sum ipsi sint mecum What doubt is there did he pray for Peter and did he not also pray for Iames and Iohn to say nothing of the rest it is cleare that in Peter all the rest are meant because he sayeth in an other place I pray for these O Father which thou hast giuen me and desire that they may bee with mee where my selfe am Origen a learned and very auncient father affirmeth in a large discourse vpon S. Mathew that all things spoken of Peter touching the church the keyes are to be vnderstood of all the rest And the collection of Origen is euident euen by natural reason For if Christ prayed not aswell for the rest as he did for Peter of small credite were a great parte of the holy scripture A reason doubtles insoluble for all Papistes in the world For if they could faile in their faith they could also faile in their writing and yet that they could not so faile was by vertue of Christes prayer This my aunswere is farther confirmed by the testimonie of learned and approued Papistes Panormitanus was their skilfull Canonist their religious Abbot and their renowmed Archbishop and consequently his authority must needs gall and confound them all His words are these Et pro hactantum Christus in Euangelio or auit ad patrem ego rogaui pro te And for this he meaneth the vniuersal Church Christ onely prayed to his Father in the gospell when he said I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not Behold here gentle Reader and yeelde thine indifferent censure When Christ saith the great Papist Panormitane prayed that Peters faith should not faile hee prayed for the faith of the vniuersall Church whose faith shall neuer faile indeede And the saide Panormitane proueth his opinion directly and strongly by many textes of the Popes Canon-law De Elect. Cap. significasti Alphonsus a Castro a religious Popish Carthusian hath these wordes Non dubitamus an haereticum esse papam esse coire in vnum possint infra non enim credo aliquem esse adeo impudentē papae assentatorē vt ei tribuere hoc velit vt nec errare nec in interpretatione sacrarum literarum hallucinaripossit We doubt not whether one man may be both a Pope and an Heretike together For I belieue there is none so shamelesse a flatterer of the Pope that will ascribe this vnto him that he can neyther erre nor bee deceyued in the exposition of the scriptures To these I must needes adde that all the doctors of the famous Vniuersity of Paris as our Iesuite Bellarmine freely graunteth doe expound Christs words in S. Luke euen as I haue proued out of Panormitane That is that Christ praied for the faith of the whole church or for Peters faith as he did represent the whole church And therefore our Iesuite doth easily reiect their exposition without all time and reason And hee telleth vs forsooth that Christ in his prayer obtayned two Priuiledges to Peter the one that his faith should neuer faile the other that neyther Peter neyther any in Peters seat should euer teach false doctrine But wise men I hope will belieue Bellarmines wordes when hee shall bring good proofes for the same For first my selfe haue proued most euidently euen by manifest Popish Testimonies that many Bishops of Rome haue taught false doctrine and become flat Apostataes Secondly Bellarmine himselfe confesseth freely that Peters Successors perhaps wanted the former prerogatiue and sometime became Heretikes but the latter saith hee they had vndoubtedly Which Exposition is easily retorted against himselfe because the former may as well if not better bee gathered out of the text as the latter And therefore Bellarmine presumeth to much vpon his owne credite when hee will without all reason enforce vs to expound Christes Gospell as hee listeth The second Obiection Christ commaunded the people to doe what soeuer the Scribes and the Pharisies willed them to obserue and this hee did onely because they sate in Moyses chaire But doubtles if they sitting in Moyses chaire could haue erred Christ would not haue commanded so strictly to obserue their doctrine The Aunswere Our Sauiour Christ seeing many thinges amisse in the Scribes and Pharisies thought it meete and conuenient to giue the people warning thereof And hee wisely tempereth his admonition least they should reiect the good together with the euill For to teach the Lawe and the Prophetes whith was to sitte in Moyses Chaire or to execute Moyses authoritie which was all one in effect was a thing very honest and lawfull Therefore Christ commanded the people to obey them and to doe whatsoeuer they did bid them doe But this must bee vnderstoode with this limitation so long as they taught and commaunded Ex Cathedra that is agreeably to Gods law not otherwise This to bee the true sense and meaning of Christs words I will proue euidently both by the Fathers and by the Testimonies of Nicholaus de Lyra and Dionysius Carthusianus two zealous and learned Papistes S. Austen hath these wordes Sedendo Cathedram Moysi legem Dei docent ergoper illos Deus docet sua vero illi si velint docere nolite audire nolite facere Certè n. tales sua quaerunt non quae Iesu Christi Sitting in the Chayre of Moyses they teach the Law of GOD therefore God teacheth by them But if they will needes teach their owne opinions and fantasies then heare them not doe not as they bid you do For doubtles such men seeke to please them selues and not to accomplish the will of Iesus Christ. S. Hilarie hath these wordes Cum igitur doctrina pharisaeorum ob id probabilis esse docetur quia ipsi in Mosi Cathedra sederunt doctrina necessariò significatur in Cathedra Seeing therefore that the doctrine of the Pharisies is for that proued to bee probable because they sate in the Chaire of Moses therfore by the Chaire must doctrine of necessitie be signified Thus writeth this great learned and auncient Father by whose iudgement it is plaine that the chaire of Moses and the doctrine of Moses is all one And consequently that not they which occupie the roome of Moses or Peter are to bee followed but they that teach the doctrine of Moses and Peter are to bee heard and their commaundement must be done Lyra hath these wordes Omnia quaecunque dixerint vobis facite Quia praelatis etiam malis est obediendam nisi in his quae sunt manifestè contra Deum Doe all things that they shall say vnto you because wee must obey euen those prelates that be euill vnlesse they teach plainly against God Dionysius Carthusianus hath these words Hoc non est absolute vniuersaliter intelligendum quia Scribae Pharisaei multa superstitiosa falsa docuerunt corumpentes scripturam irritum facientes verbum Dei per suas traditiones Intelligendum est ergo de
irritum fecestis pactum Leui dicit Dominus exercituum But you are gone out of the way and haue scandalized many by the law ye haue made frustrate the couenant of Leui saith the Lord of hostes Now of Leui it is thus said in the same place Lex veritatis erat in ore eius The law of truth was in his mouth And what was the law of truth S. Hierome telleth vs in these wordes Lex veritatis hoc est doctrina populorun quae in Sacerdote nullo debet mendacio deturpari sed tota de veritatis fonte procedere The law of truth that is the doctrine of the people which in the Priest ought not to be stained with any lie but wholy to proceede from the fountaine of truth By which exposition we see plainly that the priests lippes should indeede keepe knowledge but for all that are often void of all knowledge and teach falshood instead of truth Touching the words of Deuteronomie the sense and true meaning is plainly gathered out of the verie text it selfe For first the text in the 17. chapter speaketh as well of the politicall and ciuill iudge as of the Priest which thing Bellarmine himselfe cannot denie And yet that the ciuill Prince may erre all both Iesuites and other Priests will confesse Again in another place of the law the same promis that is here made to the Priests is made generally to all ciuill Iudges and officers These are the wordes Iudges and Officers shalt thou make thee in all thy Cities and they shall iudge the people with righteous iudgement Where I note by the way the falshoode of the Latine Vulgata editio which the late Councel of Trent extolleth aboue both the Greeke and the Hebrew For in the 16. chap. the text sayth thus Vt iudicent populum that they may iudge the people But in the 17. chap. it is thus and they shall teach the people And in Malachie thus and the Priests lippes shall keepe knowledge And yet in the Hebrew text which is the fountaine and originall the worde and is in euery place which the papists guilefully change into the worde that in the 16. chapt so to make their matter good if it would be But let vt be made as it is in the Hebrew and the question will be at an end Melchior Canus a famous learned papist hath these expresse words Fatemur Sacerdotes non esse audiendos nisi docuerint iuxta legem Domini We grant sayth he that the priests ought not to be heard or obeyed vnlesse they shall preach and teach according to Gods law Oh sweet Iesus How can any papist deny that which we affirme seeing the best learned and most renowmed Papists confesse the same euen in their written bookes and printed Commentaries published to the view of the world Lyranus in his Commentaries hath these expresse wordes Hic dicit glossa Hebraica si dixerint tibi quod dextra sit sinistra vel sinistra dextra talis sententia est tenenda quod patet manifestè falsum Quia sentētia nullius hominis cuiuscunque sit authoritatis est tenenda si contineat manifestè falsitatem vel errorem Et hoc patet per id quod praemittitur in textu Iudicabunt tibi iudicii veritatem Postea subditur docuerint te iuxta legem eius Ex quo patet quod si dicant falsum declinent à lege Dei manifestè non sunt audiendi Here sayeth the Hebrew glosse if they shall say to thee that the right hand is the left or the left hand the right such sentence is to be holden which thing appeareth manifestly to bee false For no mans sentence of how great authoritie soeuer he bee must bee holden or obeyed if it manifestly containe falshoode or errour And this is manifest by that which goeth before in the text They shall shew to thee the veritie and truth of iudgement It followeth also and they shall teach thee according to his law Hereupon it is cleare that if they teach falsely and swarue from the law of God manifestly then are they not to bee heard or followed Out of these words well worthy to be engrauen in golden letters I note first that our Papists now a dayes are as grosse and senselesse as were the olde Iewish Rabbins as who labor this day to enforce vs to belieue the Pope though he erre neuer so grosly telling vs that chalke is cheese and the left hand the right I note secondly that Nicho. de Lyra a great learned papist whose authority is a mighty argumēt against the papists doth here expresly cōdemne the grosse error of the Hebrew doctors in thē the impudent error of all Iesuits Romish parisites who to satisfie the humor of their Pope and to vpholde his Antichristian tyranny doe wrest the holy scripture from the manifest truth thereof I note thirdly that we must neyther belieue Bishop nor Pope nor any other liuing man of what authority soeuer if hee teach vs contrarie to the manifest truth of Gods word I note fourthly that Lyra doth gather out of the Text it selfe that the High Priest might erre and teach false doctrine And consequently that the Iesuite Bellarmine doth but flatter the popes Holinesse when he be stirreth himself to proue out of this place that the Bishops of Rome cannot erre because the Iewish Bishoppes had the like priuiledge and could not teach against the truth I note fiftly out of Lyra Carthusianus and Melchior Canus whose words are already set down that the Priestes of the old law erred grossely and taught false doctrine And that all the world may see the falshood of Romish Popery I will adde a notorious and most execrable error of the High Priest himselfe Caiphas the High Priest pronounced before a great multitude that Christ blasphemed whē he thus spoke Hereafter shall ye see the Sonne of man sitting at the right hand of the power of God and come in the cloudes of heauen Now I ween neither the Iesuite nor any other papist in the world will or dare call this blasphemie which Christ Iesus spoke of himselfe If they dare so say the scripture is a plaine testimonie against them and all the world will crie fie vpon them If they neyther wil nor can so say then is the controuersie at an end then hath the High Priest erred iudicially then may their Pope also erre as he hath done indeed then was not Christ Iesus guilty of deat has the hie Priest and the people affirmed him to be Marke the answere to the next obiection The fourth Obiection If the people may controll the Priest then in vaine are the Priestes commaunded to teach the people And it is absurde that the sheepe should rebuke the shepheard The Aunswere I say first that when the Priestes commaund the people to doe against Gods law then may not the people doe thereafter but remember the doctrine and
Chapter hoping by Gods grace to vse such perspicuitie in handling this difficult question as shal bee to the contentment of all indifferent Readers CAP. VIII Shewing who is the right Iudge of the holy Scripture and word of God ALbeit the holy Scripture be the infallible rule of Faith and the true Touchstone by which all doctrines are bee examined and tryed as is already proued yet will controuersies neuer haue a peaceable end vnles some speciall iudges bee appointed to decide and determine the same For as the old Prouerbe saith So many heads so many wittes Out of one and the selfe same Scripture one man gathereth one sense an other man an other sense For the perspicuous vnderstanding wherof I put downe these Paragraffes The first Paragraffe The examination of doctrine is of two sortes the one is priuate the other is publike Priuate examination is that vpon which euery man doth build and stablish his owne faith For as the Prophet sayeth The iust man shall liue by his faith And as the great Popish Doctor Aquinas writeth the former obiect of our faith or that which wee formally belieue is God himselfe or that which God hath reuealed to vs and not that which man telleth vs. For sayeth hee faith doth not yeelde assent to any thing but because it is reuealed of God The publike examination of doctrine pertayneth to the common consent of the Church for the peaceable gouernance thereof For GOD is not the Author of confusion but of peace The Second Paragraffe As the examination of doctrine is of two sorts so are the examiners and the iudges of two sortes also that is to say publike and priuate The Publike iudges are all the Ministers of the Church by what name or title soeuer they bee called The priuate Iudges are all the faithfull seuerally by themselues in all matters pertayning to Faith and the saluation of their owne soules That all the faithfull are priuate Iudges it may be easily proued by many textes of holy writte First by this text of S. Iohn beleeue not euery spirit but trie the spirits if they bee of God Secondly by this text of S. Paule trie all thinges and keepe that which is good Thirdly by this text of the same Apostle the spirituall man iudgeth all thinges These texts the two famous Papistes Nicholaus de Lyra and Dionysius Carthusianns expounde of thinges pertayning to saluation which say they all the faithfull are able to trie And which is to bee wondred at the Iesuite Bellarmine vnawares confesseth the same These are his expresse wordes Duo vel tres congregati in nomine Christi obtinent semper quod petunt a Deo nimirum sapientiam lumen quod sufficit eis ad cognoscenda ea quae ipsis necessaria sunt Sequitur itaque siue pauci siue multi siue priuati siue Episcopi congregentur in nomine Christi omnes habent Christum praesentem adiuuantem obtinent quod eis conuenit obtinere Two or three gathered together in the name of Christ do at all times obtaine that of God which they desire at his handes to witte Wisedome and vnderstanding which is sufficient for them to know those thinges which are necessarie for them Therefore whether fewe or many whether Priuate persons or Bishoppes bee gathered in the name of Christ they all haue Christes presence they all haue Christes helpe they all obtayne that which is meete and conuenient for them Thus sayeth our Iesuite And doubtlesse it is meete for euery one to know all thinges necessary for his saluation it can not be denied Out of these wordes I note first that whosoeuer are gathered together in Christes name they all obtayne of GOD so much vnderstanding and knowledge as is necessarie for Saluation I note secondly that God is as well present in the assemblie of priuate men as in the Synode of Bishoppes I note thirdly that God helpeth priuate men and is present with them at all times euen as hee is with Bishops Whereupon I must needes inferre that the thinges concluded by secular persons in their assemblies for matters pertayning to their soules health doe no lesse proceed from GOD then doe the Decrees of Bishoppes And consequently the Iesuite will hee nill hee must perforce confesse that priuate secular and meere Lay-men can and may iudge in matters of Religion in matters of Faith in matters concerning their own soules health And all this is nothing else in deed but euen that which Christ himselfe hath plainly taught vs. Where two or three sayth Christ are gathered togither in my name there am I'in the midst of them I proue the same doctrine because Christs sheepe as Christ the great sheepheard telleth vs know his voyce and follow him but will not follow a straunger This place doubtlesse doth conuince For if the sheepe know the voice of the sheepheard as Christ saith they do then must the sheepe perforce iudge of the voice of the sheepheard For otherwise it will follow that a man cannot discerne that which hee knoweth Melchior Canus faith plainly that the holy Ghost teacheth euery one all things necessarie to saluation This veritie is confirmed by an other testimonie of our Lord Iesus if any man sayth he will do his will the will of God hee shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speake of my selfe Loe the knowledge of Gods word proceedeth from the doing of his will But the doing of Gods will pertaineth to all both great and small as well to priuate lay-men as to ecclesiastical persons though they be the Bishops of Rome And for this cause sayth the great Papist Panormitan his words you may reade in the sixt chapter of this discourse that the iudgement of a meere lay-man must be preferred before the iudgement of the Pope if that priuate lay-man haue better reasons gathered out of the old and new Testament then are the reasons of the Pope See the aunswere to the Obiection in the fourth Paragraffe and note it will To conclude holy Writ telleth vs that the Bereans did search the Scriptures to see if they were according to Saint Paules doctrine And let this suffice for the iudgement of priuat persons and meerlay-men Now that all ministers Archbishops Bishops and other pastors of the Church may iudge of the sense of the holy Scripture it is a thing so cleare and manifest as little or nothing need be said thereof For Saint Paule saith that Bishops by which worde he vnderstandeth all the Ministers of the Church must haue great care that false doctrine be not taught This the Papists freely graunt of Bishops denying the same in other inferior ministers of the Church But I will proue the assertion to be verified of all ministers in generall First because Saint Paul committeth the gouernment of the church to al the ministers in differently calling them Bishops that is ouerseers of the
name aswell as he doth a generall councell which thing I haue already proued I say thirdly that the great popish Archbishops Panormitanus telleth vs as is alreadie proued that a priuate mans iudgement is better then the Popes To which I must needes add the wordes of doctor Gerson the Chancellor of Paris and a renowmed popish writer which are these Quilibet homo doctus potest debet toti concilio risistere si videat illud ex malitia vel ignorantia errare Euerie one that is learned may and ought to resist and stand against a whole Councell if hee perceiue that the Councell erreth either of ignorance or of malice Lo all that I say is true euen by the popish doctrine And so no Papist can with reason denie or gain-say the same For first you see by Gersons doctrine that a generall Councell may erre Secondly that a priuate man both may and ought to withstand the Councell when the generall Councell would decree agaynst the truth Thirdly that lay-men haue euer beene present in Councels and there deliuered freely their opinions Which freedome by late popish tyrannie is this day banished out of the Church I say fourthly that Melchior Canus a famous Schoole-doctor and popish Bishop shall conclude and knit vp this discourse These are his expresse words Praestanti quod in se est Deus fidem ad salutem necessariam non negat Sequitur nō n. vnctio quemcunque simpliciter docet de omnibus sed quemque de his quae sunt ei propria necessaria Sequitur concedimus liberaliter doctrinam cuique in sua vita statu necessariam illi fore prospectam cognitam qui fecerit voluntatem dei Sicut n. gustus bene affectus differentias saporum facile discernit sic animi optima affectio facit vt homo doctrinam Dei ad salutem necessariam discernat ab errore contrario qui ex Deo non est To the man that doeth what in him lieth God neuer denieth faith necessarie to saluation For the vnction doth not simply teach euerie one euerie thing but it teacheth euerie one so much as is proper and necessarie for him And we grant freely that doctrine necessarie for euery mans life and state is sufficiently knowne to him that doth the will of God For like as the well affected taste doth easily discerne the differences of sauours or tastes so doth the good affection of the minde bring to passe that a man may discerne the doctrine of God necessarie to saluation from contrarie error which is not of God Thus writeth the grauest and rarest Papist for learning in the vniuersall worlde and consequently it is and must be of great force against the Papist whatsoeuer hath passed from his penne And I protest vnto thee gentle Reader that nothing hath more estraunged me from poperie and set me at defiance with it then the cleare and perspicuous doctrine of the best learned and most renowmed Papists For whosoeuer will seriously peruse the bookes that I haue published to the view of the world shall therein find confirmed by the doctrine of the best approued Papists euery poynt of setled doctrine in the Church of England Out of these wordes of this learned Papist I note first that when S. Iohn saith the vnction teacheth vs all things he meaneth not the difficult questions in Religion but all such poyntes as are necessarie for euerie mans saluation In note secondly that no man wanteth this knowledge and iudgement of doctrine but he that is willingly ignorant and will not applie himselfe to attaine the said knowledge I note thirdly that euerie priuate man is able to-iudge and discerne true doctrine from falsehoode and error so farre forth as is requisite for his saluation as well as a sound and good taste is able to discerne the differences of tastes Hereupon I inferre this necessarie cōsequent of popish doctrine against the Pope himselfe vz. that many wise godly and learned Bishops with other ministers of the church assembled in a nationall Synode at the command of their naturall Soueraigne are able to discerne so much truth from falshoode and error as is necessarie ether for their owne soules health or for the publique peace of the Church God graunt that this doctrine may take deepe roote in the hearts of the readers to his glorie the good of their soules and the peace of the Church Amen FINIS A COVNTERBLAST AGAINST THE VAINE BLAST OF A MASKED Companion who termeth himselfe E. O. but thought to be ROBERT PARSONS that trayterous Iesuite LONDON Printed by Iohn VVindet for Richard Bankworth dwelling in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the Sunne 1603. To the right worshipfull my approued good friend Maister John Bennet Doctor of the Ciuill law and one of her Maiesties Councell in the North partes of England IF I shoulde take vppon mee right worshipfull to discourse at large of the plots practises dealings and proceedings of our Iesuites and Iesuited persons time doubtles would sooner faile me then matter whereof to speake I haue verie lately published a discourse of this argument intituled The Anatomie of Popish tyrannie In it the Reader may view at large the doctrine the Religion the manners the natures the conuersation the practises and the whole proceedings of the English traiterous hispanized Iesuites So that now to recount the same were actum agere and a thing altogither needlesse One of these Iesuites hath lately published a most scandalous and rayling Libell against the reuerend and learned man of God master Doctor Sutcliffe as also agaynst master Willet In which Libell the said masked companion terming himselfe E. O. hath obiter disgorged some part of his bitter gall agaynst my selfe For the confirmation whereof that all the world may see his follie and consequently the follie of all the Iesuites who combine and conioyne in this affaire I haue addressed this Counterblast in which the indifferent Reader may plainly behold that the Iesuites and Seminaries can say nothing in deed to the doctrine contained in my Bookes howbeit they bestirre themselues with might and maine to dazell the eyes of the simple and sillie Papists that they shall not see the Sunne shining at noone tide The worke such as it is I dedicate vnto your worship in token of that gratitude which is due vnto you for your worships manifold kinde curtesies towardes mee Accept I pray you the present in good part not respecting so much the gift as the minde of the giuer The Almightie blesse your worship with manie happie yeares to his glorie the good of his Church and the benefite of your owne soule From my studie this 14. of Februarie 1602. Your worships most bounden THOMAS BELL. A COVNTERBLAST against the vaine blast of a masked Companion who termeth himselfe E. O. but thought to be Robert Parsons that trayterous Iesuite CAP. I. Of the manner of Iesuiticall Proceeding in all their seditious and scandalous libels THE Iesuites as the secular Priestes
THE GOLDEN BALLANCE OF TRYALL VVherein the Reader shall plainly and briefely behold as in a Glasse of Crystall aswell by what rule all controuersies in Religion are to be examined as also who is and of right ought to be the vpright Iudge in that behalfe Whereunto is also annexed a Counterblast against a masked Companion terming himselfe E.O. but supposed to be ROBERT PARSONS the trayterous Iesuite Vos Vnctionem habetis a sancto nostis omnia 1. Ioh. 2. v. 20. Determinatio solius Papae in his quae sunt fidei non obligat vt praecise est talis ad credendum alioquin staret in casu quod quis obligaretur ad contradictoria vel ad falsum contra fidem Gerson prim part de examinat doctrinarum consider secunda LONDON Imprinted by Iohn Windet for Richard Bankworth dwelling in Paules Churchyeard at the Signe of the Sunne 1603. THE GOLDEN Ballance of Tryall CAP. I. Of the Vncertainety of Iudgements of all Bishoppes seuerally in themselues THE Prophet Dauid sheweth plainely the vncertainty of Iudgement when he telleth vs That all men are lyers The Prophet Ieremie cryeth aloude that the Gentiles in the end of the world shall come to him and shall freely confesse that their fore-fathers inherited lyes and vanitie S. Paule confirmeth the same telling vs that onely God is true and euery man a lyer The Prophet Malachie sheweth the whole matter to haue been verified in the Priestes of the old Law His words are these The Priestes lips shall keepe knowledge and they shall seeke the law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hostes but ye are gone out of the way ye haue caused many to fall by the law yee haue broken the couenant of Leui saith the Lord of Hosts yea this is it that the Prophet Ezechiel saith Then shall they seeke a vision of the Prophet but the Law shall perish from the priest counsel from the Elders The prophet Esay sayth The priest and the prophet haue erred by strong drink they are swallowed vp with wine they haue gone astray through strong drinke they faile in vision they stumble in iudgement this is it that Michah saieth The Heades thereof iudge for rewardes and the priestes thereof teach for hire the prophets thereof prophesie for money This is it that the prophet Sophonie sayeth Her prophets are light and wicked persons her priestes haue polluted the Sanctuarie they haue wrested the law This vncertainety of iudgement cannot be denied For Tertullian erred Montanizinge Cyprian Rebaptizinge Origen Cerporizinge Nazianzen Angelizinge Eusebius Arrianizinge Lactantius Millenizinge and the like may bee verified of all the Residue The sentence of two learned papistes highlie renowned in the Church of Rome shall conclude my Theame Iohn Fisher the late Bishop of Rochester hath these expresse wordes Nec Augustini nec Hieronymi nec alterius cutuslibet auctoris doctrinae sic ecclesia subscripsit quin ipsi locis aliquot ab iis liceat dissentire nam in nonnullis ipsi locis se planè monstrarunt homines esse atque nonnunquam aberrasse The Church hath not so subscribed eyther to the doctrine of Austen or of Hierome or of any other Writer but that we may somtime dissent from their opinions for themselues haue plainely shewed themselues to bee men and that they wanted not their errours the Iesuite Ballarmine hath these wordes Sine dubio singuli Episcopi errare possunt aliquando errant inter se quandoque dissentiunt vt nesciamus quisnam eorum sequendus sit Without doubt all Bishoppes seuerally may erre and doe sometime erre indeed and doe also sometime so dissent one from another that we cannot tell in the world which of them we may safely follow Out of the wordes of these Writers whereof the one was a learned Bishoppe and a popish canonized Martyr and the other a Iesuite and Popish Fryer who did dedicate his Booke to the Pope himselfe I gather these singular documents First that the Church of Rome giueth euery one liberty to dissent from Augustine Hieromie and other Writers whosoeuer Secondly that the Fathers haue plainely shewed themselues to be men and to haue had their imperfections accordingly Thirdly that many errours are to be found in the writinges of the Fathers Fourthly that the Fathers doe so dissent one from another that wee cannot tell whome we may safely follow These Fathers therefore seuerally may not be iudges in all matters of faith and religion CAP. II. Of the uncertainety of iudgement of many Bishops euen when they employ their wits and learning to teach one and the selfe same doctrine WE finde in holy Writte that the chiefest of the Priestes and people trespassed wonderfully according to all the abhominations of the Heathen and polluted the house of the Lord which he had sanctified in Ierusalem The Watchmen of Ephraim sayth Hoseah should bee with my God but the prophet is the snare of a fowler in all his wayes and hatred in the house of his God The Prophets saith Ieremie prophesie lies in my name I haue not sent them neither did I commaund them but they prophesie vnto you a false vision and diuination vanitie and deceitfulnes of their own heart The same Prophet sayth againe in an other place after this manner From the least of them to the greatest euery one is giuen to couetousnes and from the Prophet to the Priest they all deale falsly Their Watchmen saith Esay are all blind they haue no knowledge they are all dumbe dogs they cannot barke Many of the olde writers taught with vniforme consent that the soules of the faithful departed doe not see God vntill the day of generall doome To recite the wordes of a few may suffice for this time Lactantius hath these wordes Nec tamen quisquam putet animas post mortem protinus iudicari omnes in vna communique custodia detinentur donec tempus adueniat quo maximus iudex meritorum facit examen Yet may not any man thinke that the soules of the iust shal forth with after death haue their iudgement for they are all kept in one common prison vntill the time come when the great Iudge shall discusse euerie mans deserts Iustinus Martyr hath these wordes Neque enim ante resurrectionem vitae cuique peractae retributio contingit Iterum vtilitas latroni quod Paradisum sit ingressus haec finit quod fidei commodum re ipsa percepit per quod dignus reputatus est qui sanctorū caetui adiungeretur in quo vsque ad diem resurrectionis remunerationis reseruatur No man hath his rewarde before the day of resurrection The Theefe by going to Paradise had this benefite that he receiued in verie deed the fruit of his faith by which he was reported worthy of the Fellowship of Saintes where hee is reserued vntill the day of resurrection and remuneration Victorinus hath these
praedicatoribus eorū non contrariis legi Mosi Mali. N. à presidentibus ebeniendum est quandiu non docent nec iubent contraria Deo This must not be vnderstoode absolutely and vniuersally because the Scribes and Pharisies taught many superstitious and false things corrupting the Scriptures and making frustrate the worde of God with their traditions We must therfore vnderstand it of their Preachers which teach nothing contrarie to the law of Moyses For we must obey euill rulers so long as they neither teach nor command against God See more hereof and to this effect in the answere to the next obiection The third Obiection God commaunded to obey the Priests and not to swarue in any one iote from their doctrine by turning either to the right hand or to the left And it wil not serue to say that this must be done so long as they teach the truth for the text saith plainly Indicabunt tibi iudicii veritatem They shall shew thee the veritie of iudgement that is they shall not erre The Answere I say first that the Priests of the law of Moses both might erre and did erre de facto as is alreadie proued of the Scribes and Pharisies For they were not onely wicked men in life and conuersation but they also seduced the people taught false doctrine and corrupted the pure worde of God Which point because it is a thing of verie great importance I will indeuour my selfe by Gods helpe to make it plaine vnto the Reader And because nothing is or can be of greater force agaynst the Papists then to confute their doctrine by the testimonie of their owne approued Doctors I will as my wonted maner is euer alledge the expresse wordes of the best approued Papists who were euer most deare vnto the Pope wishing the Reader to markewell my answer made alreadie to the obiection next afore going The wordes of the great papists Lyra and Carthusianus alreadie alledged might sufficiently satisfie any indifferent reader but that nothing may bee wanting I wil adde their wordes more abundantly Lyra hath these wordes Vae vobis Scribae hic ostendit qualiter corrumpebant veritatē doctrinae in his quae pertinent ad salutem Dicebant n◠quod obseruare legem erat necessarium omnibus ad salutem quod est falsum quia multi gentiles sunt saluati vt Iob plures alii Ex suppositione autem huius falsi discurrebant aliqui in doctores Hebraei per diuersas ciuitates castra vt possent conuertere aliquos de gentilitate ad Iudaismum Et hoc est quod dicitur qui c. Wo to you Scribes Here he sheweth how they did corrupt the truth of doctrine euen in those things which pertaine to saluation For they said that the keeping of the law was necessarie for all men vnto saluation which is false because many Gentiles are saued as Iob and sundrie others Of this false supposition some Hebrew Doctors did wander through diuerse Cities Townes that so they might conuert some from Gentilitie to Iudaisme And therefore doth the Gospell say wo vnto you Scribes and Pharisies hypocrites for ye compasse sea and land to make one of your profession and when he is made ye make him two folde more the childe of hell then you your selues are Againe the same Lyra sayth thus Vae vobis duces caeci Hic consequenter ostendit qualiter corrumpebant veritatem doctrinae in his quae pertinent ad actum latriae Cuius actus est iurare modo debito iur amentum obser uare Pharisaei n. Scribae ex cupiditate moti dicebant quod illi qui iurabant per Templum Dei nec peccabant nec erant in aliquo obligati sed illi qui iurabant per aurum Templi erant obligati ad soluendum Sacerdotibus certam portionem auri Wo vnto you blind guides Here he sheweth cōsequently how they corrupted the veritie of doctrine in those things which pertain to the pure worship of God The act whereof is to sweare after a due maner and to performe the oath For the Scribes and Pharisies moued with couetousnesse said that they which did sweare by the temple of God neither sinned neither were bound to doe any thing but they that did sweare by the gold of the Temple were bound to giue some portion of gold to the Priests Dionysius Carthusianus hath these wordes Non sinitis intrare Quia falsa doctrina prauis exemplis peruertitis eos Sequitur qui dicitis quicunque iurauerit per Templum nihil est Id est soluere non tenetur si peieret non erit criminis reus You do not suffer them to come in For you peruert them with false doctrine and euill example You say who so euer sweareth by the Temple it is nothing That is to say he is not bound to keepe his oath and if hee bee forsworne he shall not be guiltie of any crime Thus we see or may see if we be not blind that by the iudgement of these great Papists the Bishops and Priests of the olde law did not onely scandalize the people with their wicked life but also taught false doctrine and corrupted the holy Scripture I say secondly that the verie wordes of the law if we marke them well doe plainly expresse the true meaning thereof To wit that wee must then obey the Priests when they teach according to Gods lawe and not when they wrest and corrupt Gods word The wordes are these Et facies quodcunque dixerint qui praesunt loco quem elegerit Dominus docuerint te iuxta legem eius And thou shalt doe whatsoeuer they shall say which are ouer that place which the Lord hath chosen and shall teach thee according to his law Lo this cōdition is required that the priests do teach Gods law See S. Hieroms words in the answere to the fourth Obiection The Replie The wordes import no condition but a meere assertion and promise that they shall not erre so saith the Prophet Malach Labia sacerdotis custodient scientiam legem requirent ex ore eius The Priests lippes shall keepe knowledge and they shall seeke the law at his mouth The Answere I answere that the wordes in Deuteronomie do import a conditionall precept The precept is continued in these wordes Qui praesunt loco which are set ouer that place The condition is imploied in these words Et docuerint and shall teach according to the law The words in Malachie import a flat commandement of that which the Priests ought to do but no promise that they shall doe and performe the same Which thing I will proue many wayes First by the wordes of the verie texts then by the testimonie of Saint Herome thirdly by the exposition of great learned Papists Touching the wordes in Malachie the sense appeareth euidently in the wordes which follow immediatly which are these Vos autē recessistisde via scādalizastis plurimos in lege
vnderstande the primatiue Church which is most truly and properly called the ancient Church VVhich Church doubtlesse knewe no Popish inuocation of Saintes as I haue proued in my Suruey For aunswere to which booke or to any of the rest published now many yeares ago neither this hote-spurre mate E. O. nor any other English Iesuite or Iesuited Seminarie dare for their lugges encounter with mee So then there is a sweet harmonie but no discord at all in the writings of maister Sutcliffe of maister Gough and of my selfe In an other place this Libeller sayth that I holde auricular confession to haue beene established in the yeare 254. and doe but proue it by my bare worde onely This is a lie with a witnesse For I haue proued it in the second booke of my motiues and that by the testimonie of Iosephus Angles a Popish Frier and Bishop of Bosana euen in the second to me of that worke which he dedicated to the pope himselfe Sixtus Quintus These are the expresse wordes Ante Concilium Later erat Haereticum negare necessitatem confessionis negantes tamen non erant Haeretici Ratio est quia nondum erat ab Ecclesia declaratum Before the Councell of Lateran it was hereticall to denie the necessitie of confession but they were not Heretiques that denied it The reason is because the Church of Rome had not declared it to be an article of faith In the said second booke of Motiues in the ninth Chapter and fift conclusion the Reader shall finde these expresse wordes Albeit popish auricular confession be so magnified with Papists that euerie one is commaunded vnder paine of damnation to beleeue the same as instituted by Christ himselfe yet was it not an article of popish fayth for the space of one thousand and fiue hundred yeares after Christ. These are my expresse wordes in that place Here I heartily desire all people that are careful of their saluation especially such as are deuoted to the Iesuites and I craue it for the tender mercy of God in the bowels of Christ Iesus to marke attentiuely what I shall sincerely deliuer as I will answere God at the dreadfull day of generall doome I therefore say first that the author of this lewde Pamphlet and scurrilous libell intituled the detection of vntruthes who concealeth his name not daring to auouch it to the world but seemeth to be Robert Parsons the Iesuite alias Bastard Cowbucke expelled out of Baliol Colledge in Oxford for his illegitimation libelling and factious dealing who will affirme or denie anie thing as his owne deare brothers the secular Priestes write of him hath incurred the censures of their church and is become an excommunicate person for publishing this lewde libell and slaunderous Pamphlet I proue it because the generall councell of Lateran celebrated in the yeare 1515. prohibiteth vnder the paine of excommunication to print or cause to be printed any booke or scripture whatsoeuer in any Cittie or Diocesse wheresoeuer vnles the same be first diligently examined by the Bishop of the same Diocesse or by his Deputie and subscribed by their owne hand And it will not serue the Iesuites turne to say or pretend for his excuse that the pope hath dispenced with their sect to print bookes and libels at their pleasure For a generall councell hath power to make constitutions which the Pope is bound to obey but the Pope hath no such power ouer the councell to which he is and must be subiect This doctrine is flatly decreed in two famous popish generall Councels Constance and Basill Yet to this day was it neuer heard of in the world that an inferiour could make lawes to tie his superior or by his owne power exempt himselfe or others from the obedience hee oweth to the lawes of his superior I say secondly that this shameles Iesuite must of necessitie condemne himselfe in his own conscience when he sayeth that I affirme auricular confession to haue been established in the yeare 254. and l proue it by an euident demonstration For though I made mention of the time in three seueral bookes to witte in my Motiues in my Suruey and in my hunting of the Romish Foxe yet did I that but obiter in the two latter bookes referring the Reader to my first Booke that is to my Booke of Motiues In which booke I handled the question indeede and decided it by popish approbation there affirming in expresse wordes that Popish auricular confession was not an article of Popish faith for the space of one thousand fiue hundred yeares after Christ. Which number is set down without figures in that place and so lesse subiect to falshood or corruption But in the other bookes the number is put downe in figures and so more easily subiect to alteration especially seeing my self was distant from the Presse well neare two hundred miles I say thirdly that to obiect to me my reuolt from falshood and my returne to God with remorse for mine errours which this libeller recounteth for want of better matter doth nothing else but argue his owne imperfection and insufficiency to defend the matter hee tooke in hand CAP. IIII. Of the finding out of the endes of the Gordian knot I Say first that Gordius as stories doe relate was first a poore husbandman and afterwarde elected to be the king of Phrygia by the oracle of an Idoll who being made king caused his yokes to be hanged vp in the temple of Iupiter and the cordes to bee knit in such knots that it seemed a thing impossible to vntie or loose the same I say secondly that this masked libeller E. O. or if ye will Parsons that trayterous Iesuite seemeth greatly to fauour Gordius his knot because forsooth as Gordius by the helpe of an Idol became of a poore husbandman a mighty Prince so hee by treasonable plottinges with the King of Spaine forsooth one day of a poore Fryer to be made the Viceroy of England For which end he bestirreth himself to deuise such knots of bloudy treacheries as hee thinketh mans power not able to resist or vntie I say thirdly that all the difficultie in vntying this knot consisteth precisely and specially in this because forsooth I say in my Suruey that the Bishops of Rome were godly men till S. Austens time and long after him and yet withall I doe charge Pope Siricius to haue published wicked doctrine and Pope Sozomene to haue falsified the councell of Nice This is the knot that as our Iesuite E. O. thinketh cannot bee vntied If I can find out the endes of this knot a more large subiect saith he must be prouided for my learning to worke vpon A worthy reward of so mighty a Personage for the vnfolding of one silly knot Well I vndertake in Gods name to find out the ends of this knot expecting that E. O. will for his credites sake performe his promise made herein For the clearing of which difficultie and vnfolding of which knot I desire the
gentle Reader to obserue these pointes with me First that it is one thing to publish wicked doctrine an other thing to teach wicked doctrine publikely The case is cleare and euident Sccondly that Ministers of the Church may be called godly men either in respect of their publike doctrine and preaching or in regard of their good life and holy conuersation For this cause did our Sauiour Christ commaund the people to obserue and doe whatsoeuer the Scribes and Pharisies did preach vnto them but not to doe after their works And he added the reason thereof because saith Christ they say do not Lo Christ reputeth the Scribes and Pharisies both godly and wicked men Godly in respect of their publike doctrine wicked in regard of their sinful liues For doubtles Christ did not commaund the people to obey wicked men as they are wicked but as they are godly that is to say as they deliuered godly doctrine to them Euen so do I say of Pope Siricius and Pope Sozimus that they were godly Bishoppes in respect of their publike doctrine as who neyther taught nor decreed publikely any materiall point of doctrine contrarie to the doctrine of S. Peter This aunswere is confirmed by the vsuall practise of all Papistes euery where For they terme euery Bishop of Rome their holy Father the Pope And this notwithstanding they freely graunt as I haue proued in my booke of Motiues that one Pope entered into the Popedome as a Foxe raigned in it as a Wolfe and died out of it as a dogge That an other Pope gaue himselfe to the Diuell that so the diuell might effect his designements They also graunt that euery Pope may erre in his priuate person and become an Heretike an Idolater an Atheist and whatsoeuer els And so they cannot all be termed holy Fathers in respect of their liues or personall doctrine taught priuate lie They must therefore terme them holy in regard of their publike doctrine agreeable to the doctrine of their predecessors though they be very often wicked in respect of their liues and conuersations So were Siricius and Sozimus good Popes secundum quid but not simpliciter Thirdly it is the vsuall course of holy Scripture to speake of many as of all to terme all wicked when the greater part is wicked and all godly when the greater part is godly This is the constant doctrine both of S. Austen and of your renowmed Papist Melchior Canus But because your Cardinall Bellarmine is the mouth of all Papistes I am content to set downe his expresse wordes so to stoppe your mouthes at this time These are your Cardinals wordes Neque mouere nos debet quod Esaias loqui videatur ita generatim vt omnes homines comprehendat Est enim iste scripturae mos vt loquatur de multis quasi de omnibus Neither ought it to moue vs that Esay seemeth to speake so generally as if he comprised all For it is the manner of the scripture so to speake of many as of all I say fourthly that I speake of the Popes vntill S. Austens time and long after not generally but in indefinitely and consequently my words are and must be true notwithstanding the bad dealing of Siricius and Sozimus I say fiftly that 18. Bishops at the Nicene councel were of a different opinion from the rest yet are the decrees termed the decrees of the Bishops ingenerall So in your last councell of Trent the decrees are published vnder the names of the Bishops there and for all that there were three Bishops that would not agree thereunto I say sixtly that the Iesuites and Seminaries are at their wits end and know not in the world what to aunswere to my bookes The reason is euident to euery childe for that now after many yeares they can finde out nothing at all in any of my Bookes sauing one onely contradiction falsly so supposed And yet to make a faire shew of something they haue hudled vp and iumbled together three places far distant one from another Which supposed contradiction if it were as they imagine would be too deare of a button If they could haue picked out of all my bookes any one thing of moment they would not for shame haue published in a printed Booke such a silly obection as this But the truth must preuaile and wil haue the vpper hand I doubt not but all indifferent Readers will be better perswaded hereafter to belieue the doctrine contained in my bookes especially seeing the aduersaries can say nothing against them in so many yeares but onely that I haue contradicted my selfe in saying in one place that the Popes were godly men till S. Austens time and in an other place that two Popes were wicked men For besides that this is so sufficiently cleared many wayes as the indifferent Reader cannot but perceiue the same it must needes bee most apparant to the world that if the Iesuites or Seminarie Priestes could frame any colourable answere to all my bookes or to any of them they would not doubtles passe ouer with silence all the Articles of Popish faith with the confutation therof set downe in my bookes and busie themselues about one onely silly contradiction and that no contradiction indeed but as they falsly or rather malitiously pretend vnto the Reader Where the Reader if he be wise and indifferent must perforce condemne them and their religion in that they dare not aduenture to encounter with my doctrine which doth touch them and their holy father the Pope so narrowly that many perceyuing it haue renounced both him them and their religion And I nothing doubt but these silly euasions and poore shiftes which they are driuen vnto will be a meane vnder God to cause many moe to renounce all Popish faction euery day more then other To shew the insufficiency of the Iesuites and Seminaries and that they know not possibly what to say or how to deale concerning the aunswering of my bookes I haue thought good to insert in this place the wordes of a letter which the Prouinciall of the Iesuites in England Henry Garnet by name addressed to his fellowes being then in consultation how to frame some kind of answere to my bookes These are the expresse wordes of his letter which by a friend of mine came very lately to my hands The wordes of the Iesuite Garnets letter sent to the rest of his fellowes COncerning the answere to the wrangler I am euen as I was before vncertain what were expedient The man desireth nothing but wrangling and besides that which I feare most is that which I haue seene by experience in other his writings that is exceeding and outragious choller Whereby he will be moued to vtter not only al imperfections which he knoweth of our fellowes but also those things which ought to be most surely sealed vp the man being past all grace and shame Neuerthelesse for this matter as you shal al agree for I doubt not but so many and such