉 ar 〈◊〉 For although as sainct Thomas sayeth our religion be not euideÌ„tely true yet is it euÃdenter credibilis euidently credible bicause though in it self it be obscure yet hath it been so credibly deliuered vnto vs by credible signes and tokens that no man can vith reason thinke it othervvise then very credible if he vvell consider vvhat testimonies maye be alleaged for it vvhich as Dauid sayed are credibilia nimis Psal 〈◊〉 â—o to credible that is so credible as vve caÌ„ not vvith reason desire greater testimonie for things aboue reason In the beginning God cathechised man in this religion by Angells vvhom he sent and by Patriarches Prophetes vvhom he inspired by vvhome he taught the people vvhat sacramentes to vse vvhat sacrifices to offer and other pointes of religion such as then men vvere capable of In the lavv vvritten he deliuered his vvill and meaning concerning lavv and religion and the ceremonies and sacraments belonging ther vnto by his seruaunt Moyses â—uâ—d 〈◊〉 to vvhome he appeared by an angell in thundering and other such signes and by vvhom he vvrougth in Aegipt and in the desert so many miracles for proofe and confirmation of this religion After vvards in the lavv of grace and fullnes of tyme and tyme of spirituall plenty and ritches as in more ample manner so vvith greater testimonies and signes this fayth vvas deliuered vnto vs. For first our Sauiour proued his mission by all the ancient prophetes vvho had fortold his coming and the manner of his coming his office the place and circunstances of his natiuitie life and death vvhich all aggreing to him concluded him to be the Messias Secondly by infinite miracles he proued his authoritie doctrine in so much that he sayed 〈◊〉 10. â— that the vvorkes vvhich he did gaue testimonie of him yea the Ievves confessed that he could not haue doone so straung thinges if he had not been of God And seing that he vvrought these miracles to proue him selfe to be the Messias his doctrine to be of God it could not be othervvise bicause as God can not deceue being prima veritaâ— the first veritie nor be deceiued being vvisdom it selfe so caÌ„ he not giue testimonie of an vntruth by miracles for so should he be bothe a lyer a deceiuer Act. 2. The apostles in like maner after that in Pentecost they had receiued the holy ghoste in a visible forme and manner receiued povver also to giue this holy spirit visibly to others and to vvorke miracles also to proue their mission and doctrine Mar. viâ— in so much that sainct Mark sayeth that they preached and God confirmed their doctrine by miracles and signes that follovved Vvherfore allthough the doctrine vvhich they preached vvas out of reasons kenning yet it vvas made euident by testimonie and so vvas euidently credible bicause if God can not giue testimonie to an vntruth then in that he gaue testimonie by miracle of their doctrine it must needs follovv that it vvas of God Secondly the straunge conquest vvhich the Apostles made of Idolatrie in despite of all the Philosophers and Tyraunts of the vvorld and the miraculouse planting of the Christian fayth is an argument to proue our religion to be of God most pregnaunt a motiue to persuade any reasonable man most forcible For as once the Israelites by making a procession about the vvalles of Hierico Iosus â— and sounding of their trompetes an vnlikely stratagem to surprise such a citie dismantled the tovvn leueled the vvalles vvith the ground so Christ Iesus by the circuit of a fevv Apostles and disciples about the vvorld and by the blastes of their mouthes vvhich vvere the golden trompetes vvhich promulgated the nevv lavve ransaked the citie of idolatrie vvhich then vvas as great all most as the vvorld made the
amply Truth allso is the daughter of tyme vv ch in tyme bringes the truth to light and therfore vve are most prone to beleene olde men to vvhome longe tyme brings great experience and vvee vvell imagin that to bee true vvhich for a longe tyme hath been holden for true And bicause many men see more they one alone vve count the voice of many men the voice of God and vve reuerence that for a veritie vvhich most men haue auerred Rom. 1â— and lastly bicause all authoritie is of God and men in office are appointed by him to gouerne vve are ready to thinke that God especially directeth theÌ„ vvho haue charge not only of them selues but of others also vvhich is the very cause vvhy vve vse to reuereÌ„ce superiours decrees vnless vve see a manifest absurditie in them If then the reformers vvill haue vs to forsake old pastours and to harken vnto nevv if they vvill haue vs abiure old religion and imbrace a nevv let them shevv vs greater authoritie then that of the ancient fathers else vve haue no reason to preferr them and their doctrine before old doctours and old religion But this they can neuer doe and so they can neuer bynde vs in reason to accept of their religion For if vve compare them vvith the olde and ancient fathers in all the meanes alleaged by vvhich credit and authoritie is gotten vve shall finde them to come shorte by many furlongs in euery one of theÌ„ And first for vvitt and learning I think nether Luther nor Caluine nor any of them all vnless theyr faces be brasen haue the face to compare vvith the ancient fathers For they vvere Gregories Austins Ambroses Basilles Hieromes Cirilles and such like vvho vvrote more then euer they read and studied more then euer they loytered and vvere in all literature so learned that the reformers vvere scarse vvorthy to cary their bookes after them And allthough Luther and Caluin vvanted not altogether learning yet they came short of these men And as for their follovvers vv ch vvere neuer trayned vp in our schooles vvell may they prattle in Greeke and florish in a fevve vayne latin phrases yet solid learning ether in diuinitie or philosophie they haue not Let the vniuersities of Oxford and Cambridge of Basill and other places let the confraternitie of Geneua shevv vs a Bellarmine Baronius Molin Suares Vasques Bannes Gregorie of Valence an Allene Hatding Bristovve Gregory Martin Stapleton if they can Vvhat vvorkes haue they set out coÌ„parable to the bookes of these Catholique vvriters Let an in different reader pervse the learnedest booke of these reformers Ievvel Plessis he shall see in them false allegations of fathers corruptions of scriptures fathers and councells lyes impostures affirmations vvithout proofes vvordes vvithout matter praeterea nihil and nothing else As for vertue if they haue any modestie remayning they vvil not being guiltie of so vicious liues make any comparison vvith the former fathers vvho by the common report of all vvere saintes and their vvritinges miracles almesdeedes fastinges austere penaunce prayer chastitie mortification contempte of the vvorld and such like vvill testifie no lesse And althoughe they may obiect that many amoÌ„gest vs also haue liued viciously yet vvee can giue theÌ„ herin a ma nifest differeÌ„ce For first the first founders of our religioÌ„ vvere meÌ„ of great perfectioÌ„ as the Apostles their successours in the primitiue Churche yea as the planters of religion in euery countrie vvere l. 1. c. 23. 26. Read sainct Bede and you shall see that the benedictines vvhome S. Gregorie sent into our country to recall vs from idolatrie vvere Sainctes moued mâ—â—e the kinge by their holy coÌ„uersatioÌ„ theÌ„ by their preaching and miracles And yet euen the first of these nevve families the first preachers of this reformation euen Luther and Caluin then selues vvere notorious and infamous for euil life Luther vvas an Apostata he maried a Nonne he liued beast-like dyed accordingly for after a merry and a moyst supper he vvas found dead the next morning in his bedde vvith his tongue hanging out Caluin liued like an epicure serued his belly for his God he vvas a man giuen to reuenge puffed vp vvith pride and ambition True it is hee caryed markes on his backe but not such as saint Paule caryed but such as the minister of iustice noted him vvith all for his abominable lethery â—â—lsec in vita qius Gen. l. 4. an Christi â—â—66 and as he liued so hee dyed an Herodes death bicause lise vvere his executioners Secondly although many be badde amongest vs yet I thinke moe amongest them Thirdly euill life amongest vs is a fault of our ovvne peruerse vvill and nature but amongest them it is the frute of their doctrine vvhich as by many arguments I shall proue hereafter leadeth and induceth vnto all dishonestie In the seuenth booke Lastly they vvhich amongest vs lead a viciouse life are neuer amended by comming vnto you vvhich experience hath taught proued in some loose Catholiques vvho partely for feare partely for libertie haue repayred vnto you For they vvere soe farre from being reformed by you that so long as they conuersed vvith you they fell dayly from one vice to another and neuer stayed till they came to the depthe of iniquitie And yet vve haue seeÌ„ many vvilde GallauÌ„tes loose in life and rioutouse in coÌ„uersation vvho after that they bee admitted into our Church ad societie and instructed in our fayth and religion do cast of all euil customes become modest in behauiour temperat sober and vvho before feared nether sinne nor God nor the deuill vvaxe scrpulous and fearfull of conscience and vvho before could not spare one halfe hovver in a day for prayer thiÌ„ke novve vvholle dayes to short a tyme. Yea you seem to giue good life vnto vs. For you vvill trust our vvord more then an obligation of one of your ovvn secte and if you see a man milde modest chaste temperate giueÌ„ to prayer fasting almesdeeds vpright in all his actions and exemplair in conuersation you suspect him for a papiste Yea vvhen our preests vvould the better escape your Pursiuauntes they must fayne then selues in out vvard shevv and habit to be roistours ruffions and dissolute companions as though vice vvere the badge of your religion As for number vvee exceed them by many countries and ages in vvhich they neuer liued and for one nevv minister vvee haue hundredâ— of ancient pastours and learned fathers For antiquitie although they fayne an inuisible Church before Martin Luther yet as I haue proued in the first chapter and shall again herafter their preacher are vp startes theyr doctrine is as younge and vvheras vve can shevv a succession of our religion and pastours for the space of sixteen hundred years euen from the A postles they can deriue their pedegree noe higher then from Martin Luther Lastly our doctours vvere pastours and boare great offices in
nether in vs nor in our actions All these opinions of Caluin see in the seuēth booke is any one iotte of true sanctitie He denyeth also free vvill all voluntarie cooperatiō vvith Gods vvill and grace And so vve can not pray that gods vvill bee doone in vs for such a prayer argueth some dependence of gods vvill on ours vvhich so vvould haue vs to do vvell as it vvill leaue it in our povver to resiste the vvill and grace of God And if Caluin obiecte those vvords of Scripture Rom. 9. vvho resisteth his vvill I vvill ansvvere that noe man can resiste gods vvill vvhen hee vvill absolutelie haue it fulfilled and independently of vs but yet vve may resiste gods vvill vvhen he vvilleth dependently of our vvilles Mat. 2◠else vvould hee not haue sayed hovv often vvould I haue gathered thee as a henne gatherethe her chickins together and thou vvouldest not Novve put all this together and you shall see that the Pater noster or our lords prayer must be cut out of the Catechisme and blotted out of the ghospell for althoughe that Christe taught his Apostles that prayer yet according to Caluins doctrine noe faithfull man that is noe Caluiniste can in conscience recite that prayer And so ether Christe is deceiued or Caluin teacheth false doctrine but Caluin vvill svveare that he teacheth the truthe and that hee is sure that a faithfull man is sure of his iustice remission of sinnes and election and therfore you knovve vvhat follovveth But least you thinke that I doe iniurie to Caluin in affirming that hee taketh a vvay the lords prayer as vnlavvfull and quite repugnaunte to Christian faithe I vvill proue it manifestly and by no other argument then by calling to mynd that vvhich is allready sayed In the first petition of our lordes prayer vve desire that his name be hallovved in vs vvhich is a prayer cleane opposit to Caluins opinion vvhich teacheth that ther is noe sanctitie in vs or our vvorkes and so holding his opinion vve must omit the first petition In the secōd vve pray that his Kingdome may come and that vve may be receued into it vvhich petition vve can not make frō our harte if before vvee praye vvee are assured by faithe that vvee are electe and predestinate to that kingdome The third is that Gods vvill bee doone in earthe as in heauen vvhich petition also according to Caluin is friuolous for if vvee cooperate not vvith God by our free vvill in vayne do vvee pray that his vvill bee doone in earthe bicause that argueth some dependence of Gods vvill one ours as is before demonstrated The fourthe is that God vvould giue vs our daylye bread that is all those benefites ether of Nature or Grace vv ch are belonging ether to soule or bodye vvhich petition also can not stād vvith Caluinsfaithe bicause if faithe assurethe me of present and future iustice yea and of glorie also then I can not praye ether for iustification or remission of sinnes or perseueraunce in grace or final glorie bicause noe man can praye for that vvhich hee is assured of as is before declared And so vvee can only praye for healthe ritches fayre vvether or suche like corporall benefites yea if it bee true that all these thinges come by fatall necessitie as Caluin must saye that they do bicause hee affirmeth that Gods foresight and decree imposeth a necessitie vppon all thinges l. 1. Inst c 2◠§. ◠and consequently on these thinges also bicause hee foreseethe and decreethe these thinges no lesse then he dothe mens actions then in vayne also do vvee pray for healthe or vvelthe or fayre vveather bicause these thinges of necessitie shalbe◠or not bee vvhether vve vvill or noe and as vaine it is to praye for healthe or vvelthe as for the sonne rising vvhich of necessitie riseth vvhether vvee pray or noe The fifte petition demaundeth that God vvould forgiue vs our trespasses offences vv ch as is before proued vve can not praye for vvithout losse of our faythe vvhich if it bee right assureth vs vvithout all doubte that thy are allready forgiuen The sixte seuenth are that God vvould not permit vs to fall into temptation and by tentation but rather vvill deliuer vs from all euil especially of sinne vvhich petitiō also is vaine yea impossible if Caluins faithe bee true For if by faith I bee assured of future iustice I can not pray vvith harte that God vvill assiste mee that I fall not from iustice bicause I ame as Caluin sayeth full vvell assured that I shall not falle and so I can no more pray that I may not fall by tentation then that the heauens may not fall vppō mee being as sure of the one as the other And so the Lordes prayer can not stande if Caluins doctrine do goe for currāt and seing that this prayer vvas made by Christe if vvee vvill follovve Caluin vvee must forsake Christe for as much as this prayer conteineth in a breefe somme and methode all thinges vvhich vvee are to prayer for if sinne and other euils befall vs of necessitie as Caluin sayeth they doe in vayne do vvee pray to bee deliuered frō all euil And if by Caluins doctrine vvee can not say this prayer vvhich is a Compendium of all prayers and petitions vvee can not praye at all and so noe prayer can be vsed in Caluins Church according to Caluins doctrine Vvherfore I meruaile not that so litle prayer is practised amongest them I vvonder not that thy build noe nevve churches but pull dovvne the old vvhich vvere builded for prayer rather I meruaile that they sometymes exhorte mē to prayer seing that their doctrine prayer can not stande together And I like better of Luther and of his plaine dealing in this matter for he hauing once pronounced sentēce that faith only iustifieth affirmeth cōsequently that prayer is not necessarie Ser de Dom. 4. Aduent edit an 1525. these a◠his vvordes Euery hart hovv much the more perfect knovvledge he meanethe the knovvledge of faithe it hathe of it selfe so much more ready is the vvay for God vnto it although in the meane tyme a man should drinke nothing but malmesey and vvalke vppon roses and neuer praye one vvorde And so if Caluine vvould deale as plainly as Luther dothe as he aggreeth vvith him in the premises to vvit that only faithe sufficeth so should hee also aggree vvith him in the conclusion vvhich is that prayer is not necessary But it is tyme novv that I also come to my conclusion to vvit that amongest our reformers is noe religion bicause by their doctrine they can haue no prayer vvhich conclusion if the premises be called to mynde dothe follovve easily and euidently Bicause prayer in all lavves vvas euer necessarie to the vpholding of religiō as I haue proued by inductiō and the reason also is bicause it is one of the moste principall actes of religion by vvhich vve acknovvledge Gods soueraintie
is proued noe common vvelthe can enioy temporall and ciuil peace and discipline vvithout them Takeavvay hope of heauen and take avvaye prayer almes deeds erecting of Churches founding of Colleges and hospitalles then fasting and penaunce vvorkes of iustice mercy and charitie vvill decay in breefe men vvill bee negligent and slouthfull in all exercise of vertue and obseruation of the lavve For vvho vvill ronne that sees no gole vvho vvill fight that hopes for no victorie vvho vvill vvorke that lookes for noe revvard I knovv that the very loue of God yea of vertue should moue vs to good but yet so dull vve are and so backvvard that these motiues litle moue vs and so naturall vnto vs it is to be moued vvith hope of revvard that if men hoped not for heauen fevv vvould striue to ouer come their passions and the difficultie in exercise of vertue and obseruation of the commaundementes Like vvise if feare bee the keeper praeseruer and conseruer of all common vvelthes hovve shall vve imagin that the Church of God can stande vvithout it I graunte that sinne is so fovvle a thinge that euen for the hatred of sinne vvee should abandone sinne but seing that sinne is so aggreable to our corrupt nature and neuer appeareth in the ovvne likenes but is allvvayes masked and disguised vvith a shevv of commoditie pleasure or profit fevve ther are vvho vvould absteine from sinne for the turpitude therof dishonestie vvhich it implyethe For vvhat should restraine a man from sinne shame of the vvorld I suppose he hathe a secret place Feare of temporall punishment I suppose the fault bee vnknovven Feare of God Vvho vvill feare God that feares not the hell vvhich hee hathe prepared Vvherfore if notvvithstanding the hope of heauen and feare of hell vvhich for all Caluins heresie possesseth the hartes of moste men yet so fevv liue vprightly and so many go avvrye vvhat vvould they do if hope of heauen and fear of hell vvere quite rooted out of their myndes Truly the narrovv path of vertue vvould bee ouergrovvne vvith vveeds for vvante of treading and the broad vvay of vice vvould become so smothe that none vvould imbrace vertue all vvould tumble headlonge into the depthe of vice and pleasure and so the vvay to vertue vvould bee hedged vp and the gate and vvay to vice vvould allvvayes lie open heauen vvould be a place inaccessible and hell our common home The second Chapter shevveth hovv in teaching that only faith iustifieth they open the gapp to all vice SAtan the common enemy of mankind knovving hovve easily he might entise and allure vs to sinne to vvhich thing his malliciouse mynde is allvvayes bente and enclined if hee could persvvade the vvorld that only faithe sufficeth for mans iustification hathe longe since gone about to beate this doctrine into our heades to bevvitch our vnderstaÌ„dings vvith it And bicause hee knovveth that vvhen he speaketh in is ovvne person and likenes he findeth litle audience he hathe gone about and that euen in the Apostles tyme by certaine of his ministers vvhoe vvent vnder the name of Christians to intrude vppon vs this his pestilent doctrine 2. Pet. 3. For they not vnderstanding as saint Peter sayeth vvhat saint Paule sayed vvould make him speake as fooles make belles to sound to vvit as they imagined and so auouched that only faithe vvas sufficient to iustificatioÌ„ and saluation and that saint Paule so vvarranted vs. l. de fide â—peribus Vvherfore saint Austine affirmeth that sainct Peter sainct Ihon and sainct Iames and sainct Iude also vvrote their Epistles to refell refute this heresie and to expound sainct Paules meaning After these companions Simon Magus imbraced the same opinion and after him Eunomius vvho bragged that the faithe vvhich they preached vvas sufficient to saue their follovvers vvhat sinnes soeuer they committed This damnable heresie longe since dead in the myndes of men and buried also in hell Luther not by miracle but meare madnes hath called to life againe ar 10 1â— l de Christiana libertate com in c. 2. Gal. vvho in diuers places affirmeth that only faith iustifieth before vvithout charitie and good vvorkes And bicause he savv that in thus saying he seemed to open the gappe to all vvickednes he addeth another heresie to vvit that true faithe and good vvorkes can not be seuered therfore sayeth hee although only faithe iustifie yet that argueth not that good vvorkes are not necessary bicause a true faith allvvayes bringeth vvith it good vvorkes l. 3. c. 14. §. 1â— c. 1◠§. 8. Caluin ioyneth vvith Luther in this opinion affirming that faithe only iustifieth and that good vvorkes are only signes and effectes of this faithe Yea Luther hee bothe auouch as shal be aftervvards declared that good vvorkes are so farre from iustifying that they are all mortall sinnes and by faythe only obteyne this fauour of God as not to bee reputed nor imputed to the faithfull maÌ„ And this faithe saith Caluin iustifieth not as a vvorke of ours bicause vvhatsoeuer proceedeth from our corrupt nature he counteth sinne but as it is an instrumeÌ„t by vvhich vvee apprehend Christes iustice and so applye it to our selues make it so our ovvne that noe since is imputed vnto vs. §. â— These are his vvords The povver of iustifying vvhich faith hath consisteth not in the vvorthines of the vvorke our iustification standeth vppon the only mercie of God and the deseruing or merit of Christe vvhich iustification vvhen faith taketh hold on it is sayed to iustifie So that faith also according to Caluin is a sinne bicause it is a kinde of vvorke of ours yet it iustifieth bicause it apprehendeth Christes iustice and so by a sinne as by an instrument vvhich apprehendeth Christes iustice vvee are made or rather reputed iuste But before I come to inferre my intended coÌ„clusion out of this doctrine I vvilbee so bold as to aske them vvhere they read in Scripture that only faithe iustifieth Rom. â— Saint Paule saye they affirmeth that a man is iustified by faithe True but he sayeth not by only faithe nether dothe any place of Scripture auouch so mnch Vvherfore Luther seing that this place vvas not plaine enoughe to proue that only faith iustifieth in his Germaine translation he foysted in only into the texte making sainct Paule to say vvee thinke a man to be iustified by faithe only And being warned of this his corruptioÌ„ of scripture by a certaine freind of his In Resp ad duos art ad amicum Ex Bel to â— l. â— de iustif c. 16. he ansvvered that that vvas the meaning vvherin yet hee shevved him selfe a false translatour vvhose office is to translate faithfully as the vvords lye and not as hee vvould haue them interpreted for that is the office of an interpretour and if this be lavvfull for Luther hereriques haue scope enoughe to make scriptures speake as they vvill imagin that they should speake But Luther vvill say
visible heade here in earthe pag. 365. Christ did not suffer the paynes of hell as Caluin most impiously contendeth that hee did 337. The reason vvhy the Churche only shoulde Iudge of scriptures deduced euen from the doÌ„ctrine of the reformers p. 44. vvhy it is called apostolicall 190. Diuers hereticall opinions aboute the fall of the Churche 198. a difference betvvixte Scripture and the Churches definitions 43. The true Churche can not be inuisible p. 206. it is not confined as hereticall sectes are 231. A Contention betvvixte the Ievves and Samaritanes resemblinge very vvell the controuersye betvvixte Catholiks and heretiks 129. The conuenience that the Churche of God shoulde haue a visible headâ— 133. vsq ad 136. The diuers offices of conscience vvith the greate svvaye it beareth in all our actions 58. the reformers take it avvaye 544. The Contrarietie of Caluins assertions and the Scriptures 594. In vvhat manner our Cooperation in diuers kinds is required notvvithstanding the sufficiencie of Christes passion p. 263. The first Councell called in Ierusalem by the Apostles 189. Proofes of a creation 648. D The deceipt that heretikes vse by places of scripture no sufficient vvarrant of sounde doctrine to alleadge bare scripture for it 37. Diuers secrette derogations by Luther froÌ„ Christ vvhereby hee seemeth to pull at the diuinitie it selfe 24. After vvhat manner the Deuill do the seeke to imitate Christ by heretikes 30. The difference of scholershipp life and conuersation betvvixte the planters of Catholike religion and the first brochers of heresie 121. The difference betvvixte an heretike and a Schismatike 175. An apparant difference betvvixte sinne and the payne of sinne 173. The difficultie amongest the reformers to call any kinde of councelle 154. the likelihoode of disagreement amongest them ibid. no vvaraunt to rely vppon their sentence supposinge agreement 152. The manner of discussion or examination at the day of Iudgement 298. From vvhence desperation proceedeth 326. The ruine that proceedeth of dissention 212. Dissention arguethe heretikes to bee the sinagogue of Satan 219. The deepe dissimulation of the reformers and their trayterous meaninge to Christ him selfe made manifest by an example 357. The manifolde diuisions and sectes of the late reformers 221. the same acknovvledged by many of them 224. The reason vvhy all the Doctours and Pastours of the Churche can not erre 100. E Epiphanius very fitly comparethe heretikes to vipers of diuers kindes 224. Erasmus hovv hee liketh of Luthers doctrine 246. Diuerse Examples out of the olde and nevv testament for prayer to saints 355. for religions respect to reliques and images 356. The Euchariste and real presence proued 223. 703. The denial of it calleth all the mysteries of faith in doubte ibid. The Eutichian heresie 32 Examples of pryde selfe loue in heretikes 66. The Excellencie of Christes preisthood aboue all others and hovve it differeth from them 286. A triple Exposition of that place of sainct Ihon exierunt ex nobis applyed to the first or cheefe heretikes of euery sect 156. Vvho are sayed to bee sent by Extraordinarie mission 8. vvhy the fore sayed mission is to bee proued by miracles ibid. F A comparinge of auncient fathers vvith the late reformers and nevve bible clerkes 93. the difference betvvixt them ibid. 121. Hovv the reformers cut them selues from the Churche by refusing fathers 94. The force of religion 113. In vvhat sence faythe is sayed not to haue increased from the beginning or no nevve thinges to haue beene defined by councells 170. the same expressed by a similitude 170. The reasoÌ„ vvhy faythe admitteth no noueltie 171. One obstinate errour in a matter of faythe depriuethe a man of all infused fayth 180. MaÌ„s feticitie in Paradise vvherein it coÌ„sisted 253. The force of true amitie and frendshippe 339. Hovv disciplinable feare and hope make men in euerye vvell ordered common vvealthe 514. the reformers take them bothe avvaye 516. fovvre kindes of feare ibid. Faythe only dothe not iustifie 532. it may bee separated from good vvorkes 530. Luthers false dealinge in this point as appeareth in his Germane translation 528. Manifest proofes for free vvill 561. vsq ad 566. G The reason that vvee may suspect the Gospellers for false prophetes 25. vvhy they translate elders for Preestes 368. By vvhat meanes God deliuered religion in the lavve of nature in the lavve vvritten and in the lavve of grace 105. hee vvilleth not sinne but only permiteth it 452. Good before bad in all kindes 165. proofes of a God heade 646. The nature of goodnes 229. proofes that God is not the authour of sinne 453. The Gospellers take from Christ the title of an eternall Preest 291. they deny him to bee a Preest according to the order of Melchisedech 293. The Gospellâ—rs especially Caluin blasphemously derogate froÌ„ Christe knovvledge accusing him of ignorauÌ„ce in many thiÌ„ges 311. they make God the only sinner 457. they make him an vnreasonable prince 462. they make him a most cruel tyraunt 465 in their opinion hee might as vvell exact the obseruation of the lavve of beasts as of men 464. H The maner of refutiÌ„g heresies before couÌ„cels 237. Heretikes vrged to shevve scripture for their extraordinary mission 18 their absurde ansvvere vrged to shevve their succession 11. hovve heretikes may bee termed parricides 8â— theenes 3â— hovv they imitate Aesops crovv 33. hovv they are compared by Epiphanius to vipers of diuers kyâ—desâ— 224. by others to the Cadmean brethern 225. to SaÌ„psons foâ—es ibid to vvaspes by Tertullian ibid. Vvhy heretikes couet to decide all thinges by the bare letter of scripture 35. Many euident demonstrations that if euer vvere any heretikes the reformers are also heretikes 184 vsq ad 186. The reason vvhy heretikes seeme to giue so much to temporall princes 483. The grosse absurditie of heretikes in denying all kynde of honour to Saincts 348. of vvhat smalle vertue and efficacie heretikes make sacraments to bee 410. their 2. reasons that they attribute so litle force to them refuted and reiected 413. their erronious and impious opinion of the forme of vvordes vsed in sacraments 427. S. Hierome recurreth to the Pope of Rome in a doubt concerning the holy Trinitie 143. Hierome of pragues beastly behauiour to a crucifix 347. S. Hilarius his counsel to a perplexed man in religion 226. Three kiÌ„des of honour accordiÌ„g to three kindes of excellencie 349. vvhich is devve to God only and vvhich to saynts ibid. The reason vvhy vvee giue a religious honour to sayntes bodyes images and reliques 351. By the honour giuen to sayntes God is honoured and more them if vvee honoured him alone 352. I Idlenes the perfection of a Christian lyfe according to the reformers 607. Idolatrie vvhat it is 353. Vvhat kinde of imperfections Christ vndertooke in our nature 315. why hee refused ignoraunce 316. The congruitie of the Incarnation of the second person 255. The inconuenience that follovveth relyinge vppon bare scripture or the naked letter 40. The great inconuenience that vvoulde follovv in the