certaintie of faith For if traditions bée not certainly knowne of the aduersaries and if diuers ancient traditions be now growne out of vse how can the faith that is built on traditions be certaine Further the ancient fathers do not onely testifie the Scriptures to bée sufficient but also condemne vnwritten and vncertaine traditions Electa sunt quae scriberentur saith Saint a Tractat. 49. in Ioan. Augustine quae saluti credentium sufficere vide bantur b Aduer gentes Athanasius saith That the holy and diuine Scriptures are sufficient to instruct vs in al truth And diuers others testifie the same What saith c Regul 80. Basill is the propertie of a faithfull man Forsooth to beleeue with certaine fulnesse of minde whatsoeuer is conteined in Scripture and neither to reiect any part thereof nor to adde any newe thing vnto them Saint d Lib. de parad c. 12. Ambrose saith Wee may no more adde to Gods commandements then take from them And although the fathers talke ofttimes in commendation of traditions yet either they meane such things as are now conteined in Scriptures and from them to bée deriued and deduced by firme conclusions or else such matters as concerne order and decencie and yet do they not account of these as of diuine precepts Si aut in euangelio praecipitur aut in apostolorum epistolis saith e In Epist. ad Pompeâ—um Cyprian aut in actibus continetur obseruetur diuina haec sancta traditio Whereby it appéereth that other traditions which were not written were not had in like reuence and that the faith of papists that resteth on these vncertainties is most vncertaine Further the papists do builde their faith vpon most fabulâ—us martyrologies and lying legendes For vpon these narrations doth stande the holinesse of those saints whom they canonize and worship In these legends wee read of the moouing yea and speaking of stockes stones of restoring not onely dead men but also dead beastes to life of apparitions of Christ of the blessed virgine and of saints and infinite more miracles and prophecies then are conteined in holie Scriptures All which notwithstanding any absurditie ensuing our masters of Romish traditions must néedes receiue if they beléeue either traditions to bée the worde of God or else giue credence to f C. Sancta dist 15. Gelasius for hée saith That the histories of martyrs and their suffrings are to be receiued Gesta sanctorum martyrum saith Gelasius recipimus Let it therefore bée considered whether this faith can bée catholike that is builte vpon such fabulous vanities which not onely the strangenesse maketh suspected of vs but also euen of papists themselues g Ibid. Gelasius condemneth the legend of George of Cyricus and Iulitta of Abgarus of the inuention of the crosse and of Saint Iohn Baptistes head a Contra donat Constant Laurentius Valla laugheth at the follie of these legendes b Canto 29. Dante calleth them fooleries and vaine fables c In his historie to Clement the 7. Machiauel saith That these new myracles are repugnant to old christian religion The Germaines among other gréeuances account the vanitie of these fabulous legendes They do also take themselues bound to beléeue the doctrine of the church of Rome For this to d In praefat analys ante relect princip doctrin Thomas Stapleton séemeth a very firme foundation of his popish faith And as he supposeâ—h the voyce and testimony of this church is most certaine and infallible This sure we find by experience that they e C. ad abolendam de haereticis condemne for heretickes and most cruellie murder all that dissent from the church of Rome in matter of sacraments Nay they do ground their religion vpon the popes decretalles Decretales epistolae saith f C. Sancta dist 15. Gelasius quas beatissimi papae diuersis temporibus ab vrbe Romana pro diuersorum patrum consultatione dederunt venerabiliter recipiendae sunt The popes they honor as their supreme iudges and say they cannot erre Vnto them they haue recourse in all difficulties as vnto a rocke immooueable Stapleton doth g Princip doctrin lib. 6. teach That the pope is the principall subiect of ecclesiasticall authority and is not ashamed to write that his authority is the foundation of religion In hac docentis hominis authoritate saith h In praefat ante relâ—ct princip doctâ— he in qua deum loquentem audimus religionis nostrae cognoscendae fundamentum necessariò poni cernimus O noble religion that is founded vpon so firme and holy a foundation as is the popes holy authority But sure catholike it cannot be For neither the ancient church in times past nor the easterne and Africane churches did euer acknowledge any such foundation Neither do they account the popes authority onely to be the foundation of their faith but also for Christ the corner stone substitute the pope and make him the rocke of the church and of their faith For at his handes they receiue the scriptures and all the principles and pointes of their faith and account his determination more certaine then the letter of Scriptures Bellarmine calleth the pope The foundation and corner stone of the church i In praes ante lib. de Pontif. Rom. and commonly by the rocke Matth. 16. they vnderstand not Peter onely but the popes of Rome which they imagine to be his successors Matters strange new absurd and most contrary to catholike faith To the vulgar latin translation they giue more authority then to the originall bookes of the ould testament in Hebrew and of the new testament in Greeke For that translation they make authenticall and do not giue like authority to the originall bookes That translation they will not haue any to reiect but the originall bookes themselues calumniate and reiect Which course is neither catholike nor reasonable Saint a In epist ad Sâ—niam Fretel ad Damasum Hierome saith That in the old testament in matters of doubt concerning the translation we must haue recourse to the Hebrew as to the fountein in the new to the Greeke Ad exemplaria Hebraea Graeca à latinis recurratur b Lib. 2. de doctr Christ c. 10. saith Augustin Hilary writing vpon the 118. psalme confâ—sseth That the latin translation cannot satiâ—fie the reader They holde also The doctrine and determination of priestes and Iesuites and others sent by the pope to be no lesse the foundation of Christian religion then Christ and his doctrine For so doth c In praef ante relect princip doctr Stapleton in expresse termes determine and generally they d C. ad abolendam de haeret condemne such for heretickes As the prelates and bishops do adiudge to be such Which is nothing else but to make the determination of popish prelates the foundation of the popish church But Christ sending foorth his disciples to preach commaunded them to teach all nations and withall
among themselues Nay the contention betwéene Caluin and Luther is not so great but that popish doctors haue greater As for our selues all of vs professe the doctrine of Christ Iesus according to that rule that was established by common consent of the church of England from which if any digresse he is no more to be accounted of our societie then the papists that are of the popes retinue Lastly where he calleth our religion Parliament religion hée speaketh like himselfe that is falsely and slanderously For albeit the same be receiued by authoritie of the prince and state yet is it Christs religion and not the princes The a Lâ—unctos Cod. de summ Trin. sid Cath. emperors Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius decréed That all people of their gouernment should hold the doctrine of Peter the apostle taught by Damasus bishop of Rome and Peter bishop of Alexandria and that they should beleeue one God three persons and yet I hope this Noddie will not call the faith of the Trinitie An imperiall faith And thus much in answere of his obiection of parliameÌ„t faith and of supposed diuisions amongst vs. But if hée had considered how that all the authoritie of their Romish faith as it differeth from ours standeth vpon the authoritie of late popes and of the late conuenticle of Trent and that both the grounds and positions of it are either nouelties or old condemned heresies and was in Quéene Maries times established more by parliament then by authoritie of the apostles and how many and diuers sectes they haue among their monkes and friers and b About the matter of the sacrament of the Lords supper they haue not so few as 200. diuers opinions diuers opinions among their schoolemen and how their late writers dissent both from fathers and schoolemen and among themselues I thinke hée woulde haue spared either to haue obiected vnto vs our dissensions or to haue talked of the authoritie of our religion To discredite the report of spirituall blessings bestowed on vs he a P. 5.6 saith further That before this change we beleeued the catholike faith of Christendome deliuered by the vniuersal church grounded vpon that rocke that cannot faile now beleeue onely either other mens opinioÌ„s or our owne fancies which choice is properly called heresie and héere hée thinketh to haue argued like a great doctor But first as his doctrine is strange so his stile is new and fantasticall For although hée sweate hard in séeking yet shall hee not finde that any one doctor saith That the vniuersall church doth deliuer to euerie priuate man the catholike faith for as schoolemen might teach him Actiones sunt suppositorum and it is not the whole kind but some one or other that doth this or that action Secondly most vntrue it is That either poperie is the catholike faith of Christendome or that the apostles or their catholike successors taught those errors of poperie which wee condemne Thirdly he doth vs wrong where he saith That our doctrine is diuers from the catholike faith of Christendome For whatsoeuer Christ or his apostles taught or is deliuered in the confessions of faith or créedes generally receiued of Christs Catholike church that wée beléeue and receiue refusing no point of catholike doctrine and all priuate fancies opinions heresies whether of popes or other heretikes and false teachers we renounce condemne and anathematize Héereof it followeth that the doctrine and faith of the church of England is most catholike and certaine being grounded vpon the apostles and prophets Christ Iesus being the corner stone which is a firme rocke against which the gates of hell cannot preuaile Grounded it is I say vpon the writings of the apostles and prophets endited by Gods holie spirite and thereunto not onely Councels and fathers but also the aduersaries themselues for the most part giue testimonie But the blinde papists haue deuised and receiued both new grounds of their religion and new doctrine which standeth onely vpon the authoritie of this pope and that pope whose fancie and opinion is all the certeintie they haue This is that rocke or rather banke of sand whereon the miserable papists faith is built For what the pope determineth that they hold to be the determination of the vniuersal church vpon his credite they receiue the scriptures Nay without his determination a Stapletonde author eccles they denie the scriptures to be authenticall b Princip doct lib. 9. c. 12. Stapleton teacheth that the church that is the pope at all times hath power to approue and taxe and consigne the bookes of holy scriptures In another place he c Ibidem lib. 11. c. 4. holdeth that vniuersall tradition is the most certaine interpreter of scriptures Generallie they hold that the pope is supreme iudge in all controuersies of faith and manners and that he is the iudge that cannot erre Hereof that followeth which this noddie obiecteth to vs That the faith of papists is built vpon the popes fancie and opinion which altering from time to time the faith of the Romish church is variable like the moone and vnstable as the sea Trusting to the popes determination from the Angelickes they haue receiued the worship of angels from the Collyridians the worship of the holy virgin Marie from the Carpocratians and Simon Magus and their disciples the worship of images from the Manichées and other heretikes prohibition of meates and dislike of mariage of priests and from other heretikes other damnable opinions So that their faith is not the catholike faith of Christendome but méere heresie grounded vpon the fancie and opinion of most wicked and vnlearned popes But d P. 6. saith this Noddie Why should you beleeue more your owne opinions then Caluin concerning the Queenes supremacie Luther concerning the reall presence and Beza in the church gouernment I answere first that these mens priuate opinions concerne not fundamentall points of faith And therefore that they are not to bée brought foorth for instance in this cause where we talke of the foundations reasons of Christian faith Secondly I deny that Caluin did deny the Quéenes supremacie in ecclesiasticall matters as we hold it For neither did he subiect princes to popes or priests in matter of their royall gouernment nor did hee denie princes power to establish ecclesiasticall lawes nor to command for Gods truth or to prouide for the setting foorth of true religion or redressing of disorders in churches or priests which are the principall points of supreme gouernment of princes in their realmes and dominions Neither do I thinke that any ancient father of the church did euer denie this power to princes Sure I am that many haue allowed it The reason why Caluin did once mislike the title of king Henry the eight was because hée was perswaded that hee had challenged all that power which the pope arrogateth to himselfe as head of the church wherein after that he was better informed he changed his stile and
nomine armamini contra ecclesiam dimicatis and our sauiour founde no greater enimies then the Priests Scribes and Pharisies which stoode most vpon the succession of Moses and title of Gods people The diuell h 2. Cor. 11. Transformeth himselfe into an angell of light and brasse is often set out with a glorious lustre as if it were golde But nothing can be deuised more counterfait then the papist who albeit hée maintaine a religion full of nouelties and improbable fantasies yet taketh on him as if hée were the onely catholike christian and ietteth vp and downe with a maske of catholike religion So apes clad with purple iackets beare themselues verie proudly among other beasts and all for their gaie apparell But as apes by their apish trickes bewray themselues to bée apes so papists by their apish popish and fonde deuises shewe themselues to be factious heretikes and no true catholikes That they are no true catholikes the very name of catholike and true signification of this worde declareth For Catholike doth signifie that which is vniuersall or generall And the church is called catholike bicause it conteineth all the people of God and all Christians whether of time past or time to come or time present and in what place soeuer they remaine dispersed The christian faith likewise is called catholike for that it is and euer was and euer shall bée generallie taught and receiued of faithfull christians In time past God was peculiarly knowne of the people of Israell and to them was the law giuen and prophets were sent But our Sauiour Christ sent his apostles into all the world a Matth. 28. Docete saith he omnes gentes Hée also tolde them they shoulde witnesse his truth to al nations of the earth Eritis mihi testes saith b Act. 1. he in Hierusalem totaÌ„ Iudaeam Samariam vsque in totam terram So that we are to vnderstand that there is but one catholike church into which al true catholikes are to be gathered This Catholike Church c In Psal 56. saith Saint d In Psal 44. Augustine is spred throughout the world and conteineth not onely those that are present but those also that are past and are yet to come And Saint d In Psal 44. Hierome saith That this church is one and is founded by the apostles doctrine and conuerteth men to Christ Wée belée also that there is but one apostolike and catholike faith which all true catholikes both haue holden do holde and must holde vnto the worlds end In this catholike church saith e De haeres c. 3. Vincentius Lirinensis wee are to holde that which alwaies hath beene beleeued of all christians for that is truely and properly catholike Hée f Ibid. c. 34. teacheth vs also That the propertie of catholikes is to keepe the doctrine committed to them and left with them by the ancient fathers and to auoide prophane nouelties Further hée g Ibid. c. 25. determineth That those onely are truely and rightly called catholikes which onely holde and beleeue that which the catholike church in olde time did vniuersally holde With him also doth Leo sometimes bishop of Rome agrée Vna est vera singularis perfecta inuiolabilis catholica fides h Epist 81. ad Mâ—â—naâ—h paâ—aest epist 95. saith hée cui nihil addi nihil minui potest That is there is one true singular perfect inuiolable catholike faith whereunto nothing can be added and from whence nothing is to be diminished This grounde then being laide and I thinke confessed by the aduersaries themselues that those onely are catholikes that holde the catholike faith receiued vniuersally of all true christians of all times and all places and that the catholike faith is that which Christ commaunded vniuersally to bée taught and which of all the catholike church hath béene generally receiued and which is most perfect and absolute and admitteth no additions alterations nor innouations it may easily bee prooued that the papists are neither catholikes nor hold the catholike faith of Christ Iesus For first they do not beleeue that which the catholike church euer beleeued but that which the church of Rome beleeueth Pius quartus a In constit Pij 4. ordeineth that all that are preferred in schooles shall openly professe That they beleeue all things conteined in that creede which the church of Rome vseth The forme of their profession is this Ego N. firma fide credo profiteor omnia quae continentur in symbolo fidei quo sancta Romana ecclesia vtitur Likewise are they bound to condemne all doctrines which that church condemneth and anathematizeth In the Spanish b Manual de oraciones por Hieron Campos catechisme set out vnder the name of Canisius he is termed a true Christian That holdeth nothing but that which the church of Rome holdeth Y no tiene cosa fuera de lo que tiene la yglesia Romana Finally the papistes c C. ad abolendam de haeret condemne all for heretikes That either teache or thinke otherwise of the sacrament of the altar or of confession of sinnes or other Romish sacramentes then the church of Rome How then can we estéeme them catholikes that for a generall and catholike faith embrace a particular or peculiar faith of the church of Rome and openly professe so much Secondly they do not beléeue the catholike church but the Romish church nor do they make themselues members of the catholike church but of the church of Rome subiect to the pope whome they beléeue to be their head d De eccles militant c. 2. Bellarmine doth define That to be the true church which is vnited in confession of faith and communion of sacraments and obedience to the pope of Rome e C. vnam ext de maior obed Boniface the eight determineth That all that will be saued must of necessity be subiect to the bishop of Rome In the f Manual de Hieron Campoâ— catechisme published vnder the name of Canisius the church is defined A congregation gouerned vpon earth by the pope the onely head of the same Vna congregacion regida en la tierra por el papa vnica cabeza de toda ella Finally the a Confessio Burdegalens Iesuites of Bourdeaux do professe That to be the church onely which hath communion with the church of Rome whereof the pope is the chiefe gouernor But the auncient fathers teach vs that the catholike church is not tyed to one city or one country or one pope or bishop but vniuersally spredde ouer the whole earth as hath in part béene declared Si dei est ecclesia saith a Chrysostome b In homil 1. in epist 1. ad Corinth vna est non Corinthi solum sed vniuersi orbis So I may say if the Romanists were the catholike church then should not their vniuersall church be termed by the name of the church of Rome but of Gods
church doth onely mention two sacraments to wit Baptisme the Lordes supper c Lib. 1. 4. contr Marcion de coron milâ—t Tertullian where he handleth the same argument doth mention no more then two Cyrill likewise of Hierusalem d Catech. Mystâ—g speaking of the mysteries of Christian religion doth onely discourse of Baptisme and the Lords supper Dionysius whom they suppose to bée Dionyse the Areopagite albeit hée do fully set out the rites of the church of his time doth neither make penance nor matrimonie nor vnction of the dead a Sacrament Hée that wrote the bookes of Sacraments that beare the name of Ambrose and Augustine and Paschasius onely mention two sacraments Now who doth not sée that ordination of priestes and penance and matrimonie were instituted either in the law of nature or vnder the law of Moyses And certes if these things did iustifie then shoulde the Sacraments of the old law iustifie and iustification were a very easie matter No catholike writer doth imagine any such matter to bée in mariage or order and neither was extreme vnction nor popish confirmation known vnto antiquitie 10. In the Sacrament of Baptisme they vse exorcismes blowings salt spittle halowed water annointings light and diuers ceremonies neither vsed by the apostles nor practised by the ancient church And yet e Sâ—ss 7. Trident Concil c. 13. they say That none of their ceremonies may be omitted without sinne Finally they denounce them accursed that shall not holde Baptisme to bée necessary to saluation which ceremonies and doctrine do not appéere to bée catholike 11. They dissolue mariage contracted by entring into religion as they terme it and albeit it bée consummated yet they holde that by mutuall consent the maried couple may depart a sunder and that it shall not bée lawfull for them afterward to companie togither They separate also mariage for spirituall kinred and force all that will be priestes monkes or friers to forsweare mariage Matters not onely strange in the catholike church during the apostles and tâ—eir successors times for many hundred yéeres but also contrarie to Christs doctrine For what man can separate them whom God hath ioyned And what reason hath man to commaund any to forsweare mariage which the a Heb. 13. spirit of God pronounceth to be Honorable 12. They beléeue that penance standeth vpon contrition confession and satisfaction and that tâ—ese are the three parts of penance And yet themselues say that absolution is the forme of penance and that confession is not alwaies necessary Further b Concil Trid. Sess 14. they pronounce him anathema That beleeueth not that penance is properly a sacrament and that denieth confession in the priestes eares to be instituted by Christ Wherein they digresse both from the catholike church and catholike doctrine 13. The sacrament of the lords supper they haue most shamefully altered and abused teaching first that Christ is present with his body corporally and carnally in the sacrament and that he is there also really with his soule and that not onely wicked and faithlesse persons but also brute beastes swallow downe Christ quicke into their bodies Next that the substance of bread and wine is abolished and that the accidents thereof remaine without subiect and the substance of Christes body without the qualities of a body Thirdly that the sacrament is to be worshipped as God which is plaine idolatrie Fourthly they take the cup from the coÌ„municantes and for a communion make a priuate action of one priest called the masse Fiftly they make of this sacrament or sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing a sacrifice externall and propitiatory both for quicke and dead And by this sacrifice they hope to obteine remission of sinnes helth welth victorie and whatsoeuer the bâ—ter desireth Finally they do not distribute the sacrament as Christ commaunded but reserue it in pixes or carry it about in procession or as it pleaseth the priests All which do shew them to be no catholikes For catholikes do beleeue that these words This is my body are figuratiue c Lib. 4. contr Marc. TertulliaÌ„ saith That Christ made the bread which was giuen to his disciples his body by saying this is my body that is the figure of my body d De vnct Cyprian saith That Christ at his last supper gaue bread and wine with his owne handes and that thinges signified and signifying were called by the same names a In c. 15. Matth. Origen doth call the sacrament Christes figuratiue and typicall body b De ijs qui initiantur mysterijs c. 9. Ambrose saith That Christes true flesh was sacrificed but that the eucharist is the sacrament of that true flesh The Lord did not sticke to say this is my body saith saint c Contr. Adimant c. 12. Augustine when he gaue the signe of his body They beléeue not that the bread is abolished d Aduers Iudaeos Tertullian saith That Christ called bread his body Saint Hierome writing to Hedibia saith That the bread which the Lord brake and gaue to his disciples is the Lordes body The bread saith saint e De consecrat dist 2. c. qui manducant Augustine is the body of the Lord the cup his blood In the giuing of the mysteries saith f Dial. 1. Theodoret hee called bread his bodie But what néede testimonies of fathers when the apostle rehearsing the wordes of the institution calleth bread Christs body and nameth breade after consecration and when the pronoune Hoc can bée referred to no other thing but bread True catholikes beléeue that the holy communion of the Lords supper is a commemoration and a memoriall of the sacrifice made by Christ Iesus vpon the crosse rather then anie actuall and externall sacrifice Our g Matth. 26. Luc. 22. Sauiour saith This do in remembrance of me The h 1. Cor. 11. apostle saith that in this Sacrament Wee shew foorth the Lords death and celebrate a memoriall of it i In dialog cum Tryphon Iustin Martyr saith That in the sacrifice of bread and the cup which Christ instituted for a memoriall of his passion Christians giue thankes to God Saint k De fide ad Petr. c. 19. Augustine saith That in the sacrifice of bread and wine there is a commemoration of the flesh and blood of Christ that were offered for vs. Saint l In epist ad Hebr. Chrysostome saith That our sacrifice is a remembrance of Christes sacrifice Finally all true catholikes did distribute and receiue the holy Sacrament when they came to the Lordes supper and obserued his holy institution without mixtures of their inuentions or other alterations 14. The papists haue either abolished Christes priesthood or else much debased the same and haue brought in a new order of priesthoode neuer instituted by Christ nor practised by the catholike church For in stead of Christ they runne to angels to our Ladie and saints and beléeue that these can
contrary in diuers maine points to the doctrine of the apostles Seuenthly they do neither retaine vnion with Christ Iesus nor with the ancient Church nor among themselues Eightly their decretaline doctrine is neither sound nor holy nor hath any efficacie in it nor hath other fountain then the popes fancie Ninthly their legendary miracles and prophecies whereupon a great part of the credit of the Romish faith dependeth are nothing but lies and forgerie and those ofttimes very ridiculous Tenthly their strange nouelties and heresies haue béene by many both olde late writers reproued and condemned Lastly as the authours of it haue liued vnhappily and died miserably for the most part so those that haue gone about to restore true religion and to roote out Romish idolatrie and heresie haue for this onely cause felt Gods great fauour towardes them both in their liues and ends 44 The Church of Rome is also conuicted not to be the true Church by the confession of a Relect. doct princip cont 1. q. 5. Stapleton For if the true Church began at Hierusalem and is vniuersally dispersed and hath continued in all ages and hath a true succession of bishops from the apostles and disagreeth not about matters of faith nor dissenteth from the head of the church and which hath planted christian religion preserued the same throughout the world and hath kept the apostolike forme of gouernment and preuailed against all heresies and temptations keeping the rule of faith sound and intire and which also sheweth the true way of saluation and keepeth the scriptures sound and pure frō corruption and finally which holdeth the decrees of all generall councels as blundering Stapleton not only confesseth but after his most odious and tedious fashion with multitude of words goeth about to proue then is not the church of Rome that now is the true church of christ Iesus For to say that the church of Rome began at Hierusalem is as absurd as to say that Rome is Hierusalem or to affirm that Rome now is like to old Rome Our aduersarie should do vs great fauour to shew that the glorie and fulnesse of power that the pope challengeth together with his cardinals dumbe bishops masse-priests idle monks lying fryars and all the popes decretals and ceremonies are come from Hierusalem He may doe also well to proue that the latter scholasticall and decretaline doctrine was vniuersally receiued throughout the world either in the apostles times or in the times of the ancient Fathers of the Church The rocke of succession vpon which they build so huge conclusions we haue shewed to be nothing but a banke of sand We haue shewed also that their doctrine is not only diuers but contrarie to the doctrine of Christ the head of the Church and of his apostles And how great contentions haue béene in the Romish church not onely the schismes and warres betwixt popes and princes but also the differences about all points of religion which is apparant both in the disputes of schoolmen and also in the writings of Bellarmine and his consorts do declare That the Romanists haue corrupted the faith not onely with nouelties but also with diuers heresies and haue changed both the ancient forme of apostolike gouernement and also the principles and grounds of faith established both by Fathers and councels and by the apostles themselues and haue yéelded to heresies and béene ouercome of the gates of hell I thinke no man can doubt that readeth this discourse and compareth the late procéedings of the Romish church to the rule deliuered vnto vs by Christ Iesus 45 Finally the testimony of a In his motiues Bristow doth vtterly ouerthrow the Church of Rome and declareth it not to be the true church For he commendeth that for the true church that is catholike and apostolike and which abhorreth all nouelties and heresies and idolatrie and whose doctrine is confirmed by scriptures most certaine traditions councels fathers and practise of the ancient church and which teacheth the narrow way and maketh subiects obedient and hath infallible iudges and is sure to continue But the Romish church is neither catholike nor apostolike neither doth it abhorre either heresie or idolatrie nor shun profane nouelties The doctrine of that church hath neither ground of scripture ancient councels nor fathers neither can the Romish doctors bring any certaine proofe of their traditions It teacheth a broad way and maketh rebellious subiects In iudgemēt it hath no other certaintie then the popes determination Finally already that tower of Babel which is built so high doth begin to totter and as we trust cānot long stand Further he saith that euerie church that is risen after the first planting of religion and gone out of the catholike church and from the apostolike doctrine and is not the communion of saintes nor euer visible and lastly that is not the teacher of all diuine truth and the vndoubted mother of Christs children is not the true church of Christ But the Church of Rome as it is now visible in the pope and cardinals and officers of the popes chamber in popish prelates sacrificing priests monkes friers and nunnes and their officers and adherents rose out of the earth long after the apostles times and went out of the catholike apostolike church and hath for the popes quarrell opposed it selfe against Christ and his true doctrine The same is also departed from the ancient faith and is no more to bée tearmed Christs Church which is a communion of saints linked together in the profession of Christs true faith but rather the combination of antichrist and the synagogue of Satan Such a church as is now to be séene at Rome and in the prouinces adhering to it was not visible many ages after Christ neither was any such church for a long time extant in the world neither when the same began to shew her selfe in great ruffe did she either teach all truth or refuse all heresie false doctrine or beare or bring forth children to Christ but to antichrist And therfore we may safely conclude that the Romish church of these times is the synagogue of Satan and not the true church of Christ Iesus The nature and propertie of the true and vnspotted spouse of Christ the inseparable qualities of true faith and such as truly professe the same and finally the confession and doctrine of the aduersaries themselues when they speake of the true church and true faith and true professours and matters incident vnto them in generall do declare it to be so CHAP. V. That no papists haue beene executed in England since her Maiesties comming to the crowne for meere matter of religion but for their treasons or other capitall offences HItherto wée haue spoken in the defence of our religion and Christian profession It resteth therefore nowe séeing our aduersary doth not onely calumniate our religion but our lawes also and gouernment that wée speake somwhat in defence of iustice especially so farre foorth as it
into question whether Christs body be really contained vnder the formes and disputeth that he is not But Perons foundation was too weake to beare so great a charge For albeit Scotus had not so done or spoken yet could not the Lord of Plessis be charged with falsification séeing he doth not quote his words but set downe his owne collection The most that could be said was that he had mistaken the meaning of Scotus And yet if he had charged him only with mistaking himselfe had beene mistaken and greatly had he wronged his aduersary For it cannot be denied but that Scotus doth indéed call into question whether Christs body be really by transubstantiation contained vnder the formes of bread and wine and disputeth that it is not which is all that the Lord of Plessis doth say of Scotus for which he is challenged by his wrangling aduersarie Neither is it materiall that this is the vse of schooles first to obiect against the truth and afterward to resolue what is true and to answere the obiections For that doth not disproue M. Plessis his assertion séeing Scotus doth not only in his obiections but also in his resolution of that question say as much as M. Plessis collected out of him Nay he séemeth rather to dislike transubstantiation then otherwise Magis saith a In 4. sentent dist 10. q. 1. he repraesentat panis cum suis accidentibus corpus Christi in ratione nutrimenti spiritualis And againe he b In 4. sentent dist 11. q. 3. saith If another interpretation were admitted for Christs presence in the sacrament that fewer miracles should néede Pauciora ponuntur miracula Plainely disliking that interpretation that without diuers miracles cannot be maintained He doth also argue strongly against transubstantiation out of scriptures and answereth his owne arguments verie weakely and coldly and in the end affirmeth that the determination of the Church of Rome did principally moue him to beléeue the doctrine of transubstantiation Of which it followeth very necessarily albeit he was content to subscribe to the Popes determination and durst not do otherwise yet that he himselfe thought otherwise for the reasons by him alleaged and so not we onely but Dominicke a Soto taketh it against whom Iosephus Angles a Scotist laboureth much to defend Scotus as not dissenting from the church of Rome and yet satisfieth no man soundly The second place was taken out of Durand who saith that it is rashnesse to affirme that the bodie of Christ may not by the power of God be in the sacrament by other maner then by the conuerâ—â—on of bread into his body Neither can it be denied but that Durand hath these words as they were alleaged by M. de Plessis Why then is he charged with falsification Forsooth because they say he tooke the opposition for the resolution But he that looketh on Durands book shall find these words not in the oppositions only but also in his resolution and that he doth much insist vpon this point and saith that it is durum and temerarium that is a point of impudencie and temeritie to hold the contrarie seeing it bringeth with it so many inconueniences It may also plainly be gathered of his words that the determination only of the councel of Lateran and the Romish church moued him to hold transubstantiation which not we onely but also c De sacram eucharist lib. 3. c. 11. Bellarmine doth note in him taring him for hard beléefe of transubstantiation and saying that the materiall part of the bread is not by consecration conuerted into the body of Christ The third place obiected against M. Plessis was drawne out of Chrysostome homil 1. in 1. Thess 1. but neither can his aduersarie proue this place to be falsified by him nor impertinently alleaged Not the first for that hee doth not alleage Chrysostoms words but maketh a collection vpon them Not the second for that as M. Plessis affirmeth it may euidently be gathered out of his wordes that wee must not relie vpon the prayers of the Saints but worke our saluation with feare and trembling Neither is it materiall that these words If we be negligent are omitted for they are not to purpose séeing Chrysostome would not haue vs rely vpon the intercession of saints albeit we be diligent to do our endeuour our selues Againe séeing he concludeth of the words and doth not rehearse them precisely he had no reason to write all downe that came in his way It is also obiected that Chrysostome alloweth intercession of saints But be it he did so yet doth not this conuince that he is falsly alleaged by M. Plessis seeing that which he gathered may be true albeit this were granted How much then is it more vnlikely that he shal be conuicted seeing Chrysostome in that place hath nothing which doth not appertaine rather to the prayers of holy men liuing then of holy men departed The fourth place was taken out of a certaine Homily of Chrysostome vpon Matthew where as the L. of Plessis alleageth he saith we haue much more assurance through our owne prayers then through the prayers of others and that God saueth vs not so soone at others requests as at our own And this the aduersarie himselfe could not denie to be truly alleaged How then came it to passe that dealing thus iustly and truly he should notwithstanding be charged with falsification Forsooth saith his aduersarie because he left out the words following viz. Et haec non dicimus vt supplicandum sanctis negemus and for that he applied Chrysostoms wordes against prayers to saints departed As if it were so haynous a matter not to set downe words altogether impertinent or as if it did not follow that we are not to rely vpon saints prayers and that therefore we are not so continually to pray to saints and so to trust to their intercession as the church of Rome doth that maketh prayers to saints a great péece of their Church-seruice But were it that the argument were not good yet the aduersarie will not graunt that Bellarmine and his consorts do commit falsifications as oft as they bring weake or euil-shapen arguments It was also further answered that Chrysostome had nothing that might force vs to beléeue that hée taught or beléeued prayers to Saints departed which may serue fully to answere all the aduersaries vaine cauillations The fift obiection was for that citing these words out of Hieroms commentaries vpon Ezechiel lib. 4. in cap. 14. Bonum est confidere in Domino c. he left out these wordes si negligentes fuerint But d Falsum non committitur sine dolo no falsification can be committed without fraud Now what fraud could be imagined in omitting wordes that make nothing for his aduersarie or against himselfe Beside that the ordinarie glosse doth rehearse these words no otherwise then the Lord of Plessis quoteth them whom I thinke the Malheureux Bishop of Eureux will not charge with falsification It was also
any thing they accompt it no better then sacrilege to dispute of his dooing and b C. si papa dist 40. holde that if hée shoulde leade multitudes of soules to hell yet no man must say to him Domine cur ita facis that is Sir why do you so So generally the papists doe beléeue the pope and obey his commandements Which obedience and beléefe no man commendeth but those that embrace all his heresies and are readie to execute his treasons For although wée are to obey our superiors and that not for feare but for conscience sake and ought to harken to our pastors yet this is nothing to the pope that is not our superior nor a true pastour but a woolfe a hireling and antichrist or as some terme him The head of antichristes kingdome Beside that wée are not to beléeue euery thing that our pastors teach but as c Matth. 28. farre as they teach the doctrine of Christ Iesus Nor are wée absolutely to obey but when they command according to lawe O thrise vnhappie they that take these woolues for true pastors and beléeue their heresies and treasons to be true faith and obedience Finally it is most true that the papists when they haue committed most abominable offences and liued in all filthinesse are notwithstanding taught that the pope hath power to pardon them and absolue them Bellarmine d Lib. 1. de indulgent c. 10. faith That indulgences are profitable for all manner of persons and highly he extolleth the Iubiley and generall indulgences granted by the pope And for this cause many sillie soules with labour charge and danger trauell to Rome and all with great hope to haue their sinnes pardoned This therefore is no calumniation nor forgerie nor iugling tricke as this ingling companion telleth vs who himselfe hath many yéeres wandred vp and downe in forreine lands like the Egyptians or Cingari and hath in his time plaied many tricks of legierdemayne thinketh by his hopping skipping other apish trickes that he can make flesh and blood of a péece of bread and therefore imagineth others to bée like himselfe But saith hée The indulgence is not auaileable to remooue mortall sinnes but onely to take away the punishment either in this life or in the life to come And so the schoolemen commonly dispute But what is that to the purpose when the common people beléeueth otherwise and when in the indulgences they vse not so to distinguish Nay in the taxe of the popes indulgences it appéereth that for money they dispense with all sin For money they pardon Murder of children of men of women of wiues of neere kinred fornication adulterie incest and all vnnaturall abominations As for all irregularities they make small difficultie Nay they giue licence for Iewes to builde synagogues where Christ is blasphemed and pardon those that fall into Iudaisme and Turcisme Pro licentia erigendi de nouo publicam synagogam say a Taxa poenitent they taxa est Turon 60. ducat 15. Againe Marrania in amplissima forma componitur pro clerico Turon 15. ducat 15. pro laico Turon 4. ducat 10. So those that will not suffer Christians to liue and to breath giue priuileges and pardons to Iewes and dispense with apostataes maranoes and rinegued Turkes Neither do they distinguish so subtilly as our wise aduersarie woulde haue them Nor doe the papists respect more then that they may haue plenarie indulgence vnder seale But suppose that the pope shoulde onely take on him to remit the temporall punishment of mortall sinnes and to forgiue veniall sinnes yet that is contrarie to Christes doctrine to the apostles practise to the ancient orders of the bishops of Rome and of the catholike church and maketh carnall men more licentious in sinning when the penaltie is so easily redéemed and spoileth many poore Christians that giue al rather then they will endure the supposed extreme torments of purgatorie O miserable and simple papists that suffer your selues to be so deluded take paines trauaile far and powre out your money and all to get nothing but vaine wordes and bare lead and paper without any profite He telleth vs further That the popes pardons differ from absolution of priests by the keyes And therein taketh some paines to relate the schoolemens opinion as if it were materiall what such doting diuines and iangling friers do babble without all ground of scripture or allowance of fathers This is certaine that both the pope himselfe and all other priests do challenge their authority by one commission and by vertue of the keyes How then commeth it to passe that the popes power and authority is so ample and large and other inferior priestes so straite and restreintife both béeing ioyned in one patent héere the Noddy will be intricated if he shape not a better answere then any is héere declared Hée standeth also vpon this a P. 26. That it is not more capitall to transgresse the ordinances of the pope then to transgresse the lawes of God But what can impudent denialls auaile when the shamefull practise of the Romishe synagogue declareth the contrary doth not the whole faction hould that the popes lawes bind in conscience and is it not apparent that murders adulteries vnnaturall abominations yea Paganisme Iudaisme Turcisme and all atheismes are pardoned where such Christians as eate flesh on fasting daies and refuse to worship idoles and to fulfill other the popes lawes are declared a C. ad abolendam de haeretiâ—iâ— heretikes and burnt without remission Finally he saith It is a hard matter to frame his aduersaries ould head to vnderstand the depth of their catholicke religion Which I do beléeue séeing there is no bottome of their turning deuises But if he were wise he would rather séeke to defend himselfe then to teach his aduersaries We desire not to learne of any such ignorant masters He and his consortes flye to our Lady to Saintes to Angels to stockes and stones to rotten reliques to the pope and his pardons and trust by scourging themselues and by eating salt fish and playing vpon holy daies to be saued and this they learne out of the popes decretales Our onely hope is in Christ and his merits and all the doctrine of saluation we beléeue is contained in holy scriptures as not onely our Bishops and priestes but also all auncient bishops and fathers of the church haue taught vs. CHAP. III. That the Pope and his adhaerents both elsewhere abroad and also heere at home are most dangerous and malicious enimies to her Maiestie and this state and so haue alwaies declared themselues to be IF this aduersarie of ours had either bin a good Orator or a wise proctor he woulde haue taken great heed how he had touched any matter that béeing opened might haue hurt his Clientes cause especially where his aduersarie doth not greatly vrge him But what should we looke for better handling of so foule a cause sir Francis Hastings ayming at other matters
to beléeue that the popes excommunications are to bée executed and this is their common doctrine But suppose our aduersarie shoulde teach papists to contemne the popes authoritie which hée is not like to do yet would not his exhortation worke any effect For alwaies vpon the popes excommunication haue wars and rebellions ensued where the pope hath had any authoritie This was the beginning and motiue of the bloody warres of the popes against Henry the fourth and fift and the two Fridericks and against Otho Philip and Lewis of Bauier emperours of Germanie And no other cause can be assigned of the insurrections against king Henry the eight other excommunicate princes In vaine therfore doth this Noddy go about to reconcile the subiects obedience with the excoÌ„munications of the pope They neuer did nor euer coulde agrée hitherto Fire and water may percase bée reconciled but these two cannot Neither do I thinke that hée meaneth to reconcile them Onely hée desireth some respite vntill by our negligence either the papists may get a head or forreine enimies haue made their prouisions ready For how little affection hée beareth to the prince and state it appéereth throughout all his defence In this place hée goeth about to smooth and as farre as hée dare with the safetie of the cause in hand to defende the insurrection in the north of England anno 1569. the rebellions in Ireland the practises of Charles Paget and Francis Throgmorton and diuers other attempts against her Maiestie and the state Whereas the earles of Northumberland and Westmerland rose in armes in the north and spoiled all that quarter and purposed not onely the destruction of the prince but also the subuersion of the state and the bringing in of strangers as appéereth by the negotiation of Ridolpho as it is set downe in pope Pius the fift his life hée saith They onely gathered â—heir tenants togither and without battaile or bloudshed retired As if they had ment nothing but to méete at an ale-stake or May-game Doctor Sanders raised a rebellion in Ireland Francis Throgmorton not onely reuealed the secrets of the state to Bernardin Mendoça and practised with him how to draw in forreine enimies but also had his finger in other treasons Charles Paget began a practise about the coast of Sussex was the ouerthrow of Henry earle of Northumberland and afterward continued practising what mischéefe he could against his countrey The late earle of Northumberlandes actions were openly declared in the Starre-chamber to be dangerous The last earle of Arundell was taken as hée was passing ouer to the enimies And yet all these treasonable and dangerous practises are by him either lightly passed or else coloured Hée saith that Francis Throgmorton died for hauing a description of some portes in his chamber But his owne confession testifieth that hée was touched for far greater matters and I haue partly pointed at the same Hée saith The earle of Arundell was condemned onely for hearing of a masse and that he had cause to reioice that he was condemned for such a treason As if it were so spirituall and glorious a matter to heare a masse Assuredly in times past masses were no such glorious matters when they were solde to all commers for thrée-halfe-pence a péece and vnder As for the earle hée had great cause to commend the clemencie of this gouernment or else hée had well vnderstoode that hee had committed greater faultes then hearing of a masse all which I forbeare to relate for the respect I beare to his house The iustice that hath béene doone vpon papists that haue béene conuicted eyther of rebellion or secrete practises with forraine enemies or other kindes of treason and felony he calleth Pressures vexations dishonors rapines slaughters and afflictions Dishonoring her Maiestie and the state and calumniating the iudges And yet were more true catholickes and religious christians executed within one yéere in Queene Maries time then trayterous papists since her Maiestie came to the crowne a Histor Genuens lib. 23. Bizarus and other strangers do greatly commend her Maiesties clemency her very enemies could neuer appeach her of cruelty The papists most cruelly murder those that are of a diuers religion albeit they yéelde obedience to their prince and desire to liue quietly Her Maiestie executeth none to death for popish religion nay least she should séeme to touch any for religion she doth oftentimes spare offendors guiltie of dangerous practises and treasons Likewise in drawing the obstinate to the church there is great moderation vsed Many offend few are punished and that very gently The papistes haue the greatest part of the wealth of the land in their handes Diuers rayling companions are still publishing libels to the dishonor of her Maiestie and the whole gouernment neither can this Noddy represse his malitious affection but he must néedes allow their dooings And yet the papistes are spared although neuer the more for his wise pleading Finally he commendeth the papistes for their patience But I thinke he meaneth the patience rather of Lombardes then of christians For they neuer had yet patience but when they were vnable to resist In king Henry the eightes dayes they made diuers insurrections in England The trumpets of sedition were monkes and friers In king Edward the sixt his daies they stirred in Deuonshire and Cornewall and all for want of their masse and holywater and such like trinckets The chéefe moouers thereof were likewise priests in Quéene Elizabeths time they made head first in the north parts and afterward in Ireland by the seditious practises of priestes and Iesuites either most or a great part of that country is in combustion Neither haue they omitted any opportunity to mooue new rebellions in England In Fraunce they conspired together against their lawfull kings Henry the third and fourth and neuer gaue ouer vntill they were ouercome by famine sword and other calamities and this is the patience of papists nay they say that if the first christians had had power they would haue deposed Nero Dioclesian and other persecutors a Lib. 5. de pontif Rom. c. 7. Quod si Christiani olim saith Bellarm. non deposuerunt Neronem Dioclesianum Iulianum apostatam ac Valentem Arianum similes id fuit quia decrant vires temporales Christianis So when papistes are too weake to resist then they are content to obey but giue them head and then beware Compare now the dooings and procéedings of our side with our aduersaries I hope there shal be no such wickednes found in our hands Diligently doth this fellow search matter against vs but findeth none To iustifie his consorts he telleth vs of Goodman but we do not allow his priuate opinion Beside that he doth not like rebellion but misliketh womens gouernment which opinion since himselfe hath retracted Secondly he obiecteth against vs Wyats rebellion But that was not for religion but for matter of state not against Quéene Marie but against strangers whose tyrannie hée
sparing their holy God of the altar Deteriores sunt Iuda saith Christ in Saint a Onus ecclesiae c. 23. Brigits reuelations qui pro solis denarijsme vendidit illi autem pro omni mercimonio She speaketh of priests that trucke and barter masses for all manner of commodities yea to whoores for a nights lodging With the Angelicks they worship angels with the Staurolatrians they worship the crosse crucifixe giuing to the same diuine worship With the Collyridians they worship the virgin Marie With the Manichees they bring in halfe communions or communion in one kinde With the Carpocratians and Simonians and heathen idolaters they fall downe and offer incense and worship dumbe images With the Pelagians they beléeue merits and iustification by workes And almost out of euery heresie haue taken a peece as hath béene lately they say iustified against Giffords treatise intituled Caluinoturcismus Well therefore may it be saide that popish doctrine is full of poison and vnaduised was our aduersarie to charge vs with heresie or to mention any such matter séeing the blame must needes redounde vpon himselfe and vpon his consorts of the Romish synagogue Secondly he telleth vs That ecclesiasticall supremacy ouer all Christian nations is proper and essentiall to the popes office and that to his apostolicall authority is annexed the office of preaching But that should more properly and substantially haue béene prooued This beeing graunted doth shew that the pope doth faile in his apostolicall or rather apostaticall office For if preaching and féeding Christes flocke belong to the popes office why doth he not preach Why doth he not féede Nay why doth he famish Christes flocke by murdering all true preachers that come within his danger He answereth that The pope is obliged to preach by himselfe or by others But Saint Peter a farre greater apostle and greater man in apostolicall gouernment then the pope preached by himselfe and put not ouer his charge as the pope doth to Iesuites and Friers that preach more heresie and sedition then true doctrine The old bishops of Rome also which were honester men then these late popes put not ouer their charge but preached themselues and in their owne person executed all bishoplie functions Yea and saint Paule telleth vs that the office of a bishop is a good worke and not as the popish bishops make it a naked bare title To conclude this is also the iudgement of a In 1. Tim. 3. Ambrose Chrysostome Theodoret and all that write on the third of the first to Timothie from whence our authoritie is drawne He procéedeth notwithstanding further and professeth openly That when the pope leaueth his supremacy and embraceth that religion that is preached in England he ceaseth to be pope Which I do in part also confesse to be most true For antichrist shall in the church of God exalt himselfe and clayme not onely supreme but also diuine power He shall also defend manifold heresies and abhorre all true doctrine that may concerne his supreme title And if he should not so do he should not shew himselfe to be antichrist Herein therefore the Iesuites and he may be conioyned and march together hand in hand For all of them haue shut their eies and hardened their hartes against Christes true doctrine although it be to their shame in this life among all godly Christians and if they repent not shall be to their euerlasting confusion in the life to come Yet this hard faced Sycophant sticketh not to glory in his shame and to reioice that the pope and his children the Iesuites are matched togither At the length our aduersarie hauing highly extolled the father of heretikes and traitors the pope he descendeth to discourse of the popes darlinges begotten by him now in his declining state and decrepit age the Iesuites and saith They haue many enimies A matter true and by vs confessed and by them well deserued being a sect new vpstart and openly professing obedience to antichrist and enmitie to Apostolike and true catholike religion a societie conspiring mischiefe against al such as they hate practising diuision in priuate houses sedition and trouble in common-wealthes treason against godly princes and leauing the markes of their abominations and wicked actions behinde them wheresoeuer they come A generation stirred vp by Sathan to disturbe the peace of Christendome and to scourge all those that are not thankefull for the reformation of Gods church nor studious in seaâ—ching the truth nor zealous in rooting out of heresies and planting true religion What maruell then if they haue many enimies among those especially that beare good mindes either to true religion or to the state where they liue As for the example of Christian religion and of the first Christians and Christes disciples the holy apostles which were euery where spoken against and persecuted which the discourser our party pretendeth and alleageth to iustifie the generall opposition of al sorts of men against the Iesuits it fitteth his purpose nothing The example likewise of godly men that are often put to their trials is excéedingly euil applied to this sect of vngodly fellowes most absurdly doth he compare these Antijesuites to Christ Iesus that was as it were a marke set vp to be contradicted and was hated and persecuted of those that were of most eminent authoritie among his nation borrowing as it shoulde séeme a péece of some olde declamation vttered in the college of Iesuites or else where in praise of this sect and thrusting it in héere His defence I say is absurd and his comparisons most odious First Christ Iesus that I may beginne with him that is the beginning and fountaine of all spirituall graces and whom these Antijesuites do seeme in some things to counterfait and yet in most things oppugne came from God and did teach no doctrine but which he had receiued from his father humane traditions and pharisaicall boasting of workes of the law he disallowed and condemned These Antijesuites that I say no worse of them come from the pope and teach his decretalles and doctrine grounding themselues vpon mens traditions and vainely bragging of their owne merits and workes Christ Iesus loued his owne and was beloued of his owne These vsurpers of the name of Iesus loue none but theÌ„selues and were charged by their owne friends and were accused of heresie schisme and many grieuous crimes as witnesseth Ribadineira that wrote the legend of his father Ignatius Our sauiour â—or determining controuersies and finding out the truth sent vs to the law and the prophets these destroyers of soules send vs to the pope and his tribunall and most vaine decretalles Iesus Christ though Lord of heauen and earth taught obedience to Caesar and earthly princes these fellowes albeit neither lordes nor princes yet teach disobedience to princes and dissolue the bond of obedience that tyeth subiectes to their superiors Christ Iesus was the true shepheard and sought the saluation of his flocke and albeit iniuriously apprehended and
cruelly doone to death yet like a lambe did he suffer albeit he had power to execute vengeance vpon his persecutors But the Antijesuites are like wolues in shéepes clothing that practise nothing more then murder of good men and subuersion of states and albeit no man touch them or wrong them yet are they vpon euery excommunication or commaundement of the pope ready to assassinate and murder princes and whosoeuer else shall stand in their way Christ Iesus was without sinne and a perfect patterne of righteousnesse these Antijesuites are slaues of their affections and wheresoeuer they come they a Hazenmiller Simon Lithus Arnoldus Doleus in actione aduers Iesuit leaue behinde them a filthie odour of their couetousnesse rapines pride vaine-glory lecherie and all vilenie and beastlinesse of which they are perfect precedents Secondly the godly christians of ancient time receiued no doctrine but of Christ Iesus and his apostles but these antichristian sectaries haue all their rules from the pope of Rome and his agents and not from Christ nor his disciples Their doctrine although it séemed new yet was it indéed very ancient but the rules of the Iesuites are all confirmed within these thréescore yéeres and all that filth and corruption of poperie which they with their barking and bauling defende is but a packe of nouelties or rather newe heresies inuented by diuers false apostles and teachers raised vp by sathan and commended by the authoritie of antichrist the pope The first christian were men of peace and estranged themselues from princes courtes and seldome medled with publike affaires these sectaries are like the frogs of Egypt that leapt into all Pharohes chambers and closets They insinuate themselues into princes courts and enter into their secrets they swarme euery where like lice they stirre vp warres and preach slaughter of true Christians wheresoeuer they come The apostles and first Christians neuer taught rebellion nor murder and empoisonment of princes nor slaughter of séâ—ly foules that woulde not beléeue their doctrine though most true neither did they publish Christs Gospell with fire and sworde But these apostles of satan preach sedition and rebellion and perswade desperate and lost companions to murder and empoison innocent princes and promise them for their wickednesse rewardes in earth and eternall blessednesse in heauen They murder such as will not hearken to the popes lawes and as Mahomet did in times past so do these plant their sect with fire and sword and all manner of violence Finally all the godly both of ancient and late times by their godly life and fruites issuing of their Christian faith shewed themselues to be the true members of Christs church and true Catholikes and by their meekenesse humilitie and patience wanne to themselues a good name and opinion euen among their enimies But the rustling and antichristian Iesuites through their impieties heresies pride couetousnesse crueltie filthie life and rebellious practises are suspected of a Ribadineira in vita Loiolae friends abhorred of enimies and generally hated of one and other those onely excepted that either know them not or know what gaine they get by their desperate teaching and aduentures There is no truth in their doctrine no humilitie in their conuersation no honestie in their forced chastitie no Christian charitie or vertue among the companions of that sect or societie And that shall well appéere by diuers particulars notwithstanding all the faire glosses of this discourser Gladly woulde he perswade his Reader That those that oppose themselues against the Iesuites are either Iewes Turks and Infidels and such like or those that make diuision saying I am of Caluin I am of Luther or those that haue made shipwracke of faith or false brethren such as loue preeminence as did Diotrephes or else worldlings that follow the world as did Demas But in this diuision or at least enumeration there are two grosse â—ults committed by the Noddy First manie things therein are confidently auouched without proofe that are either very false or very doubtfull For first the Iesuites haue good correspondence with Iewes Turkes and Infidels and neither do the Iesuites persecute the Iewes that are maintained publikely at Rome nor the Turkes or Infidels that bende their forces to roote out Christian religion and extinguish the name and memory of Christ and Christians nor do Turks and Iewes hurt the Iesuites Nay with the Iewes they haue good dealings deliuering theÌ„ their money to put out to interest And so haue Iewes with the Iesuites When the Iesuites of Rome made petition to Sixtus Quintus for some helpe to finish that sumptuous colledge which they had begun for the vse of their societie hée bad them content themselues with the interest of their stockes of money that were in the handes of banquers and vsurers Likewise the Iesuites suffring the Turkes to enter into Transiluania Hungaria and frontiers of christendome do not onely not oppose themselues against them but also séeke to set Christians at variance and to murder and empoison princes that should withstand them Neither do the Iewes or Turkes maligne or speake euill or hurt of Iesuites The Iewes trade with them The Turkes suffer them quietly amongst them Secondly he doth ridiculously and falsely suppose that some among vs say they are of Caluin others that they are of Luther Hée shoulde do vs a pleasure to shewe who they bée For wée neither holde of Caluin nor of Luther no nor of pope Clement nor any other saue Christ Iesus If hée cannot produce the parties that are guiltie wée must tell him that hee is a ridiculous accuser that obiecteth that to vs wherein wée are cléere and wherein hée and his consorts are most guiltie and criminous For the papists are diuided and some hold of Ignatius Loiola some of Francis some of Dominicke some of Brigit some of Clare and all of the pope and such holding pulling there is among them that they haue pulled Christs cote a sunder and diuided themselues from his church holding of antichrist and such rules as they haue receiued from him Thirdly hée doth but speake his pleasure where hée saith that Such especially as haue made shipwracke of faith and ambitious and carnall worldlings do oppugne this sect of Iesuites For they haue no better friendes then the ambitious and luciferian popes the carnall Cardinals the fleshly friers and priests and popish atheists that haue no God but the pope and their bellie men in condition swinish and brutish and in their religion hellish The first author of their sect was a cruel proud and impious hypocrite Paule the third that first confirmed the rule and order of Iesuites was a carnall and bloodie man His sensualitie appéered in the number of his whoores bastardes His crueltie in the persecuting of innocent Christians in his warres in Germanie and rebellious practises in England Of later popes Gregorie the thirtéenth was their best friend and gaue them diuers priuiledges and built them an house Yet was hée
speaketh of the first our question is of the second kind of conscience as is euident by our aduersaries wordes who teacheth that if our consciences perswade vs to do any thing that we are bound to do it although our reason lead vs wrong Which is contrary not onely to the apostle but also to the schoolemen The apostle saith Whatsoeuer is not of faith or a good conscience is sinne And the schoolemen teach as I haue shewed that an erroneous conscience is not to be folowed but rather forsaken So that if we folow the apostles rule then those that vpon false perswasions abstaine from hearing Gods eternall word and coÌ„municating with vs in the sacraments and that go to idole seruice and eat bread that is made an idole do offend gréeuously for that this cannot procéede of conscience but rather is against good conscience Fourthly he assureth vs That the conscience of papistes that refuse to go to the church is grounded vpon so sure and euident groundes as any demonstration in the world can lay downe And his ground is this That the religion professed by papistes is true and that therefore they may not seeme to professe any other And here he thinketh he standeth firme immooueable But if this be his ground his building is founded vpon sand and vpon a cleare vntruth For neither shall he euer be able to disprooue that truth which we professe nor to iustifie those pointes of popish religion which we condemne If he will promise to do it I will giue him what tearme he pleaseth And to the entent all deceiued papists may sée his vanitie I will shewe him b See the 4. encounâ—â— following this treatise héereafter what the points are that hée cannot prooue In this place it is sufficient to shewe that his popish positions are contradicted in the greatest part of christendome But no firme demoÌ„stration can be grounded vpon vntrue or doubtfull propositions Aristotle c Analyt post 1. telleth vs that demonstrations are syllogismes That worke certaine knowledge But this demonstration of his is nothing but a mist or rather darknesse to deceiue ignorant people Wherefore let all papisticall Recusants beware what they beleeue vpon others credite The Iesuites teach them lies for truth heresie for faith antichrist for Christ superstition and falsehood for true religion and draw from them all meanes of their saluation Fiftly hée telleth vs That wee do greatly discredite our doctrine which wee were woont to teach viz. That no man shoulde be forced in matters of his conscience But the discredite is rather his that either vnderstandeth not our doctrine through his dulnesse or else cauilleth about this matter of forcing the conscience without iust cause then ours that teach as wee did euer and vary not from our doctrine in our practise Wée say as wée did euer that the conscience neither ought to bée forced with tortures and terrors of death neither can be forced For faith founded vpon sure groundes surmounteth all violence of tyrants and crueltie of persecutors which terrifieth and discourageth none taught rightlie in Christs schoole As for the sauage and barbarous crueltie of the popish synagogue that purple whoore of Rome Whose a Apocal. 17. vesture is red with the blood of Saints and which without difference of age sexe or qualitie tortureth hangeth burneth and killeth true Christians it is odious not onely to those that vnderstand the truth but also to the milder sort of the aduersaries Further albeit no man can bée forced to religion yet all gentle courses are to bée vsed to draw men to religion For this cause wée exhort the weake and ignorant and with pecuniarie mulctes wée represse those that are wilfull and obstinate And this is all the punishment that her Maiestie vseth against recusants too little certes if wee respect either their deserts or the malice of our enimies neither do we thinke it either vnlawfull to procéed further against hereticall teachers that corrupt Christs doctrine with their leuen or sufferable that notorious blasphemers and railers at religion shoulde escape vnpunished So then wee beléeue that religion is to be taught and not by terrors thrust vpon the people and yet denie not but that such as bee wilfull disturbers of the state of the church or common-welth ought to bée punished Neither is there any repugnance betwixt these two courses Onelie let papists absteine from practises and for the rest they are secured both of life libertie lands and goods We seeke them and not theirs and onely proceede against such as shew open contempt against our religion and yet vse all câ—emencie vnlesse their vntollerable abuses against church and state vrge vs to extremitie Finally he doth preferre the orders of the popish synagogue that burneth not onely those that forsake their religion a The papists cannot dissemble their bloody crueltie but such also as will not come vnto their religion The popes religion he calleth The faith of all Christendome and saith That such as thinke hardly thereof ought rather to be barred from comming to the church then drawne thither Wherein he sheweth first his cruelty and bloudy humor that seemeth to reioyce in slaughter and commendeth the woluish nature of the Romish synagogue Secondly his folly and treacherie that betraying his clients cause would haue them punished with death For if all that forsake the faith of Christ and his apostles be to suffer death then will it go hard with his clients the recusantes who pretending catholicke faith indeede do embrace the priuate doctrine and faction of popes Thirdly his impudency that dare auouch the popish religion to be the faith of all Christendome which notwithstanding is contradicted by the easterne churches and forsaken of a great part of the west church and is onely maintained by fire and sword and cruelty Lastly his ignorance in teaching religion that would haue such as do not like all points of faith to bée barred out of the church Which course neither by our Sauiour nor by his apostles nor by any true teachers of Christianitie was euer practised Nay our Sauiour inuiteth all to come to him when hée had made readie to feast his friends woulde haue guestes compelled to come in Likewise the apostles taught all that came and opened their armes to embrace all that were desirous to learne The ancient fathers by all meanes sought to draw people to the church and shut the doores against none that was willing to come in What then shoulde we thinke of the aduersaries but as of enimies of Christ true religion that seeke to murder and famish Christs flocke In the meane while let vs holde on our course and with our Sauiour call al men and refuse none that are willing to heare And thus an ende of the first consideration that concerneth the hurt that popish Recusants do Next we are to consider What hurt they would do that briefly Now that is apparent First by their hatred against religion
they account mortall sinne I haue already spoken f Enchir. Nauar de 1. praecept c. 11. Martin ab Aspilcueta saith That it is mortall sinne for a lay man to dispute of matters of faith And others deuise a multitude of strange mortall sinnes The g Censur Colon f. 40. Iesuites teach that the regenerate after baptisme haue no sinne But saint Iohn saith That they deceiue themselues if they say they haue no sinne For as it is h 1. Reg. 8. written There is none but sinneth And who canne say i Prou. 20. My hart is pure and I am cleane from sinne And this is prooued by the most holy men that euer liued The most iust man saith k Lib. 2. aduers Pelag. Hierome in some thinges standeth in neede of Gods mercy And l Epist 29. ad Hieron Augustine saith That no man liueth heere without sinne albeit some offend more some lesse and the best least of all Generally they beléeue that certaine sinnes are so veniall and small that it is not necessary to repent vs of them and that they do not exclude men from the kingdome of God albeit they die without repentance Which doctrine all catholikes abhorre for the law doth pronounce him accursed whatsoeuer hée is m Deut. 27. Gal. 3. That abideth not in all the things that are written in the booke of the law And S. n Iames 2. Iames saith That he that doth offend against one law is guiltie of all Neither can anie thing impure or vncleane enter into the kingdome of heauen b Quaest breuit â—xplicat 4. Basill saith That no sinne is to be called light Quodcunque enim peccatum esse stimulum mortis Saint c In Isai c. vlt. Hierome saith That those that haue built woode haie or straw vpon the foundation are the nourishment of euerlasting fire Finally where they affirme that the transgression of the lawe is not alwaies sinne and that it is a more heinous sinne to transgresse the decretals of the pope and precepts of the Romish church then the Morall law they shewe that they vnderstande not well what is sinne and differ farre from true catholikes in their doctrine of sinne Seuenthly they d Censur Colon. f. 204. teach that this is the proper doctrine of the Gospell If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements But the e Rom. 1. apostle teacheth vs That the gospell is the power of saluation to euery one that beleeueth And f Act. 16. Paule and Silas when the Gailer asked them What hee shoulde do to be saued answered Beleeue on the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saued Againe the law doth iustifie none but those that fulfill it but by the grace of the gospell all are iustified that beléeue in Christ Iesus And this is the beléefe of all true catholikes Further as if the Gospell conteined no certaine rule for to attaine to Christian perfection they haue deuised diuers other rules vnder the name of Benet of Nursia Francis Dominicke Ignatius Loiola and diuers other monkes and friers supposing by them to attaine more spéedily to perfection then by the rule of the holy Gospell 8. Of faith the papistes thinke very basely as if it were nothing but a bare assent and that not onely to thinges reuealed in holy Scriptures but also to such vnwritten traditions as the church of Rome or the pope deliuereth So that the grounde of the popish faith is laide as well vpon the popes decretales and lousie lying legendes and such trash as vpon the holie canonicall Scriptures They beléeue also that not onely wicked men but also the diuels of hell may haue true faith But the scriptures teach vs that the chéefe obiect of faith that iustifieth is Christ Iesus and those promises which are made vnto the faithfull through him God so loued the world that he gaue his onely begotten sonne saith g Iohn 3. saint Iohn that whosoeuer should beleeue in him should not perish but haue euerlasting life They b Heb. 11. shew also that of faith procéedeth obedience patience hope sure trust victories and such like effectes Beeing iustified by faith saith the c Rom. 5. apostle We haue peace with God Now that faith doth onely rest vpon Gods word reuealed in scriptures we haue declared heeretofore That wicked men and diuels haue not faith it may appeare for that they cannot beléeue remission of sinnes and eternall life and this is the faith of true catholikes They teach that charity is the forme of faith which is most ridiculous For how canne one virtue be the forme of another seeing matter and forme are the partes of a naturall body It is also most false For if charity were the forme of faith then could faith worke nothing of it selfe But d Rom. â— the apostle saith That the iust shall liue by faith And e Ephes 2. againe You are saâ—ed by grace through faith And that not of your selues it is the gift of god noâ— of workes least any should boast Ex nullo legis opere saith f Lib. 3. ad Rom. Origen sed pro sola fide ait ad illam mulierem remittuntur tibi peccata tua Whosoeuer saith g Lib. 2. epist 3. Cyprian doth beleeue in God and liue by faith he is found to be iust And Hierome h Inâ— 10. ad Rom. saith That God doth iustifie by faith onely And infinite allegations may be brought to this purpose to shew that where faith and other virtues concurre yet it is faith onely that apprehendeth Christ Iesus and worketh our reconciliation and iustice with God and that the workes of charity and other virtues are effectes of faith And this is most catholike doctrine as the doctrine of papists is most erroneous and sophisticall To conclude this matter of faith they attribute to faith onely the first beginning of iustice or first iustice But our second and more perfect iustice they ascribe to charity and workes of the law Which is a plaine way to ouerthrow mans iustice not to establish it For who can say that he hath that measure of charitie that the law requireth Who can say that his hart is so cleane that his coÌ„science doth not accuse him of any transgression against the lawe Who can say he is without sinne Certes no true catholike will either challenge to himselfe that singular holinesse and puritie or affirme that hee is without sinne 9. The papists do teach that there are seuen sacraments of the new law and neither more nor lesse And that all these seuen were instituted by Christ Iesus and conteine grace worke iustificatioÌ„ For so much the venerable friers assembled at a Sess 7. Trent haue declared and determined and it is the popes pleasure that all his adherents shoulde beléeue their determination But this doctrine is neither true nor catholike b Apolog. 2. Iustin Martyr where he hath occasion to describe the rites of the
authenticall and preferred before the originall bookes of the old testament in Hebrew and of the new testament in Gréeke a matter very new and most vnreasonable and plainely contradictory to the ancient fathers In the same a Sess 4. councell because they would be sure of their groundes the doctors of the Romish Babylon decréed first that none should interpret Scriptures against that sence that the church of Rome holdeth and secondly that vnwritten traditions kept in the church by succession shoulde bee of equall value with canonicall Scriptures After this diuers friers and priests taking vpon them to plead the popes cause haue determined vnwritten traditions and customes of the church and the popes determinations and decretalles to be the foundations and principles of their popish faith b Loc. Theolog. Melchior Canus speaking of theologicall argumentes and Thomas Stapleton taking vpon him to declare which be vndoubted principles of popish doctrine do both principally relie vpoÌ„ these two They talke also of the church of councels fathers the latin translation and of rules of faith But when it commeth to the triall then whatsoeuer is not consonant to the popes doctrine and decretales that is reiected as of no value Now gladly would I haue any Iesuite that taketh himselfe to be learned for our aduersary is but a babler to prooue these groundes to be ancient Let him shew what those traditions are that are with equall reuerence to the canonicall scriptures to be receiued Let him iustifie by testimony of antiquitie that the popes decretalles are infallible rules of faith The apostle saith that the church is well and strongly built vpon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Iesus Christ béeing the corner stone and this foundation do all ancient fathers allow The testimony of Irenei and Athanasius I haue before alleadged Saluianus saith the church is best founded on scripture Videtur nostra ecclesia saith he c Lib. de prouid Dei 5. ex vna scriptura felicius instituta Aliae habent illam aut debilem aut conuulneratam Habent veterem magistrorum traditionem corruptam per hoc traditionem potius quà m scripturam habent Let him shew the like if he can of his decretals and traditions vnlesse he will haue his grounds to be condemned for new and naught Thirdly scriptures were neuer generally forbidden to be publikely read in vulgar toongs before the councell of Trent neither was it euer thought vnlawfull before that time for lay men to talke of matters of faith or to read scriptures priuately without the ordinaries licence Chrysostome and other ancient fathers were wont to exhort Christians to read scriptures and Christ our sauiour willed his hearers to search them and the apostle doth declare them to be very profitable which sheweth the practise of the Romish church in fraying men from scriptures to be of a late humour and inuention Fourthly the definition of the Romish church is new and of force made new to fit their new popish fancies a De eccles milit c. 2. Bellarmine defineth the church to be A company of men conioyned in one profession of faith and communion of sacraments vnder the gouernement of lawfull pastors and especially of the pope of Rome Which is neither to be shewed nor prooued out of any ancient authenticall writer For the easterne and Africane churches did neuer acknowledge this souereine authority of the pope Nor did our sauiour or his apostles teach vs any such obedience Nay they shew rather that the bishops of Rome are not to be obeyed For suppose Peter had béene bishop of Rome and the bishops of Rome his successors which will neuer be prooued in that sence as the aduersaries take it yet Paul resisted Peter and receiued no b Ibid. c. 9. authority nor grace from him which sheweth that other bishops haue no dependance or authority from the bishop of Rome albeit this proportion were granted Fiftly they make not the catholike church A communion of saintes as we professe in our créede but hâ—ld that all wicked men and c Ibid. c. 10. heretickes so they outwardly communicate with the church of Rome in faith and sacraments are true meÌ„bers of the church d Ibid. c. 2. Bellarmine saith That to make a man a part of the true church neither faith nor charitie nor any inward vertue is required Which is a méere new fancie and therefore receiued least they shoulde grant that the church in some respect shoulde be inuisible Sixtly the coÌ„fession of faith made by Pius quartus wherin al that take degrees in schoole professe a Confâ—t 28. That they firmely admit all ecclesiasticall traditions and constitutions and the Scriptures according to the Romish sence and beleeue that there are seuen sacraments and receiue the doctrine of the councell of Trent concerning originall sinne and beleeue the sacrifice of the masse and transubstantiation and the popes soueraine authority and other pointes of doctrine therein conteined is new and absurd This we shal other where declare that appeareth for that the papistes cannot produce any precedent of this confession or prooue the seuerall points of it by good argument 7. Where in our creede we beléeue the catholike church of late time the papistes haue added a word made it b Confess â—urdegaâ—ens The catholike Romaine church and in Canisius catechisme translated into Spanish by Hieronymo Campos they define him to be no catholike that beléeueth any thing beside that which the church of Rome beléeueth 8. They confesse their sinnes not to God almighty as do the ancient fathers but to the a Virgine Mary c Hortulus animae and to angels and saints 9. They haue of late b put out that commandement d Officium beatae Maria in catech that concerneth the making of grauen images like to God and worshipping them wherein they haue the worde of God and all antiquitie against them 10. In the doctrine of the law all those points wherein they shew theÌ„selues no catholikes of which wée haue spoken in the former chap. are meere nouelties as namely That all that is repugnant to the law of God is not sinne that it is mortall sinne to breake the popes lawes or commandements either concerning rites of the church or other matter which he doth vnder his curse will men to obserue that concupiscence in the regenerate is no sinne and yet that it is sinne not to faste the ember daies that the regenerate may be without sinne and that Christians may be iustified by the lawe of Moyses that the popes lawes binde in conscience and that he hath authoritie to make lawes and lastly that the law of God is not perfect but that wée are to obserue all the traditions of the church and the popes decretals 11. It is not long since they began to teach that othes do not so binde men but that the pope can dispence with them and that he is able to discharge children from
places and altars as the sacrament is Who doth not perceiue that Christes humanitie was abolished if as the fathers holde the vnion of the natures was like to the vnion of Christes body in the sacrament especially if the substance of bread wine be quite abolished This is most certaine that both a Vbi supra Theodoret and b Contra Eutychen Gelasius do confute Eutyches by this reason for That the substance of the bread remaineth in the Sacrament which being denied by the papists it is plaine that they bring in Eutychianisme The papists also in many points conspire with the enimies of the grace of God the Pelagians First both Pelagians and papists define sinne to bée not whatsoeuer is repugnant to gods law but that is committed of frée will and by him that vnderstandeth what hee doth Propriè vocatur peccatum saie the Pelagians quod libera voluntate à sciente committitur This is the grounde of Pelagius going about to ouerthrow the traduction of originall sinne in the posteritie of Adam as appéereth by Saint Augustines disputations against him concerning this point And that also the c Censur Colon. fol. 44. Iesuites of Collein expressely do hold The Pelagians do teach that a iust man in this life may be without sinne Hoc Pelagiani audent dicere hominem iustum in hac vita omnino nullum habere peccatum saith Saint d De bono perseuerant lib. 2. c. 5. Augustine The papists likewise beléeue that the regenerate are cléere of mortall sinne and not onely that but also may liue without sinne The Pelagians teach That concupiscence by baptisme is sanctified and being before euill afterward beginneth not to be euill which doctrine Saint e Contra Iulian. lib. 6. c. 6. Augustine calleth very absurd yet is that the doctrine of the councell of Trent and of all papists Both papists and Pelagians do builde vpon one foundation and say that therefore concupiscence after baptisme is no sinne for that the guilt is remitted in baptisme The Pelagians would not grant that the Gentiles and Infidels sinned in all their actions nor that their actions were sinne as done without faith as Saint f Contra Iulian lib. 4. c. 3. Augustine sheweth proouing the contrarie The same doctrine the papists receiue for catholike The Pelagians sometimes were a Augustin contra 2. epist Pelag. c 19. woont to say In omni bono opere homineÌ„ semper adiuuari à gratia b Ibidem lib. 4. c. 6. gratiam adiuuare bonum euiusque propositum But their meaning was that God gaue his grace to them that disposed themselues and whose frée will was ready to receiue grace Which is also the doctrine of preparations and dispositions commonly taught by papists so that notwithstanding their faire pretenses of grace they yéeld a great part of the glory of our conuersion to our owne frée will The papists say That sinne is subiect to our will so likewise the Pelagians say c Augustin lib. 1. de gratia Christi c. 28. Nos forte firmum habere ad non peccandum liberum arbitrium And saint d Lib. 2. de baptis Augustine teacheth vs that this doctrine is Pelagianisme The papists say that God is ready with his grace if hée sée a mans soule readie and prepared to receiue it They also beleeue that a naturall man may desire his owne conuersion But Saint e Contr. epist Pelag. lib. 4. c. 6. lib. 2. c. 5. 8. de Gratia lib. 1. c. 14. Augustine teacheth vs that these were the propositions of the Pelagians They also both do vse the same reasons to prooue the strength of frée will as first that wée are commaunded to choose secondly that God woulde not commaund vs thinges impossible Magnum aliquid se scire putant Pelagiani quando dicunt non iuberet Deus quod sciret ab homine non posse perfici as Saint f De Grat. c. 16. cont epist Pelag. lib. 2. c. 10. Augustine testifieth Therefore Thomas Brandwardine doubteth not to call the popish schoolemen Pelagians Totus penè mundus g Lib. 1. de Grat. aduers Pelag. saith hée post Pelagium in errorem abijt exurge Deus iudica causam tuam Hée wrote about thrée hundred yéeres agone The Donatistes as Saint h De haeres c. 69. Augustine writeth beléeued that the church was onely conteined in Afrike and in the obedience or part of Donatus quod ecclesia Christ in Africa Donati parte remanserit as he saith They did also rebaptize catholike Christians So likewise the papists beléeue that to be the church that continueth in the obedience of the pope and reteineth communion with the church of Rome and of late time haue not doubted in France and Flanders to rebaptize children before baptized The Circumcellions thought it meritorious to kill those that were contrarie to their sect Immania facinora perpetrando as S. a De haeres c. 69. Augustine saith Nay that holy man had much a doe to escape their handes So likewise the papists teach that it is meritorious to kill princes opposite to the popish faction Sixtus quintus that shamelesse frier did highly commend b La fulmiminante Iames Clement that killed Henry the third of France Iohn Ghineard a Iesuite did maintaine this doctrine and was therefore by arrest of the parliament of Paris executed By these desperate assassins the papists haue diuers waies sought to murder the Quéenes Maiestie haue most shamefully murdred the Prince of Orenge Iames the Regent of Scotland and diuers other christian princes Alphonsus Diazius did most wickedly murder his owne brother trauailing as farre as froÌ„ Rome into Germany to commit that act and for the same was by the pope not onely defended but commended The Auâ—â—ans or Anthropomorphites did imagine God to haue a humane shape and partes like a mortall man Cogitatione carnali saith c De haeres c. â—0 Augustine Deum fingebant in similitudinem hominis corruptibilis And likewise do the papists imagine when they make the images of God the father and the holy ghost and the whole Trinitie The d Sess 25. councell of Trent doth permit the diuinitie to bée figured Diuinitatem ex primi figurari But how can this bee done vnlesse they beléeue either their god to bée like their images or their images like their god Origen beléeued that sinnes might bée purged and done away after this life and therefore e Augustin de haeres c. 43. imagined That euen the wicked after a long time shoulde bee saued And certes if sins may bée purged by fire why shoulde not mortall sinnes as well bée washed away as veniall And if man bée able to satisfie for the guilt of mortall sinne after this life and so bée quited from them why shoulde not euery one satisfie in hell for his sinnes And why shoulde a debt bée exacted when satisfaction is made In this
now there is but one faith as there is but one baptisme and one God as the c Ephes 4. apostle teacheth vs. And this is the faith which the apostles and prophets haue taught and which wée in the church of England do professe Remember I say that true faith is Christes faith and apostolike faith It is not the popes faith nor his determinations nor vncertaine traditions It hath no other foundation but the doctrine of Christ and his apostles and holy prophets Beware therefore of the pretended cacolike Romish faith that hath no grounde but in the popes determinations nor support but lies fraude and violence If the doctrine and traditions of popish priests come not from Christ Iesus which is the foundation of our religion but is drawne out of vncertaine legendes and resteth on the popes determination remember what the apostle teacheth in this point If any man saith a Galat. 1. hée preach vnto you otherwise then that you haue receiued let him bee accursed Beléeue not euery spirite For many deceiuers are gone out into the worlde If any bring any doctrine not deduced out of holy Scripture suspect him and examine him and thou shalt finde him faultie And aboue all thinges beware of new doctrines For wée haue but one faith which hath his originall from Christ the fountaine of truth life Profanas vocum nouitates saith the b 1. Tim. 6. apostle deuita And if wée may not vse new termes or words in matters of faith then may we not receiue any newe articles of religion It is the part of true catholikes to adhere to holy fathers and to auoide nouelties as saith c Aduers haeres c. 36. Vincentius Lirinensis Nowe what fathers more holy then the prophets and apostles that are the fathers of fathers and the foundation of the church If the doctrine of poperie be for the most part a packe of old and newe heresies as hath bin shewed thée why shouldst thou bée abused by false teachers Why shouldst thou bée desirous as distempered stomackes are to feed vpon vnholesome doctrine Graues sunt haereticorum morsus saith Saint d In Euangel Luc. lib. 7. c. 10. Ambrose qui ipsis grauiores rapaciores bestijs nullum abaritiae finem impietatÃsque nouerunt They looke faire vpon thée but bite déepely They promise true religion and catholike faith but teach heresies and damnable opinions They come vnto thée with shéepes clothing and pretend sauing of soules but inwardly they are rauening woolues and séeke to destroie both thy body soule They giue thée honie but it is deliuered thée vpon a swordes point that when thou thinkest to licke honie thy hart may bée pearced with a sharpe pointed sword If the synagogue of Romanistes bée not the true church why takest thou delight to heare her teachers or to embrace her erronious doctrine Why doest thou not come out of Babylon Wilt thou remaine in her confusion and be partaker of her plagues Why shouldest thou go vp to Bethauen or delight in the congregation of wicked idolaters e Hoseae 4. Go not vp I say to Bethauen f 1. Cor. 10. flie Idolatrie g Apocal. 18. Come out of Babylon It is not I onely but Christ Iesus that calleth thée out of this confusion If thou wilt not heare him nor know him bée assured hée will not knowe thée nor heare thée It is not the pope that can saue thée nor his decretals that can warrant thee Leaue therefore the synagogue of satan and resort to Gods true church Forsake antichrist and adhere to Christ Quisquis saith Saint h Epist 152. Augustine ab ecclesia catholica abfuerit quantumuis laudabiliter se viuere existimet hoc solo scelere quòd à Christi vnitate disiunctus est non habebit vitam sed ira Dei manet super eum As without Noes arke in time past all flesh was drowned so there is no safetie out of Christes church And bée not lightly deceiued with the name of the church For antichrist as the i 2. Thes 2. apostle telleth vs shall sit in Christes church And with his followers as Saint Augustine teacheth vs shall bée accounted to bée the true church viz. by such as are abused The synagogue of satan in time past did take on them the name of Iewes and falshood is often set out with a faire lustre and shew of truth All Christians haue an interest in true religion Why then shoulde any suffer the damnable doctrine of poperie that is so full of heresies and erronious opinions Why shoulde any suffer the Scriptures to bée taken from the people of God so that they shall no more bée suffered to read them and in lieu thereof receiue the popes determinations and the synagogues of Romes traditions Can any true Christian indure the abominable idole of the masse where the bread and cup is adored for God or the idolatrous worship of Romish Babylon Those that honour God those hée will honour and such as are luke-warme and care not what religion they haue those God will cast out of his mouth as a lothsome race of atheistes and wicked men If religion mooue not euerie man yet if hée remember the slauerie of popish gouernment and how preiudiciall it is to princes to the nobilitie to the commons and all sortes of people hée will not much bée enamored of it The magistrate may not suffer either his authoritie to bée disputed of or doubted of or denied And yet the Iesuites and priestes and their adherents are suffred to teach and to do all this as appéereth by their answeres to the sixe Interrogatories by their cases of conscience and by their doctrine and actions Nay most boldly albeit secretly they practise against the life and state of her Maiestie as many particulars do shewe Happie are they that they haue encountred with such a prince and yet let them beware they abuse not her clemencie too farre For no state can stande where such contumacious and rebellious mates liue in open contempt of authoritie and lawes It behooueth also all them that carrie the sworde to looke that not onely Christ his shéepe bée defended from woolues but also that the state bée defended and maintained against professed traytors and rebels that lurke in all corners They haue not a sworde committed to them for naught But to the ende they may defende the quiet and peaceable subiect and roote out the wicked rebellious traytor Treason and notorious coÌ„tumacie against lawes cannot long be endured in any common-wealth Neither can magistrates in this case bée too watchfull God hath detected many secret conspiracies and attempts against her Maiestie and the state yet let vs not presume too farre vpon his goodnesse The way to settle peace to confirme the state to preuent all such trecherous attempts is to stop the head of rebellion and treason and to roote out all seditious priestes and Iebusites from whence all our troubles for this 43. yéeres