See heere the fface of Romes renowned ffoe Graue larned Fulk whose worth his works best show T. STAPLETON and Martiall two Popish Heretikes confuted and of their particular heresies detected By. D. Fulke Master of Pembrooke hall in Cambridge Done and directed to all those that loue the truth and hate superstitious vanities Seene and allowed AT LONDON Printed by Henrie Middleton for George Bishop ANNO. 1580. A CATALOGVE OF ALL SVCH Popish Bookes either answered or to be aunswered which haue bene written in the Englishe tongue from beyond the Seas or secretly dispersed here in England haue come to our handes since the beginning of the Queenes Maiesties reigne 1 HArding against the Apology of the Englishe Church answered by M. Iewel Bishop of Sarum 2 Harding against M. Iewels challenge aunswered by M. Iewel 3 Hardings reioynder to M. Iewel answered by M. Edward Deering 4 Coles quarels against M. Iewell answered by M. Iewell 5 Rastels returne of vntruthes answered by M. Iewel 6 Rastell against M. Iewels challenge answered by William Fulke 7 Dorman against M. Iewel answered by M. Nowel 8 Dormans disproofe of M. Nowels reproofe answered by M. Nowel 9 The man of Chester aunswered by M. Pilkington Bishop of Duresme 10 Sanders on the Sacrament in part aunswered by M. Nowell 11 Fecknams Scruples answered by M. Horne B. of Winchester 12 Fecknams Apologie answered by W. Fulke 13 Fecknams obiections against M. Goughes sermon answered by M. Gough and M. Lawrence Tomson 14 Stapletons counterblast answered by M. Bridges 15 Marshall his defence of the crosse answered by M. Caulfehill 16 Fowlers Psalter aunswered by M. Sampson 17 An infamous libell or letter incerto authore against the teachers of Gods diuine prouidence and predestination answered by Maister Robert Crowley 18 Allens defence of Purgatory answered by W. Fulke 19 Heskins parleâ—â—ent repealed by W. Fulke 20 Ristons challâ—ng answered by W Fulke Oliuer Carter 21 Hosius of Gods expresse worde translated into English answered by W. Fulke 22 Sanders rocke of the Church vndermined by W. Fulke 23 Sanders defence of images answered by W. Fulke 24 Shaclockes Pearle answered by M. Hartwell 25 The hatchet of heresies answered by M. Bartlet 26 Maister Euans answered by himselfe 27 A defence of the priuate Masse answered by coniecture by M. Cooper Bishop of Lincolne 28 Certeine assertions tending to mainteine the Church of Rome to be the true and catholike church confuted by Iohn Knewstub 29. Sander vpon the Lordes supper fully answered by D. Fulke 30 Bristowes motiues demaâ—des answered by D. Fulk 31 Stapletons Differences Fortresse of the faith answered by D. Fulke 32 Allens defence of Priestes authoritie to remit sinnes of the Popish Churches meaning concerning Indulgences answered by D. Fulke 33 Martials Reply to M. Calfehill answered by D. Fulke 34 Frariâ—s rayling declamation answered by D. Fulke These Popish treatises ensuing are in answering If the Papistes know any not here reckoned let them be brought to light they shall be examined 1 Stapletons returne of vntrruthes 2 Rastels replye 3 Vaux his Catchisme 4 Canifius his Catechisme translated AN OVERTHROW BY W. Fulke Doctor of Diuinitie and Master of Pembroke hall in Cambridge to the feeble Fortresse of Popish faith receiued from ROME and lately aduaunced by THOMAS STAPLETON Student in Diuinitie THOMAS STAPLETON student in Diuinitie translated the 5. Bookes of Bedes historie of y â— English Church into the English toung before which historie it pleased him to set a table of 45. differences betweene the Primitiue faith of England continued almost a thousand yeares and the late pretended faith of the Protestants all which we will consider in order First are fiue Apostolicall markes found in their preachers and wanting as he saith in ours 1 Augustine whome he calleth their Apostle shewed the token of his Apostleship in all patience signes and wonders Bed 2. lib. 1. c. 30. 31. l. 2. c. 2. Miracles in confirmation of their doctrine Protestantes haue yet wrought none I aunswere Peter Paul Matthewe Iames Iohn c. are Apostles to vs sent not from Gregorie of Rome but by Christ him selfe out of Iewrie y â— signe of whose Apostleship being shewed in all patience signes and wonders and our doctrine being the same which we haue receiued of their writings needeth no other confirmation of miracles to be wrought by vs. If Augustine sent from Gregorie a man haue planted any humane traditions and confirmed them by liâ—ing signes and miracles as a forerunner of Antichrist which was euen immediatly after his time to be openly shewed or if by subtill practice miracles haue bene feigned to haue bene done by him and reported by a credulous man Bede it hurteth not our cause seeing other writers report him to haue bene both a proud and a cruell man And yet we receiue all that doctrine which he taught agreeable to the doctrine of the Apostles of Christ what so euer he taught beside we are not to receiue it of an Angell from heauen much lesse of Augustine from Rome 2 Their Apostles tendered vnitie labouring to reduce the Britaines to the vnitie of Christes Church Nothing is more notorious in Protestantes then their infamous dissention Augustine in deede laboured to bring the Britons in subiection to himselfe and to the Church of Rome which argueth no desire to Christian vnitie but fauoureth of Antichristian ambition and tyrannie as his cruell threatening executed vpon them did shewe sufficiently The dissention of the Protestants is not in articles of faith nor such but that they are all brethren that vnfeignedly professe the doctrine of saluation although they dissent in the matter of the sacrament in orders rytes and ceremonies 3 Their Apostles were sent by an ordinarie vocation Protestantes haue preached without vocation or sending at all such as the Church of Christ requireth They were sent by Pope Gregorie who had none ordinarie authoritie to send Apostles or preachers into foreigne countries Wherfore if they had any sending it was extraordinarie of charitie and not of office The Protestants that first preached in these last dayes had likewise extraordinaire calling But if the calling of the Papistes may be counted a lawfull calling they were called of the Popish Church to be preachers and teachers before they knewe or preached the trueth of the Gospell 4 Their preaching was of God by Gamaliels reason bicause their doctrine continued 900. yeares whereas the Protestantes faith is already chaunged from Lutherane to Sacramentarie in lesse then 20. yeares This reason of Gamaliel would proue Mahometes enterprise to be of God bicause it hath likewise continued 900. yeares yet it is false that the Popish faith hath had so long continuance For the Papistes are departed as from many other points of doctrine so euen from that of the Lords supper which Augustine planted among the Saxons vnto carnall presence and transubstantiation the contrarie of which were taught by Augustine as appeareth by the publique Saxon
Donatistes we affirme that the Catholike church of Christ is and hath beene euen in the most darke times of Antichristes kingdome dispersed throughout the whole world nothing doubting but God which preserued 7000. in one corner of Israel not much greater then some shyere of England hath preserued seuen thousand thousande in all partes of the wyde world which neuer bowed their knees to the Romish Baal nor kissed him with their mouth CAP. IIII. Proofes and testimonies one of the Prophet Esay that the Church of the Messias continueth for euer vnto the worlds end assisted alwayes by God himselfe The testimonies of the perpetuitie of the Church out of the Prophet Esay with the exposition of Hieronyme vpon them maketh nothing against vs which willingly acknowledge the same But denye that they perteine to the Popish Church which had her beginning long after Christe and his Apostles and her full tyranny confirmed more than 1000. yeares after Christe The same Hierome disputeth against the custome of the particular Church of Rome and appealeth to the Church of all the worlde Si auctoritas quaeritur orbis maior est vrbe c. If authoritie be sought the world is greater then a citie And againe Quid mihi profers vnius vrbis consuetudinem What bringest thou forth to mee the costome of one citie Euagr. We stand for the Catholike Church of Christ dispersed ouer all the world against the particular schismaticall hereticall and Antichristian church of Rome which though shee haue inuaded by tyranny ouer a great part of Europe yet neuer did shee preuaile ouer the whole Church throughout the world not yet ouer all Europe CAP. V. The doctrine of Caluine touching the Church is examined to the touchstone of the holy Scriptures alledged Wherein also is treated and disputed by what markes the Church may be known First he confesseth that Caluine hath learnedly largely and truely treated of the vnitie authoritie and obedience of the Church He affirmeth also that he acknowledgeth a visible Church in the worlde whose communion we ought to keepe and of her to receiue the spirituall foode of doctrine and sacraments which ought not to be forsaken for the euil life of the members thereof All this he commendeth and alloweth But herein he sheweth his malicious cauilling stomak that he supposeth Caluine to affirme that the vniuersall Church of Christ is visible where he speaketh but of particular congregations members of the whole which are visible not to the world always but to the members of the same The markes of the Church which Caluine sayeth to be true preaching of the worde of God and due administration of the sacraments although he confesseth them to be in the Church yet he denyeth them to be the markes of the Church For the marke must be better knowne then the thing whereof it is a marke but the Church is more euident then those markes ergo they be no true markes The minor he proueth by that which Caluine teacheth that wee must learne of the Church the true meaning of the Scripture But hereof it followeth not that y e Church is better known then these markes For there is a farther tryal which ought to be better known by which both are to be knowne namely the worde of God whereunto wee must haue recourse to trye whether those things that are preached are euen so in deede as the Thessalonians did by the preaching of Paul Barnabas Act. 17. ver 11. The vnmouable trueth is to be sought in the Scriptures what preaching or Church agreeth with that trueth is to be receiued none other And whereas he sayeth that Heretikes challenge these markes as well as Catholiks I grant they do so but no more do they challenge these markes then they challenge the Church to be on their side for there was neuer heresie but they bragged as much of the Church as of the trueth Therefore the Church is not more cleare then these markes but these marks tryed by y e worde of God are more cleare then the Church which is therefore the Church because it maintaineth true doctrin The doctrine is not true because the Church maintaineth it The cause is better known then the effect for knowledge is to vnderstand by causes But M. Stapl. hath two better markes then Caluine describeth To wit the vniuersalitie and communion of all nations The continuance and euer-remaining thereof among Christians These markes by no Logyke can be causes of the Church but adiuncts vnto it and therefore the worst arguments that can be to knowe it by euen such as the foolish mans argument was that knew his horse by the brydle But admitt these to be proper adiuncts of the Church yet shall not the popish Church be able to prooue those to be her markes For Popery neither doth neither euer did possesse all the worlde except a peece of Europe be all the world The Church of Christ is Catholike although there were but three of foure persons in all the worlde that mainteined true doctrine as there was not many when Christ his Apostles and a fewe other were the onely Church in all the world and the Catholike Church before they were dispersed into many nations For y e Church is called Catholike or vniuersall not because all men or most men do pertaine vno it but because all that be members of Christ howe many or howe fewe so euer they be and wheresoeuer they be are members of that Church But M. Stapl. sayth The vniuersalitie of the Church is a matter euident to the eye therefore the Catholike Church is alwayes visible To this I answer that if the Catholike Church or the vniuersalitie thereof were alwayes visible or at any time visible or the vniuersalitie thereof euident to the eye it should be no article of faith for faith is of such things as are not seen with the eye but beleued with the heart Heb. 11. ver 1. We agree with Augustine against the Donatists that no heresie was in all countreys in all ages For Papistrie which is the greatest heresie apostasye was neuer in all countryes all ages But if an heresie were in all countries and ages yet proueth it not it self to be a Catholike trueth Idolatrie hath beene in all countries and ages yet is it not thereby prooued to be a Catholike trueth The Church of Christe whereof we are members hath bene in al partes of the world and in all ages though not alwayes not euer receiued of the greatest part of men And if this be a most cleare and euident marke as he saith that no heretike can pretende to be ioyned in communion with all Christian countries The Popish Church hath not this marke which is not ioyned in communion with the Greekes Armenians Chaldeans Aethiopians and so many nations as at this day and since the Apostles times haue bene Christened Countries But nowe wee come to the seconde marke of the Church The continuance thereof
Babylon before the time of Donus the Pope which was almoste seuentie yeres after that Maister Stapleton misnameth Martianus in steede of Mauritius I will impute it to no ignorance although if such a faulte escape any of vs we are by and by cried out vpon to be ignorant in all antiquity c. Thus haue I aunswered Maister Stapletons demaunde concerning the principall foundation and rocke of Papistrie although no necessitie suche as hee supposeth doeth moue mee For albeit the precise time of the entring of any heresie can not be named yet it followeth not that the same heresie is a trueth therefore The second demaunde is when and by whome Luther was called when he begunne to preache the Gospell I aunswere if calling of the Popishe Churche be lawfull as the Papistes will not denye Luther had suche ordinary calling as the Churche where he liued did allowe for he was called to be a publike teacher before the Popes pardoner came into Saxony against whose moste impudent blasphemies and shamelesse errours he first inueyghed in his publike sermons Wherefore concerning his vocation the mouthes of Papistes ought to be stopped But Stapleton will not be so satisfied for he sayeth that the Popish Churche would neuer call him to preache against her selfe that is not materiall the Popishe Churche gaue him such authority as she had to preache whiche he vsed first to seeke her reformation if she had bene reformable but when he sawe her oppose her selfe against the manifest trueth he had iust cause to departe from her vnto the Catholike Churche of CHRISTE It sufficeth not Stapleton that hee learned by the Scriptures that the Churche erred bycause all heretikes abuse the Scriptures as thoughe there were no certainty of trueth to be founde in the Scriptures which blasphemie derogateth all authoritie from the holy Scriptures inspired of GOD whiche the Apostle sayeth to bee able to reprooue all errours that the man of GOD may be perfecte prepared to all good workes 2. Tim. 3. ver 16. Againe where hee affirmeth that he had the interpretation of the Scriptures from heauen Stapleton vrgeth that then he must shewe some miracle as if the ordinary inspiration of Gods spirite without the which no man can vnderstand any of Gods mysteries of necessitie requireth confirmation of miracles But Luther him selfe he sayeth requireth miracles of Muncer whiche boasted of Reuelation and so ought we to doe of Luther No sir Muncer boasted of an extraordinary Reuelation and taught a doctrine directly contrary to the worde of GOD written and therefore the case is nothing lyke After this hee telleth a slaunderous fable out of that runnagate Baldwine of the conference at Poissie that Beza and Martyr could not agree whether their calling was ordinary or extraordinary the conclusion whereof was this that Beza was ordeined of Caluine and Caluine as Beza sayde of none Which how impudent and shamelesse a lye it is that Beza should reprote of Caluine it is manifest to all men that knowe the storie of that Churche and citie of Geneua that Caluine was called and ordeyned by the Churche there when he was altogether vnwilling to remaine in that Citie but in a manner compelled by the earnest obtestation of Farellus Cal. in Praefa in Psalm Beza in vita Caluini And yet more monstruous is that lye that Beza should grant the rebellion that followed to be a signe of his vocation when the worlde knoweth that the beginning of these ciuill warres came altogether from the Papistes the Duke of Guise giuing the occasion by the Diuelishe slaughter and buchery of Vassie But to the principall matter in question that Luther and some other hauing an extraordinary calling from God to teach and reforme the Church need not to conâ—irme their calling by miracles when they teach nothing but that is confirmed by manifest authoritie of holy Scriptures in the consciences of all men that wilfully oppose not themselues against the trueth either y â— they will not knowe it or that they will not obey it It is euident by so many prophets as God stirred vp in the olde time which had no extraordinary calling of the Church being not of the tribe of Leui yet being only interpreters of the lawe needed no signes or miracle to confirme their calling Our Sauiour Christ himselfe confirmeth the extraordinary calling of the Scribes and Pharisees when he willeth them to be heard sitting in Moses chaire of which yet a great number and almost all were no Leuites nor Priestes therefore had no ordinary calling Yet Gregory himselfe in the history of Bede at the first planting of the particular Church in Englande alloweth extraordinary ordeyning of Bishops Lib. 1. Cap. 27. Wherefore if Luthers calling were altogether extraordinary as Papistes can not say except they deny the calling of their owne Churche he is not bound to approue his calling by miracles when his doctrine and all things in which hee departeth from the Church of Rome is proued true and agreeable to the word of God The third demaunde is that we must shewe a succession from the Apostles as the Scripture witnesseth the Churche to haue and the auncient fathers exacted of Heretikes The Scripture requireth no succession of names persons or places but of faith and doctrine and that wee prooue when we approue our faith and doctrine by the doctrine of the Apostles Neither had the fathers any other meaning in calling vpon newe vpstart heresies for their succession but of a succession of doctrine as well as of persons Which is manifest by Tertullian De praescript Ita per successiones c. So comming downe by successions from the beginning that their first bishop haue for his authors and antecessours one of the Apostles or Apostolike men but yet such a one as hath continued with the Apostles These wordes of Tertullian are manifest that succession of Bishoppes euen to the Apostles helpeth not excepte there be a continuance in the doctrine of the Apostles whiche when the Papistes can shewe we will gladly yeld vnto them In the meane time it is not the continual succession of persons in any place which teach contrary to their antecessours which haue taught in that place that can carry away the credite of the whole doctrine and religion of Christe CAP. II. An Introduction to the proofes which followe in the seconde part of this fortresse Repeating what he fantasieth he hath fortified before which howe weake it is I haue sufficiently discouered in this Chapter hee promiseth first to declare by diuerse sure and necessary tokens whiche protestantes doe lacke that the faith then planted was a right faith which in many principall pointes we doe not denye but that it was a right faith Secondly repeating the difference in doctrine gouernement ceremonies course and consequence of both the religions he will prooue all that they had differring from vs partly by Scripture and partly by the faith of the first sixe hundreth yeares To which I replye
knewe that he were a Iewe. So wise he is to compare the superstition of the wicked Turkes with the obseruation of the lawe by the godly Iewes Nay hee is yet more eloquent and sheweth that the Protestantes are like the Turkes in condemning of images in allowing marriage after deuorce c. as though we might not acknowledge one God lest we should be like the Turkes and Iewes nor honour vertue nor dispraise vice because they do so nor obey magistrates nor eat and drinke because the Turkes and Iewes doe so O deepe learning of a lawyer diuine That Images do not teach he sayeth it is a position more boldly aduouched then wisely proued then quoteth Gregorie Ep. 9. lib. 9. c. but he is deceiued if he thinke we holde that images teach not for we affirme with the Prophet Abacuc that they teache lyes Cap. 2. ver 18. vanitie Ier. 10. ver 8. As for the story of Amadis the Goldsmith and the Epistle of Eleutherius fetched out of the guild hall in London as M. Calfhill maketh no great accompt of them so I passe them ouer although Martiall would haue men thinke they be the strongest arguments the Protestants haue against the superstition of the crosse and the vsurped tyrannie of the Pope Finally the excuse he maketh of his railing by M. Calfhils example how honest it is I referre to wise men to consider If M. Calfhill had passed the bondes of modestie it were small praise in Martiall to follow him yea to passe him But if M. Calfhill as indifferent menâ—â—ay thinke hath not greatly exceeded in termes of â—eate against Martials person whatsoeuer he hath spoken against his heresies the continuall scorning both of M. Calfhils name and his person vsed so often in euery leafe of his reply in the iudgement of all reasonable persons will cause Martiall to be taken for a lawlesse wrangler rather then a sober and Christian lawyer The first Article This article hath no title and in effect it hath no matter For 13. leaues are spent about a needelesse impertinent controuersie of the Authoritie of y e holy Scriptures and of the Church of God whereof the one is the rule of faith the other is the thing ruled and directed thereby Nowe whether ought to bee y e Iudge the rule or the thing ruled is the question The rule say wee as the lawe the Church sayeth he as the Iusticier And then we are at as great controuersie what or where the Church is In effect the coÌ„trouersie commeth to this issue whether he be a Iusticier or an iniusticier which pronounceth sentence contrary to the lawe I would think that common reason might decide these questions That he which giueth sentence against the lawe may haue the name and occupy the place of a Iusticier but a true Iusticier he cannot be in deede Right so the Popish Church which condemneth the trueth for heresie hath vsurped as the Iudge but in deede is a cruell tyrant But the controuersie is not of the worde but of the meaning and where shall that be founde but in the mouth of the Iudge sayeth he if this were true I woulde neuer be a Bachiler of lawe if I were as Martiall nor yet a doctor thereof except it were to deceiue poore clyantes for their money if there were not a sence or meaning of the lawe which other men might vnderstande as well as he that occupyeth the place of the Iudge that I might appeale when I sawe he gaue wrong sentence But let vs briefely runne ouer his Achillean arguments The Eunomians Arrians Eutychians and Maximus the heretike reiected the testimonies of the fathers and the authoritie of the Church and appealed to Scriptures So doeth manye â— wrangling lawyer to continue his fee from his clyant appeale when he hath no cause but receyued right sentence according to the lawe ergo no appeale is to be admitted This is Martials lawe or logyke I knowe not whether But what was this Maximus you name so often Master Martial that S. Augustine writ against Could you reade your note booke no better Against Maximinus the Arrian he writeth that neither of them both was to be holden by the authoritie of Councels the Nicen or the Ariminense but by the authorities of the Scripture lib. 3. Cap. 4. But Tertullian would haue heretikes conuinced by the authoritie of the Church and not of the Scriptures Yea verely but such heretikes as denyed certeine scriptures and peruerteth the rest by their false interpretations Such are the Protestantes sayeth Martial for Luther denyeth the Epistle to the Hebrues the Apocalipse the Epistle of S. Iames and S. Iude. But Luther is not all Protestants neyther did Luther alwayes or altogether denye them Neither do the Protestantes affirme anye thing in matters of controuersie in their interpretations but the same is affirmed by writers of the most auncient and pure Church Martiall obiecteth that Christe sent not his disciples alwayes to the Scriptures but sometimes to the figge tree to the flowers of the fielde to the fowles of the ayre c. Paul alledgeth the heathen Poet also customs tradition And we also vse similitudes of Gods creatures and alledge custome and condition but so that the scripture be the onely rule of trueth whereto whatsoeuer in the worlde agreeth is true whatsoeuer disagreeth from it is false The traditions of the Apostles which by their writings wee knowe to be theirs we reuerently receiue not as mens traditions but as the doctrine of God for wee heare them euen as God Also we heare the voice of the Church admonishing vs if we giue offence Finally y e Patriarks Prophets Apostles EuaÌ„gelists Pastors and doctors we all reuerence and heare as the messengers of God but so that they approue vnto vs their sayings out of the worde of God and doctrine of Christ. Likewise we admit the writings of the fathers so farre as they agree with the writings of God and further to be credited they them selues required not The sayings of the doctors that Martiall citeth for the credite of old writers you shall finde satisfied in mine answere to Hoskins almost in order as they be here set downe for one Papist boroweth of another and fewe of them haue any thing of their owne reading The saying of Clemens is aunswered lib. 1. Cap. 8. Eusebius concerning Pâ—â— and Gregory and Hieronime Cap. 7. The sayâ—â—â— of Irenaeus and Athanasius that we ought to hauâ—â—course to the Apostolike Churches which reteine the doctrine of the Apostles against newe heresies as also of Tertullian to the like effect we acknowledge to be true but seeing the Church of Rome reteineth not the Apostolike doctrine at this day we deny it to be an Apostolike Church Therefore as many as build vppon it or vpon any auncient writers wordes which hath not the holy scriptures for his warrant as M. Cal. sayde buyldeth vpon an euill ground For if an Angell from heauen teach otherwise then the
Apostles haue preached vnto vs be he accursed Here the quarreling lawyer findeth fault with his translation because Euangelizauimus may be referred as well to the Disciples as to y e Apostles so that y e Disciples preachings are to be credited as well as y e Apostles No doubt if they preach the doctrine of the Apostles of which the controuersie is and not of the persons that preach it But these quarels sir Bacheler are more meete for the bomme courtes where perhaps you are a prating proctor then for the schooles of diuinitie Wee are gone out you say and that we confesse in our apologie Yea wee are gone out of Babylon but not out of the church of God but abyde in the doctrine of Christ. And you are gone out of the Church of God which remaine in the synke of Rome that is departed frō that which was heard from the beginning and was sacrosanctum apud Apostolorum Ecclesias moste holy in the Apostles Churches You cannot abyde to be charged with the saying of Christ. They worship mee in vaine that teache the doctrine and precepts of men First you saye the Apostles were men whose traditions the Church must receiue yea sir but they deliuered no doctrine of their owne Secondly Christ speaketh of the Scribes Pharisees and their fonde traditions and not of the Church and her Catholike traditions and customes And they be Scribes and Pharisees which euen in the Church teach a false worshipping of God according to the doctrines and traditions of men disanulling the commaundements of God as the Popish teachers in their doctrine of Images communion in one kind priuate Masse c. That Augustine framing a perfect preacher willeth him to conferre the places of Scripture together you say it is a profounde conclusion to inferre that he sendeth him not to doctours distinctions censure of the Church Canons of the Popes nor traditions of the fathers but onely to quyet and content him selfe with the worde of God And these last wordes you saye are not found in Augustine de doct Chr. Cap. 9. sequentibus as though Master Calfhil recited the words not the sense for which he referreth you not only to that Chapter but to the rest following in al which there is no mention of doctors distinctions Popes Canons c. But this is an argument ab authoritate negatiuè Make as much and as little as you will of Augustines authoritie Master Calfhill hath rightly inferred vppon Augustines iudgement that if conference of Scriptures wil make a perfect preacher which you graunt he needeth neyther doctors distinctions nor Church censures c. but may quyet and content him selfe with the onely worde of God But it would make an horse to breake his halter to see howe Martiall prooueth out of Augustine that God teacheth vs by men and not by Angels and that knowledge of the tongues and instructions of men is profitable for a preacher yea the consent of moste of the Catholike Churches and the interpretations of learned men as though all those were not to be referred to the dewe conference of scriptures where onely resteth the substance of doctrine and the authoritie of faith and not in doctours distinctions Church censures Popes Canons c. which haue no grounde in the Scriptures or else be contrary to them Where Master Calfhill sheweth that as before the newe testament was written all things were examined according to the wordes and Sermons of the Apostles so after the newe testament was written all thinges ought to be examined according to their writings because there is none other testimonie of credite extant of their sermons writings Martiall replyeth out of Saint Augustine that wee haue many thinges by tradition which are not writen which being vniuersally obserued it were madnesse to breake Ep. 118. But Augustine speaketh not of doctrine but of ceremonyes or obseruations Out of Hierom ad Pam. he obiecteth that our Creede is not written in the Scriptures which is vtterly false although the fourme of the symbole be not set downe as wee rehearse it Thirdly out of Epiphanius contra Apostolic li. 2. Heres 61. that wee must vse tradition because all thinges cannot be taken out of the holy Scriptures Therefore the holy Apostles deliuered certeine things in writing and certeine things in tradition c. But they deliuered nothing in tradition contrary to their writinges neyther omitted they to write any thing that was necessarie for our saluation The matter whereof Epiphanius speaketh is that it is a tradition of the Apostles that it is sinne to marry after virginitie decreed and yet he holdeth that it is better to marrye after virginitie decreed then to burne contrary to the doctrine of the Papistes But Martiall frankely graunteth that no doctour is to be credited against the Scripture and the content of the whole Church Yet where Master Calfhill sayde that no man in any age was so perfect that a certeine trueth was to be buylded on him bringing examples of Aaron and Peter the one the high Priest of the Iewes the other affirmed by the Papistes to be the same of the Christians He quarreleth at his induction because he sayeth not sic de singulis where as his argument followeth not of the fourme of induction but of the place a maiore ad minus After this as he doeth nothing but cauill hee chargeth Master Calfhill for corrupting Saint Augustine saying Truth mee not nor credite my writings c. Proem lib. 3. de Trinit For Saint Augustine sayeth not trust mee not But he confesseth that he sayeth Do not addict thy selfe to my writings as to the Canonicall Scriptures See what a corruption here is when Master Calfhill rendereth not the words but the meaning of Augustine Againe saint Basil he sayeth is vilely abused because Master Calfhill sayeth Saint Basil setteth forth by a proper similitude with what iudgement the fathers of the Church should be read Conc. ad Adol wheras Basil speaketh of prophane writers As though Basils similitude may not serue to shewe howe both should bee read because he speaketh but of one sorte Likewise he cryeth out that Saint Hierome is not truely alledged because the Printer in the English translation of Hieroms words hath omitted this word not which he hath set downe in the Latine The 4. pretie persons he putteth vppon Master Calfhill as foolishe and childishe I omitt onely the slaunderers persons I will touche In saying that the fathers declyned all from the simplicitie of the Gospell in ceremonies He chargeth M. Calfhill to be a slaunderer Because God hath not suffered all the fathers to declyne lest hell gates should haue preuailed against his Church Although M. Calfhill speake of those fathers onely whose writings are extant yet the gates of hell in ydle ceremonies did but assault they did not preuaile against the Church And these fathers departed not from the Gospell but declined from the simplicitie thereof But you Papistes haue departed
onely begotten sonne of God and not he in deede Againe he sayeth Cùm fecisset quasi flagellum when he had made as it were a scourge master Vsher will conster it so that was not a scourge in deede because he sayeth as it were a scourge But Martiall will still vrge the fact of Paula in worshipping the crosse of Christ vntill it be shewed out of Epiphanius by better euidence then yet is shewed that he woulde haue no crosse no crucifixe nor image in the Church A mā would thinke this were sufficient euidence when hee sayeth Cùm ergo hoc vidissem in ecclesia Christi contra authoritatem scripturarum hominis pendere imaginem c. Wherefore when I sawe this that in the Church of Christe did hang an image of a man contrary to the authoritie of the scriptures I rent it c. Further euidence out of Epiphanius you may see in the place before cited Martiall would haue vs make a Kalender of Christian men that refused to blesse them selues with the crosse which were 〈◊〉 infinite matter seeing from the Apostles vnto the Valentinian heretikes it is not read that any such estimation was of the crosse y t it should be any blessing or confirmation Master Calfhils rule that we must liue not after examples but after lawes meaning not followe what soeuer hath beene done by good men but whatsoeuer was well done according to the lawe of God Martiall reiecteth vpō vaine foolish and friuolous reasons as that some examples are to be followed that the lawe serueth not for a iust man that custome must be followed where lawe faileth c. Beside that he slaundereth Luther as one that would haue all lawes and orders of Princes put awaye Againe whereas M. Calfhill sheweth that the fathers taught other things more oft more earnestly then the vse of the crosse As that it was a wickednesse to fast on Sonday or to pray on our knees beside the oblations on birthdayes milke and hony with the communion giuen to infants c. Martiall answereth these are abrogated by the church this is not But seing none of them hath ben in worse abuse then this custome of crossing this ought to be abrogated of euery church as well as those But whereas Martiall compareth the doctrine of S. Paul 1. Cor. 11. for couering or vncouering of men womens heads and the decree of y e Apostles for bloud and strangled Act. 15. with those abrogated customes he doth verye lewdly for beside y t the authoritie of y e one is certeine the other vncerteine of some forged the doctrine of S. Paul as he there deliuereth it is perpetuall the decree of the Apostles was neuer ment of them but to be temporall for auoiding offence of the Iewes As touching the credit of the olde writers who had all their errors we like well y e councell of Vincentius Lyrinensis y t we should stil haue recourse for triall to y e most ancient in which we must needes accompt y e writings of the Apostles both of moste antiquitie and of greatest authoritie Wherefore seeing the manner of blessing with the crosse is not found either in the writings of the Apostles or in the most auncient fathers Iustinus Irenaeus Clemens Alexandrinus by Vincentius councel we may iustly accompt it for a corrupt custome crept into the church either by aemulation of heretikes or in contention against the Paganes But Martiall slaundereth vs and the Apollogie of the church of England that the chiefe cause of our seperation from the Church of Rome was the euill life of the gouernours thereof and vainly spendeth time to proue out of Ciprian Augustine and Caluine that for that cause wee ought not to separate our selues whereas we are departed out of Babylon not so much for the abhominable life thereof as for the corrupt false doctrine taught therein by which it is shewed to be y e Synagogue of sathan not the church of Christ. And here Martiall hudleth vp a nomber of quotations for the authoritie of the Pope and of the church of Rome which seeing they haue beene all often times answered and by mee also in aunswere to D. Saunders rocke it were folly here to stand vpon thē But he will not be counted a falsifier of Tertullian when of diuerse copyes and impressions he wilfully chooseth the worst that he might wring it to his purpose although the matter be not worth the strife about it For Tertullians iudgement of tradition without scripture in that place is corrupt for Martiall him selfe confesseth that a tradition vnwritten should be reasonable and agreable to the scriptures and so he saith the tradition of blessing with y e crosse is because the Apostles by the holy ghoste deliuered it But who shall assure vs thereof Tertullian Basil are not sufficient warrant for so worthie a matter seeing S. Paul leaueth it out of the vniuersall armour of God But where M. Calfhill distinguisheth traditions into some necessary as necessarily inferred of the scripture some contrary to the worde and some indifferent Martial like an impudent Asse calleth on him to shewe in what scripture doctor or councell he findeth this distinction of traditions As though a man might not make a true distinction in disputation but the same must be founde in so many wordes in scripture doctor or councell when he him selfe cannot deny but y e distinction is true euery part to be founde in y e scriptures doctors councels But the examples please him not for the couering of women and their silence in the church are taught in expresse words of scripture and therfore are not necessarily inferred of scripture Therefore there is one lye quod Martiall Who would think such a block worthie of answere which thinketh a trueth may not be inferred of the expresse words of scripture when of nothing it can be better in ferred Againe he calleth it another lye y t S. Paul proueth his tradition by y e scripture for he bringeth no text nor sentence of scripture to proue y t women shuld be couered in the church But Martiall doth not onely belye M. Calfhill but also slaunder S. Paul seeing he alledgeth out of Genesis both y t the man is the image glory of God y t the woman was made for man The examples of the second sort as Latine seruice worshipping of images c. Martiall will not allowe but the scripture is plaine to them that haue eyes and be not like the images whome they worship Againe he liketh not that there should be any limitation in obseruing traditions of the church in things indifferent as if cases of necessitie of offence might not make a limitation without contempt of the churches authoritie But he will learne in which kinde of traditions we place the signing with y e crosse y e rest named by Basil. I aunswere y t marking with the crosse in some respect as it was first vsed of y e old
Christ these many hundreth yeares he alledgeth the sayinges of some Protestants miserably wrested from their meaning that Latimer was our Apostle that Luther begat trueth that the Gospel doth arise in the first appearing of the Gospel c or as though by these sayings such like they should deny that euer there had ben any Churche in the worlde before these times whereas euery childe may vnderstand they speake of the restitution of the truth of the Gospel into the open sight of the world in these latter days Likewise where some haue written that the Pope hath blinded the world these many hundreth yeares some say a thousand yeres some 1200. some 900. some 500. c. And the Apologie affirmeth that Christ hath saide the Church should erre he cauilleth that all the Church for so many yeares is condemned of all error Whereas it is euident to them that will vnderstande that although some erronious opinions haue preuailed in processe of time haue increased in the greatest part of the Church for many hundreth yeares yet so long as the only foundation of saluatioÌ„ was reteined the vniuersall Church of Christe so many hundreth yeares is not condemned But when Antichrist the mysterie of whose iniquitie wrought in the Apostles time 2. Thess. 2. was openly shewed and that apostasy which the Apostle foresheweth was fulfilled then and from that time whensoeuer it was not the vniuersall Church of Christ is condemned but the general apopasie of Antichrist is detected THE ARGVMENT WHEREVP-on this first part of the vawmure of this Fortresse is builded is thus framed by the builder himselfe The knowen Church of Christ doth continew and shall continue alwayes without interruption in the true and vpright faith But papistrie was the onely knowne Church of Christ all these nine hundreth yeares Ergo papistrie all these nine hundreth yeares hath continued and shal continue alwayes euen to the worldes end without interruption in the true and vpright faith This argument hath neuer a legge to stande vpon for vnderstanding as he doeth the knowen Church to be that which is knowne to the world to continue without interruption so knowne to the worlde the maior is false For although the Church shall continue alwayes without interruption yet it shall not continue alwayes so knowne but as in the dayes of Elias be hid from the outward viewe of men Againe the minor that Papistrie was the only knowen Church vnderstanding as he doth that it was only reputed taken and acknowledged so to be it is vtterly false For the Greeke Orientall Church which is not the Popish Church hath beene reputed taken and acknowledged to be the Church of Christ by as great a nomber of professors of Christianitie as haue acknowledged the Popish Church So that where he thinketh and saith al his labour remaineth to proue y e maior you see that if he could proue it yet al his labor is lost But to follow him in his maior he deuydeth it into two partes The one that the Church doeth alwayes continue in a right faith The other that this is a known Church Both these he promiseth to proue by Scripture And the first truely he shall not neede but yet it followeth not but that the church may erre in some particuler points not necessary to saluation although it continue in a right faith concerning all principall and necessarie articles CAP. III. Euident proofes cleare demonstrations out of the Psalms that the Church of Christ must continue for euer without interruption sounde vpright He is plentifull in prouing that which needeth no proofe that the Church of Christ shall continue alwayes and first out of the 88 Psalme which he rehearseth and interpreteth of the Church out of Augustine lest he should trust his owne iudgement as he fantasieth that our preachers do altogether refusing to read interpreters Wee affirme that the Church of Christ hath and shall continue to the worldes ende but we deny that the Popish Church is that which could not be before there was a Pope before their heresies were brought out of the bottomlesse pit which were not breathed vp all in 600. yeares after Christ no not in 1000 yeares after Christ and some not almost in 14. hundreth yeares after Christ I meane the sacrilegious taking away of the communion of the blood of Christ from the people in the councell of Constance What impudencie is it of Papistes to vrge the perpetuall continuance of Christes Churche without interruption and then to begin at 600. yeres after Christ and not to be able to shewe a perpetuall course of all their doctrine from Christ his Apostles and the primitiue Church But to proue that the church of Christ cannot possibly as Protestants wickedly do fable haue fayled and perished these many hundreth yeares he citeth the 61. Psalme with Augustines exposition thereupon But what Protestant so fableth M. Stapleton you had neede to make men of paper to fight against the paper walles of your fantasticall fortresse The Papistes when they cannot confute that we say they wil beate downe that we say not How saye the Protestantes that these 900. yeares and vpward the Church hath perished it hath beene ouerwhelmed with Idolatrie and superstition The Protestants neuer sayde so M. Stapl. The Church hath not perished though the greatest part of the worlde hath beene ouerwhelmed with idolatrie and superstition God can prouide for his chosen that they shall not be drowned when all the worlde beside is ouerwhelmed Another testimonie to the like effect and with the like conclusion he bringeth out of y e psal 104 thereupon a pithy syllogisme We proue the Catholike Church by the continuance of Christianitie The continuance of Christianitie only in Papistry is cleare ergo Papistry is only the true Church of Christ. Nego tibi minorem M. Stepl When will you proue the continuance of Christianitie only in Papistrie when Papistrie began since Christ his Apostles and if you meane Christianitie for the externall profession of Christes religion then will you proue the Orientall Churches to be papistrie which defye the authoritie of your Pope Last of all out of the Psalm 101. and Augustines application of the same against the Donatistes which sayde that the church was perished out of al the worâ—d except Affrica where they were he would compare the Protestants to them whereas in deede the Papistes are more like to them For they holding that there is no Church of Christ but the Romish church affirme in effect as the Donatistes that the Church of Christ for many hundreth yeares hath perished out of all partes of the world beside Europa where onely yet not in all partes thereof they haue borne the sway Whatsoeuer therefore Augustine writeth against the Donatistes for shutting vp the Church of Christ onely in Affrica may be rightly applyed to the Papistes for restraining it onely to a part of Europa But contrary to the Papistes and
from the beginning to the ende of the worlde which is in deede a proper adiunct of the Church of Christe not to be found in any heresie nor in papistry the greatest of all heresies But M. Stapleton which cannot proue that Papistrie hath continued alwayes will argue vppon that it hath continued a certeine time The Church saith he hath continued a certeine hundred yeares in that faith and doctrine onely which Papistes do teache But in those very hundreth yeares the Church neither could lacke neither coulde haue a wrong faith or be seduced with damnable doctrine Therefore Papistes had all that time the true faith and their faith and doctrine is true sound and vpright The maior of this argument he affirmeth to be our confession which is nothing else but an impudent lye of his owne confiction For which of the Protestantes euer confessed that the Church hath continued so many hundreth yeares in that faith and doctrin onely which the Papistes teache If he haue the wit to drawe such confessions from vs he may proue what he list against vs. But he promiseth to proue abundantly the continuance of Popish doctrine from the beginning which wee so stoutly denye In the meane time he returneth to Caluine whome he chargeth to haue learned his opinion and doctrine of the Donatistes concerning the markes of the Church Taking to witnesse the Ep. 48. of Augustine ad Vincentium where the Donatistes answered the argument of vniuersalitie that the Church was called Catholike Not because it did communicate with the whole worlde but because it obserued all Gods commaundementes all his sacraments But what a vaine quarell this is he him selfe doth sufficiently declare when he bringeth in Augustine immediatly confessing the Church to be called Catholike because it holdeth that veritie wholly and throughly whereof euery heresie holdeth a parte or peece onely and addeth thereunto the coÌ„munication with all nations videlicet that holde that veritie wholly and throughly And lest this might seeme to be borrowed of the Donatistes onely Augustine him selfe affirmeth as much de Genesi ad literam imperfect Cap. 1. Constitutam ab eo matrem ecclesiam 〈◊〉 Catholica dicitur ex eo quia vniuersaliter perfecta est in nullo claudicat per totum orbem diffusa est That by him the Church is appointed our mother which is called Catholike for that it is vniuersally perfect halteth in nothing and is dispersed throughout the whole worlde Whereas Augustine requireth vniuersall perfection in all true doctrine and administration of the sacramentes with vniuersalitie the Papistes take vniuersalitie alone which Augustine neuer sayde nor taught to be a sufficient note of the Church After this he chargeth Caluine to denye the perpetuall continuance of the Church because he sayde that the pure preaching of the worde hath vanished away in certeine ages past by which he meaneth not as this foolish cauiller taketh him or rather mistaketh him that true preaching had vtterly perished out of the whole worlde but out of the Popish Synagog which in Europe boasted it selfe to be the onely Church of Christe when in the chiefe articles of Christianitie it derogated from the glorye of Christ and was subiect to the doctrine of the man of sinne the aduersary and enemy of Christ. And if malice had not blinded him he woulde haue so vnderstoode Caluine alledging his saying immediatly after wherein he confesseth that the Church of Christ neuer fayled out of the worlde Whereupon he demaundeth whether the Church of the Protestants is that which hath neuer fayled If wee saye it is he demaundeth further where those markes of preaching and ministring of the sacraments haue beene these many hundreth yeares which question he hopeth some disciple of Caluine will assoile him I aunswere those markes were to be seene in such places where the Churches were gathered that had separated them selues from the Church of Rome If he vrge mee further to shewe him the particuler places let him resort to the booke of Actes and monumentes which it seemeth he hath read ouer If that will not satisfye him by example of our Sauiour Christ I will refell his vaine question with another question Where did those 7000. that GOD preserued in the dayes of Elias assemble for prayers preaching and sacrifice If he cannot tell no more am I bounde to shewe him in what particuler places they preached and ministred the Sacramentes And therefore neither neede the Apologie to recant nor the Harborough be reuoked nor M. Foxe call in his booke nor M. Nowell his reproofe It will not suffice a wrangling cauiller an hundreth times to affirme that the Church hath alwayes continued euen when Papistrie moste preuailed and euen vnder the tyrannie and persecution of Papistrie like as the Church was among the idolatrous Baalites in the dayes of Elyas or among the wicked Iewes that persecuted the Prophets But hereto he replyeth that though the assemblies of the Iewes were no Churches yet their temple sacrifices ceremonies lawe and doctrine was good I aunswere so much of these as they reteyned according to Gods lawe was good and so I confesse of the doctrine and sacramentes of the Papistes As Baptisme concerning the substance of the sacrament the historicall faith of the Trinitie of the incarnation passion resurrection of Christ c. But if these and many more pieces of trueth might be sufficient to make them the Church of Christ many heretikes might challenge the Church which haue confessed practised a great number of truthes more then they which erre but in one article as the Arrians Pelagians c. Where as the Papistes erre in many yea in the whole doctrine of iustification by faith and the worship of God And therefore Papistrie is not onely a schisme errour or heresie But as Caluine out of Daniel 9. and Paul 2. Thessal 2. rightly concludeth an apostasie defection and antechristianitie not abolishing but reteining the names of Christe of the Gospell of the Church but the true vertue power and strength of the same vtterly forsaking denying and persecuting CAP. VI. Other prophecyes alledged and discussed for the continuance of Christes Churche in a sounde and vpright faith Diuerse textes of Scripture are cited some rightly some strangely applyed to proue that wee deny not namely the perpetuall continuance of the Church of Christ in a sounde and right faith in all matters necessary to saluation Vppon euery one of which he inferreth howe could Christe forsake his Church these â—00 yeares as though wee saide that Christe hath had no Church in the space of nine hundreth yeares which we neuer doubted of CAP. VII Proofes out of the Gospell for the continuance of Christes Church in pure and vnspotted doctrine When M. Stapleton commeth to proue that which wee denye his proofes will be neither so plentifull nor so sufficient His counterfait painted Fort must haue puppets made to assaile it The Church of Christ concerning the substance of
the Priest should kepe knowledge and men should require the law of his mouth Agg. 2. Aske the priest the Lawe But what dronken Flemming of Douaie would reason thus The Scribes and the Pharisees sate in Moses chaire therefore the Synagogue did either neuer or not then erre Our Sauiour Christ willed thē to be heard while they spake out of Moses chaire not while they taught to worship God in vaine preferring their traditions before the commandement of God But who would spend any more time in reasoning against such a one as defendeth that the Scribes and the Pharises did not erre whose false doctrine cōcerning adulterie murther swearing the worship of God not onely the person but also the qualitie of Messias and his kingdome our sauiour Christ him selfe so often so sharply doth reproue But the whole synagogue saith he in necessary knowledge of the lawe of Moses did neuer erre If he vnderstand the whole synagogue for euerie man we confesse the same and so we say that the whole Church that is all the elect neither in the first sixe hundreth nor in the latter nine hundreth yeares did neuer erre in necessary knowledge of the Gospel But if you take the whole synagogue for the whole multitude that had the ordinary authority and did beare the outward face and countenance of the Church they haue erred before the comming of Christ Example in the whole synagogue in the dayes of Iosias when the very booke of the lawe was vnknowen vnto the Priestes vntill it was found by occasion of taking out of mony out of the temple by Hilchiah the priest So that from the beginning of the reigne of Manasse vntill the 18. yeare of the reigne of Iosias which was almost 80. yeares Idolatry openly preuailed in the temple of God the whole synagogue that is all in authority and countenance embracing the same except a fewe poore Prophetes that were slaine for crying out against it 2. King 22. 2. Chro. 34. And such was the state of the Church in the most corrupt times continuing as then but yet in persecution aduersity and beeing vnknowen vnto the worlde except now and then God stirred vp some witnesse to testifie his truth which was slaine of the beast Apoc. 11. Now concerning the childish sophisme that although it was not possible that the Church could erre yet it is not proued that it hath erred what shold I speake When the defender directly oppugneth that paradoxe which the Papistes holde namely that the Churche cannot erre To conclude while he walketh vnder a cloude of the Church sanctified and assisted by the holy Ghost defended by the presence of Christ c. He playeth bo peepe vnder a coverlet For what so euer promises are made to the faithfull spouse of Christe pertaine nothing at al to the Popish Church of Antichrist which is departed from the faith carrying the brandmarks of hypocrisie in prohibition of marriage and meates so euident that all the water in the sea can not wash them out CAP. XI Obiections out of the News Testament moued and assoyled The first obiection is the abhomination of desolation standing in the holy place that is the Church Matth. 24. He asketh where the defender hath learned to expound this holy place of the Church Forsooth where M. Stapleton learned that it may be vnderstood of the temple at Ierusalem where Pilate placed Caesars image or of the Image of Adriane Namely in Hierome vpon this text Matth. 24. which vnderstandeth the abhomination of desolation to be Antichrist of whom Saint Paule speaketh whom he denieth not but that he shal sit in the Church his wordes are these De hoc Apostolus loquitur quòd homo iniquitatis aduersarius eleuandus sit contra omne quod dicitur Deus colitur ita ut audeat stare in templo Dei ostendere quòd ipse sit Deus cuius aduentus secundum operationem satanae destruat eos ad Dei solitudinem redigat qui se susceperint Potest autem simpliciter aut de Anti christo accipi aut de imagine Caesaris c. Of this abhomination of desolation the Apostle also speaketh that the man of sinne and the aduersary shalbe lifted vp against all that is called God or worshipped so that he dare stand in the temple of God and shewe himselfe as God whose comming according to the working of Satan may destroy them bring them to solitarines frō God which shal receiue him and it may either be taken simply of Antichriste or of the image of Caesar c. Let him now reason with Hieronyme howe the sacrifice should ceasse after the ende of 62. weekes Although for my part I thinke the pollution of the temple whiche was a token of the desolation imminent was a figure of the corruption of the Church by AntiChriste The 2. obiection S. Paul witnesseth that Antichrist should sit in the temple of God that is in the Church What of this saith he will it followe that he hath sitten there these 900. yeares As though the defender were to proue how long Antichrist should sit and not rather that the visible and outwarde multitude of the Church should erre Like madnes shal I say or impudence he sheweth where he saith the protestantes commonly name S. Gregorie to be that Antichrist Which I am sure he neuer read nor heard any protestant affirme But the Pope cānot be Antichrist saith he because Antichrist should then labour to extirpe the faith of Christe for the Pope hath called people from infidelitie to Christianitie That letteth not but that he is Antichrist for the Pope calleth none but vnto the name of Christianitie vnder colour of which he exerciseth tyranny otherwise he laboureth to extirpe the faith of Christ and to preferre himself before Christ whose redemption he teacheth to take away onely the guilt of sinne whereas his pardon taketh away both the paine and the guilt of sinne The thirde obiection is out of S. Peter that in the Church should be many masters and teachers of lyes But these sayth he shall not tarie 900. yeares for their destruction sleepeth not A wise shift as though the Apostle gaue not a generall admonition for the Church in all ages euen in that wherein he liued himselfe The last is out of 1. Tim. 4. that in the latter dayes such should come which shall giue eare to the doctrine of deuils forbidding to marrie and eate suche meates as God hath created to be receiued with thanksgiuing In this matter he professeth to be short as he hath no lust to tarrie being in that wherein his cauterized conscience is so galled But he aunswereth briefly it was fulfilled in the Manichees what then doth it followe that it is not fulfilled in the Papistes Doth the spirite speak euidently of the Manichees an obscure heresie and not rather of the Apostasie of Antichrist whose hypocrisie should be cloaked by fained chastity and fasting No no Master Stapleton your conscience
point at it with his finger Let him I say point out with his finger what Kinges in euery age for the space of the first three hundreth yeares did walke in the brightnesse of the Churches arising It will not serue him to name Algarus of Edessa or Lucius of Britaine But he must shewe a continuall succession of Kinges for all that time or if he can not let him confesse that the externall glorie and brightnesse of the Church is not in all ages to be seene as the spirituall magnificence and light thereof is euerlasting His nexte reason is of the continuance of Pastours and teachers in the Churche which he imagineth to haue fayled in our Church for nine hundreth yeares but he is altogether deceiued For when the state of the Romishe Churche was growen to be such a confuse Babylon that it was necessary for GODS people to goe out of it Apoc. Chap. 18. verse 4. Which came not to the full ripenesse of iniquitie vntill a thousande yeares after Christe GOD sent Pastours and teachers to his Churche so departed out of Babylon in these partes of Europe which continued by succession euen vntill GOD restored his Gospell into open light of the worlde againe Beside that a great number of Easterne Churches haue continued euen from the Apostles time vnto this day though not in soundnesse of all opinions yet in open profession of Christianitie among whome doubtlesse some reteyned the foundation alwayes which were neuer obedient to the see of Rome neither partakers of a greate nomber of her horrible heresies so that if it were graunted that the Churche must alwayes be visible yet the Papistes are neuer the neare to proue their faction to be the Church because the Greeke Church for outward shewe of a Churche hath bene alwayes as notorious in the East as the Latine Church in the West Finally where Augustine sayeth although vpon a text wrongly interpreted that the Churche is placed in the sunne that is a manifest place of the worlde not in a corner like the conuenticles of heretikes He meaneth not that the Church is alwayes seene of all men but that it seeketh no corners or couerture of darkenesse as heretikes doe to shrowd their falshoode in although in the time of persecution it be driuen into streightes and is content to be hidden from the aduersaries thereof except in some cases where the glorie of CHRISTE requireth an open confession The same Augustine would haue the Churche to be known onely by the Scriptures De vnitate Ecclesiae Cap. 16. Sed utrum ipst Ecclesiam teneant non nisi divinarum scripturarrum Canonicis libris ostendunt But whether they holde the Church let them shewe by none otherwayes but by the Canonicall bookes of the holy Scriptures If the Papistes were able to proue their doctrine by the scriptures they would not labour so muche for the title of the Church which of necessitie would followe them if they taught nothing but that and all that which the holy Scriptures doe teache CAP. XIIII Three reasons why the Church of Christ ought of necessitie alwayes to be a cleare euident visible and knowen Church In the seconde of which reasons a sensible disputation is made to trie whether our countrie among other might possiblie haue attayned to the right Faith without the helpe of a knowne Church in all this pretensed time of Papistrie The first reason is that except the Church and true pastors thereof might be openly knowne the infidell seeking for Christianitie shall come from paganisme to heresie c. the grace and gift of Christ shoulde bee vnprofitable as a riche treasure fast locked vp c. which were inconuenient in many respects c. therefore the Church must be openly knowne and euident c. I aunswere this reason sauoreth of Pelagianisme which is enimie to the grace of God presupposing that Infidels of their owne good motion without the grace of God may seeke Christianitie But if wee remember what our Sauiour Christ saith No man commeth vnto me except my father drawe him Ioan. 6. ver 44. Wee must acknowledge that as it is the onely grace of God that moueth in infidels a desire to seeke Christ so the same grace and no outward appearance to be iudged by carnall reason shall directe them whom he hath chosen to eternall life among so many sectes in the worlde to finde see and acknowledge the onely true Church and piller of trueth out of which there is no saluation Wherefore this reason hath no grounde but vppon a supposition of Pelagianisme that GOD hath onely reuealed his trueth vnto men of the worlde and lefte men to their owne reason to find it out by external notes such as Infidels not lightened by Gods grace by the light of naturall reason may descerne The seconde reason is that it hath pleased God that because The seconde reason is that it hath pleased God that because faith leaneth vpon authoritie and authoritie is strong in a multitude although in the primitiue Church by miracles euident giftes of the holy ghost the authoritie of a fewe drewe whole countryes to the faith yet miracles ceasing to keepe the Church alwayes in a knowen multitude whose authoritie might drawe the simple persuade the learned and keepe out the heretikes If this carnal reason were good there were smal or no vse of the scriptures at all The authoritie of the Church and that alwayes knowne might suffice for all matters But Augustine saith hee in his booke de vxilitate credendi ad Honoratum Cap. 14. vseth this reason to bring Honoratus from the Manichees to the Catholikes out of whome he citeth a long discourse to this effect That as the common multitude and fame moueth a man to beleeue that there was such a one as Christ and that his writings and scriptures are to be credited so of the head rulers of that multitude and not of any priuie and newe sect such as the Manichees was he must learne the vnderstanding of this booke and scriptures This he taketh vppon him to exemplifie by the state of our countrey at the firste conuersion thereof by Augustine Although this carnal reason might haue some shew with Honoratê° a straunger from the Church and one not lightened with the spirite of God yet howe vaine it is being applyed to the Papistes you may easily see by this that since the Church of Rome hath been the Church of Antichrist as great a multitude which might and hath moued many infidels to receuie the profession of Christianitie hath beene seperated from it as hath cleaued to it Put the case then of an infidell in the East which moued by the fame and consent of many nations hath thought well of Christ hath giuen credite to the Scriptures to what head rulers shoulde be resort for instruction in the Scriptures to the rulers of that multitude by which he was first moued to beleeue then shoulde he neuer become a Papist For all the Patriarches
of the East Church haue been and are stil at vtter defyance with the Pope of Rome You see therefore by plaine demonstration that this reason holdeth no further then Augustines authoritie extendeth who in other places appealeth onely to the Scriptures and euen against the Manichees confesseth that the playne demonstration of the trueth which is to be founde in the holye Scriptures is to be preferred before the consent of nations authoritie of miracles succession of Bishops vniuersalitie consent name of the Catholike Church and whatsoeuer can be taught beside Contra Epist. Manich. quam vocant fundamenti Cap. 4. The thirde reason why the Church must alwayes be a known multitude is for keeping out of wolues and heretikes which must be y t they which are tryed may be made manifest which cannot bee in a secrete congregation Yes M. Stapleton very well The Church was neuer so secrete but it was knowne to the members of it which might vse the authoritie thereof for trying auoyding and excommunicating of heretikes according to the holye scriptures But euermore you do wilfully deceiue your selfe when you affirme that there was no Christians knowen in the worlde by the space of 900. yeares but Papistes You cannot denye but Brytannie Scotlande Irelande had Christians at and since the comming of Augustine which were no Papistes as by the history of Beda is manifest What should I here name so many nations of Europe Asia and Africa which yet to this day continue in profession of Christianitie neuer were subiect to the tyrannye of the Romishe byshop and from whome the Romish byshop with his sect of Papistes hath clearely departed many hundreth yeares agoe Wherefore according to Augustines sentence the Catholike church is not a particuler sect in Europe but an vniuersall gathering of y e dispersed ouer all the world where God hath his elect in all places Or if you vnderstande the Church for a visible multitude professing Christ there is no reason why the churches of the East so many so large so ancient should be excluded and the multitude of Papists holding of one citie in Italy only to be receiued CAP. XV. A number of shamelesse shiftes and seely surmises which Protestants haue inuented to establish their variable doctrine and to confounde the authoritie of the Church In deede a number of these which he rehearseth as shamelesse shiftes are shamelesse lies and impudent slaunders deuised by the diuell to bring the trueth in disdaine but yet so openly proued to be false that they neede no confutation First he sayeth that Luther condemned all councels and fathers yea al learning of Philosophy and humanitie so that bookes were burned and common schooles ceased for certein yeares in Germany with other like monstrous lyes alledging for his author that beastly Apostata Staphylus This slaunder deserueth no aunswere being raysed by one shamelesse lyer against an hundreth thousand witnesses The seconde shift is that Luther did afterwarde receiue Philosophy and bookes of humanitie yea diuines of 500. or 600. yeares and some Councels also with this perilous condition so farre as they repugned not to holy Scripture This seemeth an vnreasonable condition to Stapleton who belike would haue all gentylitie and many heresies absolutely receyed The thirde The fathers should not be admitted when they taught any thing beside the expresse scripture As worshipping of Images praying to Saints c. which they had by tradition If such things came from the Apostles why were they not written by them as well as such fathers of later time yea why did the Apostles write that which is contrary to such traditions The fourth The first 600. yeares they did admit because they knewe there was litle in them against them cleare open because fewe bookes were writen in that time and many lost that were written And yet there remaine more writen in that time then a man can well reade ouer in seuen yeares Agayne cities being stuffed with heathen Iewes and heretikes euery mystery was not opened in pulpit nor committed to writing These belike were greater mysteries then the Apostles and Euangelistes haue committed to writing But I marueile howe they were taught if neither in pulpit nor in writing belike in secrete confession but our Sauiour Christe woulde haue his mysteries preached in the house toppes Last of all for that many controuersies nowe in hand were neuer heard of in those dayes Therefore M. Iewell made his challenge of the first 600. yeres which Stapleton thinketh he was not able to abyde by and that M. Nowel suspected no lesse because he accounted it a very large scope But howe he hath abyden by it is sufficiently proued to the glory of the trueth and the confusion of Papistrie The fifth They reiect the latter 900. yeares because Paynims yelding to the faith and heretikes to the Church the mysteries of our faith were more openly published in Pulpits writings It appeareth and that in recordes of the latter 900. yeares that many old heretiks still remained in the cities beside the Iewes remaining vntil this day of which he made the fathers of the first 600 years so much afraide for vttering the mysteries a◠of Paynims and heretikes The sixt Some holde that all the Church might erre for a time None euer helde that all the Church might erre so farre as that they fell away from Christ. The seuenth Other said there was a Church all this 900 yeares but oppressed by the miscreants being priuie and vnknowen This he sayth is vaine blasphemous being against holy Scripture and good reason as he hath proued What he hath proued you haue seene and howe the Scripture must be fulfilled which prophecyeth of the comming of Antichrist and the apostasie of men from the faith which cannot be if the Church should alwayes florish in multitude externall appearing of visible glory The eyght That Protestants bookes haue beene lost The ninth Bookes of holy fathers haue beene corrupted The tenth False writings haue beene deuised and fathered vpon the first Popes of Rome All these he compteth to be but suspitions surmises which are yet so manifest truthes that euen Thomas the vnbeleeuing Apostle without the iudgement of his senses might feale them with both his hands and be satisfyed although Thomas the Apostata from God and traytour to his Prince countrey will neither see nor handle them But all these surmises he will ouerthrow with supposing one case If a man haue continued in possession and coulde bring recordes of his right from William the Conquerour and all his neighbours to say for his quiet possession without checke or nay as the Papistes can deduct the possession of their religiō from 800. yeares c. were it a good plee against such a man to say his recordes are false his euidences forged his possession iniurious c. without bringing in any affirmatiue proofes recordes euidence or witnesse c. I answere it were no good plee But firste I
denye that you Papistes can bring such recordes witnesse and possession of 900. yeares And secondly I affirme that wee can bring good recordes euidences and witnesse to the contrary Wherefore this case helpeth you nothing at all as it is false that the religion nowe called Papistry hath beene professed these 900. yeares which I haue proued by more then 40. differences gathered out of the historie of Bede and other monuments of antiquitie CAP. XVI A note of countries and prouinces brought to the faith of Christ from Paganisme within the compasse of those latter 900 yeares He beginneth with the conuersion of the English Saxons and Britanie and so proceedeth to the conuersion of diuers small nations in Germanie and other partes last of all he commeth to the conuersion of many thousands in the Isle of Goa testified by letters of the Iesuites al which he maketh to be conuerted into one faith and religion of Papistrie But that is false for I haue proued by many differences that although the first beginning of these 900. yeares was corrupt in many thinges yet was it not so corrupt as Papistrie nor agreeing with Papistes in many of their chiefe heresies for 300. or 400. yeares after Now touching such as haue bene conuerted to plaine Poperie since y t time or by y e Iesuites in this time if their monstrous reports be credible it proueth not y t they are of an Apostolike spirit The Scribes and Pharisees were zealous to make Proselites to Iudaisme The great and mightie nations of the Gothes Vandales Hunnes c. that ouerranne the greatest part of the Romaine Empire were conuerted from Gentilitie by the Arrians whose heresie along time they helde as all histories doe record The Nestorians conuerted great nations that yet continued in their heresie Photius the heretike conuerted the Bulgarians Finally the Greeke Church hath conuerted as many nations vnto their profession of Christianitie as the Romaines haue done to their Papistrie wherefore this argument of conuersion of nations doeth no more proue Papistrie to be true Christianitie then it doth iustifie Iudaisme Arrianisme Nestorianisme Grecisme which the Papistes count to be an heresie as well as the other CAP. XVII Whether at any time the religion of Protestants haue conuerted any infidels to the faith The religion which we holde whome he calleth Protestantes being the same which was deliuered by Christ him selfe and his Apostles hath conuerted all nations of the world that euer were coÌ„uerted from infidelitie to y e true faith and religion of Christ. Wherefore it is a folish fantasie that he requireth vs to shew one countrie citie or man conuerted within these 900. yeres If Protestants could brag as well as the Iesuites they might boast of many thousands conuerted by them in the new found lands of Gallia Antarctica and India beside many Iewes that are knowne to be turned to the Christian faith in this part of the world If in the time of persecution when they had much ado to saue their owne faith from deceiuing and their liues from crueltie they had no leasure to trauell into Heathen countries to seeke the conuersion of infidels no wise man will maruell The slaunderous reportes of Villegagnon and the Iesuites are of as good credite as their persons are of honestie and soundnes of religion CAP. XVIII The argument of continuance of the knowne Church is fortified out of the most auncient and learned Fathers The auncient and learned Fathers neuer allowed any continuance of the Catholike Church and faith but such as had their beginning at Christ his Apostles and not such as beganne fiue or sixe hundreth yeares after Christ as all the testimonies which he cyteth do plainely proue vnto vs. First Augustine Ep. 166. reproueth the Donatistes For that they would not acknowledge the Church which Christ him selfe had planted and which had continued euen vntill that time But it pleaseth this man greatly which Augustine writeth Cont. Ep. Parm. lib. 3. cap. 5. That there is no securitie of vnitie except the Church be declared out of the promises of God which as it is saide being set vpon an hill can not be hid and therefore it is necessarie that it be knowne to all parts of the earth The knowne Church that Augustine speaketh of is not the peculiar Church of Rome but the vniuersall Church of Christ dispersed ouer all the world which is in such sort knowne seene as the mountaine whereon it is builded is knowen and seene But that mountaine is Christ spoken of in Daniel which is not knowne or seene but by faith no more is the vniuersall Church of Christ knowne or seene but by faith And thus he writeth against the Donatistes which challenged the societie of the iust to be only in Africa whereon as also that the mountaine in y e which y e Church is set is Christ August writeth in y e same chapter Qui ergo noÌ„ vult sedere in concilio vanitatis non euanescat typho superbiae quaerens conuenticula iustorum totius orbis vnitate separata quae non potest inuenire Iusti autem sunt per vniuersam ciuitatem quae abscondi non potest quia supra montem constituta est Montem illum dico Daniâ—lis in quâ— lapis ille praecisus sine manibus creuit impleuit vniuersam terram Per totam igitur istam ciuitatem toto orbe diffusam iusti gemunt moerent ob iniquitates quae sunt in medio eorum He therefore that will not sit in the councel of vanitie let him not vanish away in swelling of pride seeking the conuenticles of the iust separated from the vnitie of all the world which he can not finde Now the iust are throughout the whole citie which can not be hid bicause it is set vpon an hill I meane that hill of Daniell in which that stone being cut off without handes increased and filled the whole earth Therfore in al this citie dispersed ouer all the world the iust doe grone and mourne for the iniquities which are in the middest of them Thus Augustine being rightly vnderstoode maketh altogether against the schismaticall Church of Rome which is not set vpon that mountaine which is inuisible to the eye of the flesh but seeketh the vtter ruine of that citie which being builded on Christ is known in all partes of the world by faith But Hieronyme saith much for the matter Contra Luciferianos I could drie vp all the streames of thy propositions with the fame of the Church And who douteth but where the Church is acknowledgeth to be the cleare doctrine thereof may stoppe the mouth of any heretike which acknowledgeth it for the Church The same Hieronyme Ad Dam. mach Oceanum de error Orig. cur post c. writeth thus Why after 400. yeares labourest thou to teach vs which we knewe not before Why doest thou bring foorth that which Peter and Paul would neuer teach Euen vntill this day the Christian
the Greeke and Easterne Churches from him which they count to be a schisme and heresie The third reason No heresie can continue and ouergrowe the true Church Papistrie hath continued Ergo Papistrie is no heresie The minor of this syllogisme is false for Papistrie hath not continued from the time of Christe but hath had her beginning long since and was not growne to a ripenesse of all her heresies in more then a thousand yeares after Christ as I haue shewed in the table of differences Therefore what so euer he saith to proue the maior is to no purpose when the minor is manifestly false CAP. XX. The third reason of the former chapter is fortified out of the aunicient and learned Fathers Nowe he taketh in hand a goodly piece of fortification and like a worthie surueior of the Popes buildings he bestoweth great cost out of Hilarius Chrysostome and Clemens Alexandrinus for defence of such a point as none of his aduersaries would euer offer to assaile Nameley the continuance of the Church and true religion which can not be ouercome not kept downe by any tyrannie or heresie but the more it is persecuted and oppressed the more it will flourish and increase And for this cause the true Church and faith of Christ although it haue bene long troden downe and afflicted by the tyrannie of Antichrist euen to such time as God had appointed that Antichrist shuld rage in the world for the sinnes thereof and especially for the contempt of the trueth 2. Thess. 2. yet hath it in the end preuailed encreased and flourished and by no craft or crueltie of Antichrist could any longer be suppressed or kept vnder Let not Papistes therefore bragge that they haue preuailed so long but let them nowe behold their ouerthrow by the increase of Gods Church and looke for their finall destruction at the glorious appearing of our Sauiour Christ. We doubt not therefore but determine with Augustine De vtilitate credendi to rest in y e bosome of that Church which from the seate of the Apostle by consent of mankind hath continued by succession of Bishops and hath obtained the height of authoritie all heretikes barking about it which partly by the iudgement of the people partly by the grauitie of Councels partly by the maiestie of miracles haue bene condemned But we vtterly denie the Popish Church to be this Church which hath had no continuance of succession from the Apostles seate in faith and doctrine though it claime neuer so much the succession of persons and places with the Donatistes Symon Magus Martion Eunomius and other heretikes we haue nothing to doe If trueth in Aerius and Vigilantius was condemned for errour not by the scriptures but by the tradition of men such condemnation can be no preiudice to them or their opinion when being called againe into iudgement they are found by sentence of Gods word the iudgement of the more ancient Fathers to haue ben wrongfully condemned To conclude Papistrie hath not preuailed against the church of God which hauing sought by all meanes so long time to roote her out of the earth yet was neuer able to bring to passe her wicked deuice but that the Church of Christ and the true religion thereof hath at last in the sight of al men gotten the vpper hand in despight of the Pope and Papistrie and all Papistes THE SECOND part of the Fortresse CAP. I. CErtaine demaundes to Protestantes putting the case that Papistes these many hundreth yeres haue liued in a wrong faith all which the case so put they ought of necessitie to satisfie WHat so euer the Protestantes can say for them selues as their credite is not great with him except they can proue one of his two demaūds he thinketh no godly or wise man will regard any thing they can say The first demaund is where or vnder what Pope or Emperour Papistrie beganne I aunswere Papistrie being antichristianitie the mysterie of that iniquitie began euen in the time of the Apostles 2. Thess. 2. Claudius being Emperour of Rome and so contiuned increasing in Apostasie vntill the time of Sigismund the Emperour who procured the Councel of Constance in which the lay people were robbed of the cup of the Lordes bloud Stapleton must beare with me if I can not name the Pope bicause at that time there were no lesse then three Popes at once and no man then liuing but as he was affectionate to one of those three could determine which of them was Pope This Stapleton though he haue a brasen face will not denie He requireth vs further to shewe the complaint of other Churches against Papistrie First for the beginning of the mysterie of iniquitie S. Paul complaineth 2. Thess. 2. And for the proceeding of that which was y e chiefe point therof namely the tyrannie of y e Bishop of Rome alwayes as it shewed it selfe some there were which complained of it Victor is the first Bishop of Rome which discouered the hid mysterie of iniquitie in vsurping against his fellowe Bishops in the time of the Emperour Seuerus against whome complained sharply reproued him Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons Polycrates and many other Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 25. Afterward in the dayes of Theodosius Honorius and Arcadius the Emperours when the Bishops of Rome Innocentius Bonifacius Zosimus Anastasius and Celestinus vsurped more openly in so much that they forged among them a decree of the Councel of Nice whereby they claimed their authoritie they were complained of by the Bishops and Church of Africa in open Councel the forgerie detected and decrees made that none in Africa should appeale to any Bishop ouer the Sea And that the Bishop of the first See should not be called prince of Priestes nor by any such name of pride but onely Bishop of the first See Conc Mileuit c. 22. Conc. Carth. 6. cap. 4. Conc. African c. 92. Ep. Concil ad Bonifac. Caelestinum Afterward in the dayes of the Emperour Mauritius when Iohn of Constantinople vsurped the title of vniuersall Bishop as the forerunner of Antichrist Gregorie him selfe Bishop of Rome complained of him and pronounced that he was the forerunner of Antichrist Wherefore Stapleton lyeth shamefully when he saith we make him the first Antichrist for as I haue testified before although there was in him a superstitious affection vnto ceremonies and that he was infected with certaine olde errours that had preuailed before his time yet bicause he helde the foundation of saluation by Christ onely and detested the vsurpation of that Antichristian title we account him for a member of the true Church of Christ. But after him when in the dayes of Phocas Bonifacius by pride and symonie had vsurped the same Antichristian authoritie and procured that the Church of Rome should be counted head of all Churches he was complayned of by the Church of Rauenna in Italie which would not acknowledge that Antichristian title neyther would submitte her selfe vnto the whore of
practise of the primitiue Church proueth it to be necessary as in the example of Serapion Euseb. lib 6. cap. 44. and of Satyrus Saint Ambroses brother In obitum Satyri c. And is it euen so Doeth the example of one man that was excommunicated and could not be quiet vntill he had receiued the communion and of an other that neuer receiued it nor was baptised prooue it necessary for all men Yea saith Stapleton who will reade onely but one Canon of the Nicene councell shal finde therein not only a generall commandement for al Christendome but also the auncient practise of the Church before that time And I say who so will reade not only the whole Canon but the very title thereof shall finde that it was a remission only for excommunicated persons Câ—no 12. De excommunicatis a saeculo exâ—untibus Of excoÌ„municated persoÌ„s departing this world De his verò qui recedunt ex corpore antiquae legis reguia obseruabitur etiâ— nunc ita vt si fortè quis recedat ex corpore necessario vitae suae viatico non defraudetur Quod si desperatus aliquis recepta Communione superuixerit siâ— inter eos qui sola oratione coÌ„municant De omnibus tamen his qui a corpore recedunt in tradendo eis Communionem cura probatio sit episcopi But concerning them which depart out of this bodye the rule of the auncient lawe shalbe obserued euen nowe also so that if perhaps any depart out of y e body he may not be defrauded of the necessary prouision of his life But if any being at the point of death after he haue receiued the Communion do recouer liue let him be among them that communicate in prayer onely Neuerthelesse concerning all those men that depart out of y e body in deliuering to them the communion let both the charge and the tryal be in the bishops discretion This Canon was not made for all Christian men that at times of publike administration of the sacraments might freely be partakers but onely of such as were excommunicated appointed a time of penance for their tryall before they should be admitted to the Lordes supper before which time if they were at the point of death and the bishop allowed of their repentance this Canon prouideth that they might be receiued to the Communion for their comfort but yet so that if any did recouer and liue they shuld accomplish their time among the penitentes that was before enioyned them This thing being so apparant what shall wee saye of these English Louanistes that either they neuer read the bookes out of which they cite their authorities or else without all shame they wrest them against their owne conscience The 19. difference is the reseruation of the sacrament wherein as I confesse in some erronious kinde of reseruation wee differ from some of the primitiue Church so they differed from Christ which coÌ„maunded it to be eaten and dronken And it is manifest y t their reseruation differed from the popish reseruation both in the manner and in the ende But concerning reseruation I referre the reader to mine answere to D. Heskins first booke Cap. 24. 25. 26. 27. where you shall finde all his authorities discussed except the 14. Canon of the Councell of Nice out of which hee alledgeth that the Deacons might absente Episcopo presbitero proferre communionem comedere In the absence of the Bishop and priest take out the communion and receiue it Whereby he sayeth it is euident that it was reserued in the Churches where the Deacons might come to receiue it But I must admonish the reader y t these wordes which he citeth are an addition of Gratian and the popish church and are not in the true copies in Greeke of that Councell nor in the right Latine translation as euen Peter Crabb the Papist confesseth nor yet in the edition of Ruffinus But such draffe and dregges of falsifications additions detractions mutations c. are good ynough for popishe swyne The 20. difference is blessing with the signe of the Crosse for fortification of which piece he referreth the reader to Martials treatise of the Crosse. And I to M. Calfhils Aunswere and my Reioynder The 21. difference is benediction of the bishop which he sayeth is mocked at and reuiled by Protestantes But he sayeth vntruely for although wee may iustly deride the vaine ceremoniall casting of crosses in the ayre of their bitesheepes rather then bishops with their two fingers which is nothing else but a ridiculous superstition yet wee contemne not the godly benediction of a Christian Bishop and pastour which vseth the same according to the word of God Therefore the examples of Nectarius which desired the benediction of his Bishop Diodorus at his departure and Aurelius which blessed Augustine and his company after he had visited them shewe no difference of them from vs. And if Eudoâ—ia the Empresse desired Chrisostome to blesse her sonne Theodosius his godson What did Chrysostome but pray for him and with him well in the name of the Lorde And how did Diodorus blesse Nectarius And Aurelius blesse Augustine and the rest but by godly prayer made to God for them not with vaine dombe idle ceremonies after the Popish manner So that the manner of blessing of the auncient times doeth rather proue a difference of Papistes from them then of vs from them And moreouer you may consider how to make vp a number of differences what small matters he is fayne to flye vnto and euen such as he hath no shewe of holde at all in the writers of the auncient Church of 600. yeares after Christ for them But onely to set a face of the matter as though there were nothing newe amongest them when not onely their ceremonies but also many of the principall articles of their doctrine wherein they differ from vs were either not heard of in those ages or else were openly impugned by writers of those times Onely the dregges and refuse of the former age they retayne as prayer for the deade inuocation of Saintes and a fewe other such matters CAP. VII Of pilgrimage and reliques of Church seruice of Altars of Church ornaments holy vessels of the ecclesiasticall â—onsure and of holy water The 22. difference is pilgrimage to holy places especially to Rome In deede we finde that peregrination to Ierusalem was esteemed of many and great resort to Rome of the wiser sort not for the holinesse of the places but for the frequence of godly learned men then liuing in those places Otherwise for the holynesse of the place S. Hierom ad Paulinum whether M. Sapleton sendeth vs doth sufficiently declare what was to be esteemed of it Non Hierosolymis fuisse sed Hierosolymis bene vixisse laudandum est It is no praise to haue beene at Hierusalem but to haue liued well at Hierusalem And speaking euen of our owne countrye he addeth Et de Hierosolymis
needefull nor profitable The memory of that godly learned man Maister Doctor Calfhill whome he abuseth is written in the Booke of the righteous and shall not be afraide of any slaunderers reporte Omitting therefore all friuolous quarels I will onely endeuour to answere that whiche hath in it any shewe of reason or argument to defende the idolatry of the Papistes In which matter also as many thinges are the same which are already satisfied in my confutation of Doctor Sanders Booke of Images so I will referre the reader to those Chapters of that treatise where he shal finde y â— which I hope shal suffice for the ouerthrowe of Idolatry This reply as the first treatise is diuided into ten articles all which in order I will set downe with such titles as he giueth vnto them But first I must say a fewe wordes concerning his request made to the Bishop of London and the rest of the superintendentes of the newe Church as it pleaseth him to call them and his preface to the reader His request is that the Bishops should certifie him by some pamphlete in printe whether 61. articles which he hath gathered out of Maister Calfhils booke be the receyued and approoued doctrine of the newe Churche of England able to be iustified by the worde of God and the Fathers and Councels within sixe hundreth yeares after Christ How wise a man he is in making this request I leaue to reasonable men to iudge And touching the articles themselues I aunswere that some of them be such as the Church of England doth holde and openly professe as that Latine seruice Monkish vowes the communion in one kinde c. are contrary to Gods worde the other be particular affirmatioÌ„s of Maister Calfhil which in such sense as he vttered them may be iustified for true and yet perteyne not to the whole Church to mainteine and defende as whether Helaena were superstitious in seeking y e crosse at Ierusalem whether Dionyse and Fabian were the one suspected the other infamed c. beside that a great number of them be so rent from the whole sentences whereof they were partes that they reteyne not the meaning of the author but serue to shewe the impudencie of the cauiller As that the counsels of Christe in his Gospel be ordinances of the Deuill the prayers of Christians a sacrifice of the deuill the councell of Elibeus was a generall councell c. Wherfore I will leaue this fond request with all the rayling that followeth there vppon and come to the preface to the Reader First he findeth himselfe greatly greeued that not only ancient fathers are by M. Calfhil discredited but also the holy crosse is likened to a gallowes c. which moued him to follow Salomons counsell to answer a foole according to his folly After this he taketh vpon him to coÌ„fute M. Calfhils preface in which he proueth y t no images should be in churches to any vse of religion because God forbiddeth them Exo. 20. Leuit. 19 in y e first table of religion His reply standeth only vpon those common foolishe distinctions of Idols Images of Latria Doulia which are handled more at large with greater shewe of learning by D Sander in his booke of Images Cap. 5. 6. 7. 8. whither I refer y e reader for answer Likewise y t discourse which he maketh to proue y t an image of Christ is not a lying image is answered in y e same booke Cap. 7. The authoritie of Epiphanius he deferreth to aunswer vnto y e 5. article To Irenaeus he answereth y t he only reporteth y t the Gnostike heretikes had y e image of Iesus but reproueth not y t fact But he reproued them only because they placed the image of Christ w t the images of Plato Pithagoras c. vsed them as y e Gentyles do This were in deed a pretie exception for a brabling lawyer to take but a student in diuinitie should vnderstand that Irenaeus in y t book Chapter li. 1. Ca. 24. declareth no fact of y e heretiks y t was good but his declaration is a reproof And so it is throughout that whole booke conteining 35. Chapters But he chargeth M. Calfhill for falsifying Augustine in sayng that he alloweth M. Varro affirming that religion is moste pure without images first quarreling at the quotation which by errour of the Printer is de ciuitate Dei lib. 4. Cap. 3. where it should be Cap. 31. a meete quarrell for such a lawyer secondly shewing that the Latine is Castius obseruari sine simulachris religionem that religion woulde haue beene more purely kept without Idols or fayned Images as though there be anye Images but fayned and the worde Imago euen in their owne Latine translation of the Bible is indifferently taken for Idolum and simulachrum and that in many places Deut. 4. ver 16. 4. Reg. 11. ver 18 Sapient Cap. 13. 14. Esai 40. ver 18. 44. ver 13. Ezec. 7. vers 20 where imagines simulachra are both placed together Ezech. 16. Ca. 17. Amos. 5. ver 23. wher he sayeth Imaginem idolorum the image of your Idols and many other places declare that this counterfait distinction was not obserued no not of the Latine interpreter As for his other logicall quiddity wherin he pleaseth him selfe not a little that religio non suscipit magis minus sheweth that eyther his lawe is better then his Logike or else both are not worth a strawe Further he chargeth M. Calfehill for adding words which are not founde in Augustine where images are placed in temples in honourable sublimitie c. These wordes are founde in the Ep. 49 ad Deogratias Cum hiis locantur sedibus honorabili sublimitate vt a praecantibus atque immolantibê° attendantur when they are placed in these seates in honourable sublimitie that they are looked vpon by them that praye and offer c. But Martiall looked onely to the quotation Ps. 36. 113. Yet doeth not M. Calfhill rehearse the wordes but the iudgement of Augustine from which he doth nothing varie except Martiall will cauill at the wordes images in temples where Augustine sayeth Idola hiis sedibus Idoles in these seates speaking of temples in which images were placed But he speaketh saith Martiall in the Psalmes against the images of the heathen and not of the Christians Then reade what he writeth De moribus ecclesiae Catholicae lib. 1. Cap. 34. de consensu Euangelist lib. 1. Cap. 10. where you shall finde his iudgement of such images as were made of Christians to be all one with those of the Gentiles The iudgement of other doctours whome he nameth you shall finde aunswered in the 14. or 13. Chapter of Master Sanders booke of Images That the Iewes had no images in their temple he sayth it is a Iewish and Turkish reason to proue that we should haue none Much like y e priest that would not beleeue in Christe if he
Caue of an Island by Rhodes and a rode there where no anchor nor cable will holde the ship vnlesse the mariner make the signe of the crosse ouer y e place where he casteth anchor It may be he reported it as a fond persuasion of superstitious people but I thinke no that he gaue any credit to it Poperie is full of such tales But why doe you charge M. Calfhil with a lye for saying that in the Popish catholike time the churche of Pauls was twise burned within 50. yeares space Marie bicause it was not on Corpus Christie eue nor the Communion table was burned with al the foure yles within the compasse of three or foure houres therefore it was no the like plague But howe often hath the sacrament of the alter your God bene burned when Churches were fiered Moe thinges in which there is any diuersitie shall be like by Martials logike or lawe I can not tell whether it is by which he condemneth M. Calfhil for a lyer Touching Lactantius he reasoneth to and fro of his authoritie him selfe and yet chargeth M. Calfhil for so doing Our iudgement of Lactantius as of all olde writers is this that what so euer they speake contrarie to the trueth of the holy Scriptures we may boldly reiect it what so euer they say agreeable vnto them we doe willingly admit it The chiefe matter touching this article is this that certaine verses are ascribed to Lactantius exhorting men to worship the crosse which verses M. Calfhil denieth to haue bene written by Lactantius First bicause S. Hierome in the Catalogue of his works maketh no mention of them but they might be vnknowne to Hierome saith Martiall It is not like they could be vnknowne to Hierome and knowne to Martial Secondly bicause he speaketh of Churches that were scarsly builded in Lactantius time but Martial proueth that Christians had churches euen in the Apostles time and euer since as though any man doth doubt of y t but of such churches as this versifier speaketh of Thirdly bicause the doctrine of these verses cōcerning images is contrarie to y t Lactantius taught and was generally receiued in his dayes Martiall replyeth that all which Lactantius did write against images was against the false images of the heathen and not against the holy images of the Christians But Christians in his time had no images as holy in any vse of religion and his argumēts are generall against all images in religion Finally it is also manifest that his versifier making a Poeticall prosopopeia induceth Christe hanging vpon the crosse and speaking to him that commeth into the Church and therfore no argument of crosse or image may be rightly gathered out of the poeme who so euer was the author For immediatly after this verse Flecte genu lignúmque crucis venerabile adora followeth Flebilis innocuo terrámque cruore madentem Ore petens humilis lachrymis suffunde subortis Bowe thy knee worship the venerable wood of y e crosse And lamentably kissing with humble mouth the earth which is moyst with myne innocent bloud wash it ouer with teares flowing out By these verses then Martial may as wel proue that the Church floore was moyst with the bloud of Christe as that there was a crosse in the Church To Lactantius he ioineth Augustine De Sanctis Hom. 19. saying that Churches are dedicated with the signe of the crosse where he not onely chaunged the worde charactere into mysterio but also translated the worde mysterio by the signe where he confesseth his fault he may be pardoned but where he iustifieth mysterio and sign◠to be all one he sheweth him selfe as he is But howe will he persuade vs that those Homilies de tempore and de Sanctis of which some one is ascribed to so many authours were either written by Augustine or by any of those times the stile is so dissonant that any man learned and of indifferent iudgement will confesse Although it is not to be denyed but the signe of the crosse was superstitiously abused even in the dayes of Augustine and long before Whereas Augustine reporteth of a woman called Innocentia which had a canker healed in her brest by the signe of the crosse if it were a miracle it proueth not that euery Church Chappell and Oratorie should haue a crosse Great miracles were done by imposition of handes yet it followeth not therefore that euery Church must haue imposition of handes Againe not onely Cankers but also Fistulaes tooth ache and many other diseases haue bene healed by charmes And yet these charmes are not iustifiable thereby much lesse to be brought into the Church as wholesome ceremonies and prayers But albeit the crosse be no ordinarie meane whereby God vseth to conserue health saith Martial yet may you not conclude that he hath not ordained it to remaine in the Church for any remembrance of his death and passion For thinke you saith he he hath left no more meanes but the preaching of his worde which euery one can heare Yes it hath pleased his maiestie to ordaine by general Councels the signe of the crosse and images to be a meane to put vs in remembrance of Christes death c. But seeing y e Church flourished 300. yeares without a general Councel and neither that general Councel which was first holden not three other which folowed make mention of any such matter where was the ordinance of God by generall Councels for the crosse He will say it had the appointment of the prelates of the Church Which and when euery idle ceremonie and vngodly heresie that preuailed had y e prelates of the Church either for the authors or for the approuers But Christ committed to the prelates saith Martial the charge and gouernment of his Church Yea syr to feede them with his word and not with dombe signes and dead images which things he hath forbidden Now come we to Paulinus Bish. of Nola by whom it appeareth that y e signe of the crosse was set vp 1100. yeres agoe in some churches but the title of the Article is that it should be set vp in al Churches But Martial wil proue that it was wel done by Paulinus to set vp the signe of the crosse in his Church bicause he was an holy and learned Bishop and no Catholike Bishop or generall councel did find fault with him for whatsoeuer any holy learned father did at any time and was not controlled of any Catholike father for his doing was well done and must be so taken I denye this maior For Augustine was an holy and learned Bishop which did giue the Communion to infants and thought it necessarie for their euerlasting saluation neither was he controlled therefore yet did he not well neither was his opinion true And where Martial taketh vpon him the defence of Paulinus in commending a woman that separated her selfe from her husband vnder pretence of religion he playeth the prattling proctor picking of quarels against M. Calfhil without all
say the figure thereof was vsed Wherfore here is no lye proued Touching the saying cited out of Augustine Serm. 130. de tempore although the authoritie is not greatly to be regarded of those Sermons yet admit it were Augustines in deede M. Calfhil saith truly that he speaketh neither of Martials materiall nor mysticall crosse but of the death of Christ and the crosse whereon he suffered as al the discourse of that Sermon declareth Before the crosse was a name of condemnation nowe it is made a matter of honour before is stoode in damnation of a curse nowe it is set vp in occasion of saluation This nowe Martiall would either craftily or impudently referre to Augustines time which is spoken of the time of Christes passion when the crosse was set vp in occasion of saluation and not an idol therof in Augustines time He complaineth that to an other place of Augustine wherein mention is made of the signe of y e crosse nothing is saide where nothing needeth when it is coÌ„fessed that the signe of the crosse was vsed in his time And concerning Constantines crosse we haue spoken alreadie sufficiently To conclude therefore here is nothing replied in this article to proue that the Apostles and Fathers of the first Church did blesse them selues with the signe of the crosse although the Fathers of latter time vsed to marke them selues with that signe and counselled others so to doe Neither is there any thing but the forged newe found Martiales Epistle which is worse then nothing to proue that the signe of the crosse in the first age of the Church was vsed by the Apostles or their immediate successors before the dayes of Valentinus the heretike The sixt Article That diuers holy men and women got them little pieces of the crosse and inclosed them in gold c. It is confessed that diuers made great account to haue little pieces of the crosse to inclose them in gold and hang them about them but their superstition is reproued both by Hieronyme and Chrysostome To Hierome Martial aunswereth that he reproued not the hauing of those pieces but the confidence put in them as the Pharisees did in their Phylacteries hanged vpon their bodies and not printing the lawe in their harts Be it so but what accounteth he the hauing of them euen the strayning of a Gnat Culicem liquantes cameluÌ„ degluâ—ientes lib. 4. cap. 23. But in other places saith Martial he wisheth him selfe to kisse the wood of the crosse Apol. 3. cont Ruff. This was a small matter and yet it was more then hauing a little piece of the crosse for he speaketh of his visiting the places of the death buriall and birth of Christ in which he might take more occasion of meditation vpon the mysteries of our redemption To Chrysostome which counted it impietie in certaine priestes that hanged Gospells about them and pieces of the coat and haire of Christ he maketh like answere alledging out of his Demostr ad Gentiles that all the world desired to haue y e crosse and euery man coueted to haue a litle piece of it to inclose it in golde c. and whereas M. Calfhil aunswereth that this was no praise of the parties but a practise of the time Martial replyeth that it was a praise of the parties repeating what Chrysostome doth write in commendation of the signe of the crosse c. whereas in deed Chrysostome speaking of the matter in question onely sheweth what was the affection of Christians to the crosse which was sometime the wood of condemnation Which affection although in some it were immoderate yet Chrysostomes reason against y e Gentiles should not turne him to perpetuall shame as Martial saith for he proueth that Christ was God in that he had wrought so great a conuersion vnto the faith that no man was nowe ashamed of the signe of the crosse which before was a token of condemnation To conclude where Martiall abuseth the wordes of Christ Haec oportet facere c. These things ought to be done the other not omtted to proue that the fact of hauing these pieces of the crosse and inclosing them in golde was good he must either bring the lawe of God as the Pharisees did for tything of Mynt and Anise or else we can not be persuaded that such estimation of pieces of wood is good and godly The seuenth Article That a crosse was borne at the singing or saying of the Letanie c. That processions came not from Gentilitie to Christians Martial will proue bicause processions came from tradition of y e Apostles and that he proueth by a saying of Leo What so euer is retained of the Church into custome of deuotion commeth of the tradition of the Apostles and doctrine of the holy Ghost So is procession c. but the minor is false for the Church of Christ for many hundreth yeares after Christe knewe no processions But if processions came from the Gentiles saith Martial shal we therefore condemne them Haue we not y e liberal sciences many politike lawes from the Gentiles as though there were one reason of religion and politike laws or liberal artes the one we are forbiddeÌ„ to learne of the Gentiles the other being the giftes of God we may take them euen from the Gentiles Neither doth Augustine against the Manichees whome Martial citeth lib. 20. cap. 23. Con. Faust. speake of any heathenish ceremonies receiued in Christian religion but of such thinges as we must haue common with them like the sunne and the ayre as meate drinke apparel houses c. Whether processions came from the Montanistes or Arrians certaine it is they came not from Christe nor his Apostles Tertullian a Montanist maketh meÌ„tion of certaine stations but I suppose they were no processions but standings The miracle of water turned into oyle to serue for light in the Church reported by Eusebius I maruell to what end Martial bringeth foorth and counteth that it was an hundreth yeares before the heresie of Arrius The Letanie or supplication prescribed by the Councel of Ments Martial saith the Papistes do obserue for they ride not in the Rogationweeke nor weare their copes But how obserue they that the Canon commaundeth them to goe barefooted in sackcloth and ashes The Councel of Orleans anno 515. calleth these Letanies rogations but of processioÌ„ or going abroad it speaketh nothing S. Ambrose in deed is ancienter then this Councel but whether that Commentarie vpon the Epistles that goeth vnder his name were of his writing it is not agreed among learned men at least wise there be diuers additions and the written copies varie Besides that the worde wherevpon he buildeth dies prâ—cessiâ—nis both in written and printed copies is dies purgationis the days of a womans purification or if algates he wil haue it processionis as some printed bookes haue yet the very circumstance of the place wil proue that it is the dayes of a womans going
doctrine necessary to saluation shall continue pure and vnspotted although in other matters shee may be deceiued euen as euery one of Gods elect for whome our Sauiour Christ prayeth Iohn 17. which text M. Stapleton citeth to proue the continuance of the Church Wee will neuer say that hell gates haue preuailed against the vniuersall Church of Christ though they haue preuailed against the see of Rome Yet must wee say as the Scripture teacheth vs that Antichrist shal prevaile in the worlde 2. Thessal 2. One Scripture is neuer contrary to another Wee are challenged to reade you out of the Scriptures the breach interruption and fayling of the Church of Christ so manye hundreth yeares As you vnderstand the breach and fayling for an vtter abolishing of the Church of Christ out of the worlde such breache and fayling as wee do not read it so wee do not affirme it But that wee affirme wee reade that in the latter dayes some shall depart from the faith attending to spirites of errour in hypocrisie c. whose markes are to forbid marryage and to abstaine from meates which God hath created c. 1. Tim. 4. Wee read that before the comming of Christe shall be an apostasie and the man of sinne shalbee openly shewed which shall deceiue a great parte of the worlde 2. Thess. 2. We reade that the whore of Babylon which all auncient writers expound to be Rome shall with her sorcerie enchaunt make dronke all nations c. Apoc. This and much more we reade to shewe what your vniuersalitie is and to take away the obiection of our paucitie and not appearing to the greatest part of the worlde at such time as it pleased God for the vnthankfulnesse of men to send them the efficacie of errour to be deceiued because they woulde not receiue the trueth CAP. VIII To denye the continuance of the Church in a sound vpright faith is to defect the mysterie of Christes incarnation This man hath great leasure with store of ynke paper that filleth so many chapters which proofe of that which none of his aduersaries will denie Who al with one mouth confesse and cry out against him so loud that if he were not either deafe or dead he might heare that as Christe the head continueth for euer so doeth the Church his bodye but that the Popishe Church at this time and many hundreth yeares before this time is the body of Christe the spouse of Christe the flocke of Christes sheepe which is deuided from Christ which is an adulteresse from Christ which heareth not the voice of Christ this we all denie and this you shal neuer be able to proue while the world standeth babble and scrible as long as you will CAP. IX That Protestants doe condemne the practise and beliefe of the first 600. yeares in many thinges no lesse then of this latter age If Papistes doe allowe the practise and beleefe of the first 600. yeares in all thinges they may iustly reproue vs for refusing the same in some things But if they refuse the practise and beleefe of that age in many things bicause their Church their iudge doth now practise and holde the contrarie why should they require vs to be bound to the practise and opinion of those times in all things when by Scriptures the only rule of trueth with vs we finde that they haue erred in some things But to leaue his impudent rayling and lying that we or any of vs did euer offer to iustifie what so euer was done or helde by godly men of the first 600. yeares let vs see what practise and beleefe he chargeth vs to condemne First saith he they not onely reproue certaine Fathers for certaine errours but in many pointes they condemne all the Fathers for common errours as inuocation of Saintes and praier for the dead And doe not you Papistes reproue the practise of al the Fathers Pope Innocent with them not onely for ministring the Communion to infants but also for holding that they be damned except they receiue the Communion Augustim Cont. duas ep Pelag. ad Bonifac. lib. 2. cap. 4. Doe you not reproue y e practise opinion of all y â— Fathers for allowing mariage in the ministers of the Church which you vtterly condemne What shall I say of the Communion in both kindes giuen to the lay people by consent of all antiquitie of communicating with the Priest and many such like thinges the practise and beleefe whereof you vtterly refuse But to returne to the examples of inuocation of Saintes which Stapleton saith are cleare by all writers of the first 600. yeares rayling like a saucie marchant at M. Iewell and M. Grindall men whose learning and godlinesse he may enuie but will neuer attaine vnto What a bolde bayard is this to affirme that innocation of Saints is cleare by all writers of the first 600. yeares when no writer of 300. yeares after Christ hath any one iot either of practise or beleefe to alow it Epiphanius among the heresies of y â— Caianes counteth inuocation of Angels Tom. 3. Haer. 3. The other errour of praying for the dead is more auncient but yet it sprang first from the heresie of Montanus neither is there any writer auncienter then Tertullian a Montanist in whome any steppes of praier for the dead are to be found To these he adioyneth a slaunder of Caluine whome he affirmeth to teach that God is the cause and authour of euill which how impudent a lye it is all they that haue read Caluine of Predestination can testifie The reseruation of the Sacrament of the Lordes supper Caluine confesseth to haue bene an erronious practise of the ancient Church And what say you Papistes was it not erronious to reserue that which Christ commaunded to be eaten and dronken But you make no bones of Christes commaundement If it were not erronious why was it forbidden in diuers Councels If you care not for that yet thinke not to mocke y e world with the auncient practise of reseruation which you your selues condemne Will you suffer men and women to carie home the sacrament and locke it in their chestes to hang it about their neckes to receiue it in their houses when they list If you allowe not these thinges which was the reseruation of auncient times you are twice impudent to charge vs for reprouing that practise which you your selues doe not admit to be lawfull But yet againe he chargeth Caluine to condemne the whole primitiue Church of Iewish superstition for saying the Fathers folowed rather the Iewish manner of sacrificing then the ordinance of Christ in the Gospell What a shamelesse beast is this to slander Caluine to condemne the whole primitiue Church when he speaketh only of the later and more corrupt times in which he sheweth their errour but condemneth not the Church But nowe he will proue that Protestantes hold sixe heresies condemned within the first 500. yeares The first is iustification by faith
from the Gospell and doctrin of saluation in setting vp a newe sacrifice in seeking iustification by workes in ouerthrowing the true and spiritual worship of God As for the two Iudges the worde and the spirite he denyeth them finding manye defectes in the worde As that it is sencelesse dombe deafe not able to prooue it selfe to be the worde of God hauing no more power to be Iudge and decide controuersies then the booke of statutes to put on my lorde chiefe Iustices robes and to come to the Kings bench and giue sentence I thinke there is no Christian man but abhorreth to reade these blasphemies But let vs see whether the booke of statutes although it put on no robes is not iudge even ouer my lorde chiefe Iustice him selfe who is a minister seruing to pronounce the lawe not a King to alter the lawe for he him selfe must be obedient to the lawe Nowe in all controuersies that be de iure either the lawe is plaine to be vnderstoode or it is obscure If it be plane as that a felone must be hanged or the sonne must inherite his father c. the Iudge pronouncing the lawe with authoritie and execution following his sentence brydleth the obstinate person that will not obey the lawe which he knoweth as well as the Iudge If the lawe be hard to be vnderstoode the Iudge must seeke the interpretation thereof according to the minde of the law-maker and not according to the his owne fantasie So that in all cases the Iudge hath no authoritie ouer the lawe but vnder the lawe so that if the giue wrong sentence both he and his sentence are to bee iudged by lawe Or else why doe you Martiall in your ciuill lawe courtes so often crye out sit liber iudex let the booke be Iudge If you will not allow the booke of Gods law to be Iudge euen ouer them which haue authoritie as Iustices haue in the common lawe to pronounce it and to declare it The Spirite he refuseth to be Iudge because it is inuisible secreate vnknowen vnable to be gone to but in the Church therefore the Church is the Iudge and neyther the worde nor the Spirite But the Spirite by his owne substance incomprehensible is by his effects in the holy Scriptures visible reuealed knowen and able to be gone vnto therefore a sufficient Iudge taking witnesse of the Scriptures and bearing witnesse vnto them For that maiestie of trueth that power of working that vniforme consent which is in all the Scriptures inspired of God maketh a wonderfull difference of them from all writings of men of all sortes But let vs see Martials arguments against the Spirite of God to be iudge of the interpretation of the Scriptures Paul and Barnabas in the controuersie of circumcision went not to the word and Spirit but to the Apostles and Elders at Ierusalem O blocke-head and shamelesse asse Paul and Barnabas doubted not of the question but sought the generally quiet of the whole Church by consent of Councell But whether went the Apostles and Elders for decision of the question but to the worde and Spirite Reade Act. 15. Againe he citeth Deuteronom 17. that the people in controuersies should resort to the priestes for iudgement but where should they fetche their iudgement but of the lawe of God as it is in the same place Againe Christ hath appointed Apostles Euangelistes c. therefore it is not a generall precept for all men to trie all men to iudge what doctrine they receiue bicause all be not Apostles Euangelistes c. Then in vaine saide Christ to all men search the scriptures in vaine the Apostles trie the spirites neither did the Boerheans well that daily sought the Scriptures to see if those things were so as the Apostles taught Martiall is to be pitied if he knowe no difference betweene authoritie of publike teaching and the triall and examination of doctrine whereof this pertaineth to all men the other to such onely as are called thereto But Martiall proceedeth to shewe that as GOD appointed one high Priest to the Iewes to avoide schismes so he appointed Peter among the Christians and for this purpose he citeth diuers sentences of the auncient Fathers which all in order almost the reader shall finde cited and satisfied in myne aunswere to Doctor Sanders booke of the rocke of the Church Cap. 5. except one place of Tertullian De pudicitia which I maruell this Popish Lawyer would alledge being so contrarie to his purpose but that the poore man vnderstoode it not Qualis es c. What art thou ouerthrowing and changing the intention of our Lorde giuing this personally to Peter Vpon thee saide he I will builde my Church If it were personally saide to Peter Syr Bacheler counsel with Baldus and Bertholdus whether it goe by succession to the Pope or no Which Tertullian denyeth to pertaine to euery Elder of the Church bicause it was spoken personally to Peter And nowe at the length beginneth he to come to the argument of his booke the signe of the crosse Which he saide was the fourth signification of the word Crosse in Scripture and calleth it the materiall and mysticall signe of the crosse which Master Calfhill denieth to be once mentioned in Scripture in that sense that Martiall taketh it Martiall repeateth that which he had saide before that Esaye cap. 49. saith I will set out myne signe on high to the people which Hierome vpon that place expoundeth to be the standard of the crosse that it may be fulfilled which is written the earth is full of his praise Et iterum c. And againe In all the earth his name is wonderfull Which wordes following immediately Martiall craftily suppresseth and falleth into a brabbling matter that preaching which Master Calfhill saide was this standard is not the onely standard or signe lifted vp by GOD for conuersion of the Gentiles but miracles and good examples of life c. Whereas the question is whether the Popish signe of the crosse be the signe spoken by Esay and Hierome And the exposition added by Hierome sheweth plainely that he meaneth not a red or blue crosse banner but the preaching of Christe crucified whereby the earth is filled with the praise of GOD and his name is wonderfull in all the earth But Martiall in the end concludeth that it hath pleased the auncient Fathers to appoint and ordeine the signe of the crosse to he one meane among many by which the praise of GOD is set foorth Where he should haue proued that the signe of the crosse as he taketh it is mentioned in the scriptures Other cauils and slaunders not more false then foolish I will clearely omit as I purposed in the beginning and followe onely such matter as is proper to the question in controuersie namely the signe of the crosse The second text to proue that the signe of the crosse is mentioned in the scripture he citeth out of Iere. 4. Lift vp a signe in Sion which