their time He saith likewise vnto the Traditions which are of the Apostles and that by succession of pastors haue bene vsed in the Churche we do persuade prouoke those that speake against Traditions He writes as much more in the thirde Chapter of the saide booke Forasmuch sayth he as it were to tedious to set forth in one booke the Successours of all the Churches and to tell them one by one we doo ouerthrowe those that for vayne glorie doo seeke to gather disciples together teaching them contrary to that that doth apperteyn vnto the Traditions of the Apostles the which we doo shewe to them by the saide Traditions and by the faith that hath bene taught and is come to vs by succession of the Bishops of the great and auncient Church of Rome the which was founded by the two glorious Martyrs and Apostles S. Peter and S. Paule These are his wordes in his thirde booke aduersus haereses the fyfth Chapter And at the beginning of the saide Chapter he saith thus All those that will vnderstand the truth may presently regard the traditions of the Apostles which are manifest throughout the world and we cannot coumpt the number of those that haue bene instituted and ordeyned Bishops in the Churche their Successoures till our dayes which haue neither knowen nor taughte anye thing like vnto the fables and tales that these doo preache vnto vs c. Not without cause wee may nowe a dayes say the like of the Lutherans Caluinistes other sectes of our time After this he doeth set forth all the Popes of Rome from S. Peter vnto Eleutherius which was Pope in his time And he did affirme that that number did suffise to proue that the doctrine of Marcian and Valentinian was false and very hurtfull because that it was vnknowen or at the least not receaued or approued by the Churche being vnder the gouernaunce of any of those Popes Then with greater reason ought prescriptiō to take place against a new doctrine which hath beene vnknowen this 1500. yeres or at the least if any bodie sought to publishe it he was condemned as a false pernitious heretike ¶ The .6 Chapter S. Augustine in his Epistle 365. about the like matter doeth set forth all the Popes by order which haue bene from S. Peters time vntil Anastasius which was pope in his time and by his continuall succession he doeth proue that the doctrine of the Donatists is heretical because that none of those popes which he did recite nor no part of the Churche did receaue it I pray you maye not we saye the like by the Caluinistes and other heretikes The saide S. Augustine in the Epistle that he doth call Epistola fundamenti Cap. 4. doeth write the reasons that did keepe him vnder the obedience of the Catholike Romane Church And amonge other he doeth alleage the common consent of all nations and the continuall succession of Bishops And in his booke which he made against the aduersarie of the olde and newe lawe he doeth name the succession of the bishops as most certain to answer to that that we sayd before of S. Paul I mean that he would not haue vs to be wauering doubtfull in our doctrin but that we should be firm stable the which stablenes is obteined by the knowledge and intelligence of the Scriptures according to the traditions of the Churche and the succession of the Apostles and Bishops The Churche saieth S. Augustine frō the Apostles time hath continued through the certaine succession of the Bishops vntill our dayes ¶ The .7 Chapter YOu doo studie as muche as you canne to reiect our succession and not without cause knowing that this onely doeth suffise to ouerthrowe all the heresies of those new reformed Gospellers Caluin as the moste apparant doth seeke to proue that our reason is of no force because that the Greekes haue had euer succession of Pastours and yet we doo not holde them as Catholikes But if the Reader doo well note that that we haue alreadie sayde he shall finde the aunswere vnto this obiection I meane because that the Greekes haue not had succession and continuaunce of doctrine called vnitie of fayth by the Apostles the which ought euer to be ioyned to the continuaunce of the Pastors to shew the true recognisaunce of the Catholike religion There is none that doo study reade of those matters but that doo know the vnconstant faith of the Greekes as touching the proceeding of the holye ghoste the which errour they had abiured at the last Councell of Florence and yet notwithstanding they did turne to it againe besides diuers other light thinges to speake moderatelye which are not approued by their auncient fathers S. Iohn Chrisostome S. Cirill S. Basil and Athanasius nor yet by our aduersaries at this present time The which errours I haue no neede to set foorth in this booke for my intent is but to speake of that that prickes vs at hande because of ill neighborhood Some doo alleage vnto vs the negligence of our pastors and their ill liues for the which cause they say that the mētioned succession cannot take place But this argument is of no force For althogh that the carelesse liues of some Bisshops and ecclesiasticall persons haue bene so great and so hurtfull vnto the blud of our Sauior Christ I mean to the soules bought with it yet notwithstanding that the Churche hath not lost the succession continuaunce of one doctrine as touching the administration of the Sacramentes by those that were deputed by the Bisshops If one should see a Prelate doing nothing and his lieftenant doing all which of those two woulde you take to be Bishop they haue both deuided their charges the one receueth the profite the other takes all the payne If they be both content what losse doo you feele he that hath anye interest let him valewe the damage And although that the negligence of the Bishop be not excusable before God with the diligence of the deputie nor his conscience cleere yet this ought to suffise that though his faultes be through negligence or through euil liuing yet that ought not to perturbe the assurance of our doctrin the which wee haue taught vs by the word of God interpreted by the true doctours that haue bene before vs agreing in vnitie of faith as I haue alredie said For neither the naughtines of Achas Num. 1. nor of Ioram nor of diuers other great sinners which are inrolled in the booke of the generation of Iesus Christe were not able to withstande the fulfilling of the promise of God made to Abraham that is to sai that he would be borne of this line Euen so the ill liues and conuersatiō of diuers wicked Popes that haue folowed after Saint Peter haue neuer beene able to moue Christe to breake his promise that is to saye that the fayth of his Churche shoulde neuer fayle Math. 16. and that the gates of hell that is to saye of
other goddes and therefore that he did counsel the sayde Caesar quietly to retyre himselfe and to make no more adoe the verses are these Me puer Hebraeus diuos deos ipse gubernans Cedere sede iubet tristemque redire suborcum Aris ergo dehinc tacitus abscedito nostris ¶ The .21 Chapter THus you see that Iesus christ was anounced among the gentiles before the cōming of the Apostles who notwithstanding this dyd not let to set forth the doctrine that they wer sent to preache with many notable miracles although they did not reach but that doctrine that was verye ancient And although that their doctrine was newe and vnknowen to the Gentiles yet you cannot alleage that it was so vnto the Iewes for they being studied learned in Moyses lawe they hearde nothing of the Apostles but had bene prophecied by the Prophetes Doeth not S. Paule say at the beginning of his Epistle to the Romanes that he was seperated to preache the Gospel the which God promised by the holye Scriptures S. Peter talking with the Iewes doeth geue them plainelye to vnderstande that his was no newe doctrine because that he did preach Iesus Christe of whom Moyses had prophecied longe before saying thus God shall rayse a Prophete among your brethren you shall obey him as you doo me and he that doth refuse it shal be put to death S. Peter saith afterwarde All the prophetes that haue beene from Samuell vnto this time doo announce vnto you these dayes that is to saye the doctrine that we doo preache That that the Apostles did preach vnto the Iewes that is to wit the remissiō of their sinnes by the death and passion of Christe it was no newe thing for as S. Peter sayde vnto Cornelius All the Prophetes haue witnessed that these that beleue in him shall obteyne remission of their sins for it had bene so prophecied by Esay cap. 55. vnto the people aboue .800 yeres saying that he had layed vpon his sonne all oure iniquities as it doeth appere in his booke in the which he doth shew him selfe more an Euangelist then a Prophete for there he doth write the torments of our Sauiour euen as if he had bene present at his passiō Dauid likewise doth talk of the like where he doeth mention the extreme affliction of our Redeemer and of the gal the Isope and the Vinager Daniel did not onely discrye the death of our Sauiour but therewithall the verye time that he shoulde come And to be briefe all the Prophetes haue announced vnto the Iewes that that the Apostles did preache vnto them Nowe if we desire to knowe why this olde doctrine preached aswell to the gentiles as to the Iewes by the Apostles was confirmed with many miracles which they did in the name of God who sent them the cause is this the deuill had so obscured and hidden the truth ouer all nations that superstitious Idolatrye had taken place in steede of the true seruice of God so that the poore Painims did not put their trust in one God but in a multitude of goddes And in like maner the true religion geuen by god to the Israelites had ben troubled and almoste cleane abolished by the traditions of the Scribes and Pharises in the which they did truste for the iustification and remission of theyr synnes The like doo you reporte of vs and of your great curtesye yee are content to matche vs with the superstitious Iewes and Idolatrous Paynims plating your selues in the degree of the pure Gospellers and the true children of God taking vppon you the Succession of the Apostles and calling youre Congregation the true Catholike and Apostolicall Churche This soundes notablye well but seeing that youre cause is absolutelye to refourme the Churche as they didde preaching the auncient doctrine of God as they did and dealing with superstitious Idolaters that cleaue more to the traditions of menne then vnto the pure worde of god as the Iewes Seing thē that our case is reported vnto the similitude of the Iewes and yours to the Apostles Prophetes howe comes it to passe that you doo not as they did seeing that you are sent from one master Why doo ye not make your commission appere by signes and miracles seeing that God hath euer done the like heretofore when he hath sent the like Commission to yours ¶ The .22 Chapter YOu doo coniure vs by the name of the liuing God to receaue youre Gospell and pure word of God or els you doo threaten vs that you will shake off the dust of your feet in testimonie against vs because that wee will not beleue your wordes But in this matter ye doo alleage a wronge text for we were very simple if we shoulde forsake or remoue the foundation of our Churche vppon suche an occasion as I will shewe by this discourse that doeth folowe I am sure that you are not ignorant howe that Luther after he began to preache his Gospell was not founde barren for immediatlye after his beginning he did ingender another Gospeller that is to wyt Andrew Coralstadius and from thence was produced another called Zuinglius of Zuinglius Oecolampadius Then Thomas Muncerus considering that he had no lesse the gifte of the spirite then the rest he began to forge a newe Gospell of the Anabaptists with the which he thought to gratifye the Towne of Milhouse who had receaued alreadie the Gospell of Luther But the Senate of that Towne being weried alreadye with to many straunge Gospels they aduertised Luther your fyrste Apostle of it And he wrote to them againe that Thomas Muncerus ought not to be receaued if he could not proue his vocation by some miracle And if you demaunde where I haue founde this I saye to you not in the workes of some lying Papist but in the Commentaryes of youre deere Historiographer master Sleydon who hath so good a grace in his writing and is so moued with the trueth of his spirite that he doth omit nothing in his Historie but that that doeth go agaynst himselfe and the professours of his religion I doo wishe those that doo vnderstande the Latine to reade this aunswere of Luther in the Commentaries them selues and for the rest I will set it forth translated not by me but by a minister of youre owne sect called Robert Preuost who dwelleth in a segnorie of Berne According to his translation the wordes are these Luther was of opinion that the Senate of Milhouse should do very well and wisely to demaunde of Muncer who had geuen him commission to teache and who had called him vnto it If he say that it is God let them demaunde of him to shewe some signe or miracle to proue his vocation and yf he could not do it that they should banishe him for it is common to God to declare his will by some miracle at any time when he will haue the common custome and order chaunged These are the wordes of Luther We ought to yeelde that
heresyes of Valentine and suche other whose wordes taken out of his fourth Chapter of the sayde booke I will briefely rehearse Si quae de aliqua modica quaestione disceptatio esset nonnè oporteret in antiquissimas recurrere ecclesias in quibus Apostoli conuersati sunt ab eis de praesenti quaestione sumere quod certum re liquidum est If any controuersie shoulde be of any question were it neuer so litle must it not be méete to haue our recourse vnto the moste auncient Churches in the which the Apostles were conuersant and of them to receaue the playne certaintie thereof It foloweth Quid autem si neque Apostoli quidem Scripturas reliquissent nobis nonnè oportebat ordinem sequi traditionis quam tradiderunt his quibus committebant ecclesias But what if the Apostles left nothing written of that matter must we not folow the tradition of them to whose gouernaunce they committed the Churches Here haue you the minde of Irenaeus who was néere vnto Christ his time for as S. Hierome testifyeth in an Epistle to one Theodora he was Disciple to Papias who was S. Iohn the Euangelists scholler He woulde haue men to be taught of Christe of his Apostles and their successours and not of euery one which rashelye and without lawfull authoritie taketh vpon him to be a teacher Christen men should be obedient to christen ordinaunces and folowe that doctrine that is alowed by them that are lawfully called and haue the censure of doctrine committed to them Such were the Apostles called and put in authoritie by Christe Suche were they to whom these agayne gaue the charge ouer anye faythfull congregation Suche are all they which haue so from time to time béene lawfully called by them that haue power to put others in authoritie and so succéeded in due order els Quomodò praedicabūt nisi mittantur Howe shall they preache except they be sent as it is written in the tenth to the Romanes and sent by them which haue authoritie to sende Did not S. Paule for that purpose leaue Titus in Crete Did he not also geue Timothie charge to laye handes to quickelye on no man To these that be thus lawfullye ordeyned and called to haue cure and charge of soules ye are bounde to geue an eare by these ye must be ruled in matters of religion as obedient children to their spiriritual fathers And this biddeth S. Hierome writing to Nepotian Esto subiectus pontifici tuo quasi animae parentem suspice Be subiect to thy Bishop reuerence him as thy soules father The same lesson teacheth Chrisostome in an Homilye De recipiendo Seueriano where he beginneth thus Sicuti capiti corpus cohaerere necessarium est ita ecclesiam sacerdoti principi populum As it is of necessitie that the body cleaue to the head so it is likewise of necessitie that the congregation cleaue to their Priest and spirituall ruler and the people to their prince And within a fewe wordes after he alleageth for the confirmation of this matter the Apostle writing thus to the Hebrewes in the thirtenth Chapter Obedite praepositis vestris obtemperate eis quia ipsi peruigilant pro vobis quasi pro animabus vestris rationem reddituri Obeye them that haue the ouersight of you and doo as they would haue you for they watch for your sakes as they which shall geue accoumptes for your soules This obedience doth our Sauiour require of all men saying Qui vos audit me audit He that heareth you heareth me This obedience to Christes Churche hath continued throughout all Christendome time out of minde And if the authoritie of the learned and holye fathers ought to beare swaye and preuayle as of right it ought to doo in déede Arrogantium enim hominum est maiorum suorum authoritatem aspernari se illis ingenio vel sapientia anteponere For it is the maner and propertie of proude arrogant persons to contemne the authoritie of their elders and to preferre themselues before themin wit or learning If the consent of all christen Regions should be regarded probabilia sayth Aristotle in the first Chapter of the firste booke of his Topikes quae videntur omnibus vel plurimis Those things are probable which all men or at the least the most part doo iudge to be so If the long continuaunce of time must be of importance In his enim as witnesseth S. Hilarie vpon the hundred and eyghtéene psalme tanquà m in coelo verbum dei permanet in quibus hoc verbum non offenditur In thē doth the word of God abide among whom that worde is not offended If these thrée I saye The authoritie of the learned Fathers The common consent of christian Regions The long continuaunce of time may be a sufficient testimonie for the veritie we haue the true Gospell and the true sense of it Our religion is the very christian religion The order of Ceremonyes that the Catholike Churche doth vse is the right order Our fasting and praying is according to the Scriptures Our Church is the true and lawfull spouse of Christ from the which as many as seperate them selues they are no shéepe of Christes folde they are reprobate persons they are the children of Beliall they are ympes of hell You know what order your fathers kept howe they liued and howe they beléeued You are not ignoraunt howe you haue béene brought vp instructed and trained in the lawes of Christe Whosoeuer goeth about to infringe or breake any part of that godly order of that auncient custome and laudable vsage he is an heretike an enemye to God a murtherer to mannes soule a disturber of the common wealth a subuerter of all honest discipline and therfore moste vnwoorthy to liue among men I haue hearde read and séene manye thinges yet can I not reade heare or sée any worlde more contaminate and proue to all kinde of vices then this our age is And howbeit afore our dayes haue béene in all times and ages men and women verye vitious and monstrous in their liuing yet then vertue was vertue and vice was vice But nowe in our corrupt time we haue lost the true names and vse of all thinges and vertue with vs is taken for vice and contrarily vice is coumpted for vertue They that be studious of modestie obseruers of temperancie and louers of sobrietie they be nowe a dayes called Pinchepennyes and suche that hunger droppeth out of their noses If any be vertuous folowers of the Catholike which is the true religion they be called Phariseys Papists The discrete mā he is called an hipocrite the small talker a foole and an ignorant person On the other side they that leade their liues in all kinde of ryote they be called hansome men men of the right making and suche as can tell howe to kéepe honest mennes companye Agayne the statelyer that one goeth the higher that he looketh and the stouter and malapertlier that he speaketh the more is
folowe by that that it is not of god For by that reason one mighte saye that GOD was not the authour of the priesthood of Aaron seing that Dathan Abyron and Ozias tooke it vpon thē of their owne boldenes the which is not true And as touching this that he saieth that our order of priesthood is not of God we will proue that false in some other place but at this time we must treat of our vocation to aunswere him his complices howe and by what vertue we exercise our ministerie We are called to this estate according to the ordinarie way that is to saye by the right succession of Bisshops and Pastors and by the continuance of one Catholique faith deriued from the Apostles to our dayes without the interruption of it vniuersallye for in diuers places of the worlde it hath bene euer cleere and certaine manifestlye shining like the light set on the table to geue light to all those of the house and not vnder the busshell to be shadowed with darknes S. Paule after that he had recited by order the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie I meane of the Apostles Prophetes and Euangelists he doth declare at the last the cause why they were instituted being for the edification of the misticall body of Christe the which is the Catholique Church vntill saith he that in the vnitie of faith we go to meete him He taketh his similitude of many that come frō diuerse wayes and meete all in one waye And thus he meanes that the spirituall edification of the Churche ordeined of Bishops Pastours and Doctours shall endure vntill that the Gospell be preached through all nations By the effecte of the whiche Gospell both Frenche Spanish English Greeke Persian Arabian Latines and Barbares with manye other nations which were to tedious to name haue met together hauing of great antiquitie all one kinde of Catholike faith by the Apostles and their successors for euer As the sonne of God before he suffered did attaine and arriue to the perfection of his age euen so his misticall body of the Churche shall continue in this world vntill it be perfect in his members and that the number of the chosen be accomplished And euē as a materiall building cannot be perfectly atchieued without continuance of workemen and Masons euen so the spirituall building of the Churche cannot be atchieued without the succession of Bishops and Pastors preaching or causing the worde of God to be preached which is the verye spiritual building the which hath bene euer common and visible in the Churche according to the prophecie of Esaye Sap. 61. who meaning to declare the care that God taketh as touching the preseruation of his Churche he did saye as it were representing the state of Hierusalem I haue established and ordeined watchemen vpon the walles the whiche shall neuer holde their peace neither daye nor night These watchemen are those that haue announced to vs our saluation They are the trompettes of Iesus Christe which neuer haue left their sounding in the true Churche of God from the Apostles time vnto this present daye ¶ The .2 Chapter SAint Paule foloweth this discourse in the fourth Chapiter vnto the Ephesians where as he doeth declare vnto vs the fruit that doth procede of this succession of Pastors and of the perseuerance of the reasonable sheepe in one kinde of spirituall doctrine called the vnitie of fayth For he sayeth that God established this order to that ende that we shoulde not be like light childrē caried away with euerye blast of false doctrine through the subtilitie of men their craftie wordes full of deceipte In these wordes you doo see howe the Apostle doeth declare vnto vs the counsaile and the intention of the holye Ghoste I meane that we should be constant in our fayth the which is grounded vpon the worde of God interpreted and declared vnto vs by the Doctours and Pastors that successiuely haue continued in one kinde of faith and Catholike religion from the firste time that it was preached without turning with euery winde but rather that we ought to stande firme and stable Here is to be noted that when the Apostle doth tell how he hath lefte vs pastors and doctors to warne vs of the subtilitie of false teachers he doth vse a certain greeke worde very apte for this purpose the which hath in Englishe the signification of the playing or cogging at dise And euen as he that hath no great skill if he playe with suche a one he will soone loose his money because the other can cast what he wil Euen so if a simple man being vnlearned doo chaunce to talke with such a one as can cog or to speake plainely falsly interprete the Scriptures he may soone be deceaued as we see it dayly happen to many that playe awaye and put in hazarde the rest of al their spirituall inheritaunce I meane the faith which hath beene lefte to them by their fathers from age to age since Christes time Thus haue the Arrians the Nestorians and diuers other heretikes deceiued many a mā as I will shewe more at large hereafter The .3 Chapter THe place that I haue quoted of the Apostle doth shew howe dangerous a thinge it is to fall into the handes of such Coggers of the scriptures and likewise howe certaine a thinge it is to folowe the interpretation of the auncient Doctours standing to that that euer the Catholike Churche hath taught and not to turne at euery blast Vpon this matter one Vincentius Lyrinensis who florished aboue a thousande yeres agone he saith thus If anye man perchaunce demaunde saying Since that the rules of the Scripture are certaine and sufficient of them selues And what neede haue we then of the authoritie of the Churche He aunswereth For that sayeth he that the secretes and misteries of the holye Scriptures are such that euery man doeth not vnderstande them and interprete them after one sorte but that of one place this man and that man shall seeme to mainteyne their opinions being cleane contrary one to another so that looke howe manye men so many interpretations For one way it is interpreted by Nestorius another waye by Arrius another way by Sabellius and so forth according to diuers heresies that haue risen from time to time And therefore it is necessarye for the knowledge of the trueth among so manye errours to drawe the right line of the Propheticall and Apostolicall interpretation according to the rule and true sense of the Catholike Churche This is the learned opinion of this auncient father Vincentius Lyrinensis ¶ The .4 Chapter WHose discourse doeth make me remember the Complaynt that the Soule doeth make vnto her Spouse IESVS CHRISTE being both represented by Salomō and his legitimate spouse I praye thee saith she O my dere frende tell me in what place thou doest lye and rest at noone dayes for I woulde be very glad and desirous to folowe the flockes of thy felowes The which is as
much to say as if she meant thus I see many sheperdes in these mountains which haue great aboundance of sheepe I see those of the Romane Church I see Donatistes I see Nouatians or to speake of our time I see one flocke folowe Luther another flocke folowe Zuinglius another folow Caluin another the Anabaptists another the Sacramentaries and so forth diuers others of whom when I demaunde particulerly Whose is this flocke they doo al aunswer me It is of Christ and euery one saieth this is the Catholike Churche euery one doeth saye that he is his felowe that is to saye as touching the guyding of his flock Now it is not possible that they doo all teache the truth considering howe they vary amonge them selues therfore I do desire thee to tell me where thou doest rest thy selfe at noone dayes that is as much to saye teache me which is the true Catholike Churche which doth celebrate the true misterie of the Crosse which is the place where thou wast nayled at noone dayes being nayled both handes and feete Heare nowe the aunswer of Iesus Christe If thou doest not know the place where I rest O moste beautifull among all women folowe thou the pathe that thy flocke hath made before thee setting thy tabernacle or thy lodge hard by the tabernacle of thy Shepherds If we well note and vnderstande this aunswere it will learne vs that that shal suffise to kepe vs frō rūning euer astray The sense is this O thou Christian which art troubled in thy conscience not knowing because of so many heresyes which waye thou shalt goe or howe thou shalt decerne the true religion from other false doctrine take my counsaile the which is to folowe steppe by steppe the flocke that went before thee If that a thousande or two thousand sheepe runne ouer a plaine those that come afterwarde doo not they know well the path that is made before them doo not they discerne the waye that the firste went Yes surely although there be no Sheperd to guide them And if thou doest aunswere that this doth not suffise for I doo see diuers pathes I see the pathe of the Caluinistes the path of the Lutherans and the pathe of those of the Romane Churche but yet doo not I knowe which flocke I should chose To this I answere thus Set thy Tabernacle by the Tabernacle of the Shepherdes and of thy Pastors I mean that I woulde haue thee to leane to that flocke that can leade thee from age to age and from yere to yere vnto the Crosse of Iesus Christ on the which he was nailed at noone dayes and there it is where thou oughtest to quiet thy selfe and thy conscience Then to beginne If thou doest aske the Caluinistes Where is the true fayth the which as they saye doeth consiste in the true preaching of the worde of the Lorde and in the administration of the Sacramentes according to the institution of Iesus Christe they will aunswere It is at Geneua the Lutherans will aunswere At Wittemberge and the Anabaptistes will aunswere at Monasterium The Vbiquitaries they will aunswere At Tubinge and the Trinitaries At Petricone and so consequently of the rest And then pursue and aske farther where it was twentye yeares agone They will say in the saide Cities but if thou come to demaunde of them wher it was a hundred or two hundred yeres agone if they are ashamed anye thing at all to lye they will not aunswere at all for there is none of them that can deny but that Luther who beganne to preache his newe Gospell the yere 1517. was the firste beginner of all these troubles the father of all those that teache this reformed religion Then is it farre frō that place where thy frend was nailed at middaie or where he was crucifyed aboue 1500. yeres agone before the newe Churche was dreampt of And therefore thou maiest easelye perceaue that this flock cannot leade thee to the place that thou doest desire and consequently that is not the flocke that we shoulde folowe Then let vs com vnto the Romane Church demaund where was this flock an hundred yeres agone They wil aunswere thee In Fraunce Spaine Englande Germanie and so ouer all Christendom And if thou aske where it was 500. yeres agone they will say In the saide places And a thousande yeres agone likewise and likewise a thousande and fiue hundred yeres agone This flocke then will not leaue thee by the waye as the others doo but it will leade thee vnto the very time of the death and passion of Christe by continuaunce of one doctrine and by succession of pastors which Salomon doth call the tabernacle of the Shepherdes And therefore this is the place where thou must seeke thy Tabernacle and quiet thy conscience to the ende that thou be not a lost sheepe and that thou be not readie to turne at euery blast of newe doctrine that our newe Coggers of the Scriptures doo set forth to deceaue the simple sheepe ¶ The .5 Chapter THe like vnto this is confirmed by Vincentius Lyrinensis of whom we haue spoken before for he saith in the booke aboue named that that person ought to be estemed a true Catholike that hath nothing in greater commendation then the true religion of the Catholike faith yea although it were the wisest man in the world and the greatest Philosopher the fairest speaker that euer was if he came to speake against the olde doctrine that hath bene taught vs of our forefathers time out of mind we ought saith he to disdaine that learned Clarke with all his philosophie cunning and to hold our selues to the auncient opinion of the Churche the which hath continued vntill this present day And if that nowe one should bring a newe doctrine that was not hearde of before contrary vnto that that hath euer ben taught in the Churche say that it doth not apperteine vnto the state of the Catholike faith that it is no religion but a temptatiō And therfore if we wil be saued we ought to liue and dye in that faith that hath continued by succession of Pastours euen from Christes time vnto these dayes S. Irenaeus a very famous writer in his fourth booke against heresies the. 65. Chapter who was within a fewe yeres of the Apostles Archbishop of Lions writeth the veri like saying that the true faith and the true knowledge of God is the doctrine of the Apostles and the auncient estate of the Church throughout the world according to the succession of those Bishops vnto whom only the Apostles committed the custodye of the Churche throughout the worlde the which sayeth he is come to vs This sayde Irenaeus doeth write in his thyrde booke and seconde Chapiter that he and his felowes did withstande the Valentinians and the Marcionistes which were great heretikes by the traditions of the Apostles that is to saye the doctrine not written but receued from age to age of the Apostles and so continued till
the right and auncient Catholike fayth For we that are the sheepe of Christe doo folow as touching our religiō the steppes that our fathers led before vs and as it were going vp vppon the ladder of Iacob Gen. 28. we mount by degree and degree I meane from yeere to yeere and from age to age vntill that we come to S. Saturim S. Denice S. Marcial and S. Gratian which were those that did firste teache the Catholike faith in Tholose in Paris and to those of Guyenna and Lorayne and so consequently to all the rest of the Saintes that firste did teache the Catholike fayth through all Christendome whom we doo call in iudgement before God to defend that fayth which they haue geuen vs from hande to hande they may call vppon the Apostles which sent them and the Apostles may direct thēselues to Christe who by the mouth of his moste louing Apostle doth commaunde vs to continue in that that was taught vs at the beginning 1. Ioan. 2. And so we shall continue and rest with the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost And if any body doth come to teache vs anye other doctrine then that which hath bene taught vs at the beginning I doo not saye written in booke but printed in our hearts that he be holden as an Anathema or an excommunicate person yea although it were an Angell of heauen The which doeth perswade vs not to receaue your newe doctrine or Gospell but to keepe our selues vnder the gouernaunce of our olde Pastours and Bishops without hauing any respect to their euill or good liues for as touching our faith and saluation that doth unport nothing The good and holye liues of Iesus Christe and his Apostles hath profited nothing neither to the obstinate Iewes nor to the vnbeleuing Gentiles Nor in the like case the depraued life of manye euil Bishops that haue bene at Rome and in other places haue not shut the dores of heauen against those that are true Catholikes and leade perticuler liues the which are two principall poyntes that doo quiet our consciences I meane the one that we beleue that that our Pastours the vniuersall Church haue beleued these thousande and fiue hundred yeres and the other that their euill liues cannot hurt vs For as the Apostle doth saye Euery man shall beare his owne bundell ¶ The .10 Chapter NOwe to turne vnto the taking of your accompts may it please you to shewe vs howe you haue folowed the steppes of the flocke of Christ according to the counsell that we gaue to his reasonable sheepe as we haue sayde before Who hath taught you the way that you doo folowe what doctours were your first tutors who hath taught you that the precious body of our Sauiour is not really in the Sacrament of the Aultare who hath taught the doctrine or if it be not grief vnto you heresy which you wold haue vs to receiue as a Gospel I know before hand that you wil alleage me Iesus Christe and his holy Apostles whose steppes you doo professe to folow preching euery wher that there is no difference betweene your Church or to say truth Sinagog the church of the Apostles But I pray Let me vnderstand by what means you canne ioyne your selues vnto the Churche of the Apostles seing that you condemne and cut off all the Christians that haue beene and are betweene you and them For to verifye this I will alleage no other but your owne workes for Caluin in his Institutions at the Treatise of the Supper of the Lord speaking of the oblation of the body of our Sauiour Christe as it was offered in olde time he doeth write punctually these wordes Caluinus in sua institutione tradita de Coena Domini I finde sayth he that those of olde time haue chaunged this fashion otherwise then the Institution of our Sauiour did require seing that their supper did represent a certaine spectacle of a straunge Inuention or at the least of a newe maner There is nothing more sure vnto the faythfull then for them to holde them selues vnto the pure ordinance of the Lorde by whom it was called a supper to the ende that onely his authoritie may be our rule Yet it is true that when I consider their good meaning and that their intent was neuer to derogate from the onely sacrifice of Christe I dare not condemne them of folye and yet I thinke that one cannot excuse them that they haue not somewhat fayled in the exteriour forme for they haue folowed more the Cerimonies of the Iewes then the order of Iesus Christe did permit And this is the point in which they ought to be resisted for they haue conformed to muche vnto the olde Testament not contenting themselues with the simple institution of Christe they haue to muche inclined themselues vnto the shadowed Ceremonies of the Iewes lawe These are Caluins words The Reader may by them see well howe this noble Reformer of the Gospell doeth correct al ages and Churches be they of Martyrs Confessors Doctours Interpreters Preachers or anye others from the Apostles time vnto our age yet doth he not deny but that hauing some regard of their simple ignorāce he is content to be so good to them as for this time not to condemne their error or impietie because that which they did was with a good intent but yet fearing that the bearing thē to muche fauour woulde trouble his conscience he geueth sentence against them saying that they ought to be resisted because they were not content with the onely institution of Christe but rather that in this case they haue folowed the shadows of the Iewes Nowe for my part I thinke Caluin and his felowes so scrupulous that they would not ioyn themselues vnto persons that are spotted with Iewish Ceremonies And because that all maner of people howe wise soeuer they were frō the Apostles time vntil our dayes haue fallen into this error he doth counsel my masters his deformed folowers according to his sentence to folowe none of them at all but only the pure worde of the Lord preached by Iesus Christe and by his aboue mentioned Apostles ¶ The .11 Chapter YOu doo knowe very well that S. Paule doth compare many times the misticall body of the Churche vnto a natural body seing that Iesus Christ is the head vnto whō the body is ioined by ioints bones sinews If one should then demaund of you howe the feete are ioined to the head you wil answere me by the legs which are next vnto the feete And if I aske you how the legs are ioined to the hed you wil answere by the ioints and by the reins of the back so consequently frō member to member I do beleue that we are al of one accorde that the ende of the world is at hande and so consequentlye that we are the lowermost part of the body so that we are the feete or the legges Then my masters you that haue made so fine an
shew the cause it is to the ende that my name be knowen ouer al the earth that is to say that men shoulde know that he is god If we come to the Apostles we shall fynde likewise that their doctrine was not new for when they began to preache vnto the Gentiles Idolaters they did not at the first preach Iesus Christ but thei did seeke to blot out of the mindes of the simple people the foolishe opinion that they had in the multitude of gods to teach thē that there was but one god who had created the heauen earth who sendeth rayne in time of neede and all thinges els that are required for the sustenance of in This is the doctrin that S. Paule did preach as we reade in the Actes This doctrine was not newe amonge men although it were so that they were Paynims for not onely in Moyses lawe nor in the law of Grace but euen by the lawe of Nature God hath bene knowen euen of those which were not of the familie of Abraham Isaac and Iacob vnto whō the promise of the Incarnation of Christe was made Of this doth Abimilech the king of Gerar bear witnes who did excuse himselfe before god for the wife of Abraham he could neuer haue knowen howe to talke thus with God if he had not knowē him Besydes this he made Abraham to sweare by the inuocation of the saide God that neither he nor his heires shoulde suffer any damage by his posteritie Bathuell did likewise knowe God when he confessed that he was the authour of the mariage of his daughter with Abrahams son euen so Abimilech the king of the Palestines and Phicol Ochosath sayde vnto Isaac We heare that God is with thee and therefore we are come to make alliance together Adonibezeth although he were a Gentile did not he confesse one God when he sayde that he had geuē him the selfe same punishment that he had geuē the 70. kinges Iob al his frends althogh they were Gentiles haue auouched one God to be the Creator of heauen and earth euen aswell as the Israelites as it doeth appere by the discourse of the saide Iob. If we reade the histories of the Paynims we shal find that they bear witnes of one God among themselues Diogenes Laertius in the liues of the Philosophers doth write that the Emperoure Adrian did demaunde of a philosopher called Secundus what God was He aunswered God is an immortall spirite incomprehensible conteyning all the worlde a light and a soueraine goodnes True it is that this Secundus was bolder to speake of God then another Philosopher called Simenides of whō Tullie doth write in his fyrst booke De natura deorum vnto whom when the tyrāt Hyero did demaūd of him what God was and that he had geuē him diuers dayes of respit to answer him at the last he saide that he did acknowledge in him an infinite of all thinges Cicero himself in the fyrst question of his Tusculanes doth gouerne geue the being to all things And in diuers places of that worke he doth wel expresse that he knew well that there was one God that the gods that the Gentiles did worship wer but mortal mē And in the saide booke he saieth that we know God by his workes in the which he doth not much differ frō Dauid saying That the heuens declare the glory of God and the firmament doth anoūce his works And in the 40. chapter of Esay whē god did talke with the Gentiles he did cal his works to bere witnes of his greatnes Lift vp your eyes saith he and beholde who hath made this And the Sage doth say that men through their vaniti haue not knowē God by his works And S. Paul doth absolutely cōdemne thē saying the thei can procure no excuse of ignorance for the inuisible things such as is the diuinitie of God may be knowe by the visible thinges And therfore they are vnexcusable hauing hidden the truth of God to vniustice for after that they haue knowen him they haue not geuen him that thankes and honour that they should haue done but they haue beene deceaued through their owne subtilitie making a profession of knowledge they haue beene founde foolishe and ignoraunt S. Augustine 8. lib. de Ciu. dei ca. 24. doeth reckē Mercurius called Hermes Trimegistus among these forasmuche as he did continue in his owne erroure although he knewe by that that one may see in his owne writinges that his auncetours did erre greatly in the making and worshipping of so many Gods. ¶ The .20 Chapter LActantius Firmianus in his booke of his diuine Institutions Cap. 5. writing against the Gentiles doeth proue that there is but one God and he doeth alleage as witnesses all the olde learned Philosophers suche as Thales Milesius Pithagoras Anaxagoras Cleanthus Anaximeus Crysippus Heno Plato Aristotel Seneca others Octauius likewise a christian Orator disputing against Caecilius as then a Gentile doeth alleage likewise to confounde these olde Philosophers and he doeth adde more Xenophon Spensippus Demaritus Strato Theophrastus and many more S. Paule likewise preaching to the Athenians doth protest that he doth teach them no newe thing but rather him whom they did worship and did not knowe By the which it is plainelye to be seene that the Apostles did not announce vnto the people any newe lawe for it was verye olde and notwithstanding they did confirme it with miracles And if you saye that although those learned Philosophers had a knowledge of God as it doeth appere by their workes yet there is founde in them no mention of Iesus Christe and therfore that it was necessary to approue that doctrine with signes and miracles But contrarywise that you in your newe refourmed Gospell doo preache the olde Apostolicall lawe I doo aunswere you to this that the .9 Sybilles did speake of his comming and byrth euen as playnly as any of the Prophetes and amongst other Sybilla Erithrea did as fully prophesie of the comming of our Sauiour to iudge the quicke and the dead as any other prophet as S. Augustine doth testifie Li. 1. de ciui dei cap. 23. Likewise of his death and passion and of the myracles he should doo before his death The Oracles of the false goddes haue likewise declared vnto the Gentiles the comming of Christe as Lactantius Firmianus doth write lib. 4. cap. 15. in his booke of the deuine institutions Nicephorus in like maner dothe write howe Augustus Caesar sacrifising to the God Apollo Pythius in his temple coulde get no other but a very breefe aunswere then Caesar dyd demaund why he coulde not make him then as fullye aunswere as he did at other tymes Apollo was constrayned to saye the trueth the whyche was that a young Hebrewe childe borne of late did commaunded him to retire him selfe into his hell vnto whom he was forced to yeelde obediently forasmuche as he was god and gouernour of the
the best of the worlde yea whollye without spot or sinne as some of you doo affyrme yet were not they sufficient to moue vs to chaunge our religion nor to forsake that that our forefathers haue taught vs for although it be so that our Sauiour Christe was as iust and as innocent as any can be hath beene or euer shal be yet neyther his holy life nor the Scriptures that he did alleage to proue his comming by the authoritie of the Prophetes nor the testimonie of S. Iohn Baptist all these thinges together wer not sufficient to perswade the Iewes to forsake their old lawes and to receaue the Gospell without the testimonie of the great miracles that he did in their presence He doeth confesse this plainely where he sayth If I had not done in their presence the workes and miracles that neuer any had done they should haue no sin This sentence is moste notable and woorthy to be grauen in the heartes of all Catholikes to assure their consciences which are troubled with such diuersitie of opinions For although it were so that you my masters were the honestest men of the worlde sent from God to teache and preache a true doctrine yet shoulde we be excusable before God for not receauing of your commission euen as the Iewes had bene for not receuing of our Sauiour Christe if he had not done so manye miracles For we knowe no cause why you shoulde be more priuileged then Christe And seing that you haue shewed nothing to verifye it this waye and that the Scriptures make no mention of your vocation nor you shewe no miracles and that your liues are at the least as yll as ours what moues you to be so bolde and so vnshamefaced as to threaten vs with eternall damnation if we receaue not your hereticall doctrine the which is so full of discordes and diuisions that one maye easilye gather by this from whence it came and whither it doeth leade one although yee haue nothing in your mouthes but the Gospell the worde of the Lorde and as S. Augustine sayde vnto your semblables Sola personat apud vos veritatis pollicitatio I say no more at this time but that I beseeche God to drawe you as nere to vs as you are farre from vs and to inspire youre mindes to turne to the flock of Christ the which both to your owne harme and ours you haue forsaken FINIS ¶ An offer made by a Catholike to a learned Protestant wherein shall appere the difference betwixte the open knowen Churche of the Catholikes from the hidde and vnknowen congregation of the Protestants FIrste seeing it cannot be denyed that our Sauiour Christe before his departure and Ascension did commit the charge and gouernment of his Churche the testimonie of his word the truth of his Gospell the ministration of his Sacramentes to his Apostles and Disciples that not only for them selues but to their successors Bishops and priests to none other saying onely vnto them Euntes docete omnes gentes Goe ye and teache all people and nations of the worlde baptising them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghoste teaching them to obserue and keepe all thinges which I haue commaunded you Further Thapostle S Paule being at Miletum in executing of his charge and gouernment gaue this admonition to the bishops and priestes there assembled before him saying Attendite vobis et vniuerso gregi Take hede vnto your selues and vnto the whole flocke of Christe in the which the holy ghoste hath ordeyned you bishops Regere ecclesiam dei to gouerne the church of God. And in the thirtenth Chapiter of his Epistle to the Hebrews he doth commaunde al other sortes of men without exception of Emperours kinges Queenes princes to obey their bisshops and priestes saying Obedite Praepositis vestris et subiacete eis ipsi enim peruigilant quasi rationem pro animabus vestris reddituri Obey your Prelates and doo what they appoynt you for they doo watche as men that shall render accoumptes for your soules Seeing that by the testimonies before alleaged it can not be denyed but that the charge and gouernment of Christe his churche the preaching of his doctrine the administration of his Sacraments was by him committed to his Apostles disciples and to all Bishops and priestes as Successors of them to plant christian fayth and religion in his catholike churche vniuersally throughout all nations coastes and quarters of the worlde Seeing this is by the playnnes of the sayde Testimonyes of suche an vndoubted truth that it cannot be denyed Nowe let the learned Protestant affyrming princes to be the supreme heades of the Church eyther shewe by some suche other like playne testimonyes of the scriptures that our Sauiour Christe did committe the chiefe charge and supreme gouernment of his Churche to Emperours kinges Queenes and princes to plant christian fayth religion in the same or that anye one of Christe his Apostles or disciples did conuert any people lande or countrey from their Idolatry Ethnike kinde of liuing to Christian fayth religion by preaching the doctrine of the Protestantes as of onely fayth to iustifye the contempt of good workes and that they be all vncleane in the sight of God the denyall of free will of the reall presence of Christes bodye in the holy Eucharist of the sacrifice of the moste blessed Masse the abolishing of Christe his Sacramentes of all grace and goodnes by them cōferred vnto vs then I shal yeelde and recant and not before Seconde Christe his Catholike Churche being on this wise planted by Thapostles disciples of Christe by Bishops and priests the successors of them had at all times a special care and regarde not onelye of preaching Gods worde but also of the preseruation of the same worde and Gospel by writing of the sacred Bible and holy Scriptures and did discerne iudge them from all other writinges prophane or authentique of all sortes What Churche hath had from time to time the custody of the sacred scriptures and moste safely hath preserued them for the necessary foode of Gods people and from the corruption of the aduersaries aswel Iewes and Gentiles as schismatikes and heretikes of all sortes but onely the common knowen Catholike Church of Christ When therefore the learned Protestantes shal be able to bring proufe to the contrarye that their priuate conuenticles and congregations were the firste bringers forth of this sacred Bible and the worde of God written the chiefe preseruers and defenders of the same in all times and ages from all Iewes Gentiles heretikes and schismatikes Then I will as I saide before reuolte and recant Thirde shew me good reason why ye protestants doo beleeue our catholike churche enfourming and telling you this to be the word of God written the true Bible and sacred Scriptures and doo refuse to credite her in the true sense and vnderstanding of the same Scripture she being
vndoubtedly led with the spirite of god in them both For if the Catholike Churche had the true spirite of God in discerning and iudging the true Scriptures of God from the rest not Scriptures why shoulde not we beleeue that same catholike churche gouerned and led by the same spirite in geuing the true sense meaning and vnderstanding of the scriptures Whē ye shal be able to render a sufficient reason of the one and not of the other I shall then yeelde and recant and not before Fourth Let the protestantes make sufficient proufe by auncient writers of the ecclesiasticall historyes what church it is that all these fyftene hundred yeeres past hath continued thoroughout fyrme and stedfast whiles all other conuenticles and congregations aswell of the Atrians as of the Nestorians Maniches Nouatians Vigilians Iouinians and the rest of heretikes of all sortes haue decayed bene conuinced and ouerthrowen that by any other church then by the common knowen catholike Churche of Christe And I shal then yeeld and recant and not before Fyfte If it may sufficiently be proued that any other Churche then the common knowen catholike churche of Christe hath instituted and ordeyned all goodly ceremonies solemne obseruations in the same dayly practised and vsed as the festiuall dayes of Christmas Candlemas Easter Whitsontide the feasts of thapostles and holy Euangelists of S. Michaell tharchangell and of all halowes blessed Saintes the obseruation of the holye fast of Lent and Imber dayes the faste of thapostles and of all the aforesaide festiual Eues beside the weekely fast of Frydayes Saturdayes the rest yet obserued and allowed on both sydes to the honour and glorye of God Then I will recante and not before Sixth let the protestantes shewe what Church from Christe his time hitherto and for the whole space of these fiftene hundred yeres past hath exercised discipline and due correction vpon offenders in all degrees and for that purpose hath not onely prouided and made but continuallye executed lawes canons and decrees ecclesiasticall by suspension excommunication degradation and such other like Let thē proue this discipline to haue proceeded of the Protestants congregations or to haue continued from time to time in anye other Churche then in the common knowen Catholike Churche of Christe And I will then recant and not before Seuenth let me know of the Protestants what Church hath brought forth for the space of these fyftene hundred yeres past as children begotten of her owne wombe so manye thousandes of blessed Martyrs of stoute and bolde confessors of pure and innocent virgins and of other holye Saintes of al sortes and so acknowledged of eyther partie And if it shall in fine fall out that anye one of them was of the Protestants congregatiō faith or belief whiles they liued here and not of the cōmon knowen faith and religion of the Catholike Church of Christe or that they were approued and canonized for Saintes when they were deade by the protestantes congregation and not only by the catholike churche of Christe I shal then submit and recant and not before Eight Wheras the Apostle Saint Paule testifieth that Christ gaue vnto his Churche some Apostles some Prophetes some Euangelistes some pastors and doctours ad consummationem sanctorum in opus ministerij and so to continue to the edifying of his body the catholike Churche vntill his comming agayne Nowe if the Protestants shal be able to proue by ecclesiasticall historyes of all ages the continuance and vse of the said functions and degrees in their congregations and that by some orderly succession and playne accompt made from Christ his time hitherto thei haue neuer lacked the sayde appoynted officers or that any other church thē the common knowen catholike church of Christe hath had at all times the continuance of the same I shall then recant and relent and not before Ninth whereas the protestants by the drift of reason and argument are forced of the Catholikes to acknowledge and confesse their churche and congregations to haue lyen hydden vnknowen for the space of one whole thousand yeres together without all the foresayde functions and ministrations of Apostles prophets Euangelists pastors doctors of their gospel fayth and religion at the least wise to be openly perceyued and knowen If therefore they shal be able for the space of that whole time to proue by auncient writers of ecclesiastical historyes any other worde Gospell or doctrine to be vniuersally and openly taught any other Sacramentes to be ministred anye other discipline or correction to be practised anye other Iudgementes Decrees Canons or lawes to be exeuted then those which were dayly practised in the cōmon knowen Catholike Churche of Christe I will then recant and not before Tenth forasmuche as the Protestantes doo affyrme their congregations faith and religion to haue bene practised in the primatiue Churche of Christe some of them for the space of the firste three hundreth yeeres as Iohn Caluine some for the space of foure or fyue hundred yeres as Martine Luther and his complices some for the whole space of the fyrste sixe hundreth yeeres as master Iewell and the authours of the Apologie of the Churche of Ingland and therin not agreeing among them selues as the maner of heretikes is I requyre some better stayed and certayne tale of them where and when this sodeyn change from the Protestants religiō to the Papists should be made as in what yere of our Lorde vnder what Pope and Emperour by what persons of name it was so wrought and brought to passe and vpon what occasion what Apostles Prophetes Euangelistes Pastors and doctours of their congregations did gaynesay or withstande the same And who doth make anye mention of this sodeyne and meruailous change of the Protestantes religion to Papistrie what one eccesiastical writer or auncient father of the whole world And when they shal be able reasonablye to aunswere and to satisfye these my demaundes then I will recant yeelde to them and not before Eleuenth Let the learned Protestant shewe me what order of seruice or common prayer what order of ministration of Sacramentes their Churche had before papistrie as they call it preuayled in the worlde Let im shewe me one booke or copie of any Communion or what els you liste that was in Englishe or in anye vulgare or common tonge beside the Hebrewe Greeke and Latine or that lacked prayer for the soules departed or inuocation to Saintes or sacrifice for the sinnes both of the quicke the deade or that charged a number to receaue with the prieste or that he could not els consecrate or say Masse receauing alone or that the people should take the sacrament for breade and wine and not for the reall bodye and bloud of Christe or that they should geue no honour to it or not reserue the same for the comfort of the sicke and diseased people or that denied extreme vnction with the rest of the Sacramentes to be behoufull or necessary for
visible vnction Moyses himselfe was extraordinarilye called and sent of God approued by miracle as it appereth in the fourth Chapiter of Exodus And therfore the Apostle S Paule nameth Aaron and not Moises to signifye that all extraordinary vocations by miracles as Moyses was are nowe ceassed and that we must from hencefoorth be ordinarilye called by externall vnction as Aaron was When therfore the learned protestant shal be able to proue their iust and due vocation ordinarily or extraordinarilye to proceede of God and not onely of man I shall then yeelde and recant and not before Thirde signe token of false Prophetes heretikes and Schismatiks is that they being first departed from the catholike churche and secondarily not called doo forthwith al of them selues preache and teach contentiouslye and seditiously against the doctrine before time taught of the common knowen catholike churche of Christe as against the Sacraments of Christe his Churche by a flat denyall of manye of them against the reall presence of Christe his bodye in the holy Eucharist against the blessed sacrifice of the Masse propitiatorye both for the liue the deade against penaunce and worthy fruites therof by fasting watche prayer and all straightnes of life against vowes inuocation of Saintes prayer for soules departed and finally agaynst the churche it selfe flatlye denying that Christe hath here vpon the earth any Spouse or visible churche here to be heard speake perceaued or seene The Apostle S. Paule in admonition geuing vnto vs to beware of this sygne and token sayeth Doctrinis varijs et peregrinis nolite abduci Be not you led and caried awaye with these diuers and straunge doctrines so termed of Thapostle S. Paule because they are not agreing but contrary to the receaued and common knowen doctrine of Christ his catholike churche When therfore the learned Protestant sâ—al be able to proue that they and their congregations are not the raysers vp of these contentions and strifes by their preaching of these straunge doctrines but we that are members of the catholike Churche Then I will submit and recant and not before Fourth signe and token of false prophetes heretikes and schismatikes is Schisma in ecclesiam introducere To bring into the churche of Christe by their doctrine schisme diuision and seperatioÌ„ of one member from another and of the whole misticall body from the true heade Iesus Christe For whereas the health and saluation of Christe his flocke people doth moste chiefely consist in peace concorde and vnitie they therfore which by schisme doo deuide and disperse his flock and of one societie and felowship before do make many and diuers they innot sparing nor preseruing in vnitie the flock of Christe are become raueâ—â—ng wolues Thapostle S. Paule knowing the great daunger and hurt vprising of schisme doth moste humblye beseeche vs with all diligent circumspection to auoyde the same saying Obsecro vos fratres per nomen domini nostri Iesu Christi vt idipsum dicatis omnes et non sint in vobis schismata sitis autem perfecti in eodem sensu et in eadem sententia I beseeche you brethren by the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe that ye all say one thinge and that there be no schismes among you but be perfect in one minde and one meaning Nowe if the learned protestant shal be able to proue that wheras about the time of three score yeres and aboue we were al not onlye here in this Realme but vniuersallye in all other Realmes professing Christe of one Churche of one fayth and religion and of one vnitie therein if he shal be able to proue that this late schisme whereby we are so deuided and dispersed that some are become Lutherans some Zuinglians some Caluinists some Puritans and Anabaptists did proceede from vs and from the common knowen Catholike Church of Christe and not whollye from their priuate Churche and congregations and of the deceptfull and false doctrine by them preached and taught I shall then stay no longer but yeeld and recant and not before Fyfte signe and token of false prophetes heretikes and schismatikes is disobedience Et non obedire sed resistere eis qui praesunt in ecclesia dei And not to obey but resist those which doo beare rule and gouerne in the church of God of the which sort of men the Apostle S. Paule geueth vs warning saying Quemadmodum Iamnes et Mambres restiterunt Moysi ita et hi resistunt veritati homines corrupti meÌ„te reprobi circa fidem Like as Iamnes and Mambres did resist Moises euen so do these resist the truth being men of corrupt mind and reprobates in faith Now when the learned protestant shal be able to proue that this rebellion and disobedience to all Bisshops prelates and ecclesiasticall gouernours is to be found in the catholike churche and not in the priuate churche congregations of the protestantes Then I shall yeelde submit and recant and not before Sixte signe and token of false prophets heretikes and schismatikes is the ficklenes weak slippernes of errors heresies Quòd quaelibet haeresis prae catholicae fidei peepetua firmitate facile transit ac perit For that euerye heresye in comparison of the stabilitie and perpetual continuance and firmnes of the catholike fayth doth soone perish and passe away Thapostle S Peter in speaking of these false prophetes sayeth Magistri mendaces superducent sibi celerem perditionem et perditio eorum non dormitat These lying masters doo bring vppon them selues a quick and speedie ouerthrow and their destruction shall not be slacked nor slowed The truth of this testimonie is to be tryed by all sectaries and sortes of heretikes that euer haue bene as of the Nicolaites Arrians Donatists Maniches Pelagians Iouinists Nestorians Nouatians Sabellians and the rest of heretikes whose errors and heresyes being neuer so stoutly vpholdeÌ„ by Emperors kinges and princes yet by generall councels and censures of Christe his catholike churche they had in fyne their iust condemnation and ouerthrowe What shoulde I here make mention of the Lutherans and protestants of our time When the Lutherans here in this Realme haue taken their iust ouerthrowe already for the great desyre the protestants had to preferre the doctrine of the Oecolampadians Suinglians and Caluinists The Suinglians and Caluinists with the rest sectaryes of all sortes are nowe here in this Realme at the very neere and like poynte they being nowe readye to yeelde vp the ghoste and to tylte vp their heeles for the great desyre the common and baser sorte of the people haue to be Precisians and Puritans And they being winked at of the Magistrats there be no small number of all degrees and sortes of men that doo further and fauour them in this their attempt to the great increase of theÌ„ It cannot therefore be denyed but that all sectaryes and heresyes are on this wise mouing sitting and euer passing from one secte to another without any long time of continuance