holy fathers neuer receaued this VVherefore it is writen Auoide the heretike man In the like maner shall the vnlerned and laie man behaue himselfe with the Suenck feldian demaunding of him whether this be the pure worde of God when he teacheth That Christ as touching his humain nature is not a creature but a begotten thing conceiued and borne of the holy ghoste and that afther the ascension of Christ in to heauen his humanite was made God or rather was chaunged in to God Againe that the same power and operation which is in the worde of God preached is the only begotten euerlasting Son of God Laste of all that all the giftes and graces of God be parcels of the diuine nature For when Longinus the Swenckfeldian shall saie that these doctrines are the very sincere worde of God the laye man maye aske of him againe where holy scripture doth clerely expresse this doctrine To this LoÌ„ginus caÌ„ make no other awnswer then that although it be not there expressed yet it is there mente and vnderstanded here if to the laye maÌ„ asking whether this meaning and vnderstandinge be Catholike and planted by the Apostles or their scholers in Swethen and Silesia and from thence deriued vnto our time Longinus do awnswer ye then must he proue in what place of Silesia and vnder what bisshop that happened Which being not able to do he proueth him selfe a vaine folowe and a lyar But if he saie that this doctrine vntell this time was not receaued in Silesia bicause our forefathers were not of capacite to conceaue these high misteries the laye man may roundely saie vnto him Auaunt heretike and take this fâ—r a finall awnswer The Catholike church neuer taught this the holy fathers neuer receaued this Wherefore it is writen Auoide the heretike man After the same order also maye the laye man aske of Functius the Osiandrin when he teacheth vpon these wordes of Hieremie God is our righteousnes that man ought to be iust by the essentiall iustice of God againe that Christ doth iustifie vs with his only diuinite the humanite being excluded and such like doctrine which he calleth the very expresse worde of God in what place of scripture it is read When he awnswereth that worde for worde it is not in scripture but it agreeth well with the meaning of scripture let him be asked againe whether this his meaning agree with the Catholike expositioÌ„ of scripture deriued from the holy fathers and successours of the Apostles and obserued hitherto continually in the church of Christ without contradiction Here if Functius his conscience forcing him do confesse that this doctrine was of late planted in Prussia by Andreas Osiander and although it was not vntell nowe reueled yet according to his iudgement it agreeth very well with the worde of God and the ghospell the laie man may geue him the finall awnswer of Athanasius The Catholike churche neuer taught this the holy fathers neuer receaued this Wherefore it is writen Auoide the heretike man The like awnswer also may be made to the straunge doctrine of Illyricus the Lutheran writing That good workes are pernicious to saluation that God doth iustifie men by wordes and not by dedes And truly this awnswer is of such force and so mete for a Christen man that vnto all heretikall interpretations to all erroneous doctrine yea though an Angel froÌ„ heaueÌ„ if it were possible should bring any newe ghospell it might with these wordes be awnswered A waye false prophet the third Elias the fifte Euangelist For The catholike church neuer taught this the holy fathers neuer receaued this Wherefore it is writen Auoide the heretike man Last of all the vnlerned laye man may well also demaunde of the Catholike doctour or preacher howe he liketh the opinions of these newe ghospellers whereunto he will awnswer that he hathe perceaued these newe and straunge interpretations of holy scripture and after longe waighing and coÌ„sidering theÌ„ hath founde that they are all auncient condemned heresies which nowe certain braynsicke men by the instinct of the deuill raised vp againe to the vtter destruction of the Romane empire and our dere countre of Germanie Therefore he is readie to showe by good groundes of holy scripture by the right and Catholike vnderstanding of Scripture that the olde religion hitherto receaued is grounded vppon those two pillers and vpon them hath ben sustained from the Apostles time vntel our daies through out the whole corps of Christendom and maintained sounde and perfit against al busy barking of heretikes and cruell bytes of pagan princes And is not this most agreable bothe with religion and with reason that we should embrace and accept that interpretation of the holy Bible for the true and sincere which in all churches of all people and countres hath ben receaued confessed preached maintained and sence the Apostles time hitherto continued as by the testimonies of auncient doctours we are able in all pointes euidently to declare Contrary wise may we not worthely esteme these newe doctrines broched so lately proceding of olde condemned heresies and renued by wild worldely men to be hainous heresies and detestable deceites of the deuill Surely this was the chefe and principall cause why I accompted the diuers doctrine of Luther and his felowes to be hereticall and for such do vâ—terly forsake it and detest it this againe is the cause why I esteme the doctrine in all Christendom which they call the Papacy receaued to be the only true and wholesom doctrine bicause this doctrine is the Catholike and vniuersally receaued interpretation of scripture but their doctrine is only their priuat opinioÌ„ and their priuat deprauatioÌ„ off holy scripture I coÌ„fesse I haue emploied the studie off Diuinite and laboured matters of controuersie about these two and twenty yeares not medling with any other worldely or ciuill matter in all that time nor I can not denie but I haue ben a scholer of the Lutherans and haue so farre lerned their misteries that within these fourten or fiften yeares the diuines of WitteÌ„berg would allmost haue coÌ„strained me to be a doctour of their vniuersitie Againe I haue bestowed much time that I might thoroughely and substantially be lerned in the Catholike doctrine conferring allwaies the sayings and writings of bothe partes And allthough that I had much a do to shift my selfe out of their crafty captious and contentious controuersies yet as sone as by the helpe of God I attained thereunto espieng the erroneous and hereticall doctrine of the Lutherans and perceauing the true and sounde doctrine of the Catholikes I laboured not only vtterly to ridde my stomacke of that poisonned doctrine of Luther but also to auoide all company and familiarite of heretikes that I might neither see them nor heare of them Which lacke of my olde acquaintaunce and maner of liuing bothe empaired much the helthe of my body and procured also great losse of my substaunce And is like to do
dissension For truthe is allwaies vniforme and agreable with it selfe And as the philosopher saieth of vertu so in truthe there is but one waie to hitt the marke a man may shoote aside diuers waies Wherefote two contrary sayings maye bothe be false and vntrue but truthe can neuer stand with a contrary Who then teacheth contradiction as he must nedes teach some falshood so possibly he may teach al false and beside the marke euen as it happeneth with all heretikes that leaue the common highe waie of their forefathers and seke out by pathes of their owne inuentioÌ„s wherein the faster they runne the farder they straye and the harder they finde the right waie againe Secondarely as touching the repugnaunce that is in Caluins doctrine against the expresse worde off God I will also by two maner of waies declare First by a number of his propositions and assertions coÌ„trary to the expresse wordes of Christ and his Apostles next by the auouching of such doctrine as concurreth with olde heresies condemned aboue a thousand yeares past in that state and time off Christ his church as Caluin him selfe doth in sundry places especially vpon the prophets and in his epistle to Sadoletus allowe and reuerence We recited you before diuers olde carren heresies that Luther stirred vp but Caluin beside all those hath nouseled yet a litle farder and digged deper then Luther did For euen as a a bestly sowe coming in to a faire garden sett with diuers swete flowres and pleasaunt herbes if in some corner thereof she espie a donghell or heape of rotten wedes or other filthe cast aside will straite nousell there and tomble her selfe in the filth and carren thereof not medling with the swete floures or pleasaunt herbes so truly these bestly heretikes of our time especially Luther and Caluin liuing in the church of Christ compared in scripture to the garden of the bridegrom wherein are bothe swete herbes of heauenly doctrine and most delectable floures of vertuous liuing lacking not yet her spottes and wrincles of euil life wich she alloweth neuer but tolerateth of necessite and lamenteth hauing also not in her but by her and cast oute of her a nuÌ„ber of olde coÌ„demned heresies they like bestly swine nether embrace the vertuous liuing that she vseth but raiseth at the infirmities whiâ—h she is constrained to suffer nether folow the steps of her heauenly discipline and vpright belefe but getting them to the donghell nouâ—ell them selues in the olde condemned heresies and veÌ„t them abrode to the world But nowe to come to the matter it self let vs considre first the absurde doctrine that he leaueth vs in his writings I entend not to discourse vpon all the pointes of his hereticall doctrine but for a taste off the rest I will examin his assertions about the blessed SacrameÌ„t of the aultar bicause this article doth most nearest touche the glory and maiesty off oure Sauiour being the most precious iewell that he left vnto his church After also we wil note diuers heresies bothe olde and new in his doctrine vpon the sacrament of baptim Last of all a fewe notable contradictions aboute his doctrine of the fre will of man But now to the first point Caluin in his Institutions in his treatise of the Lordes Supper teaching howe by his imagination we receiue Christ in the Sacrament after long dalying as though he would graunte a reall receiuing off Christ his body at the length he concludeth in these wordes Corporis communionem Spiritus sui virtute Christus in nos diffundit that is Christ pooreth downe vpoÌ„ vs the communion of his body by the vertu of his Spirit Which is as much to saie Christ communicateth vnto vs his body by the vertu of his Spirit This is in fewe wordes the communion of Caluin and all the Sacramentarieâ—â— denieng that we eate in dede the body of Christ otherwise then by faith Nowe let vs see what absurdites folowe thereof First no scripture hath this doctrine And how absurde a thing it is to folowe any doctrine without Scripture Caluin him him selfe telleth vs. In his institutions thus he writeth I ought not to seme to any man coÌ„tentious that I staie so earnestly vpon this point that it is not lawfull for the Churche to make any new doctrine that is to teache or deliuer for truthe any more then the Lorde hath reueled by his worde For wise men do see howe great a danger that is if so much authorite were graunted to men They see what a windowe is opened to the mockes and scoffes of wicked men if we sayie that to be taken for truthe among Christians which men shall thinke good Let now then any scholer of Caluin showe in all Scripture where it is writen that Christ by the vertu of his spirit pooreth downe vppon vs the communion off his body For Caluin as he writeth in his Harmony vpon the ghospelles thinketh it an absurde thinge to saie that the flesh of Christ it selfe should be deriued vnto vs. But he sayeth the communion of Christ his flesh is deriued vnto vs which he interpreteth to be a quikening vertu out of Christ his flesh correcting Christe promising vs his very flesh Now as I saied of the deriuation of any such communion of Christes fleshe no Scripture mencioneth But it is a sophisticall suttelty of Caluins imagination not reueled in any place by Gods worde This is lo then one dangerous absurdite by the confession off Caluin him selfe onles perhaps he haue some priuiledge more then the whole Churche hathe For in the Churche he alloweth nothing beside the expresse worde off God Againe let vs consider what is the communion of Christ his body poored downe vpon vs. It is saieth Caluin vis quaedam viuifica ex Christi carne in nos diffusa that is a certain quickening power poored downe vpon vs out of the flesh of Christ. Christ saieth in S. Iohn that his flesh is meat in dede and biddeth vs eate his flesh and drinke his bloud and in the other thre Euangelistes he saieth Eate this is my body but Caluin saieth we eate the bread and haue a certain quickening power out of the fleshe not as in his Harmony he saieth the flesh it self and that we haue a communioÌ„ of his body poored downe vpon vs which is not to eate the body as Christ badde vs. This lo is not only beside scriture but expresly against holy Scripture Thirdly where Christ biddeth vs eate his fleshe saying he that eateth my fleshe abydeth in me he teacheth an action on oure part touching the receiuing of Christ But where Caluin telleth vs that a communioÌ„ of Christ his body is deriued vnto vs he putteth no action on oure part touching the receiuing off Christ but only touching the eating off the bread For we eate not the body of Christ by Caluins doctrine but a coÌ„munion of the same body is deriued vpon vs and poored downe
Catholike church In his Institutions disputing against the reall presence of Christ in the Sacrament and awnswering to those which for possibilite of being in diuers places at ones alleage that the body of Christ is glorious and immortall and not subiect to place and measure as oure corruptible bodies are he writeth thus Some againe saieth he seke a more suttle escape to wit that the body of Christ geuē in the Sacramēt is glorious and immortall and therefore that it is not absurde he be in diuers places or in no certain place or in any certain forme vnder the Sacrament But I aske them VVhat body gaue our Lorde to his disciples the daie before he suffred Do not the wordes sounde that he gaue his mortall body and the same which shoulde forthwith be deliuered Thus farre Caluin If then this maner of reasoning be currant and allowablein Caluin Christ before he suffred gaue his mortall body to be eaten ergo he geueth not nowe any other in the Sacrament why then maye not we also reason against him The Apostles before Christ suffred beleued not in the resurrection and yet notwithstanding receaued the body of Christ in the Sacrament ergo it is not nowe requisit and necessary for the eating of Christ his body to beleue in his resurrection If this maner of reasoning be naught and vicious then you lerne that Caluin in reasoning against the churche speaketh not allwaies the ghospell but vttereth sometimes his ignoraunce And if this maner of reasoning be good then Caluin misseth much of the marke in his doctrine where he teacheth that to eate Christ is to beleue in his passion and resurrection Againe we do not reason in this sorte The Apostles at the Maunde beleued not in the resurrection ergo such faith is not nowe necessary as Caluin reasoneth The body of Christ was then mortal ergo it is not to be considered here as a glorious body or immortall But this is our reason The Apostles in the laste supper beleued not in the resurrection ergo Calvin defining the eating of Christ in the Sacramēt to be a beleuing in the deathe and resurrection of Christ excludeth the Apostles from eating of Christes body in the last Supper This is lo the effect of our reasō Nowe if we would infer beside that bicause the Apostles did not then beleue such belefe now is not necessary I graūte the argumēt were naught and yet were it such as Caluin vseth against vs as you haue heard I haue troubled you here somewhat longe But this you haue gained that not only the presēt point of his doctrine whereof we now purposely do entreate is proued to be absurde and detestable as the which excludeth the Apostles from the true receauing of Christ in the laste Supper but also we haue farder declared you an other false point of his maner of reasoning against the Catholike doctrine in this moste blessed Sacrament The fifte absurdite against this pointe of his doctrine maie be this If the eating of Christ his body be as Caluin saith vpon S. Ihon the worke of faithe or as he writeth in his Institutions the effect of faithe that is if by beleuing in Christ we eate and receaue Crist in to vs then to what purpose did S. Paule bid men proue them selues first and so to eate Christ For he that proueth trieth and examineth him selfe first he beleueth For without faith there is no triall of our hartes and he that cometh to god saieth the Apostle must first beleue then if he beleue before he proue him selfe he eateth by Caluins saieng the body of Christ before he be proued How standeth this with S. Paul bidding vs first to proue and so to eate Surely S. Paule mēt that the eating of Christ was not by faith only which we muste nedes haue before we can proue and trie our owne worthines or vnworthines but by receauing really after due probation and trial the very true and naturall body of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. Last of all if the eating of life whiche Christ promiseth in the Sacrament is the effect of faith the eating of iudgement and deathe is the effect of infidelite That is if by faith we duely receaue the blessed Sacramēt through infidelite and lacke of faith we receaue our owne damnation By this reason the Turke shall through his infidelite eate iudgment and dānation though he neuer eate the Sacrament nor the bread which S. Paule spake of This doctrine therefore of Caluin maie haue good rime but surely it hathe small reason it may sounde well in the eares of ignorant persons that we eate Christ no otherwise then by beleuing in him but it standeth with no reason at all as you haue I trust sufficiently heard and yet when we come to the contradictions of Caluin you shal here more and see Caluin confute him selfe I will note onely more most notable absurdite in this their doctrine whereby you shall perceaue to what point they bring this holy Sacrament and so come to the contradictions of Caluin as we promised Caluin teacheth in his Catechisme that we receaue the communion of Christ his body as well in baptim and by hearing the ghospell as at the Lordes supper But that in Baptim and by the ghospell we receaue him but in parte in the Supper we receaue him wholy and fully And in his resolution of the Sacraments he teacheth that we receaue Christ in the Supper euen as we had him before continually dwelling in vs. For saieth he Faithe being required of vs before we come to the Sacrament we haue Christ also before for oure faith is not without Christ And euen as the vse of the Sacraments profiteth no more the vnbeleuers then if they vsed them not at all so the beleuers communicat and haue the verite figured by the Sacraments which is Christ euen without the vse of the Sacraments Farder the profit which we receaue at the Sacramēts ought not to be restrained to the very time we receaue thē as though the signe being geuen vs we receaued withal incontinently the grace of God It maie well happen that the receit of the Sacrament that in the acte profited nothing through our defaute or slacknes maie afterwarde bring forth better frute Hetherto Caluin In these wordes Caluin concludeth his doctrine touching this blessed Sacrament Let vs nowe examin it What meaneth Caluin so to debace the excellent vertu of this blessed Sacrament as to compare it to baptim or hearing of the ghospell forsothe to persuade men that it were nought els but a morcell of bread a mere figure badge or token For see I praie you what his opiniō and doctrine is touchīg baptim Baptim saithe he in his institutions is a signe of the entring whereby we are receaued in to the felowship of the Church that being grafte in Christ we maie be accompted amonge the Children of God Here he meaneth baptim not to make vs entre in to Christ
had for the blessed fleshe and precious bloud of oure Sauiour pronounced to be in this most dreadfull mystery by the mouthe off Christ him selfe substituted materiall bread and wine and yet to make a coulour of holynes as the woÌ„te of the deuill is had tolde vs that he separated not the verite from the figure Christ from the bread fearing lest perhaps by this tale some scrupulous sacramentary would haue worshipped the verite not separated from the figure to witt Christe ioyned with the bread he turneth his tale and telleth them at the ende of his talke whiche he thought shoulde beste sticke by the readers that the sacrament is but a signe and hathe not the thinge or verite of the signe included in it Nether dothe he coÌ„ceale his wicked purpose but boldely vttereth it euen straight saieng they that worship in the Sacrament Christ make an idoll of it I haue lo discouered vnto you good readers the wicked deuise of this proctour of the deuill Ihon Caluin stoppe your eares at the wiâ—ked enchantmeÌ„ts of this flattering Circé and harken rather to the doctrine of that holy and lerned Father of the Church S. Augustin who speaking of the worshipping off Christe in this blessed Sacrament saieth Non solum non peccatur adorando sed peccatur non adorando that is VVe do not onely not sinne or offend in adoring it but we do sinne if we do not adore it Lo this lerned Father feareth no idolatry in adoration of the Sacrament but pronouÌ„ceth it a sinne not to adore it wherein he declareth the doctrine and belefe of Christ his churche at that time and he spake these wordes in pulpit preaching to his people and expounding them the worde of God Nowe this cursed caitif Caluin bereueth oure blessed Sauiour of his due honour and telleth vs we make him an idoll well the deuill yet hath gotte small worship at his proctours hande here making him to speake suche contradictions as shal worke at the length I truste in god his vtter confusion and all enemies of gods honour And therefore we will yet discouer you more of his contradictions and sory lessons lerned of his master the deuill the spirit of dissension and contrariete In the thirtenth article of his resolutions he saieth the sacrament is an instrument by the whiche god worketh If the sacrament be an instrument whereby Christ worketh howe is it a figure of Christ as these Sacramentaries will haue it onely to be who euer heard that the figure of the workeman as a figure were his Instrument or the instrument his figure Is not this doctrine a mere confusion and contradiction The truthe is that bread is nether the figure of Christ nor the instrumeÌ„t whereby he worketh No scripture saieth so The churche neuer taught so No reason persuadeth so It is but a dreame off Caluin In the fiftenth article he saieth the Sacrament doth warrant vs Christ. In the tenth he sayed it was but a bare signe and that we shoulde not regarde it Beleue nowe whether parte ye liste Truly bothe can not be true In the sixtenth article he sayeth the sacrament warraÌ„teth Christ onely in the elected and predestiant In the .18 article he saieth that in the sacrament Christ is offred aequally vnto all and that the promis of god is not weakened by the incredulite of men If the sacrament warranteth and confirmeth Christ onely in the elected is not the promis or verite of god promised in the sacrament weakened by the incredulite of men for they by theyr incredulite saieth Caluin can not receaue Christ which is the substaunce of the sacrameÌ„t and that which Crist promiseth You see his constancy and agrement Is not this a worthy guide for a man to builde his faith vpon and forsake his former belefe In the twentith article he saieth it maye happeÌ„ that the vse of the Supper which profited vs nothinge in the acte or doing of it bicause of oure negligence or slacknes maye afterwarde bringe forthe better frute This point lo is contrary to all his doctrine in his institutions and coÌ„mentaries vpon holy scripture where he teacheth the effect of the Sacrament that god fedeth vs not with bare signes that he geueth life withall thath oure soules are fedde with Christ truly and really For nowe a man maye receaue the Sacrament and lacke all this He maye I saie receaue it well and worthely and haue none of all these For if the vnworthy receauer receaueth forthewith his damnation as S. Paule saieth Caluin can not meane this of the vnworthy receauer especially saying withall that it may afterwarde bringe forthe better frute whiche to the vnworthy receauer it can not do In the sixe and twentith article he saieth we muste not tye Christe to the bread and to the wine and yet in the ninthe article he him selfe tieth Christ thereto For he sayeth Nous ne separons pas la verite d'auec les figures we separat not the verite from the figures If Caluin do not separat Christ whiche is the verite from the figures of bread and wine dothe he not couple and tye Christ thereunto Truly the Sacramentaries and Lutherans bothe do it making the bread and the wine to remaine The Catholike churche dothe not beleuing that the coÌ„secrated and blessed bread is no more bread but as Christ saieth His body and the the wine his blode Lo you haue good readers a number of contradictions gathered oute of this small treatise of Caluin wherein yet according to the title thereof he minded to geue the worlde a full and perfit resolution of the Sacraments But whiles he laboureth to vtter his heresy vnder coulour of some Christianite and to persuade his falshood vnder the cloke of some truth he is miserably driueÌ„ to tell contrary tales to saie one thinge and thinke an other brefely to confounde him selfe with his owne wordes For what better reason may possibly be founde to discouer false forged doctrine of an heretike then to trippe him in his talke and take him in contradiction Nothing can more discredit the Author of a secte or declare more his wicked pretence then to espie diuersite of doctrine and variaunce of opinions in him nor neuer I thinke appeared it better in any heretike except allwaies that fonde frere Martin Luther them in Ihon Caluin And yet this is he vpon whose onely warrant and worde diuers deceaued persons haue hazarded their soules and loste their life I beseche god geue the remnant grace to see knowe and deteste from henceforthe suche a teacher as you see nowe Caluin is Diuers other contradictions might be gathered oute of this mans doctrine touching this blessed Sacrament if we listed to scanne eche of his propositions and saiengs But bicause I haue ben ouer longe allready and yet in so good a purpose me thinketh I can neuer be longe inough I wil nowe passe to the repugnaunce in his doctrine against holy scripture Our Sauiour sayth
the Iewes were as verely and as truly baptised in the clowde vnder Moyses whiche Caluin most impudently affirmeth as we are in the fonte vnder Christ and his minister why were they baptised againe of S. Ihon or of the Apostles when they came to the faithe of Christ What a numbre of baptims dothe Caluin teache vs beside the one onely baptim of Christ whiche the Catholike church hathe lerned in holy scripture Circuncision the clowde the sea the baptim of S. Ihon and al these the very same and of the selfe same effect and force as the baptim of Christ. Is not Caluin trowe ye a ioyly Anabaptiste Nay dothe he not farre passe the Anabaptistes They go aboute to repete one twise Caluin maketh vs fyue for one off the which euery Christned Iewe by his doctrine hathe foure and euery vnchristened Iewe hathe three I woulde nowe passe from his heresies to his contradictions But I muste nedes put you in minde off one ioyly tricke of Caluin which he practised in the planting of this heresy In his commentaries vpon S Paule where he teacheth this doctrine after longe labour and strife seing he coulde bringe forthe no true childe but that it proued to a mōster and ougle vnnatural thinge and perceauing one foule faute in it which he thought most of all those of his generatiō would abhorre he goeth aboute to cloke it and colour it as wel as he maie The greate faute that he espied him selfe in this doctrine is that it had no expresse scripture for it You shall heare him finde the faute and see howe he will remedy it These be his wordes Sed rursum obijcitur nullum de his verbum extare I d ego fateor sed neque dubium hoc est quin Deus spiritu suo defectum externae praedicationis suppleuerit that is But they will obiecte againe That there is no worde extant hereof That do I confesse but it is not to be doubted but that God by his Spirit hath supplied the lacke of external preaching Lo Caluin nowe is glad to runne to the refuge of the holy ghoste for his doctrine whē scripture faileth him But when the Catholike churche directed allwaies and assisted by the holy ghoste teacheth vs any thinge that is not expressed in holy scripture Caluin can not abide it Hereupon in his Institutiōs he raileth at the adoratiō of Christ in the blessed sacrament bicause in holy scripture saieth he Nulla eius mentio ostendi potest quae tamen non fuisset pretermissa si deo accepta foret that is No mentiō there of cā be showed which notwithstāding had not bē omitted if it had liked god And in the matter of reseruatiō though he graūt that the primitiue church vsed it yet bicause it is not expressed in scripture he wil none of it Thus whē it pleaseth Caluin scripture is requisit and whē it pleaseth him not scripture may be lacked and the spirit of god maie supplie it In like maner though he crie vpō scripture alwaies and as we noted you before oute of his Institutitiōs wil not allow the church no farder thē she bringeth expresse scripture for her yet not only in this place he teacheth beside scripture and cōfesseth it to but also in many other places In the matter of the blessed sacrament of the aultar you haue sene in howe many and sundry pointes his doctrine repugneth to holy scripture while he laboureth to persuade men that to be but bread and wine which oure Sauiour pronounced to be his body and bloud It cometh nowe to my minde howe impudenly he shifteth awaie the authorite of expresse scripture where with he sawe him selfe pressed You shall heare his wordes In his Institutions the 18. chapter thus he writeth Vtcunque verborū Christi tangi se religione quiritentur quo minus figuraté intelligere ausint que sunt tam aperté dicta non est tamen hic satis iustus praetextus cur omnes quae contra obijciuntnr rationes ita respuāt that is Howesoeuer they crie and cōplaine that for the reuerence of Christ his wordes they dare not take it for a figure which was so plainly spoken yet this is no sufficient pretēce why they shuld refuse al such reasons as we bringe against thē This he writeth against the Lutherās which will not go frō the real presence of Christ in the Sacramēt And see we not here the vncredible arrogancy of this proude heretike Doth he not showe him felfe to be a very Antichriste For what can Antichriste require more off men then to haue the expresse wordes of Christ yelde to suche reasons as he will obiect against And dothe not Caluin require the very same Doth he not bidd the Lutherans beleue his reasons against the expresse wordes of Christ And where as the Lutheran alleageth that bicause the wordes of Christ are plaine saieng This is my body he can not be brought to make it a figure as Caluin dothe what other shifte hathe Caluin then to saie that this is no sufficient pretence why they shoulde refuse his reasons for the contrary Which is as much to saie Though Christ speake plainely yet you must harken also what we can saie against it and ye must geue eare to suche reasons as we can laie against him and then folowe my reasō what soeuer Christe or the ghospel telleth you Nowe what cā Antichriste require more Verely as S. Iohn saied of the heretikes of his time Antichristi multi sunt there are many Antichristes so may we most truly say of our time there are many Antichristes but none a more righter Antichrist thē this heretike Calui You haue sene good readers what heresies and howe diuers Caluin hathe partely renewed partly forged of his owne in his doctrine aboute these two Sacraments which onely he acknowleadgeth and taketh for Sacraments If we woulde vse the like diligence in other points of his doctrine we coulde be longe and should be I feare tedious And truly it were to be wished that neither the heresies of this man neither any heresie at all were knowen to the common and vnlerned people But bicause this suttle heretike hathe so wined him selfe in to mens hartes that he hathe trained them not onely from the Catholike churche of Christ but also from the Lutherās and Melanchthonistes which before bore all the swaie of this new gospell I thought good to discouer his heresies and other abominable doctrine aboute these two Sacraments as two of the waightiest articles nowe in controuersy and most of all other touching oure saluation to the entent that not onely the Catholikes and suche as god of his goodnes hathe hetherto staied in the faithe of the churche may as they do vtterly abhorre his doctrine neither yelde by the wickednes of the time to any one point thereof but also oure dere deceiued countremen that so gladly reade his workes and so gredely deuoure his diue lish doctrine maye lerne of
by them left vnto their lawfull successours with the very text of the scripture therefore it is cōmonly called the Tradition of the holy fathers and oftentimes the vnwriten verite in respect of the writen texte And bicause the truthe off the text and of the right vnderstanding of the texte must nedes be all one truly our aduersaries do slaunder vs fayning that in triall off cōtrouersies we woulde beside the worde of God sett as iudge the traditions of men directly against the worde of God The third principle is that holy continuall succession of the See Apostolike and other bishops in the Catholike churche For if we be able to proue by order of continuall succession that all bishops as well before vs as nowe haue allwaies expounded the holy scriptures euen as the first Apostles did can there be any more certain waye for the vnderstanding of scripture then this is I would gladly heare what can be saied against it The fourthe principle is the vnite and consent of the Catholike churche Whereby it is made that the like truthe be in euery part that is in the whole and so contrary wise These are moste Reuerend Prelate the right principles of Christian doctrine these are the foundations of all truthe these as foure quarres or corner stones holde vp the Catholike churche and therefore it is called One Holy Catholike and Apostolike churche For of these principles dependeth the Authorite of the councels Of these the holy Canons haue their beginning and of these all laufull and laudable rites of the church take force and strength These then being the principles of our religion not those which Brentius falsely chargeth vs withal Princes and rulers ought to looke more nerer vnto the doings and sayings of their preachers But nowe Bretius to make an oppositiō of the foresaide forged principles our principles are saieth he the worde of God Christ and an assured certainte of oure confidence in Christ But what is I praie you this your worde of God This it is that all maner of folke mē and womē cookes and coblers baudes and buchers tinkers and tailers pedlers and poticaries minstrels and mummers and all such like be priestes be bishops be doctours and pastours and haue authoritie to administrat the Sacraments to interpret Scripture and what interpretation eche one by the drifte of his braine draweth out of scripture that to be the pure ghospell off the Lorde and the expresse worde of God This is not right Reuerend father the worde of God but the worde of the diuell him selfe inuēted of Luther not inspired by the sprit of God For that man entending to peruert all that appertained to God or to man laboured trauailed and endeuoured by al meanes possible that there might remaine no spirituall magistrat whiche might by authorite discerne betwene leper and leper maintaining the right doctrine of the ghospell and remouing the bastard And this labour of Luther being well liked of Sathan he imagined an other worde of God as that among Christen men shoulde be no ciuill magistrat for all princes were fooles tyrans and men of no religion to thentent that if perhaps the heresies of Luther were condemned by the Spirituall magistrat and so forth with cōmitted to the secular sworde princes therunto might haue no authorite Hereuppon he forbiddeth Christen men to kepe warre against the Turke and commaundeth subiects to rebel against their princes Strait vppon this arose an other worde of an other God that all lawes of chaste and single life shoulde be taken awaye teaching amonge a sorte of maydes and yonge men that Man was no more able to refraine his fleshly lustes then not to spet when nature prouoked Againe that fasting and abstinence from flesh nothing helped prayer nothing furdered deuotion made nothing to sobriete These smaller pointes being first all most conquered he reacheth to higher and diuiner matters First bicause he teacheth that sinne is not by the grace of baptime taken away in dede but is saide and fained only to be taken away hereof he savve it vvolde folovve that mē oughte not be estemed righteous and good in dede but onely accompted and imputed for such Then bycause he made no difference nor degre of grace he admitted no encrease in vertu and therefore could not abide the Sacramēt of Confirmation Fardermore bicause if sinne be not rooted out if there be no encrease of grace nor goodnes but al is only by maner of accōpte and imputing thē must he also infer that the presence of Christes body may not be in earthe that no sacrifice be admitted and vvhich folovved thereupon no priesthood nether And of this point the Zuinglians picked out one worde of their straunge God and the Lutherās an other of this spring also arose the doctrine teaching mā to be iustified by only faith hope charite repentaunce and other good workes being pernicious and hurtefull to saluation what frute then thinke you proceded hereof This sothely and many other For if God doth compell man to sinne as Luther and the Caluinistes do write howe can God require good workes or by what lawe can be punish sinne seing that he worketh sinne in vs and good workes are thought to be pernicious And truly if there be no rewarde for vertu there shall be no punishment for sinne And then there is no hel nor place of punishment as in the seacoste townes of Germany it is taught there is no diuell to execute that punishment as Osiander teacheth This worde not of God but of the diuell beyng laied this principle being put an other principle concerning Christ ensued as that the humain nature of Christe is god as the Swenckfeldians will haue it or contrairely that Christe is not God as the Seruetians teache and Mathias Flaccius affirming that the worde in the first of Iohn is not the sonne of God Lo how fertill and abundant was this principle of Luther and Brentius There were in times past and are also nowe a dayes whiche openly denie Christ to be the son of God affirming him to be the son of Ioseph and Mary Which Mary also had as they saye many other children beside Christ. Other there be nowe which teache the ghospell of S. Iohn to be a tale of Plato baptim to be the inuentiō of the diuell And that there is not in God the Trinite of persons some other doubting whether this Trinite be man or woman So taught euen this winter a certayn new ghospeller in Sternberg a towne of Morauia and that with the fauour of the people but much against the will of the Bishop of Omoluke their diocesian There be nowe in Hungary also which in their baptim leaue out cleane the name of the Son There be in many places the Seruetians which call the blessed Trinite by the name of the hellhownd Cerberus whom the poetes fained to haue thre heads With like horrible blasphemies two other ghospellers daily
Oecolampadius and other of that batche Yea this mā father of all this bessed broode of protestāts so highely extolleth him selfe so presumptuousely dispiseth all the worlde like an other Lucifer that the protestants them selues of Zurich write plainely that now no more the holy ghost but the spirit of pride and presumptuousnes speaketh in M. Luther Illiricus also and his companions crake they not likewise of their vertu and great lerning especially Illiricus how boasteth he that he was perfitly sene in Aristotle and had writen maruailouse much vppon him But what doth holy scripture speake to these proude boasters S. Peter saieth God resisteth the proude and geueth grace to the make and humble And the prophet saieth of god Thou arte he which poorest out the fountaines in the lowe vallies not in the toppes of hilles Againe in an other place Euery vallie shall be exalted and euery highe hill shall be plucked downe It is therefore a great vanitie of them to iudge and pronounce so proudely of thē selues seing that the Apostle of such men saieth Saying them selues to be wise they haue proued fooles and their foolish hart hath ben darkned But nowe touching the integrite of life and vertuous behauiour of the Lutherans I would be lothe to reporte thereof my selfe Surely I see Luther to doute very much thereof For in his great postill vppon the ghospell of the first Sonday in Aduent he crieth out and complaineth That by his ghospell men were become farre worse then they were before vnder the Pope For wickednes and vice had so farre growen in his ghospellers that they semed allmost become deuills And truly this is a sure token of false prophets For Of thornes who gathered grapes or of brambles who gathered figges at any time For looke what the tre is such is the frute such master such scholer such doctrine such liuing Now where as they againe obiect vnto vs the euill and disordinat life of the prelats of the church and of the clergy as that they be gloutons dronckards ambitious horehunters and so forthe I will not here presently defend them that are such It is surely much to be lamented that the life and behauiour off the reuerēt priesthood awnswereth not to their godly and highe profession but is very scandalouse to the worlde euen in such places as the church is by heretikes corrupted and persecuted Notwithstanding I doubt not although in many of the clergy it be founde true that the Lutherans saye of thē touching euil life yet there are a great numbre of vertuous and lerned bishops and priestes of deuowte and perfit religious men such as amonge the Lutherans were harde to find But it were better in this case and more semely for Christen charite that eche part looked in his owne wallet and first Tooke out the beame of their owne eyes for so shall they see better to take out the mote off their neighbours eie And herein whatsoeuer the iudgement of man saie God knoweth who are his and who are in dede vertuous or contrary Wherefore our faith and belefe must not be pinned to the life of the clergie or preachers For by this reason we are not sure of the due administration of any Sacrament neither can we truste any preacher of the worde of God seing that we are not able to iudge whether the priest or the preacher be a mā of vpright life or otherwise But our Sauiour Iesus Christ to take awaie this doubt and to assure vnto vs the verite of his Sacraments duly administred by the clergy thereunto chosen and the preaching of his holy worde by their mouthe he hath left vnto vs a sure and certain rule to knowe the false preachers and prophets from the true and to discerne the doctrine from the person that teacheth And this rule hathe thre parts The firste is when the doctrine is good in it selfe but the life of the teacher is euill and fauty The secōd whē the life of the teacher is good and vertuous but his doctrine false and vitious The thirde is to knowe howe the doctrine may be tried by the life off the teacher and howe the life of the teacher may be tried by his doctrine As for the first part Christ geueth vs a very good lesson what to do whē the doctrine is good and the life is naught saying The scribes and pharises sitt in the Chaire of Moises What soeuer they shal saie vnto you kepe it and do it But do not according to their doings By the which wordes of our Lorde we see that the lerner ought not so much to regard the life of the teacher as the doctrine For it may be that his doctrine be sownde and good wose life is euill For although that as well in the former ages as now a daies we finde many of right good lerning whiche haue preached and taught the worde of God sincerly yet some of such liue not accordingly Neither is there at this daie any point wherein the people more grudgeth against the clergy then that many of thē leade their life cleane cōtrary and repugnant to their owne Canons and constitutions For many of them can tell a trim tale in the pulpit exhorte the people very demeurely to a sobre and perfit life but will not ones moue a foote to liue well them selues And now alas it is to true that our lorde sayeth by the prophet of his church I haue longe looked that my vineyarde shuld haue brought forth grapes but lo it hath brought forthe brambles and a litle after Wo be vnto you which rise vp early to folow dronknes and to drinke vntell the euening that they be set on fire with wine In your companies are harpes and lutes tabrets and pipes but ye regard not the worke of the lorde Can this be denied it is alas to true But what then is this their liuing accompted vertuous is this Catholike No Catholike nor Christen man wil saie so The doctrine of our religion vtterly forbiddeth these thinges and the Catholike church condemneth them Neither cā al this preiudicat in any point to the doctrine of the Catholike church For as our Sauiour saied Do all that they shall saie vnto you but do not as they do and againe First cast out the beame of thy owne eye and then thou shalt see to cast out the mote of thy brothers eye And in an other place Who so euer of you be without sinne let him cast the first stone against her Agayne We must carye one an other his burden that we may be all saued We must not rashely iudge other least we be iudged to The second part now is cleane contrary to this as when men of good and sobre behauiour preache false and hereticall doctrine of these our Sauiour geueth vs warning in these wordes Take ye hede of false prophets which come vnto you in shepes
God but by his propre will and operation yea and whensoeuer men labour to do well that then they sinne deadly Of this tre haue growen all mischef fornication aduoutrie ryot dronknes extorsions robberies rebellion periuries deceites lies all contempt of honesty and vertu procliuite to all vice beside blasphemies of Gods holy name backbiting slaundering reproches iniuries and all kinde of wickednes frely and without grudge of coÌ„science practised Be not these noble and faire frutes of Luthers ghospell May not well the rule of Christ here take place By their frutes ye shall knowe them For looke what the tre is such is the frute and looke what the frute is such is thetre Although therefore we can not denie but amonge vs Catholikes much enormite is and much euill life yet no man can saie that we teache and allow these vices or that our doctrine is the cause off oure naughty liuing no man I saye can charge the Catholike doctrine to prescribe any thing against holy scripture against ciuill policie or publike magistrates as the newe forged ghospell of Luther doth Exacting therefore the Lutherans vnto this rule of Christ we worthely iudge them of their frutes to be false prophets and daungerous deceiuers The like they caÌ„ not do of vs for that the euill frutes that are in vs procede of oure selues not of our doctrine of swaruing from the precepts and godly constitutions off our faith not of obseruing them But the Lutherans naughty life procedeth euen of their doctrine as we haue in some certain pointes for example before declared Yet as touching the life of spirituall teachers and rulers god hath prescribed to the laitie and common people a perfit and absolute rule to discerne true doctrine from the false saying The scribes and Pharises sit in the Chaire of Moyses Do as they commaunde you to do not as they do theÌ„ selues in the which saying of Christ euery Christen man that regardeth his soule helth ought diligently waie two pointes First to know which is the lawfull chaire of Moyses and which is not then how the laye and common sort of people ought to beare them selues towardes the euill life of the clergy Let vs then first speake of the first point Sithen the time that these newe doctrines of Luther hath ben putin the peoples heads and so many diuers and contrary opinions hathe ben taught that the simple and vnlerned know not all most which waie to turne them selues many are brouht to that point that they reiect all religion at ones and think oure Christen faith to be but prety policies of mens inuention or rather olde wyues tales to feare childreÌ„ and with this imagination are become worldly Epicures terming their felicite in present pleasure as a great number do nowe in Germany Whereof truly we haue great cause to feare vnles these cursed heresies be spedely extinguished that almightie God of his dreadfull iustice will sturre vp the Turke or some cruell tiraÌ„ to rippe vp the belies of these fleshely swine and gredy gloutons destroying also with the wicked whiche God of his tender mercie forbid the good and vertuous But to thentent that all good and vertuous people may beware of such infidelite and wiâ—ked cogitations despering vtterly of all religion S. Paule hathe forewarned his scholer Timothe and in him vs all writing All scripture inspired froÌ„ God is profitable to teach to improue to amend and to instruct in righteousnes that the man of God may be perfit and prepared vnto all good workes These are not mens imaginations but the very wordes of God pronounced by the holy ghoste in the mouthe of the Apostle And this is an expres commaundement of God that we beleue vndoubtedly in holy scripture that we seke our saluation therein walking and continuing vprightly in the pathes of that holy write not swaruing either on the right hande either on the left But that we maye so do it behoueth vs not only to reade the bare and literall text of holy scripture but to enquire also for the true and right vnderstanding of the same For the letter killeth but the Spirit geueth life Wherefore our Lorde speaking to the Iewes saieth Searche the scriptures for in them ye thinke to haue eternall life But it is one thinge to reade another to serche They are therefore much deceaued which crie now a daies that nothing must be receiued but holy scripture that all other interpretations being but the imaginations of man are not to be beleued If the protestants speake herein as they thinke I woÌ„der why the Lutherans and the Zuinglians haue writen so many and so large interpretations vpon the olde and newe testament and caused them to be printed abrode yea why make they suche continuall sermons to the people wherein they recite not allwaies expresse scripture but talke much beside the text adding their interpretations and expositions vnto it commaunding also and charging the people to take those their interpretations for the very worde of God And is not this a maruailous impudent and proude presumption of these protestant preachers When we on our part alleage the expositions of the holy fathers vpon holy scripture they as if it were in a rage crie out incontinently The holy fathers were but men the church hath erred in many pointes the expositions of those fathers are but their imaginations and deuises not the worde off God And therefore we nede not geue any credit vnto them But when they them selues preache vnto the people the commauÌ„de and persuade the people that if they tender their soule health they must vndoubtedly beleue that which is there preached vnto them and the interpretation of holy scripture which they bring is the pure and sincere worde of God the ghospell it selfe Is not this as I saied a a maruailous impudent and proude presumption of these protestant preachers Is it not an horrible arrogancie to terme their owne fantasies holy scripture their imaginations the ghospell the meaning and sens of their owne inuention the very worde off God condemning withall and reiecting the vniforme true and receaued interpretations of all olde holy fathers and writers approued hitherto in the Church of Christ by whom the same church hath ben from time to time gouuerned directed and instructed in all truthe sens the time of the Apostles this thowsand fiue hundred yeares and more vnder whose doctrine and godly instructions so many blessed martirs holy confessours and infinit thousands of other Christen soules haue attained to euerlasting life Whereas contrary wise by the expositions and interpretations of these newe preachers horrible schismes diuers and hainous heresies dissolute and licentious liuing strifes contentions and rebellions haue spronge vp and all most ouergrowen the garden off Christes church well planted before and tended by the holy fathers rulers thereof what can be more impudently and arrogantly presumed Yet these newe preachers to wrappe and entrappe the people more and
more in their former snare they patche on an other dangerous deceit vsing this guile with them You must good people in dede beleue the only writen worde of god but to the expositions of the preachers ye ought so farre to beleue as their expositions agreeth with the writen worde that is that the simple and vnlerned people must iudg of their owne faith and be able to trie whether their preachers teache false or no whether their expositions agre so iust with the worde of God that they may be bolde to beleue them euen as the very worde of God Yf this be true that the poeple must nowe iudge their preachers and teachers then was S. Paule to blame describing the prouidence of Christ toward his church to saie these wordes Christ ascending on high lead captiuite captiue and gaue giftes vnto men These giftes were vndoubtedly his holy worde and to make it out of doubt what maner of giftes he meaneth it foloweth strait vppon And he hath geuen some Apostles some prophets and some Euangelistes For by these thre sortes of men by the prophets the Apostles the Euangelistes inspired of the holy ghost holy scripture was writen but bicause in the writen worde many mysteries lye hidden therefore Christ left not to his church only Prophets Apostles and Euangelistes but as it foloweth in S. Paule He gaue pastours and doctours shepeards and teachers which should fede the people with the true intelligence of the holy write and teache them the true vnderstāding of the same Now then either the Shepeardes and teachers must instructe the people and interpret holy scripture vnto thē as S. Paule prescribeth or els the people him self must take vppon him the person of a iudge ouer his shepeards and teachers as the protestants will haue it Chose here good reader whom thou list to folow Surely I must nedes obey and beleue the blessed Apostle whatsoeuer these men bable Therefore I saie againe the people ought to lerne not to teache They ought to obey those that haue charge off their soules their sheaperdes and teachers not to iudge or instruct them in matters of religion Contrary wise the pastours and teachers ougth diligently to instruct their flocke and expounde vnto them the right meaning of holy scripture that they may with the kaye off truthe binde and loose the sinnes of the people accordingly Nowe whereas in cytes Mayres and scholemasters in villages the gentlemen and in the courtes of princes the Chauncellers prescribe and appoint vnto their parish prestes and vicars the maner of interpreting holy scripture the order of ministring the sacramēts the forme of common prayer at the pleasure of euery laie magistrat and Temporall Lorde what will become of this straunge fashions the time will ones declare For nothing is so preuy but that it will ones come to light Euery wise man may easely cast what is likely to folowe when euery magistrat or secular ruler vtterly vnlerned and but of meane abilite yet do at their pleasure appoint ministres and put downe prescribing what docrine they liste to the poore people or what secte liketh them best hereof it happeneth that if the Mayre scholemaster or gentleman be a Suenckseldian then the preacher of that parish must folow onely the doctrine of Suenck feldius or if he be a Zuinglian an Osiandrin an Anabaptiste an Illyrican a Wittenberger a Maiorist or of any other secte the poore simple people must lerne the newe faith of the Maire scholemaster or gentleman and vtterly renounce his olde nor may not be so bolde as to hush to the cōtrary When this newe straunge order was first taken in hande that all spirituall Magistrates constitutions and ordonaunces should be disannulled some there were that thought it not reason that men should be forced to embrace this opinion or that but it shoulde be left free to euery man to beleue whatsoeuer the sprit moued him vnto without any let to the cōtrary So wrote Luther in his booke De Christiana libertate and in an other De capti uitate Babilonica in the which bookes he so embrued the hartes of men with the loue of licentious libertie that al Christen constitutions lawes aud decrees of the church were vtterly abolished and trode vnder foote Out of these bookes also Thomas Munzer toke occasion to make the insurrection of the commons in Germany wherein perished more then a hundred thousand off our dere countremen as Sleidan noteth in the fifte booke of his story Of this licentious doctrine off Luther also one Bernard Rotmā begā the heresy of the Anabaptistes and that by these wordes of Luther that no man could be compelled to any faith that al Christen men are free and taught of God him selfe immediatly that there nedeth no interpretation of scripture but it is al plaine and perspicuous that a simple man of the countre can more readily expounde and vnderstande holy scripture then any Doctour in diuinite But after that Luther espied this vntoward course of his doctrine and that now his owne scholers Mūtzer Rotman Carolstadius Zuinglius and diuers other bette him with his owne rodde he inuented strait a new shift or rather succoured him selfe with the olde practise of the Catholike churche as the folowers of Melanchthon and Brentius do now a daies who seing the people caryed away daily in to newe sectes by other ghospellers leauing their former new masters do call their felowes renagates and apostatas compelling them by ecclesiasticall censure and force off pretended excommunication to returne home again When Luther first began to write and set forthe bookes his scholers murmured and saied it was against the Christian liberte that Christen men might not frely reade what bookes they listed But nowe when the Lutherās them selues do swarue from their master and write one against an other they runne to the refuge of the Catholike churche and make inhibitions forbidding all such bookes as their felowes write against them to be read or solde banishing out of their townes and countres with all the power they can all such ministres and preachers as dissent from them so it is now true amonge these heretikes that Athanasius and Tertullian wrote of the olde heretikes of their time that is what they approue to daie they reproue tomorowe What they preache as the worde of God this yeare they condemne as hereticall nexte yeare wauering like the rede with the winde and framing their faith as occasion serueth Melanchthon seing that the licentious liberte planted by Luther gaue occasiō of much suaruing and departing of one from an other amonge them selues he put a newe cote vpon his religion and whereas before he acknowledged but two Sacraments Baptim and the Supper of our Lorde nowe he addeth two more Penaunce and holy Ordre Penaunce he added to bring againe in order the dissolut consciences off his brethern to set vp excommunication and to erect in
Wittenberg the newe Lutheran Papacye Holy order he added to the entent that the Masters of Wittenberg sending abrode their preachers might binde them with an othe to preache and teache no otherwise then they had lerned of their masters as the tenour of the othe set forthe in the Ordonnaunce of the vniuersite of Wittenberg declareth Although therefore the Lutheran protestants raile and inueigh without measure against the Pope bicause vnder him doctours and other be sworne to the obedience of the Catholike church and vniforme consent of doctrine in the same yet they them selues swere and charge by othe against all reason their scholers for the mainteaunce and vpholding of their heresies and abhominable doctrine Notwithstanding these Masters of Wittenberge could not obtaine their purpose Amsdorfius and Illyricus two great masters of Luthers schole woulde neuer agree vnto them but prouoked to the former writings of Melanchthon and Luther wherein they plainely teache that all laye people men and women are priestes may minister the sacraments may baptise expounde holy scripture teache and preache This Illyricus lately wrote against Menius who had obiected him the saying of the prophet that he ranne being not sent that is that he toke vppō him the highe vocation of a bishop that he interpreted scripture after his owne pleasure corrected his brethen cōdemned them of heresie ruled the churche not in one place only but through out the whole state of Lutherans whereas yet Melanchthon and the masters off Wittenberg neuer permitted him but had decreed against him finally that he was neuer called to the ministery like a Lutheran nor neuer ordained priest as a Catholike but from teaching of a grammer schole had taken vppon him the authorite of a bishop Thus in this bely fest kingdome of Lutherans you may see howe soone visards be chaunged and howe easie a matter it is to come a lofte For when Menius and Maior two great masters of the Lutheran ghospellers obiect vnto Illyricus that he was neuer called to the ministery neuer appointed to the worde nor sent to preache and therefore he should be ashamed to plaie the bishop in the churche of Luther and to cōdemne all other Superintendts and Ministers that would not agree to his propre and seuerall doctrines he awnswereth them againe that according to the doctrine of our father Luther Euery man was a priest as cacthepolles millers barbers Phisicians vshers and scholemasters especially such as professed the Hebrewe grammer But consider here I beseche the gentle reader how soone this wether is ouercast Now faire now fowle now clere now darke For here as you see while Illyricus hath to do with the masters of Wittenberg the Scripture saieth that Euery man is a priest and fit to teache in the cōgregation But a litle after the same Illyricus hauing to do with Osiāder and his cōpaniōs in Prussia curseth and banneth them crying and writing that to dogged Phisicians naming so the Phisicians of the prince who then were preachers of Osianders doctrine Matters of religion and ruling of churches ought not to be committed for that Phisicians were not called nor appointed to any such function Be not these trim preachers and masters of the newe ghospell is there not a ioly vniformite in their doctrine Maior and Melanchthon when they fight against the Catholikes if then you aske them what authorite they haue with their newe reformation to comptroll the whole corps of Christendom and the church of Christ being neuer called nor ordained of the churche to any such office by and by they will awnswer you out of Luthers bookes De Christiana libertate de Captiuitate Babilonica that euery man is a priest euery man hath authoritie to reade the Bible to discerne true and false interpretation of holy scripture But euen in the same moment before they moue a foote furder you maye see them accuse and crie out at Illyricus that he being nother priest nor called to the ministerie behaueth him selfe very seditiousely in Germanie taking vppon him to comptroll the masters of Wittenberge and of Lipsia by his owne priuat and proper authorite Notwithstanding all these enormites and aburdities ensuing of the bare text of scripture the Lutherans seing them selues on euery side entrapped and coūicted yet euer they plaie fox to the hole and rūne to this impudent shift to saie that The next of holy scripture is sufficient for all instruction and doctrine that it may be vnderstanded of all men and nede no gloses nor expositions Is not this I beseche the good reader a captious and suttle shift to thrust only the writen text to the people defrauding thē off the true meaning and interpretation of the text Euē so did the Sadduces heretikes of the olde lawe before Christes time as Iosephus in his Chronicles witnesseth So did after Christ the Arrians Dimeritae Apostolici and many such other heretikes as it is to be senein S. Basill Epiphanius and S. Augustin If the text of holy write nedeth no expositiō what meaned oure Sauiour when after his resurrection He expounded to his disciples all such scriptures as were writen of him beginning with Moyses and so all the prophets What meaned Philippus to aske the Eunuche of the Quene of Candace sitting vppon his chariot whether he vnderstoode that whiche he reade in Esaie the prophet and after the Eunuches awnswer saying howe can I if some expounde it not vnto me to expounde him the text declaring the right interpretation and meaninge thereof Againe what will they saie to that which the Apostle writeth That the holy ghost diuideth and distributeth to euery one his giftes as it pleaseth him so that all men haue not all giftes but euery man certaine and seuerall as some the gifte of healing other the gifte of diuers tonges and other the interpretation of tonges Euery man is not a Phisician diuine or lawier as S. Paule to the Corinthians largely declareth taking a comparison of the body of mā where are many mēbres and euery membre hathe his propre and seuerall function for what could be more absurde then if the feete would playe the handes or the hādes do that which belongeth to the head The like reason is to be cōsidered of functions offices and giftes in the gouuernement of Christen religion to the setting vp whereof God hath appointed diuers and sundry ministeries especially for the instructing and teaching the right vnderstanding of holy scripture that we might thereby knowe his will and pleasure in all thinges without doubt or controuersie Whiche if euery priuat and meane man without a teacher and interpreter were able to vnderstande to what purpose hathe the holy ghoste geuen in his churche vnto some the gifte of interpretation But what nede we spend herein many wordes let vs reade the bookes of Moyses the psalmes and the Prophets see we not there a number of highe and secret misteries which before the coming of Christ
the Roman Breuiary in to the German tongue in so handsome and pure stile that the Psalter the lessons and the ghospels be as pleasauntely to be reade in the German tongue as they are in the Latin It were therefore peraduenture more expedient for the common and vnlerned laye men to haue with them some such to praie and reade in then rashely trust to euery translation or confusely reade euery thinge they list Especially being so perilous a matter to swarue from the right vnderstanding of holy scripture that the danger ensuing is no lesse then heresie It were also very profitable that certain Homelies and Sermons were gathered out of S. Chrisostome S. Ambrose S. Augustin S. Gregory S. Bernarde S. Bede and such other holy fathers whiche being distributed in to the Sondayes and holy dayes of the yeare and well and truly translated in to the vulgar tongue might safely and with great profit be reade off the common people Beside where as many godly praiers for diuers necessites are to be founde in the doctours they might serue also for common praier for the people being truly translated in to the vulgar tonge Surely any laie man that desireth to reade scripture not of curiosite but to strengthen his faith to encrease his hope and to kindle his charite may in such bookes as we haue saide satisfie fully his desire and appetit OF DISAGREMENT IN DOCTRINE AMONGE THE PROTESTANTS THe third matter wherewith the Lutherans charge me is that I haue alleaged falsely certain of their articles whereby their enormous dissension appeareth partly haue fathered some vppon them which they neuer taught As touching the first point doctour Smidelin preacher of Gopping sturreth vp heauē and earth against me sweareth and affirmeth that the Lutheran preachers vary in no one point or groūde of their doctrine But if there be any controuersie amonge them the same is saith he not of any article of their faith or of their Confession made at Augspurg A man may verely in many places finde light and impudent persons which wil not sticke to call chauke chese and saie white is black But such an impudent preacher as this Iames Smidelin of Gopping is not this fourty yeares hath ben seen in Germany which is not ashamed to write and set forthe in printe yea that in bookes dedicated to men of worship that amonge the Lutherans is no one iote of variaunce in all their doctrine nor no dissension in any article of their Confession In dede this argument troubleth much the mā that where diuision and dissension is in the chefe pointes of Christen religion there must nedes heresies be But the Lutherans can not denie their enormous dissension and open variaūce in sondry pointes yea in these articles of their Confession made at Augspurg Ergo there be heretikes amonge thē and heresies great store For whereas to the first proposition of this argument no man can gainsaie but if he be extreme impudent or very foolish M. Smidelin shifteth him selfe to the other part and denieth stoutely that there is any one iote of variaunce or controuersie betwene them Nowe then to proue the contrary and to stoppe the impudent felowes mouthe who being oftentimes frendely warned perseuereth yet in his folie I will bringe here certain of his felowe Ministers and such as him selfe is which may a litle remoue his bonet from his eyes and showe him the glasse where he may see his owne impudēt face and shameles looke that blusheth not at so lowde a lie Nicolaus Amsdorfius in his booke entituled Publica Confessio purae doctrinae Euangelij confutatio praesentium Swermerorum vel factiosorum writeth thus The matter amendeth neuer a whit but wexeth daily worse and worse It is no other wise likely but that we shall vtterly lese the ghospell and in stede of it haue nothing but mere lies and hainous errours and that for no other cause then that euery man foloweth his owne witte and desireth not after the truthe In the diet and conference had lately at wormes Brentius and the Adiaphoristes would not condemne Zuinglius and Osiander bicause they were men lerned in the tongues and liberall sciences But hissed vs out of the cōpany and laughed vs to scorne bicause we refused to agree vnto the conference and diet onles those men were condemned Some of our felowes the Lutherans pretend that they cōdemne the Zwinglians but Brentius his praeface vpon Master Iames Smidelins booke testifieth the contrary For here they go about to reconcile godly Luther and Zuinglius which is impossible For who euer heard that two contradictories could agree Such childish and impossible matters they be not ashamed to affirme which wil be counted teachers and Masters of Christen religion as though we and all other were stockes and blockes But surely we can not embrace with quiet conscience the heresies of Zuinglius and Osiander Neither can we subscribe and yelde to such as haue departed and seuered them selues from Luther Truly if they had constātly cleaued vnto the worde of God and Luther and had not geuē them selues to alteratious or yelded to them whiche first altered from Luther there should haue ben no dissension nor variaunce amongest vs and al these mischefs which we see nowe hang ouer our heades had ben escaped Farder although the Ministers which after our departure remained in the conference at wormes wrote after and published it abrode that they woulde not departe from the Cōfession of Augspurg yet in dede they do cleane cōtrary For while they wil not condemne the Zwinglians and the Osiandrines they can by no meanes agree with our Confession off Augspurg but in so doing they be all ready departed from it So haue they caused dissēsion and remoued all meanes of agreement For if they would cōdemne with vs the foresaide errours of Zwinglius and Osiander then might we agree together against the papistes But no we whereas the Confession of Augspurg teacheth that the Bloud and passion of Christ is our righteousnes and that the bread in the Lordes supper is the body of Christ this can not possibly agree with the madnes of Zwinglius and Osiander Therefore these two repugne to saie they remaine in the Confession off Augspurg and yet go aboute to defend Zwinglius and Osiander VVe therefore first and formest do condemne for heretikes Caspar Swenckfeldius and the Anabaptistes which do contemne and refuse the externall preaching of Gods worde Secondarely we condemne the Secte of Osiander which holdeth no lesse grosse and impudent heresies Thirdly we condemne the Sacramentaries Zwinglius and his felowes Fourthely we condemne the Indifferents bicause in their churches beside the ghospell they will haue mens traditions to be obserued For the ghospell admitteth no commaundements of men to be kept in their churches But these indifferents coulour and counterfaite all thinges to please the Emperour they embrace the papisticall Masse and religion which yet they loue not in dede and
Osiander wickedly wretheth and corrupteth holy scripture this man saith that the interpretations of them bothe are not contrary Againe in the same booke of the Countes of Mansfeld thus we reade Neither is this errour of Osiander sightely to be passed ouer by the which he bindeth the benefits of Christ to certain circunstaunces to bring men thereby to desperation while the minde of man hangeth in doubt whether he be fit to receaue the benefits of Christ or no. But cleane contrarely writeth Smidelin in the booke aboue named If that Osiander saithe he or his aduersaries bicause of this contention inschole pointes only are to be counted heretikes what shall we saie I praie you of the olde fathers But howe swetely agree the semen The Ministers of Mansfeld saie that the doctrine of Osiander hath such a notable errour annexed vnto it that it forceth men to desperation Smidelin saieth it is but a light contention in schole pointes But this felowe perceauing that such manifeste and diuers heresies can in dede by no meanes be reconciled together he bringeth in the olde fathers for example as thoughe they had vsed to confute heretikes by false interpretation of holy scripture which caÌ„ neuer be proued of them Yea it is impossible that heresies may be ouerthrowen by false doctrine For as Aristotle teacheth it is impossible that of a false grounde any truthe may be coÌ„cluded Farder in this booke of Mansfeld the Ministres saie VVe ought to suspect the doctrine of Osiander bicause it is new and not heard of before in the church and we finde nothing in holy scripture that is anything like to the doctrine of Osiander Let vs nowe here what saithe Master Smidelin in his booke alleaged A childe of seuen yeares olde which had lerned but his cathechisme maye euidently perceaue that bothe these doctrines of Osiander and of the VVitenbergers disagree neuer a whit If there were in oure Germain tongue any one worde that might thouroughely expresse an impudent and shameles felowe surely it would nowe serue well the turne to tricke this doctour in his termes So impudently and so past al shame in the face of al the worlde he lieth so lowdely and boasteth so bestly that amonge them all is no difference in doctrine no variaunce in opinions but all smothe all quiet all vniforme and agreable yea and that so euidently so swetely so like pigeons they agree and coll together that a very childe of seuen yeare olde woulde be the better to see it But seing this good man slepeth so soundely in the swete concent and vniforme harmonie of his brethern that it semeth he hathe forgot all the worlde and remembreth not the prety pageants they haue plaied of late and what notes of discorde hathe fallen amoge I wil be so bolde as a litle to wake him and call him to remembraunce of the fourten Lutheran churches which all of late wrote and set forthe in print their writinges against the Confession of Andreas Osiander amonge the which the chefe are The Ministers or diuines of Wittenberge the Ministres of the younger Lordes of Vinaria the Ministres of Magdenburg The ministers of Franckford on this side of Viader The ministers of Ihon of Costrin the Marquis of the dukes of Pomerain and of the cites on the seacost of Saxony as of Lubek of Hamburg of Breme of Luneburg and diuers other Vnto all the which churches and Ministres Osiander in his booke entituled Schmeckbier awnswered paieng them home with such coine as they laide out so that nowe they are bothe on fire one against an other cursing and charging eche other with hainous and abhominable heresies He that listeth not to beleue me let him proue and trie the truthe in their bookes that are abiode in all mens handes let him serche the printers shops of Germany and he shall finde bitter contentions and greuous controuersies betwene the Lutherans and the Osiandrins Yet Smidelin winketh and noddeth still and will not see all this But if he be an vpright and plaine dealing man let him come forthe and proue in open writing that any thinge here saide in false or fained Well Smidelin goeth forthe after his fashion and laboureth against al reason to make the worlde wene That amonge the Lutherans and the Zwinglians there is no variaunce of any waight or force touching any articles of our faith of Christian religioÌ„ But against this saieng of Smidelin Luther him self directly pronounceth codemning the Swinglians in these wordes I must nedes eschew and auoide them as men condemned by their owne iudgemeÌ„t nether may I ioyne with them in any meanes nor by letters nor by writinges nor by worde nor by dede as the Lorde hathe commaunded whether he be Swenckfeldius Zwinglius or what soeuer he be called For I accompte them all a lyke as in dede they are whosoeuer beleue not that in the Supper of the Lorde the bread is his true and naturall body which as well Iudas and the wicked man doth receaue as S. Peter and all the Saintes VVhosoeuer will not beleue this let him not medle with me or in writing or in talke nor let him not looke for any communion with me For he shall but lese his labour And a litle after It shall nothing helpe the Swermers or Sacramentaries that they trifle aboute the Sacrament of the spirituall eating and drinking of the body and bloud of Christ and of the charite and vnite of Christians c. It is in vaine that they beleue in the father the Son and the holy ghoste and in Christ our Sauyour All this I saye nothing auaileth them howe truly and sincerely so euer they pronounce this faith with their false and blasphemous tongue as longe as they denie this one article or reproue it as false where Christ saith of the Sacrament Take breade and eate This is my body For this is the maner of all heretikes first to beginne but with one article and then after to denie all the rest euen as a ringe if it be ones broken or cleft it is vnprofitable and vnfite and as a bell if he be crackt or crased in any part he leseth his so wnde and is worth nought Thus farre Luther Let vs nowe on the other side here the awnswer of the Swinglians of Zuriâ—h In the third treatise of their booke made against the last Confession of Luther thus they write Luther craketh him selfe to be the prophet and Apostle of the Germans which neuer lerned of any man but all other of him that no man did any thing but Luther hath done all and whatsoeuer he hath not done hath remained vndone VVhatsoeuer he hath saide it must stand and no man so hardy to gainsaie it Iff men speake not iust as Luther doth then they are cursed and persecuted as heretikes And a litle before Luther hath forsaken god and all his honour calling vs a condemned and cursed
Smidelin a trim pacifier doth he not by good reason reconcile these protestants together In the booke against my table he raileth and saith he must nedes be a wicked person which woulde saye that amonge the Swinglians were eight diuers and seuerall opinions and who is so blinde that seeth not Luther him selfe in his wordes aboue alleaged to recite eight contrary opinions of the Swinglians It foloweth then by the iudgement and sentence of Doctor Smidelinus that Luther is a wicked and pernicious felowe Surely very well and as it should be for such honour vse kinde scholers to geue to their masters But truly they are bothe vsed according to their deserts while the Master proueth his scholer a liar and the scholer proueth his Master a knaue and nowe it happeneth as we commonly see of a frowarde curre a peuish whelp But what will Smidelin saie if that amonge the Lutherans them selues be sacramentary sectes and schismes and that not a fewe This present yeare 1560. in the seconde of Octobre was printed at Heidelberg the iudgement of Philip Melanchthon touching the Supper of our Lorde dedicated to the honourable prince Electour CouÌ„te palatin of the Rhene where he writeth thus It is not hard but somewhat dangerous to awnswer yet I will declare that debate and controuersie which happened at Heidelberg and admonish men as much as I may at this time I will also praie vnto Christ our Lorde that it will please him prosperously to directe these our aduises and their doinges Greate and greuous coÌ„tentions shal vndoubtedly arise in the worlde vpon the Controuersie of our Lordes supper for the worlde must nedes be punished for their idolatry and other hainous offenses Let vs then praie that the Son of God teache vs and direct vs. But seing that many are yet in many places feble in the faith and not well instructed in this doctrine off the church but rather nouseled in many errours it is mete that first we take order for such I like ther fore very well the aduise of the most honourable prince Electour that all such as contend of the Supper of the Lorde be put to sileÌ„ce lest dissensioÌ„ and variaunce arise in the church yet tendre and weake whereby the febleiÌ„ faith might perhaps be seduced and disquieted And I would wish also that the contentious persons on bothe sides were some other where VVhich being seÌ„t awaie the rest might agree into some forme of wordes And in this controuersie me thinketh it were best to kepe the wordes of S. Paule The bread which we breake is the participation of Christ his body much also must be saide of the frute of the Supper to stirre vp men more to loue this pleadge and the oftener to vse it Againe the worde Participation is to be declared and expounded For S. Paule saith not as the papistes do that the nature of bread is chaunged nor that the bread is the substaÌ„tiall body of Christ as the ministers of Bremesaie Nor as Heshusious saith that bread is the true body of Christ but that it is a participation or communion that is by the which we are coupled and made one with the body off Christ. VVhich copulation and making of one consisteth in the vse not without it imagining that mise could knawe that bread The papistes and such as are like them to earnestly contend that the body of Christ is vnder the forme of bread or included in the bread beside the vse and when it is not receaued they wil haue it adored also as Doctor Morlin of Bruns wicke saith Thou must not saie Mum. Mum But what is that which the priest hath in his handes Sarcerius would haue all the parcels that sal doune to be gathered vp and to be burned together with the earth on which it fell Two yeres past wheÌ„ we were at wormes a quaestioÌ„ was asked vs out of the Courte whether the body of Christ passed downe in to the bely and so forthe Such absurde questions ought not to be moued better it is that the forme of S. Paules wordes be kept and that men be well instructed of the vse and frute of this Sacrament The forme of wordes of the Supper ye may see in the ordinatioÌ„ of the church of the Megapolians where also aduertisement is geueÌ„ of the frute thereoff The Son off God in the ministery of the ghospell is present and worketh also in those that beleue But he is present not for cause of the bread but for mans sake as he saith him selfe Tary in me and I in you I in my father and you in me and I in you And with this true Comfortes he maketh vs his membres and testifieth that he wil raise vp and quicken our bodies Thus do olde writers expounde the Supper of the Lorde but some terme this true and plaine doctrine buskins or showes mete for euery foote and will haue that the body is in the bread or in the forme of bread as though the Sacrament were made for the breads sake or to be adored papistically Then other imagin that the body should be enclosed in the breade some will haue it euery where and in all places Melanchthon dalieth here at his pleasure but all holy fathers and olde writers haue continually hitherto taught the conuersion transmutatioÌ„ and chaunging of the creature of bread in to the body of oure Lorde that we may truly say with Christ This is my body Heshusius saith he can not agree with Origen terming the bread and wine the signes of the the body and bloud So he reiecteth Clemens Alexandrinus ready to do the like to Augustin Ambrose Prosper Dyonisius Tertullian Bede Basill and Gregory Nazianzen which calleth the body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Theodoret which writeth that the nature of bread remaineth Is theÌ„ the authorite of Heshusius so great that we will rather bâ—leue him theÌ„ the olde writers which testifie clerely that the church in their time had no adoration nor no such doctrine as the papistes no we teache For seing these are newe and straunge in the church we doubt whether it be conuenient to bring in newe doctrine in the church And I am not ignoraÌ„t that many alleage forged bookes vnder the name of olde writers but let the lerned iudge hereof I will not make any longe debate of this matter presently nor entre to dispute with contentious men defending the idolatry and robberies of their forefathers VVhose tyranny and cruell persecutions I feele also I thought good only to declare my minde herein what were best to be done in respect of our weake and tender church Therefore I am still of that minde that bothe partes be put to silence and that one forme of wordes be vsed VVhich if some like not and will not therefore come vnto the Sacrament they may be permitted to do as they see good so that yet they styrre vp no dissension amonge the
people This much Melanchthon who although he would neuer before this time openly in writing professe his minde of the Sacrament yet he allwaies tolde his familiar frendes and men of worship that in this point he condemned Luther and claue vnto Swinglius correcting yet a litle his opinion For where as Swinglius saide This signifieth my body he will haue it saied This is the participation of my body which newe interpretation is plainely a newe Sacramentary heresie and neuer heard of amonge the rest of the Swinglians And to maintaine this his proper and newe heresie he vseth two pointes of sutteltie and falshood first when he saith the holy fathers taught no conuersion or transsubstantiation of the bread which is a very impudent and lowde lie For the conuersion of the bread and reall presence of Christ his true body and bloud in the Sacrament may euidently be proued out of all the fathers aboue named and many mo and the contrary opinion clerely condemned Secondarely whē he rebuketh his owne scholers and chargeth them with fiue other Sacramentarie heresies For he saith some be of Heshusius minde some of Sarcerius some other folowe the ministers of Breme and some Ioachimus Morlinus then he alleageth other whose opinion is that Christ his body may be in euery place These fiue heresies which as Melāchthon testifieth are amonge the Lutherans and the other eight which Luther showeth to be amonge the Swingliās make all together thirten heresies which al noweadaies vpon the Sacramēt only are folowed professed and defended amonge the protestants Here againe we may consider the honesty and truthe of M. Doctor Smidelin which is not ashamed to terme such open schismes manifest to al the worlde a sure and certain agremēt of Catholike religion who beside all this knoweth well inough what agreate and vehement altercation there was this present yeare 1560 at Heidelberg amonge the diuines and ministres there touching only this point of the blessed Sacramēt of the which matter Guilelmus Klebicius of Brandeburg hath writen very bitterly and sharpely And this much hitherto of the dissension amonge the protestants touching only the point of the blessed Sacrament The dissension and variaunce of the Lutherans touching the doctrine of Penaunce I haue noted before in a litle booke For some of them put two some thre partes of penaunce But doctor Smidelin will accorde all this discorde with a worde saing it is all one to put two or thre partes of penaunce As though that al other Superintendents and ministres of Luthers secte ought to couche and obey the pontificall authorite of Doctor Smidelin taking vppon him like a pope of protestants But Illyricus will not abide that persuading him selfe that he is of as good mettall to make a Lutheran pope as any other is and therefore he will not graunte to the Masters of Wittenberg no nor to his owne Master Luther to define diuide and determinat the ghospell at their pleasur For in the booke which he intituled An information vpon certain articles of Christen religion he writeth in this sort But not so much he meaning Melanchthon as his proctours do exasperat this matter although they agree not amōg them selues for one interpreteth the matter after one sorte and the other after an other as it happeneth in euill causes One saieh that the worde Penaunce signifieth only sorowe or contrition an other that it signifieth contrition and faithe with al. One saith that the ghospell preacheth repentaunce of one sinne only as of infidelite an other saith of all sinnes Some imagin this glose that the ghospell preacheth repentaunce vnproperly vndirectly and by occasion only some saie that consequently it preacheth repentaunce An other saithe by a figure of contrariete the fourth saith after a sorte and in some point The fift saith it doth but argue mens incredulite or slacknes of belefe The sixt saieth that it reiecteth the small faithe The seuenth saith that it preacheth repentaunce not principally Thus they disagree amonge thē selues no lesse then the Sacramentaries or Babylonians or those builders of idols that Esaie speaketh of where one thinketh to holde vp the idoll with glue another with nailes and the third with chaines But all these gloses bothe destroy them selues one another and the definition also Thus farre Illyricus Doth not Illyricus affirme here that Melanchthons diuines varie one from an other and sett vp seuen sondry opinions neuer a true and all repugnant one with an other no lesse then the sectes of the Sacramentaries and that they agree as the builders of the towre of Babilon in olde time Saithe not directly all this Illyricus And what saieth Smidelinus VVe in the principall articles and grounde of our doctrine do not vary Which if it be true then must we saie that the doctrine of penaunce and of the Sacrament of the aultar appertaine not to the grounde of Christen religion nor are not necessary articles of the same For Smidelin in his litle booke whiche he set forth against me standeth stiffe in this minde That it forceth not whether two or thre partes of penaunce be taught nor skilleth any whit whether you beleue vprightly or embrace that seuenfolde heresie contrary in it selfe in the matter of penaunce Againe in his booke against my table writing of the altercations betwene the Illyricans and the Adiaphoristes he saith Although one write bitterly against the other yet in their churches there is no alteration of doctrine but they professe and teache the pure doctrine of the ghospell in perfit agrement with vs and them selues euen as before this altercation beganne Howe soūdeth thinke you these wordes of Smidelin with the saieng of Illyricus In like maner doth he defend Andreas Musculus For where I write that he teacheth the Godhead of Christ to haue as well died in the Crosse as the māhood Smidelin goeth about to purge him in these wordes I haue vnderstode nowe that Staphylus dothe iniuriously slaunder Andreas Musculus For Musculus in open writing published and printed hathe purged him self against Staphylus Thus saithe Smidelin It is the nature and custome of all heretikes not to continew longe in one minde But to denie to morowe which they saide to daie So dothe Musculus And although Smidelin as he confesseth him selfe be vtterly ignorant of the debate betwene Musculus and Stācarus wherein those wordes be vttered yet he sticketh not to write that I slaunder Musculus Truly bicause he would be counted a common pacifier of all contentions a physician for all sores and a reconciler of all vnruly heresies But what will bothe Musculus and Smidelin saie vnto me if I bring their owne brethern and felowe heretikes witnesses against them The Lutheran churches of Pole sent to the vniuersite of Lausana for the determination of this matter betwene Musculus and Stancarus and the doctours of Lausana sent them this awnswer Although well beloued brethern we can neuer saie inough
lorde Iudas Iscariot receaued the true body of Christ. So writeth Swenck feldius in a litle booke entituled of this very matter and Caluin in his laste admonition against VVestphalus and other where The Neutres Sacramentaries which teache that nether one kinde nor bothe kindes are necessary but that only faithe suffiseth Againe that if the Councell should determinat that all should communicat vnder bothe kindes then contrairely the laye men ought other communicat vnder one kinde or vtterly refuse bothe they are the wordes off Luther in his booke de formula Missae ant it is the common practise of all Lutherans where by it happeneth that some not in ten yeares come to the communion some neuer at all Iconoclastae Imagebreakers which caste out of the church the images of Christ and all sainctes putting vp in their places their owne pictures and their wiues maruailous finely and amorousely painted as in times paste Simon Magus and his bawde Helena did as Nicephorus witnesseth Our ghospelling protestaÌ„ts practise it daily The examples testifie The third vncleane sprit or tode son of the false prophet Luther is Melanchthon father of the Confessionistes in the yeare 1530. off these there are thre contrary sectes and factions Some are roughe and zelous LutheraÌ„s which without choise or exception defend all the doctrine of Luther be it neuer so absurde taking all that Luther hath writen filthy or carren as it is for the holy and pure ghospell of God Nexte are the softe gentle Ciuill and moderat Lutherans which haue departed in many pointes from the doctrine of Luther And faining as if they woulde ioyne nearer to the Catholikes by making their Interim that is a delaye vntel a Councel come haue yet falleÌ„ froÌ„ errour to errour the later contrary to the first as sometime of Maniches becoming Pelagians The third sorte of these Confessionistes we may cal ExtrauagaÌ„ts and vnruly Lutherans which although they pretend to be Confessionistes for bicause off the authorite of â—uch Princes as haue subscribed to the Confession yet in dede they runne and roue farder from the doctrine of Luther then the common sorte of Lutherans do But nowe first of the zelous and rough Lutherans Antinomi lawles Lutherans which so extoll the ghospell that they affirme the lawe of god to be vtterly vnprofitable and nether before iustification nor after necessary That men of the ghospell are not bouÌ„de to the good workes of Gods lawe So Luther taught in the beginning and of him lerned Ioannes Agricola as he writeth in his annotations vpon S. Ihon. And Luther in his Antinomicall disputations Samo satenici or newe Arrians which denie that this terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worde in S. Ihon signifieth a person of the blessed Trinite The vniuersite of Wittenberg witnesseth that Mathias Illyricus is of that opinion In a litle towne or village of Silesia called Zary there is an other Mathias Minister off that village which vtterly denieth that there is any Trinite In Czeshau a towne of Boheman other Minister with like madnes inueighed against the blessed Trinite preaching in the hilles called Guttni and diuers other in other places Yea they are come to this fury and madnes that they call the Blessed Trinite the thre headed Helhounde Cerberus some other denie there is one God and affirme there are three Gods So a certayn Minister preached openly in Prussia Infernales Hellmasters which denie hell and that Christ descended in to hell affirming that euery maÌ„s graue is called in hebrew hell Therefore where our Crede saith that Christ desceÌ„ded in to hell they saie it must be ment of his graue This is a common doctrine in the seacost townes of Germany as at Breme at Hamburg at Lubek and such other places It semeth also to be the opinion of Brentius Reade his greate Catechisme Infernales of an other sorte helltormenters are which affirme that Christ not onely desceÌ„ded in to hell but also suffred the eternall torments and paines of hell So teacheth Nicolaus Gallus at Regenspurg in his printed Catechisme and Iames Smidelin preacher of Gopping and Caluin in his Institutions Antidaemoniaci which denie there is any deuil or euill sprits or any witchecrafte or enchauntments wrought by the deuills So teache the Dauigeorgians and Andreas Osiander Amsdorffiani which teache that good workes are pernicious for man to saluation So writeth Nicolaus Amsdorffius in his litle booke entituled That this proposition is true Good workes are pernicious to saluatioÌ„ So the scholers of Flaccius and many preachers of Saxony do teache and write Antadiaphoristae which admitte no auncient cerinonies in the church nor no iurisdiction of bishops so write the Illyricans and the Flaccians in many bookes sette forthe against the Adiaphoristes off wittenberg Antosiandrini or Osiandromastiges which denie that man is iustified with that iustice whereby God is essentially iuste teaching that he is iustified by imputing of righteousnes that is as Illyricus doth glose he is called iuste in worde onely he is not so in dede Fourten Lutheran churches haue writen against Osiander but eche of them bringeth a peculiar definition of iustice and contrary to his felowes Sethe writing of Ioannes Functius de origine Osiandrinae litis contra Staphylum Antiswenck feldiani which teache that by the externall preaching only or vocall ministery we attayne to the Christen faith Illyricus in diuers writings set forthe against Swenck feldius Anticaluiniani which although they do well affirme the reall presence of Christes body in the Sacrament yet they do falsely and wickedly denie traÌ„ssubstantiation and adoratioÌ„ Again they falsely holde that the Sacrament consisteth onely in the vse off it Ioachimus VVestphalus in his awnswer against Caluin and diuers other Manus impositorij which will haue that the layeng on of handes of laye men is a Sacrament This secte swarmeth in Saxony in Pomerania and in the seacost townes Se Illyricus against Iustus Menius Bisacramentales which admitte only two Sacramentes so teache Caluin and the Flaccians Sacerdotales which teache that men and women and all laie persons may preache the worde of God in the churche maie minister the Sacraments maye binde and lose For all men are equally priestes that holy order is but a tale and imaginatioÌ„ of men This is the doctrine of Luther in his booke De captitutate Babylonica and of Illyricus in his Apologie againste Iustus Mentus Inuisibiles which teache that no churche is visible bicause onely God knoweth who are his So Luther and Melanchthon taught in the beginninge as it appeareth in the Apology off the Confession of Augspurg but allthough they afterwarde secretly recanted this errour yet neuertheles the Illyricans the Swenck feldians the Osiandrins and the Anabaptistes kepe it still The Seconde Secte of the Confessionistes in the which are as we saide before the softe Philosophers and Masters of Wittenberg which will be counted moderat meke and more ciuil then the reste for the moste parte of these
of Ihon Caluin in his booke of predestination and of Theodore Beza the archeheretike of FrauÌ„ce in his defence for Caluin This yeare 1561. one Lucas Sternberger in Omoluke a towne of Morauia being cast in to preson preaching amonge the Sternbergers and in diuers other places bearing him selfe for a Minister of the ghospel and scholer of Luther and Melanchthon preached and persuaded the people this doctrine that foloweth for the true and expresse worde of God First he openly taught and confessed That al suche as worship the name of the Blessed Trinite do imagin falsely the Gods That the name of the Trinite is vaine and superfluous bicause that worde is no where expressed in holy scripture beinge also but one God in heauen Therefore he forbad that the same songe O veneranda Trinitas O blessed Trinite should be songe and commaunded in his place to singe O blessed goodnes of God He wisheth also that all the deuills of hell woulde come and cary awaye this Trinite saieng he can not tell whether it be a man or a woman yet that he is sure that the same Trinite was ones a woman which had thre husbands Secondarely he confessed and taught that Christe was not true god but maÌ„ only like other meÌ„ For if he had beÌ„ god he should haue descended out of he auen in to earthe and committed the gouuernemeÌ„t of the worlde here to Angels That he was borne only of Mary and Ioseph the carpenter and that he exercised that crafte with Ioseph vntel the thirtyth yeare of his aage Beside he teacheth That Christ rose froÌ„ death not by his owne power but by the power of god almightie and that he worked no miracle but by the power and operatioÌ„ of almightie god which had endued him with more excellent giftes and graces then al the other prophets adopting him for his son at the leghth for his vertuous and honeste life when he was baptised of Ihon in the Iordayn and the voyce from heauen came downe saieng This is my welbeloued son in whom I am delited so that Christ is not the son of god but touching his soule onely bicause in the crosse he commended and gaue vp but his soule to god Thirdly he mocketh at the holy ghoste saieng that it is nothing els but a pigeon affirming beside that nothinge is writen of his diuinite in all scripture nether of the olde testameÌ„t nether of the newe and that it is not knowen what is this holy ghost Finally he had rather returne to the cloyster and be a papiste then to beleue in the holy ghoste Fourthely he will not the blessed virgin Mary mother of god to be a perpetuall virgin but that she had before two or thre sonnes and that she nothing differeth froÌ„ the rest of wemen and therefore nether she nor any other saints ought to be worshipped or haue their holy daies kepte Againe that men ought to worke the Sonday and reste the Saterday bicause in holy scripture the Saterday is coÌ„maunded to be kept holy But of the SoÌ„day nothing is prescribed nor appointed for as Luther taught nothinge ought to be admitted or obserued which god hath not in expres wordes commaunded or forbyd in holy scripture Fiftely he reiecteth holy baptim calling it a diuelish institution affirming also that it procureth nought els but hell and eternall damnation for circumcision was instituted of god not baptim Sixtely as touching the blessed Sacrament of the aultar he can neuer satisfie himselfe with mocking iesting and scorning at it for he saith the Iewes haue longe ago eaten vp the paschall lambe and if any thing were lefte they burned it Finally he confesseth he is of that opinion in this Sacrament as Melanchthon is For at a certain time hauing some communicating with him but fewer then he thought he inuited all other by speaking to them in these wordes Come hether for â—am not able to deuoure him vpp alone as for other sacraments he foloweth Luther in all points as his schole master of whom he receaued this doctrine Now that these heresies here reakoned vp be rife in Morauia and that many a soule is miserably in ueigled and seduced with them the experience showeth They also which are sene in the Alcoran of Mahomet and in Luthers doctrine may well consider and perceaue that this fifte ghospell of Luther prepareth and fostifieth the waie for Mahomets Alcoran to come in to Germany And though the Lutherans to excuse them selues and their ghospell will here obiect that Luther neuer inuented neuer thought nor taught these detestable heresies published by Lucas Sternberg it maye and ought well be awnswered vnto them that though Luther neuer tought these matters expresly which yet is to be doubted of yet he gaue abundant and sufficient occasion for these and all other heresies and schismes onely in that he writeth and bableth all waies that nothing ought to be receaued approued or obserued in the church which was not manifest euident and expresse in holy scripture And what other grounde hath this Lucas Sternberg to abolish al truthe of our Christen religion and to plante his deuelish doctrines then this lesson of Luther For euer he crieth VVhere is it writen where is it in holy scripture that there be thre persons VVhere is it read that Christ in the vnion of his godhead and manhood should be the Second person in Trinite or that Christ is the true and naturall son of God and not a creature according to his euerlasting and diuine generation VVhere is it expressed in scripture that the holy ghoste it selfe is any other then the euerlasting father VVhere is it noted in holy scripture that Mary the mother of Christe was a Virgin before and after the byrthe and that shee continued a Virgin allwaies In what place of the Bible can we reade that the Sabbaoth daie should be abrogated and the Sonday instituted And what heretike I pray you maye not saie the like of all the articles of our catholike faithe For what scripture hath saie the Anabaptistes that infants shoulde be baptised And the Swinglians VVhat Scripture saie they affirmeth that the true body and not the figure off Christ his body is in the Supper of the Lorde Againe the Lutherans VVhat place of scripture saie they dothe testifie that Christ instituted the Masse in his Supper Therefore if Luther had raised vp no other particular heresie yet this was detestable and cursed inoughe that he taught nothing to be obserued or receaued in the church but whiche god had expresly directly and in plaine wordes commaunded or forbed in the Bible To this heresie of Lucas Sternberg an other secte directly repugnant and contrary rose vp very lately at Pinczouia in Pole in the which place two new ghospellers Petrus Statorius and Georgius Brandata teach that there is not one God but thre gods and they so diuers one from an other as thre men yet that the son is somewhat lesse then the father and
the holy ghoste Againe that the Crede which the churche vseth to singe is not to be called the Crede of Athanasius but of Sathanasius as you woulde saie of the deuill Certain noble men of Pole demaunding of Petrus Statorius and Georgius Brandata where they had lerned this doctrine being newe and neuer heard off before in Pole they awnswered It was the pure ghospell and very worde off god and the very same doctrine which they had lerned of their masters Caluin Bullinger Peter Martir and VVolfgangus Musculus But the cause why it was not before heard of in Pole nor abrode in the worlde was that it pleased god to reuele to the worlde this highe misterie and greate treasure nowe in these later daies by his faithefull Ministres The Lorde Stanislaus Baron Mathias Stadnitzky and Franciscus Stancarus by their patent letters writen to to the Swinglian doctours aboue mencioned in the yeare 1561. and sent by their owne Messenger do testifie and write these thinges of Petrus Statorius and Brandata IN VVHAT ARTICLES THE CONFESSIONISTES SVCCESSOVRS OF LVTHER DO YET Agree and accorde HEtherto by the sondry and diuers factions of heretikes of vs rehearsed it may appeare howe and in what matters they swarue and disagree amonge them selues For who readeth nowe all the articles of the Confession off Augspurg he shall see that swaruing and scattering in all the reste they haue remained onely in these fewe of one accorde and agrement And of those articles this is the firste Firste they agree all in this that all sectes wil be called ghospellers all boaste them selues to folowe the worde of God the ghospell the Crede of the Apostles and of Athanasius they all saie that the worde off God is cleare and opeÌ„ and nedeth no interpretation that women and men laie and priestes maye al a like handle and treate off the worde off God And whatsoeuer sence of holy scripture shall like any man that he maye folowe and defend it for the worde of God it selfe The Second Article wherein they do all agree is that they do all with like endeuour and malice striue against the Catholike church that none of them all admitteth any Catholike or vniuersally receaued exposition of holy scripture that they all accompte the bishop of Rome for Antichriste all bishops Prelats Priestes for the meÌ„bres of the deuil that they do all abhorre constitutions and ceremonies of the Catholike churche That all hate and detest a like the blessed sacrifice of the Masse that all go aboute to take oute of the churche all priesthood and clergy The third article wherein all the protestants agree is that for the moste parte al leaders and Masters off sectes forge some notable lies vppon the Catholike writers and then persuade the people they are the doctrine of the papistes As for example They make the people wene that the papistes taught man to be able to merit the grace of God and the benefit off iustificatioÌ„ with his only good workes This and suche other lies they haue already so persuaded the people that although neuer Catholike man taught so yet they put this absurdite as the foundation and grounde of papisticall doctrine The fourth article wherein all protestants agree is that to confesse and reaken vp our sinnes to do any satisfaction whereby the temporall paine due for sinne may be released to labour and endeuoure to purchase euerlasting life by good workes proceding of the grace of God and depending of the merites of Christe is naught els but a papisticall buchery and torment of coÌ„sciences that CoÌ„firmatioÌ„ Matrimony and extreme vnction be mans inuentions not Sacraments of the church They agree also al in this that no man can liue chaste no more then he can liue withoute spetting as Luther writeth and that to faste certain appointed daies is the worshipping of deuils In these articles off the Confession off Augspurg in these articles of the fifte ghospell all sectes of our time agree wonderfully But in al other pointes they braule and snarle one at an other like cats and dogges A SHOVVE OF THE PROTESTANTS PETIGREVV as ye haue it before at large deducted An ougly Monster brought forth of a cowe in the yeare 1523. in Waltersdorff one myle from Friberg in one Steckers farme much resembling the cowle of a Fryer Whereby Luthers Monstrous life and doctrine was boded Bicause no coulours might expresse Luther the friers grace As also that such Champions might be knowen by their race Nature therefore in his chefe time of wedding and of preaching Did blase his armes in this Monster to geue the a warning Such faire figures such like truthes such foule rootes such ofspring Such holy fathers such good sonnes such ghospell such blessing Yet thou which maiest reade vpon this Monster do not musâ— But to haue more deformites his broode in this booke peruse A. Martin Luther of an Austin Fryer an ambitious Apostata A wicked deuiser of damnable doctrines Father of all the sectes of protestants The Archeheretike of our time Katerin Bore a Nonne by Luthers procurement ranne out of the Nonnery of Nymick in Saxony Easter eue at night in the yeare of our Lorde 1523. Came to Wittenberg liued twoo yeares a lewd life with the scholers there Then coupled her selfe in pretensed wedlock with Martin Luther a Nonne with a Fryer Apostatesse with Apostata B. C. Bernard Rotman an vnlerned laye man by reading of Luthers epistle ad Waldenses 〈…〉 Lutheran 〈…〉 meth 〈…〉 Of him spronge vp the buddes off this branche Adamites Sabbataries Anabaptistes Holders in common Howling Anabaptistes Mennonites Manywiuers Dauidgeorgians Byslepers Daemoniacalls Close Anabaptistes Steblers D. Zwinglius of a spiritual pastour a secular souldiar Reading the Assertions the Resolutions of Luther and his booke de formula Missa Becometh Father of the Sacramentaries multiplieng in to the sectes aboue named Signifiers Valuers Presentaries Iudaistes Imagebreakers Neutersacramentaries Metamorphistes Pleadgers Figurers E. Philip Melanchthon first the slaue of Luther allwaies a variable and inconstant felowe Euer lerning as S. Paul saieth but neuer attaining to the truthe Father and founder off the CoÌ„fessionistes spredding them selues in to thre famous factions eche faction breding a plentifull issue Zealous Lutherans diuided in to Lawles Lutherans Hellmasters Antidaemoniacalls Antidiapherists Antisuenckfeldians Handlayers Priesters Inuisiblers Twosacramenters Anticaluinistes Autofiandrins Amsâ—â—rsians Helltormenters Samosatenicalls Disordrely and vnruly Lutherans parted in to Suenckfeldians Stancarians Newpelagians Manichees and Marcionite alumisles Newmanichees Antistanckarians Osiandrins Ciuil Lutherans scattered in to Scripturians Thresacramenters Lutherancalicinistes Maiouristes Newpelagians Politick Lutherans Penitentiaries Halfosiandrins Foursacramenters Adiaphoristes THE PLACES AND COVNTRES VVHEREIN THE FORESAIDE PROTESTANTS AND HEREtikes either dwell openly or be conuersaunt secretly THe Anabaptistes dwell frely and opeÌ„ly in easte and weste Friselande and especially about Geddan Dantsch Elbing and Coiningsberg also in Morauia abundantly in Bohem not so com mon. Yet vnder pretext of Lutherans they liue here and there priuely vppon the
ronge of trompetts and musike and as thoughe this article I beleue the Catholike Churche vere scraped out of the Crede or as thoughe that were no more true that Christ hath saide that the Churche is builded vpon a sure rocke not able to be shaken or as though it were false that the Apostle writeth calling the Churche the piller and grounde of truthe Who thē fell in to the ditche was it not he that first threwe his neighbour in and after was constrained to plucke him out again and fall in him selfe all the worlde knoweth and seeth it This then lo is the first prophecy of Martin Luther in this foresaide booke Nowe let vs here an other straite folowing hereupon To the entent saithe he that our conscience be not burdned with the sinnes of an other and we be counted afore God as wicked Achab. For if he be deliuered out of preson the papistes withoute doute will blaspheme our God and will crake after this sorte Lo be not our praiers hearde of God VVe haue praied for the Duke Harry of Brunsuicke and God hathe tried oure patience but he hath heard vs at the lēgth For although he suffred the Duke Harry to fall in to the heretikes handes for our temporall punishment yet they haue not ben able to kepe him still but were compelled off God to dismiss him Thankes be to our God whiche hathe not forsaken the churche and awncient religiō And in dede true it is that this argumēt hathe most moued me For we knowe the pope and his parasites be incurable therefore they can do nought els but euen in their moste miseries and wicked dedes comforte coulour and tricke vp them selues His other prophecy whereby he woulde be counted a thirde Elias he confirmeth by this reason That the same must nedes be the right church off Christ whiche was able by their good praiers to restore their princes in to liberte Therefore if the Duke Harry through the earnest and continuall praiers of the papistes were dismissed of his enemies thē euery man will thinke verely that the papistes are the true and right church of Christ. And this is true in dede For this reason therefore Luther as he writeth was most moued in no case to suffer the Duke to be sette at liberty lest perhaps the papistes shoulde be taken for the true churche of God and he and his felowes for the maligne churche Here let euery man that lacketh not common iudgement consider whether Luther be not suche a prophet as Caiphas was For he prophecieth nowe the truthe but as Caiphas did against him selfe and for the contrary parte The Catholikes in dede praied continually and earnestly for the emprisonned prince that he might escape out of his enemies handes Luther wroughte by force and by crafte all that he coulde to kepe him continually in preson and in his enemies handes Whiche parte then did God heare vndoubtedly the righter and more iuste For God is no vniuste iudge but paieth euery man according to his paines Therefore he succoured the presonner deliuered him and so dealed with hym that he might saye Iudge me o Lorde according to my righteousnes God therefore gaue the right and true sentence and nowe which parte and whose praiers were heard the euent declared But howe laboureth Luther to ouerthrowe the reason of the papistes wherewith he was so muche moued and by that ouerthrow to set vp his prowde and arrogant prophecye The first parte of the reason he letteth stāde and graunteth that God heareth the praiers of his churche But he laieth at the other parte and denieth stoutely that the papistes are able to obtaine any thinge of God For so he goeth forth in his foresaide booke Their praier therefore is not to be feared no more then Elias feared the praiers of the prophets of Baal But as he laughed to scorne their praiers and their God so we maye lawfully laughe to scorne the papistes and their God For we knowe their praiers are execrable as their doctrine and belefe is According to that of the psalme 199. Let their praier turne in to sinne And whomsoeuer they teache he can not chose but be condemned Nether are their praiers other then such as the deuill ones mocked at what time a certain priest being wel tipled saieng his complet in his bead and spetting as he praied letted also a greate farte well quôd he Diuell ▪ such praier such frankensence The like maye be saide of all their mumbling in churches and monasterys For they can not praie nor wil not praie nor know not what to praie nor how to praie The hereticall doctrine of Luther is so printed in some mens hartes by the instinct of some euill sprit that they passe vppon no praier beleue no truthe no miracle not God him selfe but one worde of Luthers mouth more persuadeth them be it neuer so false then God him selfe or his worde or the whole Catholike church Therefore if any man at that time had ben so bolde as to haue saide that the Catholike churche shoulde throughe her deuoute praiers obtaine the victory against her enemies and that this Duke thē prisonner should be deliuered and the other the Duke of Saxony and the Lantgraue caste in preson that man had ben mocked and scoffed to deathe presuming so to contemne the authorite off the thirde Elias Luther And I doubte whether yet vntel this daie some simple mē are deceaued by that his prophecy though the ende of this tragedy being so open to all the worlde geueth euident testimony that allmightie God hath heard the praiers of the papistes and reiected those of the Lutherans deliuering the Duke Harry and bringing the other two Princes in to the Emperours handes as presonners Nowe Luther to absolue and consummat this his laste worke for with this holesom piece he ended his fifte ghospell he prouoketh mē of armes and power to fighte courageously against their chief and Liege Souueraines For thus he writeth Only God must be honoured only god must be praised to him only thankes are due to the entent that he which maketh all thinges may geue also the victory For god can abide none of these twaine either that mā tempt him or that he truste to much to himselfe VVe must walke the high waie turning neither on the right hāde nether on the lefte VVhosoeuer taketh not weapon when he may he vseth not the giftes of god he turneth on the lefte hande and seing a blowe coming laieth out his head He tempteth god wherefore it happeneth wel and worthely that such mēs heades beare awaie the rappes This coūsell of Luther is true and good touching Magistrats Kinges Emperours Princes and rulers But not for them which are subiects and priuat men For Luther him self writeth and teacheth that no Prince or Lorde whiche is vnder a higher power and oweth allegeaunce vnto him can rightely make warre againste any other prince or Lorde muche lesse against his
owne Liege and Souuerain Therefore it should at that time diligently ben prouided that men folowed not this seditious and false high waie of Luther which no subiect can treade without his princes leaue Especially perceauing that this highe waie of Luther hath euer an vnhappy and miserable ende repugning manifestly to the worde of God all writen lawe and Luthers owne doctrine Demosthenes the lerned and eloquent oratour saith wise men deliberat before the facte and fooles after the facte For as Liuy writeth the euent teacheth fooles And we Germans vse to saie the Italian taketh aduise before he begin the french man when he is a doing and the German when he hath done Which although it hath hindered much our countre in diuers affaires yet this is in vs no voluntary negligence but a naturall infirmite For Hesiodus the poet noteth thre sorts of men to be on the earthe saieng VVho knoweth all him selfe is the best man aliue He is the nexte that counsell can vse But he is the worste that woteth not to thriue And yet of an other doth counsell refuse Seing then we Germans are not so quicke of iudgement which peraduenture procedeth of our colde countre as the Italian is to foresee what is to be done yet we maye nowe by this lamentable calamite that we see hath befallen vs and the present greate waste of our deare countre lerne and remembre howe within this fourty yeares it flourished and prospered in al respects before this German prophet and fifte euangelist Luther ranne out of his cloister And although our dutie had ben at that time to haue remembred that saieng of our Lorde Beware of false prophets and the wordes of S. Ihon. Trie the spirits whether they be of God and so to deliberat before the facte yet seing we haue forslowen that let vs at the leste after the smarte be wise and haue recourse nowe at laste to that cōmaundement of almighty God where he commaundeth the simple people to warde them selues from false prophets and teachers For this question being in holy writ propounded Howe shall I vnderstande the worde that oure Lorde hathe spoken God awnswereth and saithe This token I will geue the to vnderstāde it That which the prophet hath foresaied in the name of the Lorde and cometh not to passe that worde the Lorde spake not but the prophet of his owne vaine fantasie forged it If we drawe the line of Luthers prophecye to this rule we shall euidently see that he is not onely a false prophet but also as his greate grande father Satan is a cruell murderer Is it not a greate pride and rashe arrogancy of Luther to prophecye and write that the god of the Catholikes whō he calleth papistes wil not heare their praiers for the deliuraūce of the Duke by what reuelation had he this Againe that no man liuing shoud be able or so bolde as to restore him in to liberte Againe that those his princes the Duke of Saxony and the Lantgraue should not be bound with those fetters which the coyne brought from base Germany pretended Farder that the warre thē ensuing should haue a prosperous successe Laste of all that S. Brigids prophecy was false and his true saieng that the See of Rome and estat of the Pope should then vtterly perish and neuer rise vp againe All these thinges did Luther prophecye in the booke aboue mencioned And did the euent proue all this Not one iote But in euery point it hathe proued cleane contrary Then this worde of Luther was not the worde off the Lorde as Moyses teacheth but it was the worde of the deuill in the person of Luther Againe that Luther hath ben a very murderer of men and a stronge thefe in Gods churche it is euident hereby that his doctrine and vaine prophecyes setting together the princes by the eares hath ben the onely cause of all seditions warre and bloudshed that within this fourty yeares haue happened in Germany The first booke that Luther made to spoyle and ransacke the churche was his booke De Captiuitate Babylonica Christiana libertate In the whiche booke he so debaseth reuileth and bringeth in contempt not onely the awncient true and Catholike religion of Christ his churche but also the lawes bothe Canon and Ciuill that it maye seme he lacked but a head and capitaine to make a perfit sedition But whereas at that time there was yet amonge men more feare of God and reuerence to their magistrats thē that they would be moued with Luthers light talke fewe were founde to helpe blowe the fire which he had kindled vntell at the length Luther him selfe moued peraduenture more hotely with the sprit ronge the alarum him selfe in the yeare 1523. setting forthe a booke entituled De saeculari potestate in a parte whereoff he writeth these wordes These are our Christen princes which defende the faith and deuoure the Turke In dede worthy men and such as you maie truste that by their greate wisedome they are likely to do some what as to breake their owne neckes first and then leade whole countres and peoples to breake necke after These blinde princes I would well aduise to be ware onely of one small sentence of the 166. psalme whiche is this He pooreth oute contempt vppon Princes I swere vnto you by God that if through your negligence this poore sentence ones take holde on you you are vndone were you as mighty and of as greate power as the Turke himselfe Nether will your storming any thinge profit you The matter is nowe all ready well begonne For fewe princes are nowe that are not counted for villaines and fooles and that bicause they showe themselues for such and the people beginneth nowe to wexe wise and the plage of princes which god calleth contēpt encreaseth daily in the peoples hartes and I feare me it will not be staied onles princes behaue themselues as it becometh them and begin againe to rule more modestly For men ne will ne can lenger abyde your tiranny O wellbeloued Princes and Lordes Therefore prouide for yourselues God wil not suffre this your tiranny any more the worlde is not no we as it was in times paste when you were wonte to hunte and chase men like bestes awaie therefore with your pride power and haugtynes and labour to do that is right and good suffer the worde of God to haue his course which yet it must haue and shall haue and you shall not be able to let it If we teach heresie let it be confuted by the worde of God If you will trie the matter with the sworde take hede leste some man cōmaunde you to put vp your sworde not in Gods name But you wil saie peraduenture If amonge the Christians there ought to be no secular sworde nor Ciuill gouuernement howe then shall men be kepte in order howe shall they be gouuerned For amonge Christen mē must be magistrats and officers
him auouched OVr Sauiour in the ghospell forwarning vs off false teachers and prophets which comīg in shepes skinnes are inwardly rauening wolues and checking the proude Pharisees corrupting the worde of god with their fonde inuentions making thereby a secte by them selues as Iosephus recordeth pronounceth of them in this wise Coeci sunt duces coecorum Coecus autem si coeco ducatum praestet ambo in foueam cadunt that is They are blinde and the guides of blinde men and if the blinde leade the blinde bothe fall in to the ditche Likewise the blessed Apostle S. Peter according to the charge geuen him off our Sauiour aboue the rest of the Apostles euen as aboue the rest he loued Christ forwarneth also his flocke of heretikes that should springe vp amonge them as in the olde lawe before some had spronge and writeth thus Fuerunt pseudoprophetae in populo c. There were false prophets also among the people euen as there shall be lying masters amonge you which shall bringe in damnable sectes euen denying God that hath bought them and bring vpon them selues swift damnation and many shall folowe their damnable waies by whom the waie off truthe shall be blasphemed c. In these sayengs bothe of our Sauiour and of S. Peter his vicar here on earthe we lerne bothe that false heretikes were like to arise in Christ his church and what a perilous thing it is to folow the straypathes of such blinde guides ▪ which is as oure Sauiour saieth to fall in to the ditche with them and as S. Peter telleth vs to blaspheme the waye of truthe to witt Christ him selfe who is the life the waie and the truthe And truly iff we endeuoured our selues as S. Paule biddeth vs to obserue and folowe those which walke after such sorte as we haue him for an ensample if we were solliciti seruare vnitatem Spiritus in vinculo pacis diligent to kepe vnite of minde in the bonde of peace if we woulde as he most charely warneth Timothe saue that which is geuen vs to kepe the treasure of our faithe and auoide prophane nouelties of talke and oppositions of false named knowleadg we would not so rashly haue folowed a fewe false teachers against the common consent of Christendome we had not departed from our first faith and after the knowleadg of truthe haue turned away from the holy commaundement being so as S. Peter saieth in worse case then if we had neuer knowen the truthe brefely we had not fallen in to so many and diuers pittes of hereticall doctrine forsakinge the grounde and piller of al truthe the Catholike church of Christ. For verely who so earnestly and diligently would considre with him selfe whereby it hath happened that in these late yeares so many haue departed from the catholike faith and yelded to newe doctrines not heard of before he shall surely finde the principall meanes thereof to haue ben the onely light credence geuen to newe preachers and rashe beleuing euery newe tale in matters of conscience and saluation The cause of this our rashnes I will not serche out though it be ready to finde our onely sinnes and wicked life being the very proper cause thereof and nothing els But the meanes as I saied hath principally ben light harkening to euery such as listed to talke newe doctrine the doctrine it selfe being plausible and gladly receiued of those which burdned with sinne and wickednes were gredy of the liberty that in the doctrine was preached according as S. Paul prophecied saying The time shall be when men will not abide holesom doctrine but as such whose eares doth itch they shall gett them such teachers as shall withdraw them from the truthe and turne them to fables For hereof it happened that not regarding what he was that taught or vpon what reasons he grounded his doctrine onely the pleasauntnes of it as a bayte choked the hearers and prisers thereof For euen as in the olde lawe the children of Israel when they fell to iniquite woulde not harken to the prophets but badde them to speake pleasaunt doctrine vnto them and seke them out errours so many these late yeares pressed with sinne harkned gredely to such doctrine as might deliuer them from the discipline of the church from due repentaunce confession and satisfaction of their sinnes from obedience to pastours and curats from fastings from praier and all necessite of good workes brefely from all clogge of conscience from which Luther craked he had deliuered the hartes off men Nowe as we are suffred to fall in to sinne sometime not onely of infirmite or for triall of our strenghth but also for the plage of other sinnes as S. Paule in the first to the Romans declareth so in punishment of this lewde liberty so gredely embraced in smaller pointes of our faithe God hathe of his secret and vnknowen iustice suffred vs to fall beside in to such enormous heresies though nothing pleasaunt otherwise to such detestable doctrine to so diuers and contrary opinions that considering now the trade of this tragedy and seing to what issue it hath proceded though truly I feare it be farre yet from the issue and ende I haue thought it a good and conuenient meanes bothe to staie somewhat this hedlong race that men so blindely runne in and to call backe such as haue passed all bondes of right belefe already by the very same meanes by the which they first began to breake the araye of Christes church and to runne this madde and lamentable course And bicause we may worke the matter euen from the grounde I haue thought good to consider the very first sowers of the schismaticall seede of oure time which I do finde to haue ben Luther and his scholer Melanchthon and Iohn Caluin The first broker of this cursed bargain whereby many haue lost heauen and purchased hell was Martin Luther The setter forth of the bargain and greatest Marchant of these perilous wares was Melanchthon who semed partly to perfit that which Luther began partly to amend with ciuill conformatiō that which the other furiously and beyond all reason blamed Of these two heades are nowe two monstrous sectes swarming in all such places as protestants and ghospellers preuaile That is the zelous roughe and rigorous Lutherans cleauing fast to euery iote and parcell of Luthers doctrine as being the very euangelist of this fifte ghospell and the ciuill softe and Philosophicall Lutherans which after the trade off Melanchthon plucke vp in Luther such thinges as they mislike and plante of their owne such as they liste The third chief Master of late heresies and principall founder of wicked doctrine hathe ben Iohn Caluin the head and Capitayn of the Sacramentary secte For though Zuinglius and Oecolampadius may seme his auncetours of a fewe yeares yet he beareth nowe the name and the stroke of all that cursed secte both bicause he hath writen most thereof and also
hath done most harme of any other Truly who so knewe what maner of men these were what abhominable doctrine they haue taught how variable and inconstant they haue ben in their owne sayings and doings if he be a ChristeÌ„ man and feareth God he will neuer forsake the whole corps of Christendom and the Catholike faithe of so many hundred yeares to folowe the priuat newe and variable doctrine of their braynes But it semeth they are of a number vnknowen and hereuppon rashely beleued I will therefore adde vnto this worke of Staphylus a short discours touching the doctrine of these thre Archeprotestants of our time For euen as the intent and purpose of that vertuous and lerned man Fridericus Staphylus in this his Apology by vs translated was to reduce his deere countremen of Germany wandering like straie shepe to the flocke off Christes churche againe partly by discouering the falshod of their guides craking of Gods worde without the right meaning thereof and abusing the vnlerned with false forged translating off the same which in the first and second part of his Apology he hath done partly also by setting before mens eyes their greate variaunces and most clere dissensions in doctrine an euident argumeÌ„t of heresy euen so our intent and pupose is for the edifieng of such of my dere countremeÌ„ as haue not of malice but of ignoraÌ„ce cleaued vnto the plausible and pernicious doctrine of these thre Archeheretikes Martin Luther Phil. MelanchthoÌ„ and Iohn Caluin to make an especiall discours of their doctrine bicause they are in our countre aboue all other secte masters most folowed For not only the common sorte of deceiued protestants but the lerned and pretended prelats and ministres of our countre are partly LutheraÌ„s partly Sacramâ—taries And of the LutheraÌ„s some though the fewer nuÌ„bre are zelous and rigorous LutheraÌ„s that is such as wil in al points folow Luther taking hym for the verâ— prophet of God the fifte Euangelist and the third Elias of our time Some are ciuill Lutherans gentle and courtly protestants which admit Luther so farre as theÌ„ list professing a kinde of indifferency in many matters of religioÌ„ as Melanchthon their first Master taught them The third sorte of protestaÌ„ts the most common and allowed secte in Englande are the Sacramentaries of Geneua Who are so greate in nuÌ„bre and authorite that the other are allmost of no accoÌ„pt or reputatioÌ„ To these meÌ„ Luther is a papist and Caluin is the right and vndoubted prophet To the entent therefore that beside the generall discours of Staphylus the particular humours of our countre may somewhat be serued I haue thought it necessary to annexe here vnto a particular discours of these thre sectes by examining the thre first founders and fathers thereof But especially and most largely we entend to treate of the Sacramentary secte as being the greatest sore of the corrupted body off our countre And although we saie not herein al that may be saied which would require a large volume and perhap more tedious then profitable yet these fewe that we shal bring may be sufficient arguments to discredit the authorite of any one of them which in many mens eyes semeth so greate that at the warrant off their mouthe they sticke not to caste awaye all credit off all the lerned men in Christe his churche this fiftene hundred yeares and vpwarde For if I declare vnto you most manifest and clere heresies such as haue ben condemned aboue a thousand yeares paste in that state and time of Christes church as our protestants yet acknowleadg or â—eme at the lest to acknowledg for pure and vncorrupted to be in the doctrine of Caluin If I showe most manifest contradictions and brutish absurdites oute off his writings in the waightiest articles of our belefe as of the blessed Sacrament of Baptim and of free will of man if I declare vnto you such inconstancy of Melanchthon as woulde scarse become a meane scholer in matters of common lerning yf I discouer a numbre of olde heresies condemned also in the primitiue church renewed by Luther generally receaued of all protestants beside diuers other most certain tokens of hereticall doctrine auouched by him all this I truste shall be a iuste and sufficient cause not only to suspect but vtterly to mislike the residew off their doctrine and opinions whereby they haue inueigled the hartes of men to the vtter destruction off thousands of soules For truly if they be men sent especially from God to restore vnto vs the light of his holy worde after the darcknes of so many hundred yeares as they pretend to be and are taken for such it can not possibly be but that their sayings and doings must sauour of the Apostles holy Martirs and awncient fathers of Christes church by whom the faith of Christ was first planted here on earth and spred through oute the whole worlde That is they must haue Cor vnum animam vnam One harte and one mynde as the Apostles had they must Obedire excorde in eam formam doctrinae in qua traditi sunt Obeyeuen from their harte to that mâ—ner of doctrine wherein they were brought vp as the first Christians did they must haue the ensample of holesom wordes and doctrine which they heard of their first fathers and teachers as the churche of Christ hath allwaies continued But iff their sayings and doings repugne directly against the manner and vsage of these holy men if they be at variaunce amonge them selues and with them selues as especially you shall see in Caluin if they forsake the trade of olde doctrine and renewe in their place olde condemned heresies if they forsake the ensample of other forging doctrine of their owne no Christen man may doubte but that they are not off that race nor line but rather of the issue of the olde heretikes whose doctrine they renew and behauiour they folow For vndoubtedly the saying of our Sauiour can not be false By their frutes you shall knowe them But now to the matter and first of Luther It is well knowen by all the histories of our time as of Fontanus Reuerus Sleidan and other that the first breache of the well ordred aray of Christes churche was by Luther attempted not of reuelatioÌ„ conscience or lerning but only for the grief of a repulse taken touching the publishing of that famous pardon of the Croâ—sad For hereuppon began he first to open his lippes against the abuse of pardons after against the pardons them selues theÌ„ against the whole authorite of the church not only in that matter but almost in al other necessary articles of belefe And biâ—ause we wil not go by coÌ„iectures but by mostâ—â— redemonstrations I will bring you the wordes of Luthâ—â— him sâ—lfe In a disputation before the Duke George of Saxony helde openly at Lipsia with D. Eâ—kius he doth plainly pronounce That the quarell of religion theÌ„ by him enter prâ—sâ—d was not begonn for the honour
which is but one are they agreed Truly as cattes and dogges Luther neuer wrote so bitterly against vs Catholikes as he doth against the poore Sacramentaries of Zurich You haue the greuous complaint of the brotherhood of Zurich in the third parte of this booke against Luther Reade the later wordes of the place and see howe charitably he vseth them Caluin likewise calleth VVestphalus a papist and findeth faute with Bullinger for teaching that to eate Christ and to beleue in Christ is all one And Brentius woulde proue against all the swarme of Sacramentaries that Christ is euery where really not only in the Sacrament What then is there no meanes lefte vs sure and certain to knowe and vnderstande the right meaning of holy Scripture by Sothely if you take the shameles brode waie that Luther prescribeth you none at all But if ye acknowleadg and reuerence the authorite of holy fathers of awncient Councells off the Catholike and vniuersall Church of Christ during continually from the time of the blessed Apostles hetherto there is a right sure and infallible waie to obtaine your desire In the preface of Staphylus to the Bishop of Eystat and the first parte of this his Apologie you haue a very euident and sensible declaration thereof As you tendre your soule health and the inestimable treasure of life euerlasting which without right belefe is not to be had reade and peruse diligently the Authour And you shall I trust in God finde your felfe satisfied to the vttermost For howe thinke you May you not worthely suspect that mās cause that disableth so many witnesses so lerned so holy as Luther doth condemning all holy Fathers and Councels Is it not a pride comparable to the loftines of Lucifer him selfe to saie I will no iudgement but I require obedience Is it not a most impudent arrogancy and a detestable blasphemy to saie that al holy men of the Church are damned if they thought as they taught Neuer sence the worlde stode was there heretike that vttered such horrible blasphemies as the cursed mouthe and penne of Luther hath done But sithen that Luther condemneth the olde fathers of the Church is he nowe the first father thereof hath he no predecessours in his doctrine Surely the Lutheran protestants of our countre crie so much vpon the fathers that seing their Master denieth all fathers it may much be maruailed where the scholers haue founde them After longe study I haue at the length espied who are their fathers And for the instruction of my dere deceiued countremen I will not lett to declare them S. Paule to the Corinthians saieth Though ye haue thousands of masters in Christ yet not many fathers For in Christ Iesus by the ghospell I haue begotten you Such thē are to be accompted the fathers of Christes Church or of heretikes whose doctrine the church of Christ foloweth or heretikes Let vs see then whose doctrine Luther and his scholers the protestants do folowe First not the doctrine of the Fathers of Christes Church For they pardie by the vardit of Luther are all damned if they thought as they taught Off what fathers then hath he and his scholers lerned their doctrine We shall see by the particulars Luther in his Assertions against Pope Leo teacheth that fre wil after the fal of mā is but a bare title and that man while he doth as much as lieth in him sinneth deadly yea and that the iuste man in his good worke sinneth also deadly And Melanchthon his scholer in his Annotations vpon S. Paule to the Romans saieth that the aduoutry of Dauid is as properly the worke of God as the calling of Paule blaming the glose of such as saie that God permitteth euill but doth none for fonde and foolish So teacheth also Iohn Caluin and Beza his derling This heresy they lerned of Simon Magus of Marcion of the Manichees of Petrus Abailhardus all cōdemned heretikes as in S. Augustin ad Quoduultdeum in Epiphanius in S. Clement of Rome and in S. Bernard it is to be sene The allegations of these places we note only at this present without recitall at large to auoide prolixite Vpon this doctrine it folowed that good workes by the deniall of fre wil being wiped away faith must do the dede Luther therefore and all his felow heretikes teache the sufficiency of only faith to saluation Yea and our protestants are not ashamed to putt it in to their Crede songe in their churches And for this purpose where S. Paul writeth VVe thinke man to be iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe Luther translateth it thus VVe thinke man to be iustified by only faith This olde dānable and most enormous heresie they haue lerned of olde heretikes aboue a thousand yeares ago for ye may not thinke these mē lacke antiquite in their doctrine Their Fathers herein are Eunomius and Aetius who taught likewise only faith to suffise condemned therefore for heretikes off the Church as S. Augustin and Epiphanius recordeth Luther and all his scholers can not abide worshipping of Saints calling such seruice idolatry Their fathers touching this doctrine are Faustus Manicheus the heretike and Maximus Madaureusis the pagan finding faute with the Christians for such deuotion as S. Augustin mencioneth They condemne praieng for the dead they abhorre the blessed Sacrifice of the Masse celebrated for the dead they would make men beleue it was neuer vsed before S. Gregories time how saie we then if the contrary opinion denieng praier for the dead were condemned for an heresy longe before S. Gregories time was not troweye such praier allowed and practised S. Augustin reakoning vp the heresies before his time writeth of the Aerians thus Aeriani ab Aerio qui cum esset praesbyter dolens quôd episcopus nō potuit ordinari in Arrianorū haeresim lapsus propria quoque dogmata addidit nonuulla dicens orare vel offerre pro mortuis oblationem non oportere that is The Aerians so called off Aerius who being priest for grief that he could not be made a bishop fell in to the heresy of the Arrians and added also certain doctrines of his owne saying that men ought not to praie nor to offer oblation for the dead The like writeth of him before S. Augustin Epiphanius in his booke of heresies It was preached of late before diuers of the honourable Nobilite of the Realme in the solemne funerall of the late most Catholike Emperour Ferdinandus that praier for the dead was bothe superfluous and superstitious It was saied a third place such as purgatory is could not be iustified by Scripture and that the auncient fathers before the time of S. Gregory acknowledged no suche place nor praier for the dead in such sence as the Catholikes now take it and vse it This sermon also hath ben thought worthy to be printed and sette forthe to the vewe of the whole world
to thy perfect seruaunt Ferdinandus Feared you that if yow had so saied yow shoulde haue ben thought to haue praied for Ferdinandus and when S. Ambrose saieth so wil you not haue vs thinke that he praied for Theodosius Might not you haâ—e vsed it for a figure of eloquence and so haue folowed the maner of the olde fathers as you would seme to do in all your doinges if that maner of speaking were but a figure of eloqueÌ„ce as you saie it was no more Againe what difference is it M. Grindall to saie Lorde geue reast to thy seruaunt and to saie Lorde haue mercy vppon the soule of thy seruaunt For to the departed out of this worlde no other rest can be geuen but to his soule iff his be so why are they called papistes which vse so to speake and yet S. Ambrose so speaking is no papist But what stande we so longe hereuppon I wil aske one question and so passe to your allegation off Chrisostom Faustina a vertuous woman lamented much the death of her Sister S. Ambrose writeth vnto her and saieth Non tam deplorandam quam prosequendam orationibus reor nec moestificandam lachrymis tuis sed magis oblationibus animam eius Deo commendandam arbitror That is My aduise is that you lament not your sister but praie for her and commend rather her soule to God with oblations then mone and morne it with teares I aske here Did S. Ambrose will Faustina to leaue her lamenting and fall to figures of eloquence and so to vtter her vehement affection to her sister doeth your wisedome iudge so Master Grindall Or do not rather all wise men see howe farre from all witt and wisedome this shift of youres is Well though perhaps ye spake but merely here yet you haue a sadde testimony out of ChrisostoÌ„ For he offreth the sacrifice of the masse euen for the Pariarches prophets Apostles yea and the blessed virgin also â–ª what if he do so M. Grindall Mary saie you shall we now gather hereof that these are in purgatory It is to greate an absurdite I graunte it is so What then wil you gather hereof M. Grindall This oblation therefore saie you is only a thankes geuing to God for the Saints of God departed Will you gather so M. Grindall that is to greate an absurdite Haue ye not heard S. Augustin saie that the sacrifice of the aultar is for some a thankes geuing for other a propitiatioÌ„ This your coÌ„clusioÌ„ of only thaÌ„kes geuing in the oblatioÌ„ of the church is much like to your concluding of only faith The scripture saith Iustus ex fide viuit the iuste maÌ„ liueth by his faith LO say you faith only iustifieth and you forget it is writeÌ„ againe Factores legis iustificabuÌ„tur the perfourmers of the lawe shall beiustified whereby it is clerely proued that good workes must coÌ„curre with faith Euen so nowe you forgett that although Chrisostom here offer vp the oblation for the Saints as in thaÌ„kes geuing to God for theÌ„ yet that in the same liturgie in the next petitioÌ„ after he maketh an other especiall praier for the dead saying Sancti Iohannis Baptistae prophetae praecursoris sanctoruÌ„ nominatissimoruÌ„ ApostoloruÌ„ sancti huius cuius memoriaÌ„ agimus omniuÌ„ sanctoruÌ„ supplicationibus visita nos deus memor esto oÌ„niuÌ„ in domino dormientiuÌ„ in spe resurrectionis vitae aeternae aâ— requieÌ„ presta eis c. that is By the supplicatioÌ„s of S. Iohn baptist the prophet and precursor of the holy and most renouned Apostles and of this Sainct whose memory we kepe this daye visit vs good Lorde and remeÌ„bre al those that slepe in our Lorde in the hope of resurrection to life euerlasting and graunt them rest cae this lo M. Grindall you forget and conclude very absurdely that the oblation is only a thankes geuing But let vs now againe haue a recours to S. Augustin the faith fullest reporter of antiquite in the doctrines of the Church by the verdit of Caluin him selfe and let vs lerne of him how and in what sence the Church vsed the memory of saints in the blessed sacrifice of the Masse and whether that sacrifice be only a thaÌ„kes geuing as you conclude M. Grindal These are the wordes of that lerned and holy father Habet ecclesiastica disciplina quod fideles nouerunt cum martyres eo loco recitantur ad altare dei vbi non pro ipsis oretur pro caeteris autem commemoratis defunctis oretur Iniuria est enim pro Martyre orare cuius nos debemus orationibus commendari that is The doctrine of the Church hath which the faithfull do knowe when the Martyrs are in that place reakoned vp at the aultar of God where they are not praied for but the other soules departed there reakoned vp are praied for For it is an iniury to praie for a Martyr by whose praiers we ought to be our selues commeÌ„ded In these wordes of S. Augustin we lerne M. Grindall that the martyrs are not praied for though they be named at the aultar as you heard in Chrisostom the Patriarches Prophets and Apostles named We lerne that other soules departed not Martyrs are praied for Laste of al we lerne that the martyrs praie for vs we praie not for them Where is now your imagined sâ—pposition M. Grindall that the eldest fathers praiyng for the dead meaned such dead as were already in heaueÌ„ S. Austen denieth that the church praieth for theÌ„ he saieth the doctrine of the church hath otherwise taught and that the faithful knowe it Yf you be of the church M. Grindall if you be of such a faith as was in S. Augustins time you knowe that Martyrs were not praied for you knowe that other soules departed were praied for Last of all you know that the Martyrs praied for vs. But you denie al these matters you mocke and scoffe at it and therefore you are not instructed in the doctrine of the church you are not of such faith as was in S. Augustins time To coÌ„clude you holde with the heretike Aerius coÌ„demned for an heretike a huÌ„dred yeares afore S. Augustin flourished And yet you were not afeared to abuse the honourable Nobilite assisting at that Funeral soleÌ„nite nor ashamed to preache in pulpit for the very pure worde of God an old cursed heresy I beseche God to lighteÌ„ the hartes of our most gracious Souuerain and Lady the Quenes Maiestie and of the most honourable Nobilite of her realme that they may see auoide and exterminat this caÌ„cred vermin of heresy corrupting no lesse the teÌ„poral welth and prosperous estate of our dere couÌ„tre then the spirituall hope of our saluatioÌ„ and al right faith in Christ Iesus I haue auÌ„swered al such reasons as you haue brought in your sermoÌ„ M. Grindal against praier for the dead I haue done in part my duty to the church of God as my vocatioÌ„ required I haue declared my good will to my
we are assured of suche thinges as seme not to be but are in dede But a thinge to be whiche is not oure faithe can not assure vs. So by faith we beleue the present being off Christes body and bloud in the Sacrament which appeareth not present vnto vs. Nowe then if Caluin shooteth much amisse to attribut his fonde imagination to the miraculous working off God howe muche were his scholers beside the marke that seing Gods power failed woulde flie to their faithe and attribute suche operation to it as God him selfe worketh not And this doctrine being so absurde Caluin hath inuented bycause he woulde destroye Transubstantiation That is to saye Rather then with the Catholike churche he will graunte that Christ maye be in many places at ones as in heauen and in the blessed Sacrament to whiche is no contradiction but a worke though aboue the commō course of nature yet wel agreable to the omnipotēcy of almighty God and vniformely of al holy fathers acknowledged he inuenteth an imagination of his owne making God the authour off contradiction saieng we eate Christ in the Sacrament aud yet being as farre distant from vs as heauen is from the earthe whiche bothe is a thing that God neuer worketh and such as neuer man before the dayes of Iohn Caluin taught in Christ his churche I haue ben good readers some what long in debating this one point bicause I wish euery mā to vnderstande me As for the deceaued scholers of Caluin in oure dere countre if they will not beleue the Catholike churche touching the omnipotency of Christe to be in diuers places at ones they are confuted by the greate worke of Brentius a Lutheran de vbiquitate sette forth this very yeare for the proufe of that onely pointe though it be otherwise hereticall Caluin in his commentaries vpon S. Iohn saith in expresse wordes I confesse we eate Christ by no other meanes then by beleuing And what beleuing he meaneth in his Catechisme he doth expresse In beleuing that Christe is dead for our redemptiō and hath risen for our iustificatiō our soule eateth the body of Christ spiritually Finally he meaneth no other eating of Christ in the sacramēt thē by faith For vpon the sixt of Ihon he affirmeth eating to be the worke of faith and in his Institutions he calleth it the effect of faithe And this againe is a greate stay of al the Sacramentary doctrine to make men wene that we ought to looke for no other eating of Christ his flesh and drinking his bloud in the blessed sacramēt then by faith For this their faith is so precious a thing in the eye of Caluin that he is not ashamed to write in his cōmētaries vpō S. Matthew these wordes If we could sufficiently be mindefull of the passiō of Christ it were but superfluous to haue the commō vse of Sacraments for they are remedies of oure infirmitie This doctrine bicause it is a most perilous and most blasphemous doctrine and yet as I vnderstande to my greate grief much rooted in the hartes of many of my dere deceaued countremen I wil labour with such reasons as I may to remoue it frō their hartes For truly this proude confidence of faith planted by Luther watered by Caluin and encreased by the pricking forthe of the deuill in his Ministres excludeth all meanes to call for grace all due preparation to the holy Sacraments all endeuour of vertuous liuing First if by beleuing in Christ we eate Christe and eate no otherwise then by faithe then is all excommunication vaine Bothe the Catholike church hathe allwaies practised and the protestants of our countre for the maintenaunce of their wicked doctrine do gredely practise that for certain hainous crimes men are kepte from the holy table as they calle it or embarred the receauing of the blessed Sacrament as the Catholike churche termeth it The doctrine off the Catholike church teaching vs as the wordes of our Sauiour expresly importe to eate not onely by faith but in dede the fleshe of our Sauiour in the blessed Sacrament worthely excludeth from that most holy mistery open penitents as the primitiue church speaketh that is suche as hauing committed notorious crimes either wickedly perseuere in the same or though repenting thereof haue not yet done due satisfactiō therefore But the doctrine of Caluin and al the Sacramentaries excluding the reall presence off our Sauiour and graūting this heauēly foode to faith only what auaileth it thē to excōmunicat or remoue frō their table any notorious offender keping yet not withstanding his faithe and beleuing allwaies in the passiō of our Sauiour and resurrectiō also if by faith onely he receaue Christ then may he eate as well at home in his house as if he were admitted in to the congregation For though he be excommunicat he loseth not yet his faithe vnlesse perhaps as they saie according to the doctrine of their graundfather Luther that who hath faith hath withall necessarely good workes whereupon they builde their perilous doctrine of only faith so contrary wise they will saie that a notorious offender a bearer of malice a disobedient person and so forthe leseth with al his faith by the lacke whereof he can not eate Christ vnlesse he be absolued if they saie this first I aske what if the person repent before the pretended bishop or Ordinary absolue him In this case other he beleueth and so eateth Christ though he stande yet excommunicat as being not absolued or he beleueth not and so his faith dependeth vpon the external absolution which were to superstitious a doctrine for the newe ghospell Againe though we graunted them this suttle shift and suffred them so to pluck their heades oute of the coler that their excommunication were good bicause their excommunicats haue loste their faith and are become infidels though truly their excōmunicatiō be nothing els but the diuels curse yet by this their doctrine they condemne the primitiue church embarring penitents such as lacked no faithe pardy onles a man maie bewaile his sinnes and haue no faithe some three some seuen some ten yeares some euen to the houre off their death from the receauing of the blessed Sacrament Nowe if they boldely condemne the primitiue church what maie they not be bolde to do yet they beare men in hande forsothe that they reduce all to the state off the primitiue church and will be tried by the first six hundred yeares after Christ. Well this only practise in the primitiue Church excluding penitents from the blessed Sacrament directly destroieth oure Sacramenaries doctrine teaching vs to eate Christ no other wise as Caluin saythe then by beleuing Againe the practise of the primitiue church was that the Cathechumeni that is such as were not yet baptised and beleued not withstanding bothe in the passion and in the resurrection of Christ should not only not be admitted to receaue the holy Sacramēt but were not suffred to tary in the church
as a Sacrament hauing efficacy thereunto but to be a signe of that entring to the entent that being first grafte in Christ or being borne of Christen parents by the vertu of Gods promise or being borne of infidels by faith and repentaunce as he teacheth manifestly in his institutions being as I saie thus grafte in Christ before then by baptim as by a sure token we maie be accompted for Christians not made such And this to be his very meaning I will by his owne wordes declare you oute of his Institutions In his chapter of baptim not farre from the beginning thus he writeth Baptim promiseth vs no other cleāsing then by the sprinckling of the bloud of Christe whiche is figured by the water who then will saie that we are cleansed with this water which dothe assuredly testifie that oure true and onely cleansing is the bloud of Christe Lo here he teacheth baptim to figure oure cleansing procured by the sheading of Christ his bloud whiche he calleth oure true and onely cleansing It is most true that by the precious deathe and passion of oure Sauiour we are purged from the sinne of our father Adam and all other actuall sinnes And yet it hath pleased God to vse meanes for the appliēg of this souuerain benefit vnto vs. Those are amonge other his holy sacraments And Caluin him selfe writing vpon S. Paule to the Corinthians saith plainely that by the blessed Sacrament of the aultar Sacrificij beneficium nobis applicatur The benefit of the sacrifice is applied vnto vs. And writing vppon the sixte of Ihon he blameth them which teache the fleshe of Christ to profit vs onely as it was crucified and saieth Quin potius comedere eam necesse est vt crucifixa profit that is Na rather we must of necessite eate it to the entent it maye profit vs which was crucified And againe in in the same place he saieth Nihil nobis prodesset victimā illam semel esse immolatā nisi nūc sacro epulo vesceremur that is It shoulde nothing auaile vs to haue that sacrifice ones offred onles we did nowe also eate of this holy bāquet Caluin him selfe therefore acknowledgeth that not only the passion of Christ suffiseth but that also this Sacrament of Christ his body and bloud must feede vs. The like truly we saie of baptim For as our Sauiour saied Onles you eate my fleshe and drinke my bloud you shall haue no life in you so he saide Onles a man be borne againe of water and of the holy ghoste he shall not enter in to the kingdome of heauen And though Caluin call here the bloud of Christe oure onely clensing yet S. Paule is not afeared to call baptim also Lauacrum regenerationis the cleansing of our new birthe saieng we were saued thereby Againe Caluin him self writing vppon S. Paule to the Romans teacheth no lesse For there he saith that by baptim we are graffed in to the body of Christe and liue by the substance thereof euen as the graffe by the stocke sauing that the graffe kepeth his naturall taste and sape but we kepe nothinge offour owne but chaunge vtterly our nature in to the nature of Christ. Howe then is baptim as he made it before a figure of our clensing and a testimony onely Yow see he cōdemneth him selfe And this I haue thought good presently to declare allbeit beside oure principall purpose leste that the other doctrine of Caluin being apparently plausible might corrupt the vnlerned and well meaning Reader But now to the matter againe In the same chapter of baptim Caluin mocketh at the whole Catholike churche as Pelagius the heretike did a thousand yeares paste teaching that originall sinne is taken awaye by baptim Brefely in the next chapter folowing of his Institutions at the ende thereof he maketh so light of baptim in the children of Christen parents that if contempt and negligence be not on our partes oure children saieth he without daunger may lacke baptim Thus lo you see howe Caluin maketh baptim but a figure and token or testimony of clensing and euen so much maketh he the blessed Sacrament off the aultar comparing it vnto baptim to witt a figure a signe a testimony which a man may as well lacke as haue and withoute the which a man maye as well receaue Christ as with it imagining that these two most waighty and holy Sacramēts for of al the rest he maketh no accompte at all are naught els but as certain markes and tokens whereby Christ may knowe his flocke lest perhaps in seking for them he should misse See to what point oure Christen religion is brought by these newe ghospellers of late yeares Forsothe to mere signes tokens and figures As though we were yet vnder the shadowes off Moyses lawe as though that which happened to thē in figures were not brought nowe to a sure verite as though the coming of Christ procured not better and more present remedies for mans saluation then such as were betokened in the tabernacle finally as though the church of Christ redemed with his most precious bloud were fedde with figures and traded ▪ with signes and tokens as the synagoges of the Iewes was Would Christ thinke we threaten vs damnation for lacke of signes as he dothe for wante off baptim saieng vnto Nicodemus Onles a man be borne again of water and the holy ghoste he shall not enter in to the kingdom of heauen Would he denie vs the life of resurrection for lacke of tokens as he doth for not receauing his precious body and bloud saieng vnto the Iewes Onles you eate my flesh and drinke my bloud you shal haue no life in you Would S. Paule pronounce dānation vpō vs for the vnworthy receauing of a piece of bread as he doth for the vnworthy receauing of Christ his body Was S. Peter deceaued when he wrote that by baptim we were saued as Noe was by water or S. Paul writing that Christ cleāsed his church with the washing of water in the word of life or the whole church in S. Augustins time condemning Pelagius for an heretike for that he denied as Caluin dothe nowe that by Baptim originall sinne was taken awaie We recited you before in this laste conclusion of Caluins whole doctrine touching this blessed Sacrament oute of his resolutions vpon the sacraments that we receiue Christ no lesse withoute the vse off the Cōmuniō thē in vsing it You haue heard there his reasons why Truly he vttereth this doctrine off his not in one or two but allmost in all places of his workes where he treateth of this matter In his cōmentaries vpon the sixte of Ihon where Christ promiseth life and resurrection to those whiche eate his fleshe and drinke his bloud Caluin saithe Nō de Coena habetur cōcio sed de perpetua communicatione quae extra Caenae vsum nobis constat that is Christ preacheth not of the Supper but of
that continuall communion which we surely haue withoute the frequentation of the Supper And this continuall communion withoute the frequentatioÌ„ vse or accesse of the Supper he meaneth to be the very same which we haue in the Supper as his wordes folowing declare where he saithe Simul tameÌ„ fateor nihil hic dici quod non in Coena figuretur ac vere praestetur fidelibus that is Yet I confesse withall that nothing is here spoken which is not figured and truly exhibited to the beleuers in the Supper Then the doctrine of Caluin is clere and euident in this point that we receaue Christe no lesse and haue him no lesse dwelling in vs coÌ„tinually though we come not to the communioÌ„ or Sacrament then if we come and resorte thither What nede I speÌ„de wordes time and paper in refelling this moste absurde doctrine if this be so why scorne they of Caluins secte against suche as liste not come to their table Maye not good men tell theÌ„ that by the doctrine of Caluin they coÌ„municat and receaue Christ allwaies by faithe in their hartes no lesse then at their table or coÌ„munion and that they take nothing there but suche as they had before they came thither Caluin teacheth this most directly as you haue heard and as they maye more see whiche liste to reade his litle treatise entitulâ—d A resolution vpon the Sacraments in the fourtenth and ninteth articles I will here aske one question of the Caluinistes and scholers of Geneua in our countre If as Caluin saithe vpon the sixte of Ihon we haue a perpetuall communion of Christ no lesse withoute celebrating the Supper of the Lorde then in celebrating it what nede Christen meÌ„ celebrat that Supper They will perhaps awnswer that in the Supper we receaue Christ SacrameÌ„tally not only Spiritually as without the Supper we do If this be the only differeÌ„ce touching our part and the frute that we receaue thereat theÌ„ the differeÌ„ce onely is this that at the communioÌ„ we receaue a piece of bread more then they whiche stande by and looke on Spiritually saithe Caluin al true beleuers receaue Christ and eate his body before they come to the Sacraments for els saithe he we should tye Christ to his sacraments Sacramentally we receaue Christ by Caluins doctrine when we receaue the signes to witt bread and wine Lo what the coÌ„munion of oure countre is â–ª a piece of bread and nought els They will perhaps saie we celebrat in the Supper the remembraunce of Christ his passion I awnswer So do they whiche stande by no lesse then those whiche receaue Againe is eating your bread and drinking your wine a remembraunce of Christ his deathe and passion A likely matter truly You are wonte to crie on scripture and allow no doctrine withoute it Tell vs then from the beginning off the Genesins vto the ende of S. Ihons Reuelation where the remembraunce of Christ his passion is taught to be celebrated by eating a piece of bread at a table in the churche and drinking a drawthe off wine at the hande of a Minister vpon whom no handes haue ben layed by the order of priesthood as by S. Paule we lerne to be necessary Showe this and them your communion shall be somewhat more then a piece of bread and a cuppe of wine Nowe is it nothinge elles And this verely is the cause of so many drie communions in oure countre this is the reason why in Germany as Friderikus Staphylus recordeth some of the Sacramentaries come not ones in ten yeres to the communion some neuer at all As touching the hearing of the ghospell if as Caluin in his wordes aboue recited and in his resolutions teacheth we receaue Christ and are made partakners of all his benefits no lesse then by the communion then is it ynoughe to heare the sermon and no nede at all to tary oute the communion then was the primitiue churche muâ—he deceaued suffring the Catechumins and open penitents to heare sermons excluding them afterwarde from the communion S. Chrisostom in his homelies complaineth that in the pulpit he had as greate audience as was possible but at the aultar he was lefte alone Truly by Caluins doctrine he was a foole so to complaine for the people had receaued Christ all ready at the sermon What neded they then to tary oute the communion Againe what scripture haue these men that at Sermon we receaue Christ no lesse then at the communion truly if men see not these absurdites they wil see nothing By the sermon we are instructed not clensed as by baptim we lerne Christ we do not communicat Christes body as in the blessed Sacrament But these men as longe as they may saye and teache what they liste vncomptrolled what may we thinke they will at length do truly they wil haue nor communion nor baptim nor churche nor minister but a faire pulpit in the fielde where euery man as the Spirit moueth him maie teache what he liste and the other beleue as they liste It is all ready in some countres brought to this point And there is no cause but we maie feare the like vnlesse spedy policy refraine their vnruly liberty You haue good Readers the effect of Caluins doctrine touching the blessed Sacrament with certain of the absurdites depending thereof We come nowe to his coÌ„tradictions aboute the same matter whiche when you shall see to be in him diuers and most manifest recorde with your selues that as in coÌ„moÌ„ plea where the witnesses are taken in contrary tales the euidence must nedes be naught so in the controuersy of this most highe mistery Caluin being the enditer against the olde possession of oure belefe herein and chefe pleader if you maie take him in coÌ„trary tales you maie not doubte but the euideÌ„ce of his doctrine must nedes be starke staring naught Beside his coÌ„tradictioÌ„ shall serue vs as a most stroÌ„ge weapoÌ„ to ouerthrow his doctrine layde in against vs for thus he him self shal cut is owne throte condemne and confute his owne sayengs I will first drawe you out the effect off his doctrine against the reall presence off Christ in the Sacrament and show you how he accoÌ„breth him selfe how he turneth and windeth seking by some probabilite to coÌ„founde the doctrine of the catholike churche and yet after many wordes confoundeth him selfe by his owne contradiction Marke therefore his wordes we bring you nowe and howe the other that we shall bringe you after do agree In his institutions treating of this Sacrament see howe he dothe coÌ„trary him selfe First he saith We caÌ„ not be meÌ„bres of Christ his body bones of his bones and fleshe of his fleshe which all S. Paul affirmeth we are vnlesse whole Christ bothe in Spirit and in body cleaue vnto vs. and oure Lord saieth Caluin doth testifie offer and geue in the holy supper to all that receaue that spirituall banquet suche a communion of his body and of his
thinge In the same place not many lines after thus he concludeth his doctrine of the B. Sacrament I saye therefore the holy mistery of the Supper consisteth of two thinges to witt the earthly signes setting before oure eyes according to oure caepacite the inuisible thinges and the Spirituall verite figured and exhibited by the signes The matter also of this spirituall verite he expoundeth him selfe to be Christ with his deathe and resurrection And in an other place of his workes writing against the councell of Trent thus he speaketh The bread remaineth bread terrestriall and corruptible but the celestiall body of Christe is ioyned thereunto and hereof saithe he by the authorite of Ireneus this mystery consisteth of two thinges the one terrestriall and of earthe the other celestial and of heaueÌ„ to witt the celestiall body off Christ and the materiall bread of earthe Hetherto you see Caluin in the blessed SacrameÌ„t to acknowledg no other body of Christ then Spirituall and celestiall euen as the heretike Valentinus did and to coulour his doctrine also by the authorite off Ireneus Now you shall vnderstande that Ireneus writing against the foresaide heresy of Valentinus for the confutation thereof amonge other arguments vseth the common belefe of the Catholike churche touching this blessed Sacrament Oure doctrine saith he is conformable to the Eucharistie terming so this blessed Sacrament and the Eucharistie confirmeth our doctrine for we offer vnto god that whiche are his owne declaring accordingly the vnite and coniunction of the fleshe and of the Spirit For as the material bread receauing the inuocation of god is no more common bread but the Eucharistie coÌ„sisting of two thinges the one of earth the other of heauen so oure bodies receauing the Eucharistie are no more corruptible but haue certain hâ—pe of resurrection Thus farre Ireneus In the whiche wordes against Valentinus he affirmeth that the Sacrament containeth Christ him selfe whiche consisteth of two thinges or natures being one person to witt of earthely fleshe taken of the virgin and of the celestiall godhead descending from heauen Nowe Caluin bicause he will denie the reall presence of Christes flesh in the Sacrament imagineth the celestiall body of Christ withoute flesh to be ioyned with the material bread as Valentinus the heretike dyd abusing also to that purpose this very place of Ireneus wherein he showeth him selfe other very ignorant of Ireneus meaning and disputation in that place or very malicious in deprauing it after his owne brainesicke fantasie For S. Irene directly reproueth the opinion of Valentinus denieng the incarnation of Christ and his true fleshe bicause in the Sacrament we receaue his true and naturall fleshe and therefore a fewe lines before he saythe Quomodo constabit eis cae Howe wil they be assured that the same consecrated bread is the body of their lorde and the cuppe of his bloud if they denie it to be the Son of god maker of the worlde Doth not here that holy Martyr and lerned Father proue the very flesh and naturall body of Christe against that heretike vpon the grounde of oure belefe touching the reall presence of Christ him selfe in the Sacrament Doth not Caluin taking awaie this grounde of oure belefe and denieng the reall presence of Christes flesh in the Sacrament leauing vs onely a spirituall verite consequently allowe the heresy of Valentinus Againe Valentinus denied the resurrection of oure bodies Ireneus proueth it vnto him by the doctrine of the Sacrament saieng in the same place aboue alleaged Howe dare they saie that oure flesh shall come to corruption and not receaue life which is fedd with the body and bloud of oure lorde Nowe Caluin in his Catechisme in his Institutions and euery where teacheth that oure soule not the body eateth the body of Christ really and truly but not corporally and is nourished there with in hope of life euerlasting Doth not this his doctrine graunting that celestiall foode and onely warrant of oure resurrection to the soule destroie the resurrection of the body as Valentinus the heretike dyd Is he not ones again most manifestly fallen into brokeÌ„ pudles of olde condeÌ„ned heresies Our Sauiour saith Onles you eate my flesh and drinke my bloud you shall haue no life in you he that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath life and I wil raise him vp againe in the later daie Nowe if the soule onely eateth this heauenly foode as Caluin teacheth the soule onely shall haue life and be raised vp at the later daye For the onely warrant of resurrection is the participation of the flesh and bloud of Christe For thoughe the bodies of infidels of heretikes and of euill Christians shall arise again yet they shall not arise to life nor in suche maner of resurrection as oure Sauiour meaneth whiche is as his blessed Apostle S. Paule teacheth vs to put on immortalite to be made incorruptible and to be glorified For so shal onely the true beleuers in Iesus Christ and partakners of this holy sacrameÌ„t arise As for infaÌ„ts baptised though they receaue not sacrameÌ„tally the flesh and bloud of Christ yet euen as by the faithe of holy church they beleue and are accoÌ„pted to haue faithe so by the communion of Saintes and societe of the Catholike churche they are incorporated to oure Sauiour and assured of their resurrection It wil peradueÌ„ture seme impossible to the fauourers of Caluins doctrine and prisers of his ghospell that he should euer meane any such hainous doctrine as this is Verely what he thought in conscieÌ„ce we wil not iudge but what his writings declareâ— him to be you see I thinke euidently In his Cathechisme labouring to wipe awaie this suspicioÌ„ froÌ„ him he saieth he hathe a witnes and a warrant of the resurrection of his body and of the saluatioÌ„ thereof in that he eateth the signe of life But I praie you could he more manifestly denie the saluation of the body then to attribut it to that thinge whiche can not geue it For what auaileth it for the assurance of life to eate as he saithe the signe of life whiche is nought els but a morcell of bread Where findeth he suche assuraÌ„ce of life in holy scripture What scripture telleth him that by eating the signe of life his body shal rise to incoruption Christ promiseth vs life and resurrectioÌ„ by eating his fleshe and drinking his bloud Is the flesh and bloud of Christe a signe of life Is he not the true bread of life Is not his holy fleshe vnited to the godhead and made one person with god true quickening fleshe and geuing life Surely this doctrine off Caluin vtterly ouerthroweth the resurrection of oure bodies Peter Richier a frenche ghospeller Caluins scholer denieth this fonde doctrine of his Master to witt that by eating the signe of life the body should be assured of resurrection and imagineth an other shifte that the soule being raised spiritually by eating the body of Christe shall
should fight and combat with the Hostes of hell and horrour off eternall death Lo he saieth Christ ought beside his bodely death which was on the Chrosse fele also the rigour of gods vengeaunce satisfise also his most iust iudgment and abide the horrour of eternall death O horrible blasphemy mete for a sacramentary ghospeller For how then saied Christ in his Crosse after all the bitter torments suffred for mankind and accomplished Consummatum est It is finished Was he yet to suffer more in hell And how cried he in his last most blessed wordes Father in to thy handes I commend my Spirit Was that to be tormented after of the deuils in hel Dyd his Father kepe it no better but let it be tormeÌ„ted yet again Finally how was that only sacrifice on the Crosse as S. Paul saieth a perfit coÌ„summatioÌ„ and sanctification for euer Must he yet besides suffer torments in hell So saieth Caluin Master to all the Geneuian protestants of England expresly against scripture blasphemously against God and heretically against the Catholike doctrine And where writeth he this In his Institutions a booke so precious in the eyes off some pretended bishops that it is by them coÌ„maunded to be read of such as haue charge of soules May not we worthely crie with that holy father Policarpus O Deus in quae nos tempora reseruasti O God to what times hast thou reserued vs Do we yet looke whether these protestants tende that so blasphemously write of the blessed passion of Christ and commaunde such writings to be read of the vnlerned priests which shall teache it againe to the simple and vnlerned people And yet Caluin will proue his blasphemyes by scripture truly euen as he proueth the rest of his doctrine For lo these are his wordes folowing The prophet teacheth that the chastisement of our peace was layed on him he was smitten of the father for our offences and brused for our wickednes by the which wordes he signifieth that he was sent in to the place of sinners as a surety a pleadg yea and as a gilty person to paie and abide all such paines as were to be required of them only this excepted that he could not be continually staied with the sorowes of death Therefore no maruail if he be sayed to haue descended in to â—ell seing he suffred such death as God in his wrath punisheth the wicked withall Thus farre you haue the wordes of Caluin and his hainous heresy therein contained As for the saying off the prophet which as he and his felowes do in infinit other texts of holy scripture he wresteth from the true meaning the Catholike church hath allwaies taken it to haue ben fulfilled on the Crosse in the bodely death of Christ. For there he was smitten off the Father for our offences and brused for our wickednes there the chastisement of our peace and attonement was layed vpon him But Caluin as if he were a man priuileged from God to saie and teache as he listeth will haue it so ment that Christ beside his bodely death on the Crosse be sent in to the place of sinners which is hell for of Christes descending in to hell he now disputeth vnlesse as some protestants do he make no hell at all and saie that Christ descended no otherwise in to hell but that he was tormented on the Crosse there to paie and abide all the torments of sinners sauing that he suffreth it not eternally This is lo the rewarde off heresy and of such as forsake their faith to fall in to most horrible blasphemies such as a Turk would abhorre and yet to see them not but persuade them selues they haue the light of the gospell and be only true Christians and all the worlde beside blind superstitious and idolaters not only that now is but that hath ben this thousand yeares I will no more exaggerat the matter I wish them amendment and knowledg of the truthe and desire all other to beware in time of such perilous heresies as these vnghostly ghospellers of Geneua bring to our deceiued countre We will now passe to the doctrine of Caluin touching the sacrament of baptim and consider how pure and euangelicall his doctrine thereof is In the sacrament of baptim though the doctrine of Caluin be allmost of all protestants of our countre not onely the sacramentaries receiued and embraced yet it containeth many straunge and horrible heresies Which so in that man happened bicause he serched all suttle shiftes and pried out all the preuy fetches he could deuise whereby he might defeate the doctrine of the Catholike church For hereupon he vvttereth in his doctrine diuers hainous heresies other ignorantly or malitiously First therefore we wil discouer vnto you such of his heresies as are taken off the olde condemned heretikes in the primitiue Church Then such as he forged him selfe expresly against holy scripture and yet defendeth them no lesse foolishely then wickedly as allwaies the proper of heretikes is to do It was the heresy of Pelagius as S â–ª Augustin recordeth that children were not borne in originall sinne His wordes of theÌ„ are these Paruulos etiam negant secundum Adam carnaliter natos contagium mortis antiquoe prima natiuitate contrahere sic enim eos sine vllo peccati originalis vinculo asserunt nasci vt prorsus non sit quod eis oporteat secunda natiuitate dimitti that is The pelagians denie that children borne by fleshe after AdaÌ„ be giltie of deathe by their first natiuite For they make them to be borne so withoute bonde of originall sinne that they nede no remission in their seconde natiuite or regeneration Here the Pelagians make children to be borne in state off grace and not giltie of originall sinne This these heretikes taught generally of all children Caluin teacheth the same in children borne off Christen parents Heare his wordes oute off the 17. chapter off his Institutions towardes the ende Infantes nostros antequam nascaÌ„tur se adoptare in suos pronunciat Deus cum se nobis in deum fore promittit seminique noâ—tro post nos Hoc verbo continetur eorum salus that is God promising that he will be oure God and oure childrens after vs pronounceth that he adopteth and admitteth oure children for his owne before they are borne In this worde their saluation is contained And in an other place thus he writeth Sancta videlicet câ—te The issue of Christen parents is borne holy bicause of the promis of God and their children euen yet in the wombe before they come to open life are admitted in to the leage of life euerlastinge Caluin here and the Pelagians agree in this that children are borne withoute original sinne and in state of grace The difference maie seme to be that Caluin speaketh this of Christen children onely whereas the Pelagians speake generally of all children But you shall see that by the proufe whiche Caluin bringeth for this
abominable doctrine it shall stretche to all children For what is the proufe he bringeth Forsothe the promis of God What promis is that that whiche he made to Abrahan saieng he woulde be his god and his sede after him In this worde saieth Caluin their saluation is contained Let vs theÌ„ suppose that by the warrant of Caluins mouthe all the realme of Englande being nowe Christian shoulde leaue their childreÌ„ vnbaptised bicause they are allready admitted in to the leage of life euerlasting Those children coming to the age of meÌ„ and hauing other children muste they baptise their children or must they not If they muste baptise their children then the promis of God reacheth not vnto them For if it reached to them it should ereache also to their children In which case they nede not be baptised but maie liue by the baptim of their grandfathers If they may not baptise their children but let them liue withoute baptim theÌ„ see what detestable enormites and hainous blasphemies will ensue thereupon First by this rule all the christening of children in England sens the faithe first planted there and the realme thouroughely baptised wiche pricketh nowe wel vpon a thousande yeares hathe ben in vaine and to no purpose for that they came of the issue and bloud of Christen parents Secondarely all baptim nowe maie cease in the realme all fontes maie be shutt vp and of two sacraments whiche onely remaine they maie take away one to witt baptim and then talke no more of the Sacraments in Christ his churche but of a sacrameÌ„t whiche also in what pointe Caluin hathe lefte vs we haue I truste sufficiently before declared Thirdly Christendome shall be no more a spirituall matter geuen by the administration of Sacraments but a temporall benefit entailed to the bloud of the pareÌ„ts And then greate questions might arise of bastards being not the â—ede of Christen mariage but the frute of filthy fornication or sinnefull aduoutry Fourthely we muste put oute of the scripture the wordes of oure Sauiour Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua spiritu sancto non intrabit in regnum caelorum that is Onles a man be borne againe of water and the holy ghoste he shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen And truly they drawe well towarde to do so For looke in the Englishe bibles who will printed of late yeares and he shall finde the worde againe to be lefte oute And euen as nowe they haue lefte oute that one worde by the which oure regeneration by baptim is moste necessarely imported â—o may they within fewe yeares leaue oute the whole sentence and theÌ„ make a scripture of their owne For what other can we looke for of these impudent presumptuous heretikes if they may be suffred to runne their race at will Oure lorde staie it if it be his pleasure Laste of all if Christendome so dependeth of oure parents why haue all Christen men euer so charely baptised their children as all stories do testify Was it as Caluin writeth bicause they shoulde not departe withoute the signe or badge of a Christian man Truly he writeth so and in so writing he holdeth the heresy of the Maniches as in the other he dothe of the Pelagians as ye shal anon see But nowe harken what lesâ—on S. Augustin geueth vs touching the baptim of children These are his wordes Quisquis dixreit quód in Christo viuificantur paruuli qui sine SacrameÌ„ti eius participatione de vita exeuÌ„t hic profecto contra Apostolicam praedicationem venit totaÌ„ condemnat Ecclesiam vbi propterea cum baptisandis paruulis festinatur curritur quia sine dubio creditur aliter eos in Christo viuificari omnino non posse that is Whosoeuer shall saie that infants shall haue life in Christe which departe oute of this life withoute receauing baptim truly that man bothe procedeth against the doctrine of the Apostles and also condemneth the whole Churche where men make haste and runne to baptise their infants for that cause surely bicause vndoubtedly they beleue that other wise they can haue no life in Christ. Lo the testimony of S. Augustin a most assured witnes of antiquite and beste to be trusted in reporte of awncient belefe by the verdit of Caluin him selfe Let vs a litle considre the place Caluin as you heard before saieth that children of ChristeÌ„ parents are borne holy and are admitted in to the leage of life euerlasting being yet in the mother wombe and that by the promis of god they are all ready saued S. Austen saieth with oute baptim they haue no life in Christ and that who so saieth contrary as Caluin dothe teaching them to be saued afore baptim he procedeth against the doctrine of the Apostles and condemneth the whole Churche Lo nowe you see expresly what the doctrine of Caluin is It fighteth directly against the doctrine of the Apostles It condemneth the whole churche It is the heresy of the Pelagians But some scholer of Caluin will saie that S. Agustin here speaketh of the children of hetheÌ„ parents No truly For marke his wordes He saieth meÌ„ make haste and runne to baptise infants What men trowe ye were they hethen Would the hethen runne to baptise their children being them selues vnchristned and detesting all Christendome Or would Christen men runne with the children of hethen parents No that was against the lawe of the primitiue churche For the childe coulde not be baptised or Christened against the fathers will vntel he came to full age and discretion And therefore at this houre the practise is in Italy where Iewes are coÌ„mon that the father remaining a Iewe the childe vnder age can not be forced to baptim against the fathers wil. Els by this time all Iewes had ben christned in Italy and other where By this testimony therefore of S. Augustin it is clere that Caluin by this detestable doctrine defendeth the cursed heresy of Pelagius Nowe ye shall see he teacheth also as the Maniches dyd S. Augustin reakoning vp the suÌ„dry and hainous he resies of the Maniches amonge the rest reakoneth also their heresy against baptim writing of them in these wordes Hij baptismum in aqua nihil cuiquam perhibent salutis afferre nec quenquam eorum quos decipiunt baptisandum putant that is These men affirme that baptime done in water bringeth no saluation to any And thereupon such as they deceiue they thinke they nede not be baptised Let vs nowe heare whether Caluin saie not eueÌ„ the same of baptim In his institutions in the treatise of baptim defining it to be but a signe and token or badge of a Christen man he concludeth with these wordes Quis ergo aqua ista mundari nos dicat quae certo testatur Christi sanguinem veruÌ„ esse atque vnicum nostrum lauacrum That is Who then will saie that we are clensed with this water which dothe assuredly testifie that the bloude of Christ
is oure true and onely cleansing Of these wordes we haue aboue disputed and declared you the falshod and vntruthe of them Nowe onely marke that he agreeth with the Maniches For as they saie that baptim done in water bringeth no saluation so Caluin saieth that by the water of baptim we are not clensed With the other parte of the Maniches saying he agreeth as iuste as maye be in the ende of the. 18. chapter of his Institutious where he writeth thus Non ideo baptisantur infantes â—idelium vt filij dei tunc fiant primum c. that is The infants of Christen men are not therefore baptised that they may become the children of god as thoughe they were before oute of the church but rather they are with a solemne token receaued into the church bicause they appertained before to the body of Christ by the benefit of the promis Therefore if we lette passe this token withoute contempt or negligence we are safe from all daunger This he writeth blaming the Catholike churche for suffring the midwiues and laye people in time of necessite to baptise children sayeng they nede not so to do but that withoute baptim the childe may be saued euen as the Maniches thought and therefore estemed it nedeles as Caluin dothe to baptise those of their secte An other olde heresy Caluin by his doctrine off baptim consequently defendeth when he writeth that after baptim we nede no other penauÌ„ce all oure life time but when we fall haue a recourse to oure baptim His wordes in his Institutions the. 17. chapter are these Sic cogitandum est quocunque baptisemur tempore nos semel in omnem vitam ablui purgari Itaque quoties lapsi fuerimus repetenda erit memoria baptismi hac armandus animus vt de peccatorum remissione semper certus securusque sit that is So we ought to thinke whensoeuer we are baptised that we are clensed and purged for all oure life time therefore as ofte as we fall we must remembre oure baptim and arme oure minde therewith being sure of forgeuenes of sinnes and carelesse By this doctrine Caluin wipeth awaie the sacrameÌ„t of penaunce and therefore in the wordes folowing he teacheth that the absolution geuen by the churche is referred to baptim Nowe to take awaie penaunce after baptim and to denie the second table of repeÌ„taunce after the shipwracke of oure former renewing in baptim by deadly sinne which in the 19. chapter of his institutions he calleth a wicked doctrine is an auncient heresy of the Nouatians as in S. Ciprian euery where it appereth and in S. Ambrose who wrote a lerned worke against them Lo the laudable and sounde doctrine of Ihon Caluin a man called of the deuil to raise vp olde carren heresies and to infect therewith the well disposed hartes of good Christians Truly if Hercules was a man muche renouned and of great fame and reputation for that he drewe oute of hell as poetes do faine the great helhownde Cerberus with is thre ougle heads of what fame and reputation trowe we ought Caluin to be who hath plucked oute the deuill him selfe oute of hell with three times three hainous and horrible heresies whiche aboue these thousand yeares haue ben tied to the deape dongell of hell and hath lette him lose againe to walke at his will and preache at his pleasure aboute the worlde In the doctrine of the blessed sacrament of the aultar he raised vp as you haue hearde the heresies of Arrius of Samosatenus of Nestorius of Faustus Manicheus of Valentinus and of Marcion In this sacrament of baptim he teacheth as the Pelagians the Maniches and the Nouatians all famous and notorious heretikes taught aboue a thousand yeares paste It shall not nede to discusse or examin any farder his doctrine defending these heresies It suffiseth for any Christen man to knowe that they are olde condemned heresies and accompted for suche of the church of Christ. And with this reason concluded S. Augustin his litle treatise of heresies hauing reakoned vp all suche as had ben from Christes time to his I wil geue you here his conclusion and doctrine for a good holesom triacle against the poisons off Caluin aboue recited His wordes are these Quid contra ista sentiat catholica Ecclesia superfluo quaeritur cum propter hoc scire sufficiat eam contra ista sentire nec aliquid horum in fidem quenquam debere recipere Sed multum adiuuat cor fidele nosse quid credendum non sit etiam si disputandi facultate id refutare non possit Omnis itaque Christianus catholicus ista non debet credere that is It is but in vaine to require what the Catholike church teacheth against these heresies it is inoughe to knowe that she dothe teache against them and that no man ought to beleue any of all these But it auaileth muche to the faithfull and true beleuing harte to knowe what oughte not be beleued though by drifte of reason it be not able to refute it Therefore euery Christian Catholike man ought in no wise beleue these thinges Lo we haue a good holesom lesson of this most reuerent and lerned Father I beseche god geue vs all grace to folowe it and to detest al suche doctrine and doctours as forceth vs to embrace suche olde cursed heresies by their newe deuised fantasies and to forsake the Catholike churche of more then fiften hundred yeares to folowe the trace of newe and olde heresies patched together and blasted abrode scant yet halfe one hundred yeares His heresies forged of him selfe aboute baptim are these First he teacheth that the baptim of S. Ihon and the baptim of Christ was all one Then that the Iewes were no lesse baptised vnder Moyses in the cloude and in the read sea then Christen men are nowe in the fonte And that equall grace was geuen in bothe These are two heresies expressely against holy scripture As touching the firste S. Ihon in the ghospell putteth a most manifest distinction betwene his baptim and the baptim of Christ saying thus of him selfe I baptise you in water to repentaunce but he that shall come after me is of more power then I am he shall baptise you in the holy ghoste and in fire In these wordes S. Ihon declareth that he baptised in water onely to repentaunce preparing the hartes off men and disposing them to receaue the Messias Christ him selfe who should baptise them not in water onely as Ihon did for repentauÌ„ce but in the holy ghoste also and fire that is geuing to those which by Christ were baptised the holy ghoste as a full pleadge and assuraunce of remission of oure sinnes and the fire of burning and ferueÌ„t charite whereby al vanites and pleasures of the worlde shoulde be quenched and consumed Againe if the baptim of S. Ihon were all one with the baptim of Christ theÌ„ we must correct holy scripture saieng of S. Ihon praeibis ante faciem domini
these fewe what to iudge of the rest and by the soure taste of these mislike the remnant of his vnpleasant and most poisonned doctrine For if in these two blessed Sacraments the one being the gate and entry of saluation the other being a most heauenly foode to preserue vs therein he sticketh not to vtter so harnous heresies and setteth him selfe so wickedly against the church of god what conscience trowe ye is he like to take in other pointes of oure Christen religion lesse necessary and of lesse importance well Though he were in al the rest sounde and withoute blot yet these his heresies of vs recited of him vttered and taught maye be sufficient to discredit him in the cōscience of any Christien harte For I thinke and trust verely there is no Christen man in all the realme of England be he neuer so farre waded in heresy but that he dothe reuerence the primitiue church of Christ of the first fyue or six hundred yeares and will be ready to condemne all suche heresies as were in that time and age cōdemned Nowe the Maniches the Ariās the Valētinians the Marcionistes the Nestorians the Nouatians the Pelagians the Samosatencall and other whose heresies Caluin hath renewed were in the compas of those fiue hundred yeares condēned If we woulde come downe lower we coulde recite a number more of heretikes condemned also in Christ his church with whose heresies the doctrine of Caluin dothe agree But in consideration of the impudent bragges made nowe in euery pulpit that all is reduced to the state of the primitiue churche I haue chosen oute suche heresies in Caluins doctrine as were in that time condemned geuing you to vnderstand that all is not the gospell which is there spoken vnlesse perhaps by reducing all to the state of the primitiue church they meane renewing of olde heresies condemned in the primitiue church And truly so must they meane if they saie truly But let vs returne to Caluin In the doctrine of free will I will make no especiall recitall of his heresies But note you his contradictions of the which euer one part is an heresy In his Institutions the .14 chapter he writeth that God did not only foresee the fall of the first man Adam and in it the fall of all his posterite but also it was his will it should be so Againe in his booke of predestination against Pighius he hath the same doctrine saying that God would not haue suffred Adam to fall but that he would haue it so to be Also that God so determined it and ordained it Now in his booke of free will against Pighius also he saith in two places these wordes I confesse with Origen that those which take away free will from Adā before he sinned be heretikes How agree these sayings of him If it were not only the will of God that Adam should fall but also that he determined and ordained it so to be then he fell of necessite For the determined will of God can not be frustrated Adā therefore could not if he had would continewed in his innocency And yet had he free will If hotte and colde be all one then is this doctrine vniforme Againe in his booke of predestination he saith All wsuchickednes as man committeth by malice of his owne procedethae so of God and that not without good reason although we knowe it not And to make his opinion herein most clere in the same booke he saieth It is a fonde solution of S. Paules saying Esadu odio habui I hated Esau to saie that the reprobats do worke their owne destruction by their owne malice And yet see what he saith in his institutions the .2 chapter Man saith he can not impute the hardnes of his hart to any other cause then to him selfe This lo is most true But why then saied he before the wickednes of man procedeth of God Why reprouueth he that solution which he now maketh him selfe Farder Caluin in his booke of predestination going aboute to mitigat his former doctrine where he taught that the reprobats could not chose but do euill saieth afterwarde he meaneth not of euery particular worke for a litle before he confesseth Saul had done certain thinges well But directly contrary to this shift is an other expresse doctrine of his in the very same booke where he saieth Men can not possibly haue any affection to do well vnlesse they be of the chosen and elected such as reprobats neuer be For of Iudas a sure reprobat Caluin him selfe pronoūceth Certum est Iudam nunquam fuisse membrum Christi Certain it is that Iudas was neuer any membre of Christ. Caluin yet for the better auauncement of his wicked doctrine against free will pretendeth to folow S. Augustin in all pointes And therefore in his booke of predestination he saieth he varieth not from S. Augustin so much as one sillable in this question of predestination Notwithstanding in his Institutions he saieth that S. Augustin was sometime scrupulous and would not tell the truthe of predestination roundely as when in his booke De praedestinatione gratia he saieth that the induration and blinding of the reprobats is not to be referred to the worke and operation of God but only to his foreknowleadg Here in this most gracious doctrine of that good Father Caluin chargeth him with scrupulosite And yet he will beare vs in hand forsothe that he agreeth euen in euery sillable with S. Augustin Where in the one he declareth him selfe a praesumptuous heretike in the other a false contradictour of his owne sayings Finally Caluin as in wordes and doctrine so in doings and behauiour contrarieth his owne self In his Institutions he wrireth It was neuer permitted to preachers of Gods worde to adde any one sillable to holy scriptare or diminish from thence but to preache the only bare worde as it lieth Now as in all his doctrine he talketh more then halfe beside holy scripture so in this matter of predestination he is not afeard to adde to the very text of S. Paule wordes of his owne for the maintenaunce of his wicked doctrine For in his Institutions labouring to refer the induration of the reprobats to the proper and eternall will of God as a superiour cause then their owne deserts and malice thus he talketh Restat nunc vt videamus curid Dominus faciat quod eum facere palam est Si respondeatur sic fieri quia sic impietate nequitia ingratitudine sua meriti sunt homines bene id quidem vere dicetur Sed quia nondum patet istius varietatis ratio cur alijs in obedientiam flexis isti obdurati persistant in ea excutienda necessario ad illud quod ex Moyse adnotauit Paulus transeundum erit Nēpe quod ab initio eos excitarit Dominus vt ostenderet nomen suum in vniuersa terra That is It remaineth nowe to see why God doth that
lerned writers he writeth thus They saie it is the similitude of Hierom whose so euer it be no doubt but it is a wicked similitude Againe in his treatise of predestination where as S. Gregory as all other Catholike writers teacheth that no man can be assured off his election he vaunteth proudly that lerned Father with these wordes Pessimé perniciose Gregorius c. that is worst of al and wickedly taught Gregory c. In his commentaries vppon the sixt of Iohn disprouing the interpretation of Chrisostom whom Theophilact Euthymius and diuers haue coueted alwaies to folowe Fallitur saieth he meo iudicio Chrisostomus Chrisostom in my iudgement is deceiued What thinke you would Caluin feare to vtter that setteth so light by these lerned fathers whom the church so many hundred yeares hath reuerenced and folowed May not we saie to Caluin and al such presumptuous preachers of new doctrine we knowe S. Augustin we reuerence S. Hierom we credit Gregory and Chrisostom but you M. Caluin what are you as it was saied to the vnbeleuing Iewes attempting to worke miracles vnder the name of Iesus and Paul Iesum noui Paulū scio vos autē qui estis that is Iesus I knowe and Paule also but who are you Caluin yet staieth not here he is not contented to reiect certaī of the Fathers the most lerned and most approued in certain pointes He goeth farder He cōdēneth the whole primitiue church in the whole maner of the worshipping of God For disputing against the blessed sacrifice of the Masse he chargeth it with Iuish superstition and thus he pronounceth off the whole order of the speciall and most principall seruice of the primitiue church They folowed rather the Iuish maner of sacrificing then as Christ had ordained or the order of the ghospel required Thus saieth Caluin not speaking of these late yeares but euen of the primitiue church of the first six hundred yeares vnto the which time our Caluinistes at home dissenting in this point from their Master at lest as they pretend do referr all their doings and make the people beleue that the primitiue Church vsed that order of Cōmunion as they do now telling them withall that the blessed sacrifice of the Masse and the maner thereof hath ben vsed onely sence these later hundred yeares Notwithstanding Caluin their master acknowledgeth that maner off sacrifising in the primitiue Church longe before that time which bicause off the ceremonies thereof he calleth Iuish I wote not herein what more to maruail at and lament other the vntolerable pride of this presumptuous heretike condemning the very primitiue church and therefore leauing vs no church sense the departure hence of our Sauiour or the wicked guile of our newe preachers which doing no lesse then Caluin doth sett yet a better coulour thereon to entrappe thereby the readier the vnlerned and well meaning people in to their schismatical communion For they condemne not openly the primitiue church of Iuish sacrifising as Caluin doth but denie stoutely that any such sacrifice or cerimonies was then vsed and offer to yelde if we can proue it Let them now lerne off their Masters owne confession that such there was and let them lerne off their Crede where they saie they beleue the Catholike church not to condemne the primitiue church therein which if they denie to be the Catholike and true church of Christ they may as wel denie Christ him selfe head thereof and frustrat the whole mistery of his blessed Incarnation as you heard before Dauid George did and many Lutherās and Caluinistes do now in diuers partes of Germany to the great grief of al good Christē hartes But to returne to Caluin what may not he or any other heretike do condemning and setting light by the fathers of the primitiue Church For by them we haue not onely the true and right interpretation of holy scripture but the scripture also it selfe which without their testimouy we could not be assured of Wherefore S. Augustin after he had left the Manichees and cleaued to the Catholike church of Christ writing against thē and commending vnto them the authorite thereof he saieth Euangelio non crederem nisi me Ecclesiae commoueret authoritas I would not beleue the ghospell vnlesse the authorite of the church moued me thereto Now Caluin is nothing moued therewith but leaneth more to his owne iudgement then to al the lerned writers and holy Fathers of Christes church beside Whereof he was worthely ones checked of Bucer telling him quod iudicaret prout amaret amaret autem prout libet that he iudged as he loued and loued what him pleased And truly the only cause whereby Caluin in his Institutiōs in his commētaries vpō holy scripture and in other his workes abuseth the reader and deceiueth the vnlerned is that he feareth not expounding scriptures boldely to preferr his owne iudgemēt eloquently sett forth before the iudgement of S. Augustin Hierom Chrisostom Ciprian Gregory Bernard and all the other holy lerned men that euer wrote Now what arrogancy is this If euery lerned man may sette forthe his iudgement to the worlde as the true meaning of Gods worde and condemne the allowed doctours of so great antiquite lerning and vertu as the holy Fathers are who seeth not that euery countre in Christendom euery vniuersite of the countre yea and euery lerned man of eche colledg in the vniuersite may plante from time to time new doctrine make new expositions off holy scripture contrary to all other and teache daily a new faith especially in this our time whē lerned mē such as Caluin was lacke not in al coūtres Howe bitterly wrote Luther against Zwinglius Melanchthō against Illyricus VVestphalus against Caluin Brentius against Peeter Martyr and all the other against these Eche of them by lerning laboureth to drawe the worlde to their owne iudgement while they all condemne all other mens iudgements You will saie We must cleaue to scripture and leaue al partes aside Truly al do so And that is not the controuersy betwene these men nor betwene thē and the Catholikes which of them cleaue to scripture For al do so as fast as is possible but whether of them all do rightly expounde and truly vnderstande holy scripture For the Caluinistes do otherwise vnderstand holy scripture then the Melanchthonistes The Melanchthonistes otherwise then the Saxon Lutherans The Saxons otherwise thē the Osiandrins The Osiandrins otherwise then the Suenckfeldiās and they otherwise then all these Those whiche haue read their writings can not be ignorant thereof I will make you here a brief note of the speciall matters now in controuersy betwene them and so make an ende with Caluin The Zuinglians and Caluinistes agree with the Ciuill Lutherans the Melancthonistes in the article of good workes that they are necessary to saluation and in the Supper of the Lorde that the figure only not the true body of Christ is there geuē
the people knew theÌ„ selues the Senatours remained in authorite Particular fautes were redressed the whole order and estat remained Sucha Pacuuius I say was at the entry of these heresies to be wished and preseÌ„tly may also be heard For although that which is past caÌ„ not be reuoked yet it may be amended Let vs then with Pacuuius demaunde of such as lothe their auncient and receiued belefe what newe faith will they embrace For without some faith I thinke none yet that beare the name of Christians will line Will they be right and zelous Lutherans taking Luther for the very man of God and vndoubted prophet to reuele his holy worde in these our later dayes Will they reiect all Fathers all Councells all that Christendom hath hetherto beleued as you haue heard before Luther doth Then beside all that we haue saied of his doctrine and behauiour sufficieÌ„t I trust to proue him a right heretike if an heretike may be knowen by his frutes let them satisfie the ciuill and disordrely or repining Lutherans let them accrode with the Sacramentaries the Anabaptistes the Osiandrins the Swenkcfeldians and all the remnant of Luthers branches as you may see and vew in the petigrew of his ofspring drawen out by Staphylus If they set light by that fonde frier as the more part of protestants do to the great grief and bitter complaining of all zelous Lutherans what secte wil they be of Will they ciuilly beleue at pleasure as MelaÌ„chthon did and be euerlerning as S. Paule of heretikes pronounceth but neuer attaining to the truthe Who laugheth not at so fonde a chaunge if in so waighty a cause any Christen hart can laugh and not rather lament such willfull blindnesse or blind willfulnesse as in these ciuil Lutherans appeareth Will they forsake Luther vtterly and become Sacramentaries Yet then we may demaunde of what secte of Sacramentaries they will be For Caluin and Bullinger Geneua and Zurich agre not But if they will be Caluinistes as most parte of Sacramentaries are who yet will not disdayne there at knowing the pride of Caluin setting light by the holy Fathers his corrupting of holy Scripture wicked renewing of olde condemned heresies fonde auouching off most clere contradictions rashe teaching of moste absurd doctrine in that article where he we was thought moste to haue excelled All which and much more we haue in this simple discourse discouered vnto you gentle Readers to the entent that you may see what an euill chaunge you make to leaue the auncient fathers the Catholike and vniuersall belefe the faith you were baptised in and in the which all our forefathers these thousand fiue hundred yeares and vpwarde haue serued allmighty God and liued as Christen men and true membres of Christes church to leaue I saie all this and to become protestants or new ghospellers that is men of a new faith and religion which you must lerne of some one of these three Luther Melanchthon or Caluin or of such as haue lerned it of them By this consideration I trust you shall pereiue that though the vniuersall name of refourmed ghospellers and chalengers off gods worde haue pleased you though the generall name of papistry haue displeased and misliked you yet the particular being now discouered as well off the persons as of the doctrine you will either incontinently returne from whence you departed or at lest deliberat thereof and of these fewe lerne to mistrust the rest Fridericus Staphylus whose Apologie we haue here translated you being a Lutheran many yeares and so farre in credit with the protestants that he might haue ben a doctour of diuinite amonge them also a Superintendent at Augspurg at Brunsuick Lubeck and Hamburg by this very consideration became a Catholike For hauing many years ben a Lutheran and a familiar frend of Melanchthon aduised with him selfe to write also in defence of the Lutheran doctrine He had not yet at that time read the auncient fathers but had heard them much alleaged of Luther and Melanchthon and trusting to their allegations thought vndoubtedly that the doctrine of Luther was agreable with the lerned fathers and the primitiue church Hereupon he diuised after the imitation of the Master of the sentence and other schole men to set forthe in one volume the whole effect and summe of Luthers doctrine This booke he intituled Corpus doctrinae Lutheranae the body or summe of Luthers doctrine For this purpose he began to â—eke the doctours and serche the original of Luthers and MelaÌ„chthons allegatioÌ„s But here lo in this particular serche and examinatioÌ„he found the doctours and auncient writers to condemne directly the doctrine of Luther At this he was maruailousely astonned brake of his enterprise began with priuat study to peruse him selfe the auncieÌ„t and approued writers in Christes church as well the grekes as the latins and to conferre with them these new writers of our time About this study he bestowed as he writeth in this very Apologie two and tweÌ„ty yeares not medling with any other ciuil or worldly matters in al that time By this meanes though slowly and slackely as in the preface of this Apologie he complaineth him selfe he shifted at length him selfe out of the captious coÌ„trouersies of this time and became not only a right good Catholike priuately and in coÌ„science but opeÌ„ly also to al the worlde he declared it and discouered more theÌ„ any of our time hath done bothe the false grounde of all their pretended doctrine that is the bare title of gods worde without the right vnderstanding of the same and also their variaunces sectes and dissensions amonge them selues Whereby in diuers partes of Germany especially in the territory of Bauaria many haue returned from the dissolut heresy of Luther to the holesom discipline of the Catholike church This he did to his dere countre of Germany in this Apologie writen of him in his mother tongue This I haue made now common to my dere countre also hauing no lesse nede thereof then that miserable countre of Germany hath I trust herein I shall offende none but suche perhaps as firste muste be offended before they can be amended Heresy is compared to a caÌ„cre Vnlesse it be launced it festereth and groweth to the corruption not only of it self but of other To make an ende I desire the protestant to make the example of this lerned and vertuous maÌ„ Fridericus Staphylus to reade this his labour to consider the grouÌ„de of false doctrine taught by Luther and his successours to vewe the diuersite and contrariete of his scholers the numbre of sectes the blasphemies of eche one to waigh the issue off this doctrine the dissolut life and contempt of order the countres of Hungary Lifland and Prussia lost by Luthers heresy finally to beholde the olde heresies renewed by Luther and other his behauiour resembling heretikes the incoÌ„stancy variete and wilfulnesse of Melanchthon the fonde absurdites clere contradictitions and most hainous heresies of Ihon Caluin I besech the
Catholike that nedeth not this eure and instructions to thanke allmighty God therefore to praie for the protestant and all deceiued persons in matters of conscience and soule helth Vt idipsum dicamus omnes noÌ„ sint in nobis schismata simus autem perfecti in eodem sensu in eadem scientia that is that we may say all one thing and that there be no schismes amonge vs but that we be perfit in one self vnderstanding and in one self knowleadg Such perfectnes of vnite and agrement with amendment of life and true repentaunce our Lorde for his tendre mercy graunt our countre and all ChristeÌ„dom through the merites of his dere SoÌ„ our Sauiour and Redemer Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Ghoste be all honour and glory now and euer AMEN FINIS Quoniam viri doctissimi Angli sacraruÌ„ literaruÌ„ peritissimi apud me fide dignissimi ApologiaÌ„ hanc Friderici Staphylia Thoma Stapletono fideliter traductam attestati sunt itemque disceptationem ab ipso scriptam aduersus doctrinam Lutheri Melanchthonis Caluini vtilem per omnia Catholicam iudicarunt merito vtramque typis excudendam iudico Ita attestor Cunnerus Petri pastor S. Petri Louanij sacrae Theologiae professor .16 Nouembris an 1564. A TABLE OF THE SPECIALL MATTERS CONTAINED IN THE APOLOGIE OF STAPHYLVS IN THE DIScourse of the Translatour and in the prefaces off bothe Gathered by the order off the A B C. The figure fignifieth the leafe B the second side A short description of the Author of the Apologie fol. 9. b. seq Abhominable heresics of the Lutherans touching Christ. fol 17 Heresies of Caluin about the Sacrament of baptim fol. 231. and in the leaues folowing The opinion of Caluin touching baptim refuted fol. 202. A contradiction of Caluin about baptim fol. 203. Certain protestants call baptim a bathe for swine fol. 109. Certain false translations of the english Bible fol. 5. b. Item fol. 152. seq The duty of a conuerted Catholike fol. 56. b. VVhat is Catholike 49. b. The church ought to be obeyed 62. b 63. VVhy Caluin may worthely be charged with the heresies off the Arrians the Maniches and other fol. 224. Detestable doctrines off Caluin fol. 112. Absurdites in the doctrine off Caluin fol. 190. seq The confession off Ausgpurg resemble the Synods off the Arrians fol. 186. The ciuill Lutherans resemble olde beretikes fol. 185. b. Vniuersalite Antiquite and Consent sure notes off the Catholike doctrine fol. 144 Conferring off Scribture is no certain rule to interpret scripture fol. 159. b. 160. VVhat the communion off England is fol. 205. That we receaue not a communion of Christes body poored downe vpon vs in the sacrament fol. 190. The communion off Caluin destroieth the necessite off communicants fol. 191. b. People nede not resorte to the communion by the doctrine off Caluin fol. 198. b. 204. b. Caluins doctrine about the blessed Sacrament condemneth the practise of the primitiue church fol. 198. excludeth the Apostles from receauing Christ in the laste Supper fol. 199. excludeth the triall that S. Paul requireth fol. 201. Caluin denieth scripture fol. 237. An impudent foly off him fol. 238. he furdereth the cause off the Anabaptistes fol. 240 he auoucheth doctrine off his owne without scripture and wil not allow the doctrine off the church without the same fol. 241. he requireth to be heard against expresse scripture ibidem b. The principles off the Catholike religion fol. 15 The difference of the present communion from the first fol. 8. Olde condemned heresies renewed by Caluin in the doctrine off the blessed Sacrament fol. 222. Contradictions in the doctrine off Caluin fol. 206. and in the leaues folowing Caluin belieth holy Scripture fol. 209. The cause off contradictions in caluin fol. 208. b. The Lutherans haue corrupted the Crede fol. 97. b. They denie an article off the Crede fol. 106. The communion off the protestants is but foode for refection fol. 228. b. VVhat the iudge off praesent controuersies ought to be fol. 20. b. A clere example off debating a controuersy fol. 21. VVhat is all the controuersy betwene the Catholikes and the protestants fol. 35. Caluin teacheth Christ to haue suffred in hell fol. 229. VVhat his doctrine is fol. 233. b. Off the Ciuill Lutherans fol. 182. b. The difference betwene Catholikes and heretikes fol. 24. The Catholikes haue the worde off God no lesse then the protestants fol. 33. The late death off many great princes in a short time fol. 26. b. Such death a token off Gods wrath fol. 27. Difference betwene life and doctrine fol. 35. b. Doctrine how it is to be tried by the frutes fol. 38. b. How to discerne true doctrine from false fol. 41. A brief recapitulation off the schismes and dissensions amonge the protestants fol. 93. Item fol. 249. Testimonies off Lutheran Superintendents and Ministres witnessing the disagreement in doctrine amonge them selues fol. 78. and in many leaues folowing Dissension destroieth heresies fol. 98. b. It is a sure token off heresy fol. 99. Praier for the dead defended again M. Grindall fol. 163. and in the leaues folowing commaundement in Scripture to praie for the dead beside the place off the Machabees fol. 163. The meaning off the Fathers praying for the dead fol. 171. English corrupted translations lerned of Luther fol. 68. 71. b. 72. b. off Munster fol. 155. b. 156. off Caluin fol. 158. Excommunication off the protestants embarreth not from the communion by the doctrine off Caluin fol. 196. b. A good lesson for England fol. 126. 138. b. A corrupted text off Luthers in the english transl fol. 68. 71. b. .72 b. Brauling amonge the Archeprotestants for ecclesiasticall gouuernement fol. 45. 46. Holy Fathers despised by olde hertikes as by our protestants now fol. 32. b. 178. A very good faith off a coolyar fol. 53. Faith is one in all but trade off life diuers fol. 122. Lutherans do thaunge hope in to faith and cosidence fol. 124. The frute off only faith fol. 128. That we eate not the body off Christ only by faith fol. 196. b. A question to the Geneuians off England fol. 204. b. A straunge order off seruing the church in Germany fol. 43. b. A notable example off the sundry sectes in Germany fol. 56. b. 57. The ghospell off Luther decaieth daily fol. 121. The first Apostles off the Germans fol. 126. b. The ghospellers doubt and vary what the ghospell preacheth fol. 91. The mariages off new ghospellers fol. 96. b. The miracles off the new ghospell fol. 35. The markes off the heretikes off the primitiue church 24. The same marke in our heretikes fol. 25. A readie waie to trie out an heretike fol. 53. An answer to stoppe the mouth off an heretike fol. 54. A lesson off S. Antony to auoide â—eretikes fol. 62. The maner off heretikes fol. 67. Heretikes off great vertu in apparence fol. 38. Off the Canonicall howres off
praier fol. 69. Heresies suffred in the church for our triall fol. 2. .3 The duty off a Christen man in time off heresy fol. 3. b. Hungary loste by Luthers heresy fol. 128. b. The destruction off Grece through heresy fol. 129. Hierusalem destroied by schismes fol. 129. b. The miserable estat off Lislande through heresy fol. 130. Countres lost in Germany by heresy fol. 127. b The meanes whereby many haue fallen in to heresy fol. 146. The heretike more dangerous then the Turke fol. 150. b. Grece and Afrike loste the faith by heresy fol. 182. The ende of present heresies fol. 19. Good counsell of Sisinnius to defeat heretikes fol. 21. b. It behoueth not to dispute with heretikes fol. 22. b. Inconstancy of Lutherans fol. 97. b. Inconstancy of Lutherans fol. 44. b. A lowde lie of the Lutherans against the Catholike church 33. b A prety story of wronge interpretation fo 51. The liberty of Luthers ghospell fo 75. VVhat partes of scripture may be read of the laite fol. 78. b Liflande loste by Luthers heresy f. 128 The pride and presumption of Luther f. 132. Luthers penaunce fol. 133. He becometh a papist for a vauntage fol. 134. b. He is a false prophet fo 139. A murderer and stroÌ„ge thefe in the church ibi The Lutherans vary at their metings and conferences like the Arrians fo 186. b. The labells of the Lutherans principles fol. 18. b Sacramentary sectes amonge the Lutherans fol. 87. b The outward behauiour off Lutherans in Germany fol. 59. VVhy protestants barke at the euill life of the clergy fo 61. b. The church ought not to be forsaken for the euill life off men in the church fo 62. Laye men are not commaunded to read scripture f. 64. The hebrew text could not be read off the laye Iewes folio 64. b. The dangers proceding off the laites reading scripture fo 65. Luther will proue by Scripture there ought to be no Magistrats amonge Christen men f. 140. b. The marriage off Luther fol. 141. b. Contrariete in his doctrine fol. 142. The cause of Luthers breache from the church and the maner of the first entry thereof fo 149. a. b. Luther proued an heretike fo 179. His proper heresy touching the Sacrament hath wrought his owne confusion fo 181. b. Lutherans in Bohem teache the soule to die with the body fol. 17. b. Luther at the first planting of his heresy writeth against obedience to princes fol. 16. He maketh chastite a thing impossible ibid. Luther clippeth the coyne of Gods worde fol. 66. He addeth to the text fol. â—8 Enemy to virginite and wedlock bothe Ibidem b. He teacheth pluralite of wiues fol. 69. reneweth the heresy of the Pelagians and off the Manichees fol. 68. Item of Vigilantius fol 69. Chaungeth opinion in doctrine fol. 72. 74. con demneth good lerning fol. 73. writeth against obedience to Magistrats fol. 75. A notable testimony of the Caluinistes against Luther fol. 25. All new sectes haue begonne of Luther ibidem b. The frute off liberty preached by Luther fo 44. The pride of Luther fol. 36. A notable testimony of Luther of the life of his scholers lbi b. The frutes of the Lutherans doctrine fol. 39. The euill life of the Catholikes and of the Lutherans procede of diuers causes fo 40. b. 41. MelaÌ„chthon teacheth pluralite of wiues fol. 69. chaungeth opinion in doctrine fo 72. becometh a Suinglian fo 88. is a dissembling ghospeller fol. 90. he becometh a baker fo 107. b. Horrible blasphemies of a ghospelling Minister f. 112. b VVicked doctrine of Luther touching Matrimony fol. 96. Melanchthon inconstant in doctrine fol. 183. A corrupter off Luthers bookes ibidem b. A breder of sedition and rebellion f. 185. a. b malitious and cruell fo 187. b. The Machâ—bees proued to be of the Canon fol. 166. The writings of men in the churche to be folowed fol. 168. The fathers off the protestants fo 161. 162. Item fol. 165. b. and in the leaues folowing The doctrine of our protestants consisteth of olde heresies folio 161. 162. Item fol. 175. and in the leaues folowing The principle off the only written text how it is ment of protestants fol. 7. Protestants refusing the Councell show them selues to lacke Charite fol. 20. Luther proueth coÌ„tempte of Princes by scripture fol. 139. b. his counsell to â—rinces fol. 140. Protestants are proued to be heretikes fol. 98. The protestants are Manichâ—es fol. 111. b. Protestants confounde vniformite and diuersite fol. 122. b. The frutes of protestants confusion in doâ—â—rine fol. 123. Prussia loste by Luthers heresy fol. 127. b A necessary lesson for deceiued protestants fol. 58. A vaine crake of protestants fol. 59. No certainte of Faith in protestants fol. 18. Disagreement in doctrine amonge our protestants fol. 7. Outward pretence off agreement in the same ibidem b. Speciall articles off contradictions amonge the protestants fol. 80. b. Thirten heresies amonge the protestants touching the blessed sacrament fol. 90. b. Fiue amonge the Lutherans fol. 90. and eight amonge the Zwinglians 86. b. The grounde off all protestants doctrine false and deceitfull fol. 42. An other decitfull ground off protestants fol. 43. A persit rule to discern false preachers fol. 37. A charitable shift of the protestants fol. 29. b. Reall receauing can not stand without reall presence fol. 194. The cause of diuers professions of religion in the Catholike church fol. 125. Hereticall rebellion neuer proueth fol. 125. b. Scripture nedeth exposition 47. VVhy the protestants crie vpon only Scripture fol. 48. VVhat the vnlerned shall do in variete off interpretations off scripture fol. 48. b. A token to know false interpretation off scripture from true fol. 49. b. Euery heretike alleageth scripture fol. 59. b. How interpretation off Scripture is tried true fol. 60. The body of Christe vnder one kinde of the SacrameÌ„t perfit and whole 60. A similitude fol. 3. b. fol. 65. b. fol. 124. b. .189 b. Scripture corrupted by Luther fol. 66. and many leaues folowing The doctrine of Sacramentaries destroieth the resurrection of our bodies fol. 227. Caluin maketh the blessed Sacraments bare signes tokens and badges fol. 203. Of the Sacrament of the aultar see in the worde Caluin That the soule only is not fedd of Christ in the Sacrament f. 193 Chalenging of only Scripture cause of heresies fol. 114. The ground of the Leage at Smalcaldium brickle and variable fol. 110. The Sacramentaries desire to be vnder the winge of the Lutherans fol. 81. b. they condemne Luther fol. 84. b. Luther condemneth them fol. 84. and fol. 86. b. Foure Sacraments acknowledged of Melanchthon fol. 45. Scripture alone suffiseth not fol. 41. b. 42. Great confusion in the church by small alteration of the Scripture fol. 70. b. Scripture hard to be vnderstanded fol. 4. The custome of heretikes to denie partes of scripture fol. 165. doctrine defended without expresse coÌ„maundement in scripture fol. 169. Staphylus refuseth to be doctour of
aduersus Marâ—ionem In praescriptionibus Lib. 4. cap. 21. Tho Synods of the ArriaÌ„s resemble the confession of Augspurg and metinges of protestants Nicephorus lib. 9. c. 5. Li. 9. c. 7. Li. 9. c. 13. Rouer lib. 3. pa. 172. Staphylus in absolutae Apologia August ep 48. ad Vincentium Roueâ—s li. 5. pag. 439. Vide Roue ruÌ„ lib. 5. pag. 439. In publica Confessione pure doctrine c. Fontanus li. 11. Melanchthon malitious and cruell Vide Staphylum in absoluta apologia pagina 242. Coloss. 1. De vnita eâ—cclesiae cap. 4. Of Caluin and his doctrine A similitu de Cant. 5. Cap. 18. In stitutionuÌ„ impress Aâ— gentorati an 1545. That vve receaue not a communioÌ„ of Christ his body poored vpon vs in the SacrameÌ„t â–ª Cap. 8. de fide In coÌ„ment in 1. Cor. 11. In coÌ„ment ut 1. Cor. 11. Ioan. 6. Lut. 32. Mar. 14. Matth. 26. Ioan. 6. The communioÌ„ of Caluin destroâ—eth the necesâ—ite of coÌ„municaÌ„â—s Cap. 18. A horrible blasphemy of Caluin Tract 20. in Ioan. In 1. Cor. cap. â—1 That the soule only is not fedde of Christ in the Sacrament Exod. 16. Ioan. 6. Exod. 12. Lib. 4. aduersus Marcionem Luc. 22. Homil. 35. in Matth. Real receauing can not stande vvithout reall presence In Matth. Cap. 26. An. 1561 Heb. 11. In cap. 6. Dominica 51. Cap. 18. In cap. 26. That vve eate not the Body of Christ onely by Faithe Ciprian in serm de lap is lib. 1. Epis. 2. August in euchâ—rid c. 65. Iuell Cirillus lib. 12. cap. 50. in Ioa. Basilius Chrisostomus in liturgijs Nicephor lib. 11. cap. 32. Vide Reâ—ract lib. 1. Nicephor lib. 12. cap. 41. By the doctrine of Caluin the Apostles did not receiue Christe in the last Supper Luc. 22 Cap. 20. Cap. 18. In Cap. 6. Cap. 18. 1. Cor. 14 Hebr. 11. Art 19. Art 20. Cap. 17. The opinion of Caluin touching baptim refuted In. 1. Cor. Cap. 11. Ioan. 6. Ioan. 3. Tit. 3. In coÌ„ment in Cap. 6. A contradiction of Caluin aboute baptim Cap. de Caena Domini Caluin maketh the blessed SacrameÌ„ts only bare signes tokens and badges ArgumeÌ„ts to the coÌ„trary Ioan. 2 Ioan. 6. 1. Cor. 11. 1. Pet. 3. August ad Quoduultdeum haer 88. It booteth not to come to the coÌ„munioÌ„ by the Doctrine of Caluin A question to the Geneuians of Englande In resolut art 20. vvhat the communion of England is 1. Timo. 4. Aboue iâ— the leafe 105. Vide art 5. 6. De incomprehensibisi dei natura contra Anomaeos homil 3. Cap. 1â— Eph. 1. 4. 1. Cor. 6. Coalescamus in vnum corpus In 1. Cor. 11. According to the latin edition printed in the ieare 1545 The first contradiction In 1. Cor. Cap. 11. Cap. 18. The second contradiction The canse of contradictions in Caluin 2 Reg. 15. Caluin belieth holy Scripture Rom. 3. In the leaâ—e 67. b Ephes. 14. 1. Cor. 6. The thirde contradiction The four the coÌ„tradiction In 1. Cor. 11. In commentar in 2. Cor. The fifte contradiction The sixte contradiction In cap. 11. Cap. de Câ—ena Dom. In coÌ„ment in Cap. 6. 1. Cor. 11. Contra Donat post collationem cap. 3. Cap. 18. The seueÌ„th coÌ„tradiction Rei signatae veritatem â—erto adesse cogiteÌ„t Art 20. In the fourthe contradictioÌ„ The 8. coÌ„tradictioÌ„ The 9. coÌ„tradictioÌ„ In commentar in 1. Cor. 11. The 10. contrad The 1â— contrad Ioan. 6. The 21. contrad In art 10. The 13. contrad Cap. 16. de Sacramen a art 9. b art 10 c art 12. Art 26. The 14. contrad â–ª 2. Cor. 1. In serm de coena DnÌ„â— VVhy Câ—luin maketh the SacrameÌ„t but a bare signe In commeÌ„t in psal 98 The .15 Conared The 16. Contrad The 17. Contrad The 18. Con. a In institut cap. 18. b In resolut c In comment in 1. Cor. 11. The .19 contrad Cap. 18. Ioan. 6. Repugnances in Caluin to holy scripture Ioan. 11. Cirilus in apologetico in defensione anathematismi 4. Cirillus lib. 11 Cap. 22. in Ioan. Cap. 81. Iâ—an 6. In cap. 6. Art 19. Exod. 7. Ioan. 2. 1. Cor. 11. Art 20. 1. Cor. 11. Ioan. 6. Institut Cap. 18. 1. Cor. 11. Cap. 18. Cap. 20. Cap. 18 See the lease 158. Ierem. 2. In Cap. 6. Ioan. Olde condemned heresies renevved by Caluin in the doctrine of the blessed Sacrament August lâ—b 20. cap. 2. contra FaustuÌ„ manich In institut Cap. 18 in 1. Cor. 11. In oppositione ad anathematis 11. In. 1. Cor. 11. 2. Cor. 15. Tom. 6. passim in lib. de haer VVhy Caluin maye vvorthely be charged vvith such heresies Luc. 24. 1. Cor. 10. In cap. 9. De ciuit dei lib. 17. Cap. 20. in psal 39. lib. 4. aduersuâ— Marcionem In iustitut Cap. 18. In antidoto Li. 4. Cap. 34. Ioan. 6. The doctrine of the SacrameÌ„taries destroieth the resurrection of our bodies Philip. 3. â— Cor. 15. Villogaio noâ— contra Caluinu Cap. 20. In 1. Cor. 10. Tom. 6. Lib. 20. cap. 13. Contra FaustuÌ„ Fit misticus non nasâ—â—tur The communion oâ— the protestants is but fooâ—e for refection Cap. 7. Zachar. 9. Hieronymus in Zachariam 9. Matth. 26. Hebr 10. Euseb. lib. 2. histor Reade the preface of Staphilus pag. 18. and the leafe 106. Heresies of Caluin about the SacrameÌ„t of Baptim â–ª Ad quoduultdemn Hâ—r 88. 2. Cor. 15. In appendice contra Interin Iâ—an 3. an 1549 â–ª 1551. 1552. 15â—2 Epist. â— 28. In institut Cap. 18. VVath the doctrine of Caluin is Thom. 22. q. 10. ar 12 Ad Quoduultdemn Haeres 64 â–ª Cap. 17. In the leafe 202. In institut Cap. 17. In commeÌ„tar in 1. Cor. Cap. 10. Mat. 3. Tit. 3. Acto 19. Caluin denieth scripture Institu Câ—p 17. Acto 2. Acto 10. Acto 10. In institut Cap. 17. Quinquarboreus in OperegraÌ„ An impudent foly of Caluin Homil. 23. in 1. r. 10. tract 11. 45. in Ioan. In com in 1 Cor. 10. Ibidem Ephes. 4. Iustitut Cap. 17. Caluin furdereth the cause of the Anabaptistes Acto 2. Acto 9. Caluin auoucheth doctrine of his ovvne vvithout scripture Caluinvvil not allovve the doctrine of the church vvithout scripture Cap. 8. de side Caluin requireth to be hearde thou ghe scripture be plaine against him Caluin is an Antichrist 1. Ioan. 2. Contradictions of Caluin aboute the doctrine of free vv l. Pag. 57. pag. 132 136. Pag. 67. 68. pag. 243. Pag. 156. Pag. 154. In eom in 6. Cap. Iâ—â—n Pag. 18. Cap. 2. Cap. 6. Cap. 8. Cap. de predestinat Rom. 9. Caluin addeth to the text of holy Scripture The demeanour of Caluin touvard holy scripture pag. 61. A solution of Caluin to defend his coutradictions Ioan. 2. Pag. 164. 165. Rom. 9. In the leafe 112. Institut Cap. 27 Caluin disprouueth the lerned fathers Cap. 18. de cena domini Cap. 19. de peniten Cap. 14. de predest prouidentia Acto 19. Cap. 18. de cena domini Caluin condemneth the primitiue church Iuell In Epist. a familiari Caluinus in postrema admo nit ad Ioach vvest phalum Melanchtion in literis ad Electorem Rheni Nicol. Gallus in thes hypothes Illyricus in informat De quibusdaÌ„ articulis Callus contra acta Adiaphoristarum Vide Osiandri confessionem fidei suc libellum de imagine Dei. Swenckfel dius in lib. de vsu euaÌ„gelij in excusatione sua contra VVittenberg maÌ„datum Ephes. 4. Lib. 1. cap. 47. Vide Ioan nem Lyre sium Cleuensem in vita Staphili See in the leafe 56. In the leafe 28. 2. Tim. 2. 1. Cor. â—
master to rule the sterne medling not with that he hath no skill of right so when preuy rebells or open apostatas of Christen religion sowe seditious schismes and preache hereticall doctrine troubling thereby the quiet and settled consciences of true and vpright beleuers euery Christen man especially such as are of the laye and inferiour sorte ought to cleaue vnto their heades and rulers in Christ his church medling not with the determination of any point called then in controuersy but looke to be directed as they haue allwaies ben by their catholike pastours and ouerseers to whom they are commaunded by the Apostle to obey and submitte them selues truly no lesse then the souldiar to his Capitain or the passanger to his master Therefore oure Sauiour biddeth the people to beware and Take hede of false prophets nor to beleue euery spirit but trie and discern whether they be of God or no. But this lo howe maye it be Howe shal the ignorant and laye man trie false doctrine from the true It hath ben put in to mens heads of late yeares that euery man for this purpose ought to reade holy scripture and thereby to trie and discern truthe from falshood It were perhaps to be wished if it had so pleased God that as holy scripture is the true triall thereof so it were open and euident to all men that seke the triall therein but what haue lerned men iudged in times past of holy scripture Many things saieth S. Augustin are darke in scriptures and it hath so ben prouided of God to the entent that our pridemight be tamed by trauail and our knowledg not cloyed with facilite which quickely contemneth that easely hath ben lerned In like maner S. Hierom. All prophecy or interpretation of scripture contayneth the truthe in darcknes and obscurite to the entent that the scholers and lerners within may vnderstande but the rude people set without may not knowe what is saied Orels we shall cast precious stones before hogges iff we open the treasure of holy scripture to euery man Epiphanius likewise The Scripture saieth he telleth all truthe but we haue nede of good intelligēce and perceiuerance to knowe God and his word There is in the ghospell saieth Origen the letter that killeth for the destroying letter is not only in the olde Testament but also in the newe Testament to him that vnderstandeth not spiritually that which is saied Tertullian speaketh yet more vehemently hereof I am not afeared saieth he to saie that the scriptures them selues haue ben so disposed by the will of God that they mought minister matter vnto heretikes seing that I reade that heresies must be which without scripture coulde not be This is the iudgement of the lerned fathers who haue trauailed more in holy scripture then any new preacher of oure time and yet can espie no greate facilite in it but rather do complaine of the maruailous difficulte thereof And doth not S. Peter write plainly that in the epistles of S. Paule Certain thinges were very harde to be vnderstanded which the vnlerned and inconstant depraued euen as other parts of scripture to their owne destruction Doth not S. Paule write that The ghospell is vailed and couered from those that perish Are we not commaunded to serch holy scripture doth not this serching importe a diligence and difficulty more then laye men can either attend vppon or attaine vnto The Eunuchus vnderstode not the prophet vntill the Apostle had expounded it vnto him And Christ after his Ascension opened the vnderstanding off his disciples that they might vnderstand the scriptures And thincke we oure selues able to vnderstand all that we reade This then being so howe shall the laye and vnlerned man perfourme the commaundement of the ghospell bidding him To beware of false prophetes and to discern the sprits whether they be of god or no Euery secte nowe a daies chalengeth the worde of god and the right vnderstanding thereof The Catholike likewise by prescription out of memory standeth in possession thereof and will not be brought from it for all the bragges the heretike maketh Howe then shall the vnlerned man hearing bothe tales conclude with him selfe which to folowe Were it not nowe good readers much to be wished that some clere and euident doctrine were taught by what meanes and howe the holy worde of God maye rightly be vnder standed and the false prophets preachers and protestants of oure time might be auoided Truly as the sauegarde of the soule passeth all worldly interest so euery Christen hart ought aboue all thinges tender the same and with all diligence possible procure spedy remedies for the pestiferous venim off heresy which crepeth on like a cancre and corrupteth the whole estat of our saluation Hauing therefore sene and perused a certain booke of Fridericus Staphylus writen first in the Allemain tongue and after translated in to Latin wherein he first teacheth the vnlerned laye man howe to beware of false and wrong interpretation of holy scripture which is no lesse necessary then the reading off scripture it selfe secondarely detecteth certain false translations of the Bible by Luther in to his mother tongue laste of all declareth the maruailous dissension and variaunces of the Lutherans in their doctrine and chiefest articles of our faith which is a most euident argument of the sprit of dissension the diuell him selfe speaking in thē and a clere proufe of hereticall doctrine for the truthe is but one I haue thought good to translate the whole in to our mother tongue trusting in almighty God to profit hereby many a Christen soule of my dere deceined countremen which as God is my witnes was my only respect in this smal labour The first part of this booke is a very necessary lesson for the vnlerned laye man For without the true and right interpretation of holy scripture such as the church teacheth he can haue no right faith and so hazardeth his soule and euerlasting life which he ought aboue all worldly respect tender and procure For as our Sauiour saieth What auaileth it a man to winne the whole worlde and lese his soule The second parte is a good admonition for al such as are not sene in the tongues to beware of newe translations of holy scripture falsely forged for a vauntage Our english bibles sette forth these last yeares lack not such foisting in of false termes In the epistles of S. Paule as ofte as the worde Idoll is founde in the greke and latin text so ofte they turne it Image as though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in greke idolum and imago in laten or idol and image in english were all one When God saieth in holy scripture Let vs make man according to our image will these men saie that God hath an idoll according to the which man was made and howe be they not ashamed to call couetousnes worshipping of images
by his owne wordes being forced to declare the same by the impudent reproches of Smidelinus his aduersary In his Absolut apology writē in the yeare 1562. thus he writeth Whereas Smidelinus obiecteth to me that I was Luthers and Melanchthons scholer I denie it not for I liued in the vniuersite of wittenberg ten yeares of my owne costes and charges studying there vnder Luther Melāchthon and others At that time also being a younge man rash and vnskilfull I was infected somwhat with the poisonnous doctrine of Luther Howbeit that was not so rooted in me but that it was soone driuen out again And that I neuer consented thoroughly to the fifte ghospell of Luther many thinges do euidently proue First that whereas the Masters off Wittenberg would nedes persuade me to procede Doctour amonge them I would neuer do it And that only bicause I would not take the othe of the vniuersite and make open confession of my belefe in that place And this Doctour George Maior who yet liueth can beare me witnes of Secondarely bicause I would neuer take vppon me the Lutheran Ministery in any church though fewe yeares past I haue ben required of certain Princes to high dignites as to be Superintendent in sondry places as at Augspurg at Lubeck and at Brunsuick Thirdly this may declare how litle I fancyed in my hart the doctrine of Luther that being called and chosen of the Duke of Prussia to be a Reader in his dominions at Coningsberg and a Counseller I caused in the write of my stipend this cōdition expresly to be put that I would be cōpelled to no religion or doctrine that in any point repugned with the doctrine of the primitiue Catholike and Apostolicall church and of this my condition I am able to show iff nede shall require sufficient testimonies By these wordes ye may see off what reputation and opinion of lerning and vertu this man was at Wittenberg Augspurg Lubeck and Brunsuick the most famous cytes of the Lutheran profession His wisedō and other noble qualites he well declared first in the seruice of a counseller to the Duke of Prusia from whome he was forced to depart and that as he writeth to the losse of some thousands of marks bicause like a worthy and faithfull Counseller he frely aduertised eftsones the Duke to beware of the cursed heresies of Osiander and his felowes Secondarely in the like seruice vnder the Catholike and vertuous Duke of Bauaria vnder whom he was in such credit that he was made ouerseer and Chauncelour of the vniuersite of Ingolstad iointly with the Bishop of Eistat Thirdely for his wisedom lerning and vertu he was of longe time and many yeares Counseller to the late most worthy Emperoure Ferdinandus vnder whom he hath done noble seruice as well in the diets and conferences in Germany as in embassages of Liflande Pole and other countres As for the great labour and diligence he bestowed to shift him selfe oute of the captious and contentious controuersies of this time wherein he was nouseled in his youth it may wel appeare in that as he writeth in the first part of this booke He emploied only the study of Diuinite and matters of Cōtrouersie about two and twenty yeares not medling in all that time with any worldly or ciuill matter And what thinck you after so many yeares study and labour after so great experience and lerning was the chiefest argument and reason whereuppon he forsoke the Lutherans and claue vnto the Catholikes forsoth he declareth it in the very same place last alleaged and it is right worthy to be noted This saieth he was the chief and principal cause why I actōpted the diuers doctrine of Luther and his felowes to be hereticall and for such do vtterly forsake it and detest it this again is the cause why I esteme the doctrine in all Christendom which they call the Popedom receiued to be the only true and holesom doctrine bicause this doctrine is the Catholike and vniuer sally receiued interpretation of holy scripture but their doctrine is only their priuat opinion and their priuat deprauation of holy Scripture This lowas the principall reason that drew this wise lerned and vertuous man from the sectes of his Masters Luther and Melāchthō and brought him home to the perfect vnite of the Catholike faith for he sawe by lōg experiēce that al the doctrine of the new ghospellers was nought els but their owne traditiōs their propre inuentions and priuat imaginations for ging vpon the worde of God such sence as them listed and telling then the people that the same was the very worde of God whereas the Catholikes folowed such sence and meaning of the writen worde as by the lerned fathers continual tradition and vniuersall consent of Christendom was receaued and allowed And truly this only reason may be sufficient bothe for the vnlerned and deceaued protestants to reduce them home again to the Catholike churche of Christ and to kepe also within the same such as by the grace of God vertuous education and good instructions haue not yet swarued from the same Which I beseche almighty God it may so do And thus much hitherto of this present Treatise and the author thereof Many other things there are which I would gladly aduertise the Reader of But bicause we haue I feare ben ouerlong allready and the Author him selfe hath prefixed a long but a lerned and profitable preface and therefore not to be omitted I wil here breake of and after the ende of the Authors whole discourse put for conclusion the rest of my meaning aduertising in the meane season the reader of this one thing that this our labour being an interpretation and bound to the inuentiō of the Author we haue not ne coulde not vse the like eloquence as the free stile geueth beseching the notwithstanding gentle Reader to take our paines in good part Farewell At Louain the 12. of Nouember 1564. Thomas Stapleton THen saieth Nicephorus of the time of Constantius his empire vnder whom the Arrians flourished new deuises were commended and increased daily growing to a straunge alteration so farre that euery man setting light by all auncient lawes and ordonaunces forged him selfe fresh of his owne And yet their doctrine he meaneth the Arrians was not of all such receiued but eche one imagined new opinions heaping vp euer doctrine vpon doctrine Then Aetius Eunomius Eudoxius eche one diuersly Vttered their blasphemies against Christ. Then Macedonius also blasphemed against the holy Ghoste Gregory Nazianzen reasoned against those newe doctrines in this sorte IF our faith be but yet thirty yeares olde foure hundred yeares being now passed ouer sence the coming of Christ then our ghospell hath ben so long in vaine our faith also hath ben to no purpose Then so many Martirs haue invaine testified their faith in Christ. Then so many Bishops and pastours haue in vaine so longe fedd the flock of Christ. If prescription of foure hundred
preache the one in the hilles of Gutni the other in Zary a village of Silesia In Pintzou a towne of Poleone George Brandat and Peter Statorius teache openly that there is not one but thre Gods and eche of them of diuers and distinct natures no lesse then thre diuers men So that there is not one substaunce of the godhed but thre and thre different operations thre diuers willes And that the Son is lesse then the father As for the crede of Athanasius that it ought rather be called the crede of Sathanasius the diuell him self And these felowes Brandat and Statorius being admonished of such blasphemous doctrine and required by what authorite or whose persuasioÌ„ they durste sowe suche blasphemies they answered they were moued thereunto first by the authorite of Caluin of wolfgangus Musculus of Peter Martyr of Bullinger and such like masters then by the euidence of the holy truthe which hitherto hath layen hidd and nowe was from God vnto them reueled These thinges to be as we saye Stanislaus a Baron of the realme of Pole Mathias Stadnitzky and Franciscus Stancarus do write But bicause this parted confusion of so diuers opinions can not well be perceaued and is harde to be tried or discerned of such as gladly receaue al nouelties there is vpsterte this very winter in Bohem a newe Secte The which to take awaye this confusion and to sett forthe a brefe and compendiouse waie of the Lutheran doctrine teacheth openly and affirmeth that all other opinions and doctrine of God of the worshipping of God of faith of good or euill workes and to be short of any saluation of man be but olde wyues tales and fonde inuentioÌ„s This onely to be a sure and infallible lawe and the true sincere doctrine that man bothe body and soule after this life vtterly perisheth no sence or life remaining after death here Lo to what point the preachers of the newe ghospel haue brought their doctrine vnto Lo the marke and scope of all their doings The third principle of the Lutheran ghospell is saieth Brentius an assured certainte that euery maÌ„ hath of his faith in Christ. But for the loue of God what is this assured certainte of faith May we not as well call day night and light darknes But what I praye you is this so assured and vndoubted certeinte of faith amonge the Lutherans It is peraduenâ—ure that certainte of faith which for the clerenes and euidence of it hathe so surely and with suche constaÌ„t consent and maruaylous agreement ioyned together the Lutherans that in all their new ghospell no dissension can be founde no variaunce in any article of their faythe no heresyes at all in their doctrine may be espied For if constant certaynte bredeth true concorde and agreement as a certain philosopher wittely reporteth then surely vncertainte and wauering in opinions muste nedes brede strife Hereof then we may clerely gather howe trew this thirde principle of Luther is for such is the certaynte of their faithe as the agreement of their opinions is The whiche howe greate and of what maner it is they haue them selues declared and we will not dissemble it These are the principles of the reformed ghospell laied by Luther repeted by BreÌ„tius and admitted of the whole swarme of sectaries Nowe bicause in the principle all is contained and many labels depend thereof what roufe thinke yow will the diuell buyld vppon these foundations of Luther For the effect neuer excelleth the cause Truly these consequents and labels depended of suche holy principles To make of chaste membres of Christ filthy membres of an harlot of deuoute and well disposed Christians wicked and vnruly subiects of sober and temperat glutons and Epicures yelding to all filthy lust and pleasure whose bely is their God whose faithe is perfidiousnes and no faith at all And to this butte and scope of Luther many haue preuily aimed at but those of BoheÌ„ haue nowe openly shott at it and stroken the very marke preaching in open pulpits that the soule dieth with the body But bicause Epicure him selfe taught that to get pleasure a coulour of vertu must be caste and the diuel perceauing wel that publick magistrats could better be chauÌ„ged theÌ„ vtterly takeÌ„ away he thought better to traine this herde of Epicures fleshly and worldly meÌ„ to the yoke of MahometaÌ„s doctrine being so sure they should be his owne theÌ„ to leaue theÌ„ vnder the roufe of the Catholike church where he stoode allwayes in doubte to lese them The diuell therefore hath so directed allwaies and trayned all contentions and variaunces in religion that all heresies ende in the Alcoran Mahomets lawe All historiographers that write of the first beginning of Turkes affirme with one assent that the lawe of Mahomet writen in the Alcoran was compiled by one Sergius an Arrian and Ihon a Nestorian bothe auncient heretiques and of a certain Iewe of the Talmudistes Now although the heresies which haue in our vnhappy time spronge vp be many and diuers yet if the chiefe of theÌ„ and moste receaued were examined and coÌ„ferred diligeÌ„tly with those thre sectes aboue mencioned we should plainely and euidently perceaue that the drift of the diuell is no other nowe a dayes then by the meane of these heresies to traine vs vnwares from the faith of Christ to the cursed infidelite of Mahomet Petrus Statorius chargeth Franciscus Stancarus with the heresie of Nestorius and he againe the other with the heresie of Arrius And bicause Stancarus is a famous Iew and Talmudist and Statorius is by professioÌ„ a Caluiniste partes hath so hotly and earnestly beÌ„ taken on bothe sides that nowe not only in Pole and Hungary whiche are Realmes nighe vnto the Turkes but also in Silesia in Morauia in Bohem and other prouinces more remote greate contentions haue ben kindled thereupon and be yet hotte And what other thinge o mercifull God can we looke for If Christen men call the faith of Christ in doubte if they denie it openly if they embrace the abhominable doctrine off Mahomet is it likely that whose doctrine they allowe his power and rule they will refuse no truly But these may seme paradoxes and beyonde all credence Woulde God they were so But I feare me they are as true as the ghospell The causes be euident and open surely the euent of all likelyhood will be correspondent Let them enquire that be ignoraÌ„t and those that see and knowe the thinges to be as we saie let them well waighe them But I will not make so euill abodement I will rather wish and hope well and much more rather woulde I be counted a lyar and vnprouident that it might not so proue then true and wise that they shoulde so proue But nowe to couple more closely and to strike more directly oure aduersarie whom I labour here to saue I saye the only remedy for the mischef that hangeth on vs the only meanes to escape this vtter destruction of ChristendoÌ„ is
difference then is there betwene the right Catholike and the deceaued heretike Truly herein heretikes agree with the Catholikes that bothe embrace alleage and defend holy scripture as the very worde of God hut herein differ all heretikes from the Catholikes that these bring the Catholike and vniuersall interpretation of holy scripture they bring their owne priuat and heretikall These are able to proue their doctrine by miracles they are neuer able Last of all that these are able to showe the matter of the newe Testament by the figures of the olde lawe as in the sacrifice in the sâ—craments and ceremonies they can not These two different waies being by iust balances indifferently pondered and tried it will soone appeare whiche ouerwaieth the other And in dede if they bereue vs of the common and receaued iudgement of the whole churche wherewith all thinges in the church are iudged why may they not in like maner take away all the rest For as if ye plucked out a mans eyes and yet wolde saie that ye bereued him not of that which might be sene euen so it is if heretikes graunt vs the text of the bible and yet take from vs the true vnderstanding thereof If it forceth not whether we vnderstand holy Scripture rightly or no howe shall we then discerne fashood from the truthe Whereby shall we trie the truthe or what iudgement shall the churche haue of the truthe And who woulde folowe such teachers of religion whiche confoundeth truthe and falshood together which spoileth vs of all iudgement of the truthe which leaueth vs no meanes to trie the truthe which blindeth and blereth our eyes of all intelligence Yet in better case were the Cimmerij who although they had loste the light of the Son yet might vse the fire But these men that take awaye from vs the consent of Christendom and the iudgement of the churche which mocke and scorne at the miracles of God which refuse the doctrine and figures of Moyses do leaue vs in such horrible darcknes that we haue not so much as one sparckle of light remaininâ— Euen in the time of the Apostles heresies sprange vp as of Simon Magus of Hermogenes of Philetus and such like But by what marke trowe ye was the doctrine of these heretikes knowen from the doctrine of the Apostles but that the Apostles and all that folowed them were Of one harte one minde and one belefe And this only touchestone left Christ to knowe the church by that whereas two or thre be gathered together in his name and agree in any matter there he is to be founde in the middest of them This consent then and agreement in any matter as in the Apostolicall doctrine and right vnderstanding of holy Scripture being vniforme and all one in all howe can it not be the sure and certain iudgement of the Apostolicall doctrine and of the churche Beside as in Christ him felse so in his Apostles it happened that such as beleued not their wordes through infirmitie were yet forced to beleue their miraculous workes they being an euident proufe from God of their doctrine Farder such ordre of the church as the Apostles began to frame and left to their successours to be perfited and thoroughly poolished they thought it to be shadowed in the figures of Moyses lawe and expressed in the light of the newe lawe But what like to these marks of the true church did Simon Magus Hermogenes and Philetus bring euen so much as nowe of late Luther Melanchthon and Caluin For these newe doctours be not of one harte one minde nor one beleefe and much lesse such disciples as folowed these false preachers For these dissent in euery point agree in no point and therefore Christ the author and God of vnite is not among them but the diuell the master of all dissension Caluin very childishely and vainely going about to excuse him selfe saieth that the LutheraÌ„s are no more to be blamed for that so diuers and so horrible heresies springe vp nowe a daies in euery place then the Apostles were in their time vnder whom many haeresies also sprange vp This maketh nothing for your excuse Caluin You denie flat Master Caluin and so do al your companyons of Zurich that Luther was any prophet at all or in any point like to the Apostles But you saie the diuell spake in his mouthe not the holy goste The which testimonie of your church of Zurich the truer it is the more ye proue the very same diuell to speake in your selues For the very same Luther in diuers pointes of your doctrine you folowe whom you write and affirme to speake by the instinct of the diuell And what newe secte is nowe in any place of Christendom which hath not drawen the first acte of his tragedie out of Luthers schole wheÌ„ce toke Munzer the beginning of that greate rebellion of the commons in Germanie but of Luther For He forbad men openly to obey their princes and condemned al warre againe the Turkes whom he writeth to be tenfolde better then our foolish and madde princes So he termeth them Whence digged out the Anabaptistes that carreÌ„ of the olde heresie of the Donatistes Out of a certaine epistle of Luther ad WaldeÌ„ses in the which he writeth That it were better not to baptise children at all then to baptise them without faith Whence toke Carolostadius occasion to renew the heresie of Berengarius Out of his commentary on S. Ihon and the translation of these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The fleshe profiteth nothing I reaken here vp the notable and principal sectes only of our time I coulde saye as much of the baser sorte if it were nedefull whiche are so diuers and so many that we see almost as many sectes as families amonge the Lutherans For these therefore and other waighty considerations which all to recounte were now out of time If I mought be credited or beare any authorite amonge princes in this matter most Reuerend prelate I would geue theÌ„ that aduise that Sisinius made vnto the Emperour Theodosius That is They should charge and commaund their preachers and ministers to accept and acknowledg for right that sense and vnderstaÌ„ding of holy scripture which is Catholike and may be deriued from the Apostles and approued by the testimonie of miracles and that to be false which is priuat of their owne forging and whereof they be not able to showe any furder euidence And truly vnlesse this aduise other by my suggestion or by some other maÌ„s be not put in to the head of princes and persuaded them we shall neuer liue in quiet the churche will be ouerrunne and we of Germany shal other become slaues to the Turkes as the grekes are or to the Moscouites as the Liflandmen are or whiche will be more miserable we shall be vtterly in perpetuall thraldome as the Iewes the Hungarians and many other countres are now But I will leaue as I
for shame denie partly go about to reconcile with the rest of their doctrine To the ende that hereby they may persuade the worlde that I belied thē hitherto affirming such to be their articles and charging them with dissension amonge themselues With these thre pointes by the grace of god I shal defend my simple conuersation and geue due information of my belief vsing herein a plaine and familiar stile of our vulgar tongue that the simple lay mā may also vnderstande me declaring sincerely and with all modestie the truth in all pointes without railing biting or any other vnciuill demeanour For so it becometh well meaning men to do Although my aduersaries to bring me in infamie and reproche omitte no such kinde of rethorike laieng on greate lode of lies and reproches whereby they haue cut awaie all honest meanes of reconciliation auoiding al maner of iudgement and ciuil triall Being yet frō god commaunded by Moises That all controuersies and debates should be tried by the lawfull Magistrat For this hathe alwaies ben my only desire and is yet that my aduersaries which either priuely or in open libels cease not to backbite me cōuēt me before my ordinary and lawfull magistrat and there make their complainte not making them selues the partie plaintif and defendant yea and iudges in their owne cause as against all order and lawe bothe spirituall and temporall thei haue hitherto most impudently done Truly as I haueben allwaies so am I now ready and desirous to present my self before my ordinary Magistrat and to abide the whole ordre and proces of the lawes against me For thanked be God I knowe my life and cōuersation hath ben such be it not spoken for any pride that I am not ashamed nor afeard to showe my face before any mā a liue And sure I am that if I had not laboured with the Emperours Maiestie and other Catholike princes for the maintenaūce of the Catholike religion against heretikes my life shoulde neuer haue bē touched of thē But seing that the Catholike doctrine it self praised be God can not by any good reason or coulour be impugned they laie at my person and fight against me letting the doctrine it selfe alone Vsing this argument that I against my owne conscience only for honour and riches sake defend the Catholikes whereas yet they knowe well them selues that I haue sustained the losse of some thousands of crownes and empaired much the helthe of my body in the quarell of the Catholike faith But howsoeuer the matter goeth Our Lorde knoweth who are his and he trieth the hartes of men and as Clemens Alexandrinus writeth No man is so great but God passeth him nor no mā so smal but God espieth him and he shal geue to euery man according to his desertes If I therefore do against my conscience herein wo is vnto me For only God knoweth the conscience of man But if I do vprightely herein wo is vnto you that take vpon you the secret iudgement of God Aud thus farre off my selfe inough Let vs nowe come vnto the matter OF THE TRVE AND RIGHT VNDERSTANDING OF HOLY SCRIPTVRE AS touching the first part whereas they laye to my charge that I labour to oppresse and tread vnder foot the holy ghospell and worde of God hauing before professed the same c. To this I aunswere plainely that herein they deale very vncourteously with me and do iniuriously slaunder me And I am very sure they haue not one iote to proue this their saying by But to remoue this their vaine and forged opinion with sure and vndoubted reason I would gladly knowe of them what is that they call the holy ghospell and worde of God Here if they awnswer me that the worde of God is no other thinge then the holy scripture commonly called the Bible that is the olde and newe Testament thē againe I awnswer thē they do most iniuriously slaunder me For they are neuer able to proue that euer I reiected or persecuted any one litle peace or parcell of the ghospell or of the lawe But I embrace and reuerence al the holy Bible the lawe and the ghospel and take it for no lesse thē the very worde of Gods mouth Yea and I graunte that sooner heauē and earth shal perish then any one iote of that worde Which I dare saie not only for my owne part but in the name of all Catholike Christians which hitherto euen from the Apostles time allmost these thousand six hundred yeares without any intermission haue read in churches songe alwaies in publick seruice of the Masse and taught openly in pulpits and haue also in the common breuiaries and portyses of the Romane vse comprised almost the whole corps of the Bible and that in such ordre that the priestes are bounde wekely to reade ouer the whole Psalter and yearely for lessons allmost all the ghospell and epistles and prophets as the most auncient custom practised so many hundred yeares past of the Canonicall howres the Prime the Third the Sixt the Ninth howres Euensong and Complin doth well declare which disposition and ordre of times was off the Apostles them selues as it may appeare in the Actes and other where so well and diligently appointed that to euery daye for the howres of our lordes passion psalmes lessons and ghospells do correspond with a reuerent and deuoute remēbraunce of Christes benefits whereby the church from the beginning vnto our time through out the whole worlde would testifie and teache vnto vs that all holy scripture ought to be construed and grounded on the passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ as in the true corner stone for the saluation of our soules as hereafter we shall in his due place by the scripture most plainely proue It is therefore a wonderfull slaunder that these men saye of the Catholikes That hitherto the ghospell and the worde of God hath ben bannished from the church kept in hucker mucker and at the length vnder the pope to haue ben vtterly extinguished but now is reuoked vnto light therefore those that embrace this newe ghospell to be worthely called men of the ghospell but that we which folow our swete parents and forefathers with the whole Catholike church keping and maintaining the olde Apostolicall doctrine must be called wicked papistes But here he that hath eyes to see let him open them and he that hath any regard of his saluation let him here take hede for this is that suttell deceit of these protestants and the mist wherewith they dimme the eyes of the simple people making them beleue that they only professe the worde of God And yet these newe preachers and masters knowe very well them selues the contrary as Luther him selfe in his booke against the Anabaptistes and the Zuinglians witnesseth saying that among the papistes that is in the churche of Rome the holy ghospell aud all holy scripture with al the bookes sentences wordes and prickes thereof hath remained in
continuall succession of time vncorrupted whole and perfite whiche maketh me more to maruaill what wicked and malitious sprit moued these protestants to terme them selues only ghospellers and professours of Gods worde calling the Catholikes papistes and enemies of the worde of God seing that bothe nowe and in all ages we reade the ghospell in our churches we preache the worde of God in our pulpits and interpret it to the people we expresse it by outward ceremonies rites and gestures such as we haue receaued of our forefathers euen from the primitiue church and the Apostles time And this Luther knewe him selfe well inough But why dissembled he it then forsothe to deceaue and entrappe the easier the simple people in to his preteÌ„ded religion For Luther and all his ministers knowe very wel that in the ghospel and worde of God two thinges are to be considered First that the text be sownd and not corrupted then that the same text be expounded Catholikely and not heretically For as S. Bernard saieth looke with what sprit the scriptures were writen with the same must they be read and vnderstanded Seing then the text by the instinct of the holy ghost hath ben geuen vs true and perfit the vnderstanding also and interpretation thereof coming of the holy ghost must be true and perfit so that one shall be as true and of as much force as the other It is not inough therefore to reade holy scripture perfitly but to vnderstande it well also For as S. Hierom sayeth The scriptures consist not in reading but in vnderstanding All this Luther was not ignorant of But to depraue and corrupt the right interpretation of holy scripture and to bring in place his owne hereticall and forged expositions he maketh no mencion off the text but crieth still the worde of God calling the dreames of his braine pure and holy scripture For if ye aske of the Lutherans when they preache that God coÌ„straineth men to do euill that God was the cause of Iudas his reprobation and obstinat desperation that good workes are hurtefull to saluation and such like matters what maner of doctrine that is they will incontinently awnswer you that This is the pure ghospell the sincere worde of God and holy scripture it selfe But then if ye go farder and desire them to showe yow these very wordes and propositions in holy scripture there they hush Yet will they tell you that the wordes in dede them selues be not in the Bible but the meaning of them is there To the which if ye replie agayn and vrge them farder it will soone appere that the controuersie betwene the protestants and vs is not of holy scripture it self but of the true vnderstanding of the same And so S. Hilary hauing to do with heretikes in his time pronounced Heresie sayth he is in the vnderstaÌ„ding not in the scripture And truly all heretikes neuer cried other thing theÌ„ the holy scripture the worde of God and we that are Catholikes also haue holy scripture allwaies in our mouth Nowe then a man may maruaill and aske howe cometh it to passe that the Lutherans and the Catholikes the protestants and the papistes striue and contend so one with an other where as yet bothe haue the ghospell bothe loue and embrace it bothe cleaue vnto it and bothe are ready to spende their good and their life for it Here I beseche the Christian reader marke and perceaue well that this is not the coÌ„trouersie whether the Catholikes or the Lutherans haue the worde of God but which of them doth truly rightely and sincerely expounde that worde off God For this is the Lutherans common saying The papistes vnderstand not the Bible but we haue founde the right interpretation thereof and the kaye of all truthe And to set a good coulour vppon this holy protestation they saye farder That all bisshops prelats priestes and Monkes be all without lerning all incoÌ„tinent all of euill life geauen to couetousnes to pleasure and to the bely But they theÌ„ selues that is the Lutherans be learned chaste sobre liberall deuowte and of perfit life and such as haue done great miracles and yet do Neither are these impudeÌ„t heretikes ashamed of these lowde lies although all the worlde well knoweth it is nothing so while they see Churches hospitalls religious houses of all sorte colledges and bishoprickes of these men partly cleane ouerthrowen partly rifled all taken into their handes and conuerted into palaces armories barnes cole houses shops of Marchaundrise yea and in some places in to stables These lo be the miracles of this new ghospell abundantly practised all this fourty yeares As for other miracles not one of these new ghospellers was euer able so much as to cure a lame colte or a halting biche so farre is it that these meÌ„ could euer cast out deuils heale the lame cure the blinde restore the deafe or raise vp the dead all which miracles many holy fathers of the olde ghospell as I may so speake which these men call Papistes haue wrought from time to time in Christ his churche as right approued histories do manifestly declare Now as for the good and perfit life of these men and excellent lerning all the worlde seeth it An olde sorte of heretikes called Donatistes obiected in times past to S. Augustin the very same argumeÌ„t saying that their church only was vpright holy pure and lerned But the Catholike churche was nothing so And therefore the doctrine of the Donatistes was vndoubtedly souÌ„de and perfit but that of the Catholikes false and vntrue But what awnswered theÌ„ here S. Augustin The argument saieth he that proueth mens doctrine by their life is false But let vs suppose that these holy protestants passed al the vniuersall Catholike church of Christ sens the time of the Apostles bothe in godlines of life and excellency of lerning Which I thinke in good sothe they wil not al together affirme But if it were so it wil not yet thereuppon ensue that only the Lutherans vnderstande holy scripture and the Catholikes neuer vnderstoode it For if the right intelligence of holy Scripture be only to be sought amonge such as will stoutely affirme of them selues to passe all the rest of men in vprightnes of life and excellency of lerning then in very dede must we nedes leaue this great treasure of the right meaning of holy scripture vnto heretikes For in all ages heretikes allwaies craked of their great lerning and perfit life as the ecclesiasticall histories well declare of the Arrians the Manâ—ches the Pelagians and such like And what other thinge dothe Luther in many of his workes especially in his booke against the pope Then call the olde Catholike writers and holy fathers fooles asses rude and vnlerned babes of the pope hermaphrodites and such like Neither contemneth he only the Catholikes but euen his owne coÌ„panions and felow heretikes also as Zuinglius
clothing but are within rauening wolues Did not the Picards clothe them selues trimly in shepe skinnes for they suffer not amonge them selues any vsurers dronkards aduouterers theues or any such haynous offenders The Anabaptistes also haue they not thinke you faire sheepes cotes They weare no weapon to pretend patience they haue nothing of their owne but all in common to auide couetousnes They eate their bread in the sweate of their browes they labour truly they praye much The Maniches what cotes had they shepelike I warrant yow They neuer eate flesh to chasten their body they dranke no wine abstained from frutes c. The Encratitae likewise abstained vtterly from wine to folow their bookes the better The Cathari so called as men of pure life abhorred all pleasures and pastimes of this worlde neuer contended with other Can any man denie but that these were gaye frutes and ioly shepe skinnes Therefore iff doctrine and religion were to be tried by the apparence of vertu and holynes who can condemne these men for heretikes truly no man And why bicause their frutes are good And therefore it semeth thetre can not be euill We see the simple shepe skinne we see no lookes nor tokens of the wolfe Of the outwarde shewe therefore of good life doctrine can not be tried But then a man may here aske What meaneth Christ when he saieth by their frutes ye shall knowe them For if false prophets must be knowen by their frutes how can I mislike the Anabaptistes the Waldenses and such other whose life and behauiour can not be reprehended yet their doctrine is and semeth detestable What shall I here do for so the now the third part of this rule shall instruct you how you may trie the doctrine by the frutes and how the frutes by the doctrine Wherein you must first diligently marke that the doctrine is not tried by the only frutes but so that the doctrine and the frutes be all alike and correspondent For vndoubtedly where the doctrine is like the frute and the frute like the doctrine one must nedes trie the other Whereupon our lorde hath geuen a yery good note and rule in S. Matthew teaching after this sort Other make the tree good and his frute good or make the tree euill and his frute euill For by the frute the tree is knowen And by this rule Christ reasoneth against the vnbeleuing Iewes when he saieth If ye wil not beleue me yet beleue my workes and why so bicause the workes and doings of Christ did agre very well with his doctrine and the doctrine with his workes So was the life and the doctrine allwaies agreable of the prophets the Apostles the Martirs and all other holy men Whereof it will well be concluded that seing their life was holy vertuous and perfit their doctrine also was sounde good and holesome And why may we so conclude in them bicause euen as they preached and taught so they liued and what they taught other to do they did them selues and againe as they did so they taught Therefore of them it is well saide Of their frutes ye shal knowe them For their frutes being good in dede the tre could not be euill The like reason is of euill doctrine and wicked life for one foloweth allwaies the other It is the doctrine of Luther That a man can no more refraine from satisfising the filthy lust of the flesh then from spetting Of this tie what frutes proceded For so the these that bicause to liue chast is an vnpossible thing then no man no woman must liue chast or single But if occasion serue not to mary they may lawfully seke after baudes and hoores Which is now a common thing in Germany and hath proceded of this doctrine of Luther Luther teacheth that if the husband can not do his dutie to his wife she may in this maner speake vnto him You see good husband that you can not do your dutie vnto me Let me with your good leaue mary priuely with your brother or next kinsman so that allwaies yet you beare the name of my husband lest your goods come into other mens handes cae To this request of the woman saieth Luther the man ought to accorde and prouide or els she ought to go priuely from him Is not this thinke you a blessed graffe but what buddes trowe ye brought it forthe Truly these that now the brother may mary his brothers wife he yet liuing as Herod did as it is much now practised amonge the Lutherans Againe that one woman may haue many husbandes and one man many wiues as the Turkes vse and as we see in germany not only in the cite of Mounster but in many other places also openly practised And do not these frutes agree well and iust with the doctrine In Luthers doctrine we reade If the wife wil not let the mayde come Out of the which wholesome tree this goodly frute is spronge that nothing is more common now amonge the Lutherans then wanton baudery and aduoutery so much that the Lutherans them selues are ashamed of it and affirme that it was neuer so badde vnder the pope Againe this is the doctrine of Luther Fasting is but mans inuention Christen libertie abideth not any fastinges or difference of meate Of this noble tree hathe growen the excellent frute of banketing ryot and drocknes a hundred folde more in our time then euer before in Germanie Luther teacheth there is no magistrat can force Christians to obedience that it is not lawefull to fight against the Turkes And what were the branches of this stock First the rebellion of the commons vnder Munzerus then the ciuill warres of the Swicers the enormous vsurping of the Anabaptistes in Moūster and many such like which I had rather passe ouer by silence speaking nothing of sundry priuat conspiracies against publick magistrates The doctrine of Luther is That Christendom ought not to be gouuerned by ciuill lawes and ordinaunces that no Prince no nor angel of heauen hathe authoritie or power to make any lawe against Christen men Lacked this tre his frutes no surely For hereby all iustice hathe quailed and that either by preuy corruption or open and violent oppression beside that amonge the nobles of this secte that is accompted most right which can best be maintained by force of armes An other lesson of Luthers schole was That the loue of God and our neighbour repentaunce also for sinne were not necessary to saluation but as the Illyricans do write bothe these and other good dedes were very pernicious to saluation And what frute proceded of this tre for sothe that men of the Lutherans ghospell were of a farre more enormous life as Luther him selfe withnesseth then the when they were vnder the pope Luther and Caluin do write that God forceth mē to sinne and all sinne committed of man is not done by the permission of
laste confession writen against the Sacramentaries saieth that faith is like to a bell which as longe as it is whole kepeth his true sounde but when it is anything crased or cleft it iarreth and leseth cleane his proper tune like as an ear then vessel as longe as it is whole and sounde is called a pot a crocke or some like thing but ones broken or cleft it leseth his name and is called a potsheard Let no man therefore comforte him selfe with this vaine hope that although their preachers and ministres erre in some pointes yet are good Christians in other pointes for that auaileth nothing You must be saued within the arke of Noe or be drowned with out it There is herein no middle waye Therefore you must take very good hede that you be not deceaued lest that while wantōly and negligently you harken to euery newe doctrine and forged interpretation of scripture that one or two newe preachers teache you lese youre soules in good earnest Remembre rather what the prophet saieth Euery man is a lyar He meaneth not al men together For I for my part and you for youre part and euery man a part may lie erre and be deceaued But all good men together that is the whole Catholike churche of Christ can not erre in any article of faith For it is builded vpon the rocke of truthe and vpon that consideration is called the piller and grounde of al truthe Therefore when the simple and vnlerned man heareth sundry and cōtrary expositions of holy Scripture let him haue recours to his faith and fully determinat with him selfe for that he is not lerned in holy scripture not to take any other waie or folow any other guide then the article of his Crede I beleue the holy Catholike church persuading him selfe vndoubtedly that to be the only true interpretation of scripture which is Catholike That is which together with the writen text hath by the Apostles and their successours ben spred trough the whole worlde and continued vniforme and vncorrupted euen to our time And this only rule may serue as a buckler for the vnlerned mā that as ofte as newe preachers set a broche any newe doctrine and straunge then to thinke this with him selfe I am a man vnlerned I can not perceiue the drift of their disputing I can not iudge of their cōtrouersie But seing that my Crede teacheth me to beleue nothing but that which is Catholike and hath allwaies ben kept and receaued in Christēdom what shall I do to knowe whether these newe preachers doctrine be Catholike or no Here this vnlerned man must remembre the counsell of Moyses saying Aske of the daies that are past which were before the sence the daie that God created man vpon the earthe and aske frō one side of the heauē vnto the other and in an other place Remēbre the daies of the worlde that is past Consider the yeares from time to time aske thy father and he will showe the thy elders and they well tell the. For this is the true guide of a blinde man and ignorant to aske and enquire what his forefathers what his neighbours what the townes and countres about haue allwaies obserued and beleued sence the time they were first traded in Christen religion and haue so many yeares continued in This is the faith of that cooliar which being at point of deathe and tempted of the deuill what his faith was awnswered I beleue and die in the faith of Christes church Being againe demaunded what the faith of Christ his church was that faith saied he that I beleue in Thus the deuil getting no other awnswer of the simple man was ouercomed and put to flight By this faith of the cooliar euery vnlerned man may trie the spirits of men whether they be of god or no by this faith he may resist the deuill iudge the true interpretation of scripture from the false and discerne the Catholike preacher from the hereticall Minister the true doctrine from the forged But to set this whole matter before your eies as it were in a glasse take this example Suppose there came to some greate cyte fiue different and contrary preachers as by name Caluin a Zwinglian Longinusa Swencfeldiā Functius an Osiandrin Illyricus a Lutherā and some Catholike doctour suppose the magistrates of the cite graunted these fiue euery one to preache and defend openly his owne priuat doctrine what shal the vnlerned laie mā do here that he folowe not a blind guide and so fall bothe in to the dike surely as we haue saied before so must he do he shall aske first of Master Caluin whether his doctrine be the pure and very worde of god when he writeth that in the Supper of the Lorde not the true body of Christ but only the figure of his body is there and is geuē Againe that originall sinne is but a naturall infirmitie of the minde not giltie of eternall dānation Or els that God is the cause of the sinne of man that god compelleth and forceth men to wickednes blasphemies horedome theft lyeng deceites and such other Here of Caluin awnswer that al this is the pure and cleare worde of god let him aske him againe in what place of the Bible he readeth expresly these wordes In the Supper is not the true body of Christ but the figure only Originall sinne is but an infirmitie not giltie of eternall damnation laste of all that men are constrained of God to sinne To this Caluin will surely awnswer that although this his doctrine be not founde in scripture expresly in these wordes or termes yet that this sentence and meaning is there Marke here then that the doctrine of Caluin is not the expresse worde of God but the meaning and interpretation of it And this lo is their first deceite Let the laye man go yet farder with Caluin and aske whether this his interpretation be Catholike whether that Christen religion began with this doctrine in Germany Fraunce Italy England or any other where whether this his doctrine was preached of the Apostles and their successours receaued and vsed in the Catholike churche and deriued from our forefathers to vs through out al these countres For I maye the laye man saie haue asked here of my elders which denie they euer heard any such thing I haue enquired of the cytes and countres here about they knowe it not but saie it is newe and very straunge vnto them And here Caluin can not denie but that it is so and our men are not ashamed to sai◠that these thousand yeares all truthe hath ben loste therefore the vnlerned man may here boldly saye vnto him Well Sir if it be so fare you well I entend not to medle with you nor your doctrine any more So Athanasius writeth to Epictetus the bisshop that it is inough to awnswere an heretike after this sort The Catholike Church neuer taught this the
dede let them trie their Confession and Apologie also by these waightes Let them from the first article vnto the last showe first that their doctrine is the right and Catholike exposition of Gods worde then whether they can confirme it by any one miracle last of all let them showe the maner and order of their Lutheran church to haue ben prefigured and shadowed in the olde lawe If they can so do I will warrant them that all Christē people wil gladly subscribe to their articles and beleue accordinge to their doctrine But if they are not able to perfourme this then let them not obiect to vs their Confession or Apologie let them suffer vs quietly and frely perseuere in our Catholike and auncient religion and we will not let them to crie to sweare and forsweare that their Confession is grounded vpon the writings of the Apostles and prophets And thus much hitherto haue we spoken as touching that which our Lorde saide Vppon the chaire of Moyses sit the scribes and pharises do all thinges that they shall bidde you to do For hitherto haue we talked howe to trie true doctrine and howe to knowe such as sit in dede vpon the chaire of Moyses It remaineth nowe to speake of the later part of Christes saying But do not as they do Which we must also no lesse discusse then the former For in this our miserable and vnhappy time bicause heretikes can not ouerthrowe by any good reason the very chaire of Moyses the doctrine of the church they take holde of the euill life of the clergy and barke at the dissolute liuing of those that sit in the chaire making the people beleue that their doctrine is no other then their life and behauiour is inferring very absurdely that the doctrine and the life is all one and can not be diuers which wicked opiniō hath bred much strife and caused muche trouble in the Christen common welth as in the writings of the fathers we may reade treating of the heresies of the Donatistae Encratitae Cathari and Apostolici But we haue in holy scripture markes inoughe and that euident to discern heresies which procede of euill doctrine from the euill life which procedeth of men For heresie being a very plage and poison of Christen religion S. Paule biddeth vs auoide and flie from the heretike after the first or second admonition Bicause he is subuerted that is such a one and offendeth being condemned by his owne proper iudgemēt And our Lorde biddeth vs to accompt him for an hethen and publicane that heareth not the church And publicanes were a sorte of mē with whom it was not lawfull for the Iewe to kepe cōpany withall S. Antony also that holy and famous ermite in his last wordes spoken before his death vnto his scholers left thē these two godly and wholesome lessons and most necessary for our time as that notable bishop Athanasius writing his life reporteth the first was Auoide ye the venim of al schismatikes and he retikes and folowe hardly the hatred that I bore alwaies against thē for they are the enemies of Christ and you knowe I neuer had softe or paisible cōmunication with them The second lesson is this Kepe aboue al thinges your vpright faith in Christ and the religious traditiō of your forefathers which you haue lerned by the reading of holy scripture and by my poore aduertismēt frō time to time This cōmaundemēt of auoiding and shunning heretikes is not made for the lerned only but also for the simple and vnlerned Which is readely proued by the sayings of our Sauiour Take ye hede of false prophets and againe If the blinde leade the blinde bothe fal into the ditche and such other But to forsake the church and the Catholike doctrine of the same by reason of the disordinat life of priestes and other prelats Christ not only neuer cōmaūded it but also very straitely forbad it declaring the parable of the husband man which forbad his seruaūtes to wede out the darnell from the corne Lest peraduenture saythe he gathering the darnell ye plucke vp also the corne let them therefore growe bothe together vntell the haruest time and then I will saie vnot the ripers gather first together all the darnell and binde it vp in bundles that it may be burned but the good corne gather in to my barne For as it becometh not the seruaunte to take vppon him the correction of such matters in the familie as the master vpon some waightie consideration would haue reserued to him selfe so much lesse in the church of Christ maye the laye men whose parte it is to obey and folowe not to prescribe lawes and orders take vppon thē the rule and dominion which appertaineth only to bishops and rulers in the church Farder that this is the true meaning of our Sauiour in the place aboue alleaged he declareth by an other similitude of the shrowde seruaunte which saide in his harte My Master will not come of a longe season and thereupon beginneth to strike his felowe seruauntes eating and drinking and making good chere But the Master of that seruaunt will come sayth Christ in the daye that he loketh not for and in the howre that he knoweth not and shall cutte him of and put his portiō with the hypocrites there shall be weping and gnashing of tethe Our Sauiour hath here plainly and roundely I trowe warned the laie people not only not to medle with chasten or correct their bishops pastours and Curates whom Christ as the Apostle saythe hathe appointed and set ouer them but also not to trouble instructe rule or reprehend their felowe laye folke though nowe a daies alas nothing is more common then clouters coblers sadlers taylers cytezens and men of the countre gentlemen and noble men to take vpon them in the church of Christ the parte of Masters and rulers to interpret holy scripture to prescribe their Curates howe and what to preache howe to administrat sacramēts setting them vp and downe at their pleasure whereas they ought by the expresse commaundement of S. Paule obey and submitt them selues vnto their curates vicars and bishops For thus he writeth vnto the Hebrewes Obey them that haue the ouersight of you and submit your selues vnto them for they watche for your soules euen as they that muste geue accompte that they may do it with ioye and not with grief For that is not expedient for you But you will saie These papiste bishops and priestes be men vnlerned incontinent dissolute geuen to ryot ambition to couetousnes to pompe and to all vice If you saie this of some certain amonge the clergy it may be true But if you speake of the whole clergy it is very false and vntrue For not only amōge the laye people but amonge the clergy also praised be God there be right vertuous sober and godly men vpon whom the fautes of the rest can not be fathered Yet if perhaps all these vices
that euery mā and womā were priestes Although this be an olde condemned heresie of the Aerians of Aetius and Pepusius raised vp now againe of Martin Luther by chaunging the worde Priesthoode in the worde Elders cōtrary the meaning of S. Paule and the common receaued interpretation of all Christendom hitherto Yet hath it pleased Master Luther to renew and preache to the worlde and olde detestable heresie vnder pretence of S. Paules doctrine and the expresse worde of God Nowe although these fewe examples might suffise to declare the honesty of Luther and vpright dealing in translation of the holy scripture yet for the more declaration thereof I will adde yet one place notably misused and willfully corrupted of Luther The Apostle writeth thus to the Colossians Beware lest any man deceiue you by philosophie or vaine deceites after the tradition of men after the elements of the worlde and not after Christ. Thus readeth the greke and the latin text But Luther drawing after his fashion the scripture for his purpose where it is in the text After the elements of the worlde he turneth it Nach der welt satzungen that is after the lawes and ordinaunces of the worlde It is surely a straunge case to see howe variabel and braynsicke these ghospellers are At the first broching of this newe ghospel while Luther as the rumor was lyued yet in his Patmus Philip Melanchthon taught that sithen Christen men were all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught immediatly of God him self no man should study philosophie For al the writings of Plato Aristotle Cicero and such other were but friuolous tales and daungerous deceites and to be burned and destroied as in dede in many places so they were but onely the Bible ought to be read and studied For by these the holy ghoste would minister all knowledge bothe to serue God and to liue in this worlde bothe for euerlasting saluation and for this temporal estate That a Christē man should not liue a studious quyet life for that it was writē In the sweate of thy brow thou shalt eate thy bread that is as they expounde it thou must be a plowemā a showemaker a bucher a tayler or some such handy craftes man and so with thy owne labour get thy liuinge This fowle errour beside other occasions ministred thereunto was of Luther in sundry places of his workes stoutely maintained and defended One of such places I will here at large alleage Writing vnto the Nobilite of Germany he hath these wordes The vniuersites also haue nede of an earnest and sharp reformation Truly I must speake as I think let him be angry that listeth VVhatsoeuer was instituted or ordained vnder the pope tended only to the furderance of vice and encrease of errours for the vniuersites if they be not otherwise ordered then they haue ben hitherto what other thing are they then as it is noted in the Machabees scholes of children and of the greke glorie where is all licentious dissolutnes holy Scripture and Christen faith is not taught but that blind ethnick philosopher Aristotle ruleth aboue Christ him selfe VVhe refore by my aduise the Phisicks the Methaphisiks the bookes de Anima the Ethikes should vtterly be abolished with all the rest of his workes which professe to teache the naturall causes of thinges Although therein nether natural nor spirituall knowledg is to be gotte Beside that they are of such obscurite that fewe haue hitherto vnderstode them good wittes lesing bothe labour and time about them I dare well saie that euery coblar hath as much knowleadg of natural thinges as is to be gotte in those bookes It greueth me euen to the hart that this cursed and crafty proude ethnike could so longe a time abuse and deceaue the lerned men of Christendō VVith this scorge haue we ben whipped for our sinnes This much wrote Luther in the yere of our Lorde 1520. out of these and such other writings of Luther Carolostadius and Melanchthon first sucked out the contempt of philosophie and all good lerning being so moued by the authorite of this german prophet Luther And by the yeare 152◠they furdered the matter so farre that in many famous vniuersites and cites all study of philosophie vtterly decaied And although this doctrine of Luther and Melanchthon taking awaie from Christen men as Iulian the apostat Emperour did all honest discipline liberall sciences and good lerning whereby the estat of Christēdom hathe alwaies ben in knowleadg and vertu directed and to driue all men to handycraft workes and husbandry only by a rude and bestly doctrine yet it so serued that time and was so wel liked that at Wittēberg many scholers burned all their bookes and became craftes men sheaperdes husband men and so forth Carolostadius him selfe being before Archedeacon of Wittenberg getting him to a village thereby became sodenly a ploweman tilled and sowed the grounde him self and brought wodde to the market of Wittenberg to be solde Beside many other cites especially Breslau did shet vp cleane all scholes and for the space of certain yeares suffred their youth to roue abrode without any education or instruction Which if a man had asked them why they did so the text of S. Paule serued them for a cloke of their foly where it was writen Beware ye that no man deceiue you by philosophie and vaine suttelties after the tradition of men But now Luther perceauing afterward that this serued nothing his purpose retourning from his Patmus to Wittenberg he corrected Melanchthon and draue Carolostadius out of the dominiō of Wittenberg professing then openly and declaring that without grammer logick and philosophie his ghospell could not be spread abrode conueniently Therefore in the yeare 1524. writing to the Magistrates and cites of Germanie of setting vp and main taining scholes he laboureth very ernestly to haue restored againe such as had decaied or were neglected making yet no mention of Carolostadius or Melanchthon by whom that enormite was committed To quenche therefore and appaise the tumultes stirred vp by his former doctrine and by Melanchthon letting passe the foresaied text of S. Paule he teacheth that philosophie is good in it selfe if it be wel vsed and not abused to deceiue mē Which in dede had ben of him well saide if he him selfe had not much abused philosophie to sett forthe his fleshely ghospell and to persuade his wily and suttle opinons But seing that he could not without philosophie and helpe of scholes vtter the wicked wares of his fresh and newe lerning letting passe as I saide the former text of the Apostle he toke holde of the wordes that folowed The elements of the worlde turning it the lawes and ordonaunces of the worlde For philosophie hindered not so much his purpose as the Magistrates and and lawes of the countre did Whose authorite onlesse he first ouerthrew drawing men from due obedience vnto their superiours he perceaued right wel that his purpose could
with all this will seme to remaine in Luthers doctrine Is not this to denie God and his holy worde Is not this to begyle and mocke the Emperour Is not this to faine the papisticall religion and counter faite the Lutheran This is if any thing be to halte on bothe sides to serue God and Baal to please God and men Fiftely we condemne this proposition good workes are necessary to saluation Beside these fiue some there are as D. Pfeffinger bishop of Lipsia and his felowes that teache man to be able and sufficient to dispose him selfe to grace and make him selfe meete to receaue the holy ghost by the naturall power of his owne fre will as the same Sophistes Thomas and Scote taught For this Pfeffinger in a disputation made about two yeares past of free will rashely and boldely concludeth with these wordes A man maye by his owne naturall power assent to the ghospell apprehend the promis of Christe not withstande the holy ghoste c. Thus farre Amsdorfius Here we see this Lutheran Master condemneth six diuers sectes and schismes which all except only the Swenckfeldians do yet depend of the Confession of Augspurg and defende and embrace euen to this daie their doctrine For though some peraduenture doe wene that the Swinglians be excluded froÌ„ the Confession of Augspurg yet I finde the coÌ„trary in IhoÌ„ of lasky writing to the King of Pole and in Ihon Caluin in the which places bothe of them affirme directly that the Confession of Augspurg teacheth the very same touching the SacrameÌ„t of the aultar that Zwinglius and the Sacramentaries do Seing then these foresaide sectes so bitterly varie one with an other in the chefe pointes of our religion that eche pronounceth the other heretike truly right it is they be taken for such as they pronouÌ„ce them selues to be In the meane yese by this proces of Amsdorffius howe well and truly M. Doctour Smidelin affimeth and maketh him selfe sure that amonge the Lutherans is no dissension touching the articles of the CoÌ„fession of Augspurg Yet to make this matter more clere I wil adde hereuÌ„to some other testimonies of their owne felowe ministers if peradueÌ„ture their owne coÌ„scieÌ„ce may touch them to acknowledg the truthe Nicolaus gallus in Thesibus Hipotiposibus in the laste leafe writeth thus The altercations and contentions betwene vs Luthâ—ran preachers are not light nor of light matters but of the principall articles of Christian religion of the lawe and the ghospel of iustificatioÌ„ and good workes of the Sacraments and vse of Ceremonies so greate that they seme impossible to be brought at one For some are plaine contradictions that caÌ„ not be reconciled as That the lawe must be preached in Christ his church and must not be preached That our righteousnes is the very substance of God in vs or his operatioÌ„ actioÌ„ and omissioÌ„ within vs or the imputing of his obedience without vs. That the Bloud of Christ doth iustifie no maÌ„ and that which the Apostle saieth we are iustified in his bloud That no man hath ben saued without good workes that good workes are necessary to saluation And coÌ„trairely that good workes are not necessary to saluation or as the psalme saythe happy are they whose sinnes are forgeuen happy is the man to whom God hath not imputed sinne whiche seketh not after good workes nor can haue none to be saued by That Christ is in the Supper and is receaued there corporally vnder bread and wine bothe of the beleuers and of those whiche beleue not and againe that he is there only spiritually and is receaued only of them whiche beleue Thus farre Nicolaus Gallus who although he rehearse with no lesse stomach the contrary and repugnant heresies of the Lutherans his felowes then Amsdorffius doth yet beside he confesseth there are many more a coining and readye to come to light And no doubt but it is so for not longe sens the princes of Saxony and Countes of Mansfeld eche off them hathe sett forthe seuerally greate volumes touching this matter where they reaken vp vnleuen sundry sectes lately sprong vp condemning them all for heresies to witt The Anabaptistes The Seruetians The Antinomi The Iesuites The Osiandrins The Melanchthonistes The Maioristes The Adiaphoristes or Indifferents The Swenckfeldians The Sacramentaries Nowe where Smidelin denieth that amonge the ghospellers is no heresie no dissension in religion no variaunce in the Confession of Augspurg I woulde he tolde vs what is it that those Superintendents Amsdorfius and Nicolaus Gallus condemne in their former sentences What meaned the princes of Saxony and the Countes of Mansfeld Do not all these fore named sectes acknowledge the Confession of Augspurg and belonge thereunto The Anabaptistes in dede do not and much lesse the Iesuites But all the rest walke vnder the winge of the newe ghospel and vpholde them selues vnder the pretence of the ConfessioÌ„ of Augspurg For Lasky in Pole and Caluin in Sauoye labour continually to persuade men thrt their sacramentary doctrine is expresse in the Confession off Augspurg Here I would demaunde of Master Smidelin whether the articles coÌ„demned here and recited of the princes of Saxony the Countes of Mansfeld of Amsdorfius and Gallus and defended of those ten sectes aboue mencioned do properly appertaine to the Confession of Augspurg or no. Surely I see not what awnswer this doctour of Gopping is able to make vs for if he saie these articles touche not the doctrine of tbe Confession of Augspurg then would I desire him to take the paines for his estimation sake only to affirme the same in one printed leafe of paper against those Superintendents Amsdorffius and Gallus and against the princes and Countes aforesaide Whiche if he dare not for his life to do then must he nedes be an impudent felowe and past all shame and honesty to affirme openly that the Lutherans do all agree in the grounde and chiefe pointes of their Confession off Augspurg Here I holde this wily foxe and be he neuer so ssipper yet shall he not escape here my fingers And therefore yet we will laye hande on him more surely In the booke of the Countes of Mansfeld against the vnleuen sectes the Ministers saie in this wise The reader nede not to maruaile that Osiander to auouche his matter alleageth plenty of scripture but rather ought diligeÌ„tly to marke howe wickedly he wretheth and corrupteth the right meaning and vnderstanding of holy Scripture Thus much saie they But what nowe saith Master Smidelin hereunto In the booke he made this yeare against the longe table where he goeth about to reconcile together the Masters of Wittenberg and Osiander thus he writeth Then bothe partes proue their opinions by holy Scripture and truly with the very same sentences but not the very same interpretations allthough yet not contrary Let vs harken I praie yow howe swetely these bells agree The Ministres off MaÌ„sfeld saie that
Matrimony is but the inuention of man and these wordes of Melanchthon saieng That the rest of the Sacraments amonge the whiche matrimony is counted be but mens imaginations And see the wicked doctrine off these ghospellers calling the blessed Sacraments but mens imaginations for what saith our Sauiour of holy matrimony VVhat God hath coupled let not man separat Is this nowe the inuentioÌ„ or imagination of meÌ„ and not rather the institution and ordonnaunce of God him selfe When the ghospell of Luther first sprange vp Melanchthon wrote that only faith iustified the Sacraments indued men with no grace baptim and the Supper were only Sacramentall signes A litle after he wrote they were true Sacraments and of two he made thre and at length foure so that in the espace of fewe yeares that which he first laughed to scorne and called imaginatioÌ„s of men sodenly they proued holy SacrameÌ„ts and weighty ordonnaunces of the liuinge Lorde I entend not here to dispute of the number of Sacraments what is the Catholike doctrine and what is the heretical it is not nowe oure purpose Farder the Lutherans will not be a knowen that they haue corrupted our Crede scraping out the worde Catholike in the article I beleue the holy Catholike churche Thus I saide before of them and saie it yet againe reporting my self herein to their Confession of Augspurg where they describing their church omitte cleane the worde Catholike In the Apologie Melanchthon being accused thereof maketh a litle mencion but so that he calleth Catholike that which heretikes in corners do imagin In his common places and in his booke Examen examinandorum he bableth and pratleth to no purpose very muche of the churche but the worde Catholike he can finde in no churche In the greate and in the litle Cathechisme of Luther and in his litle booke of praiers where he reciteth the Crede and expoundeth it in euery place for the Catholike church he writeth the Christian churche And hereof it cometh that through oute all Germany where the ghospell of Luther is receaued children allwaies lerne their Crede and saie it at table euen as it is corrupted of Luther and Melanchthon Who like crafty heretikes laboured by all meanes possible that the worde Catholike might by litle and litle vtterly be forgotten And all heretikes haue euer shunned and auoided this article of our Crede I beleue the Catholike churche and that not without good cause for certayn they are if their doctrine come to examination to be bulted out by lerning that this only worde Catholike wil cutte their throtes Sithen then we see clerely and euidently by this which we haue saide that amonge the Lutherans are not only diuers and variable but pernicious and hainous hereticall schismes diuisions and opinions as out of their owne saings doings and writings we haue before declared surely it must of necessite folowe that the Lutherans be and remaine pernicious and detestable heretikes For doctour Smidelin him selfe and all heretikes do confesse this that whereas in the doctrine of faith that is in the principall articles of faithe are hereticall dissensions and schismes that then the teachers and setters forthe of such haeretiâ—all schismes must nedes be heretikes them selues But no man can nowe denie that the Lutheran preachers do sette forthe vpholde and defende hereticall schismes Wherefore it foloweth that these Lutherans ghospellers protestants or howsoeuer they call them selues be pernicious heretikes and for such are to be taken and auoided of al Christendom And truly there is no better meanes to reduce heretikes to the right and common highe waye of the Catholike church then to put before their eyes their hainous and hereticall dissensions wherein they haue runne a straie one this waie an other that way but all out of the waie of the Catholike and ChristeÌ„ belefe Or if heretikes will be obstinat allwaies and continewe wilfully in their errour and presumed opinioÌ„s the readiest waie to bring them to nought is to beseche god to suffer them to continew in the sprit of dissension that being seuered into diuers parcels and scattered into sundry schismes they maie the sooner perish and vanish awaie euen as the builders of the tower of Babell and all heretikes yet hitherto For the only destruction of all heresies hath ben their mutuall dissension and schismes This Luther him selfe testifieth writing thus vppon the fift psalme Euery kingdome diuided within it selfe shall be desolated for heretikes were neuer ouercomed by force or by art but only by their owne altercatioÌ„s and dissensioÌ„s Nether Christ by any other meanes ouerthroweth heresies then by suffering them to fall in to the sprit of dissension and variaunce as the Sichimites and buylders of Babell in the olde lawe and the Arrians Pelagians and Donatistes in the newe lawe The Iewes also were destroied only by discorde amonge them selues For as Hilarius writeth The warre of heretikes is the peace of the church Bicause by their contentions they perish euen bodyly not only in their soules Thus farre Luther And truly so it fareth when one heresie is ones spronge vp and that diuers Masters professe it straite vpoÌ„ many schismes and factioÌ„s arise Marcion that archeheretike brought forth many absurde opinions which ones being scattered in to the wild braines of his scholers his heresie incontinently began to breake in to sondry partes so that of him proceded Appelliani Seueriani and Manichei Again of the Manichei grewe the Priscillianistae Encratitae and diuers other all horrible heretikes and yet allmost in all countres suffred Epiphanius in the third booke confuting the Hemiarite and Arrians writeth of the Arrians thus For we saie the armie of the Arrians is diuided into thre bandes so that Eudoxius Germanus George of Alexandria Euzoius of Antioche be departed in to the first bande cutting them selues of from their felowes In to the seconde bande Basill not the doctour of the churche Eleusius Eustachius Georgius of Laodicea Syluanus of Tarsus and Macedonius of Constantinople haue straied In the third companye as I sayde before is Acacius Meletius and Eutychius All their doings be vaine and wicked For that as ony one taught the other would not receaue but with mutuall hatred and malice they dissent and disagree eche from the other Thus farre Epiphanius Who listeth more at large to see the schismes and diuisioÌ„s of these and of other heretikes he maye reade Eusebius and other ecclesiasticall stories S. Augustin maketh mencion off dissension of the Donatistes obiecting vnto them that Donatus his secte was distracted into son dry schismes For thus he writeth in his first booke â–ª De Baptismo contra Donatistas Cap. 6. This part of Donatus is cutte in to many smal pieces al which parcels repreheÌ„d very much this great portion where Primianus ruleth for approuing the baptim of the Maximinianiste â–ª and eche of all those parcels do stoutely affirme that the right and true baptim is only among them
perilous dissēsion amonge the papistes If our doctours and diuines should vse suche arguments against them howe woulde they scoffe and scorne at it But these ghospelling preachers vsing such must not onely not be founde faute withall but must be highely praised and commended therefore as men of excellent vertu and knowleadge Whiche allthough it be very iniurious and may well be complained of yet sence that it liketh them so to vse vs we must take it in good parte and beare it But as touching the matter euen as in our Christen religion we haue lerned of S. Paule to acknowleadge and beleue in one God euen so we must professe one faith and one baptim Although therefore among religious men and womē there be diuers orders and sundry rules likewise betwene the clergy and the laite diuers professions and vocatiōs and that by the sure and certain prouidēce of almightie God yet among these al there is but one God one faith one Christ one church one and the selfe same interpretation of holy scripture We by the true vnderstanding of Gods worde haue lerned in the churche the difference betwene the Catholike faythe of all men and the priuate hope of eueryman First in the articles of oure belefe we beleue al one thinge and al after one sort But to euery man priuately it is permitted that vpō right cōscience and due consideration for the encrease and cōfirmation of his hope which lacketh not his sure rewarde he maye take and chose vnto him some such honest trade of life and cōuersation as is agreable to his nature though he differ hereby from the common life and vocation of other men Therefore as concerning the agreement of our faithe we reade in the Apostle If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if there be any comforte of loue if there be any feloweship of the spirit if there be any compassion and mercie fullfill ye my ioye that ye be like minded hauing one loue being of one accorde that no thing be done through strife or of vaine glory And againe Neuertheles vnto that whiche we haue attained vnto let vs procede by one rule that we may be off one accorde Many such sentences are in holy Scripture whereby we are admonished that the doctrine of our faithe and belefe ought not to be referred to any one state or person but to the whole communite off Christ his churche Wherefore S. Iames commaundeth That we esteme not the faith of our Lorde Iesus Christe in respect of personnes Whereof it appeareth euidently that the vnite consent and agreement of our faith is builded and grounded vppon the communite off Christes Catholike churche Whereby all schismes and particular heresies are excluded But that the diuersite of grace of giftes and vocatiō is to be referred to the condition of euery man And what is the reason hereof Bicause as we haue many membres in one body but all membres haue not one office so all Christen men are one body in Christ but euery one hath his singular and peculiar giftes grace and vocation And this blessed Apostle saithe also in an other place Let euery man trie his owne doing and so he shall haue glorie in him selfe onely and not in an other For we shall all stande before the iudgment of Christe that euery man maye receaue the workes of his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Seing thē these two pointes the agreement of faithe and diuersite of vocations are in the Catholike churche by due reason to be waighed and eche in his place to be osberued I can not sufficiently maruaill at the sutle shifte and wily deceit off these Lutherans forcing the Catholikes to suffer amonge them heretikes beleuing as they list and sowing schismes at their pleasure bidding them withall dissemble and winke at the matter whereas yet them selues will not suffer the like liberty in diuersite of vocations amonge the Catholikes but will persuade Princes and Magistrates to force their subiects bothe temporall and Spirituall and Religious of all sorte to forsake their godly vocatiō and perfit professiō and to take such a frame of faith as it shall please the Prince or Magistrat to prescribe them What other thinge is this then to make that diuers and different in the Catholike faith whiche should be one and vniforme and that one and vniforme in persons and vocations whiche should be diuers and different O horrible confusion If there were not beside this point manifest and outragious impietes of the Lutherans repugning bothe to right reason and to the worde of God whereby we might iudge howe pestiferous abominable and wicked the doctrines and doings of these Lutheran preachers and protestant Ministres are yet of this only matter it might appeare euident while they confunde Vniformite and Diuersite Teaching that which ought to be in our belefe consonant and agreable that it maye varie and be diuers and cōtrairely those things whiche in euery mans peculiar vocation shoulde be proper and distinct maie in no wise varie or differ Whereof spronge the insurrection of the commōs in Germany the sedition of the Anabaptistes in West phalia and the rebellion against their highe rulers and magistrats Surely of no other roote then that Luther and all protestant preachers haue taught and do yet teache and write to that seing There is no respect of personnes before God therefore there ougth to be no difference of persons no magistrat in the church but that all Christen men are fre and therefore all other distinct estats dignites and qualites as well greate as small ought to be all one and all a like And whereof arise these greate and enormous dissensions in religiō but only of this occasiō that the Lutherās take awaie from the Catholike faithe all vnite and agreement and teache that euery man may be saued by his owne priuat faith which he forgeth him selfe and that he maye for his owne person frely beleue what he listeth Thus they would force the Catholikes to a certain dissembling deceit such as neuer was heard of As that they should suffer euery man to beleue as he list and set vp newe factiōs and schismes against the vnite and agrement of our faith But the difference of vocations qualites and degrees as is betwene lowe and high tēporall and spirituall priuat and publike they should no more suffer but make all estates cōmon all vocatiōs aequall al trade of life one and vniforme If this be not to confounde heauen and earthe surely I knowe not what heauen and earthe meaneth Colde which procedeth of water is of this nature that it knitteth and fastneth together diuers thinges in to one masse and substaunce and cōserueth them also in the same as golde siluer bras tinne leade claie also durte and wodde But heate contrairely resolueth and seuereth all these substaunces So likewise the property of faithe is to knitte ioyne
from the church of Rome yet their faith and belefe touching such articles as the Lutherans haue swarued in from the Catholike churche is in moste pointes agreable to the Catholike doctrine If therefore o true and vertuous Germans we liste to put out this greate blotte of our good name to auoide the vtter destruction and desolation of our dere countre and purchase the eternall saluation of our soules this is the onely waie for it to seke after againe the steppes and pathes off our dere forefathers to ioyne our selues with the whole corps off Christendome and to call backe againe and restore that doctrine that faith that church and that ghospell by the which we were first made Christen men and haue continewed so many a hundred yeare For what so euer the Lutherans bable of their newe forged religion howe so euer the protestants pratle in pulpits of the primitiue church yet they can not denie but that this their doctrine their trade of ecclesiasticall gouuernement their maner of common prayer and all other ordinaunces was neuer yet sene nor heard of in Germany sence it was first Christned vntell Luther Charlemain the first Germain Emperour with his successours brought the Saxons to Christen religion founded amonge them their chefe bishoprickes churches and Colledges planted in Germany the very same doctrine the very same religion the very same cerimonies the selfe same Masse and seruice of god as it is at this daye vsed amonge all Catholikes and so left it to all Emperours after him Likewise those holy bishops and Martirs the Apostles of higher Germany which first brought Christendome in to it instructed it not with that doctrine or ecclesiasticall gouuernement as the Lutherans vse but with the very same vnderstanding of holy scripture with the same religion and gouuernement of the church whiche the Catholikes euen to this daye do practise S. Seuerin Archebishop of Rauenna conuerted Austriche to Christendome S. Eleutherius and Quirinus the countre aboute Anisus S. Maximinus and Rupertus the bishoprick off Salispurg S. Valentin and VVolfgang the cyte off Passau S. Paulinus and after him S. Emeranus Regenspurg S. Corbinianus Frising S. Richard and Vilibaldus the cyte of Eystat S. Narcissus and Viricus Augspurg and Algouia S. Kiliaenus and Burchaerdus Virtzbourg S. Columbinus and Gallus Suethelande S. Maternus and Valerius the inhabitants of Rhene S. Paternus and Laudo Costnitz S. Amandus and Argobastus Strasbourg S. Victor and Seruatius Wormes S. Crescens the disciple of S. Paule and Maximus Ments Whiche all beside many other blessed Martirs and lerned bishops in other countres where they planted Christes religion and instituted gods seruice taught no other doctrine preached no other ghospell practised no other religion saide no other Masse vsed no other clergy then suche as from the Apostles time through out all Christendome hath ben hetherto kept and vsed In this religion we germans were traded first to Christendome With this religion our godly and vertuous forefathers attained to euerlasting life By this religion the Romain Empire hath ben translated to the Nobilite of Germany Through this religion the auÌ„cient germans haue had greate victories haue dilated their dominion hath brought infidels to the Christen faythe as Hungary Bohem Pole Vandale Slavony Prussia LiflaÌ„de Denmarke and Swetheland which partly by force of armes they haue constrained partly by instruction of holy bishops they haue persuaded to receaue Christendome All this maye be sene in our Chronicles and awncient foundations But now we see to our greate grefe and shame that within the space of fourty yeares all these countres are all moste come to destruction The hainous heresies the sundry schismes and the horrible blasphemies euery where practised proue it to clerely Farder the greate decaie of the German Empire the contempt off our nation being nowe in obloquy with all the worlde whom before all nations other loued or feared testifie this abundantly Where is nowe become Thiethmarsh whiche belonged before to the diosece of the Archebishop of Breme The Danes haue taken it Where is LifelaÌ„de the olde soiourne and retire of the Saxon Nobilite The Moscouite by maine force hathe wronged it out of our handes Prussia what is come of it whiche was wonte to be the receite and soiourne of higher germany The Polonians haue chalenged it and enioye it And these two countres of Liflande and Prussia be no smal territories but two riche and large Realmes especially Prussia which hathe in length aboue threscore miles and in bredth fourtye and containeth diuers cytes portes and villages greate and small so riche and full of commodites as no place of Germany beside And although Lifâ—lande be not comparable to Prussia either in riches or in power yet is it a goodly beawtifull and large countre from whence not onely the Nobles of Saxony and townes of the seacoste drawe sundry commodites but all the state of the Empire also and many foren countres And these two countres Prussia and Liflande are as two sure feete of the Germain Empire which nowe by our dissension being bothe cut from the Empire it is easye to coniecture howe hansomly and surely it is like to stande And howe haue we loste these noble countres and prouinces by the force and power of oure enemies No truly For the knightes of the Order in Alemaigne forced the Prussians being yet heatheÌ„ to receaue the olde Christen religion whiche they had lerned off their Apostles and forefathers and vntell oure daies haue stoutely kept them in the same And as longe as that worshipfull Order continued in this godly purpose that countre flourished and encreased in all wealth But as soone as that Order receaued the newe ghospell of Luther abandoning the true ghospell off Christ and forsoke the spirituall Crosse of that Order folowing the fleshly doctrine of Luthers crosse incontinently that whole countre being gotte and kept so many yeares vnder the olde ghospell was sodenly loste through the newe ghospell of Luther the Nobilite of Germany thereof berefted and yelded to the prince of Pole so that nowe they rule ouer the germans whiche in times paste paied tribut to the Emperours of germany The like happened of Liflande for as longe as the knightes of the Order in Lifelande kepte and maintained the Catholike faith whereby they first subdued that countre ten thousand of them coulde in open filde put to flighte fourescore thousand of the Moscouites but sens that the same worshipfull Order put downe the awncient religion whereby they obtained such victories planting in the place of it heresie all the victory hathe enclined to our aduersaries and the Moscouites haue obtained the countre For so it is By agrement small thinges encrease by discord greate thinges fall awaye The olde Catholike faith worketh by charite which is the bonde of perfection and all prosperite The Lutheran fayth abideth not charite with it but will iustifie man
that all this is to vs a warning piece and but a preamble of a terrible tragedie whiche we see already plaied in Hungary these many yeares and is nowe of late begonne in Liflande the ende whereof as we maie coniecture is staied onely by two eyes which being putt oute the Iewes and the grekes maye reade the storie off their owne fal in our bloud and singe vs that songe that the Romans ones songe vnto them DISSENSION HATH DESTROIED GERMANY THE TVRKE AND THE MOSCOVITE HATH DESTROIED DISSENSION God graunte that I deme herein amisse For if that calamite should happen which our Lorde of his tender mercie forbid I all mine and al such as I am shall haue our parte therein and perish with the reste God is my witnes I haue brought in all this vppon a good intent and purpose And that I haue here touched the state of our present time I did it not God is my Iudge to offend any man of whatsoeuer condition or qualite he be but by this charitable admonishement of my moste dere countre to declare my good will and desire to serue helpe and succour her at all times For vndoubtedly the axe is nowe put to the roote of the tre and if we bring forthe no better frute then we haue done we shall surely all be hewed downe And as S. Austin saieth It is an vnfrutefull repentaunce which purposeth not to amende And certain it is we haue highely offended the wrathe of God as well by abhominable heresies and schismes yelding vnto them and suffring them amonge vs as by our wicked and dissolut life As touching our liuing it is not inough to heare sermons haue the ghospell allwaies in our mouthe and liue not after the ghospell But we must folowe the lesson of the prophet saieng Be conuerted and turne you cleane from all your wickednes and your iniquite shall not destroye you and an other lesson of the Apostle He that stole let him now no more stele And the saieng of S. Augustin is worthy to be remembred That the sinne is not forgeuen onles restitution be made Which in al other sinnes is likewise to be vnderstanded But as touching the horrible errours wherewith Luther the fifte Euangelist and other newe ghospellers in Germany haue plucked and remoued from the Catholike churche bothe them selues and many a thousand more working this lamentable estate variaunce and dissension in Christ his church this surely is of all sinnes the greatest and most greuous that may be And hereof our Lorde saith Wo vnto that man by whom offense riseth And although this worde Wo spokē of Gods owne mouth be a dreadful significatiō of his wrath and high displesure yet his mercie farre passeth ready to receaue vs againe in his fauour and embrace his loste childrē if vtterly forsaking the straie pathes of errour and heresie we come again to the high waie of Christ his church and casting awaie al wicked thought out of our hartes and fāsie of grosse heresies as the feding of the prodigal son vpon beane coddes with the hogges we returne home to our fathers house which is the churche of God Vnto the which the prophet exhorteth vs saieng Turne againe euery man from his euil waye and from your wicked imaginations and so shall ye dwell for euer in the lande that our Lorde gaue you and your forefathers The onely meanes therefore to auoide this greate calamite hanging ouer vs is vtterly to forsake this newe forged and dissensious ghospell and retire home again to the Catholike church embracing the right and auncient doctrine thereof wherein we were borne and brought vp and ioyning our selues to the whole corps of Christendome letting go by these scattering schismes and seditious factions Which counsel of mine I trust is more sincere and godly and will haue better succes then the cruel and vnmercifull aduise of Martin Luther in a litle booke whiche he made laste of all shortly before his soden deathe at Wittenberg in the yeare 1545. dedicating it vnto two honourable Princes the Duke of Saxony and the Lantgraue of Hesse that they should not dismisse their presonner the Lorde Harry of Brunswicke The title of that litle booke is this Ad Electorem Saxoniae Lantgrauium Hassiae D. Martinus Lutherus decaptiuo D. Brunsuicensi And to the entent that in these countres and euery where the worlde maye knowe howe Martin Luther tooke vppon him in his papacie and howe proudely he behaued him selfe I will out of his owne booke declare you worde for worde the whole matter These then are the wordes of Luther For my parte I would not passe if that captiue of Brunswicke were kinge of Fraunce and his son Kinge of Englande For what coulde that hurte me But to counsell you to let him go fre and at libertie that I can in no wise do He hath lost that hope and confidence For seing God dothe punish him who dare be so bolde as to absolue him from Gods punishement onles he first do penaunce and make due satisfaction so that we maie boldely truste that God is appeased and reconciled otherwise it shoulde be no other thinge but to tempt God whiche in no wise must be counselled Luther would forsothe that the Duke of Brunswicke were kinge of Fraunce A likely matter truly But why suffred they him not to remaine Duke stil who gaue Luther authorite to punish the Duke Is not this against all lawes Canon ciuile and lawe of nature that a man in his owne cause may be a party and the Iudge The ciuill lawe hath hetherto so prescribed that iff any debate fall oute betwene man and man for iniury taken or geuen that the ordinary Iudge and lawfull magistrat should determinat the matter what is the authorite of this lawe wiped awaie also with the ghospell or was not the Emperour the highe and ordinary Iudge of all Dukes and Princes here in Germany what hath Luther to do herein Is it against the doctrine of the ghospell that the Apostle commaundeth vs to obey the higher powres There is no power saieth he but from God and he that resisteth the power resisteth the ordynaunce off god whiche who do purchase them selues damnation But we muste not obey saie they an euill magistrat but what euil magistrat meane they forsothe the Emperour And who saithe he is an euill ruler Luther and his felowes But he should well and substantially haue proued it before he saide it And would god we had mo such Emperours The daye will come that we would be glad to scrape such Emperours oute of their graues with our nailes if we might so come by them But graunte they were tiraunts whiche yet who affirmeth lowdely belieth them Doth not S. Peter saie Be ye subiect in all feare to your rulers not onely good and gentle but also suche as are froward It was not then Luthers part but the Emperours bearing the sworde as an higher power and minister
vnto the and we shall be turned And what necessite driueth vs to this crie and lamentation surely euen the very same which moued that Prophet so to bewaile and lament when he saieth VVo be vnto vs bicause we haue sinned For truly I thinke we germans haue sinned tentymes more greuousely then those Iewes And what was the plage of their hainous offences the prophet declareth The crowne and garland of our head is fallen of I feare me we germans shall heue the selfe same plage onles we spedely do penaunce for our wickednes It foloweth in the lamentatiō Therefore my harte is heauy and full of griefe We alas are not yet come so farre towarde penaunce that our harte hath ben heauy for our sinnes For we yet contynew in them and why spede we not to penaunce Bycause our eyes are darkned and wherefore for the hille of Sion that is the Catholike church why what is befallen it bycause it is destroyed O Mercifull god this is to to true with vs Germans For amonge vs one saythe Here is Christ an other saythe there is Christ. this man saythe Amonge the Caluinistes is the churche an other saythe Amonge the Illyricans the thirde amonge the Indifferents the fourthe amonge the Osiandrins the fifte amonge the Swenck feldians and so with the reste whereas yet it is vnpossible it should be amonge them all why so bicause it is destroied it is scattered it is vndone And howe cometh it o holy Ieremije that the holy hill of Sion the Catholike churche is so wasted and destroied Foxes haue walked in it In dede foxes that is as S. Ambrose and S. Augustin expounde it suttle crafty deceitefull stinking and lurking heretikes These foxes haue onerrunne spoiled and destroied the holy hil of Sion the Catholike church of Christ. And as soone as the light that shineth from this hill the Catholike church of whom it is saied I haue set the vp as a lighte to all nations was ones in Germany darkned and extinguished mens eyes and hartes were so blinded that with open eyes they see nothing and are so sicke that they fele no paine at all nor perceaue not howe daily the Croune falleth awaye from their heades Let him therefore pray that can praye and who so euer feareth the smarte of gods rodde let him labour to escape it and crie with the prophet Turne vs o lorde vnto the. and that he faile not also on his parte let him saie with mouthe and perfourme in dede And we will be turned But bicause that as S. Augustin teacheth repentaunce which procedeth not of faithe is vnprofitable there is no hope of true repentaunce amonge vs onles we embrace the true doctrine of Christen fayth To the entent therefore that euery common laie man may be sure and perfit of the faith and religion which he foloweth I will adde hereunto to knitte vp this our simple treatise a litle piece out of a booke that Vincētius lyrenēsis wrote aboue twelue hūdred yeares past vnder Theodosius the Emperour for the mayntenaūce and setting forth of Catholike religiō A man peraduenture maye demaunde saith he seing the Canon of holy scripture is sufficient off it selfe for all pointes what nedeth the interpretation off the Church to be added thereunto to the which question he answereth For bicause forsothe holy scripture being depe and mystical is not of all men after the like sorte expounded but the sentences thereof some man expoundeth one waie some an other that allmoste as many men so diuers expositions may be drawen thereof For the Nouatian expoundeth it one waie Sabellius an other waie Donatus Arrius Eunomius Macedonius Photinus Apollinaris Priscillianus Iouinianus Pelagius Celestius and Nestorius al founders of sundry heresies folowe eche of them their owne proper and peculiar waie of interpreting holy scripture Wherefore it behoueth that in consideration of so many crekes and by erroneous pathes the line of interpreting holy prophets and Apostles be drawē and directed according to the rule of the Catholike and ecclesiasticall exposition In the Catholike churche it selfe we must seriousely prouide that we folowe onely that which is receaued in euery place at al times of al mē for this is Catholike in dede and properly as the worde it self emporteth comprehending all vniuersally This we maie so do if we folowe vniuersalite Antiquite and Consent Vniuersalite we shall folowe if we acknowledg that faith and belefe which the whole church through out the whole worlde acknowledgeth Antiquite if we departe not from those expositions which the holy awncient fathers haue lefte vnto vs. Consent likewise if in the antiquite we cleaue vnto the determinations of all or allmoste all priestes prelats and teachers of the church What then shall the Catholike and Christian man do if any part of the churche cutte it selfe of from the communion and societe of the generall belefe What other then that he muste preferre the whole body before the deseased parte What if some newe infection plage not onely some parte but the whole church Then must he diligently cleaue vnto the Antiquite or awncient receaued faith whiche can be seduced by no guile of nouelty VVhat if two or thre men or some one cyte or countre swarue from the Antiquite and receaued doctrine Then against the rashe ignorance of a fewe he must set the awncient and vniuersall decrees of some generall Councell What if such doubtes arise that no such decree can be founde Then let him labour to seke out and confer together the saiengs of the fathers such as though in diuers times and in diuers places yet remaining in the vnite and belefe of the Catholike church haue bē approued for teachers and doctours of the same and what soeuer he shal finde that not one or two onely of them but that al with one Consent haue clerely taught oftentimes writen and continually helde this without all doubte and stagger he ought to be leue Thus farre that holy father Vincentius Lyren It were much to be wished that this good and profitable booke were soundely and truly trāslated in to the vulgar tongue and so sett in printe to be read of all men For this holy father aboue twelue hundred yeares since hath so writen of this matter that he semeth thereby to cal to the Catholike vnite and prouoke to amendement off life not only the heretikes of his time but also euen these of our time To thentent that shaking off all sinne and heresie we might liue here in peace vnite and cōcorde and obtaine hereafter the euerlasting life praising with all the sainctes our Lorde and God for euer the which his dere son our Sauiour Iesus Christ by his tēder mercie and blessed merites graunte vs. AMEN FINIS A DISCOVRS VPON THE DOCTRINE OF THE PROTESTANTS TRIED BY THE THREE FIRST FOVNDERS and fathers thereof Martin Luther Philip Melanchthon and especially Iohn Caluin oute of whose workes are gathered sundry olde heresies absurdites and contradictions by
of God nor should not ende to his honour Luther in all his doinges declared well this his intent and purpose but nowe bicause Ex abundâ—ntia cordis os loquitur as the harte thinketh the tongue speaketh he vttereth it also in wordes and be wraieth his deuelish intent rashely perhaps and vnprouidently on his owne parte but not without the mercyfull prouidence of allmighty god in our behalf And in very dede according to his talke the matter proued For see howe he made his entry to this ioly enterprise He knew right well that the authorite of lerned writers staÌ„ding he could not plant his deuelish and wicked doctrine Therefore at the first he persuadeth the worlde that the ghospell hitherto hath ben trod vnder foote and mens constitutions haue preuailed Wherefore nothing ought to be receiued but the only clere and expresse text of holy Scripture For these be his wordes in his booke De sâ—ruo arbitrio against Eraesmus Laie aside all the armour and defence which the olde Catholike writers all scholes of diuines authorite of Councells and popes the consent of all ages and all Christendom do minister vnto you VVe admitt nothing but Scripture VVhatsoeuer the olde writers taught the authorite of the church hath deliuered Christen people hath embraced Scholes haue defended it is all the pestilent poison of the deuill I will no iudgement but I require obedience Nor let not any maÌ„ be any whit moued with the miracles or holynes of the Saints off the church They are all damned if they thought as they wrote Thus farre Frier Luther Be these the wordes thinke you of a Christen maÌ„ If Porphirius Lucian Iulian the Apostata or any Turke or Pagan shoulde go about to withdraw Christen men from the faith of Iesus Christ and of his holy worde what surer grounde could he vse of his persuasion what suttler entry coulde he make then to persuade them that all Counsells al doctours al Popes haue erred damnably and taught Satanicall doctrine There arose in Holland about twenty yeares past one George Dauid first a Lutheran protestant and after a most detestable Apostata affirming him selfe to be the true Messias and Christ. He liued afterward in Basill certain yeares vnder pretence of a Lutheran protestant and naming him selfe Iohn of Bruncke he died at Basill and but two yeares after his deathe was espied to be that George Dauid whom so many Anabaptistes folowed and beleued At what time his bookes and writings being serched coÌ„taining the reasons and persuasions of his doctrine amonge many other this was founde and is the viij th in number If saieth he the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles had ben the true and perfit doctrine truly the church which they planted and framed by their doctrine should necessarely haue continued and neuer perished Bicause hell gates them selues as Iesus saied should not preuaile against his church but nowe it is euident that Antichrist hath vtterly ouerthrowen the doctrine and building of the Apostles For this saieth he is manifest in the papacy Whereof he will haue it necessarely ensue that the doctrine of the Apostles be vnperfitt and false but the doctrine that he bringeth for the be the perfit and true These are the very wordes of the history of his life sette forthe by the vniuersite of Basill Beholde the reason of Luther to plant his newe ghospell and the reason of George Dauid to ouerthrowe the ghospell is all one Luther groundeth vppon the errour of the church George Dauid groundeth vppon the same Luther maketh his entry by condemning the churche George Dauid maketh the same Onely this is the difference Dauid goeth plainly to worke and openeth his diuelish intent at the first and therefore he prospered not Luther craftely pretendeth the defence of Gods worde though he condemne the church and therefore it succeded ioylely with him For tenfolde worse is a preuy enemy then an open and sooner is the Turke auoided then the heretike though they bringe vs bothe to one pitte the Turke walketh naked he asketh all at ones his filthynes appeareth at the first sight and therefore the Christen man at the first blushe abhorreth him But the heretike is cloked with the name of a Christian asketh but the deniall of some part of our saith pretendeth the worde of God and therefore is not off many espied Our Sauiour in that most tender and longe praiers that he made for mankinde after the mysticall Supper praieth thus O holy father kepe them in thy name whom thou hast geuen vnto me that they may be one as we are I aske not only for them but for all such as by their worde shall beleue in me that they all be one as thou father in me and I in the that they also be one in vs that the worlde may beleue that thou hast sent me Christ here praieth for vnite in his Church and that to continue for euer For he saied before he would praie the Father and he should geue a comforter to tary with vs for euer the Spirit of truthe And why doeth our Sauiour praie for this vnite and truthe to continew for euer in his Churche forsothe he protesteth it vnto his Father and saieth to the entent that the worlde may beleue that thou hast sent me Lo Christ would haue the continuaunce of truthe and vnite in his Church to be a most euident argument to all the worlde that he was the true Son of God the only Sauiour and Redemer of the worlde Nowe Luther and George Dauid denie this vnite and truthe to haue continewed and our protestants appeale to the first six hundred yeares condemning wickedly the whole corps of Christendom off these last ix hundred yeares of errours superstition and idolatry And what other coÌ„sequeÌ„t looke we hereof to folowe then that with George Dauid and his secte they denie Christ him selfe In the preface off Staphylus to the bishop of Eistat you haue sene howe the protestants of Bohem are allready come to this point where this heresie first began and hath most continued But here peraduenture some ciuill Lutheran will be offended with vs for vrging these wordes of Luther and charging him so farre therewith and awnswer with their common distinction saying The writinges of Luther are of thre maner of sortes to witt some writen before he thouroughly espied what popery was some again writen in vehemency of contention wherein sometime he showed him selfe to much passioned some again that he wrote in mekenes of spirit and such to be taken for the very pure kernell and vndoubted verite of his ghospell This distinction and poore shift though Luther vsed it before the Emperour at Wormes and be a common cloke of the ciuill protestants to couer the filthynes off their father Luther yet bothe it standeth litle with the truthe of an Euangelist as he termeth him selfe or of the third Elias as his scholers call him and will neuer be graunted of
most trusty witnes by the verdit of Iohn Caluin whose iudgemeÌ„t you will not I suppose discredit of antiquite in the doctrine of the churche come and affirme as muche Who writing to Paulinus of praieng for the dead saieth Allbeit it were not read in the olde scriptures yet the authorite off the vniuersall church is not small which in this custome is euident VVhere in the praier of the priestes which are offred to our Lorde God at his aultar the commendation of the dead hath his place Io here S. Augustin calleth it a custome of the vniuersail churche to praie for the dead at the aultar of God And vninersall is that by the meaning of S. Augustin which euery where and at all times is and hath ben which in all places euen from the Apostles them selues hath ben obserued Epiphanius also coufuting Aerius affirmeth it to be a tradition of the Apostles to pray for the dead Thus much then of the first parte of your first reason M. Grindall that we haue no commaundement in Scripture to praie for the dead but the place of the Machabees Nowe Sir as touching the second parte that you saie the same place of the Machabees is not in the Canon of the Scriptures I maruail not much hereat considering of what race youre doctrine procedeth For as you haue lerned of the olde heretike Aerius condemned aboue twelue hundred yeares past to disproue praier for the dead so haue you lerned off a numbre of olde heretikes to denie for scripture suche places as ouerthrow your heresy For euen so did the Marcionistes allowe but 9. of S. Paules epistles whereas the church alloweth 14. So did the Manichees take awaie the first chapter of S. Mathewes ghospell and reiected allmost all the olde Testament as S. Augustin witnesseth So the Arrians disallowed the epistle of S. Paul to the hebrewes as Theodoret recordeth in the prohem of his commentary vpon that epistle So Aetius also denied much of the olde Testament as Epiphanius mencioneth of him Briefly it was the manner of all heretikes so to do as Tertullian in his prescriptioÌ„s noteth Therefore as I saied I maruail the lesse at your demeanour herein considering that it is no new thing for an heretike to denie scripture it self wheÌ„ al other shiftes faile What theÌ„ M. Grindal Must we proue vnto you that the bookes of the Maechabees are in the canoÌ„ of the Scriptures O the blessed daies of our time wherein not only al the articles almost of our belefe but the Scriptures theÌ„ selues also are called in coÌ„trouersy and that of such meÌ„ as beare the persoÌ„s of Prelats and rulers in Christes church What authorites theÌ„ may be sufficient to proue that those bookes are of the CanoÌ„ You bring against vs S. HieroÌ„ you tel vs he saieth that these bookes of Machabees be not sufficieÌ„t of them selues to establish any doctrines in the church of God You quote vs his preface vpoÌ„ the boo kes of Salomon Sir if you reade the place againe and marke it wel you shal finde that he saieth this of the Prouerbes of SalomoÌ„ and of the Ecclesiastes not of the Machabees though in dede he saie in that place that they are not of the Canon And this saying of S. HieroÌ„ in that place I may wel expouÌ„d by his wordes in an other place In his preface vpoÌ„ these bookes of the Machabees he saieth expressely that they are not in the CanoÌ„ of the Iewes but of the church of Christ they are receiued inter diuina volumina amoÌ„g Gods bookes But what if S. HieroÌ„ do not acknowledg them for Canonicall scripture What if in reakoning off the Canonicall Scripture he folow the Hebrewes and Iosephus especially as lerned men haue noted of him What if in his time they were not with full authorite receiued The whole corps off scripture was not you know at one push approued It was longe doubted of the epistle to the Hebrewes off the second epistle of S Peter of S. Iohns Reuelation and yet afterward without doubte and controuersy they were in all Christendom receiued and reuerenced for holy Scripture Shall it nowe be lawfull for euery heretike to condemne such parcells of holy Scripture as haue ben so many hundred yeares of all Christendom vniformely receiued bicause they were ones doubted of It is not sitting for the wisedome of a Prelat it staÌ„deth not with the Charite of a Christen maÌ„ to renew suche doubtes and to make a schisme in the church of God vpon priuat presumption and affectioÌ„ But to matche the authorite of S. Hierom whom only you alleage and to knitt vp this matter shortly you shall see what we can saie for the bookes of the Machabees The 85. canons of the Apostles allowed for such by the generall Councell helde at Constantinople in Tâ—ullo in reakoning vp the bookes of Canonicall scripture recite the thre bookes of the Machabees amonge them The third Councell of Carthage helde not longe after the time that S. Hierom liued reakoneth them vp also for Canonicall Scripture Isidorus declareth also that in his time they were vndoubtedly approued for holy Scripture S. Augustin is most clere in this point for not onely in his bookes de doctrina Christiana where of sette purpose he reakoneth the whole corps of the olde and new Testament he placeth these bookes of the Machabees amonge them but also in his bookes de ciuitate dei he doth constantly affirme that they are approued of the Church for holy Scripture And beholde a most clere testimony of S. Augustins iudgement herein A sorte of Donatistes called Circuncelliones murdered and sâ—ewe them selues commonly being persecuted for their heresy of the Catholikes they defended this their diuelish fury and rage with the example of Razias who slew him selfe as in the Machabees it appeareth They builded vpon this fact of Razias as vpon an example of holy Scripture What aunswered them here S. Augustin It had ben truly a ready answer for him to saye those bookes are not of the Canon off holy Scripture and therefore the example of him can nothing helpe you if he had so thought in dede off these bookes But S. Augustin denieth them not to be of the Canon as you do M. Grindall for the maintenaunce of your heresy though it had ben much then for his vauntage and might soone so haue stopped the heretikes mouth if he had thought it the duty of a Catholike bishop to flit from scripture when vauntage serued His obedience to the Church off God his lerning and vertu taught him to cleaue vnto the Church in determining holy Scripture and to seke other meanes to awnswer heretikes Therefore notwithstanding the facte of Razias who semeth in that booke to be commended for killing him selfe he acknowledgeth the bookes for Canonicall Scriptures and teacheth vs also how such examples in holy Scripture are to be read These are his wordes Landatus est itaque iste Razias
or of so smal faith as to doubt of their reste and perfit blisse which are already in heauen Let vs cōsider your maner of reasoning It is manifest saie you that those holy fathers ment nothing lesse then by praying for the dead to establish purgatorie or third place This you suppose as manifest without any proufe at all which you ought well and substātially to haue proued For hereupon depend your distinctions that folow But how better and trulyer saie we M. Grindall it is manifest that those holy fathers seing they praied for the dead that they ment vndoubtedly there was a purgatory or third place You suppose they prayed only for such as were already in heauen and herupon you make your distinctions But as your supposition is a point of sophistry called petitio principij and beside all reason and truthe so are your imagined distinctiōs vaine and foolish Wil you haue clere and euident proufes that the fathers praiyng for the dead meaned nothing so and that your suppositiō is voide of all truthe Or will you be contented hereafter that praier for the dead be solemnised in your churches if we proue vnto you the practise of the eldest fathers to haue ben such S. Denys you reiect for an awncient writer bicause of the iudgmēt of Erasmus Let vs geue you leaue to reiect him whom the sixtgenerall councell and second of Nice alleageth for awncient euen for Denys the Areopagita S. Paules scholer Whom thē may we alleage to testifie against you of such authorite that you will be contented to rest vpō him Your olde frēd and Master Ihon Caluin calleth oftentimes S. Augustin in dogmatibus ecclesiae fidelissimum vetustatis interpretem the faith fullest reporter of antiquite in doctrines of the church Let vs thē see what S Augustin reporteth of praying for the dead and of the meaning of the church therein Awnswering to the questions of Dulcitius demaunding amōge other thinges howe the soules departed were relieued by the praiers of the church after lōge debating the matter he concludeth in these wordes Cum ergo sacrificia siue altaris siue quarūcūque eleemosynarū pro baptisatis defunctis omnibus offeruntur pro valde bonis gratiarū actiones sunt pro non valde malis propitiationes sunt pro valde malis etiam si nulla sunt adiumenta mortuorum qualescunque viuorum consolationes sunt that is Therefore when the sacrifices either of the aultar or of any aulmes geuinge are offred for all Christen folcke departed this life for the perfit and very good they are thankes geuinges for meane euill though they are no reliefe to the dead yet they are certayn comfortes for the frendes that liue Thus farre S. Augustin In these wordes M. Grindall we lerne the meaning of the fathers prayng and offering sacrifices for the dead not to be allwaies thankes geuings or figures of eloquence as yow woulde haue them meane but to be thē only thanckes geuinges when they are offred for such as haue departed this worlde in a perfit estate and vprightnes of life For other departing as sinners but not extreme hainous and wicked they are he saieth Propitiationes propitiatory sacrifices that is such as purchase fauour and mercy at Gods hande The third sorte of men though Christned yet being Valde mali that is so euill that they die without true repentaunce they auaile not at al. We knowe well M. Grindall youre doctrine beinge builded vppon onely faith admitteth not these distinctions of the estates of men But the Catholike churche which condemned your heresy of onely faith in Eunomius and Aerius aboue twelue hundred yeares past as you heard before acknowledgeth them and teacheth them By the which distinctions also we lerne the meaning of the church praying and offering sacrifices for the dead As for the figures of eloquence Master Grindall which you imagin the fathers vsed praying for the dead is a figure of your owne called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in latin is called Mendacium we english men terme it a lye But you saie yow can showe by examples that the fathers so meaned Let vs heare and cōsider what they are You saie But I will make this matter more plaine by an example or twaine caete And then you bringe the wordes of S. Ambrose affirming first Theodosium frui luce perpetua tranquillitate diuturna pro ijs quae in hoc gessit corpore muner ationis diuinae fructibus gratulari to enoiye perpetuall light and continuall quietnesse and for those thinges that he did in this body to reioyse in the fruition of Gods rewarde and yet afterward praying for him in these wordes Domine da requiem perfecto seruo tuo Theodosio requiem quam parasti sanctis tuis Lorde geue rest to thy perfect seruaunt Theodosius the reast I meane which thou hast prepared for thy Saints In the first wordes say you he pronounceth plainly that Theodosius was vndoubtedly saued and in the later he praieth for him vsing a figure of eloquence and vehemency of affection Here ones again M. Grindall you turne the cat in to the panne and reason tout au rebours as the frenche prouerb goeth euen as you did before for as then you woulde ouerthrowe praier for the dead bicause you supposed there was no third place whereas the third place must nedes therefore be bicause the churche praieth for the dead so nowe the praying off S. Ambrose for Theodosius you call a figure off eloquence and vehemencie of affection but his wordes commending Theodosius you call a certain persuasion and plaine pronouncing of his vndoubted saluation whereas in dede the wordes of S. Ambrose commending Theodosius procede of a vehement affection and loue towardes that Emperour for how coulde he be assured in dede of his blessed state semed he neuer so perfitt in his life without some speciall reuelation from allmighty God which yet M. Grindall I dare saie you will not saie he had but his praier for the Emperour was the vsuall practise of the church vsed at all funerals in all ages sence Christen religion began Againe these wordes of S. Ambrose pronouncing Theodosius to enioy the perpetuall light and continual quietnesse cae may well be a figure of eloquence of Amplification and exclamation but the praying for him tel vs I praye you M. Grindall in what figure of Rhetorike you will put it Farder if that saying of S. Ambrose Domin◠da requiem perfecto seruo tuo Theodosio cae Lorde geue rest to thy perfect seruaunt Theodosius cae be a figure of eloquence vsed in that solemne funerall of that mighty and vertuous Emperour Theodosius howe wel might it haue becomed you also M. Grindal occupying the place of a Bishop as that blessed Doctor S. Ambrose then was and preaching at the funerall solemnite of that most highe mighty and vertuous Emperoure Ferdinandus as he did of Theodosius to haue saied also Da requiem Domine perfecto seruo tuo Ferdinando Lorde geue rest
dere coūtre as nature and iust indignatiō moued mē I haue done this but slightly and shortly and yet I trust sufficiētly hauing first ētred the printing of this booke before I vnderstode of the sermon and yet desirous to saie somewhat rather then to suffer a preached and printed heresy vncōptrolled or the truthe vntolde I desire the catholike reader to take this short digression in good part and I wish the protestāt rather to marke the waight then the copie of that I haue saied Let vs then now returne to the olde cōdemned here sies renewed by Luther and folowed of al protestāts of our vnhappy time Luther with all his scholers contemne fasting daies ordained by the church abusing Christen liberte for a cloke of their fleshly fantasie They haue herein right auncient Fathers the Manichees as Leo witnesseth Aerius as Ephiphanius and S. Augustin write and Eustathius as the Councell of Gangra aboue thirten hundred yeares past recordeth They wedde freres and Nūnes Luther leading the daunce of that wanton trace with Kater Bore and breake vowes of chastite without scruple of consciēce folowing the stepps of their father Iouinian condemned therefore for an heretike as S. Augustin recordeth They throwe downe Martyrs towmes scoffe at the deuout visiting of thē inueigh and raile against pilgrimage holy reliques and places of deuotion Nothing truly was in the primitiue church more frequent then going on pilgrimage in so muche that Chrisostom crieth out in one place Iff I were of a stronge body and without ecclesiasticall charge I woulde not refuse so longe a pilgrimage as to go see onely the chaines wherewith and the prison wherein Paull was bounde Iff I had liued then to haue sene those holy handes bounde for our Lordes sake I would haue put my very eyes on them and continually haue kissed them Thus speaketh Chrisostom an auncient and lerned father of the Catholike church and Bishopp of the greate cyte of Constantinople and thinketh it no superstition to preache it to the people for these wordes he spake in pulpit But what fathers haue the protestāts in their cōtrary opinion Of whom lerned they to mocke and scoffe at suche deuotions Of right worthy masters I warrant you First beside the Pagans of whom The odoret maketh mencion of Iuliā the Apostata as you may see in the workes of Cyrillus against him thē of Eustathius as the Coūcel of Gangra reporteth After these of Vigilantius whom S. Hierom refuteth and aboue seuen hundred yeares paste off one Claudius againste whom Ionas Bishop off Orleans in Fraunce wrote Luther and all that folowe his banner be mortall enemies to the images of Christ and off all Saintes Their holy fathers be olde cursed heretikes the Marcionistes the Manichees Aerius Felicianus and all the wicked secte of Iconomachi as it is at large mencioned in the sixte generall Councell and seconde of Nicea Nicephorus also recordeth off one Xenaias who helde this heresy vnder Anastasius the Emperour about a thousand yeares past Luther taught first in our time that holy Orders is no Sacrament that euery Christen man and woman is a priest And all the zelous Lutherans to this daie beleue and teache the same thoughe Melanchthon and many of the Ciuill Lutherans be departed from that fonde and absurde opinion It is also a currant doctrine in the pulpits in certain dyoceses of oure countre The fathers of this heresy were Pepuziani as S. Augustin maketh mencion and Collyridiani as Epiphanius writeth It is common to all Lutherans and protestants of oure time to abhorre the name and profession of a Mōke This was the maner also of the Donatistes and of the Circumcelliones VVhat meaneth saied these heretikes this name of Monkes Vnto whom S. Augustin awnswereth Howe much better may we saie what meaneth this name off Circumcelliones Againste such writeth Chrisostom whole treatises entituling them Against the dispraisers of monastical life The Lutherans and present protestants of our dayes protest that they haue departed from the see of Rome and other Catholike Bishops for the euil and wicked life of the Popes and prelats in Christes church The Apologie of England pretendeth the same excuse But was this their owne imagination thinke you and deuise No truly It was the very grounde of that cursed secte of the Donatistes And their fathers herein are Cresconius Gaudentius Parmenianus and other As S. Augustin writing against them eftsoones declareth It is the doctrine of Luther in his booke de Christiana libertate and diuers other places that faith ought to be free and no man constrained thereunto In our countre also whē the sworde was against them Frithe and his felowes cried for that liberty though nowe they cease not continually to crie for the contrary It was the olde accustomed maner of al heretikes especially of the Donatistes as S. Augustin in sundry places witnesseth Likewise before these heresies were fauoured off Princes and authorised of higher powers the riches and possessions of Bishops was a great eye sore to all Lutherans and protestants Nowe they can like well the pompe of Prelats being placed them selues in suche preferment But their former griefe was an hereticall grudge of the olde heretikes Vadiani as S. Augustin writeth or Audiani as Epiphanius calleth them What is nowe more common in the mouth of all protestants then that nothing ought to be added to the commaundemēts of God For by this short blowe they wipe awaye all constitutions and ordinaunces of the Churche They lerned this argument off Iulian the Apostata who vsed it against the deuotions off the Christians as in Cyrillus it appeareth Protestants will be counted martirs being cutt of by the secular sworde that their cancred doctrine infect not the sounde shepe of Christes flocke Great crakes are made and greate workes sett forthe of their stiff standing to the stake and glorious embrasing of the fire None do this more stoutely then the Anabaptistes whom yet the greater part of protestants detest and abhorre for hainous heretikes But not only these new heretikes but much more the old as the Marcionistes and especially the Circumcelliones excelled in this pretended patience and proude persuasion of Martyrdom See S. Augustin and the ecclesiasticall history of Nicephorus libro 4. capite 23. S. Cipriā also lib de simplicitate praelatorum Luther at the diet helde at Augspurg in the yeare 1521. being much intreated of diuers tendring him for the authorite of Friderik duke of Saxony to leaue all singularites and not to reiect so rashely auncient Councels of Christes Church he awnswered he disproued none except the councell of Constance and thereto he saied he was moued with an vnuincible reason and most assured argument ▪ that was bicause that councell had condemned Iohn Huss affirming that the church of Christ consisted only of such as were predestined and elected And in this opinion he would liue and die All
the broode of that fonde frier sing the same song Beza and his companions at the late Synod of Poissy in FrauÌ„ce were stiff in that opinion aloÌ„g time but at the leÌ„gth were driuen from it whereupoÌ„ they chaunged the tenour of their supplication calling them selues Les esleus de Dieu the chosen of God This wilde persuasion is allmost receiued of all protestants It is the very heresy of the Pelagians condemned therefore in S. Augustins time as in his booke De heresibus he reciteth at large What a great corrupter of holy Scripture Luther hath ben in the second part of this Apologie it is at large declared by Fridericus Staphylus How our protestants also haue folowed his example therein and how manifoldly they haue peruerted the very text of holy Scripture I haue in part touched to geue good warning in the rest Who list to see how this hath ben the guiâ—e and maner of olde heretikes Let him reade Tertullian in his praescriptions S. Ambrose vpon the epistle of S. Paul to Titus Iraeneus also and S. Augustin writing against Adimantus the manichee cap. 12. 14. 16. What should I procede farder in declaring how Luther and his scholers folowe rhe race of olde heretikes bothe in their doctrine and in the maner and setting forthe thereof The very refusall of the auncient fathers in Christes church pronouÌ„ced as you haue heard so impudently of Luther and folowed with no lesse impudence of his scholers is no new point but euen the very shift of their forefathers cursed heretikes of olde time This appeareth well by the disputations of Athanasius with Arrius by the counsell of Sisinnius to the Emperour Theodosius by the maner of Eutyches in the Councell of Chalcedon by the writings of Cirillus touching Nestorius and of S. Basil coÌ„cerning Eunonius For all these lerned fathers could not drawe those vnruly heretikes to the rule of the auncient and holy writers in the Church of Christ. They appealed to only Scripture and would be tried only by that as Luther would and the protestants of our time wil though many heretikes receiued not the whole corps of Scripture but such partes only as liked them reiecting all that made against them euen as now a daies also Luther and his scholers reiect the bookes of Machabees and the epistle of S. Iames the one bicause it praieth for the dead the other bicause it writeth directly against their only faith Of what heretikes they lerned this shift we haue already declared defending the Machabees against M. Grindall Aduise your selues now good Christen readers whether you thinke the surer waie to saluatioÌ„ to for lowe the steppes of these fathers of Luther and all new ghospellers all condemned heretikes aboue a thousand yeares past or embrace the doctrine of the holy Fathers and lerned approued writers in Christes church May we not wel iudge and assuredly persuade our selues that the very sprit of heresy spake in Luther and speaketh in all new ghospellers preaching and defending olde condemned heresies Why haue protestants departed from the olde Catholike religion and embraced the new doctrine of Luther they saie forsothe bicause all thinges are reformed after the paterne and practise of the primitiue Church What meane they trow ye herein truly I do not otherwise thinke but that a great numbre the vnlerned and deceiued sorte take them to meane wel and that all is reduced to the doctrine and religion approued and generally receiued in the primitiue church for the espace of fiue or six hundred yeares after Christ. But vndoubtedly the lerned and ringleaders of this new fangled faith if they meane truly must nedes meane the renewing of such heresies as were in that time condemned For thus and no otherwise do they folow doctrine practised in that time that is of heretikes as in a numbre of particular assertions you haue sene But to returne to Luther what point of a right heretike is there that hath not in him ben verified He condemneth the Church and holy Fathers appointed of the holy Ghoste to gouuerne and direct his church as you see by his owne wordes before alleaged He corrupteth holy scripture by false translations as the secoÌ„de part of this Apologie hath declared you He denied partes hereof at his pleasure after the acustomed maner of al heretikes He holdeth teacheth and defendeth olde cursed and loÌ„ge condeÌ„ned heresies as we haue before deducted vnto you He hath bredd diuers sectes by his owne doctrine repugnaÌ„t and coÌ„trary one to an other to wit the Anabaptistes the SacrameÌ„taries the S weÌ„ck feldiaÌ„s and diuers other as it appeareth clerely by the Table of his Ofspring in the thrid part of this Apologie Finally bicause al heretikes are knoweÌ„ by their frutes what the frutes of this maÌ„s doctrine haue beÌ„ it is in this Apologie of Staphylus in diuers places expresly set forth as wel for the great decaye of deuotion and spirituall vertus as for the temporall waste and misery that of this heresy hath ensued Of his terrible arrogancy and pride the most euident token of a wilfull heretiken and voide of all grace and goodnes all that haue read his writings can testifie abundantly None more complaine thereof then his felowe protestants the Sacramentaries of Zurich as partly by their wordes in the thirde parte of this boke alleaged it maye well appeare Neuer baude in bridwell nor scolde in the stewes so railed as this man doth beinge comptrolled of his doctrine His awnswers against all such as wrote againste him abundantly declare the same For hereupon the ciuill Lutherans do swarue in many pointes from such doctrine as he was wonte to vtter in the vehemency of sprit as they cal it and in his cholere He wrote him selfe an Euangelist off Christ euen as Manicheus called him selfe an Apostle of Christ as S. Augustin witnesseth And off his scholers he is called the thirde Helias as in the story of his deathe we reade writen by Melanchthon Ionas and Pomeranus Euen as Manicheus was of his scolers called the holy ghost and Montanus of his secte also He writeth that he is sure and certain he hath his doctrine from heaueÌ„ eueÌ„ as Aetius sayde also of him selfe I knowe God moste clerely and euen as perfitly as I knowe my selfe The cause and original of Luthers departure from the church was ambitioÌ„ as all the ecclesiasticall histories of our time FoÌ„tanus Rouerus and other do testifie to witt bicause he was not preferred to the publishing of the famous pardon of the croisad The same ambition made Aerius an heretike bicause Eustathius was preferred before him in a certain bishoprike as Epiphanius recordeth The like writeth Tertullian of ValeÌ„tinus and Nicephorus reporteth of Montanus lib. 4 cap. 2. of Nouatus libro 6. capite 3. of Florinus libro 4. capite 20. and of Thebutes one of the firste heretikes in the Apostles time the very same cause of falling in
to heresy And truly euen as the beginning and course of Luthers doctrine hath thouroughely resembled the maner of olde heretikes so his ende was not much vnlike to witt a soden and vnprouided death For being mery and makinge greate feste ouer night he was fouÌ„de dead in the morning Such soden deathe was neuer reade off any Apostle or Euangelist of Christ. But of diuers heretikes especially of Arrius thoughe as by that the Arrians were nothing moued so the Lutherans of this make smal accompte And this much of Luther the father protestant of oure time as touching the pointes of his doctrine where you see bothe what a godly ground he layde and howe in the course and issue there of he hathe showed him selfe to be but a scholer of olde heretikes as he hathe ben the Master of many newe For this man worse then any gutter or sinke whiche receaueth onely the filthe that is brought vnto it bredeth none not onely toke olde heresies of other but added also thereuÌ„to some of his owne breding of his owne filthy brayne as foule fonde doctrine as any foolish heretike before him And of these his proper inuentioÌ„s one of the maddest is that he teacheth the bread remaining bread to be the very naturall body of Christ in the Sacrament Which hathe semed such a fonde doctrine eueÌ„ to the ghospellers theÌ„ selues his scholers and brethern that the farre greater part off them hath in consideration of this point chefely not doubted to condemne him for an archeheretike â–ª as you may see by the wordes of the brethern of Zurich in the thirde parte of this booke And by reason of this absurde doctrine not onely at the first Zuinglius Oecolampadius and Caluin drewe with them diuers countres from the vnite of Luthers ghospell but also the Lutherans them selues hauing many yeares serued the idoll Luther daily faile and shrinke from him cleauing to the cursed Sacramentaries proceding allwaies in mischef and encreasing with time their heresies and abominations About this time two yeare Brema a greate cyte of Saxony and one of the firste that had receaued the light of Luthers ghospel hauing coÌ„tinued in the foresayde doctrine of Luther aboute fourty yeares as zelous and vpright Lutherans now after greate strife and contention amonge them selues hath openly condemned the same and are become Caluinistes Likewise in Augspurg where the famous CoÌ„fession of the Lutherans was made â—â—fred to the Emperour and confirmed by all the Nobilite of the protestants yet nowe there are mo Caluinistes then Lutherans mo that disproue that CoÌ„fessioÌ„ and doctrine of Luther theÌ„ that approue it How other couÌ„tres also haue flitted froÌ„ Luther hauing many yeares serued hiÌ„ you haue in the thirde part of this booke declared Our countre also being at the firste chaunge all Lutheran is nowe become for the moste parte Caluiniste and Lasconicall as not onely oure doings at home declare but other countres abrode haue noted of vs. Peter Martyr at his first coming to Oxforde was a right LutheraÌ„ in the matter of the Sacrament as he declared him selfe not onely in priuat communication but also in his open lessons where inueighing at a time against the argumeÌ„t of the SacrameÌ„taries Christ is in heauen ergo he is not here in the Sacrament he cried oute Profecto est nodus Diaboli that is Sothely this is a shifte of the deuil him selfe He was wonte also at his first coming to Oxford to complaine Anglos nimiuÌ„ vergere ad Zuinglianismum that we english men enclined to much to the Zwinglians Afterward as al the worlde knoweth he condemned Luther and became him self a ZuingliaÌ„ For he had lerned an other lesson in the Courte Philip Melanchthon him selfe the very darling of Luther and father of the Confessionistes in his later daies became a very Sacramentary as his familiar letters to the Counte Palatin of Rhene printed at Heidelberg in the yeare 1560. hathe declared to al the worlde Thus the proper heresy of Martin Luther that he him self by the spirit of the newe ghospel had inuented in the despite of the Pope for so he protesteth him selfe in a letter of his to the brethern of Strasburg was at the first much misliked and is nowe allmost euerywhere vtterly abhorred Ioachimus VVestphalus the onely staye and piller of this Lutheran doctrine coÌ„plaineth him selfe hereof For thus he writeth No false doctrine is so farre spredde none with so much labour and hypocrisy defended non hath more beguiled the worlde then this false doctrine of the blessed Sacrament â–ª meaning the heresy of the Sacramentaries And Nicolaus Amsdorfsius an other zelous Lutheran writeth thus The Anabaptistes and the SacrameÌ„taries do blinde and deceaue Germany with their pretended holines euen as the monkes before blinded the whole worlde And this verely hathe happened on Luther and his felowes not without the iuste iudgemeÌ„t of God For whereas vpon dispiteous malice he laboured by his new doctrines to ouerthrow the church of Rome where it hath pleased our Sauiour to place his vicar here on earthe as in diuers of his writings it appeareth he hath wrought his oune destruction and shame for though in very dede through the pernicious persuasions of that wedded frere certain places and corners of Christendome haue swarned froÌ„ the Catholike church and authorite of that Apostolike see in these northe partes of the worlde yet it hathe thousands folde more ben enlarged in the west partes and the newe landes founde oute by Spanyardes and Portugalles in these late yeares as the letters off the Iesuites directed from those countres in to these partes do euidently and miraculousely declare And truly eueÌ„ so befel it at what time Grece and the easte churche departing from the head and vnite of Christes church gaue them selues to sundry schismes and heresies For then sprange vp the faithe in Germany Pole Dennemarke Swethen Norwaie and other northe Countres For thus from the east to the northe and from the northe to the west of the faithe of Christe passeth donec as Christe saithe impleantur tempora gentium Vntell the times of the gentils be acomplished Oure Lorde graunte that it passe not from vs by heresy and schisme as it passed from the grekes and from Afrike the southe parte of the worlde For bothe these people through schismes especially of the Arrians and their ofspringe lost the faith of Christe as the histories declare vnto vs. But to returne to our matter the church of Rome the see Apostolike that Luther laboured by heresy to ouerthrowe standeth yet in his full force and interest notwithstanding the miserable losse of a numbre in our countre and otherwhere Truly Luther him selfe cometh very short of the counte he made being reiected nowe allmoste euery where The Catholike also may lerne to auoide and shunne hereby all maner of protestants what so euer name or secte they be of proceding all of this heade beinge all the corrupted issue of
this vncleane spring and the branches of this roote Much more might be saied of other proper heresies of this archeheretike Martin Luther But this one of his maie serue for a taste to the zelous Lutherans of our coūtre that they glory not so much of this their Elias and fiffte euangelist as though all that euer he wrote or sayed were the ghospell it self But nowe to the ciuill Lutherans The ciuill Lutherans are those whiche not with such zele and rigour as the other force men praecisely to euery doctrine and article of Luthers ghospell but are content ciuilly to conforme them selues to better iudgement and take so much of their Master Luther as they shall thinke good and conuenient But these men by this their ciuilite and philosophicall moderation haue conformed them selues to so many frames and facions as there be amonge them Superintēdents and Ministres As for example in the administration of the Sacraments through their ciuilite see in what maruailous vnite their churches be directed At VVittenberg where the see of these ciuill protestants is foure Sacraments are approued and administred to witt baptim the Supper of our Lorde Holy Orders and Penaunce or absolution At Lipsia thre only take place holy orders being wiped awaie At Magdeburg but two are allowed euen as amonge the Caluinistes of our countre And hereof iesting ones merely a lerned mā though with a heuy hart being demaunded why in the Lutherās Churches were not 7. Sacramēts yes forso the quod he there are 7. and two mo For at VVittenberg foure at Lipsia three at Magdeburg are two whiche in all make nyne And these thre cytes be litle distant one from the other The father and head of these ciuill Lutherans is Philip Melanchthon who so longe dalied in this kinde of perilous ciuilite that at the length as you haue heard before he fell to the pestilent heresy of the Sacramentaries And see I praye you how light variable and inconstant a person this man was In the yeare 1540. he wrote bitterly against the Pope defending Luther miserably as if he had ben his slaue or bondmā In the yeare 1548. heenclined again to the Pope and embraced the Interim that was made in Germany that is the delaie and deliberation vntel a generall Councell were called But of late euen a litle before his deathe in the yeare 1559. writing to the Counte Palatin he cōdemned the proper doctrine of his M. Luther and ioyned him selfe to Caluin and the Sacramentaries This graund Captain was the inuentour or rather scribe and writer of that famous Confession made at Augspurg in the yeare 1530. But howe he altered and corrected the same not onely in his Apology in the next yeare after but at diuers other times sometime for better sometime for worse I reporte me to the diuers editions of that booke For who so conferreth the first edition and certain next to the first with the laste he shall clerely see what settled iudgement and constant or grounded knowledge was in that man But after the deathe of Luther howe miserably it hathe ben mangled Nicolaus Gallus a zelous and rigorous Lutherā in opē writing bitterly cōplaineth For thus he reporteth in generall after the reticall of certain particulars Here then saieth he all Christen men may easely perceaue if they wil yelde to reason and consider and conferre together their doctrines howe all those positions whiche our aduersaries in the foresaide articles after the deathe of Luther do teache against vs blasphemousely do in dede in the very grounde touche Luther him selfe and his doctrine though we beare the name thereof yea and beside the person of Luther they belonge properly to the true Confessiō of Augspurg which in the meane while is of them chaunged peruerted and racked in to expresse contrary meaning And this false foisting and iuggling of the ciuill Lutherans though truly very vnciuill in this point is not only euident in the confession of Augspurg the grounde of all their newe broched ghospell but also in the workes of their Master Martin Luther whiche they chaunge and correct daily at their pleasure For Amsdorfius Illyricus and Georgius Rorarius al zelous Lutherans in open treatises and bookes entituled de deprauatoribus librorum Lutheri of the deprauers of Luthers bookes charge the masters of Wittenberg but Melanchthō especially of certain hundreds of places chaūged left oute and corrupted by thē and that as they saie against the ghospel quia non est discipulus super magistrum the scholer is not aboue his master Againe as touching the inconstancy of Melanchthon those whiche haue read and sene his common places can not be ignorant thereof which as ofte as he sette forth so ofte he altered and corrected In the numbre of Sacraments what diuers minde he hathe ben of and vpon what occasion he so chaunged his minde it is very well declared of Staphylus in the first and in the seconde partes of this booke In one other pointeas touching iustification and the workes of man I will showe yow howe contrary he hathe ben to him selfe chaunging his minde with euery wether At the first to gratifie Luther his master denieng fre wil in man In his annotations vppon S. Paule to the Romanes thus he writeth VVe saie that God dothe not onely suffre his creatures to do and worke but him selfe dothe and worketh all thinges properly as we confesse the calling of S. Paule was the proper worke of God so we confesse all other are the proper workes off God whether they be indifferent actions as to eate to drinke and suche like or euill workes as the aduoutry of Dauid the cruelty of Manlius putting to deathe his owne Son And a litle after VVe nede not therefore make that grosse glose commonly vsed to saie that God suffreth euill and doth not worke euill caetera Thus farre Melanchthon where yow see he agreeth with the bonde fre will off Luther and the wicked destyne off Caluin And in this mynde he continewed longe and many yeares But at the length in a conference helde at Wormes he was persuaded by doctor Eckius to reiect this abhominable doctrine And at the next edition off his common places he declared it to all the worlde The zelous and rigorous Lutherans coulde not abyde this his recantation especially Nicolaus Gallus and the Superintendents of higher Saxony But accused him in open writinges of apostasy Farder when diuers vniuersites especially those of Lipsia had subscribed to this later doctrine of Melanchthon directly repugning to Luthers ghospell Nicolaus Gallus a rigorous Lutheran and zelous ghospeller in his booke intituled An awnswer to the booke of the Professours of Wittenberg examineth this their doctrine and chargeth them with Pelagians heresy takē out of Erasmus writings Also in an other litle treatise of his intituled Vox vigilum by certain antitheses and conferences off Luthers sayings he setteth forthe to the worlde the incostāt
Augustin when they sayde that the worde Catholike was not ment of the societe and communioÌ„ of the whole worlde but in obseruing of al gods commaundements and all his sacraments Thirdly the protestants of Lunneburg and of the Lantgraues dominions were offended with the Saxons in the publishing of their coÌ„fession bicause they yelded to much to the Catholikes in the question of ecclesiasticall iurisdiction and authorite off bishops whereupon Melanchthon was expresly commaunded to yeld no farder Fourthly whereas in that confession presented to the Emperour in the yeare 1530. in the tenth article we reade this They teache that the true body and bloud of Christ is truly present in the Supper vnder the formes of bread and wine the next yere after the same Confession being printed at VVittenberg they frame the same article after an other sorte and write That the body and bloud of Christ are truly present and distribued to those which receiue in the supper By the which addition they exclude all reseruation of the blessed Sacrament for the sicke and tie Christ to the pleasure of the receiuers But in the yeare 1540. wading furder in the moire of heresy they make that same article yet fouler For this they saie That with the breade and the wine the body and bloud of Christ is truly exhibited to those whiche receiue in the Lordes Supper Thus lo at the length this monster of Luther was brought to perfection I meane his proper heresy about the SacrameÌ„t But what Doth all the brotherhood of that Confession staye here Nay the zelous Lutherans denie it and complaine of it For from this their Confession Brentius and the Masters of WitteÌ„berg in their conference helde at Wormes in the yeare 1557. haue departed openly yelding to the heresies of Zuinglius and Osiander directly repugning to that ConfessioÌ„ as Nicolaus Amsdorffius a zelous Lutheran chargeth them in open writing His wordes you may reade in the beginning of the thirde parte of this booke Thus you maye see howe the sprit of Melanchthon and his felowes agree with the doinges and behauiour of olde heretikes And although Philip Melanchthon at the first visitation of the protestants in Germany was praysed for his modesty and meakenes yet afterwarde as he grewe in heresy so did he in malice and cruelty The thrusting in of OsiaÌ„der in to Prussia procured by him displacing Morlinus by force his open writing against the visitatioÌ„ of Bauaria his bitter and dispiteous inuectiues againste the lerned vertuous and Noble man Fridericus Staphylus hath sufficiently declared to all the worlde that as good men eunt de virtute in virtutem encrease and go forward in vertu so he proceded in mischefe and malice of harte as the property of heretikes hathe allwaies ben Illyriâ—us and other zelous Lutherans ceased not daily while he liued to entwit this vnto him And I haue here recited onely for the intent God is my witnes that his credit hereafter may be the lesse amonge suche as by his hereticall ciuilite haue ben deceaued and trained into heresies from the vnite of Christes churche where only saluation is to be hoped for For that is the body off Christ as S. Paule saieth and the piller of truthe and as S. Augustin writeth Whosoeuer beleueth that Christe Iesus is come in to fleshe and in the same fleshe hathe suffred for vs hath risen again and is ascended vp and that he is the son of God God with God and one with the father by whom al was made and yet do so dissent from his body which is the church that they do not communicat with all the whole corps of Christendome certain it is that they are not in the Catholike churche What Christen maÌ„ therefore is there so destitut of the grace of God and all good reason that will hazarde his soule to folowe that guide which woteth not him selfe which waie to walcke or to lerne a newe belefe contrary to all Christendome beside that nowe is and euer hathe ben of suche a Master as knoweth not him felfe what he may saie and was euen to his deathe but a lerner and scholer For then onely began he to professe him selfe a Caluiniste and a Sacramentary hauing all his life time before taught and deceaued a number after the trade of Luther And howe can his scholers be assured that theÌ„ he founde out the truthe We will therefore nowe come to Caluin him selfe to whom Melanchthon hathe yelded and see whether he be a ghospeller worthy to be folowed againste the vniforme consent of Christes churche Perusing diligently the doctrine of Iohn Caluin in his Institutions commentaries vppon the holy Scripture his resolutions vppon the Sacraments and other his workes touching his doctrine of the blesâ—ed Sacrament of the aultar whiche he allwaies termeth the Supper off the Lorde and recording with my self howe the greatest swaye of the lost flock of our time forsaking Christ the heauenly shepearde and his vicar here on earthe haue folowed more that wolfe of Geneua Iohn Caluin then the foxes of Germany Luther Melanchthon Osiander and other truly I bothe lamented much the losse of so many ChristeÌ„ soules straiyng after so perilous a guide and maruailed yet more at the blindnes of our wicked time that would be so soone lead out of the highe waie of Christes churche wherein onely saluation is to be sought and folow the trade of such a doctour or Master which like a madde will full man being out off the waie runneth vpp and downe among the bushes and briers this waie and that waie seking of purpose any waye rather then he will take the common highe beaten waie that all Christen people haue walked in I saie this good Readers not as enemy to the man whom thanked be God I neuer sawe nor heard but as finding him such in his writings as I haue saied and intending by Gods helpe to sett him so before your eyes that yow shall also saie and iudge no lesse of him then I do vnlesse you are which God forbidde of the number of those obstinat Iewes who seying would not see and hearing woulde not heare I trust rather in allmighty God that no man hath so pinned his soule to Caluins doctrine but that he will yelde to the expresse worde off holy Scripture and euident reason when he shall see the same doctryne to fight directly against them bothe And first we wil coÌ„sidre how is doctrine fighteth against euideÌ„t reason which by two maner of waies we will declare you First by certain of his propositions importing absurde consequences and impossibilites nexte by clere and most euident contradictions of his owne saiengs wherby not onely the faithfull Catholike but the deceiued protestant may euidently iudge and pronounce that this mans doctrine can not be of god and his holy Spirit which is the Spirit of truthe and vnite but is of the diuel and his wicked sprit which is the sprit of falshood and
vpō vs we suffring such deriuation and infusion Therefore betwene the saying of our Sauiour and the doctrine of Caluin there is as much difference as betwene doing and suffring action and passion Fourthly what meaned Caluin to imagin this communion of Christ his body to be deriued vnto vs and not the body it selfe He might haue muche peuish meaning beside which perhaps they onely know that are admitted to the secrets of his misteries as the Electi of the Maniches were But this one thing I am sure he meaned that bicause communion importeth a number of communicants and one alone cā not communicat which is the cause why these sacramentaries require allwaies a number at their table therefore he would haue no receiuing of Christe without a communion nor any other receiuing of Christ then by hauing a communion of him deriued vnto vs. Let vs suppose then as it maie easely happen that amonge the numbre of all that communicat one onely be a true and vpright beleuer and all the rest euill and miscreants as among so diuers sectes of protestants none other are to be found but such as for feare or otherwise sitt downe amongest them being no protestants in dede though in this point no good catholikes neither But let vs suppose that at the table of the protestants one onely were faithfull and duly prepared thereunto It will folow that bicause according to the doctrine of Caluin the infidel and wicked receiueth only the signe and bare bread the faith full person remaining alone through the infidelite of other shall not receiue Christ neither For being alone he can haue no communion of Christ his fleshe deriued vnto him euery cōmunion importing a number as these men saie Now what an absurdite is this that the good man shall not receiue Christ in the Sacrament bicause euill men receiue with him or bicause he can haue no cōpany of good men Fiftely if the communion of Christ his flesh be deriued vnto vs by the Spirit of Christe then the Spirit of Christ serueth the fleshe as an instrument Which Caluin in his institutions expresly saieth calling the Spirit of Christ a cundyt pipe by the which the flesh of Christ is deriued vnto vs. Nowe beside that this is a horrible blasphemy to make the Spirit of Christe which is his godhead inferiour to the flesh of Christe as an instrumēt of the same it is also cōtrary to al reason and common course of nature For the fleshe serueth well in thinges created as an instrument whereby the Spirit showeth forth his operations as by our eies we see by oute handes we feele and so forth but the Spirit neuer serueth the fleshe nor neuer may be saied to be an instrument of the same Last of all if the due eating of Christ is to haue the communion of flesh deriued vnto vs by his Spirit whereby we receiue life then the vnworthy eating of Christ is the communion of dānation How shall that be deriued vnto vs by the Spirit off Christ to what cā be a more horrible blasphemy by some euill sprit that were the doctrine of the Maniches And yet if it be true that the due receiuing of Christ is no other thing but to haue a cōmunion of him deriued vnto vs thē truly the vnworthy receiuing of Christ must nedes be a communion of damnation deriued also vnto vs. Lo in what absurdites Caluin hath entangled him selfe by departing from the Catholike faith For keping the Catholike doctrine none off al these absurdites shal ensue Wherefore it semeth I maie well saie nowe to Caluin and all suche as folowe this his doctrine that which S. Augustin saied to the Arrians Ego secundum fidem Catholicam Video quomodo exeam de questione sine offensione sine scandalo tu autem circumclusus quaeris qua exeas that is I folowing the catholike faithe ▪ can easely finde a waie to ridde my selfe oute this of question without offence or inconueniēce But thou being al compassed in arte to seke whiche waie to gett oute And euen so fareth it with Caluin For leauing the sure knowen doctrine of the catholike Churche teaching vs according to the tenour of Christ his owne wordes that we eate his fleshe and drinke his bloud in the blessed Sacrament and imagining a communion of Christ his fleshe to be deriued vnto vs by the Spirit of Christ as by a coundit pipe you see what hainous blasphemies and brutish absurdites he is forced withal to cōfesse And this point by vs nowe examined is the chefest Kaye of all the Sacramentary doctrine which being proued nought and full of absurdites declareth that all the store within is of no better stuffe And that shall you anon see and sensibly feale if priuat preiudice haue not vtterly bereued you of common sence Caluin in his commentaries vpon the first to the Corinthians disputing howe we receaue Christ in the blessed Sacrament concludeth his whole disputation in these wordes I conclude saith he the body of Christe is geuen vs in the Supper really as they commonly speake that is truly to the entent it may be holesome foode for oure soules I speake after the common fashion but I meane that oure soules are fedde with the substaunce of Christ his body to the entent we may be made one with him or which is all one that a certain quickening vertu is poored vpon vs oute of the fleshe of Christ by his Spirit though it be farre distant from vs and be not mingled with vs. In these wordes Caluin vttereth two straūge doctrines First that our soules are fedde with the body of Christ secondarely that we receaue the body of Christ really and truly though he saie after that body to be farre distant from vs meaning that it remaineth only in heauen as in the very nexte wordes folowing he declareth As touching the first point if oure soules are fedd with the body of Christ by eating the sacrament we must lerne whether he meane the soule onely to be fedde and not the body or the body also to eate the fleshe of Christ as well as the soule Caluin meaneth the soule onely to eate the body of Christ. For in his cōmentaries vpon the sixte of Iohn he pronoūceth our eating of the sacrament to be the worke of our faith and saith farder in expresse wordes I confesse we eate not Christ any other wise then by beleuing which doctrine howe absurde it is we shall anon speake off Nowe let vs see what absurdites folowe graunting the eating of Christ his body onely to the soule First if the bread of life whiche Christ geueth in the Sacrament be eaten onely off the soule then Manna the figure of this sacrament was more auailable to the Iewes then this blessed foode is to vs Christians For that the Iewes did eate Manna bodely not onely by faith and that it was a corporal foode vnto them the scripture doth clerely testifie Againe that it
was also a spirituall foode yea and the very same which we receaue in the Sacrament the doctrine of Caluin defendeth though blasphemously as you shal see anon in the conferences of his doctrine with holy scripture Hereof will it folowe by the absurde doctrine of Caluin that the figure shal excell the verite Manna shall passe the body of oure Lorde the synagoge of Iewes shall be off more perfection then the Church off Christ ransomned with his precious bloud Againe if the soule onely be fedde in this blessed Sacrament the paschall lambe shall also passe and excel it The paschal lambe was eatē contra spiritum percussorem against the destroyer spirit for a sure preseruation of the Iewes bothe bodely and ghostely euen as this heauenly passeouer wardeth vs bothe body and soule frō the assautes of the deuill And our Sauiour beginning with his disciples this heauenly banquet calleth it a passeouer as Tertullian expoundeth it and Origē saying I haue inwardely desired to eate this passeouer with you before I suffer ▪ if the Iewes passeouer excelled this as the sacramētary doctrine of Ihon Caluin importeth why desired Christ so inwardly to eate this passeouer with his disciples doth the lambe of God Christ him selfe not so much profit the due receauers thereof as the paschall lambe of the Iewes Whereunto thinke you tendeth this doctrine but by litle and litle to traine vs euen to infidelite who tendreth his soule helthe and life euerlasting let him spedely beware of it Thirdly I might aske Caluin and all the ranke of sacramentaries swarming nowe so miserably in oure dere countre to the vtter destruction off the same where they reade in holy scripture that the soule onely fedeth on Christ and receaueth the body off Christ. The wordes of holy scripture declaring vnto vs the promis of this heauenly foode be directed vnto men consisting of body and soule not to the soule onely Beside that life and resurrection the promis of this blessed Sacrament are no lesse requisit to the body ▪ then to the soule as we shall hereafter more at large declare when we come to the olde heresies depending of Caluins doctrine Where you shal see that this doctrine of the Sacrrmentaries graunting only to the soule the eating of Christes his flesh denieth the resurrection of the body As touching the seconde pointe to witt that we receaue the body of Christ truly and really and yet so that the same body of Christ is as farre distant from vs as heauen is from the earthe I knowe not what can be more absurdely saide Caluin in dede will haue this to be a miraculous operation of the holy ghoste For saith he the vertu of the holy ghost is such that it is able not onely to gather together thinges by distaunce of place separated one from the other but also to vnite them together and make them one Marke and ponder well the saing of Caluin for this reason is the onely ancre off this point of his doctrine He semeth perhaps to some that lightly ouerrunne his wordes to speake reason Let vs thē cōsidre his wordes It is most true that the holy ghost being god him self can do al thinges that can be done and therefore can as Caluin saith knitte in one those thinges that are farre distant as God can by his omnipotency ioyne heauē and earthe together which we see are most distant but then they being so ioyned shall no more be distant We graunte that by the vertu off the holy ghoste the body off Christ which is in heauen may be the foode of oure soules But then it shall not onely be in heauen but here also or els oure soules shall be there to and then seing oure bodyes remaine here I see not but whosoeuer communicateth after Caluins doctrine he must dye the soule being separated from the body and we saie not onely he can do so but the Catholike churche teacheth vs he doth so Nowe Caluin bicause he will denie the real presence of Christ ▪ in the Sacrament imagineth that we eate the body of Christe really withoute the reall presence But this imagination is a plaine contradictition And contradiction is of those thinges that can not be done A thing can not be present and distant to A thing can not be hotte and cold to in one very place and moment of time And therefore all lerned men haue euer saide that God worketh no contradiction This then being a plaine contradiction to haue Christ present and not present to haue him in the Sacrament and not in the Sacrament we saye the holy ghoste dothe not worke it Not bycause off any impossibilite off God but bycause the thinge it selfe is impossible And euen as we may wel say God can not sinne and yet derogat no whit from the omnipotency of God so maye we saye God can not worke a contradiction God can not make a thinge present that is in dede absent and not present and yet we diminishe not the omnipotency of allmightye God For that consisteth in suche thinges as are semely for his diuine Maiesty and are of them selues possible Nowe contradiction is of it selfe vtterly impossible Againe the workes of God are permanent and vniforme the one of them destroieth not the other But in contradictions one parte destroyeth the other as a thinge to be present taketh awaye the absence thereoff And likewise the absence destroieth the presence To saie therefore as all lerned men saye that God can worke no contradiction argueth not an impopotency or lacke of abylite in God But rather the doctrine of Caluin making God the authour of contradiction argueth it Theodore Beza and his companions at the late Synod off Poissy in Fraunce praesenting vpp their confession touching this blessed Sacrament thoughe they were all scholers of Caluin yet they dyd not attribute this contradiction to the operation off the holy ghoste but vnto faith The wordes of their Confession presented the laste daye of September vnto the councell are these Bycause the worde off God vpon the which oure fayth is stayed warranteth vs the true and naturall body by the vertu of the holy Ghoste In this respect we acknowleadge that the body and bloud of oure Lorde Iesus Christ is in the Supper By these wordes Encestesgard In this respect we meane that we apprehēd this great and excellent mystery by faith which is of such vertu and efficacy that it maketh thinges absent to be praesent Hitherto the wordes of their confession Wherein they attribute that to faithe whiche Caluin their Master attributeth to the operation of the holy ghoste But be their faithe neuer so stronge and vehement yet shall they neuer obtaine thereby that one selfe thinge shall be bothe present and not present For this being a contradiction is a thinge impossible and suche as God him selfe worketh not Faith saieth S. Paule est argumentum rerum non apparentium Is a certainte off thinges which are not sene By faith
at the oblation and distributiō thereof For after the ghospel they we re all by the deacōs excluded And to this daie at Rome where Turkes sometime resort and Iewes alwaies cōtinewe some infidels and some Catechumeni at the solēne festes when most resort of people is at the high masse after the ghospel a staie is made and a serch whether any Catechumeni other of the Iewes or of the grekes be present Notwithstanding these Catechumeni beleued in Christ some off them no lesse then the Christiās S Ambrose was a Catechumin and a beleuer in Christ though not baptised euē when he was elected bishop of Millain S. Augustin being yet a Catechumin wrote diuers litle bookes wherein he declared him selfe not only a true beleuer in Christ but an excellent diuin as it appereth especially by his Soliloquia which he made in that time Nowe if Caluin had liued in those daies and sene S. Ambrose and S. Augustin not yet baptised notwithstanding the faith and lerning they had to be thrust out of the churches after the ghospel and not to haue bē suffred so much as to be present at the sacring time and the residew of the Masse he woulde of al likelihood comforted thē with the faith of his ghospell and whistred them in the eare that they receaued and did eate the fleshe off Christ no lesse thē the other that receaued at the aultar seing they beleued no lesse then the other He might also haue checked S. Ambrose for keping the Emperour Theodosius so longe out of the church for the greate murdre he had caused to be done at Thessaelonica For the Emperour notwithstanding remained in his faith as it well appeareth by the greate lamentations he made at home in his house when he sente Ruffinus one of his Nobles to S. Ambrose to be admitted in to the churche And in very dede Caluin by this his doctrine not onely comptrolleth S. Ambrose and S. Augustin but condemneth all the primitiue church excluding the Catechumeni from receauing the blessed Sacrament if as he saie faith only geueth them this foode I beseche here all good Christen men and such as feare God and loue their owne soules diligently to aduise with them selues howe they folowe the Sacramentary doctrine of our preachers of Geneua lest that in folowing them they departe from the Catholike church bothe that nowe is and euer hath ben which in their Crede they professe to beleue Thirdly if when our Sauiour saied to his disciples Take eate this is my body by the worde eating he badde vs beleue what did he bidde vs in the worde taking do we take by faith as we eate by faith why then call they men so earnestly to their table maye I not as wel eate and take by faith at home as at their table doth not my faith serue me as well in the house as in the church they are wonte to saie we maie as well praie at home as in the church and why maie we not also as well beleue at home as in the church Then if bothe taking and eating the body of Christ be but a matter of faith what nede they storme and trouble such as will not receaue at Easter or other times maie not good men tel them that by their owne doctrine they receaue at home beleuing in the passion and resurrection of Christ Againe when Christ bad the Apostles take and eate his body did they looke vpon him beleuing him and receaued nothing outewardely yes they will saie they receaued the bread what was the bread the body of Christe the Lutherans indede would be glad to heare that For so should Caluin be a Lutheran and agree with Westphalus which while he liued he would not do for his life What wil here the Sacramentary saye What shift hath he yet He will perhaps saye that Christ bad thē take bread and eate his body This were in dede to make Christ a very sophister to witt that bidding the Apostles take and eate both together saying withall it was his body he should meane they should take bread and eate his body Brefely this I cōclude Yf Christ in these wordes Take eate this is my body meaned this Take and eate this bread which is my body then Caluin agreeth with Westphalus and is become a Lutheran against his will If he meaned this take bread and eate my body then was it a sophisticatiō For it is a point of sophistry to ioyne two termes together taking one properly and the other improperly As here by this laste meaning Christ bidding them take ment properly they should take in dede and bidding them eate mēt vnproperly that is they should not eate in dede but beleue For as al the worlde knoweth beleuing is a very vnproper signification of eating and suche as neuer was heard of before the daies of Iohn Caluin being ment of sacramentall eating But will you see that by the doctrine of Caluin the Apostles did not eate Christ at all in the last supper I meane by faithe For Caluin as you haue heard by his wordes in his Catechisme meaneth such faith as beleueth that Christ died for our redemption and hath risen for our iustification Nowe what faith the Apostles had when Christ made is maunde touchinge his death I will not nowe dispute Althoughe it may seme they doubted much thereof whē they wōdered so muche at his wordes signifiēg his deathe as that Iudas should betraie him as also S. Peter after denieng him But as touching the resurrection the scripture telleth vs plain that diuers of the Apostles at that time beleued it not For first S. Ihon in his ghospell writeth of him selfe that after he looked in to the graue and sawe nothing but the winding shete lefte Vidit credidit he sawe and he beleued And straight after he writeth of S. Peter and him selfe Nondū enim sciebant scripturā c. for they knewe not yet the scripture that he should rise frō deathe S. Thomas also an other of the Apostles woulde not beleue that Ghrist had risen vntell he put his finger in to his woundes And therefore our Sauiour saide after vnto him Quia vidisti me Thoma credidisti Thomas thou haste beleued bicause thou haste sene me Lo then S. Peter S. Ihon and S. Thomas beleued not in the resurrectiō of Christ whē they receaued the blessed Sacramēt in the laste Supper therefore if Caluins doctrine be true the Apostles did not eate Christ at all in the laste Supper See what godly doctrine ensueth of this ghospel of Geneua But here perhaps some scoler of Caluin will obiect what Sir Will you then conclude that bicause in the laste Supper the Apostles without such especiall faith receaued the body of Christ therefore nowe any man may receaue it without that faith Truly suche maner of reasoning of it selfe were naught But yet inioyning with Caluin it were not amisse For he vseth the like against the doctrine of the
bloud And after he concludeth thus I saie therefore that in the mistery of the Supper by the signes of bread and wine Christ is geuen vnto vs truly yea his body and bloud to the entēt that first we maie be made one body with him then being made partakeners of his substaunce we maie also receaue the vertu thereof for the enioieng of all his benefits All this he saieth against thē which acknowledging a certain communiō with Christ in this Sacramēt make vs onely partakners of the Spirit of Christe as in his wordes somewhat before he expresseth Woulde a man desire any more Catholike doctrine then this is truly it semeth no. But you shall see within fewe lines he marreth all that he made before For when he cometh to declare after what maner we receaue the body and bloud of Christ for by euidence of scripture he was forced to confesse that we receaue it thē lo he stretcheth him selfe and calleth his wittes aboute him how he may defeat the real presēce of Christes body and bloud He graunteth we do truly and as he writeth vpon S. Paule really receaue the body and bloud of Christe But he will not haue it as the church teacheth really present Howe then shall we really receaue Christ We nede not saieth Caluin imagin any presence of place to receaue Christ by Howe then This benefit saith he Christ geueth vs by his Spirit By ▪ the Spirit of Christ we are coupled and ioyned to Christ. and the Spirit of Christ is as a certaine cundite pipe by the whiche whatsoeuer Christ is and hathe is deriued vnto vs. for if we see the Son shining on the earthe with his beames for the engendring and quickening of thinges geue as thoughe it were his substaunce vnto the earthe why should the Spirit of Christ be inferiour or of lesse force then the shining downe the son for conuaying vnto vs the communion of Christ his fleshe and bloud Wherefore scripture speaking of our partaking with Christe referreth the whole power thereof vnto the spirit One place shal suffise for all For S. Paule writing to the Romanes in the eight chapter teacheth that Christ dwelleth no otherwise in vs then by his Spirit Whereby yet he taketh not a waie the communiō of fleshe and bloud that we nowe speake of but teacheth vs that by the onely spirit we possesse whole Christ and haue him dwelling in vs. These lo hetherto are the wordes of Caluin euen as they lie in his Institutiōs the 18. chapper The effect of his whole tale is this That by the Spirit of Christ onely we receaue the body and bloud of Christ. And is not this cleane repugnant to that he saide before blaming them whiche taught that in this Sacrament we were partakners of Christ in Spirit onely For howe receaue we the body and bloud of Christe by the Spirit of Christ onely but spiritually only The fleshe and bloud of Christ are no spirituall thinges Valentinus and Marcion were condemned for suche doctrine Howe then receaue we thinges of a corporall substaunce not mere spirituall onely by the Spirit This is a mere imagination of Caluin as we haue before declared you No scripture termeth the Spirit of Christ a cundite pipe No scripture telleth vs that the Spirit of Christ cōuaieth vs his fleshe and bloude It is beside scripture and against all reason and therefore not to be admitted by the only warrant of Caluins mouthe We must not leaue the doctrine of the churche though it had no reason to defend it for the bare assertion of Caluin being against all reason For this is against all reason that we should really eate the body and drinke the bloud of Christ being not really present though Caluin to sett a gaie colour on the matter attributeth this straunge meanes and order to the operation of the Spirit of Christ God him selfe For as we haue before proued god him selfe worketh no contradiction as it is to receaue that which is not present to be receaued Therefore notwithstanding all the shiftes that Caluin maketh it is no real communion of Christ his body and bloud that he teacheth as he would it should seme to be but a mere spirituall which before he blamed As touching the Son if Caluin speake like a philosopher it is no body mixte and made of the elemēts as the natural flesh and bloud of Christ is but a pure simple and celestial body and so we graunte the substaūce thereof is deriued to the earth by the shining thereof For that substaunce is a lightsom and shining substaunce and differeth no whit from the light and clerenes thereof Now Christ toke very fleshe in all conditiōs like to our flesh except the corruptiō that sinne bringeth This fleshe of Christ is so endued with diuinite that it loseth not his natural substaūce Therefore the substaūce of the Sō and the substaūce of Christ his body are thinges farre differēt Againe if the substaūce of the son quickeneth the earth that substaūce is really present with the earthe By this reason therefore Christ also should be really present with vs feding vs with his substaunce Which we do confesse but Caluin denieth How thē dothe that similitude make for him Truly nothing Farder ▪ The Son by the meanes of his shining saieth Caluin geueth his substaunce to the earthe and so Christ by the meanes of his Spirit geueth vs the communion of his flesh and bloud Marke that Caluin saieth the communion of the fleshe not the fleshe it selfe to be deriued vnto vs. For by the communion of the fleshe of Christ he meaneth as vpon S. Paule h◠writeth Vim ex Christi carne viuificā a certain quickening power oute of Christ his fleshe Nowe this quickening power of Christ his flesh is not the fleshe of Christ it selfe VVhich by Caluins doctrine in his institutions of it felfe is not quickening or geuing life But it is the Spirit onely of Christ which geueth life and quickeneth saieth he Lo then againe you see notwithstanding all his faire wordes before his doctrine is nowe that we haue but a spirituall foode onely in this sacrament conuayed vnto vs by the Spirit as the son by his shininge conuaieth his substaunce vnto the earthe Is not this ones againe a plaine contradiction to that whiche he wrote before blaming those that make vs partakners of Christ in Spirit onely is not his doctrine the very same is not the communion that he imagineth to be conuaied vnto vs a spirituall thing dothe he not call it a certain quickening vertu oute off Christ his fleshe this quickening vertu is it not by the doctrine of Caluin a mere spirituall thinge seing that he teacheth blasphemousely with the olde heretike Nestorius that the flesh of Christ notwithstanding it is Propria Verbi one person with the Son of God is not of it selfe quickening I trust you see nowe euidently that though Caluin write we receaue truly and really the
flesh and bloud off Christ yet he meaneth nothing so But why did he thus dally and delude the world a man maye demaunde Forsothe as I suppose euen for this cause Caluin being lerned and knowing the truthe wel if he had listed to vtter it perceaued right wel by the expresse wordes of scripture in sundry places that Christ of his passing mercy and goodnes woulde be ioyned to man not onely Spiritually and by grace but euē really and truly by the participation of his body and bloud Caluin knewe all this and acknowledged it as you haue heard in his wordes before for expresse scripture moued him thereunto Notwithstanding being vndoubtedly malitious and selfe willed and in dede a very heretike desirous to plāte a newe doctrine to bringe the churche in cōtēpt pricked with malice against the clergy which in his workes he vttereth many times though he graunted that man receaued whole Christ bothe in body and Spirit as he writeth in the 18. chapter of his Institutions yet he would not graunt the reall presence off Christ his body which the church teacheth and all holy fathers haue acknowledged as a most necessary consequent to the reall receauing but as you see imagineth a communion of Christ his fleshe to be deriued vnto vs by the Spirit off Christ as by a pipe Bicause therefore truthe and falshood can not possibly agree he falleth often in to open contradictions sayeng one thinge as truthe and conscience taught him and then saieng an other thinge as pride malice ▪ and enuy moued him the walking mates of heresy Hereof rise the sundry and manifold contradictions in his writings not onely aboute this most holy mistery but in the doctrine off baptim and of fre will especially as we shall in parte note hereafter vnto you And truly it hath so pleased God to confounde the counsell of these Achitophels rebelling againste their Liege Souerain the churche of God that not onely one against the other teacheth most contrary but also eche one with him selfe disagreeth And this mercifull prouidēce of God hathe ben allwayes a souerain meanes for the vtter cōfusiō of heretikes Let vs returne to the wordes of Caluin aboue alleaged and see why Caluin graunting first a reall and true receauing of Christ his body and bloud afterwarde denieth the reall presence thereof whiche is to denie that he saied before He saieth that Scripture speaking of oure partaking with Christ referreth the whole power thereof vnto the Spirit for S. Paule saieth he writing to the Romanes in the eight chapter teacheth that Christ dwelleth in vs no otherwise then by his Spirit Marke here well good Readers and see the truthe off Caluin S. Paule saieth in that eight chapter that the Spirit of god dwelleth in vs and againe that the Spirit of him that raised vp Iesus from deathe dwelleth in vs and that he whiche raised vp Christ from deathe shall quicken oure mortall bodies bicause of his Spirit that dwelleth in vs. In all these wordes S. Paule teacheth the Spirit off god god him selfe to dwell in vs to quicken oure mortall bodies that they die no more in sinne but liue to god Other thē this S. Paule in all that chapter speaketh not touching the dwelling of the Spirit of god in vs. Reade the chapter and see Nowe is this to saie that Christ dwelleth in vs no otherwise then by his Spirit Marke the saieng of S. Paule and the consequence of Caluin S. Paule saieth the Spirit off god dwelleth in vs. and Caluin saieth Christ dwelleth in vs no otherwise then by his Spirit is this a good consequence The spirit of god dwelleth in vs. Ergo he dwelleth in vs no otherwise then by his Spirit Euē as good as this VVe are iustified by faith ergo by only faith These wordes no otherwise then are the wordes of Caluin fathered vpon S. Paule not the wordes of S. Paule they are the limitation of a prowde heretike set vpon holy scripture not the wordes off holy scripture He folowed herein his father Luther who translating the wordes of S. Paule per legem cognitio peccati By the lawe cometh the knowledge of sinne turneth it thus By the lawe cometh naught els but knowledge of sinne which texte to what purpose he so peruerted you haue sene in the seconde parte of this Apologye But what will some scholer of Caluin saie though S. Paule saie not expressly so yet perhaps he meane so seing that no scripture beside expresseth any other dwelling of Christ in vs thē by his Spirit I awnswer All were it true that scripture expressed no other dwelling of Christ in vs then by his Spirit yet were it not true that S. Paule saied so in that chapter as Caluin saieth he doeth But the Scripture saieth plaine that we are ioyned to Christe not onely in Spirit but also in body heard you not before that S. Paule sayed that we are membres of Christ his body bones of his bones and fleshe of his fleshe And dothe not Caluin saie that this can not be perfourmed onles whole Christ bothe in Spirit and in body cleaue vnto vs they are his wordes before alleaged oute of his Institutions in the. 18 chapter And dothe not Caluin here ones againe write a plaine contradiction he tolde vs euen nowe that Christ dwelleth in vs no otherwise then by his Spirit and that S. Paule taught so Nowe he telleth vs that whole Christ must cleaue vnto vs bothe in Spirit and body and that bicause S. Paule teacheth so sayeng that we are membres of Christ his body bones of his bones and fleshe of his fleshe Lo you see him in cōtrary tales nowe truste his euidence who liste Thanked be god Caluin hath turned the weapon vpon him selfe minding to strike the churche of Christe Againe Caluin disputing against the Catholikes that the euill men receaue not Christ in the Sacrament maketh his argument of the body of Christ whiche if euill men receaued seing they receaue no life but damnation they shoulde saieth Caluin receaue a dead body and the body of Christ without the Spirit of Christe If this reason of Caluin be good thē the good and worthy receauer muste nedes receaue the body of Christ not onely the Spirit of Christ he muste nedes haue Christ dwelling in him bodely not onely Spiritually as he saied before His wordes are these in his commentaries vppon S. Paule to the Corinthians Ego hoc axioma teneo neque mihi vnquam excuti patiar Christum non posse a Spiritu suo diuelli vnde constituo non recipi mortuum eius corpus neque etiam eum otiosum aut disiunctum a Spiritus sui gratia virtute that is I holde this principle and will neuer be brought from it that Christ can not be diuided from his Spirit wherefore I determin that his dead body can not be receaued nor he also vnfrutefull seuered from the grace or vertu off his Spirit Here Caluin
labouring to confute the Catholike doctrine confoundeth him selfe For this is his reason The euill maÌ„ receaueth not the Spirit of Christ therefore he receaueth not the body of Christ which can not be without it A man might here saie to Caluin why Sir no more dothe the good maÌ„ nether for you saied euen nowe that the Spirit of Christ onely dwelleth in vs which if it be so the body and fleshe off Christe dwelleth not in vs theÌ„ if we that receaue Christe as muche and in as ample sorte as he may be receaued receaue onely the spirit of Christe what nede you feare in the euill mans receauing diuiding of Christ from his spirit or his dead body to be receaued it were enough to saie the euill man receaueth not the Spirit of Christ in the sacrament and therefore he receaueth not Christ. But nowe you reason as though the euill man if he receaued Christe should receaue his body withoute the Spirit and as though he good man receaued bothe body and Spirit Whiche were contrary to that you saied before That not the fleshe of Christ but a communion of his flesh which is as you teach a mere spirituall thing to witt a quickening vertu out of Christ his fleshe is deriued vnto vs by his Spirit What could Caluin awnswer here being pressed of one that would not forsake his aduauntage Wel He is gone and paste all awnswering But he hath scholers good store on liue Let them awnswer and defend these contradictions if they can Or if they ne can ne list to defend them let them put him oute of credit and beleue such a false felowe no more I beseche oure Lorde they maye so do Caluin in his institutions as you heard before saieth The Spirit of Christe is as a certaine cundyt pipe by the which whatsoeuer Christ is and hath is deriued vnto vs. And this spirituall pipe he imagineth to be a meanes to receaue the communion of Christ his fleshe by Now in other places he maketh the flesh of Christe to be as a pipe for conuaiaunce of life vnto vs. In his commentaries vppon the sixte of Ihon thus he writeth Sicut aeternus Dei sermo fons vitae est ita caro eius veluti canalis vitam quae intrinsecus in diuinitate residet ad nos diffundit that is As the aeternall worde off God Christe is the fountaine of life so his fleshe like as a pipe deriueth vnto vs life abiding within the deite Before he saied The Spirit of Christ deriued vnto vs all that Christ is or hath and so coÌ„sequently life Now he saieth The fleshe of Christ conuaieth life vnto vs. Before he made the Spirit off Christ a pipe for conuaiaunce of life Nowe he maketh the â—leshe of Christ to be that pipe Doth not this doctrine confounde it selfe vnlesse to establish his doctrine he will confounde the two natures of Christ God and man flesh and Spirit making eche one instrument to the other and appointing to them both like actions and functions Which were the heresy of the Monothelita Caluin in his commentaries vpoÌ„ the sixt of Ihon and vpon S. Paules first epistle to the Corinthians disputeth earnestly that euil men receaue not Christ in the Sacrament His reasons therefore in the fourthe contradiction we touched Woulde it not nowe seme a straunge matter to heare Caluin saie the contrary and confesse that all which come to the communion receaue the body and bloud of Christ but the good and worthy receaue onely to saluation euen as the Catholike doctrine teacheth were it not a wonderous matter to see Caluin agree herein with vs and disagree with him selfe Lo then his wordes In his institutions the 18. chapter prouing oute of S. Paule that bicause we must be membres of Christ his body bones of his bones and fleshe of his flesh we must cleaue vnto him bothe in spirit and in body he inferreth thus Talem corporis sanguinis sui communionem caete Such a communion of his body and bloud Christ in the holy Supper dothe testifie offer and deliuer to all that sitt downe at that spirituall banquet although cum fructu profitably he be receaued of the faithful onely Lo you heare Caluin saie that all which sitt downe at the spirituall banquet of the Supper receaue the body and bloud of Christ offred and deliuered vnto them And bicause you might not doubte but that the euill receaue also he putteth a distinction betwene them and the good saieng that the faithefull onely receaue cum fructu profitably geuing vs to vnderstande that the other receaue but vnprofitably els had it ben in vaine to saie the good or faithefull onely receaued profitably it had ben inough to saie the good onely receaued But it is a common saieng oportet mendacem esse memorem a lyar had nede haue a good memory Caluin here remembred not that he had in other places defended the contrary but labouring here to sette forthe to the vttermost his doctrine of the Supper and to make men wene that he taught according to scripture the real receauing of whole Christ in the SacrameÌ„t pronounceth stoutely that Christ in the Supper not onely offreth but deliuereth him selfe and that re ipsa in very dede as in an other place he writeth to all that sitt downe at that Spirituall banquet Truly I maye saie here and in all these other contrarietes of Caluin as ofte as the one parte is true for many times bothe partes are starke false that whiche S. Augustin wrote of the Donatistes who being in a solemne conference at Carthage sometimes vttered the truthe against theÌ„ selues vnwares as Caluin dothe nowe that is O Violentia veritatis Quod semper illa tenuit inimicoruÌ„ confessio confirmauit O the force of truthe That which truth alwaies held the confession of her enemies hath coÌ„firmed Which yet in his other contradictions more clerely shal appeare Caluin in his institutioÌ„s writeth this Omnino isthaec pijs tenenda regula est c. This is a sure rule to be kepte of all good meÌ„ that as ought as they see the signes appointed of God bread and wine in the supper they think assuredly and persuade them selues that the verite of the thinge betokened is also present For to what purpose should Christ geue in to thy hand the signe of his body but to make the right sure of partaking thereof For if it be true that the visible signe is geuen vs for confirmation of the vnuisible thing to be geuen the signe of the body being taken let vs not doubte but the body also is geuen vnto vs. Nowe in his resolutions vppon the sacraments thus he writeth Oultre plus L'vtilité que nous recepuons aux sacramens ne sedoibt restraindre au temps de la reception d'iceux comme si le signe visible si tost qu'l nous est proposé nous apportoit auec soy en vng mesme instant la grace de
Dieu that is Beside the profit which we receaue at the Sacraments ought not to be restrained to the time we receaue thē as if the visible signe as soone as it is presented vs brought with it forthwith the grace of God Be not these two tales cōtrary First he biddeth vs not doubt but with the signe we receaue the body which as you heard before of Caluin can not be voide of grace Now he saith that the visible signe bringeth not forthwith the grace of god First he maketh it a rule that seing the signes the verite also Christ him self be present Nowe he saith the profit of the Sacramēts ought not to be restrained to the time we receaue thē Peraduēture he meaneth we shoulde receaue the signes and not see thē els how these two saiengs maie be reconciled I see not and I thinke no man els dothe see But it is not ones nor twise that he thus contradicteth him selfe but many times and often and that in small space as oute of his resolutions vpon the Sacraēnts I will note nowe vnto you In the thirde article of his resolutions he writeth Christ estant fils eternell de Dieu d'vne mesme essence c. that is Christ being the eternal Son of God of one very substaunce and glory with the father hathe taken vpon him oure fleshe to the ende that he should communicat vs that whiche he had properly by nature In these wordes are two doctrines cōtrary to his former saiengs First if Christ be as he is in dede of the very same substaunce and glory with the father then he is not a folowing cause of life as he teacheth writing vpon the sixte of Ihon. We will alleage you his wordes herafter when we shall detecte you his heresies Againe here he confesseth Christ to communicat vnto vs that which he had properly by nature to witt his fleshe before he graunteth not vs his fleshe but a spirituall communion thereof to wit a quickening power oute of that fleshe In the. 9. article thus he writeth Albeit we putte a difference betwene the signe and the thinges figured thereby yet we separat not the verite from the figures The figure or signe which Caluin meaneth is bread it selfe the thinge figured is Christe Now if he seuer not Christ from the bread then is he there present really as the bread is with the bread Which Caluin writing against Westphalus and other Lutherans dothe allwaies declaime and inueigh against In the nexte article folowing thus he writeth But we muste not haue a regarde to the bare signe but to the promis which is thereto annexed Beholde I beseche you what fonde contradictiō this is For what is the promis of the blessed sacrament Christ saith Who eateth my flesh hath life and I wil raise him again at the later daie Lo life and resurrectiō is the promis If this as Caluin teacheth be annexed to the signe how calleth he it a bare signe But Christ teacheth vs as you see that this promis is not annexed to the bread which is impossible but to his very flesh and that full of all diuinite which is no bread pardy It foloweth in the article Therefore the simple matter of water of bread and wine doth not present vs nor geue vs Christ. Lo here againe he calleth the signe a simple matter of bread and wine Howe then I praie you is that waighty promis of life and resurrection annexed vnto it Beside he sayth the signe dothe not present vs Christ. Yet before in the seuēth article he wrote that the principall office off the sacraments was that god by them dothe testifie vnto vs his grace representeth it and sealeth it vnto vs. And in the .8 article he calleth them true witnesses and seales and euery where he calleth the bread the figure of Christ his body If all this be true howe saieth he nowe true saieng that the signe dothe not present vs Christ howe calleth he it a simple matter of bread and wine Lo howe many contradictions are couched in one of his articles But let vs considre the reste In the twelueth article thus he writeth Farder as for that which is geuen vnto vs by the Sacraments that is not by their owne proper vertu although that the promis is comprised in them whereby they are indued with the qualite thereof Here he confesseth againe in the sacraments is comprised or contained the promis of the ghospell and that this promis remaineth in the sacraments as the qualite dothe in a substaunce First if bare bread be as he saied defore the sacrament calling it a signe such as with Caluin all sacraments are howe can it haue any suche promis or any suche qualite in it who euer heard that life and oure resurrection were promised to a piece of bread Then if the sacraments as in his Institutions he defineth them be not onely bare signes but sure witnesses of gods grace towardes vs their vertu being the worke of God why denieth he by their vertu any thinge to be geuen He woulde deface the sacraments but he cōtradicteth him selfe But wil you see a cleane repugnant and direct contrary doctrine to all that hetherto hathe ben saied For hetherto you heare Caluin saie that he seuereth not the verite from the figure that the promis is annexed to the signe and againe that the promis is comprised in the Sacrament Nowe at the very ende of all his resolutions see I praie you how he resolueth him self In the laste article thus he concludeth Although saieth he the bread be geuen vnto vs as a marke or pleadge of the communion yet because it is a signe not the thing it self nor hath not the thinge included in it they which staie their minde thereupō worshipping therein Christ they make an idol of it Lo now Caluin hath plucked of his visard and plaieth his parte kindely now he saieth the thing of the sacrament to witt Christ is not included contained or comprised in the sacrament that it is but a signe or a pleadge In dede we agre with Caluin that Christ is not in the bread and much lesse is the bread a pleadge or marke of oure communion or participation of Christ. S. Paule saieth the holy ghoste is geuen vnto vs as a pleadge no scripture saieth so of bread Againe we confesse that the true flesh of oure Sauiour is geuen vs in this moste blessed sacrament in forme and shape of bread not remaining but by the omnipotency of the worde as S. Ciprian speaketh made flesh But why dothe Caluin make the Sacrament nowe but a bare signe Why denieth he now the thinge or verite of the Sacrament to be therein included hauing graunted it before Forsothe the deuill him selfe moued Caluin to saie so enuieng at the glory of god and desiring as litle honour to be done to Christe as might be For after that Caluin as the proctour of the deuill
in the ghospell off S. Ihon. Who eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hathe life euerlasting Caluin in his institutions and in his coÌ„mentaries vpon that place teacheth thus Who eateth the bread at the communion he receaueth a cundyte pipe by the whiche life is deriued vnto him Marke I beseche you Christen readers howe he hathe altered the wordes of oure Sauiour Where Christ saith Who eateth my flesh Caluin saithe who eateth the bread at the communion and where Christ saithe he hathe life euer lasting Caluin saithe he hathe a cundyte pipe by the whiche life is deriued calling the blessed fleshe of oure Sauiour one person with the godhead a coundyt pype or instrument by the whiche life is deriued from god the Father For that is his meaning as you shall see more plainely hereafter when I come to his heresies attributing life not to the fleshe of Christ as Christ him selfe dothe but to the Father in whom he teacheth life to remaine principally as you shall anon see But nowe to an other proposition Christ saithe I am the resurrection and the life Caluin saythe in his commentaries vpon the sixte off Ihon The Son is as a riuer by the whiche the life abiding in the father is deriued vnto vs. Here again Christ speaking as god and man saith him selfe to be the life For as the general councell of Ephesus charely warneth vs the wordes of the ghospell are all waies to be attributed to Christe as to one person thoughe consisting of two natures â–ª Caluin saithe the life to remaine in the father Where blasphemousely he excludeth Christ making him as a riuer or meanes by the whiche life is deriued vnto vs. But of this we shall haue more occasion to speake hereafter Oure Sauiour after he had sayde in the sixte off Ihon my fleshe is meate in dede and my bloud is drinke in dede expounding those his wordes vnto the carnall Iewes thinking he had meaned his fleshe and bloud after the bare nature of man saithe thus The wordes which I spake vnto you are Spirit and life geuing vs to vnderstande as the lerned Father Cirillus noteth that he spake of his fleshe and blood inseparably annexed to the godhead and one person with the same Nowe Caluin in his institutions affirmeth that by the Spirit of Christe his fleshe is deriued vnto vs and made our foode In the whiche doctrine he separateth the Spirit of Christe from his blessed fleshe geuing vs the one without the other whereas Christ him selfe aboue affirmed that he meaned his fleshe coupled and vnited to the Spirit sayeng the wordes whiche I spake vnto you to witt of my flesh and blood are Spirit and life that is not bare flesh but endued with my Spirit the godhead it selfe nor to be deriued vnto vs by the Spirit as separated from the fleshe or as a cundit pype to conducte the fleshe vnto vs whiche Caluin in his institutions saythe as you haue heard before but to be geuen vnto vs with the Spirit and deite of oure Sauiour iointly and inseparably as they are in him one person and one Christ. Thus you see howe he correcteth and altereth the wordes off oure Sauiour at his pleasure Againe whereas Christe saythe in S. Ihon He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloud hathe life euerlasting promising vs by eating to haue life Caluin correcting the sayeng of oure Sauiour in his commentaries vpon S. Ihon where Christe promiseth life and resurrection by the eating of his fleshe and drinking of his bloud he saythe Christ speaketh not here of the Supper but of the perpetuall communion of him which we haue beside the vse of the Supper And yet that ye maye not thinke he meaneth of any other communion naming the perpetuall communion then the very same whiche we haue in the celebration of oure lordes Supper in fewe wordes after he addeth thus muche And yet I confesse that nothinge is here spoken whiche is not also figured and truly exhibited vnto vs in the Supper Thus he maketh him selfe as sure off Christe withoute the receauing of this blessed Sacrament as when he receaueth it whiche by the coÌ„ference of an other place of holy Scripture you shall see yet ones again S. Paule saieth The bread whiche we breake is the participation of the body of our Lorde whereby we lerne in this blessed SacrameÌ„t to receaue the body of Christ. Caluin teacheth vs without the blessed sacrameÌ„t to receaue it For in his resolutioÌ„s vpoÌ„ the sacrameÌ„ts he hathe these wordes Right as the infidell by the vse of the Sacraments receaueth no more profit thereby theÌ„ if he vsed theÌ„ not eueÌ„ so the verite figured in the sacraments is coÌ„municated to the faitheful and beleuers thoughe not receauing the signes or sacrameÌ„ts By this rule we receaue Christ in the supper which before hath bâ—n geueÌ„ vnto vs and dwelleth in vs perpetually And in the .9 article of the same worke he saythe that such as haue before receaued Christ receauing the Sacrament do renewe and continew that which they had before receaued By this his doctrine you see he correcteth the wordes of Christe teaching vs to receaue him by eating his fleshe and drinking his blood And the wordes of S. Paule sayeng the bread to be the participation of our Lordes body by whiche worde he meaneth the blessed Sacrament naming it so of that which it was before as the serpent was called Moyses rodd and the wine water in Cana Galilea S. Paul sayth Who so euer eateth the bread and drinketh the cuppe of the Lord vnworthely he eateth and drinketh his owne daÌ„nation geuing vs to vnderstaÌ„de that at the receauing of the blessed sacrameÌ„t we receaue other life by the worthy receauing other daÌ„nation by the vnworthy Now the doctrine of Caluin directly repugneth For thus he writeth in his resolutioÌ„s vpoÌ„ the sacrameÌ„ts Farder saith he the profit which we receaue at the sacrameÌ„ts ought not to be restrained to the time we receaue theÌ„ as if that the visible signe as soone as it is geueÌ„ vs should bringe vs forthewith the grace of god It may happen that the receite of the sacrament which in the acte profited nothing through our defaulte or slacknes maie afterward bring forth better fruict Thus farre Caluin CoÌ„sider nowe if this doctrine be not cleane coÌ„trary to the meaning of S. Paul For if as S. Paul saith receauing the sacrameÌ„t vnworthely we receaue our own daÌ„nation why also in receauing it worthely receaue we not withal incontinently the grace and vertu thereof Againe if by our defaulte it worketh vs daÌ„nation as the Apostle saith howe caÌ„ it afterwarde auaile vs as Caluin teacheth Thirdly if at the receite of the sacrameÌ„t we receaue nothing what shall the bread that Caluin imagineth alone signifie shall it signifie that by eating it we receaue no profit thereby In good sothe it will signifie vnto vs that Caluin mocketh with God and
the worlde and that in eating the bread we eate nothing els â–ª And truly if you remembre his doctrine before yow see he meaneth nought ells S. Paule speaking of our Lordes body and bloud geuen vs in the blessed sacrament saithe thus He that eateth and drinketh vnworthely eateth and drinketh his owne damnation not discerning the body of oure Lorde Caluin in his coÌ„mentaries vppoÌ„ this place saithe That the wicked person therefore eateth vnworthely bicause he refuseth the body of our Lorde offred vnto him eating thereby the onely signe to wit bare bared Marke the differeÌ„ce of S. Paules doctrine and Caluins imagination For howe dothe the wicked eate the body and therewith his daÌ„nation whiche S. Paule teacheth iff he eate but bread and refuse the body which Caluin imagineth I will graunte who refuseth Christ refuseth life and thereby worketh his owne damnation But this is not to eate his damnation in such sorte as S. Paule speaketh there Our Sauiour in the sixte of Ihon saithe Your fathers did eate Manna in the desert and are dead This is that bread whiche cometh downe from heauen that a man maye eate thereof and not die Caluin in his commentaries vpoÌ„ the first to the CorinthiaÌ„s the tenth chapter teacheth that the Iewes eating MaÌ„na did eate the very body of Christ spiritually as we do and receaued the same effect by eating the Manna as we do by the communion He laboureth muche in that place to proue this fonde doctrine and forgeth a sory shifte to auoide these wordes of our Sauiour in S. Ihon. Christ saythe he hauing to do with the Iewes preferring Moyses before him in his answer to them expounded not what Manna signified but letting all other thinges passe framed them an answer mete for their capacite speaking not according to the nature of the thinge but according to the meaning and sâ—ns of the hearers Thus muche Caluin But beholde I beseche you the sophistry of this wily heretike He woulde make vs beleue that Christ in S. IhoÌ„ plaied the RhetoriciaÌ„s part and withall is not afeared to make our Sauiour O blasphemous Sacramentary a lyar For Christe saithe plainely That the Iewes eating Manna died for not by eating Manna but by beleuing in the Messias to come they were fedde of Christ But the bread which he would geue shoulde be life euerlasting to those whiche eate off it Iff nowe as Caluin saithe the eating of Manna serued their turne no lesse then the bread of life Christ him selfe serued oures to witt that they receaued also the bread of life spiritually in eating Manna as we do in eating the blessed Sacrament then were not that sayieng off Christe true nor his comparison good preferring the bread of life which he would geue vs before the Manna of the Iewes For their Manna as Caluin saithe was bread of life to them then was it not inferiour to that whiche Christe woulde geue but all one and the same But nowe to an other Our Sauiour in S. Ihon hath these wordes Who eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloud dwelleth in me and I in him Caluin correcteth these wordes in his doctrine of the Supper and maketh this proposition Who beleueth in the death and resurrectioÌ„ of Christ the coÌ„munion of his flesh is deriued vnto him by the vertu of his holy Spirit First in this doctrine where Christ biddeth vs eate his flesh and so promiseth him selfe to dwel with vs and in vs Caluin biddeth vs beleue in Christ his death saieng thereby we eate his flesh and theÌ„ in stede of Christ God and maÌ„ abiding in vs which our Sauiour in this most holy SacrameÌ„t promiseth and no doubt perfourmeth vnto vs Caluin warraÌ„teth vs of a certain coÌ„munioÌ„ of the flesh remaining only in heaueÌ„ which shal be deriued he sayeth by the Spirit off Christ vnto vs. This is lo not to haue God and man Christ him selfe abiding in vs which bicause Christ promiseth vs we must vndoubtedly beleue so but to haue him onely spiritually abiding in vs to witt coming to vs onely by spirit and abiding onely in heauen by fleshe How false and howe farre disagreble with the wordes of our Sauiour this doctrine of Caluin is we haue in his absurdites and contradictions declared Presently it suffiseth to knowe that he dothe bothe in termes and in sense comptroll and alter the wordes and meaning of oure Sauiour S. Paule writing to the Corinthians of the due accesse and reuerence of this blessed Sacrament saith Let euery maÌ„ trie him selfe and so eate of this bread Caluin in his Institutions and vpon the sixte of Ihon teacheth that by beleuing we eate Christ. Nowe seing that no man trieth him selfe but first he beleueth and in beleuing we eate Christ then before we trie oure selues we do eate contrary to the expresse wordes off the Apostle bidding vs first to trie our selues and so to eate of this bread of life And truly according to the doctrine of Caluin as you haue sene before beleuing in Christes deathe and resurrection we eate and receaue the body and bloud off Christ allwaies no lesse then in the vse of the Supper or communion Which excludeth all triall of our selues required by S. Paul For the maintenance of this wicked Sacramentary doctrine Caluin abuseth and turneth from their right vnderstanding not onely suche places of holy scripture as directly make against him as you haue hetherto partly sene but also suche as by any consequence of reason might seme to hinder the course of his wicked doctrine For example I will pnt you in minde of one or two Whereas it is writen in S. Ihon that Christ entred where his disciples were the doores being shutt bicause this miracle might importe to the body of oure Sauiour a possibilite of being in sundry places at ones and so destroy the false grounde of these sacramentaries tying Christ to the right hande of his Father Caluin in his institutions saithe that Christ entred not the dores being shutt but that the dores opened of them selues Otherwhere he writeth that an erthequake was made and so the dores opened Brefely he inuenteth what shifte he maie rather them he will yelde to the truthe of the churche With like confidence this presumptuous SacrameÌ„tary Ihon Caluin peruerteth by false traÌ„slatioÌ„ the wordes of holy scripture in the prouerbes of SalomoÌ„ coÌ„taining a clere prophecy of this blessed sacrameÌ„t We alleaged you the place before and after what sort it was by him corrupted If we would in other pointes and articles of the Catholike faith by him denied and impugned vse the like diligence we could be as loÌ„ge in the retical and setting forthe of theÌ„ as he is in the whole corps of his workes where such doctrine is taught But nowe I will procede to the other partes of oure promis touching this one article and after saie somewhat of some other point of his doctrine Oure Lorde in holy scripture by the mouthe off his prophet
Ieremy speaking against the perilous presumption of those which forsake him and his holy worde pronounceth the plage that falleth on theÌ„ in these wordes They haue forsake me the fouÌ„taine of life and haue digged theÌ„ selues pittes and pudles al to broken and suche as can holde no water geuing vs to vnderstand that who so forsaketh the right waie prescribed vnto vs by allmighty god in his holy worde and refuseth the moste holesom drinke of the fountaine god him selfe is forced forthewith being as a man berefted of his right vnderstanding and sence to lappe in suche pudle as the fonde imagination of his owne braine instructed and supported with the deuill ready to thruste forwarde when god forsaketh can inueÌ„t Of suche it is saied in holy scripture Who loueth the peril shall perish in it and againe VVho toucheth the pitche shal be filed therewith You haue sene howe Caluin hathe forsaken the expresse wordes of god in his ghospell to furder thereby the plausible doctrine and pleasaunt poison of his owne imaginations You shall nowe see what pittes and pudles he is faine to lappe in forsaking the doctrine of Christ in the ghospell Truly they are suche and so filthy that I feare the recitall thereof maie be to good Christian hartes more noysom then profitable Notwithstanding bicause this man is of suche credit amonge the deceaued sorte of oure countre that his Institutions the very fardle of all his beggarly doctrine and boxe of his venimous heresies is commaunded to be read of suche as haue charge of soules a sufficient meanes truly to drawe all the vnlerned of England but if god staie them to eternall daÌ„nation I will by the grace of God geue you for a taste suche instructions touching the most blessed sacrament of the aultar and the sacrament of Baptim which only for sacrameÌ„ts he alloweth that you maie hereafter litle lust after the perilous persuasions of his doctrine in other inferiour pointes of oure Christen faithe the dearest and most precious iewell that we haue on earthe The pittes and pudles that Caluin hathe digged him selfe are olde heresies condemned aboue a thousand yeares and nowe renewed by him partly in expresse wordes partly by most assured and necessary consequence of his writings Caluin in his commentaries vpon S. Ihon hathe these wordes It is to be noted there are thre degres of life The liuing Father hathe the first place as the fountaine off life but yet farre distant and hidde The Son foloweth him whom we haue sette before vs as a riuer by the which the life abiding in the father is deriued vnto vs. the thirde life is that which we drawe of him Thus farre Caluin This doctrine beside that it is a mere imagination of Caluin and a broken pudle of his brickle brain it conteineth in it sundry heresies First if the Son of god Christ him selfe be a folowing that is a second cause of life as Caluin saithe then is it not equall with the first and so is it a creature not god the Creatour which is first and chefest and secoÌ„d to none TheÌ„ he coÌ„pareth Christ to a riuer and god the father to a fountaine Now the fouÌ„taine is before the riuer and is cause of the riuer theÌ„ by the doctrine of Caluin god the father is before the Son and cause of the life in the Son For al this he meaneth of god the Son not of the flesh off Christ which he denieth to geue life or to be quickening of it selfe This lo is the cursed and detestable heresy of Arrius condemned in the first general councell of Nice aboue twelue hundred yeres paste If Sâ—ruetus whom Caluin burned at Geneua for an Arrian were nowe aliue again and Caluin to he might chalenge M. Caluin for the like and call him worthely to the stake Againe this doctrine of Caluin resembleth much in wordes but in effect passeth farre the doctrine of Faustus Manicheus who sayde that god the father occupied the chefest and principall light but the Son consisted in a seconde light Which fonde opinion of him Saint Augustin confuteth as a detestable heresy Muche more maye we so do in this distinction of degres of life that Caluin imagineth to be in the blessed Trinite Thirdly he affirmeth the life whiche we receaue of Christ the Son to abide in the Father as though Christ of him selfe gaue not vs life by the participation of his diuine fleshe Which to saie is the heresy of Valentinus whom S. Irene confuteth Caluin in his commentarie vpon the resolution of the Sacraments saythe that Vnto the substaunce of bread remaining bread the body of oure lorde whiche is the verite figured by the bread is so coupled and vnited as the godhead was to the fleshe of Christ it remaining true and naturall fleshe And this his doctrine he goeth aboute to proue by the wordes of Gelasius in his epistle to kinge Frauncis prefixed before his Institutions It is also the doctrine of Caluin that Christ is in the Sacrament onely by faithe not corporally â–ª For so sayeth he he is onely in heauen Then will it folowe by the reason of Caluin that the godhead was ioyned and vnited to the fleshe of Christ onely by faithe and that the fleshe was not deified and one person with god This was the heresy of Paulus Samosatenus condemned all most thirten hundred yeares paste The doctrine of Caluin in his Institutions is as you partly heard before that in the blessed Sacrament the maner of receauing Christ is by the operation of his Spirit whiche saythe he is as a certain â—undyt pipe whereby what soeuer Christ is or hathe is deriued vnto vs. and by the Spirit of Christe he sayth we receaue in to oure soules his body and bloud whiche yet departeth not from the right hande of the father This doctrine separateth Christ making his holy Spirit to serue as a cundyt pipe for the conuaiaunce of his fleshe in to oure soules Beside the absurdite of the doctrine whiche we before declared you it sauoureth of the heresy of Nestorius For as he denied the fleshe off Christ to be inseparably vnited to the godhead and therefore taught that we receaued not whole Christe but his fleshe onely and not his godhead for these were his wordes as Cirillus recordeth Qui manducat carnem meam non dixit qui manducat diuinitatem that is Christ sayde he that eateth my fleshe he sayde not he that eateth my diuinite c. so Caluin denieth we receaue whole Christ graunting vs a spirituall foode onely For so in his commentaries vpon S. Paule he concludeth saieng that a certain quickening vertu is deriued vnto vs out of the flesh of Christ by his Spirit thoughe the flâ—sh be farre distant from vs and not ioyned with vs. The doctrine of Caluin as it containeth variable and contrary assertions so it bredeth diuers and sundry heresies You heard euen nowe that by making the Spirit of Christ a pipe for the
geue life to the body and raise it also What wicked dreames and inuentions are these off proude and presumptuous heretikes The promis of life and resurrection is made to the fleshe of Christ not to the bread nor to the soule Thus lo it fareth with them which content not them selues with the sure knowen doctrine of the Catholike churche but by drifte of reason or pricke off pride and malice serch out newe inueÌ„tions of their owne It is the doctrine of Caluin and all the sacramentaries that in the celebration of oure Lordes supper be no coÌ„secration of the misteries For that they saie the bread there is no other wise blessed theÌ„ other creatures of god are by the vertu of their creatioÌ„ Caluin in his InstitutioÌ„s saith that Christe in the benedictioÌ„ which he vsed directed not his wordes to the bread and that to blesse the bread is wich crafte and charming The like he writeth in his coÌ„mentaries vpon S. Paul to the CorinthiaÌ„s This doctrine lo is the very heresy of Faustus Manicheus we saith that Maniche vse the same religion in all creatures of god as you vse in the bread and the chalice Lo this heretike acknowledgeth noother kinde of religioÌ„ in the holy misteries then in other creatures of god That is that the one is as much blessed as the other But what aunswereth here S. Augustin For he reporteth these wordes of the heretike in his bookes against him Doth he acknowledge no other benediction in the Sacrament then in other creatures of god Is he ashamed of the benediction vsed in the church of Christ Doth he call it witchecrafte or charming See therefore what he awnswereth Oure bread and chalice saithe S. Augustin is not coÌ„mon but by certaine coÌ„secration is made misticall is not borne so And therefore that which is not so made to witt by certain consecration thoughe it be bread and cuppe it is foode for refection not the sacrameÌ„t of oure religion thoughe allwaies we blesse and geue thankes to god in all his giftes as well corporall as spirituall Thus farre S. Augustin declaring that in the misteries we vse a certain and propre consecration whereby the misteries are made other then they were by nature For he saith of the bread it is made misticall non nascitur it is not so by nature geuing vs vnderstande that by vertuâ— of consecration the bread is made that wiche by nature it was not to witt the body of oure Sauiour Againe S. Augustin saith that whiche lacketh consecration is foode for refection not the sacrament of oure religion So the Caluinistes in their communion by the iudgement of S. Augustin haue foode for refection not the sacrament of oure religion Finally S. Augustin confuting the olde heresy of the Maniches dothe also confute the newe heresy of Caluin yea and the order of oure communion where no consecration nor benediction is vsed Thus we see Christian readers what broken pittes and pudles Caluin hathe digged him selfe and all sacramentaries are forced to lappe in forsaking the fountaine of life Christ him selfe in this blessed sacrameÌ„t of the aultar We see who liste to be a scholer of Caluin a ghospeller of Geneua or a Sacramentary protestant he muste also be an Arrian a Nestorian a Samâ—satenical a Marcioniste a Donatiste a Mâ—niâ—he and a Valentinian diuers waies These heretikes with al their doctrine were condemned aboue a thousand yeares in that state of the churche whiche onely oure aduersaries approue for pure and vertuous If that state had the right doctrine those heretikes were by them worthely condemned If they were worthely condemned these sacramentaries can off no good Cristen men be allowed folowed or supported As in our discours vpon Luther beside a numbre of olde cursed heresies by him renewed and common to al protestaÌ„ts we declared you one proper heresy of his owne for examples sake euen so after the ranke of these olde condemned heresies which Caluin hath incurred only in mistaking or rather willfully departing from the Catholike faith off the most blessed Sacrament of the aultar I will recite you one most horrible and blasphemous heresy of his owne imagination for examples sake of many more which might be brought if we listed in this short discours to saie all that might be saied In his institutions vpon the article of our Crede Descendit ad inferos He descended in to hell he teacheth that Christ there suffred the paynes of hell and mocketh at the belefe of the Catholike Church teaching vs that then our Sauiour deliuered the soules of the fathers off the olde law according as the scripture witnesseth speaking by the prophet most euidently of our Sauiour Tu quoque in sanguine Testamenti tui emisâ—sti vinctos tuos de lacu in quo non est aqua that is Thou also through the bloud of thy testament hast let thy prâ—sonners out of the pitt wherein is no water which â—aying of the prophet the lerned fathers haue allwaies expounded of the descending of Christ in to hell and deliuering there the soules of the fathers of the olde law But as touching the heresy of Caluin which in place of this receiued doctrine this presumptuous heretike auoucheth you shall heare his owne blasphemous wordes and lerne of what a master our ghospellers of Geneua haue lerned their false faith These be his wordes first in latin Nihil actum erat si corporea tantum morte defunctus fuisset Christus sed opera simul praecium erat vt diuinae vltionis seueritatem sentiret quo irae ipsius intercederet satisfaceret iusto iudicio vt cum inferorum copijs aeternaeqâ—e mortis horrore quasi consertis manibus luctaretur Correctionem pacis nostrae illi impositam fuisse propheta docet fuisse propter scelera nostra a patre percussum attrituÌ„ propter nostras infirmitates Quibus significat in locum peccatorum sponsorem vadem adeoque instar rei submissum ad dependendas persoluendasque omnes quae ab illis expetendae erant poenas vno hoc duntaxat â—xâ— pto quòd doloribus mortis non poterat detineri Ergo si ad infâ—res descendisse dicitur nihil mirum est cum eam mortem pertulerit quae sceleratis ab irato deo infligitur Hetherto are his wordes as they lye in his institutions in latin Now let vs see the english Nothing had ben done saieth Caluin if Christ had dyed only by bodely deathe O hainous blasphemy of these cursed heretikes What could be saied more blasphemously Hath not now the death of Christ satisfised for our sinnes Be these the ghospellers that sette forth and commend so much the passion of Christ Is the bodely death of Christ nothing Must his soule suffer also in hell You shall heare forth the wordes of Caluin But it was also requisit saieth he that Christ should fele the rigour of gods vengeaunce whereby he might appease his wrath and satisfie his iust iudgment that he
Christians We haue peraduēture ben ouer longe in this one point But it was necessary that the suttle shiftes of that wily heretike shoulde be discouered This perilous booke of his Institutions is as I vnderstande in oure englishe tongue and commaunded to be reade of the simple and vnlerned priestes Let these fewe pointes that by occasion in this oure discours we haue discouered be a lesson and charitable aduertismēt vnto them what to iudge of the rest Truly it were better for them being vnlerned to nourishe a serpent at their table then to reade this perilous poisonned booke whereby the olde serpent is euer at hande to seduce them in to most hainous heresies and most horible blasphemies as we haue before in parte touched The seconde heresy that Caluin vttereth and forgeth himselfe aboute this doctrine of baptim is that the Iewes were baptised in the cloude and in the read sea as we are in the fonte He teacheth this doctrine in his cōmentaries vpon the first to the Corinthiās the tenth chapter and concludeth that in spirituali substantia in figura visibili bothe in the spirituall substaunce and in the visible figure their baptim in the cloude and in the read sea agreeth with oure baptim in the fonte And therefore he teacheth the Iewes to haue had the sacramēt of baptim no lesse then we And this he dothe bicause he woulde bringe oure Christen faith to mere figures signes and shadowes in the whiche the Iewes in the olde lawe were traded to a better perfection vnder Christ as S. Paule teacheth But let vs see howe hereticall and false this doctrine is First it repugneth manifestly against holy scripture For S. Paule after he had saied the Iewes were baptised in the cloude and in the read sea he saieth euen immediately after Hec in figura facta sunt nostri these thinges were done in the figure of vs. and againe after a fewe lines Haec autem omnia in figura contingebant illis all these thinges happened to them in figure And thus do all holy fathers expoūde this place Chrisostom saieth Veritatis nominibus vsus est in figura the Apostle vsed the names off the verite in the figure S. Augustin sayeth their passing throughe the read sea whereby the escaped the Aegyptians figured the deliuraunce of vs from the deuill throughe baptim Theodoret writeth that the cloud ouer shadowing them from burning heates figured the grace of the holy ghoste ouershadowing vs from flame of concupiscence and sinne S. Hierom likewise writeth that these thinges happened vnto them in vmbra typo non in veritate in shadowe and figure not in verite Onely Caluin against expresse scripture and so many lerned fathers impudently as his maner is defendeth that the cloude and the read sea was as true a baptim to the Iewes as the holy fonte is to vs. But let vs see what absurde inconueniences depend of this doctrine thoughe nor scripture nor authorite of holy fathers made against it If the children of Israel were baptised bothe in the read sea and in the cloude with the like perfection as we in the fonte then they were twise baptised and our baptim may be double not withstanding the perfection of it Which being so we must chaunge the scripture in S. Paule saying there is vna fides vnum baptisma but one faithe and but one baptim Caluin here awnswereth that these are two different signes making but one baptim awnswering to oure baptim But see I praie you what a sory shifte this is For first by the doctrine of Caluin as you haue heard before baptim is nought els but a signe of the remission of sinnes by the which we are admitted in to the felowship and societe of Christen men Nowe if the Iewes had two suche different signes had they not two baptims or els if those two signes made but one baptim then in the clowde they were not baptised vntell they had passed the read sea which was afterwarde Nowe S. Paule saieth they were baptised in the cloude and in the sea Iff the worde Baptised as Caluin will haue it be ment of true baptim suche as oures is then were they truly baptised bothe in the cloude and in the sea whiche were two diuers actions and at two sundry times Againe if the children of Israel were baptised in the cloude and in the sea with the like perfection as we are in the fonte howe will Caluin auoide the suspicion of an Anabaptiste seing they were baptised before in their circumcision by the doctrine of Caluin For Caluin in his Institutions in his chapter of baptim teacheth that circuncision was to the Iewes as baptim was to vs the onely difference being in the outwarde signe to witt that by circuncision they had remission off sinnes life euerlasting and were admitted in to the leage of god And oure baptim as you haue heard Caluin defineth to be naught els but a sure token or warrant that we be admitted in to the societe and number of Christen men ioyned in leage to god Nowe if the Iewes by Circumcision had their perfit baptim and yet in the cloude and in the sea were baptised again as perfitly dothe not this doctour of Geneua teache vs diuersite of baptims Dothe he not muche furder the cause of the Anabaptistes Seing it is but a matter of signes by Caluins doctrine haue not they greate occasion to crie vpon rebaptisation It is not muche to be maruailed if so many Sacramentaries be also Anabaptistes as experience doth showe in all those countres where Sacramentaries do swarme The doctrine of Caluin dothe minister right good occasion thereunto as you shall see yet by one consequence more deducted of this his heresie If the Iewes were baptised in their circuncision in the cloude in the sea and receaued the same baptim as Christen men do in the fonte howe saye we to the baptim of S. Ihon Why dyd S. Ihon baptise the Iewes being baptised before with the very same baptim For if as Caluin here saieth the Iewes were baptised in the cloude and in the sea no lesse then we are in the baptim of Christ and againe the baptim of S. Ihon be as you hearde him saie before the very same baptim that Christ his baptim is why I saie dyd S. Ihon baptise them againe Dothe he not here teache plaine rebaptisation Let vs yet go one steppe farder The Iewes saieth Caluin were baptised in the cloude and in the sea in their circuncision in the baptim of S. Ihon euen as we are in the water of oure baptim Why then dyd S. Peter at his first sermon made to the Iewes exhorte them to baptim againe And those of the Iewes whiche beleued in Christe why were they baptised as the text saieth they were For it is writen Qui receperunt sermonem eius baptisati sunt they that receaued the worde of Peter were baptised And why dyd Ananias baptise S. Paule If
which it is nowe clere he doth If ye answer that so it is done bicause men by their owne wickednes malice and vngratefulnesse haue so deserued to be forsaken of God that shall be well and truly answered But bicause yet we see not the reason of this variete why some being brought to obedience other continewe indurated in the discussion of this doubte we must nedes haue recourse to that whiche S. Paule noted oute of Moyses to witt that from the beginning the Lorde had stirred them vp to showe his name through out all the worlde Now these wordes from the beginning are not in S. Paule nor Moyses in any text latin greke or hebrewe but are the wordes of Iohn Caluin added to the text of Gods worde for a vauntage to witt to make vs beleue that from the beginning euen before the fall of Adam God was the cause off induration aud harde hart of reprobats For he is not you see coÌ„teÌ„ted to attribut it only to their owne deserts and malice but seketh a superiour cause in God and that by the wordes of S. Paule from the beginning which he nor none of all his scholers are euer able to showe vs in any text of S. Paule that is This is lo the plaine dealing of these ghospellers and refourmers of Christes Church These be the chalengers of Gods worde This is the pure text they vaunte and boaste of They pretend to couet after the pure text and bare letter But as the poet saied ex vno disce omnes By Caluin lerne what the rest are And Time Danaos dona ferentes trust not an heretike though he bringe you scripture it selfe What false tricke is there that Caluin hath not plaied He hath corrupted the text with false translation as we showed you in the 9. chapter of Salomons prouerbes He belieth holy Scripture as yow heard in the S. chapter of S. Paull to the Romans He denieth expresse scripture as we declared you in the 19. chapter of the Actes of the Apostles He requireth to be heard against expresse scripture as we recited you oute of his Institutions And nowe you see he addeth to holy Scripture If this archeprotestant and greate ghospelling doctour behaueth him selfe so in his printed workes which remaine to be vewed of all lerned men what will the nouices of his religion and young prinking preachers sticke to do in pulpits where they knowe their audience to be not allwaies lerned and of the lerned some of a presumed preiudice to take all for good other to winke at all vti foro Albeit the doctrine of Caluin as you haue partly sene be stuffed with abhominable heresies and most absurde contradictions yet in all his doctrine he talketh peremptorely He matcheth him selfe with the Apostles He condemneth and reprouueth at his pleasure all holy fathers Whereby his pride and presumptuousnes sure mates of heresy vttereth it selfe I will for example note you a fewe of his sayinges where you shall see howe proudely he demeaneth him selfe and howe courteousely he ordereth the holy auncient and lerned fathers First as touching his contradictions about free will witting and feeling him selfe very well that he might wottly be charged therewith in one place of his booke of predestination he vtereth his feare and with a worde of his mouthe thinketh to make all the matter smothe These are his wordes I saie again I am not ignorant what apparent absurdite and contradiction this doctrine hath with prophane men and dispisors of God But whatsoeuer they bable or barke our conscience ought to serue vs for a thousand witnesses Is not this a gaie solution trow ye hath he not geuen vs a substaÌ„tiall warrant of the vniformite of his doctrine For what saieth he Forsothe whatsoeuer contradictions we see and beholde with our eyes yet we must trust Caluins coÌ„science that he is so honest a man that he would neuer saie or vtter any such thing Now reade againe those fewe of his contradictions that we haue recited who list and let him iudge in his owne conscience what the conscieÌ„ce of Caluin is and howe farre it is to be trusted Againe as touching the singularite off his doctrine which he knoweth and confesseth to be contrary to the olde fathers what reason thinke ye bringeth he for the defence off it In his treatise of baptim the 17. chapter of his Institutions he expouÌ„deth the wordes of Christ to Nicodemus Vnlesse a maÌ„ be borne again by water and the holy Ghost he shall not enter in to the knigdoÌ„ of heauen to be but an allegoricall speache against the whole practise off Christes church and consent of all holy fathers and lerned writers expounding the wordes off Christ literally as the text hath for necessite of baptim This Caluin knewe and confessed But how then thinke you doeth he excuse the matter what clâ—ke hath he for his singularite Ye shall heare After longe talke thus he concludeth Scio alios aliter interpretari sed hunc esse germanum sensum non dubito that is I knowe that other men haue otherwise expounded this but I doubt not but this is the right sence Lo Caluin doubteth not and therefore we must beleue him more theÌ„ all the church beside What is arrogancy if this be not Likewise in his doctrine and booke of predestination such as finde fault with his doctrine he saieth they blaspheme God and crieth vnto them as S. Paul did to such as Caluin is VVhat arte thou man which disputest with God Now what the doctrine off Caluin is you haue sene partly by this our simple discourse and more especially it appeareth in the third parte of this Apologie Yet he matcheth him selfe with God and vaunteth the coÌ„ptrollers of his hereticall doctrine with the check of S. Paul as curious serchers of Gods depe secrets And therefore no maruail iff he sett light by the holy Fathers off Christes church and reuerence them no deale at all In his treatise of baptim labouring to promote his heresy touching the baptim off S. Ihon that it should be equall with the baptim of Christ remembring that the Fathers of the church laie in his waie and withstode him to make the restafeared he geueth the venter vpon S. Augustin and saieth Nec recipienda est illa Augustini argutia in spe dimissa fuisse peccata Ioannis baptismo Christi baptismo reipsa dimitti that is Neither is that sutteltly off Augustin to be admitted that by the baptim of Ihon sinnes were forgeuen but in hope by the baptim off Christ they are forgeuen in dede In other places he calleth S. Augustin in dogmatibus ecclesiae fidelissimuÌ„ vetustatis interpreteÌ„ a most trusty reporter of antiquite in doctrines of the church But when it pleaseth M. Caluin S. Augustins doctrine is but a suttelty Likewise reprouuing the doctrine of penaunce where it is compared to the borde after a shipwracke which is a vsuall similitude off all
Againe these two sectes in diuers other articles vary out off measure As in originall sinne in free will in baptim and in Penaunce For Caluin denieth all these as the Church teacheth whereas the Melanchthonistes acknowleadg them The Lutherans of Saxony to witt the zelous Lutheraus agree with the Caluinistes denying free will and braule with the Melanchthonistes for allowing free will against the doctrine of their Father Luther Yet againe these zelous Lutherans in the article of originall sinne agree with the Ciuill Lutherans and defie the Caluinistes But in the articles of Iustification of good workes of the Supper of our Lorde and how the lawe and the ghospel ought to be distinguished in these the zelous Lutherans dissent bothe from the Ciuill Lutherans and from the Caluinistes For they teache good workes to be pernicious to saluation they acknowleadg the reall presence which bothe the other sectes denie The Osiandrins agree with the zelous Lutherans of Saxony in the article of the Supper of our Lorde with the Ciuill Lutherans in the article of free will with the Caluinistes in the article of good workes But these againe dissent from all those three sectes in the article of Iustification and diuers other speciall pointes of doctrine The Suenckfeldians agree with the Osiandrins in the article of Iustification with the Melanchthonistes in the article of free will with the Caluinistes that euill men receiue not Christ in the Sacrament But with all other sectes they disagree in the doctrine of baptim and of al the Sacraments of preaching the worde of faith of the church of the humanite of Christ and of diuers other Thus you see brefely sett before you the vnite consent and agreement of this late ghospel You see what man Luther was what Melanchthon what Caluin the three cursed springs of three most wicked sectes swarming now in Christendom where this new ghospel hath spred his branches to witt of the zelous and vpright Lutherans of the Ciuill and conformable Lutherans and of the Caluinistes or Sacramentaries You may iudge by the heads what the ofspring is by their frutes what their sprits be by these particulars of their doctrine which for a taste only we haue discoursed vpon what their whole ghospell is These are the blinde guides and lying Masters whom in place of all approued writers in Christes church a numbre of deceiued persons haue folowed In stede of holy Hierom lewde Luther of lerned Augustin inconstant Melanchthon of blessed Ambrose proude Caluin In place of sounde religion olde condemned heresies of constant faith contrary opinions of vniuersall belefe priuat imaginations of Gods holy worde mens deuises A great shame to forsake auncient belefe A hainous offence to make partes in Christes church A wicked impiete to departe from Christ and his dere spouse the grounde and piller of all truthe But a farre greater shame to embrace the lewde liberte of Luther to folow the variable brayne of Melanchthon to cleaue to the cursed heresies fonde absurdites and clere contradictiōs of Caluin The heresies of Marcion Valentinus Arrius Nestorius and other had coulour of lerning The Montanistes the Tatiani the Manichees the Nouatians had pretence of holynes and vertu These two conditions were vehement persuasions to drawe the worlde vnto them But the heresies of our time be grosse blasphemous and dissolut The denial of the blessed Sacraments and right vse thereof procede of ignoraunce in true diuinite The deniall off free will and wicked assertion of fatall destine vnder the name of Gods forekuowleadge is a horrible blasphemy The breach of ecclesiasticall authorite doctrine of only faith contempt of all good order and constitutions is a mere licentious liberte and wantō dissolutnesse How then happenteh it that men are so abused that the lerned are drawen the vnlerned deceiued Wil you haue the truthe tolde Peccata nostra diuiserunt inter nos Deum Our sinnes haue diuided betwene God and vs. The gate of his grace is shutt from vs. And why We loue the worlde we let slippe our faith we be nailed to our tēporal trash we make it our God We will rather become hethen then suffer for our conscience Otherwise if we feared God we would mistrust this dissolut religion if we were not blinded with selfewill and hardnesse of hart the plage of former sinnes we should espie the absurdite and fondnesse off this vpstert ghospell Howe were it to be wished that at the entry of these newe preachers and planters of straunge doctrines we had had a Pacuuius amonge vs I will recite you the story of him It is writen first of Liuy and repeted of Macchiauell in his discourses After the greate bartaill lost by the Romains at Canne al Italy allmost forsaking their allegeaūce to the cyte of Rome and trēbling at the power of Hanniball the cyte of Capua misliking the gouuernement of their Senatours and Counsellers as it fareth in time of calamite and distresse that the faulte is layed to the Rulers conceiued a great hatred against them and deliberated to murher them euery one and to place other in their rowmes which they thought should better direct their cōmon welthe and more to their cōtentation This Pacuuius being then the chefest Ruler of the cyte perceauing well the peoples furious intention and the daunger the whole Senat stode in deuised with him selfe a witty policie both to appease the people and to saue the Senat. He calleth the Senat together Declareth them the intent of the people openeth them his meaning and saieth My aduise is you suffer your selfe to be shut vp in the palace in my custody I will assemble the people and showe them what case you stande in For the rest if you dare trust me I will take such order that no harme shall befall you They trusted him He calleth the people and saieth vnto them People the time is now come that you may order the Senatours as you desire without any farder tumult But yet bicause I know well you wil not leaue the cyte withoult a Senat and counsel you must nedes if you will destroye the old make a new And therefore lo here the names of all the Senatours As I name you one to deliuer vp in to your handes so you must name me an other to succede him This being saied he opened the scrolle and named an auncient and graue Senatour The people hearing his name cried straight he was a proude and cruell man and not worthy to beare rule Well then quod Pacuuius Who shall succede him Here the people was at a staie and looking one vpon an other knewe not a longe time whom to name At the length one being named some began to smile some to laugh other to disdaine All perceiued well as Macchiauell wittely noteth that the fault appearing in the Senat vniuersally when it came to particular examination was no faute in dede but a misseconstruing and wronge iudgemēt of the people By this meanes
conuaiaunce off Christ his flesh in to oure soules whiche he teacheth bothe in his Institutions and in his commentaries vpon S Paule he fell in to the heresy of the Maniches no lesse wicked and auncient heretikes then Nestorius Now you shal see that making the flesh off Christ a pipe for the conuaiaunce of Christ his diuinite vnto vs he falleth in to the heresy of Nestorius In his commentaries vpon the sixte of S. Ihons ghospell thus he writeth As the euerlasting worde off God is the fountaine of life so his fleshe conuaieth vnto vs like a certain pipe that life abiding in the godhead And in this sense the fleshe of Christe is saide to geue life bicause it communicateth vnto vs the life which it boroweth other where These are the very wordes of Caluin Nowe let vs considre the doctrine of S. Paule saieng As in Adam all do die so in Christ all shall be quickened or endued with life Vppon the grounde of this doctrine whiche can not be denied thus I reason If the fleshe of Christ dothe not of it selfe geue life as Caluin saythe but serueth vs as a pipe of the life abiding in god then the sinnerfull fleshe of Adam was not of it selfe damnable and the cause of our damnation VVe all sinning and dieng in Adam as S. Paule saithe but a pipe or instrument of deathe and damnation abiding in some euill God from whence the fleshe of Adam toke deathe and damnation as the fleshe of Christe acording to Caluin boroweth life of God For otherwise the saieng of S. Paule shall not be true attributing as properly and as truly life vnto our Sauiour as deathe vnto Adam Nowe to imagin a higher cause of deathe in Adam then Adam him selfe and an euill God in whom that death before remained to be from thence deriued to sinners is the very doctrine of the cursed Maniches making two Goddes or beginnings of all things one of the good and an other of the badde as in S. Augustin it is easy to finde But here perhaps some scholer of Caluins schole and zelous professour of the ghospell of Geneua will steppe in and saie that Master Caluin neuer taught neuer allowed nor so muche as dreamed off the approuing of suche hainous heresies as these are And therefore we deale not charitably herein but rather vtter our malice and stomache to no purpose To such bicause I thinke it were harde for me to frame an awnswer of my owne that might please them I will awnswer with the wordes of M. Caluin him selfe which I hope shall not mislike them Master Caluin in his Institutions hauing for his pleasure longe iested at the blessed sacrifice of the Masse and with a fewe sory reasons laboured to proue that such as saide Masse crucified Christ againe at the length moueth the like obiection as this is against him selfe and awnswereth vnto it in these wordes I knowe well saith he they haue a ready answer whereby they will charge vs as slaunderers For they will saie we laye that vnto their charge whiche they neuer thought and whiche they were sure they coulde neuer do But we knowe well inoughe it is not in their handes to make Christ liue or die Nether care we if they neuer thought to kill him Onely this I would showe what absurdite doth folowe by their wicked and hainous doctrine Thus awnswered Caluin thinking it a sufficient excuse to escape the note of a slaūderer and false accuser hauing well deserued it We awnswer the same being no false accusers of Caluin but true reporters of that we finde in his writings and saie that we passe not whether Caluin euer thought as Arrius Faustus Manicheus Valentinus Samosatenus Nestorius and the whole secte of the Maniches taught Onely we entend to showe that by his hainous and wicked doctrine such heresies do consequently folowe Whiche the vnlerned take so muche the sooner for that they come vnder the visard of a fauourer of the ghospell Whereas being nowe brought to light and their visard plucked of they shall appeare in their liknes to witt olde cursed and cōdēned heresies This I truste shall make men take better aduisement whiche waie they walke in matters of belefe nor lightely to trust euery newe Master bringing newe lerning and not heard of before Lest as Caluin hathe done by listening after newe doctrine they fall in to olde heresies But nowe to the residew of them That the paschal lambe offred and eatē by Moyses in the olde lawe was a clere figure of Christ the true lambe of god to be eaten and offred in the newe lawe for the redēption of mankinde it is a verite of all Christen men confessed and vndoubtedly receiued The wordes of our Sauiour saieng that it behoued him to fulfill all wich was writen of him in the lawe the psalmes and the prophets geue vs no lesse to vnderstād S. Paule also teacheth vs that al thinges happēed to the Iewes in figure to witt of suche thinges as vnder Christ should be accōplished Brefely Caluin him selfe in his commentaries vpon S. Paule to the Hebrewes confesseth that all the sacrifices of the olde lawe do leade vs to the sacrifice of Christe whiche doctrine he lerned of the holy fathers especially S Augustin who repeteth it in sundry places of his workes Caluin therefore in his Institutions treating of oure Lordes supper accordeth this figure of the paschall lambe with the supper off oure Lorde in this sorte The paschall lambe saithe he being bodely eaten did figure the spirituall eating of oure paschall lambe which is Christ. Vpon this his doctrine it foloweth that Christ was but spiritually not corporally offred vp for vs. For the paschal lambe of Moyses figured Christ not onely as it was eaten but also as it was offred If then the figure of the lambe eaten be accomplished by spirituall eating of Christ the figure of the lambe offred shall be also accomplished by the spirituall oblation of Christe For bothe actions were true figures of Christ and bothe were to be accomplished by Christ no lesse the one then the other Nowe to make the sacrifice of Christ but a spirituall sacrifice is the heresy of Marcion whom Tertullian confuteth The truthe is that as Christ was a true sacrifice figured by the paschall lambe to die for vs so was he a true sacrifice figured by the same to be eaten by vs. Bicause the heresy of Valentinus renewed by the hereticall doctrine of Caluin well espied and tried oute maketh muche for the verite of the reall presence in this blessed Sacrament we will yet farder see how the doctrine of Caluin destroying the reall presence vpholdeth and reneweth the heresy of Valentinus The opinion of Valentinus was that the body of Christ was a celestiall body descending from heauē through the wombe of the blessed Virgin taking no fleshely substaunce thereof Caluin calleth rem signatam the thinge figured in the Sacrament a spirituall and celestiall