harsh and course fitteth not thy taste then I truste that which is fine pleasant delicate will content thy humor Only I am to craue pardon that my rough rude English nothing aunswereth his smoothe and curious latin and therfore I could wish thee if skill serueth rather to cōmon and parle with the Author him selfe then to vse the helpe of his rude interpretor otherwise for such as be not of so deepe reading for whom especially I haue taken this paine I am to desire that they nothing dislike the soueraign medicine for the wodden box nor the exquisit and rare gemme for the course casket These be the reasons gentle Reader which especially moued me to the translating of this aunciēt and learned Father I beseech thee as thou tenderest the saluation of thine owne soule that thou wouldest voutsafe to reade him attentiuely in whom thou shalte see cleerelye as in a glasse the faith of our forefathers the religion of the primatiue Church and in him thou shalt finde by Gods word and authoritie of sacred scripture the madnes of all Heretickes crushed in peeces and that in a short methodicall and eloquēt treatise The holy Ghost which moued no doubt this auncient learned Father to the writing of this worke incline moue thy hart to the diligent reading and sincere folowing of the same A. P. VINCENTIVS LIRInensis for the Antiquitie and Vniuersalitie of the Catholicke faith against the prophane Nouelties of all Heresies THE holy scripture of GOD saying and warning vs in this sorte Aske thy Fathers and they shall tell thee thy elders Deut. 52 and they shall report vnto thee And againe Accommodate thy eares to the workes of wise men Likewise My sonne Prou. 22 Prou. 3. forget not these speeches but let thy hart keepe my wordes It seemeth vnto me a peregram and the least of Gods seruantes that it shall by his gratious helpe be a matter of no small profitte to set downe in writing what I haue of holy Fathers faithfully receaued being a thing very necessary for mine owne infirmitie hauing alwaies therby in readines how by daily reading therof I may helpe my weak memory Vnto which labour not only the profite to be reaped by the worke but also the very consideration of the time and opportunitie of the place moued and inuited me the time because reason it is that seing it consumeth and bereueth vs of all humane and earthly thinges that we should also take out of it something which may auaile vs to life euerlasting especially seing the terrible iudgement of God which we expect drawing neere vpon vs doth seriously inuite prouoke vs to increase our studies and exercises in religion and the fraudulent dealing of new Heretickes requireth much care and attētion The place because hauing forsaken the company and troubles of the world and chosen a solitarie Abbey in a litle towne for mine abiding where I may without any great distraction of mind put in practise that which is song in the Psalme Be vacant and see that I am God With which reasons also accordeth the purposed end and resolution Psa 45 of my whole state of life in that I haue by the helpe of Christ after long diuers stormes indured in the warres shrewded my selfe in the harbour of a religious life a secure port for all states of men where contemning the blastes of vanitie and pride I may pacifie god with the sacrifice of humilitie and so escape not only the shipwracke of this present life but also the fire of the next But now in the name of God will I set vpon that which I haue taken in hand that is to set downe in writing such thinges as our forefathers haue deliuered and committed to our charge vsing herein rather the fidelitie of a reporter then the presumption of an author meaning yet to keepe this rule in my writing not copiously to lay forth all but briefly to handle each necessary point neither that in fine and exacte wordes but in easie and cōmon speach in such sort that most things may seme rather touched then declared Let thē write delicately and penne curiously which trusting either vppon witte or moued with respect of dewty enterprise any such actiō but for me it is sufficient that for helping my memory or rather forgetfulnes I haue gathered togither this Commonitorie which notwithstanding by Gods grace I will daily endeuour by litle and little calling to mind such thinges as in times past I haue learned to correcte and make more perfect And this haue I thought good to forewarne that if haplye this worke of mine passing forth fall into the handes of Censurers they do not ouerhastely in it reprehend that which they vnderstand present promise to vndertake with future correction better to polish and amend CHAP. I. INQVIRING therefore often with great desire and attention of very many excellent holy learned men how and by what meanes I might assuredly and as it were by some generall and ordinary way discerne the true Catholicke faith from false and wicked Heresie To this question I had vsually this answere of thē all that whether I or any other desired to finde out the Note the ansvvere of many excellent holy and learned men fraud of Heretickes daily springing vp and to escape their snares willingly would continue safe and sound in religiō that he ought two maner of waies by Gods assistance to defend and preserue his faith that is first by the authoritie of the law of God secōdly by the tradition of the Catholicke Church Here some man perhaps may aske that seing the Canon of the scripture is perfect most aboundantly of it selfe sufficient for all thinges what need we ioine vnto it the autoritie of the church her vederstanding and interpretation The reason is this because the scripture being of it selfe so deepe and profound all men do not vnderstand it in one and the same sence but diuers men diuersly this man and that man this way that way expound and interpret the sayings therof so that to ones thinking so many men so many opinions almost may be gathered out of them for Nouatus expoundeth it one way Photinus another Sabellius after this sort Donatus after that Arius Eunomius Macedonius will haue this exposition Appolinaris and Priscillian will haue that Iouinian Pelagius Celestius gather this sence and to conclude Nestorius findeth out that and therfore very necessary it is for the auoiding of so greate windings and turnings of diuers errors that the line of expounding the Prophetes and Apostles be directed and drawen according to the rule of the ecclesiasticall Catholicke sence Againe in the Catholicke Church we haue greatly to consider that we hold that which hath bene beleeued euery where alwaies and of all men for that is truely and properly Catholicke as the very force and nature of the word doth declare which comprehendeth all thinges that be truely vniuersall and that shall we do
the iudgement and opinions of holy Fathers were gathered togither that according to thē by the decree and authority of a Councell the rule of faith might be set down which to the end that I may more commodiously do I will here make an end of this commonitorie and so take a nother beginning for declaring of those thinges which do folow and ensew A RECAPITVLATION of all that hath bene said in the former two bookes WHICH being so it is now time that in the ende of this second booke we recapitulate touch in few wordes the Summe of all that which in these two commonitorie bookes hath bene spoken We saied in the premisses that this alwaies hath bene and at this day is the custome of Catholickes to try and examine true faith two manner of waies First by the authoritie of the deuine scripture secondly by the tradition of the Catholicke Church not because the Canonicall scripture is not of it selfe sufficient for all thinges but because verie many expounding Gods word at there owne pleasure doe thereby bring forth and hatch vp diuers opiniōs errors And for that cause it is necessarie that the interpretatiō of the diuine scripture be directed according to the one onely rule of the Churches vnderstāding especially in those questiōs vpon which the foundatiō of the whole Catholicke religion doth depēd Likewise we said that in the Church we had to consider the consent both of vniuersalitie and antiquitie so that we be neither caried a way from sound vnitie to schisme nor yet cast headlong frō antiquitie of religion into the daungerous gulfe of hereticall nouelties We said also that in antiquity we had diligently to obserue and seriously to consider two thinges vnto which all those that will not bee heretickes must of necessitie stand The first is that which hath in oulde time bene determined by all the bishopes of the Catholicke Church by authority of a generall Councell The second is that if any new question did arise in which the determination of a Councell were not to be found that then we ought to haue recourse to the sayings of the holy fathers but yet of these only who in theire time and place were probable maisters being such as liued and died in the vnitie of the communion and faith And whatsoeuer we knew that they beleeued taught with one mind and consente to iudge and take that without all scruple to be the true and Catholicke Religion of the Church And least any man might think that we saied this rather of presumption thē of any authoritie of the Church we gaue an example of the holy Councell holden almost three yeeres sithence at Ephesus a Citie in Asia in the time of the right honorable Councels Bassus Antiochus in which disputation was had of constituting and setting downe rules of faith and least there might by chance some prophane Noueltie creep in as happened at that persidious meeting in Ariminum this was reputed and thought the most Catholicke holy best course to be taken by the iudgement of all the Bishops there present which were almost two hundred in number that the opinions of these Fathers should be brought forth of whō it was certaine that some of them had bene Martirs diuerse Confessors and all to haue liued and died Catholicke Preists that by their authoritie consent and verdict the old religion might be rightlie and solemnely confirmed and blasphemous prophane nouelties condemned which being so done worthely and iustlie Nestorius was iudged to haue taught contrary to the old Catholicke religiō and blessed Cirill to haue maintained holy and sacred antiquitie And to the end nothing might be wanting which procureth credite we put downe also the names and number of these Fathers although not remēbring their order according to whose consent and vniforme doctrine both the textes of holy scripture were expounded and the rule of Gods word established Neither will it here be superfluous for memory sake to repeate them all once againe These then bee the names of them whose workes were cited in that Councell either as iudges or else as witnesses S. Peter Bishop of Alexandria a most excellent Doctor and blessed Martir S. Athanasius Bishope of the same sea a most faithfull teacher and famous Confessor S. Theophilus Bishope also of the same Citie a notable man for faith life and learning next after whom succeded venerable Cirill who at this present doth honour the Church of Alexandria And that no man happelie should suspecte that this was the doctrine of one Citie or of one Prouince to the former there were adioined those two lightes of Caperdocia Saint Gregory Bishoppe and Confessor of Nazianzene Saint Basill Bishope and Confessor of Cesurea also another Saint Gregory Nissen worthy for his merite of faith conuersation integritie and wisdome of such a brother as Basill was And for proofe that not onely the greeke and Easte Church but also the Latin and Weast were alwaies of the same opinion the letters of Saint Felix Martir and Saint Iulie both Bishops of Rome which they wrote vnto certaine men were there read And that not onely the head of the world but also the other partes should giue testimonie in that iudgement From the South they had blessed S. Ciprian from the North S. Ambrose Bishop of Millan These then be the holy Fathers agreeing with that sacred number of the tenne Commaundements which were alleadged in the Councell of Ephesus as Masters Councellors Witnesses and Iudges whose doctrine the blessed Synod holding following whose counsaile beleeuinge whose testimonie obeyinge whose iudgement without spite without presumption and without fauour pronounced gaue sentence concerning the rules of faith And albeit a farre greater number of Fathers might haue bene set downe yet was it not necessarie because it was not requisite that time should be spent with multitude of witnesses and further no man doubted but that those tenne did litle differ in opinion from all the rest of their fellow Bishopes After all this we sett downe the worthie sentence of Cirill which is to be found in the Ecclesiasticall actes of that Councell For when the epistle of S. Capreolus Bishop of Carthage was reade who intended nothing else nothing else desired but that noueltie might be ouer throwen antiquitie defended Bishope Cirill spake and gaue his definition in this sort for I haue thought good not to omitt it here these then be his wordes in the end of the actes of that Coūcell And this epistle quoth he of the venerable and religious man Capreolus Bishope of Carthage shall be adioyned to the faith of the Councels actes whose opinion is plaine and perspicuous for he desireth that the dostrine of the olde faith may be confirmed and new opinions superfluously inuented impiously spread a brode may be reproued and condemned To which all the Bishopes with one cōsent cried out This we spake all this we teach all this we desire all what I beseech you saied they all
sobernes from new madnesse to auncient light from new darkenesse But in this diuine vertew which they shewed in the confession of their faith this thing is especially of vs to be noted that in that antiquitie of the church they tooke vpon them not the defence of any one part but of the wholle For it was not lawfull that such excelent famous men should maintaine and defend with so great might maine the erroneous suspitions and those contrary each to other of one or two men or should stand in contention for the temararious conspiracie of some small Prouince but they did those by folowing the Canons and decrees of the Catholicke and Apostolicke veritie of all the Preistes of holy Church rather to betray them selues then the vniuersall auncient faith For which fact of theirs they merited so great glorie that they are accounted not only Confessors but also iustly and worthely the Princes of all Confessors Great therfore surely diuine was the example of these blessed Confessors and of euery true Catholicke continually to be remembred who like the seuenfold Candlesticke shining with the seuenfold giftes of the holy Ghost deliuered vnto all posteritie a most notable example how afterward in each foolish and vaine error the boldnes of prophane noueltie was to be repressed with authoritie of sacred Antiquitie CHAP. III. NEITHER is this any new thing but alway vsuall in the Church of God that the more religious a man hath bene the more ready hath he allwayes resisted nouell inuentions examples wherof many might be brought but for breuity sake I will only make choyce of some one which shall be taken from the Apostolique sea by which al men may see most plainly with what force alwayes what zeale what indeuour the blessed succession of the blessed Apostles haue defended the integrity of that religion which they once receaued Therfore in times past Agrippinus of venerable memory Bishope of Carthage the first of all mortall men maintained this assertion against the deuine scripture against the of the vniuersall Church against the minde of all the preistes of his time against the custome and traditiō of his forefathers that rebaptization was to be admitted and put in practise Which presumptiō of his procured so great domage and hurte to the Church that not only it gaue all heriticks a paterne of sacrilege but also ministred occasion of errour to some Catholickes When therfore euery where al men exclaimed against the nouelty of the doctrine and all priestes in all places each one according to his zeale did repugne then Pope Steuē of blessed memory bishop of the Apostolique sea resisted in deed with the rest of his felow byshopes but yet more then the rest thinking it as I suppose reason so much to excell all other in deuotion towardes the faith as he was superiour to them in authoritie of place To conclude in his Epistle which then was sent to Afrike he decreed the same in these wordes That nothing was to bee innouated but that which came by tradition ought to be obserued For that holy and prudent man knew well that the nature of pietie could admitt nothing else but only to deliuer and teach our children that religion and that faith which we receaued and learned of our forefathers and that we ought to folow religion whither it doth lead vs and not to lead religion whither it please vs and that nothing is more proper to Christian modestie and grauitie then not to leaue vnto posteritie our owne inuentions but to preserue and keepe that which our Predecessors left vs. What therfore was thē the end of that wholle busines What else but common and vsuall to wecte antiquitie was retained noueltie abandoned But perhaps that new inuention lacked patrons and defenders To which I say on the contrary that it had such pregnant wittes such eloquent tonges such number of defendants such shew of truth such testimonies of scripture but glosed after a new and naughtie fashion that all that conspiracie and schisme shoulde haue semed vnto me inuincible had not the very profession of noueltie it selfe so taken in hand vnder that name defended with that title recōmended ouerthrowen the very ground of so great a schisme To conclude what force had the Councell or decree of Africke By Gods prouidence none but all things there agreed vpon were abolished disanulled abrogated as dreames as fables as superfluous And O strange change of the worlde the authours of that opinion are iudged and thought Catholickes the folowers accounted reputed Heretickes the masters discharged the schollers condemned the writers of those bookes shall be children of the kingdome of Heauen the maintainers of those books shall burne in Hell For who donbteth but holy S. Ciprian that light of all Saintes that lanterne of Bishops and spectacle of Martirs with the rest of his companions shall raigne with Christ for-euer And contrariwise who is so wicked to deny that the Donatists and such other pestilent Heretickes which by the authority of that Coūcell vaunt that they do practise rebaptization shall burne for euer with the Deuill his Angells Which iudgemēt in mine opinion seemeth to haue come frō God for their fraudulent dealing especially which endeuoring vnder the cloake of an other mans name coningly to frame an heresie commonly laye holde of some darke sayings of one auncient Father or other which by reason of the obscuritie may seeme to make for theire opinion to th end they may be thought that whatsoeuer I know not what they bring forth to the worlde neither to haue bene the first that so taught neither alone of that opinion whose wicked deuice in mine opinion is worthie of dubble hatred both for that they feare not to sow their poisoned seed of heresie amongest others and also because they blemishe the memorie of some holy man as it were with prophane handes cast his dead ashes into the wind bringing infamously that to light which rather with silence were to be buried folowing therin the steps of their father Chā who not only neglected to couer the nakednes of venerable Noë but also shewed it to others to laugh at by which fact of his he incurred so great a crime of impietie that Gen. 9 his posteritie was subiect to the malediction of his sinne his blessed brethrē doing farr otherwise who neither with their owne eies would violate the nakednesse of their reuerend father nor yet permit it to remaine vncouered for other to behold but going backward as the holy text saith they couerd him which is as much to say that they neither approued with harte nor blased with tong the holy mans fault and therfore they their posterity were rewarded with their fathers blessing But to returne to our purpose CHAP. IIII. VVE haue therfore much to feare the sacrilege of a changed faith of a violated religion from which fault not only the discipline of the ecclesiasticall decree doth restraine vs but the authoritie also of the
he was passing olde But yet perchaunce vnfortunate in his schollers What man euer more happie hauing trained vp and bene master to infinite Doctors to Preistes without number to Confessors and Martirs Now who is able to prosecute with wordes in what admiration he was with all men in what glory in what credite grace Who more zealous in religion repaired not to him from the furthest partes of the world What Christian did not almost worship him as a Prophet what Philosopher did not honour him as a master and how greatly he was reuerenced not only of priuate men but also of the Empire it selfe histories doe speake which reporte that he was sent for of Alexander the Emperors mother to weet for his merit of heauenly wisdome with the grace and loue wherof he was inflamed His epistles also testifie the same thing which with authoritie of a Christian master he wrote vnto Phillip the Emperor the first Christian amongest all the Romane Princes And if any man vpon our report admitteth not the testimonie of a Christian touching his wonderfull knowledge and learning at least let him receaue the confession of an heathen Philosopher For that impious Porphirie saith that him selfe being but yet as it were a boy moued with his fame trauailed vnto Alexandria where he did see him being then olde but yet such a one so learned as he that had attained to the perfection of all knowledge Day would sooner faile me then I coulde touch though breiflye those notable gifts which were in that man all which notwithstanding pertained not only to the glorie of religion but also to the greatnes of the temptation For who is he that would willingly haue forsaken a man of such wit of so deepe learning of so rare grace and would not sooner haue vsed that saying that he had rather erre with Origen then beleeue aright with others And what should I say more the matter came to that issue that as the end shewed not an vsuall commō but a passing dangerous tentation of so worthie a man so famous a Doctor so notable a Prophet caried very many from the true and sound faith of the Church For this Origen so rare and singuler a man abusing the grace of God to insolently flattering him selfe to much in his own witte beleeuing him selfe more then reason would litle esteeming the olde simplicitie of Christian religion presuming to be wiser then all other contemning the traditions of the Church and the olde Fathers documents waded so far in expounding cartaine chapters of the scripture after a new fashiō vntill he deserued that the Church of God should also say of him Yf there arise vp in the middest of thee a Prophet a litle after thou shalt not heare quoth he the wordes of that Prophet And againe because quoth he your Lorde God doth tempt you whether you loue him or no. And surely it is not only a tentation but also a great tentation when a man carieth away secretly and by litle and litle the Church depending vpon him admiring his witt knowledge eloquence conuersation grace nothing suspecting him nothing fearing him sodenly from the olde religion to a prophane new doctrine But some will say that Origens bookes be corrupted I will not gaine say it but rather it were so for that hath both bene said written of some not only Catholickes but also Hereticks But this is now the point we haue to cōsider that althogh not he yet the bookes passing abrode vnder his name are a greate tentation which stuffed with many horrible blasphemies are read and vsed loued and liked not as the bookes of others but as his owne workes so that although Origen gaue no cause of erroneous doctrine yet his authoritie hath bene the occasion why the error hath bene liked and folowed The case also of Tertullian is the very same with the former for as Origen is to be thought the best amongest the Greeke Doctors so Tertullian without controuersie the cheefe of all the latin For who was more learned then hee Who in Diuinitie or Humanitie more practised for by his great and wonderfull capacitie of witt he attained to imbraced all Philosophie all the sectes of Philosophers all their authors and patrons all their learning all sortes of histories and studies And for his witt was he not so excellent so graue so sharpe that he almost vndertooke the ouerthrow of nothing which either by quicknes of witt or waight of reason he crushed not in peeces Now who is able to set downe the commendacion and praise which his stile and phrase of speach deserued which was so fraught I know not how with that force of reason that such as could not be perswaded were cōpelled whose almost so many wordes so many sentences so many sences so many victories This is well knowne to Marcion and Appelles well knowne to Praxeas and Hermogenes the Iewes vnderstād this the Gentiles haue tried it the Gnostikcs haue proued it and diuers others haue felt it whose blasphemouse opinions he hath ouerthrowne with his many great volumes as it had bene with thūder and lightning And yet this man after all this this Tertullian I say not holding the Catholicke religion that is the vniuersall and olde faith being far more eloquent then fortunate chāging afterwarde his minde did at last that which the blessed Confessor Hillarie in a certaine place writeth of him He discredited quoth he with his latter error his probable writings and therfore he was also a greate tentation in the Church But hereof I will saye no more only this I add that by his defending against the precept of Moises for true prophecies the new madnesse of Mōtanus springing vp in the church and these mad dreames of a new doctrine of the franticke woman he deserued that we should also say of him and his writinges Yf a Prophete shall rise vp in the midest of thee and straight after thou shalt not heare the wordes of that Prophet Why so Because qnoth he your Lord God doth tempt you whether you loue him or no. We ought therfore euidently to note by these so many so great diuers others such waightie examples and by the law of Deuteronomie most cleerely to vnderstand that if at any time any ecclesiasticall teacher straieth frō the faith that gods prouidence doth suffer that for our triall whether we loue him or no in our wholle hart and in our wholle soule CHAP. XI VVHICH being so he is a true and perfect sincere Catholicke that loueth Gods truth that loueth his body the Church that preferreth nothing beefore the religion of God nothinge before the Catholicke faith not any mans authority not loue not will not eloquēce not philosophie but contemning all these things setled in faith stable permanēt whatsoeuer he knoweth the Catholicke Church vniuersally in old time to haue holden purposeth with him selfe only to hold and beleeue and therfore whatsoeuer new doctrine and not before heard
impious rather gracelesse follow that furious mad proceeding For the Church of Christ is a carefull diligent keeper of religion cōmitted to her charge she neuer chāgeth or altereth in it any thing she diminisheth nothing nothing she addeth What is necessarie she loseth not what is superfluous she forceth not her owne she maintaineth not her owne shee vsurpeth not but with all industrie laboureth only about this one thing that is by faithfull prudent handling of our forefathers doinges what by them in times past was well entered begone she polisheth what thē was well polished and declared she cōfirmeth what then was confirmed defined she retaineth To conclude what hath she els endeuoured by the decrees of Councells but that that doctrine which before was simplie credited the same afterward should be more diligently beleeued that religion which before was taughtmore slowly the same afterward shold be preached more instantly That faith which before was more securely reuerenced the same afterward should more carefully be practised This I say alwaies nothing els hath the Church prouoked with the nouelties of Heretickes set downe by the decrees of her Councells to weet onely to confirme that to posteritie by writing comprehēding a great summe of things in few wordes and often times for more easie vnderstāding to an olde article of faith geuing a new name which before by tradition she had receaued of her forefathers CHAP. XIIII BVT to returne to the Apostle O Timothie quoth he keepe tho depositum auoyding prophane nouelties of voices Auoyde quoth he as a viper as a scorpian as a basiliske least they infecte thee not only by towching but also with their very eies breath what is ment by Auoide that is not so much as to eate with any such what 1. Cor 5 importeth this Auoide yf any man quoth he come vnto you and bring not this doctrine what doctrine but the Catholicke and vniuersall and that which with sounde traditiō of the truth hath cōtinued one the selfe same through all successions of times and that which shall continue to the worldes ende What thē Receaue him not quoth he into the house nor say God saue you for 2. Ioan. 7 he that saieth vnto him God saue you communicateth with his wicked workes Prophane nouelties of voices quoth he what is Prophane Those which haue no holines in them no iote of religion wholie vnknowne to the Church which is the temple of God Prophane nouelties of voices quoth he of voices that is nouelties of opinions nouelties of things nouelties of senses contrarie to our forefathers faith contrarye to antiquitie which if we admitte and receaue of necessitie the faith of our blessed auncestors either all or a greate parte of it must be ouerthrowne the faithfull people of all ages and times all holy Saintes all chast all continent all virgins all widowes all Clearkes all Deacons all Priestes so manie thousands of Cōfessors so many bands of Martirs so many famous and great cities and common wealthes so manie Ilandes Prouinces Kings countries kingdomes nations to cōclude almost the whole worlde incorporated by the Catholicke faith to Christ their heade must needs be saied so many hūdredes of yeeres to haue bene ignorant to haue erred to haue blasphemed to haue beleeued they know not what Auoide quoth he Prophane nouelties of voices to receiue which which to folow neuer was the custome of Catholickes but alwaies the propertie of heretickes And to say truth what heresie hath euer peeped forth but vnder the name of some certain man in some certaine place and at some certaine time Who euer set abroche any heresie who first deuided not him selfe frō the consent of the vniuersalitie and antiquitie of the Catholicke Church which to be true examples do plainly proue For who euer before that prophane Pelagius presumed so much of mans free will that he thought not the grace of God necessarie to euery perticuler good acte Who euer before his monstrous disciple Celestius denied all mankind to be tied bound with the sinne of Adams preuarication Who euer before sacriligious Arius durst teare in peeces the Vnitie of Trinitie Who euer before wicked Sabellius attempted to confound the Trinitie of Vnitie Who euer before cruell Nouatiā affirmed God to be so mercilesse that he had rather the death of a sinner then he should returne and liue Who euer before Simon Magus punished by Apostolicall censure from whome that olde sinke of filthines came by cōtinuall secrete succession vnto Priscillian that was the last durst euer affirme that God our Creator was the author of euell that is the authour of our wickednes impieties and horrible crimes because God as he saied so made mans nature that by a certaine proper motion and impulse of an inforced will it can do nothing else but sinne desire nothing else but to offend because being prouoked and inflamed with the furious rage of all vices it is with an insatiable desire caried away headlong into the pitt and sincke of all filthines Such examples are infinite which for beuitie sake I omitt by all which not-withstanding it appeareth plainly and cleerely that it is an vsuall and common thing in all Heresies to take great pleasure in prophane nouelties to loathe the decrees of our forefathers and so fall from the faith by opposing the false counterfeit name of knowledge and learning contrariwise this is proper to all Catholickes to keepe that faith which the holy fathers haue left committed to their charge to cōdēne prophane nouelties as the Apostle hath already said again doth say Yf any man shal preach otherwise thē that which is receaued to accurse him CHAP. XV. HERE haplie some man may demaunde whether heretickes also do vse the testimonie of holy scripture To which I say that they do and that verie earnestly for a man may behold thē ranging and coursing in euery parte of the Byble in Moyses in the kinges in the Psalmes in the Apostles in the Ghosples in the Prophets for whether they be amongst their owne bretheren or with strangers whether in priuate or in publique whether in talking or in writing whether in the house a feasting or abrode in walking they almost neuer alledge any thinge of there owne which they do not pretend to shadowe with the wordes of sacred scripture Read the pamphlets of Paulus Samosatenus of Priscilian Eunomius Iouinian the rest of such like pestilent Heretickes and you shall find through all their workes an huge hepe of examples almost no page omitted which is not colored and painted with the sayinges of the new and olde testament But the more closely they lurke vnder the shadow of Gods lawe the more carefullie are they to be feared the more narrowlie to be watched for they knowe full well that their stinking and vnsauorie drugges be not likelie almost to please any if simplie and nakedly they be set forth therfore they do temper them
acknoledgeth that what he hath here written that he receaued it from his auncestors and forefathers both which he doth in the very first entrance and generally throughout the wholle booke but especially for that towardes the latter end he so highly cōmendeth the generall Councell of Ephesus that is the Parlamēt of the world which surely he neuer wold haue done had he not ioined with thē in opinion concerning faith and religion and what their opinion was him selfe recordeth for he saith that those Fathers inspired by God decreed that nothing was to be beleeued but that which the sacred antiquitie of our fore fathers agreeing togither in Christ had holden and beleeued Which surely is a notable argument that what faith was by Christ planted and his Disciples preached was by them carefully kept and maintained which thing is especially of vs English men to be noted because the first foure generall Coūcells amongst which this of Ephesus is one and the third in order are worthely allowed by acte of Parlament Wherfore moued with such reasons we may Anno. 1. Elizabe without all scruple or doubt not only read this booke but also imbrace and intertaine it as the common doctrine of that time as the religion practised reuerenced in the primatiue Church as the faith and beleefe of the Ephesin Councell and so consequently as the true doctrine of Iesus Christ Now thē seeing we liue in those daies in which so many new sectes and doctrines such strange and monstrous opinions such superstitious and new-fangled deuises flie vp and downe the world and seing wee are fallen into the latter times in which Men shall heape vp to them selues masters according to their owne desires 2. Tim. 4 and shall not indure soūd doctrine but auert their eares frō truth be conuerted to fables In which they shall loue pleasures 2. Tim. 3. more then God haue a shew of godlines but yet denying the vertue therof In which many scoffers shall come walking Ep. Iud. according to their owne desires who deuide them selues sensuall not hauing the spirit In which many false Christs and many false Prophets shall arise and seduce Mat. 24 many Very necessary it is being thus fore-warned of God that before all thinges we take great heed not to be peruerted and seduced by erroneous teachers or false Prophetes but on the contrarie doe diligentlye preserue our faith the light of our soules the roote and foundation of all goodnes with out which it is impossible to please God as S. PAVL saith Wherin we can take no Heb. 11 better course no way more surer then to repaire to the time of the primatiue Church when the blood of Christ was yet fresh bleeding in mens harts when the Gospell was instātly preached firmly beleeued sincerely practised confirmed by miracles established by the death of so many thousands of Martirs especially being exhorted hereunto by the holy scriptures for as by thē we are admonished of the daungers and troubles of the latter daies so are we for a preseruatiue against them sent to auncient times to conduct vs to gods true religion Stand saith the Prophet Ieremie Cap. 6. vpon the way and inquire of the auncient pathes which is a good way and walke in that and you shall finde rest for your selues Salomon likewise in his prouerbes admonisheth vs in this sort Do not passe the auncient boundes which thy Cap. 22. Fathers haue set downe And in Ecclesiasticus Do not set light by the report of thy elders for they haue learned of the Cap. 8. forefathers because of them shalt thou learne vnderstanding and in the time of necessitie shalt thou giue answere To the end therfore gentle Reader that thou be not caried away with the sweet benedictions of those licentious masters with which the latter times according to the predictiō of the Apostles should be much pestered nor seduced with the erroneous doctrine of those false Prophetes and false Christes of which the sonne of God the true Prophet true Christ hath forewarned vs. And that thou maist find out a good way to walke in and keepe thee within the ancient boundes set downe by our forefathers and by their report learne wisdome and vnderstanding I am to request thee to vouchsafe the reading of this olde Father newly translated and I nothing doubt but thou wilt geue that censure which Queene Saba gaue of 3. Reg. 10. the wisdome of Salomon The second reason which set me for ward was for that I finde this booke not written against some one or a few perticuler false teachers as S. Augustine and diuers auncient learned Doctors did against the Arians Pelagians and such like but against any heresie or erroneous doctrine whatsoeuer which is a thing of so great importāce as I knowe not what can be deuised more What golde were to much or what treasures to deare for that medicine which had vertue to cure all disseases False doctrine and heresie is a greate soare a canker more pestilent then any corporall infirmitie whatsoeuer seing this worketh only the temporall distruction of our carcase but that causeth death both of bodie and soule euerlasting In other bookes we find the cōfutatiō of some speciall fase point of doctrine in many the ouerthrow of diuerse but to destroy all at one blow and those each so contrary to them selues so distinct for time so diuerse for place so many for number is a propertie peculiar only to this most excellent treatise and therfore it may fitly be compared to that miraculous pond wherof we read in the Gospell Ioan. 5 which cured all diseases for as that water moued by the Angell cured whatsoeuer infirmity of him that first entred in so this booke writtē no dout by the motion of the holy Ghost hath force to cure any such as is corrupted with erroneous doctrine or to preserue him from all infection if he voutsafe to enter in that is to read it to ponder it and to waigh diligently what is said an discoursed of The reason why this booke hath this rare qualitie in my opinion is because it sheweth the right way of expownding Gods diuine scripture in which so many to the great daunger of mens soules doe so greatly go a stray and therfore as Dauid ouerthrowing Golias the cheefe chāpion of the camp 1. Reg. 17. put all the Philistians to flight so no maruell though this auncient Author discouering the false expositions and gloses of sacred scripture the principall piller of all poisoned doctrine ouer throweth also all wicked heresie The third and last motiue which incouraged me to this labour and ought partly to moue thee to the reading is the breuitie of the worke the finenes of the methode the eloquence of the stile and therfore if long and large volumes do litle please this is short which can not cause dislike if confusion be ingratfull a methodicall order can not but like thee if a stile
if we folow vniuersalitie antiquitie consent Vniuersalitie shall we folow thus if we professe that one faith to be true which the Church throughout the world acknowledgeth and confesseth Antiquitie shall we follow if we disagree not any whit in opinion from them whom all know that our holy elders and Fathers reuerenced and had in great estimation Consent shall we likewise folowe if amongest our forefathers we hold the definitions and opinions of all or almost of all the Priests and Doctors together CHAP. II. VVHAT then shall a Christian Chatholicke doe if some small part of the Church cut it selfe off from the communion of the vniuersall faith What else but preferre the helth of the wholle body before the pestiferous and corrupt member what if some new infection goeth about to currupt not onlye a litle parte but the Wholle CHVRCH Then likewise shall hee regarde and be sure to cleaue vnto antiquitie which cannot possibly be seduced by any craftye noueltye What if in antiquitye it selfe and amongest the auncient fathers be founde some error of two or three men or haplie of some one citie or Prouince Then shall he diligently take heed that he preferr the decrees and determinations of the vniuersall auncient Church before the temerity or folly of a few What if some such case happen where no such thing can be founde Then shall be labour by conferring and laying together amongest them selues the auncient Fathers opinions not of all but of those only which liuing at diuers times and sundry places yet remaining in the cōmunion and faith of one Catholicke Church were probable masters and guides to be folowed and whatsoeuer he perceiueth not one or two but all iointly with one full consent plainly vsually cōstantly to haue holden written taught let him know that without all scruple or doubt he ought to beleeue hold professe that faith that doctrine that religion But for more perspicuitie light of that which hath bene said ech part is to be made cleere with seuerall examples and somewhat more at large to be amplified least to much breuity breed obscurity ouermuch haste in spech take away the substance and waight of the matter When in th time of Donatus of whō came the Donatistes a great part of Africke fell headlong into his furious error and vnmindfull of her name religion and profession preferred the sacriligious temeritie of one man before the Church of Christ then all those of Africke which detested that prophane Schisme and vnited them selues to the vniuersall Churches of the world they only amongst them all remaining with in the bosome of the catholick Church could be saued leauing certainly a notable example to their posteritie how euer after by good custome the sound doctrine of all men ought to be preferred before the madnesse of one or a few Likewise when the heresie of the Arians had neere corrupted not a litle parte but well nigh the wholle world in such sort that almost all the Bishops of the latin Church deceaued partly by force partly by fraud mens minds were couered as it were with a mist what especially in so great a cōfusiō was to be folowed then whosoeuer was a louer and a folower of Christ and preferred auncient faith before new errour was not touched with any spott of that infection The daunger of which time doth aboundantly shew what calamitie entereth in when a new doctrine is admitted For at that time not onely small matters but thinges of great importāce were ouerthrowē for not only alliance kinred frends families but also cities cōmon wealthes coūtries Prouinces yea at length the wholle Romane Empire was shaken ouerturned For whē the prophane noueltie of the Arrians like a certaine Bellona or furie had first taken captiue the Emperour afterward subduing all pallaces to her new lawes neuer ceased after that to trouble and confound all things priuate and publicke holy and not holy putting no differēce betwixt good and truth but as it were from an high place did strike all at her pleasure Then maried women were defiled widowes spoiled virgins violated Abbeis suppressed Cleargie men vexed Deacons beaten Preistes banished Dungeons Prisons Mines filled with holy men of which the greater part banished the citie like exuls pined and consumed away amongest desertes dennes and wilde beastes with nakednes thirst and hunger And all this miserie had it any other begining but because humane superstitiō was admitted for heauenly doctrine well grounded antiquitie subuerted by wicked noueltie whilest our Superiours decrees were violated our Fathers ordinances broken the Cannons of our auncestors abrogated and whilest the licentious libertie of prophane and new curiositie kept not it selfe within the chaste limittes of sacred and sound antiquitie But perhaps we deuise all this of hatred to Noueltie affection to Antiquitie Who so thinketh at least let him geue credit to blessed Ambrose who in his second booke to Gratian the Emperour bewailinge the sharpe persecution of that time saith thus But now O God quoth he we haue sufficiently washed and purged with our ruine and blood the death of the Confessors the banishment of Preistes and the wickednes of so great impiety it hath manifestly appeared that they cannot be safe which haue violated and forsaken their faith Likewise in his third booke of the same worke Lett vs therfore quoth he keepe the precepts of our elders not with temerity of rude presumptiō violate those seales descēding to vs by inheritance None durst opē that propheticall booke close sealed not the elders not the powers not the Angells not the Archangelles to explicate and interpret that hooke was a prerogatiue only reserued to Christ The Preistlike booke sealed by the Confessors and consecrated with the death of many Martirs which of vs dare presume to open which booke such as were compelled to vnseale notwithstanding afterward when the fraud was condemned they sealed againe they which durst not violate or touch it becam Martirs how can we deny their faith whose victorie we so praise commend We commend them I say O venerable Ambrose we surely commend them and with praises admire thē For who is so senselesse that although he cannot ariue to their perfection desireth not yet to imitate them whō no force coulde remoue from defending theire auncestors faith not threatnings not flatterings not life not death not the King not the Emperor not the Empire not men not Deuills those I say whome for maintenance of religiouse antiquitie our Lord vouchsafed of so highlye and so greate a grace that by them he would repaire the ouerthrowē Churches geue life to the dead spiritualtie restore the ouerthrowne glory of Preistes blotte out wash away with a fountaine of heauenly teares which God put into the harts of the Bishops those wicked not bookes but blottes blurres of new impiety finally to restore almost the wholle world shaken with the cruell tempest of vpstart heresie to the aunciēt faith frō new error to olde
that we say that whē our Lordes flesh was made whē our Lords body was framed that the very word of God was made the very wisdome of God was replenished with created knowledge as in the foresight of God His hands feet are said to be digged Psa 21. Frō this vnitie of person I say it procedeth by reason of like mistery that whē the flesh of the word of God was borne of his pure immaculate morher we do most Catholickly beleeue that God him selfe the Word was borne of the Virgin and most impiously the contrarie is maintained Which being so god forbid that any one should go about to depriue the holy Virgin MARY of her priuiledges of gods fauour as her especiall glorie For she is by the singuler grace of our Lord and God her sonne to be confessed most truely and most blessed to haue bene the mother of God but yet not in such sorte as an impious hereticke imagine and suspecte who affirme that she is to be reputed in name only and appellation the mother of God as she forsoth which brought forth that man which afterwarde became God as we say such a woman is the mother of a Priest or Bishoppe not because she brought him that then was either Priest or Bishop but by generating that man which afterwarde was made a Priest or Bishoppe not in that manner I say the blessed Virgin is to be called the mother of God but rather because as haue bene saide that most holy misterie was finished in her sacred wombe which by reason of a singuler and one onely vnitie of person as the Word in flesh is flesh so man in God is God CHAP. IX BVT now what hath already bene said towching the foresaid heresies or concerning the Catholicke faith let vs in few wordes and compēdiously for memorie sake repeate them ouer againe that therby with more facilitie they may be vnderstoode with more suretie retained Accursed therfore be Photinus not admitting the fulnes of the Trinitie and affirming our Sauiour Christ to haue bene only man Accursed be Appollinaris maintaining in Christ corruption of changed diuinitie and bereauing him of the proprietie of perfect humanity Accursed be Nestorius denying God to haue bene borne of a virgin teaching two Christes and so abandoninge the faith of the Trinitie bringing in a quaternitie But blessed be the Caholicke Church which adoreth one God in perfecte Trinitie and likewise worshippeth equalitie of Trinitie in one diuinity so that neither singularitie of substance cōfoundeth proprietie of persons nor distinctiō of Trinitie seperateth vnitie of deitie Blessed I say be the Church which beleeueth in Christ two true and perfect substances but one only person so that neither distinction of natures doth deuide the vnitie of person nor vnitie of person doth confound the difference of substances Blessed I say be the Church which to th end she may cōfesse Christ alwaies to be and to haue bene one acknowledgeth man vnited to God not after our Ladies deliuery but euen then in his mothers wombe Blessed I say bee the Church which vnderstandeth God made man not by any conuersion of nature but by reason and meanes of person and not that a fained and transitorie person but substantially subsisting permanent Blessed I say be the Church which teach that this vnitie of person hath so great force that by reason therof by a misterie strange and ineffable she ascribeth vnto man the proprieties of God attributeth to God the proprieties of man For by reason of this vnitie of person she confesseth that man as he was God descended from Heauen and God as he was man was made vpon earth suffered was Crucified Blessed therfore is that venerable happie and sacred confession and cōparable to those supernall praises of the Angells which glorifieth one Lorde God with triple sanctification For this is the principal reason why the Church teacheth the vnitie of Christ least otherwise she should exceed the misterie of the Trinitie And let this suffice touchinge this matter spoaken by way of digression hereafter if it please God I will intreate and declare these pointes more copiously Now to returne to our former purpose CHAP. X. We haue said in the premisses that in the Church of God the error of the master is a great tentation to the people and the more learned he were that erred so much the greater was the tentation Which we shewed first by the authority of holy scripture afterward by the examples ecclesiasticall of those men which for some time reputed accounted sound in faith yet at last fell either in some other mans error or else coined a new heresie of their owne This surely is a greate matter profitable to be learned and necessarie to be remēbred which once again we must inculcate make plaine by greater store of exāples that almost all Catholickes may know that with the Church they ought to receiue Doctors and not with the Doctors to forsake the faith of the Church But I am of this opinion that although I could bring forth many to shewe this kinde of tentation yet there is almost none which can be compared to the tentation of Origen in whom were verie many giftes so rare so singuler so strange that in the begining any wold haue thought that his opinions might haue bene beleued of all men For if life procureth authoritie he was a man of great industrie of great chastititie patience labour if familie or learning who more noble being of that house which was honorable for martyrdome him selfe afterward for Christ depriued not of father only but also spoiled of all his patrimonie so much he profited in the misteries of holy pouertie that as it is reported for the confession of Christes name he often indured much affliction Neither was he only adorned with these giftes all which afterward serued for tentation but was indued also with force of witte so profound so quicke so delicate that he far excelled almost all other whatsoeuer A man of such wonderfull learning erudition that there were few things in Diuinitie in humane Philosophie haplye nothing which he had not perfectly attained who hauing gotten the treasures of the greeke tongue laboured also about the hebrew And for his eloquence what should I speake of whose talke was so pleasant so delectable so sweet that in mine opinion not wordes but honie flowed from his mouth What thinges were so hard to beleeue which with force of argument he made not plaine what so difficulte to bring to passe which he made not to seeme easie But perchance he maintained his assertions by arguments only Nay without question there was neuer any Doctor which vsed more examples of sacred scripture But yet happelie he wrote not much No man liuing more yea so much that in mine opinion all his workes are so far from being read ouer that they can not possiblie all be found who not to lacke anie furtherance to learning liued also vntill
of such a one perceaue to be brought in of some one man beside or contrarie to the olde Saintes and Doctors lett him know that not to pertaine to religion but rather to tentation for his proofe and triall especially being instructed with the saving of the Apostle Sainte Paule for this is that which he writeth in his first epistle to the Corinthians There must quoth he be heresies also that they which are approued may be made manifest amōgest you As thogh he should say This is the cause why the authors of heresies are not straight rooted out by God that the prooued may bee made manifest that is euery one may appeare how stedfastly faithfully and constantly he loueth the Catholicke faith And certaine it is that straight vpon the springing vp of any Noueltie the waightie corne is discerned from the light chaffe then is that easelie shaken out of the floare which before lightly remained in the floare for some by and by leape away others only shaken are afraid to perish and ashamed to returne remaining wounded halfe dead half aliue like vnto those which haue druncke so much poison as neither killeth nor digesteth neither bringeth death nor yet permitteth to liue Alas the miserable state of such persons with what seas of cares with what stormes are they tossed for some time as the winde driueth them they are caried away headlong into error an other time coming again to thē selues they are shaken beatē like contrary waues striuing togither somtime with rash presumption they allow such thinges as seeme vncertaine an other time of pusillanimitie they feare those thinges which are certaine doubtfull which way to take which way to returne what to desire what to auoide what to holde what to let go which miserie affliction of a wauering harte and not setled were they wise is the salue of Gods mercie towardes them For this is the reason why being out of the safe porte of the Catholike faith they are shaken tossed and almost killed with stormes and troubles to the end they should strike downe the sailes of their proud mind which they nough tely hoised vp to the windes of nouelties so retire keepe thēselues with in the most sure port of their calme and good mother first cast vp those bitter turbulēt waters of errors that afterward they may drinke of the flowing riuers of liuelie runing water Let them learne to forget well which well they haue not learned and those articles which the Church teacheth and by reason are to be attained to let thē in Gods name comprehend and those which surpasse reason let them by faith beleeue CHAP. XII VVHICH being so oftē times calling to minde and remembring the selfe same thing I cannot sufficiently maruell at the great madnes of some men at so great impietie of a blinded harte to conclude at so greate a licentious desire to error that they be not content with the rule of faith once deliuered vs and receiued from our auncestors but do euery day search and seeke for new doctrine euer desirous to add to change and to take a way som thing from religiō as though that were not the doctrine of God which was once sufficiently reuealed but rather mans institutiō which cannot but by continuall correction or rather corruption come to perfection Whereas the diuine scriptures crye out Do not translate the boundes which thy fathers haue set downe and Do not iudge ouer thy iudge And the Serpent will bite him that cutteth the hedge And that saying of the appostles by which all wicked nouelties of all heritickes haue often bene cut in peces as it were with a spiritual sworde and alwaies hereafter are O Timothie keepe the depositum auoiding the prophane nouelties of voices and oppositions of falsly called knowledge which certaine promisinge haue erred about the faith And yet for all this some there be so shameles so impudent so obstinate which will not yelde to such force of diuine scripture which be not moued with such waight of reason nor yet shaken with such heauenly hāmers to conclude which be not beaten in peeces with such celestiall lightning Auoide quoth he the prophane nouelties of voices He saieth not auoide antiquities he saieth not auoid auncientnes nay rather sheweth what contrariwise should folow For if nouelty is to be auoided antiquitie is to be retained if nouelty be prophane antiquitie is sacred oppositiōs quoth he of falsly called knowledge Verily the name of knowledge in the schooles of Hereticks is false where ignorance is called knowledge mist reputed cleerenes darknes termed by the name of light Which certaine quoth he promising haue erred about the faith What promised they when they erred about the faith What else but I know not what new and vnknowen doctrine For you may heare some of them say O ye vnwise and seelie soules which commonly are called Catholickes come and learne the true faith which no creature vnderstādeth besides vs which hath bene hidden many hundred of yeeres past but of late hath bene reuealed and laid open but learne it priuily learne it secretly for it will delight you And againe when you haue learned it teach it secretly that the world may not vnderstand it that the Church may not know it for it is graunted to fewe to vnderstand the secret of so great a misterie Are not these thincke you the wordes of that harlot which in the Prouerbes of Salomon calleth vnto her the passengers Who is quoth she most Prou. 9 foole amōgest you let him turne vnto me And such as be of small iudgement she exhorteth saying Touch willingly secrete bread and drinke sweet water priuily What foloweth But he knoweth not quoth he how in her company earthly men do perish who be these earthly men Let the Apostle declare Those quoth he which haue erred about the faith But it is worth the labour more diligently to examine the Apostle his whole Chapter O Timothie quoth he keepe the depositū auoiding prophane nouelties of voices This exclamation O both sheweth foresight and also argueth charitie for he foresawe certaine errors which before hand he was sory for who at this day hath the place of Timothie but either the whole Church or especially the wholle body of Prelates who ought them selues to haue the wholle knowledge of diuine religion and also to instruct others what is ment by keepe the depositum Keepe it quoth hee for feare of theeues for daunger of enemies least when men be a sleepe they ouer-sow cockell amongest the wheat which the sonne of man hath sowed in his feild Keepe quoth he the depositum What is mēt by this depositum that is that which is An excelent exposition of S. Paules wordes committed to thee not that which is inuented of thee that which thou hast receaued not that which thou hast deuised a thing not of witt but of learning not of priuate vsurpation but of publicke tradition a thing brought to thee
not brought forth of thee wherin thou must not be an author but akeeper not a beginner but a folower not a leader but a comer after Keepe the depositum Preserue the talent of the Catholicke faith pure and sincere that which is committed to thee let that remaine with thee and that deliuer vnto the people Thou hast receiued gold render then gold I will not haue one thing for another Do not for gold giue me either impudently leade or craftily brasse I will not the shew but the verie nature of golde it selfe O Timothie O Preiste O Teacher O Doctour if Gods gift hath made thee meete and sufficient for thy witt exercise and learning shew thy selfe Beseelel that diuine workeman in building of the spirituall tabernacle ingraue those pretious stones of Gods religion faithfully set them wisely adorne them put vpon them brightnes giue them grace giue thē bewtie That which men before beleeued obsourely let them by thy exposition vnderstand more cleerly Let posteritie reioice for comming to the knowledge of that by thy means which antiquitie without that knowledge had in veneration Yet for all this in such sort deliuer what thou hast learned that albeit thou teachest newly and after a new maner yet thou neuer preach a new religion and deliuer a new faith CHAP. XIII BVT peraduenture some will say shall we then haue no increase of religion in the Church of Christ no growing on no proceeding forward To which I answere and say Let vs a-Gods name haue the greatest and most that may be For who is either so enuious to men or hatefull to God which wold labour to stop or hinder that but yet in such sort with this prouiso that it may appeare to be truely an increase in faith not proue to be a change in religion for this is the nature of such thinges as increase that in them selues they become and grow greater And this is the nature of a change mutation that some thing be turned from one thing which it was to an other which it was not Conuenient it is and very necessary that the vnderstanding knowledge and wisdome as well of euery man in particuler as of all in common as well of one a lone as of the wholle Church in generall of all ages in times past should aboundantly increase and go forwarde but yet for all that onely in his owne kinde and nature that is in the same faith in the same sence in the same sentence In this case let the religion of our soule imitate the nature of our bodies which although with proces of time they passouer many yeeres yet they remaine the same that they were There is great difference betwixt florishing youth withered age yet the selfe same men become olde which before were yong so that although the state and condition of one and the selfe same man be altered yet one very nature and person doth still remaine The limmes members of infants be small of young men great yet not diuers but the very same So many iointes as young childrē haue so many haue they when they be men and if any partes there be which with increase of yeeres spring forth those before by nature were in man virtually planted so that no newe thing come forth in olde men which before were not contained in them being yet children Wherfore there can be no doubt but that this is the due and right order of growing the most naturall goodliest way of increasing only to haue in olde yeeres those mēbers those partes and iointes which the wisdome of our Creator before framed when we were yet but litle ones And therfore if a man be afterward chāged into some other shape or likenes thē his nature require or if the number of his mēbers be more or lesse thē nature prescribeth then of necessitie the wholle body must either perishe or become monstrouse or at least remaine lame maimed In like manner Christian religion must folow these rules of increasing and growing to weet that with yeeres it waxe more sound with time become more ample with continuance be more exalted yet remaine pure and incorrupt and continue full and perfect with each of his partes and as it were with all his members and proper sences And furthermore that it admit no change or mutation sustaine no losse of his proprietie no varietie or mutabilitie in definition for example sake Our forefathers in olde time in the spirituall feilde of the Church sowed the wheaten seede of true faith and religion it were now very iniurious and vnreasonable that we their posteritie in steed of perfecte and true wheate should reape the false error of cockle And contrariwise it is reason and very conueniēt that the beginning and ending not disagreeing with it selfe we should of the increase of wheatē seed reape the fruit of wheaten religion so that when with tract of time any of those first seedes beginne to budd and come forth let them be tilled trimmed yet without chāging ought of the proprietie of the corne springing vp and albeit fashion shape and distinction be added put to yet must the nature of each kinde remaine and abide For God forbid that those rosie plantes of the Catholike doctrine should be chaunged into thirstles and thornes God forbid I say that in this spirituall paradise of the slippes of Cinamon Balsme should sodenly grow vp darnel and poison Therfore what soeuer hath by the grace of God and our Fathers faith beene sowen in this Church reason it is that the same be cultiuated maintained by the industry of the childrē meet that it florish waxe ripe conuenient it grow come to perfectiō for lawfull it is that those auncient articles of heauenly philosophie shoulde be trimmed smoothed and polished but vnlawfull it is that they should be changed mangled and maimed And albeit they receaue perspicuitie light and distinction yet of necessitie must they retaine their fulnes soundnes and proprietie For if once this licentiousnes of wicked fraud be admitted I tremble to speake what daunger is like to ensue of rasing and abandoning religion for if we take away any parte of the Catholicke faith straight waies other partes and after that other and againe other and that as it were of custome and by law shall be abandoned And what followeth when euery parte by litle and litle is abolished but that in conclusion the wholle corps of religion at one blow be refused and reiected And contrariwise if new things and olde forraine and domesticall prophane and sacred begin once to be confounded togither then must needs this custome generally folow that nothing hereafter remaine in the Church vntowched nothinge without corruption nothing sounde nothing pure nothing sincere and so where before was the sacred schoole of chaste and immaculate truth there shall be a very brothel house of wicked filthie errors But God of his goodnes deliuer his seruants frō such minds and let the
as it were with the sweete powder of Gods worde that he which quicklie would haue cōtemned mans erronious inuention dare not so readilie reiecte Gods diuine scripture wherin they are like to those which minding to minister bitter potions to yonge childrē do first annoint the brimmes of the cuppe with honie that ther by vnwarie youth feeling the swetnes may nothing feare the bitter confection This deuise also practise they which vpon noughtie herbes and hurtfull ioyces writte the names of good wholsome medicines wherby almost no man reading the good superscription anything suspecteth the lurking poysō The selfe same thing likewise our Sauiour crieth out to all Christiās Take ye heed of false prophets Mat. 7 which come to you in sheepes cloathing but inwardly are rauening wolues What is ment else by sheepes clothing but the sayings of the Prophetes and Apostles which they with sheepelike sinceritie did weare like certain fleeces for that immaculate Lambe which taketh away the sinnes of the world And what is to be vnderstood by rauening wolues but the cruell dogged opinions of hereticks which alwaies trouble the sheepfoldes of the Church and by all meanes possible teare in peeces the flocke of Christ But to th end they may more craftely set vpon the sheepe of Christ mistrusting nothing remaining still cruell beastes they putt of their woluish weed and shroude them selues with the wordes of scripture as it were with certaine fleeces whereby it hapneth that when the feelie sheepe feele the soft woll they litle feare their sharpe teeth But what saieth our Sauiour By their fruites you shall knowe them That is when then beginne not only to vtter those wordes but also to expound them not only to cast them forth but also to interpret them then doth that bitternes breake forth then is that sharpenes espied then is that madnes perceaued then is that fresh and new poison belched out then are prophane nouelties sett abroch then may you see straight way the hedge cut in two the olde fathers bounds remoued the Cotholicke doctrine shaken and the Churches faith torne in peeces Such were they whome the Apostle sharplie reprehendeth in the 2. epistle to the Corinthians For such false Apostles quoth he are crafty workers 2. Cor. 11 transfiguring them selues into the Apostles of Christ What is transfiguring them selues into the Apostles of Christ But this The Apostles alleadged the examples of scripture they likewise cited them The Apostles cited the authoritie of the Psalmes and they likewise vsed it The Apostles vsed the sayinges of the Prophetes and they in like maner brought them forth But whē that scripture which was alike alleadged alike cited alike brought forth was not alike and in one sence expounded then were discerned the simple from the craftie the sincere frō the counterfeit the right good from the froward and peruerse and to conclude true Apostles from those false Apostataes And no maruell quoth Saint PAVL For Sathan him selfe transfigureth him selfe into an Angell of light it is no great matter therfore if his ministers be transfigured as the ministers of Iustice Wherfore according to Saint PAVL whensoeuer either false Apostles or false Prophets or false Doctors do bring forth the words of holy scripture by which they would according to their noughtie interpretation confirme their error there is no doubt but that they folow the craftie sleight of their maister which surely he would neuer haue inuented but that he knoweth verie well that there is no readier way to deceaue the people then where the bringing in of wicked error is intended that there the authoritie of the word of God should be pretēded But some will say how proue you that the Deuill vseth to alledge scripture Such as doubt therof let them read the Gospell where it is written Then the Deuill tooke him vp that is our Lord and Sauiour and set him vpon the pinnacle of the Temple and said vnto him if thou be the sonne of God cast thy selfe downe for it is written that he will geue his Angels Mat. 4 charge of thee that they may keepe theee in all thy waies in their hands shall they hold the vp least perhaps thou knock thy foote against a stone How will he thinke you handle seely poore soules which so setteth vpon the Lord of maiestie with the authoritie of scripture If thou be quoth he the sonne of god cast thy selfe downe Why so For it is writtē quoth he we haue diligētly to waigh the doctrine of this place to keepe it in mind that by so notable an example of the scripture we make no scruple or doubt when we see any alleadge some place of the Apostles or Prophetes against the Catholike faith but that by his mouth the deuil himself doth speak For as at that time the head spake vnto the head so now the mēbers do talke vnto the members that is the mēbers of the Deuill to the members of Christ the faithlesse to the faithfull the irreligious to the religious to conclude Heretickes to Catholickes But what I pray saieth the Deuill If thou be the sonne of God quoth he cast thy selfe downe That is to say Desirest thou to be the sonne of God and to enioy the inheritance of the Kingdome of Heauen Cast thy selfe downe that is Cast thy selfe downe from this doctrine tradition of this high and loftie Church which is reputed to be the Temple of God And if any one demaund of these hereticks perswading thē such things how do you proue and conuince me that I ought to forsake the olde and vniuersall faith of the Catholike Church Straight waies is ready at hand For it is written forthwith he will alledge you a thousand testimonies a thousand examples a thousand authorities out of the law out of the Psalmes out of the Apostles out of the Prophetes by which expounded after a new wicked fashion he would throw headlong the vnfortunate soules from the tower of the Catholike Church into the deep dungeon of wicked heresie Now with these sweete promises which followe Heretickes doe wonderfully deceaue simple men For they dare promise and teach that in their Church that is in the conuenticle of their communion is to be found a great and speciall yea a certaine personall grace of God So that whosoeuer be one of their crew they shall straight waies without any labour without any study without any industrie yea although they neuer seek nor craue nor knocke haue such speciall dispensation that they shall be caried vp with the handes of Angells that is preserued by Angelicall protection that they neuer hurt their foote against a stone that is that they neuer can be scandilized But some man wil say if the Deuill his disciples wherof some be false Apostles false Prophetes and false teachers and all perfecte Heretickes do vse the scriptures cite their sayings bring forth their promises what shall Catholicke men do How shall the children of the Church behaue
them selues How shall they in the holy scriptures discerne truth frō falsehoode To which I answere that they must haue great care as in the beginning of this Treatise I said holy and learned men taught me that they interpret the diuine and canonicall scripture according to tradition of the vniuersall Church according to the rules of the Catholike doctrine in which like wise they must of necessitie folow vniniuersalitie antiquitie and consent of the Catholicke Apostolike Church And therefore if at anye time a parte rebell against the wholle noueltie against antiquitie the dissention of one or a few caried away with error against the consent of all or the farre greater parte of Catholickes In that case let them preferre the integritie of vniuersalitie before the corruption of a parte And in vniuersalitie let them also preferr the religion of antiquitie before prophane noueltie and againe in antiquitie let them preferre before the temeritie of one or a few the decrees of a generall Councell if any be or if no such be founde let them take that which is next hand that is to followe the opinions of many and great learned Doctors agreeing togither which faithfully soberly diligentlye obserued and kept By Gods grace we shall without any great difficultie finde out the errors of new vpstarte Heretickes CHAP. XIIII HERE I perceaue by order it foloweth to shew by exāples how the prophane nouelties of heretickes are by bringing forth and conferring togither the olde Doctors opinions agreeing togither to be found out and condemned which auncient consent of holy fathers is not so carefullie and diligently to be sought for folowed in euery small question of the scripture but only and especially in the rule of faith neither yet alwaies nor all heresies are after this sorte to be impugned but only such as be new and vpstart to wit at their first springing vp before they haue lette with lacke of time falsified the rules of the auncient faith before the poison spreding far a broad goeth about to corrupte the Fathers workes But those heresies which haue alreadie gott ground and be of some contiunance are not this way to be delt with all because by long tracte of time they haue had oportunity to steal truth And therfore such kinde of prophane schismes and heresies which be of longer standing we must not otherwise conuince but either only if need be by the authoritie of the scriptures or else to auoide and detest them being already conuicted and condemned in olde time by generall Councels of Catholicke Preistes Therfore so soon as any infectious error begineth to break forth and for her defence to steale certain words of holy scripture craftely fradulently to expound thē straight waies for the right vnderstanding therof the Fathers opinions are to be gathered togither by which let any whatsoeuer new and therfore prophane doctrine growing vp with out all delay be deiected and speedely condemned But those Fathers opinions only are to be conferred togither which with holines wisdome and constancie liued taught and continued in the faith and communion of the Catholicke Church and finally deserued to die in Christ or happily for Christ to be martired whō notwithstāding we are to beleeue with this condition that whatsoeuer either all or the greater parte with one mind plainly commonlye constantly as it were a Councell of Doctors agreeing togither haue decreed and set downe receauing it from their auncestors holding it for their time and deliuering it to their posteritie let that be had and accounted for vndoubted for certaine and firme truth And whatsoeuer any although holy and learned although a Bishop although a Confessour and Martir hath holden otherwise then all or against all let that be put aside from the authoritie of the common publicke and generall faith reputed amongst his owne proper priuate and secrete opinions least with greate daunger of eternall saluation we do according to the custome of sacriligious Heretickes and Schismatickes forsake the trueth of the vniuersall faith and follow the nouell error of one man the holy and and Catholicke mind of which blessed Fathers least any man thinke that he may rashly cōtemne The Apostle saieth 1. Cor. 12. in his first epistle to the Corinthians And some verely hath God set in his Church first Apostles of which him self was one Secondly Prophetes as Agabas was of whom we read in the Actes Thirdly Doctors which now are called Cap. 11. Tractators whō also this Apostle some time nameth Prophetes because their office was to expound declare to the people the misteries of the Prophetes these therfore disposed and placed by God at diuers times and sundry places agreeing consenting all in one mind in Christ touching the vnderstanding of the Catholicke faith whosoeuer cōtemneth doth not contemne man but God and that we disagree not by any meanes from the perfect and true vnitie of those Fathers the same Apostle doth earnestly beseech all Christians saying I beseech you brethren that you say all one thing and that there bee no schismes among you but that you be perfecte 1. Cor. 1 in one sence and in one knowledge And if any man separate him selfe from the communion of theire opinion let him heare that saying of the same Apostle He is not the God of dissention but 1. Cor. 14 of peace that is not of him that leaueth consent and vnitie but of them that remaine in peace and agreement As I do quoth he teach in all the Churches of the Saintes that is of Catholickes which therfore be holy because they continue in the cōmunion of the faith and least happily any one should contemne others and proudly require only to be heard only to be beleeued strait after he saieth What hath the word of God quoth he proceeded from you or haue it only come to you And least this might be taken as spoken slightlye he addeth If any quoth he seemeh a Prophet or spirituall that is a master in spirituall matters let him be a zealous louer of vnitie and peace in such wise that he neither preferre his owne opinion before the iudgement of others neither leaue or forsake the sence and common consent of all men The commaundementes of which thinges he that is quoth he ignorant of that is he that learneth not those thinges which he yet knoweth not or contemneth those which he knoweth he shal not be knowē that is he shall be thought vnworthie whom amongest such as be vnited in faith equall in humilitie God should regard and looke vpon a greater euill then which I doubt whether any man can inuēt or deuise which yet notwithstanding accordinge to the Apostles commination wee see to haue fallen vpon Iultan the Pelagian who either contēned to be ioined in opinion with his felowes or else presumed to separate him selfe from theire societie and communion But now it is time to bring forth the example which we promised how and after what sort
what desired they all surely nothing else but that which was of olde time deliuered might be still retained and that which was newlie inuented might speedelie be reiected After all which we maruailed at and highly commended the greate humilitie and holines of that Councell in which were so many Bishopes the greater part of whom were almost Metropolitanes of such eruditiō of such learning that they were almost all sufficient to haue disputed of matters of faith Which greate assemblie and meeting together although it might in some mans opinion haue imboldened them to presume and determine somwhat of thēselues yet they deliuered nothing presumed nothing arrogated nothing to themselues but before all thinges they were very carefull not to leaue any thing to posteritie which before they had not receiued of their forefathers not thinking it sufficient to dispose well of the businesse then present but also to leaue an example to their posteritie how they in like manner should reuerence the religion of sacred antiquitie and vtterly condemne the inuentions of prophane noueltie We inuaighed also against the wicked presumption of Nestorius who boasted that he was the first and the only man which vnderstood the scriptures and that all others which before his daies preached and taught all that interpreted and expounded the word of God were ignorant and vnskilfull that is all Preistes all Confessors and Martirs of whom some had expoūded Gods lawe others allowed and beleeued them To conclude he maintained that the Church both now did erre and alwaies had erred because as he thought it had and did folow vnlearned and erronious Doctors All which albeit they were abundantly sufficient for the ouerturning extinguishing of all prophane nouelties Yet least that ought shold in such plētie of proofes be wanting we added for a conclusion a doble authoritie of the Sea Apostolique the one of holy Pope Xistus which venerable father nowe honoureth the Church of Rome the other of Pope Celestinus of blessed memorie his predicessor which I haue thought good also here to sett downe Pope Xistus then in his epistle which he wrot to the Bishope of Antioch towching the cause of Nestorius saieth thus Therfore quoth he because as the Apostle saieth the faith is one which euidently hath obtained to be so called let vs beleeue and such thinges as are to bee holden lett vs beleeue Afterward he prosecuteth and explicateth what those thinges be which are to be beleeued what they be which are to be kept saying thus Nothing quoth he is further lawefull for Noueltie because it is cōuenient that nothing be added to Antiquitie The faith beleefe of our forefathers is cleare perspicuous let it not be troubled or defiled with any permixtion of filthie mire Apostolically spoken in commendation of our forefathers faith to compare it to light and perspicuitie and in likening nouell prophanes to the admixtion of filth and mire Pope Celestinus likewise is of the same opinion for in his epistle which he sent to the Preistes of France wherin he reprehendeth their dissimulation in that they left by their silence the old faith destitute and suffered prophane Nouelties to spring vp thus he writeth Worthelie quoth hee the cause doth touch vs if with silence we foster errour therfore let such men be corrected let them haue no libertie to speake at their pleasure Some happely doubteth who they be whom he forbiddeth to haue their libertie in speaking whether the preachers of antiquitie or the inuentors of nouelties Let him speake and discharge the Reader of this doubt for it foloweth Let nouelty cease of quoth he if the matter be so that is if that be true which diuers accuse vnto me your Cities Prouinces that through your pernitious dissimulation you cause thē to yeeld vnto certaine new doctrine Therfore quoth he if the matter be so let noueltie cease of to prouoke Antiquity This then was the blessed opiniō of holy Celestinus not that antiquity should cease to ouerthrow Noueltie but rather that Noueltie should giue ouer to prouoke antiquitie Which Apostolicke and Catholicke decrees whosoeuer resisteth first of necessitie he must proudly contemne the memorie of S. Celestinus who defined that noueltie should giue ouer to prouoke antiquitie Againe he mustiest scoffe at the decree of holy Xistus whose iudgemēt is that nothing is lawfull for noueltie because it is not conuenient that ought be added to antiquitie Againe he must contemne the determinatiō of blessed Cirill who highlie commended the zeale of venerable Capreolus in that he desired that the old articles of faith should be confirmed new inuētions vtterly condemned Likewise he must reiect the Councell of Ephesus that is the iudgement almost of all the holy Bishopes of the East who inspired by God would not decree that posteritie should beleeue ought but that which the sacred antiquitie of our forefathers agreeing togither in Christ had holden beleeued who with their vniforme allowing acclamation testified that they all decreed all wished all gaue iudgemēt that is all heretickes almost before Nestorius contemning antiquitie and defending Noueltie were condēned So likewise Nestorius him selfe the author of noueltie and impugner of antiquitie should bee condemned Whose sacred consent and agreement proceding frō Gods goodnes if any dislike what remaineth but that he maintaine that Nestorius prophane opinion was vniustly condemned Finally hee must also sett light by and contemne the vniuersall Church of Christ and her masters the Apostles and Prophetes and especially the Apostle S. PAVL as dreggs drosse The vniuersal Church beecause shee hath alwaies religiously kepte and maintained that faith which was once deliuered S. PAVL because he hath written thus O Timothy keepe the depositum auoiding prophane Nouelties of voices And againe Yf any preach vnto you otherwise then you haue receiued bee he accursed And if neither the Apostle his definition nor the Ecclesiasticall canōs ought to be violated by which according to the sacred consent of vniuersalitie and antiquitie alwaies all heretickes and lastlie Pelagius Celestius and Nestorius were iustly and worthelie condemned surelie necessarie it is that hereafter all Catholickes which desire to shew thēselues true childrē of their mother the church doe cleaue ioine and sticke vnto the holy faith of their holy Fathers detesting and abhorring pursueing prosecuting the prophane nouelties of all prophane misereantes This almost is the summe of that which in these two commonitorie bookes we haue more amplie discoursed of now after the maner of recapitulatiō in fewer words gathered togither that my memorie for helpinge whereof I haue wrote this Treatise may both with dailye admonition be repaired and yet not ouerlaid with fastidious prolixitie