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
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
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
the Ghospell transposeth it in many places addes to it And speaking of Beza his translation saith he not b Idem Molinae ibidem de facto mutat textum that indeede he changeth the text And doth not c Castalio in defensione suarum translationum ait Quo omnes eius Bezae errores noiarentur magno volumine opus esse Castalion going on in the same sense affirme that it would require a great volume to put downe all his errour To conclude that Great kinge whose witt did as far surpasse yours as his person did indignitie all his subiects the king of great Britaignie whose iudgement ought to be taken for the whole Church of England both because you esteeme him the heade therof and for that it is not credible that he would publish opinions which that Church holds not Saith not this Prince in the conferēce at Hampton Court that the verie worst version of the Bible was that of Geneua and further that he found the notes of the Geneua Bible vvonderfull partiall false seditious and too much smelling of the designes of a most dangerous and peruerse mynde 5 That you haue the true canon of scripture Vvorthy of hatred because it makes the vvord of men passe for scripture That the bookes which you allow of are not corrupted That the body of Iesus-Christ is onely figuratiuely in the Euchariste are not these the principall articles of your Faith And that your onely and absolute Faith that is the Faith by which euery one of the Faithfull beleeues to be iustifyed by the apprehension of the iustice of Iesus Christ doth iustifie you is it not the ground worke and soule of your Religiō And yet whereate these tenets found in the holy Scripture Formall and expresse passages such notwithstanding the ratification of your confession doth oblige you to produce there are none Toutes lesdites Eglises Françoises approuuēt ratifient la susescrite confession on tous ses chefs articles comme estant entieremēt fondee sur la pure expresse parole de Dieu You haue recourse to consequences which yet are not grounded vpon two diuine Principles contayned in the Scriptures but vpon two Principles wherof of the one is drawen from your owne braine which doth clearely demonstrate vnlesse I deceaue my selfe that you propose the word of men for the word of God which is found in holy Vvritt since that according to your owne tenet your faith can haue no other fundation then scripture Le ts see whether I be a Liar In the third Article of your Conf. you put downe for an article of Faith that the canon of scriptures is the onely rule of Faith you further accnowledge that all the bookes contayned in the said Canon proceeded from the mouth of the holy Ghost and are conserued in their originall puritie besides those you accnowledge none But by what syllogisme conclude you this in the margent of the next Article you cite sundrie passages of this nature The pure and vnspotted vvord of God Psal 12. v. 7. Psal 19. v. 8. The Lavv of God immaculate The Testimonie of God Faithfull giuing vvisdome to litle ones The Precept of our Lord cleare enlightening the eyes Out of these passages which doe not affirme in expresse tearmes that the bookes you admit of are canonicall you would by consequence inferre it you forme the maior of your argument as followeth The Law of God say you is immaculate pure and vnspotted But all the bookes which we hold for Canonicall and no others are immaculate pure and vnspotted Ergo They alone and no others are the Law of God Whence I pray you doe you draw your Minor Doth the Scripture affirme that these bookes and no other are pure and immaculate verily no. Vvho doth auerre it then You of your owne brayne This proposition therfore is humane and withall false which yet I will not now prosequute being sufficient for my present purpose to shew that this principle is but the words of men Vvhence it followes that ether your word passeth for Gods word or that your Faith in this point which vertually compriseth all the rest since now the question is touching the Scripture which you will haue to be the onely fundation of Faith is not diuine but onely humane whence it clearly followes that it is of no other kind euery conclusion being of the same nature with the more imperfect part of its cause But now let vs speake of the Euchariste You hold as an article of Faith that the words of consecration ought to be vnderstoode figuratiuely so that the body of Iesus Christ is not really vnder the species of bread as we sustayne it is The proofes that you bring of your Faith are diuers passages of holy Scripture which teaching as you dreame things that are incompatible with the reall presence of Christ in the Eucharist doe clearely shew that the words of consecration are figuratiue Let vs see some of your Arguments One body cannot be in two places by Gods omnipotencie to witt in heauen and in the Eucharist which is in earth But the scripture teacheth that the body of Christ is in heauen till the day of Iudgement Ergo it is not in the Euchariste The Maior not being found in all the scripture it is the word of men and consequently it is cleare ether that you make it passe for the word of God or els that your conclusion cannot be diuine and infallible for the reason I haue touched aboue Now let vs examine what your Faith is You beleeue that euery one of the faithfull is iustified by that faith wherby he certanely persuades him selfe that he is iustified in Christ Iesus Paraeus l. 3. de iustif c. 1. l. 1. c. 10. One of your moderne Authours formes this syllogisme Vvho so euer beleeues in the sonne of God shall be saued But I beleeue in the sonne of God Ego I shall be saued Not to dispute of the Maior suppose that it were in the scripture though in deede in your sense it is not The Minor can in no sort be found therin for it is not said in any place that Luther for example Caluin Beza Pereus and others beleeued whence it is euident euen according to your selues that it is the word of men and not of God whose whole word you will haue to be written Now hauing made manifest how you vse the scriptures all men I dare assure my selfe will greatly wonder with what face you dare so highly magnifie the scripture in words which in deedes you so horribly wronge But they will cease this admiration if they call to mynd how ordinarie a thing it is for heretikes to serue them selues of the scripture and to wrong it withall nay which is worse they are in some sort necessarily constrayned to doe both To serue them selues of the scripture because the true religiō being grounded vpon the word of God it is necessarie for euery sect that pretends a true religion
to pretend also scripture wherin it is contayned To wrong the scripture because it is manifestly necessarie that that which of its owne nature is good as it is must needs be changed before we can draw any euill out of it as errour for exemple And indeede we find both these things obserued in the Fathers For a Vincentius Lyren c. 35. Siue enim apud suos siue aliencs siue publicè siue in sermonibus siue in libris siue in coÌ„uiuijs siue in plateis nihil vnquam de suo proferuÌ„t quod non etiaÌ„ scripturae verbis adumbrare conentur first they wittnes that vpon all occasions at all tymes vpon all subiects heretikes haue still the scripture in their mouth and doe bragge of the authoritie therof because a Tertul. de resurrectione aliuÌ„de scilicèt loqui non possent de rebus fidei nisi ex literis fidei they cannot giue a more apparant colour to their faith then the words of faith nor b Ambr. Com. in Tit. Haeretici illi sunt qui per verbaee legis legem impugnant propâ—ium sensum verbis astruunt legis ve peruersitateÌ„ mentis sine legis authoritate commendeÌ„t more speciously impugne the law then by the law it selfe nor more highly coÌ„mend their malice then by the authoritie of that which is deuoyde of all euill And againe they shew that the source of heresies is the c Aug. tract 18. in Ioan. Neque enim natae sunt haereses quaedam dogmatae peruersitatis illaquiantiae animas in profundum praecipitaentia nisi dum scripturae bonae intelliguntur non bene quod in eis non bene intelligitur etiam temere andacter asseritur wrong which is done to the scripture deriuing their generation from its corruption f Aug. de vnit Eccles c. 15. cauenda est caliditas Haereticorum volentium conuertere verba Dei à veritate propter quam dicta sunt adperuersitatem in qua ipsi sunt conuerting ordinarily the vvords of truth in fauour of vvhich same truth they are vttered into errours and falsities in vvhich they themselues liue the e August 3. de Baptis ad imaginem enim phantaesmatum suorum cum quibus volutars carnalis anima delectatur conuertit omnia Sacramenta verba librorum Sanctorum misteries and words of holie writ into the formes and shapes of their owne fancies accomplishing that which the Apostle in the 2. to the Corinthians obserues in false Prophetes who are to walke in the wayes of craft and to corrupt the word of God SECTION III. MINISTERS NOr other head of the vniuersall Church then Iesus Christ our Lord Nor other Purgatorie of our sinns then his blood Nor other propitiatorie sacrifice for our sinns then his death and passion Nor other merit before God then the obedience vvhich he offered to God the Father for vs. ANSWERE VVe sustaine that there is no other head of the vniuersall Church then Iesus Christ no other Purgatorie of our sinns then that of his passion no other merit then his obedience and therfore it is false that you are hated for the considerations which you pretend Marrie you are worthy of hatred for deceaseing and abusing the people while you make them beleeue that what you teach in this behalfe is to the glorie of Iesus Christ and what we sustayne is iniurious and preiudiciall to the same which is false as I will make distinctly appeare by the examination of all these points one after another That we establish no other heade of the vniuersall Church then Iesus Christ is euident euen by the Pope himselfe who yet you say is interessed in the matter who declares that there is but one onely God Therfore Bonifacius in extrauagante Vnam sanctaÌ„ de maio obedieÌ„tia Itaque Ecclesiae vnius vnice vnum corpus vnum caput non duo capitae quasi monstruÌ„ Christus videlicet Christi Vicarius Petrus eiusque successor saith S. Boniface VIII there is but one body and one head of one onely Church not tvvo heades as though it were a monster to Witt Iesus Christ and his Vitair S. Peter and his successour True it is we sustayne that there are other persons distinct from the person of Iesus Christ who beare vnder him by his vertue and power the name and condition of heade Yet this doth not hinder Christ from being the onely head of the vniuersall Church since scripture Fathers and reason teach vs that there is a maine difference betwixt this proposition There is no other head then Iesus Christ and this no other then Iesus Christ is the head of the Church together with him because this last no other then Iesus Christ is the head of the Church together with him excluds euery man which is not Iesus Christ from hauing any part in qualitie of heade And that the first proposition which saith there is no other heade then Iesus Christ doth onely import that though many doe partake of the name and nature of heade yet is it by subordination of one to another The scripture doth clearely teach vs this distinction in the second of the a Et murus ciuitatis habeÌ„s fundamenta duodecim in ipsis duodecim nomina duodecim Apostolorum Agni Apocalypse and in the second to b Vers 20. Superaedificat super fundamentum Apostolorum Prophetarum the Ephesians where it saith plainely that others then Iesus Christ are the fundation of the Church And in the first to the Corynthians 3. Chap. saint c vers 11. Fundamentum aliud nemo potest ponere praeter id quod positum est quod est Christus Iesus Paule deliuers in expresse tearmes that there is no other fundation of the Church then Iesus Christ Vvhence it is euident that these propositions are to be taken in a diuers sense because otherwise they would be incopatible as being contradictories Hence it is that amongst the workes of saint a In Apocal. 21 Necrepellit nos à nostro intellectuillud quod Apostolus dicit fundamentum aliud nemopotest ponere c. Non enim aliud fundamentum est Petrus aliud Christus Iesus quia Petrus membrum est Christi c. Ambrose to wit in his treatise vpon the Apocalipse we see that this passage where the Apostle affirmes that there is no other fundation then Iesus Christ doth not hinder S. Peter from being a fundation because being a fundation as he is a member of Iesus Christ by subordination vnto him he is not another fundation And this was that which S. b S. Leo ep 89. Hunc enim in consortium indiuiduae vnitatis assumptum id quod ipse erat voluit nominari Leo aymed at when he said that Iesus Christ admitted S. Peter into the societie of an indiuiduall vnitie and would haue him to be called that which he was Vvhence it is manifest that the nature and name of Petrae a rocke
a fundation a head doth so agree and belong to S. Peter as that yet Iesus Christ remaynes the onely rocke the onely fundation the onely head sithens S. Peter doth not impeach the indiuiduall vnitie This is his ayme againe whilst in another place he brings in Iesus Christ saying to S. Peter a S. Leâ—serm â— in aâ—iuer suae â—â—ssumptionis Câ—m ego sim 〈◊〉 is 〈…〉 quoque Peâ—ra es quia â—ea virtute solidaris vt quae inthi potestate sunt propria sint â—ibi â—necum particâ—patione communia Albeit I am the inuiolable Rocke yet thou art a Rocke too because thou art supported and confirmed by my vertue to the end that those things Which are proper to me by povver might be comon to thee by participation To the same purpose b S. Aug. in Psal 86 cum dicuntur duodecâ—m portae Hierusalem vna porta Christus duodecim portae Christus quia in duodecim pâ—rtis Christus S. Augustine affirmes that there are twelue gates of Hierusalem which is the Church to witt the twelue Apostles though there is indeede but one Gate which is Christ Iesus because saith he Christ is in those twelue gates for as much as those twelue are subiect vnto Christ and doe subsist in him alone And in verie deede reason doth teach vs that diuers thinges subordinate one to another doe no wayes destroy their vnitie Vvhich is euident in this that the instrument is not tearmed another cause then the principall cause in vertue wherof it workes The Mason and his hammar are not two causes of the house but one onely The man and the sword which kills are but one onely cause of death whence it is manifest that wheras S. Peter doth onely participate of Heade by reason of the subordination and reference he hath to Iesus Christ it doth not any way hinder Iesus Christ to remayne the onely head of the Church like as the power of Gouernour in a Lieutenant doth not constitute two Gouernours the Lieutenant participating onely of that power of gouernement by subordination to the Gouernour Nor is it to the purpose to say that a Lieutenant doth not inferre two Gouernours because he beares not the name of Gouernour since it is not the name that makes the thing and againe to find a true similitude in the things we speake of it is onely requisite that like as the power of a Lieutenant is subordinate to that of the Gouernour so the power which S. Peter inioyes in the Church may be subiect and subordinate to Christs power in the same Church That the Lieutenant is not instiled Gouernour causeth no chang at all in the nature of the thing but doth onely shew an accidentall difference to witt that the Lieutenant and Gouernour doe often chance to meet together in the same towne or Prouince wherof they haue the gouernement wheras Iesus Christ in his owne species doth neuer meet with his Lieutenant in the visible gouernement of the Church And hence it is that though we doe not asscribe the name of Gouernour to his Lieutenant to the end we might auoyd confusion otherwise being both together how should the one be discerned from the other yet doe we iustly attribute the title of head to the Pope where the said inconuenience can haue no place Yea Caluine himselfe vpon that passage of S. Mathew Nolite c. be not called Rabbis For one is your master Christ Let no man saith he sticke or trouble himselfe about wordes Christ cares not how they be intituled who vndertake the instruction of others So there is one onely Pastour and yet he admitts many Pastours vnder himselfe so that he may haue preeminencie aboue them all and by them he alone may gouerne the Church And a litle after The true sense is That then the paternall honour is falsely attributed vnto men when it obscures Gods glorie which happens as often as a mortall man independently of God is esteemed father And in another place hauing obiected vnto himselfe that the scripture commands that God onely be called Father he saith I Ansvvere that Paule doth in such sort take the name of Father that he doth not abragate or diminish the least particule of Gods glorie It is a common prouerbe that what is subordinate doth not repugne Such is the name of Father in Paule being compared to God God alone is the Father of all the faithfull yet he admitts the Ministers Whom he imployes therin to the participation of his ovvne honour Without derogating from the same God therfore was the spirituall father of Tymothie and that his onely father too properly speaking but Paule Who was Gods minister in begetting Tymothie doth by a certaine right of subordination chalence to himselfe the title And againe It is an ordinarie thing that as far forth as God doth exercise his povver in creatures so far doth he transcribe his ovvne names vnto them So he is our onely Lord and Father and yet fathers and Lords are they too Whom he daignes with this honour Whence it is that as well Angells as Iudges are called Gods You heare how Christ cares not by what name they be called who vndertake to preach and teach That he is so the sole Pastour that he admitts many vnder him That to call a man Father doth not obscure the glorie of God Vnlesse he be so called independently of God That things subordinate doe not repugne That by the right of subordination S. Paule did chalence vnto himselfe the name of Father That the name of God is customarily ascribed vnto creatures so far forth as by them he doth exercise his power Finally that the verie name of God is translated vnto men and Angells And why may not we by paritie of reason affirme the same of the word heade Certainely we may affirme the same and we learne it of the Apostle who writiting in the 1. to the Cor. 12. Chap. 1. Corinâ—◠〈◊〉 v. 21. That there is a head in the Church Which cannot say vnto the feete I haue no neede of you doth clearely demonstrate that he speakes of some other head then Iesus Christ since he might haue vsed that manner of speach to the Faithfull whose assistance indeed he did not stand in need of It is euident therfore that the Pope may be called head of the Church though yet we accnowledge no other head then Christ And if happily any Authour expresse him by the name of another head he is to be conceaued to haue spoken of another head subordinated euen as the instrument is somtymes tearmed another cause then the principall Agent Now we must indeuour to manifest vnto all men that it is no wayes preiudiciall vnto God that another with and vnder him should be the visible and ministeriall head of the vniuersall Church Vvhich may be shewen by sundrie reasons for why should it rather derogate from the dignitie of Iesus that another with and vnder him should be the head of
the Church then preiudiciall to the Maiestie of God who is the supreame and principall head of the Church that Christ as man vnder him should partake of the nature and power of head since it seemes to be more disaduantagious to God that Iesus Christ as man should be vnder him head of the Church then preiudiciall to Iesus Christ to admitt another man to be Head vnder him for so much as he himselfe is man Againe why should it more repugne that another man should be called head of the Church together with Iesus Christ in the law of grace then in the old law in which though Iesus Christ was the head of the Church yet was the High priest also called by that name as the holy scripture doth remarke and a Calu. 4. insl cap. 6. Magdeburg cent 1. l. 1. c. 17. Caluin doth acconwledge Further since Iesus Christ is king b Psal 1. and no lesse king of the faithfull then head of the Church how doth the kingly power wherwith he endowes kings stand with his owne royall Maiestie if the participation of the name of head be repugnant to the power which is in Christ And why he being a Ioan. 10. Pastour b 1. Petr. 3. Bishope and c Ioan. 8. light of the world doth it not diminish his honour to constitute vnder him other Pastours Bishops and lights of the world if it be absurd that any other then he should be held Head of the Church Vve maye add to this that wheras in the scripture it is not found Christ alone is Head of the Church but onely that Christ is head d 2. Coloss â— 2. of the Church and wheras Gods is e Matth. 19. onely good onely f 2. Machab. â— iust onely g Apoc. 15. holy why doe you grant that both the name and nature of good iust holy may be fund in others then God and yet that the name and nature of head belongs to God alone Vvherfore since Christ is not onely called Pastour but h Ioan 10. Erit vnuÌ„ ouilâ— vnus pastor one Pastour which imports one onely Pastour as vnus Deus one God signifies one onely God in holy Vvrit why doe you ascribe the essence of Pastours to others and not that of head Now wheras things ranged in a certaine order and subordination cannot be said to be contradictorie by consequence the authoritie of S. Peter ought not to be esteemed preiudiciall to the dignitie of Christ to which it is not onely subordinate but inferiour and subiect by many degrees Inferiour in its extent since Christ is head of Angells and men as it appeares by the â— of the Ephe. and the first to the Collos The Pope is onely the head of the Church of men wheras Christ is the head vniuersally of all men as well those that raigne aboue in heauen as those who liue below in earth being the Head of the Church Militant euen comprehending therin the Pope himselfe S. August in Psalm 86. QuemadmoduÌ„ aeperte dicitur Sanctus Sanctorum siâ— figurate dicitur fundamentum fundamentâ—â—um whence he may iustly be called Head of the Heade as S. Augustine instiles him the fundation of Fundations But the Pope is not heade ouer himselfe but onely ouer the rest of the body of the Church Inferiour in point of dignitie sinco Christ is not onely the head which doth direct but also which by his grace doth infuse life by whom as we read in the 2. to the Collos the whole body doth growe into the augmentation of God And the Pope â—sa head which doth not infuse life but directeth onely wheras Christ â—s the Principall head of himselfe with power of excellencie by which â—e instituted the Sacraments iustifies without sacraments and finally disposeth of all things in the Church as in his owne proprieties But the Pope is onely the Vicaire of Christ and the ministeriall Heade of the Church nor is he indued with that power of excellencie nor indeede with any at all but such as Christ imparts vnto him Inferiour in the extent of tyme being Christ was head from all eternitie wheras the Pope is Head onely in tyme. Inferiour To conclud in respect of necessitie sithens Christ is the essentiall Head without whom the Church is not able to subsiste one onely moment But the Pope is so head of the same that without him it could for a tyme subsiste Moreouer the Church is the body of Christ not of the Pope For Christ being as it were the Hypostasis and basis of this body he supports all the members therof and workes all in all He sees by the eyes heares by the eares teacheth by his Doctours baptiseth by his Ministers by all he doth all which doth not suite with the Pope Noe man now in my iudgement can apprehend S. Peters authoritie in the Church to be preiudiciall to that of Iesus Christ since it is wholy of another nature and rancke then his and his withall inferiour and subiect to it Nor can the name of head any more preiudice Christ since names doe add nothing to the nature of things nether doe they signifie the same nature or equall power with the diuers subiects to which they are attributed sith euen the least similitude and conformitie is sufficient to allote the same names to subiects of sundrie natures Finally if Christ be iniured for that he being the head of the vniuersall Church yet the name and nature of Heade is conferred vpon S. Peter his Lieutenant and Vicaire generall ouer the whole Church why is there not also iniurie done vnto God he being as well the head of euerie particular Church when the same honour is done to his Lieutenants therin Or if as well in the one case as the other his honour be diminished why doe you in conseruing him from one iniurie permit another to come vpon him You will happily deney your selues to be called the Heades of your Churches but the answere is friuolous Saenderus de Schismate Anglican Ribadeneira de codem Du Chesne in hist Anglic in vitae Elizabeth since deney you cannot that your brethren in England doe accnowledge the king of great Briâ—anie to be the Head of the whole Church of England yea and that which deserues a diligent remarke as well teÌ„porall as spirituall Vvhence may be gathered that ether the dignitie of the Pope doth not in any sort derogate from the dignitie of Christ or if it doe derogate the same honour also in the king of England doth derogate from Gods hononr But if granting the one you doe yet impugne the other I demande supposing that you meane not to haue your owne will to stand for a reason a reason of the disparitie Nor will it a white auayle you to deney the paritie by affirming that a particular man is sufficient to gouerne a particular Church yet not an vniuersall Church because the question here is not of the actiuitie or extent of
one mans power but onely to know whether Christ being the head of the Church one should contumeliously wrong him by establishing an other head therof which doth cleately show a paritie betwixt a Particular head being compared to Iesus Christ as such and an vniuersall head compared vnto him in the same nature and qualitie of vniuersall head Now whether one man be of sufficient abilitie to gouerne the whole Church is a new yet a easie question to be decided sith that which a man performes by the helpe ef a friend himselfe is said and esteemed to doe But that I may cut of all euasions â— demand of you whether if the whole Church which you brauingly pretend to be reformed were in England whom you hold to be the head of it would be also in your opinion the head of the vniuersall Church If you grant this why should a qualitie which is not iniurious in his person be iniurious in the person of Peter But if you deney it render a reason of your negation It is not in that the essence or nature of Head is in genere or generally speaking contumelious since you grant it to a prince whom you honour Nor is it for that one onely is not sufficient to gouerne the vniuersall Church because following that supposition the Church is reduced to such circumstances that it doth not exceede the abilitie of one man to gouerne it since one man actually in that extention doth gouerne it And therefore it is manifest that that which we teach is not iniurious to Iesus Christ or if it be impertinently then doe you sustayne the part of a Plaintiue in a crime wherin you your selues will be conuinced as culpable Vvhich yet will be made more euident by the insuing articles where I will endeuour to shew that it is a greater aduantage of honour to produce a thing by the assistance of another though one man alone be able to produce it permitting another to haue share in the glorie which he could reserue to himselfe alone and will make appeare by consequeÌ„ce that it is more honorable to Christ Iesus who alone is able to gouerne the Church yea thirtie Churches if so many there could be to let others share in this gouernement then wholy to reserue it to himselfe And euen at this present I will giue you a scantling of it in that which by the light of faith you haue seene to witt that God did repute it a greater laude and glorie to haue constituted Christ as man the Heade of the vniuersall Church vnder him then to haue retayned and reserued all that dignitie to himselfe without communicating it to any other In conclusion I would in treate the Reader diligently to obserue the Ministers subtiltie which is of this nature that wheras there are two sorts of questions The one Vvhether the Pope be the Heade of the vniuersall Church The other whether supposing him to be the head of the vniuersall Church he ought to be called another head of the Church then Iesus Christ or not In like manner whether good workes be meritorious and supposing them to be meritorious whether that merit ought to be tearmed another merit then that of Iesus Christ Vvhether the workes of pennane doe cleance from sinne and supposing they doe cleance from sinne whether they ought to be called another cleanceing or purgatorie then the blood of Iesus Christ whether the rite and celebration of the Eucharist be a true sacryfice and supposing it to be a true sacryfice whether it is to be called another sacryfice then that of the Crosse Of which two questioÌ„s the first belonges to the nature and beeing of the thing and is of Faith The second respects the name onely and is not of Faith S. Aug. contr Iulianum cap. c. and therfore as S. Augustine saith may be disputed pro con amongst Catholikes Doctours without impeachment to Faith In these questions this is the Ministers craft They passe the first which is of faith ouerin silence The other which is not of Faith they discusse To the end that by reiecting these formes of speach There is another head of the Church then Christ another merit then Christs merit another sacryfice then the sacryfice of the Crosse c. they may carrie away the Reader to beleeue that none is head of the Church but Christ and finally that no action but that which Christ performed vpon the Crosse was a sacrifice And be it that following some Catholike Doctours we may vse those kindes of speach ether meaning that there is another head of the Church then Iesus Christ another merit another sacryfice c. not of another kind but of another order onely or els that there is another person then Iesus Christ who is heade of the Church other workes meritorious another actions sacryfice c. In which sense somme tymes I call the Euchariste another sacrifice then that of the Crosse and good workes other meritorious workes then those of Iesus Christ But for as much as I obserued that the Ministers by this slight of impugnig a manner of speach aymed at the vtter destruction of certaine Articles of Faith I thought good to grant them that we were not barely to sustayne that there is another heade another merit another sacryfice c. therby to make euident that whether we grant or we deney them this manner of speach yet can they thence draw no aduantage against that which is of Faith SECTION IV. MINISTERS NOr other Purgatorie for our sinns but his bloode ANSWERE IF by the word Purgatorie you vnderstand not the place where but the cause wherby we are purged from our sinns we intirely ioyne hands with you for in that sense we teach Aust l. 2. cont Crescon c. 12. Mundantur homines baptismâ— munâ—aÌ„tur verâ—o veritatis muÌ„dantur sacrificio conâ—riti cordis muÌ„dantur â—leemosynis muÌ„dantur â—â—sae charitate that there is no other Purgatorie then in the blood of Christ We say indeede with S. Augustine that there are other things as baptisme the word of truth the sacryfice of a contrite hart almes deeds and Charitie which doe purge and purifie mens soules but wheras they doe cleance vs nether by their owne vertue nor by the meanes of any other thing which is distinct from the blood of Christ but by the power and vertue therof and that in a far different manner to witt inferiour and subordinate to that by which he doth first purge vs one ought not to call it another purgatorie because diuers Purgatories for the reasons alreadie alleaged import a purifying diuersi generis of another kind while yet no such thing is found in mans iustification there being nothing at all which can purge vs but by the force and efficacie of the blood of Iesus Christ This blood it selfe of it selfe doth expiate our crymes as being the onely and proper prise of our sinnes and that wherby our debts are cancelled But the word of