by the authoritie of Scripture So saith the b August l. de natura grat c. 39. Credamus quod legimus quod non legimus nefas credamus ad struere quod de cunctis etiā dixisse sufficiut Pelagians in the same Authour Let vs beleeue saith Pelagius vvhat vve reade and vvhat vve reade not let vs beleeue it vnlavvfull to be established Let this suffice in all other matters So the c Aug l. post Collationem Nos sola portamus Euig lia Item concio 1. in Psal 32. Nos sola offerimus Euangelia Donatists in the same Authour saying vve bring vvith vs and present the Ghospells onely This was that which Eranistes aymed at whom a Apud Theod. in Dialog immutabilis Ego enim soli diuinae scripturae fidem habeo Theodoret brings in in his Dialogues where condemning all reasons he saith For I beleeue in the Ghospell onely So b Lib. 2. cont ipsum cap. 1. Fratribus nobiscum constitutisin sancto Euangelio Petilianus writing to his brethren vnder this title to our brethren constituted together vvith vs in the holy Ghospell So the Maximianists expressing them selues in these termes fighting with vs in the truth of the Ghospell Finally so the Arians Apud S. Aug. In veritate Euangelij nobiscum militantibus who were so wedded to the Scripture that they would not onely admit no sense but euen no word which was not comprised therin reiecting this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it was not found there Concil Nicenum All these auncient Heresiarkes condemned by the Church and by your selues had the Scripture as frequently in their mouthes as you They tearmed themselues Euangelicall men like you They made the Scripture the onely rule of their Faith as you doe yet wheras they did it in words not in deede as was fitting but in publishing its name they abused the authoritie therof they were cōdemned by the Church their doctrine was iudged worthy of hatred as yours also is and will be I am confident by the iudgement of the whole world when I shall haue made manifest that you abuse the scriptutes to your owne ends It is truly worthy of hatred because vnder pretext of scripture the writen word of God almightie 1. it doth reiect his word not written 2. a great part of the written word 3. it clearely contradicts in many passages that which it doth admitt 4. corrupts it in diuers parts 5. and lastly it makes the word of men passe for the word of God yea euen the word of euery Idiot establishing vpon them the principall articles of your Faith 1. Vvorthy of hatred because it reiecteth the vvord of God not vvritten If he be worthy of hatred who in establishing a thinge destroyes that without which it cannot subsiste and which is also commanded by it your doctrine is by a iust title hatefull for the Scripture which whilsts it extolls it destroyes the Traditions commanded by the same Scripture and without which it can in no sort subsiste That holy writ cānot subsiste without Traditions it is most cleare since by them onely we know that the bookes of Scripture which we haue came vnto our hands pure and intire such as they proceeded from the mouth of the holy Ghost You beleeue as an article of Faith that you haue those bookes pure and intire wherfore ether the written word affirmethit which indeede is not so or not affirming it it followes that some other word not written doth teach it vs or els we beleeue that with a diuine Faith which God neuer spoke a thing most absurde seeing that the word of God is the onely fundation of our Faith That Traditions are commanded by the Scripture the second to the a Cap. 2. Tenete traditiones quas didicistis siue per sermonem siue per Epistolam nostram Thessalonians makes manifest where the Apostle speakes so clearely of Traditions of Faith not written that euen b Vvhitat controu 1. q. 6. c. 10. Respondeo Noui Testamenti Canonē non fuisse tune editū at que constitutū cum Paulus hanc Epistolā scriberet .... nō sequitut ergo quando Apostolus scripsit ad Thessalon tum omnia necessaria non sunt scriptae ergo nec postea your owne men confesse that at he tyme when S. Paule wrote there were such like traditions which since are inserted in holy Vvrite A thing indeede easily said but hardly persuaded especially to such as consider that it is not to be found in all holy scripture that those things which were not yet written while S. Paule wrote that Epistle were afterwards put downe in writing 2. Vvorthy of hadted because it reiects part of the Vvrittē vvorde of God Conc. Carthag 3. Can. 47. Trullan can 2. Rom. sub Gelaesio Trident By what authoritie doe you reiect many of the bookes of Scripture which the Church at diuerse tymes in diuerse Councells in diuers parts of the world in Greece Italie Afrique and Germanie defines to be canonicall and diuine Vvhat a senselesse thing is it that you of your owne head should establish canons hauing nether Father who doth declare nor Councell that doth define which is to be noted the Canon of the bookes of holy scripture according to your way The presumption which you vse in opposing your iudgement against the iudgement of the auncient Fathers and the authoritie of the Church is truly worthy to be hated 3. Vvorthy of hatted because it contradicts the scripture He that opposeth what he ought religiously to follow is he not worthy of hatred And ought not all men to follow the scripture You make profession of doing so and yet directly to deney what it affirmes and beleeue the contrarie to that which it teacheth in expresse termes as I haue proued in the precedent Chapter is not this to contradict it If a man can be said to esteeme him whom he often belyes you esteeme the scripture and if one can hold that for a Rule to which he frequently opposeth his iudgement you doe vndoutedly hold the scripture for the rule of your saluation For plainely to affirme that a thingis not wheras the scripture saith it is what other thing is it then to giue the lye to the scripture and to haue a iudgement opposite to the iudgement therof 4 Your corruptions in the scripture are so perfp cuous Vvorthy of hatred because it corrupis the Scripture that euen your owne men doe reprehend them Did not Charles du Mullin who is famous amongst you for this cause say that a Molinaesus in suatranslatione Noni Testaementi Caluinus in sua Harmonia textum Euangelicum desutare facit sursum versum vt res ipsaindicat vim infert literae Euangelicae illam multis in locis transponit in super additlitterae Caluin in his Harmonie puts the text of the Ghospell topsie turuie as the thing it selfe makes manifest violates the letter of
that he was not also reputed an heretike in sustayning that workes were not profitable to saluation In which matter S. Ireneus and Theodorete remoue all manner of doubt when they bring in his opinioÌ„ that meÌ„ were not saued by their good workes as hereticall Howbeit I vndertake not to proue an intire conformitie betwixt your beleife and theirs not being ignorant that as theeues disguise stolen things to put them out of the knowledge of their owners so you disguise the old heresies that men may mistake them Marrie I most willingly vndertake to shew as indeede I doe that that old Heresiarke held as you doe That we are not saued by good workes And consequently that huing bene condemned in this point the soule of your faith was branded with à sentence of condemnation in the first age of the Church whose authoritie you dare not reiect 2. Point You beleeue that the faith of parents is so efficacious that their children dying without Baptisme are saued a 24. Inslit c. 15. Caluin doth teach this doctrine and withall it is so vulgarly knowen euen to the simplest of your fellowers that it needes no proofe Now albeit you make profession to deteste the Pelagian errours yet your beleife in this point is one of their heresies as it is cleare out of S. Augustine who puts it downe as such in his catalogue of heresies b lib. de Haer. 88. Promittunt eis aeternam beatam quandam vitam They promisse saith he to children not baptised à blessed and eternall life c lib 1. de anima eius origine 1.9 Noli credere nols decere infantes anâ—equam baptizantur morte â—raeuentos peruenâ—re posse ad originalium indulgentiam peccatorum which he doth charge with so heauie à condemnation that in the bookes he wrote against them he addes Beleeue not affirme not teach not that children preuented by death before they were baptised can euer obtayne remission of their originall sinne if you desire to be Catholike Ergo This article of your faith is condemned in the person of Pelagius But if you alleadge for you that your and the Pelagian heresie are far different they holding that euery child that dyed without baptisme did in ioy Gods Glorie wheras you limite it to the predestinate onely And againe they assigned to children dying without baptisme à different place from that which those that were regenerated possesse which you doe not I answere that the first difference which you giue betwixt you and the Pelagians coÌ„sisteth onely in à greater or lesser number of those children whom you beleeue to be saued without baptisme and not in the substance of the errour impugned by S. Aug. who while he teacheth that no child at all without Baptisme can be saued he condemnes you both in that wherin you agree to witt that some are saued without baptisme As for the second difference which consists in this that the Pelagians assigned another place to children dying without baptisme then to the baptised it is disaduantagious to your selues and yet doth no whitte impaire the force of my argument to the validitie of which is it sufficient that you and the Pelagians aggree in this that without baptisme one may inioy life euerlasting Which S. August doth clearly condemne and by way of disgrace obiect vnto them that they promisse à blessed and eternall life to children not baptised And that this difference doth disparage your cause By deduction you will plainly discouer The Pelagians held that children were saued without Baptisme This passage was opposed against them Ioan. 3. Vnles à man be borne againe of water and the spirit he cannot enter c. they being coÌ„uinced by the clearnes of this place graÌ„ted indeede that the kingdome of heaueÌ„ was only prepared for the regenerated marrie besides heauen they assigned à third place as à Residence for children dying without Baptisme So that they gaue way to the clearenes of this passage which you doe for you deney absolutly that it doth exclude children that die without the sacrament from the kingdome of heauen though it reach expressly that they shall haue no patt therin Wherin you clearely diseouer that your heresie is more impudent then that of the Auncient heretikes sith you audaciously deney as à thing which is preiudiciall vnto you that which they durst neuer call in question though it were absolutly against them It is manifest therfore nor haue you what to say against it that this article of your faith wherby you maintain that children dead without baptisme are saued was condemned by the auncient Church in the person of Pelagius Yet fearing that the differences which are betwixt his errout and yours abbeit they be not able to saue you from the Churchs curse might hinder you to confesse that you are condemned in his person to leaue you to your owne condemnation I will shew you the condemnation of your verie errour in S. August Lib. de anima eius origine c. 9. Isle autem Vincentius cum confiteatur paruules origiginali obstrictos esse peccato eis tamen regnum coelorum non baptizatis ausus est pollicert quod nec illi ausi sunt c. in the person of one named Vincentius who without assigning à third place with Pelagius ahsolutly allowed with you the kingdome of Heauen to Children not baptised He durst saith S. Aug. promisse the kingdome of heauen to children not baptised which the Pelagians durst neuer doe 3. Point Your Doctours doe teach that our Sauiour Christ did in his birth violate his mothers integritie as all other children are wont to doe a Whitak controu 2. q 5. c. 7. Docuit â—ouinianus Mariam amisisse Virginitatem in partu Respondeo tum impudetissimus haereticus fuit sed ait nos similiter docere nominat Bucerum Molinaum Respondeo Hoc ait quia non adenittimus fictam â—llam partus ratiorem c. Witakere purging himselfe of diuers errours which the great Cardinal Bellarmine iustly imputes to his sectaries doth ingenuously auow this opinion and striues to defend it which yet puts no obligation vpon me at this present to refute it contenting my selfe onely to shew that it is the auncient heresie of Iouinian which was condemned in the 4. age according to S. Aug. b Haeres Virginitaâ—â—m Mariae destruebat dieeÌ„ eam parieÌ„do fuisse corrupiaÌ„ relation in these tearmes Iouinian saith he did destroye the virginitie of Marie saying that in her Childbrith she was corrupted Nor is it to the present purpose to shew that your beleife doth differe from that of Iouinian for that he forsooth doth abolish the mentall virginitie of the B. Virgine which you de not it being manifest that Iouinian denid corporall virginitie to our B. Lady Both because S. Augustine impugning this Heresiarke defends her corporall virginitie and also for that the reason which he brings to shew that the B. Virgine had not conserued her Virginitie was grounded vpon her childbirth
but smale the other verie great For the rest though it were true that you could compt your selues by millions that you were spreade ouer all France yet should you get no greate aduantage S. c S. August serm 2. in Psal 36. Augustine compareing you by good reason to smoake which doth vanish so much the sooner by how much it is greater and more dilated abroade From the multitude of your brethren you make a passage to the antiquitie of your religion professing it to be Christian and such as Iesus-Christ did institute it and as the Apostles did publish and put it downe in writing vpon which I will obserne foure things First I say that ether your meaning is that you haue the ancient doctrine of the Church though receaued of new or that you had and conserued il from all ages by an vninterrupted succession If the first albeit indeede it is false suppose it were granted you it were yet vnprofitable the auncient and true doctrine being insufficient if a man haue not the Church which haue he cannot vnlesse he haue continually retayned the true doctrine If the second after you shall haue spent much labour to proue your assertiō yet shall you gather no other fruite ther of then to shew your antiquitie bounded with the terme of one age wheras that of the Church of Iesus-Christ hath sixteene ages vpon its heade It is true that your religion is auncient in a certaine sense sith as we shall se hereafter it is compounded of diuers heresies which were condemned in the primitiue Church yea euen from the tyme of the Apostles but you cannot stile it auncient as though the body of your beleife all the substance of your faith had from former ages bene beleeued it being euident that the Article of iustification by speciall faith which is a part of the life of your religion was vnknowen before the age in which we liue I adde this word speciall because though Eunomius and other more auncient a Apud S. Aug. haeres 54. Et lib. de fid oper c. 14. Heretiques said that man was iustified by onely faith speaking of dogmaticall Faith yet none before Luther held that this iustifying Faith did consiste in the speciall apprehension that each one of the faithfull made of the Iustice of Iesus Christ which is applyed by the beliefe they haue to be iustified For the rest you being able to name none who before b Luth. tom 7. Primus fui cui Deus ea quaevobis praedicata sunt reuelare dignatus est Luther made profession of your whole beliefe Luth. tom 2. in formula Missae ait Nostram rationem colen de Deum per Missam fuisse velerem inolitā suam verorecentem insuetam Luth. tom 2. ad Princip Bohem. Deus hoc tempore lucem sui Euāgelij rursus accendit Luth. tom 5. in cap. 1. 1. ad Corinth Absque sua opera nullum verbum neiota quidem de Euangelio fuisset auditum and that great prophete of your Law boasting in plaine termes that he was the first to whom God vout safed to reueale what he preached and further clearely accnowledging the manner of seruing and honoring God in the Masse to haue bene auncient and to haue taken roote and confessing his of the contrarie side to be now and vnaccustomed saying moreouer that God in his tyme had lightened of nevv the light of the Ghospell which without him one iota had not bene heard of And Againe a Caluine assureing vs that it was he that first vndertooke the cause of the Ghospell which is the first who shevved the way to others who can affirme that your religion hath more then an hundred years of antiquitie None as I conceaue Calu. in 2. defens contr Vuestphal ait de Luthero quod causam Euangelij agere caeperit viam primus demonstrauerit will dare to thinke it especially if they reflect vpon that which one of your brethren of the same Age with Luthere secretarie of the Elector of Saxonie first Abettour saith such a confession was neuer made not onely within these thousand yeares b Spalat in relat confess August Cont. Epistolam fundamentalem cap. 4. but euen since the worlds creation nor is the like confession found in any historie in any Father in any Authour Secondly I say that imitating Luther who puts the word Catholique out of the Creede you doe not in this place attribute it to your religion knowing in your consciences that the name Catholike a name of so greate waight that it euen retayned S. Augustine in the Church doth in no sorte appertayne vnto you It appertaynes not-vnto you as it doth determine that of all Christian societies which contaynes the greatest multitude as I haue alreadie shewen Nor yet as it signifies vniuersalitie and diffusion whether we regard tymes or places it being euident both because you deriue not your origine from Iesus Christ and his Apostles by an vninterrupted succession of your predecessours who haue subsisted in all tymes and withall for that you are reduced to so narrow bounds that you cannot be said to be spread ouer the greatest part of the world Thirdly I say that since you are no Catholikes you cannot be tearmed Christians if the Fathers may be beleeued for a Pacianus Epist 1. Christianus mihi nomē est Catholicus cognomen illud me nuncupat istud ostendit S. Pacian saith that the name of Catholike is the surname of Christians and b Catholica Ecclesia nomen propriū est huius sanctae Ecclesiae matris omniū nostrum S. Cyrille the proper name of the holy Church of Iesus-Christ You cannot trulie be Christians because as we haue shewen your beliefe is hereticall and consequently wholy opposite to Christian religion which cannot be such for which cause Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Athanasius S. Augustine and others affirme Lib. de pudicitia Lib. 4. ep 2. Serm. 2. cont Arr. Lib. de grat Christs c. 11. that an heretike is not to be tearmed Christian Fourthly I note that you doe impertinently sustayne that your religion was instituted by Iesus-Christ published and put downe in writing by the Apostles sithence being hereticall as I haue alreadie said and as shall be made manifest in the 16. Chap. of this booke it is contrarie to the institution of Iesus-Christ and that seeing at manifestly contradicteth the scripture in diuers points as I will presently iustifie though it be easie for you to affirme that it is conformable to that which the Apostles left in writing yet will you find it impossible to verifie the same or to hinder a man to accnowledge the contrarie The scripture saith that a Iacob 2. vers 24. Operibus iustificatur homo non ex fide tantū Confession Françoise article 20 Nous croyous que nous sommes faits participans de ceste Iustice par la seule foy a man is not iustified by faith onely you say that he
suspected vnto men then by representing him as your Authours g Luther de seru arbit Aliter de Deovel voluntate Dei nohis praedicata reuelata oblata culta aliter de Deo non praedicato non reuelato nō culto disputandum est Item Non vult mortem peccatoris verbo scilicet vult autē illam volūtate illa imper scrutabili Luther h Cal. de praedestina volūtas illi Deo alia tribuitur quam ea quae abipso in lege patefacta est Caluine and i Beza de aetern Deipraedestina Dicimus quandam Dei esse voluntatē nobis patefactam quādam vero occultam Sic Aphorism 14. 20. Martyr in epist ad Rom. cap. 1. Quod enim attinet ad peccatum fatemur Deum illud nolle si eim voluntatem spectemus quae nobis legibus diuinis sacris literis est declarata sed quod omnino absolutè peccatum non velit minime concedemus Calu 3 Instit c. 23. §. 9. Excusabiles peccando haberi volunt reprobi quia euadere nequeunt peccandinecessitatem praesertim cum ex Deierdinatione inticiatur huiusmedi necessitas nos verô inde negamusexcusari quandoquidem Deiordinationi sua constet aequitas Paraeus l. 2. de amiss grat Necessariò quidem sed tamex votuntarie iustissimo iudicio Dei peccat creatura Zuingl lib. de prouid c. 6. At inquies coactus est Latro ad peccandum permitto inquam coactum esse all the rest doe as hauing two wills wholie contrarie the one reuealed in scripture wherby he desires man's saluation not his sinne and damnation The other hidd wherby he desirs the sinne and damnation of man yea necessitates and forceth him ther to Doe not such blasphemies make man suspect God none can deney it they doe indeede and make your beliefe wherby they are taught it abominable in the sight of God Your beliefe is and you ought to be suspected by men not onely vpon this occasion but also because they doe continually heare from you that which they find to be contrario and that you often vaunt of that which belongs not to you And indeede to what end doe you bragge that you were the first that presented the scripture vnto France in a vulgare tongue sithens you confesse your selues in the preface of the Bible printed at Geneua the yeare 1588. that it had bene translated from the tyme of Charles the V. as our Annalles doe wittnesse To what pourpose will you make France stand indebted to you as though you had brought her to the sight of her Fathers will which was hidden from her till then for so far are you from hauing right to this glorie that contrariwise you are lyable to blame for hauing violently depriued her of it by taking away the bodie and blood of Iesus Christ Luc. 22. Hic calix nouum est testamentū in meo sanguine which he himselfe calls his will and Testament Is it to giue a will to giue the figure and shadowe therof Is it to giue a Vvill to giue it corrupted to giue it so as it cannot be vnderstoode So giue you the Eucharist to the people so doe you putt the scriptures into their hands so doe you inlarge them with libertie in that kind Let vs now examine what benefit the people can reape by hauing their publike seruice in french SECTION II. IN this point as in diuers others you shew your selues louers and authours of noueltie for it is euident that since the Latine Church was founded by the Apostles it alwayes made vse of this tongue in her liturgies yea euen after the inuasion of the Gothes depriued the people of the vse therof Hauing thus conserued it while it was now no more their naturall tongue what reason doth vrge vs at this tyme to change it The Church is too old and you too young to teach her speake a new language It is most reasonable that as the beliefe of the Church is one in all nations so publike prayer should be performed in a tongue common to all Vvhy did not the a Munster prafat su◠grammatica Syriacae Chaldaicae Iunius praefat ante Nouum Testamentum Trimelij dicūt tempore Christi linguam Iudaeorū fuisse Syriacam Iewes hauing corrupted their language by the long continuance of the babylonicall captiuitie and the communication they had with sundrie nations speaking commonly Syraick leaue of to continew their office in the Hebrew tongue If it had bene an vnlawfull thing Iesus Christ would haue reprehended them yea his not reprehending them was the approbation of their and our fact The Iewes Grecians and Abissins doe their seruice at this day in no valgaire tongue The Nestorians doe theirs in Chaldaicke though taey speake the tongue of diuers rations where they liue You say that all the comon people ought to vnderstand and yet those of your sect which are in Bearne Languedocke Prouence and Gasconie vnderstand french no better then the comon people who liue within the compasse of the Catholike Church doe Latine Vvhile notwithstranding the Ministers in those partes doe their seruice in french and not in the language of those Prouinces It is not necessarie nor alwayes profitable that the people should know all Marrie necessarie it is that the celebration of some of the highest misteries be not made comon to them their deuotion being augmented therby For this reason amongst a Leuit. 16. Nullus hominum sit in tabernaculo quādo Pontifex Sanctuarium ingreditur vt roget pro se pro domo sua pro vniuerso catu Israel donec egrediatur the Iewes none entred into the Sancta Sanctorum with the high Priest Yea b Luc. 1. Et omnis multitudo populi erat orans foris horaincēsi saint Luke notes some sacryfices at which by the diuine institution the comon people assisted not but remayned without not seeing nor understanding any thing that passed CHAP. V. SECT I. MINISTERS YOur Maiestie should also see that we are hated for proposing à doctrine which doth teach one to dy with peace of conscience and assurance of saluation grounded vpon God's promis in Iesuschrist wherby he doth promisse that all simers who seriously repenting conuert themselues vnto him and beleeue in Iesus-Christ shall not perish but shall haue eternall life which trust in Iesus-Christ celiuers the faithfull departing this life from the horrour of Hell and from that making wherby it is thought that a man scapes good cheape though he goe into the fire of Purgatorie to be burnt and tormented therin for the space of many ages From which torment notwithstanding they are held in part or in whole to be freed who giue part of their meanes to the Church and they also to whom it pleaseth the Pope to distribute Indulgences for by that gate gott trading into the Romane church and ingenious auarice made the ignorance of the poore people tributarie to it selfe ANSWERE CAtholike Doctours doe teach
that since God doth promisse remission of sinns to conuerted sinners such as feele no remorse of conscience which may make them esteeme their repentance defectiue ought to haue peace of mynd and are morally certaine of their saluation And therfore it is not true simply to affirme that your doctrine is hated for teaching men to die with peace of conscience and assurance of saluation well might you auerre that it is worthy of hate for teaching that this certaintie of saluation which the faithfull may haue is not onely morall but euen infallible as proceeding from diuine faith which is the doctrine that the Church condemneth and you sustayne None can know saith the a Sess 6. c. 9. Councell of Trent by certaintie of Divine faith which is not subiect to deceiâ—t that he hath obtayned the grace of God Behold sirs I pray the true reason for which we may say vnto you with b In Ezech. 11. Vae his haeresibus hisque doctrints quae requiem pollicentes omnem aetatem sexumque deci piuni S. Hierome accursed be the heresies and doctrine which promiseng repose deceaue all ages and sexes Aud with the c Ierem. 4. scripture that which it affirmes of false Prophetes that hauing peace in their mouth in effect they haue it not Peace Peace and there is no peace For one may truly say that you deceaue the people seeing you doe assure them that this certaintie is of Faith and yet following your owne principles it hath not in scripture sufficient groundes For tell me ô Miristers I beseech you to you Ispeake in your owne particular where doe you find in scripture in expresse termes that one of you for example Peter du Moulin is assured of his saluation If you find it not how doe you beleeue it as an article of faith since you doe not hold the word of God barely but the expresse word of God to be the fundation of Faith as appeares by the testimonies of many a Calu. Epist contra Prâ—centorem Lugd. Nihil eredendum est quod non expressum sit in scripturiâ— Vvhital controu 1. quaest 4. c. 1. Omntae quae sunt ad salutem necessaria apertis verbis in scripturis pro. poni nostrum axioma est Luth. lib. cont Reg. Ang Nullum articulum sciat a me admitti nisi apertis scripturae verbis munitum The King of Eugland in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First Assure your conscience vpon the faundation of the most expressevuord of God Sadol desacrif c. â— Nos expressa seripturae sacrae testimonia efflagita mus of yours and particularly by the b The Ratification of the ffrench Confession All the ffrench harches approoue and ratifie the aboue mentioned Confession in all these heads and articles as being vuholy grounded vpon the pure and expresse vuord of God ratification of your confession of faith signed by the most famous men of your religion and the most learned Ministers that were then amongst you wherin you say that your faith is grounded intirly vpon the pure and expresse word of God You will easily grant that this which I demand is not expressy contayned in scripture but that you draw it thence by consequence This answere will appeare friuolous for diuers reasons First I aske you out of what passages of the scripture you proue that it is sufficient to make a thing to be beleeued by diuine faith that it be inferred out of scripture by discours and consequence as though forsoth faith were discursiue and not a simple habit like to that of Principles becausé as it giues present consent to its obiect by reason of the euidence therof so faith without reasoning doth forthwith imbrace the word of God which is its obiect by reason of infallible authotihe of him who doth reveale it If you find this supposition in scripture we are in the wrong if not you are ill grounded in your faith for it is euident that this Principle to witt that it is sufficient to make a proposition to be an Article of faith that it be inferred out of seripture is purely humaine and noâ— diuine Further put case it weretrue and made good by scripture that an inference were a valide fundation of faith yet according to your selues this would onely haue place in consequences drawen out of two diuine Principles which are both contayned in the scripture seeing it is euident that one of them being humane the certaintie of the coÌ„clusion cannot be diuine seeing that euery conclusion is of the same nature with the more imperfect part of its cause and that that wherby a thing is knowen ought to be better knowen then the thing it selfe So that if the Principle wherby a conclusion is knowen be onely knowen by a humane knowledge the conclusion cannot be knowen by a more perfect knowledge Wherfore albeit that euen an inference of this nature and kind might serue for a valide fundation of our faith yet were it nothing to your pourpose since in the sillogisme by which you conclude the assurance of your saluation euen admitting of your owne ac count there is but one of the Premises diuine contayned in the scripture that who soeuer beleeues is iustified the other which affirmes that you beleeue being meerly humane as not being mentioned in all the scripture nether in expresse termes nor yet by consequence I adde that though it were granted which yet is false that a conclusion drawen out of two principles the one diuine the other humane might be a sufficient motiue to oblige vs to beleeue yet should not that be but in regarde it were drawen by a companie of wise and learned men no man being of so weake a discourse as to thinke a conclusion drawen by an ignorant person or an Idiote who knowes not what belonges to a good inference drawen I say from a Principle which he alone tinowes is a sufficient and valide fundakon of diuine and infallible faith And yet in these termes are you A poore plough man vpon his death-bed can not be sure of his saluation vnlesse he inferre it by consequence on t of a Principle knowen to himselfe alone sith none but himselfe knowes whether he haue truly faith Nor doth it suffice to say that in this behalfe he is interiourly guided by the holy Ghost who assures him of faith Because in that case we were to admitt of another word of God not written and giuen not to the Church but onely to euery particular man whoÌ„ by that meanes you make solewittnes and Iudg in his owne cause Which you cannot with any appearance sustayne since contrarie to your owne principles you should admitt of another rule of saluation besids the scripture wheras also there is none but will confesse that though the expresse words of scripture were not necessarie to ground an article of faith yet in all reason should they be requisite to ground that by which you beleeue you haue faith since that is the onely fundation
peace is not found Rom. 8. v. 24. Spe salui facts suissus saue in the Catholike Church where you ought to seeke it imitating the doue which was forced backe to the Arke whence she flow not finding elswhere a place wherin she could repose Thus you ought to comport your selues and not rashly as you doe to reiect her doctrine whom you ought to credit and reuerence as your dearest mother And indeed what find you reprehenfible in her discipline while she teacheth that sinns are to be redeemed by almes deeds The scripture affirmes it in expresse words and the Fathers doe vnanimously aggree in it Luke 11. giue almes and all thnigs are cleane vnto you Daniel 4. Redeeme thy sinns by almes deeds Tob. 12. Almes deedes doe free from death There is no doubt saith a Aug. Serm. 2. de ver Apost oratronibus sanctae Ecclesiae sacrificio salutari eleemosynts non est dubium montuos adiuuari 2. Hom. 41. in 1. Corinth Iuneturmertuus non lachâ—â—mis sed prâ—â— thus supâ— lieation◠〈◊〉 eleemoâ—â—â— S. Augustine but that the soules departed are assisted by the prayers of the Church the healthfull sacryfice and almes deedes And S. Ch ylostome the deceased is helped not by teares but by prayers by supplications by almes deedes The Fathers are full of the like sentences which for breuities sake I will omitt SECT 2. OF INDVIGENCES NOw concerning the power of Indulgences which consistes in remitting the paine of sinne out of the Sacrament by the merits of Iesus-Christ and of his saintes Why doe you find it strange that the Church in this age doth chalance the power therof which as practise makes apparent she stood alwayes possest of huaing euen in her in fancie pardoned paines canonicall and Ecclesiasticall Did not S. Paule remit the payne which the chusch had inioyned the b 2. Corinth c. 2. Cui autem aliquid donastis ego nam ego quod donaui si quid donaui propter vos in persona Christi incestuous Corinthian Doth not the Epistle of the Eutycians produced in the c Act. 1. Superuenit salutaris dies passionis sacra nox resurrectionis festiuttas in qua quid m plurimis peccatoribus a sanctis patribus nostris damnationes soluuntur Councell of Chalcedone make mention that it was the custome in Easter tyme to pardon sinners the paines which were due vnto their crimes Is not this that which d Cyp. lib de lapsis Potest ilie Deus indulgetiam dare sententiam suam potest ilie deflectere paenitenti reganti potest clementer ignosâ—ere potest in accepeum referre quidquidpre talious petterint marryres secerint face dotes S. Cyprian would say he to witt God can giue indulgence he can qualifie his owne sentence he can clemently pardon the suppliant offender he can approue what so euer the Martyres haue demanded or Preists haue done in their fauour It doth manifestly appeare by these words that Martyres did demand of the Church remission of paines inflicted vpon the faith full and that the Church did sometymes grant their requests Doth not a Cap. 22. At tu iam in martyres tuos effundis hanc potestaâ—om Tertul. also ayme at this in his booke de Pudicitia when after he had made a long discourse of the remission of sinns by Iesus Christ he vpbrayded the Church from which he was then fâ—â—llen that she imparted this power to her Martyres And indeede since the Church hath power to impose canonicall paynes it were most absurde to say that she could not remitt them it being manifest in common reason that this power doth necessarily accompanie that If you say that the canonicall paines which the Church remitted were not inioyned to expiate the guilte of our crimes before God but onely to satisfie the Church offended by the scandall of sinne reason the testimonie of holy Fathers and your owne confessions shall condemne you Reason in that the satisfact on inioy aed was not for publike crimes onely wherby the Church suffered scand all but for those also which because they were secrete came not to the knowledge of the church Which b Cyp. lib. de lapsis Plus delinquit qui euadere se paenam criminis si non palam crimen ad misit Hoc adeo pro. ficit vt sit minor culpa non vt innoceÌ„s conscientiae Nec cesset in agenda paenitentia atque in doa mini misericordia deprecanda ne quod minus esse in qualitate delicti videtur in neglecta saetisfactione cumuletur S. Cyprian and c Sozom. l. 7. hist. c. 16. Soxomene doe witnesse Whence it followes that the paine which was remitted by way of Indulgence was imposed not to satisfie the Church onely but God also Againe the paines which had bene inioyned aÌ„d were remitted were somtymes performed in priuate as a Gennadius lib. Eccles dogm c. 53. Gennadius assures vs. Somtymes also they were inioyned for light offences as S. b Cyp. serm de laps cit Cyprian witnesseth and they were imposed to appease Gods wroth by pennance and to moue him to pardon vs. so much the more willingly by how much we did lesse spare and pardon our selues c Tertul. l. de paenitentia c. 9. Vs paenitentia Deus mitigetur in quantum non perpercerim mibi in tantum mihi Deus paercat saith Tertullian That Christ by satisfaction might be ouercome and by satisfaction our sinns might be redeemed saith S. d Epist. 55. vt exoretur satisfactionibus Christus â—isatisfactionibus delicta redimantur Cyp lan That Christ should blot out sinns formerly committed and least the punishment of sinns should be reserued to the end that is to the next world saith S. e Enchirid c. 68. Deleat Deus iam facta peccata Et cap. 66 Ne peccata reseruentur in finem Augustine Now all these considerations had no place in the satisfactions which were done vnto the Church for those were not inioyned for priuate sinns nor for sinns of lesse moment nor yet were they done in priuate nor as you would haue it to pacifie God by pennance or to obtaine mercy â—f Christ nor yet that God should blot out sinns alreadie committed and should not reserue them to be punished in the next world And thesfore the paines which were imposed were not imposed to satisfie the church alone True it is happily you will say that canonicall paynes were remitted by the Church and some also there are which are satisfactorie yet wheras they are not all of that kind it followes not that they which were remitted by the Church were of that kind To this lanswere first that this euasion hath no other ground then your owne errour Further wher as reason will that he that hath power to impose a paine should haue also power to remitt the same it planely followes that if the Church impose paines which are satisfactorie before God it can also
them vnto a gentleman of our religion to bring them vnto vs. ANSWERE SInce Euery man vnderstands his owne busines best I haue nothing to say vpon this paragrafe which toucheth F. Arnould he hauing in his replie answered it himselfe onely this I will say he that knowes his merits learning Zeale and moderation of mynd will easily iudge him to be a man of greater performance then vndertaking and more prone to render your soules gratefull to God then your persons hatefull to men CHAP. XIII MINISTERS THis Soueraigne Lord did oblige vs to make answere for this confession hauing bene made to giue an accompt of our faith to our Soueraignes and to that effect being presented to king Henry the II. your predecessour we thought fitt to addresse the Defence of the same confession to his successour in whose presence it was calumniated And I wish to God we were licenced to propose our defence verbally in the presence of your Maiestie and were authorised publikly and in presence of the king which God hath bestowed vpon vs to mantayne the truth of the Gospell against those that doe diffame it which is a thing which your Maiestie ought also to desire For seeing a dissension amongst your subiects in point of religion what is more conuenient then that he who is the common father of vs all should know in what the difference consistes and see the ground of the processe and to this effect he should looke to the head of the fountaine to discouer what Christian religion was in its source For he that is established on earth to see that God be serued ought exactly to know the rule of Gods seruice he who in his charge represents God's royaltie ought in his actions to imitate his iustice which how can it be done without knowing the soueraigne rule of Iustice which is the word of God Vvher vpon it is that God commands kings continually to haue before their eyes the booke of the law therin to read all the dayes of their life But if they permitt themselues to be hood winked and be content to follow without seeing the way before them the Popes and Prelates haue faire occasion to accommodate religion to their priuate lucre and crect their owne greatnes vpon the ruines of the Ghospell For now religion is made a trafike and those our great Masters haue inuented rules of pietie which doth intrench not onely vpon the liuing but euen vpon the deade To no other end haue the Popes for some ages past probibited the kings your Maiesties Predecessours to read the holy Scripture but that their Empire is grounded vpon the ignorance of Gods word Neuer had it bene permitted to haue growen so great with the diminution of the greatnes of our Kings if they had not wrought vpon the aduantage of an obscure age wherin few people discouered their designe He could not haue made himselfe soueraigne Iudge in points of faith if the people had had the rule of faith before their eyes which God long agoe pronounced with his owne mouth ANSWERE IT is a great art in him that is feable and fearefull to fayne himselfe bold and valourous you put a good face vpon it and beare it boldly to make the world beleeue that you haue a great desire to appeare before the king to make good in his presence and in publike the truth of your new Gospell Your words which sound no other thing but a chalance wherby you prouoke all the Clergie of France to a publike disputation makes me call to mynd the Troian wherof mention is made in Homere Iliad 7 who boldly prouoked to combate marrie when it came once to blowes he stood in neede of a cloud to couer his flight and shame Vve could with facilitie if we pleased refuse to giue you battaile without the disaduantage of our dishonour or affording you occasion of complaint For Luther doth sustayne that we are not to dispute with such as renew old heresies which were long agoe condemned But we will not proceede so rigorously with you the Church of France by Gods prouidence being prouided of store of Prelates wherof I am the least and of an infinite number of Doctours who vpon all occasions will make appeare the veritie of her doctrine the vanitie of your errours The onely shadow of that great Cardinall will alwayes be able to defeate you for the same reason for which the Picture of Alexander made him quake vnder whose powerfull hand he had somtymes sunke to the grouÌ„d Is it not a mere flatterie to inuite a king to discerne differences in religion Vvill you haue princes to assume to themselues the authoritie of Iudges in such causes Though you would yet would not your brethren consent therto Princes themselues haue no such pretension The Holy fathers giue testimonie and the Scriptures teach that iustly they cannot doe it That your brethren will not haue it so they themselues shall speake Princes saith a Bezainconfess c. 5. art 15. Principes Synodo intersint non vt regnent sed vt seruiaÌ„t non vt leges condant sed vt ex Deiverbo per os ministrorum explicatas sibi aliis obseruandas proponant Beza are present in synods not to rule but to serue not to inact lawes but to propose those to be kept by themselues and the people which according vnto the word of God are explicated by the mouth of the Minister The Prince saith b Controu 5. lib. 2. c. 18. De sensu fidei mec cognoscit Princeps nec cognoscere officio Principali potest Iunius nether doth nor can by vertue of his charge iudge of the meaning of faith Vve say saith c Controu 1. q. 5. c. 4. Dicimus lites Ecclesiasticas decernendas esseex lege diuina per Ministrum Item cap. 6. Respondeo Martinum Ecclesiae vindicare iudicium de genere doctrinae non coÌ„cedere Imperatort c. Vhitakere that Ecclesiasticall differences are to be decided by the Minister in vertue of the diuine law In another place I answere that Martine doth ascribe the iudgement of points of doctrine to the Church he doth not grant it to the Emperour and who will deny that this iudgment appertaynes to â—ishopes Finally it belongs not to kings and Princes to confirme euen true doctrine but they are to be subiect to and obseruant of it saith Luthere That Princes doe not pretend to make themselues Iudges in matters of Faith the a Apud Soz. l. 6. c. 7. Mihiquisum de sorte plebis fas non est talia perserutari Sacerdotibus ista curae sunt Emperour Valentinian doth confirme in these words It is not lawfull for me who am of the ranke of the people to sound and search into those things they are committed to the Preistes care It belongs me not saith the same as b Epist 32. noÌ„ est mecum iudicare inter Episcopos S. Ambrose relates to iudge of the differences which rise amongst Bishops
nor are good for any thing but to giue a false alarme and content such as please themselues to heare calumnies cast out against the Church This moues you to cry out that Catholike religion is made a traffike and that Prelates intrench vpon the liuing and the deade Is it to intrench vpon the deade to doe that which we see hath bene practised in the primitiue Church in the tyme of a Tert. â—l de cer mil. c. 3. Oblationes pro defunctis pro natalitiis annua die faci mus Item l de Monoga pro anima eius offerat annuis diebus Tertul. b Cyprian ep 66. refert vt si quis frater clericum tutorem nominas set non offeretur pro eo nec saecrificium pro dormitatione eius celebraretur S. Cyprian and others and the contrarie to which is condeÌ„ned for heresie in the persoÌ„ of Aerius by the relation of a Aug haec 53. Epiphan har 75. S. Augustine and S. Epiphanius As your beliefe resembles that of the auncient Heresiarkes condemned by the Church so your manner of proceeding is not vnlike to theirs for the Manichees did vpbraide S. Augustine Vigilantius and S. Hierome that for their owne profit and interest they defeÌ„ded the doctrine of the Church which is the verie same which now you obiect against vs. The Prelates nether intrench vpon the liuing nor the deade but doe greatly assiste the one and the other wheras you abuse them both They assiste the liuing by instructions and Sacraments the liuing and the deade by their prayers and their sacryfices wheras you doe altogether neglect the deade and the care which you haue of the liuing hath no other effect then the death of their soules You say that the Pope for some ages past hath hindred kings to read the Scriptures Where doe you find that prohibition The Popes would alwayes exceedingly reioyce that kings who are learned and are addicted to reading should exactly reade them being confident that by the assistaÌ„ce of learned men who are able to explicate the sense vnto theÌ„ they will clearly discouer that the gouerment of the Church is not built vpon the ignorance of the word of God as you calumniate but that your religion is grounded vpon the corruptions and bad interpretations of that sacred word They will also see that the Pope makes not himselfe the supreame iudge of faith but that he was constituted such by God and the Church which is the pillar and rocke of truth seeing God did constitute Peter a Petra or rocke vpon which it is built And indeede S. Hierome though most conuersant in all holy Scripture did yet beseech Pope Damasus that he would decree whether we ought to say one or thee hypostases professing that he would hold as an article of faith what he defined Had not S. Bernard also the Scripture before his eyes when he wrote to Pope Innocent the II. that all the dangers and scandalls which rise in the kingdome of God ought to be referred to his Apostleshippe especially things concerning faith Vvas the Scripture vnknowen to IustiniaÌ„ the Emperour when he saith in his Epistle to Pope Iohn the II. we suffer nothing to passe which belongs to the state of the Church vnknowen to your Holines who is the heade of all the holy Churches Vvhy did the Ecumenicall Councells held in the primitiue Church demand the confirmation of their Decrees of the Pope if they knew not by holy write that they were obliged therunto Vvas not the Scripture both in the east and west Church when as S. Hâ—erome relates the Synodicall consultations of both those parts of the world were sent to Pope Damasus to be confirmed Kings meete with nothing in Scripture but your condemnatioÌ„ And if they daigne to cast an eye vpon historie they shall find that the Popes whose greatnes is represented as preiudiciall to this our France hath not bene a litle aduantagious vnto it But if any haue raysed themselues to the detriment of France alwayes most Catholike and with the diminution of the most Christians kings dignitie you are the men who being enemyes to the Catholike Church and Christian religion like true children of darknes had your birth and groth by meanes of their obscuritie CHAP. XIV MINISTERS THe neglect of these things hath for the space of many yrares drawen great inconueniencies vpon France and hath made it a Theater wherupon bloodie Tragedies haue bene acted while God punisheth the contempt of his word and the oppression of his children The ripenes of your witt dread Soueraigne euen in the spring of your yeares and the tymelynes in princelike and Christian vertues which discouer themselues in your Maiestie makes vs hope for a more happie age vnder your raigne God who besto wed your Maiestie on France in his benediction will by his prouidence conserue you and will settle and confirme your scepter in your hands making vse of it to the establishment of his sonns kingdome who is king of kings so that God raigning by you may raigne also in you to the end that you may raigne with him for euer But if contrarie suggestions hinder our humble supplications from being receaued of your Maiestie with wished successe yet will we neuer cease while God grants life to instruct your people in obedience and loyallie to Wards your Maiestie and we will pray to God for the conseruation of your person and the prosperitie of your Kingdome as it becomes such as are c. ANSWERE IT is not at this present onely that the professours of a false beliefe impute the calamities which happen in their tymes to the contempt of their errours for euen Tertull. Arnobius S. Cyprian S. August and diuers others doe witnesse that the Pagans ascribed all the disasters of their tymes to the honour in which Christian religion was held and to the contempt of theirs In this you imitate these old PagaÌ„s and indeede since the end doth crowne the worke it was fitting that your writing which is full of the imitations of ancient heretiques condemned by the Church should be crowned with the imitation of Pagans condemned by all christian societies If the calamities of France did proceede from the contempt of your religion it had not so much florished in the tyme oâ— the Albigeois whom you accnowledge to be your brothers seeing it did persequute them in open warre And without doubt it had bene oppressed with miseries vnder the raigne of Pepin Charlemagne who religiously honored the Popes and the Roman Church wheras it was neuer more florishing then in their raigne Againe Italie and spayne where your errours are not currant whence those that professe them are banished and where the holy sea is as much honored as in any place of the world should be most miserable contries But your assertions haue no grounde of reason It is true indeede as the Fathers doe obserue that temporall felicitie doth follow religion marrie not yours but that onely
himselfe from it without schisme and without straying from the Pathes of saluation but now the tymes are changed the circunstances we are in are others corruption hath so crept into the Romane Church that she is no more to be tearmed à Church and hence it was that you both could and ought to depart out of it But this euasion will not serue your turne for the Fathers did not dispute of the truth of the Churches doctrine and thence inferred that the Donatists were scismatikes because they were seperated from the Church who had the true doctrine though indeede it was true but they disputed about the Chaire of S. Peter of Pastorall authoritie brought downe from him by an uninterrupted succession concluding the Donatists Schismatikes because they were diuided from this Chaire and from S. Peters successours sitting in the same No otherwise then one would conuince subiects to be rebelles who should seperate themselues from the Royall throne and from the successour of the first Instituters of this Throne and as in the old law the Samaritans may be concluded to haue bene heretikes because they withdrew themselues from the Chaire of Moyses or Aaron That the Principle whence the Fathers drew their arguments was pastorall authoritie and the Chaire of S. Peter and not the truth of the doctrine it doth manifestly appeare in that S. Cyprians a De Gnitat Eccles Ep. 55â— citat reason is because the Chaire of Peter is the fundation vpon which the Church is built and from whence preistly vnitie takes its origine And that of Optatus b lib. 2. Cisat because in this onely Chaire of S. Peter the vnitie of the Church is conserued And S. Ireneus c lib. 3.5.3 cis son that Peters Chaire enioyes the cheifest power S. Hierome d Epist 57. cit becaus the Chaire of S. Peter is that upon which the Church is built And to conclude because S. Augustin e Contrae Epist fundam c. 4. Tenet me ab ipsa sede Petri Gsque ad praesentem EpiscopataÌ„ successio Sacerdotum saith that the succession of Preists which descended from the Chaire of S. Peter held him in the Catholike Church and that this f In Psal contra partem Donati ipsa est Petra quam non Ginâ—uÌ„t superbia inferorum portae succession is the Rocke against which the Gates of Hell shall not preuayle Nor will your reply be any more to your purpose to witt that albeit the Fathers did indeed argue as we say yet had their argument force and efficacie from the truth of the doctrine which then was adioyned to this authoritie to this Chaire seeing that the Donatistes and Nouatians against whom they disputed did directly deney the truth of the doctrine to be in the Roman Church The a Ambr. lib cont Nouatian Nouatians improuing hir doctrine touching remission of sinns and the b August l. de hare haeres 69. Donatists condemning her opinion of baptising heretikes and admitting the wicked liuers into the Church Which makes à cleare demonstration that the Fathers did not make the truth of the doctrine the Principle of their arguments because that was as doubtfull both to the Donatists and Nouatians as the conclusion it selfe which they were to deduce from it for they deneyed both the one and the other Wherfore S. Donatus doth sufficiently make appeare that he argued from their owne confessions and that which they could not deney to witt that the chaire of Rome was S. Peters chaire c Opt. lib. 2. contra Parmen titat Thou canst not deney vnto me saith he but that thou knowest that S. Peter was the first vpon whom in Rome the Episcopall chaire was conferred in which onely Chaire vnitie was to be obserued by all Furthermore you cannot affirme that they formed their argument from the truth of the doctrine because you doe not allow it to haue bene pure at that tyme which is manifest in that d Beza in Rom. 8. Witat l. 7. contra Durae scit 26. you doe condemne the doctrine of Pope Siricius touching celibate or imgle life as the doctrine of the diuell aÌ„d that yet the Donatists were reputed Schismatikes euen for seperating theÌ„selues from communion with him e Opt. l. 2. For the rest though to proue â man schismatique it were indeed necessarie to make good that he were seperated froÌ„ the Church as true Church yet should I not faile of my purpose being à most facile thing to conuince euen by the testimonies of your owne men that you accnowledge the Romane Church then to haue bene the true Church when you came out of it You accnowledge it both by the verie confession of a Caelu 4. instit c. 2. §. 11. 12. Epist 104. Du Plessis in the treatise of the Church c. 12. Osiander in Epito p. 2. your owne Authours and because b Du Plessis au trascté de l'Eglise chap. 81. Osiander loco citato you your selues deriue your authoritie from it whence it manifestly appeares thar you hold it to be true since otherwise you should deriue your power not from the Church of God but from à societie of the Diuell After all this there rests so litle for you to say that if your tongue would but faithfully interprete your conscience we should without doubt heare you condemne your selues the thing being so cleare and perspicuous that vnlesse you were more then blind or that seeing light you would not see it it were impossible but your soules casting the errour which they row professe should win their cause For if the Nouatians and Donatists vere by the Fathers sufficiently conuinced of schisme for that they were seperated from the Chaire of S. Peter and his successours therin you are also conuinced by the same argument since you are seperated from vs who haue alwayes keept the possession of the same Chaire without interruption of succession Your are certainly coÌ„uinced I speake to all your church and to you Ministers in particular who are not onely Schismatikes as are your flocke but withall Schismaticall Pastours for of your owne authoritie you haue established your selues Pastours not hauing receaued power froÌ„ those whose successours you should be Whence it followes that you are a Opt. l. 2. de â—ictore primo Episcopo DonatistaruÌ„ erat Filius sine Patre tyro sine Principe discipulus sine Magistro sequens sino antecedente Children without Fathers soldiers without Captaines successours without Predecessours Wherupon you shall giue meleaue to say vnto you with the Fathers b Tertul de praescript c. 32. Edant ergo Origines Ecclesiarum suaruÌ„ euoluant ordinem Episcoporum suorum c. Opt. l. 2. cont Parm. Vestrae Catbedrae Gos originem reddite c. Shew vs the origin of your chaire nor returne vs barely for answere that you are extraordinarily sent but bring à place of scripture to verifie your assertion You are obliged to produce such
clearely shew that they register none therin but those thatare taken properly since their designe was to gather together all the opinions which might seperate from communion with the Church to the end that being knowen without difficultie they might be auoyded with facilitie 3. that besids these generall profes S. Aug. who is one of them now in question giues particular testimonie that he put downe none but true heresies in his Catalogue For a Lib. de Haeresi Petis à me vt de Haeresibus aliquid scribam dignum lectione cupientium dogmata deuitare contraria fides Christianae he saith in the begining that he doth publish them for their instruction who desire to flie the opinions contratrarie to Christian faith Whence is apparant that he onely makes mention of true heresies and properly taken for such as he doth also afterwards confirme b lib. de Haeres Quid contra ista sentiat Catholica Ecclesia superfluoquaeritur cum propter hoc scire sufficiat eam contra ista sentire nec aliquid horum in fideÌ„ quenquam debere recipere Possunt hareses aliae quae hoc opere commemoratae non sunt vel esse vel fieri quaruÌ„ aliquam quisquis tâ—nuerit Christianus Catholicus non erit saying that the Church condemns all the points which he putts downe that none ought to receaue any of them for articles of faith for in so doing they shall not be Catholikes Wherfore notwithstanding all your euasions it is cleare that in the foure points by me alleaged you haue renewed the heresies condemned in the primitiue Church and consequently that in this consideration your doctrine is worthy of hatred and horrour The religion pretended to be reformed doth banish all vertue CHAP. XVII THat your Religion doth banish and abolish all vertue though shame forceth you to deney it yet will I force your owne authours confesse it who surely will gaine beleife no man being suspected in his owne cause Let man know saith a Luth. lib. de honis operibus sciat hemo omnem eius vitam actionem nihil aliud nisi damnabilia esse peecata in Dei iudicie Luther that all his life and all his actions is nothing els but sinne damnable in the iudgement of God Those saith b Calu 3. Instit 1.12 §. 4 Qui serio tanquam sub Dei conspectu de vera iustitiae regula quaerent illi certo coÌ„periens omnia heminum opera si suadignitate oeÌ„seantur nihil nisi inquinamenta esse sordes quae iustitia vulgo habetur eam apud DeuÌ„ meram esse iniquitatem Caluin who shall make à diligent search into the true rule of Iustice such as itis in the iudgment of God will certainly find that all the workes of men valued according to their waight and worth is no other thing but ordure and vncleanes and that which is commonly tearmed iustice is in the sight of God verie iniquitie If God saith c Beza Confess Fidei c. 4. art 19. Si summo iure inquireret Deus in ipsa quoque praestantissima hominum opera nihil aliud posset de ijs constitui quaÌ„ meras esse donorum Dei pollutiones Beza did rigorously sound the most excellent workes of men no other thing could be resolued vpon then that they were pollutions of the guiftes of God If workes be exactly examined saith d Paraeus lib. 4. de iustitific c. c. 15. Eadem opera bona si districtum ad legis rigorem examinentur à Deo mere erunt peccata Pareus one of your best moderne writers according to the rigour of Gods law they will be found pure sinns You say also in your e 2. Sunday Catechisme that there is alwayes some certaine infirmitie of the flesh mixed with our workes wherby they are defiled Whence it followes planely that all good workes are bad since the essence and beeing of Good proceeds from an intire cause as euill doth arise out of the least iefect Now if all our workes before God who according to the f 2. Corinth 6. Quae enim participatio iustitia cum iniquitate antquoe societas lucis ad tenebras Apostle to the Romains knoweth and iudgeth all things as they are in themselues are no other thing then damnable sinne then ordures vncleanesse pure iniquitie pure sinne pure pollution of the guiftes of God it is manifest that there is nor good worke nor vertue at all in the world being à thing altogether impossible that vertue and vice should subsist in the same subiect and yet far lesse can vertue accompanie an action which is meere iniquitie pure sinne and verie filth It appeares therfore that you banish and directly abolish all vertue and doe indirectly and in consequence diuert and seduce men from euery good action since all that is reputed good in the iudgement of men is pollution and damnable sinne in the sight of God So that such as both loue and feare God are to abstayne from it as from à thing which is disagreeable in his diuine presence But perhapps will you replie your doctrine doth not withdraw meÌ„ from good workes in that we teach that they are as many sinnes before God since it teacheth with all that those sinnes are not imputed to those that committ them But you shall not thus escape mo because one that hath à filiall feare doth not onely waigh wether the faults commetted shall be imputed or no or whether he shall sustayne the punishmeÌ„t therof but doth principally eye the offence of his father whom he nether ought nor will displease Wherupon he will abstayne from euery action which may be displeasing vnto him and moreouer that he is obliged ther vnto And it will be as litle to your purpose to alleadge that you doe not teach that workes are bad of their owne nature but onely by the corruption of man whence you inferre that à man is not obliged to flie them because besides that g Luth in Confut Latomi stat opus bonum natura sua esse immundum Et Assert art 32. Opus bonum optime factum est peccatum veniale non natura sua sed misericordia Dei whitak li. 2. de peccat orig c. 3. Docemus mortaliter semper peccari à tustis ex natura rei actionum ipsirum licet pro huiusmodi non reputentur some of yours doe sustayne that they are bad euen of their owne nature whither they be bad by nature or by accident it is enough to bring an obligation vpon vs to flie them seeing euen the light of nature doth teach vs that what soeuer is euill is to be eschewed without all exception and that God in no sort is to be offended nether by an action bad in its owne nature nor by accident Which I will manifest by à familiar example none being ignorant that though an almes be of its owne natute good and yet by accident euill as being giuen to an ill end